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Honoring GodBob Dylan sang in 1979 You may be an ambassador to England or France, You may like to gamble, you might like to dance, You may be the heavyweight champion of the world, You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls – But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed, You're gonna have to serve somebody, Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord. But you're gonna have to serve somebody. As we continue in our exposition of the book of 1 Corinthians you may recall, back in Chapter 5 Paul dealt with church discipline in a case where a bother was living in open immorality while calling himself a follower of Jesus. Now in the latter portion of chapter 6 Paul again is dealing with that same type of worldliness. So he continues his exhortation about open sin in the church. Those who are immoral, idolaters, thieves, greedy, drunkards, and alike, he reminds us, that those who embrace those lifestyles will not inherit the kingdom of God. But Paul also reminds us of the work of the Spirit in our lives, washing us, sanctifying us, and justifying us in the name of the Lord. And he encourages us to remember that we are to honor God with our lives and with are bodies. So as we consider this text today, I would like to look at what it means to Honor God. READ THE TEXT 1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-20 HONORING GODAs we consider this text let me remind you of the background that the church in Corinth. They were embracing so much of the pop culture that it was hard to tell the believers from the unbelievers. The city of Corinth was such an immoral city, that all the shady characters in the Roman world were often referred to as “Corinthians.” So the purpose of Paul penning out this portion of this letter is to make sure that the Corinthians understand there are boundaries in our lives of things that are not pleasing to the Lord. Some in Corinth taught that things done in the body didn’t matter. So Paul is making it quite clear that things done in the body, on earth are important and we are to honor God with our lives, our thoughts, and our bodies. Yes we are saved by grace through faith, but we serve God in these bodies that our his temple and we need to honor God with them. So understand Paul is not trying to put rules for holiness on the Christians rather he wants us to come to the understanding that we are to honor God within our bodies. How and why we honor God is the whole enchilada. So lets consider three things from our text.
1 Cor 6:12 NLT You may say, "I am allowed to do anything." But I reply, "Not everything is good for you." And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. There are many things in this life that have no benefit, – in fact they may keep us from becoming all that we can be in Christ Jesus. So Paul deals with that when he says, that everything is permissible but I recognize that not everything will profit my life. Every person will be judged by God, not based on the dos and don’t of human regulations, but we will stand before a Holy and Awesome God by faith in Jesus Christ. If someone partakes in some practices, - it may not be a matter of eternal destiny, but at the same time it will be of no benefit. In fact it will deter that person’s growth in the Lord, and their relationship with the Lord. Open sin and slavery to social habits will hinder your witness and keep you from being all that the Lord desires you to be. In fact continual, open, blatant sin - is a sign that a person may not truly be a believer in the first place. 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. Slavery to sin, or social habits - limits our witness for the Lord. If Paul lived today I think he would say, “I can smoke, I can gamble, I can drink, I can curse like the world, I can do all kinds of things - but I won’t. Because, although I know that they will not affect my standing with the Lord, I recognize they may affect my relationship with the Lord, and my ministry for the Lord. So I will concentrate on things that bring benefit to my life” What brings benefit to my life? TURN TO PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9Joy, The Psalmist said the “Joy of the Lord is my strength.” Benefit comes from Gentleness, and the other results of the Holy Spirit like - Patience, not being anxious, and stressed but bringing everything to the Lord in prayer. This is what will bring peace into our lives, these are the things that benefit our relationship with the Lord. When we fill our minds with the things of God, things that are noble, right, pure etc. - we are following the example that Paul gave us this is what benefits our lives. One last thought, if you have an area where you have personal freedoms, perhaps its in the area of drinking alcohol, - the bible does not say don’t drink alcohol but it does say, don’t get drunk. Never use your freedoms no matter what that is, to cause another person to stumble. And just because one person has liberty in an area, don’t judge them by exteriors. The one with freedom is his brothers keeper and must not do things that cause another to fall. Rom 14:19‑21….Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food….it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. The person with freedom should not cause others to stumble in their relationship with God. Then the one who does not have the freedom should not use his personal convictions to condemn the other. So the first thing we see about honoring God is to look to things that benefit. We know what brings benefit to our faith and what doesn’t -- its obvious and yet we often are like the auto mechanic received a repair order that read: “Check for clunking sound when going around corners.” Taking the car out for a test drive, he made a right turn, and a moment later he heard a clunk. He then made a left turn and again heard a clunk. Back at the shop, he opened the car’s trunk, and soon discovered the problem. Promptly he returned the repair order to the service manager with this notation: “Removed bowling ball from trunk.” The solution for honoring God is simple, its right in front of our eyes, participate in things that bring benefit to your life, avoid those that don’t. Embrace things like fellowship of the saints, corporate and individual prayer, bible study. Follow the model of the early church. Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. First we see things that benefit. #2. THINGS THAT MASTER. Although everything is permissible, our text says, “I will not be mastered by any of it.” What is the master of our lives? For some people they are mastered by their pursuit of happiness – or pursuit of money, or pursuit of fame. Many people in their pursuit of happiness has led them into a life of troubles. Recently no less than a dozen NFL stars were arrested for possession of illegal drugs, and two arrested as suspects in murder. Why do these men who are suppose to be “disciplined athletes”, turn to drugs, and crime? Because the thing that masters their life is something that does not bring benefit. Pursuing happiness instead of running toward completeness. Speaking about perusing pleasure and money. 1 Tim 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Run away from evil, run toward the virtues of the Holy Spirit. Run with endurance, run with your eyes on the prize, run away from the world and toward God. James 1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete , not lacking anything. Happiness is temporal, completeness brings meaning to life and is eternal. How is one made complete? By being mastered by God. Being Born Again, having Jesus as your Lord, knowing God and having your life led by the Holy Spirit. On the TV news show 20/20 a couple of years ago I remember they had a piece about people who are looking for happiness by drilling holes in their heads. It’s called “Trepanation”, its an ancient art where people go to relieve their problems, depressions, and look for fulfillment by drilling a small hole in their head. Brings new meaning to that age old question that my mother used to ask me. “What do you have a hole in your head?” Some are mastered by the pursuit of happiness or money, or possessions, all leave a man, a woman void and empty. Lord Byron lived a life in pursuit of pleasure and he wrote, “The worm, the canker, the grief are mine alone.” Jay Gould, had pursued money his entire life he became one of the richest Americans in his day, yet on his death bed he cried out, “ I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.” Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, in his mid twenties as said “There were no more worlds to conquer.” Some in Corinth as in America, are mastered by the things of life, mastered by sin and mastered by the pursuit of sexual fulfillment. They are looking for fulfillment in what God calls depravity. The Corinthian church had their share of people who were mastered by their sin. Paul reminds them that was their former way of life and that anyone who is a new creature in Christ, has been cleansed from this type of mastery. That is what you were! But you were washed, sanctified and justified in the name of our Lord and by his Spirit. That is what some of us were, past tense. You use to be mastered by sin, but now you are mastered by your Lord. That is what the title “Lord” means, Master. Is Jesus your master today? Does he control you life, your thoughts, you heart, your being? Or is sin mastering you. God spoke to Cain. Gen 4:6-7 …. sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Master the sin that laying in wait for you, or it will master you. For the Corinthian Church and for us today, temptation stands before us every day, we ether master it or it will master us. Rom 6:11‑13 ….Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. Paul says, “I will not allow anything to master me, except the Master.” Not pursuits of this life, not sexual immorality, I will be mastered only by “Christ in me, the hope of Glory.” Like Dylan sang, “Your gonna serve somebody.” First things that benefit, second, “things that master” finally we see. #3. THINGS THAT HONOR. In V20, we read “honor God with your body”, ( KJV) says glorify. The original literally means to “to magnify.” Do we magnify God with our lives? The church in Corinth wasn’t. The big problems in Corinth was the same one in our day, - sexual immorality. The word “pornos or porneia” from where we get our word pornography, it means all types of sexual sins. Today porneia, is huge in and outside the church. For you young people today, God tell you to keep yourself pure for the he has for you. For those who have been involved in sexual sins, be that pornography or fornication, adultery, pre-marital sex - Paul gives a simple word, flee from porneia. Run away from it then look to one of the most wonderful promises of God is: Lam 3:22-23 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning ; great is your faithfulness. God’s mercies never fail, his forgiveness is new every morning. God can wash your life, your heart, and your mind. Making those who have sinned greatly, washed, sanctified, and justified before him. Sexual sin is addictive, the person caught in the web of pornography finds it captivating and controlling them, and many Christians are caught up in the middle of it. “Flee, run away from it.” We have a great example in Genesis 39 where Joseph is a young man, who finds himself working as a steward and being seduced by his masters wife. Day after day, she tries to get him to come to bed with her, day after day he refuses until she finally grabs him and pulls him on her bed. The temptation is great but Joseph does the best thing he could, Joseph runs away. And there is no indication Mrs. Potiphar is ugly. Joseph runs away and tells her. Gen 39:9… How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" The key to Joseph’s strength was his relationship with God. The Lord was his Master, he saw porneia as sin, he saw it through the eyes of God – a wicked thing. Contrast Joseph with David. You recall the story, David does not go to war when he should have. He hangs back with time on his hands, and from his balcony he sees a woman bathing, amazing her name is Bathsheba. But David indulges in the sin as he glares at her, then he invites temptation as he calls her up to his room. Then he gives in and they commit adultery. Years ago the Lord gave me a little limerick to remember this contrast. “David looked, but Joseph booked, Joseph stood, David thought he could.” Flee sexual sins – like Joseph keep yourself from a place where you can fall. And when you see temptation, do not embrace it, run from it and run toward the things of God. The church in the middle ages used to pray, “Direct the eyes and mind to other things and thoughts “ Other vices may be conquered in fight, but lust is only overcome by flight. Young girls, if the boys cross the line, tell them to take you home, now. Crystal Michelle, was a 10th Grader from, Arkansas when she wrote this essay to show her commitment to honor God with her body. "Hey, My name is Crystal Michelle. I decided to wait for sex among other things a while back. I have pledged to God that I would not even kiss until the pastor says "and NOW you may kiss your bride." I understand that being "in love" isn’t reason enough to become sexually active. One of my favorite quotes… comes from Ann Landers: "I met him; I like him. I liked him, I loved him. I loved him; I let him. I let him; I lost him." Michelle has some answers for boys who pressure her: If a boy says: "Real men are sexually active." She will say, "So is my REAL dog." If he says, "If you loved me, You’d let me." She’ll say, "If you loved me, you wouldn’t ask." If he says, "Everybody’s doing it." She’ll say, "Not true. I’m somebody, and I’m not doing it!" If he asks her "Have you ever done it?" She’ll respond with, "Have you ever made the wonderful discovery of knowing Jesus Christ?" "If he asks, "Don’t you love me?" She’ll say, "Yeah, But I love God more." If he says, "I won’t get you pregnant." She’ll say, "That’s right, because you aren't going to touch me." If he says, "If you won't let me, I'll find someone who will." She'll say, "It was nice knowing you." And if he says, "But you owe me!" She’ll say, "Okay, I’ll get you a key chain or something." Young men, you too honor God with your bodies. Don’t put yourself in a position to be tempted. Don’t disrespect young women. Honor God with your body and God will honor you with his presence. Remember the story of David’s son, Amnon, he was so infatuated with his step sister Tamar, that he connived to get her up to his room, and raped her. He took her virginity and then the scriptures say. He despised her. I think there is a lot of truth in that story when you as a Christian give into sexual pressures, you despise yourself. You know you have failed and you often take it out on another person, your spouse becomes the problem, the other person is to be hated. All because you know you failed God. Paul’s advice, flee sexual immorality. Even adults need to avoid the places that are too much temptation for you. This is honoring God with your body. Honoring God with your bodies is more than just avoiding sexual sins. Rom 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. Want to be closer to God? Want to know God’s will? Honor God with all your life, give him the offering of your body. The result is - you will know the will of God in your life. Living like the rest of the world, smoking pot, getting drunk, being mastered by pornography, will always keep me from the fullness I should have in Christ. Growing in your faith, begins with things that honor God. What happens in secret reveals the true heart of the person. What do you do when no Christians are around? How do you act when you are out of town? Where do you go, what do you do when you know the Pastor will never know? This is the test of where we are in honoring God. Honor God with things that will benefit, honor God by letting him be your master, then honor God with your body, and your thought life. PRAY, BENEDICTION, INVITE, SING
Series: 1 Corinthians -Through the Bible |
(C) High Sierra Fellowship 2008 |
