True Godly Worship

 Instructions for Godly Worship

 1 Corinthians Chapter 11: Verses 17-34

 What is the greatest problem of the modern church today? The modern church gathers together not for the betterment of the church, but for the worse.

 We are to come together to hear the message God has for us on that particular day and apply that message to our lives when we step back into the world.

 We know that if we love the Lord, then He knows it.

 We had better know that the reason we attend church is also known to the Lord!

 Do we come to receive the instructions from Jehovah so that we can grow in the Lord?

Do we come out of curiosity?

Do we come to observe worldly interest?

Do we come without any preparation of heart?

 Are we soon wearying of the services we attend?

 Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 

Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 

 Do we love the Word of God or not?

Are we just partially convinced of the truth of God?

Do we stifle the Holy Spirit?

 If we do not come together for the betterment of the Church and our lives, then we will come together for the worse!

 This is highly displeasing to Jehovah!

 Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 

Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 

Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 

 There are only two ordinances assigned to the Church.

 One is Baptism.

The other is the Lord's Supper.

 Our lesson today is concentrated on the Lord's Supper.

 Here in the South, when the word supper is mentioned, it used to mean that the last meal of the day, when the whole family would come together to prepare for the end of the day and maybe plan a little for the next day.

 For the Jews, that evening supper was the principal meal of the day.

 The Lord's Supper is something that is, for the most part, entirely different.

 In our church, we say communion, and communion is fellowship with the Lord.

Communion is between the Lord Jesus Christ and His people.

 Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 

Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 

Joh 14:25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 

 The Lord's Supper is called the cup of blessing because in it there is fellowship with Jesus Christ and His disciples, and among the disciples with one another.

 1Co 10:16  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 

1Co 10:17  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 

 Every child of God belongs to Jesus Christ, and we can enjoy our relationship with Him!

 Only those who belong to Jesus Christ should take part in Communion.

 As the Apostle Paul wrote to Philemon, communion means the good things in us that come by Jesus Christ.

 Phm 1:4  I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, 

Phm 1:5  Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; 

Phm 1:6  That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 

 *****1Co 11:17  Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

 Paul begins his rebuke of the way this Corinthian Church was celebrating the Lord's Supper.

 As Independent Baptists, we only recognize two ordinances, which are baptism and the Lord's Supper.

 An ordinance is an outward rite prescribed by Jesus Christ to be performed by His Church.

 Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper on the night of His crucifixion.

 Luk 22:14  And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 

Luk 22:15  And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: 

Luk 22:16  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 

Luk 22:17  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 

Luk 22:18  For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 

Luk 22:19  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 

Luk 22:20  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

 This was the New Covenant in contrast with the old Mosaic Covenant.

 Only through His death could this New Covenant be applied to the Church because it was the death of Christ that provided forgiveness of sins, which is discussed later in this lesson.

 The Lord's Supper is a memorial to the death of our Savior!

 As we celebrate the memorial of our Savior, we must emphasize that we have faith that He died so that we could be forgiven.

 This church in Corinth was even divided in this celebration, that is to remind us of what the Lord Jesus has already done for us.

 1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 

1Pe 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 

 ***** 1Co 11:18  For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 

1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 

1Co 11:20  When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. 

 These Corinthians were tragically abusing the Lord's Supper!

 When divisions are in any church, the Spirit of the Church is in disorder!

 Minds and hearts are not upon the Lord but on the causes of this division.

 Paul knew how these matters would grow and become rumors and exaggerations.

 Paul understood there was great truth in the letter he had received from this church.

 This church needed to work on its problems before it could be a true House of God.

 None of these things could catch the Lord off guard or by surprise.

 In fact, the Lord will allow these things to persist so the true believers can stand out in the turmoil.

 These people who cause this division in any church will cause the love and truth of genuine believers to shine brightly, which is what verse 19 tells us.

 No Spiritual unity can exist where there is no supreme affection for Jesus Christ.

 We are all to unite with Jesus Christ because He is the Head of the Church.

 It seems so many places of worship have forgotten this today.

 The Lord's Supper is our way of showing our faith in the Lord but here in Corinth it was perverted into a means of gluttony and drunkenness.

 Today, we see churches that are perverted, Bibles that are perverted, and Christian ministries that are perverted.

 The one good thing for the pastor of any church was that he could tell who were genuine Christians and those who were not.

 *****1Co 11:21  For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 

1Co 11:22  What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. 

 This gathering of this church was meaningless to the Lord, and He would never be a part of such a gathering!

 It is impossible to have a divided church and honor the Lord Jesus!

 Jas 1:26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

 When the early church observed the Lord's Supper, they would incorporate it with what was called a "love feast".

 Everyone brought all the food they could in order that there would be plenty for everyone, including the poor and the slaves who could not bring very much.

 The idea was to have a common meal where everyone shared, and everyone would have enough to eat.

 This church at Corinth began to abuse the Supper. Instead of sharing, everyone sat off in their little group of friends and shared the food they brought only with that group.

 Some were neglected and had very little to eat, if anything.

Some were indulging as gluttons, trying to make sure that group had nothing to eat.

Some treated the whole thing as a social gathering, bringing alcohol to drink off to the side and becoming drunk.

 This was no longer a Christian fellowship, and there was no love shown to the brethren.

 This was no celebration of the Lord's Supper!

 This celebration was meaningless and useless in furthering the Gospel and strengthening the Church.

 This celebration ruined the testimony of this church.

 Some outside the church who believed would talk about how Satan had accomplished so much in the church in such a short period of time.

 Satan is working hard in many churches today!

 Paul said you must despise the House of God to do such things.

 Paul said Do you not have homes to do such things and not bring this inside the church.

 They abused the sanctity of the Church.

They shamed the poor and the slaves who had little food.

They corrupted the Lord's Supper.

They slapped the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.

They were proud of themselves.

 A divided church is a sin against the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Paul said, "How can I praise such a gathering in the House, the Lord Jesus has built"?

 1Ti 3:5  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 

 1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 

 Paul tells this church the truth of the Lord's Supper.

 *****1Co 11:23  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 

1Co 11:24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 

1Co 11:25  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 

1Co 11:26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come

 What is the real meaning of the Lord's Supper?

 The Lord's Supper involves our looking back to the historical event of the cross and anticipating His return, which could happen any day now.

 The Lord's Supper is a communion of believers with each other.

 1Co 10:17  For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 

 At the Lord's Supper, we will all eat and drink the same symbolic elements of the body of our Lord as we become the Body of Christ in common faith!

 **What is the meaning of the bread? Jesus said: "Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me". 

 We must remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Glory of God!

 Joh 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

 Joh 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 

 The Lord Jesus took part in His final meal Himself. He was standing there with His disciples, who would become the Apostles.

 That bread symbolized the Lord's body.

 **In passing the cup, Jesus said: "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me".

 Jesus did not say this was His blood, but it symbolized His blood, just as it was a symbol of the New Covenant God has made with mankind.

 His body had to be broken for this New Covenant to take place, and it was broken for all mankind, but especially for those who love Him.

 The Lord Jesus substituted His body for my body on that cross and the body of every sinner who has ever lived and will live in the future, though that future may now be short.

 Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 

 **The Lord did these things for us, and of the bread He said: "This do in remembrance of me"

 Of the cup He said: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me".

 This means we are to stir up our minds to meditate upon the person of Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God.

 The Old Covenant, the Old Testament, is set aside, and this New Covenant is the blood of Jesus Christ and not the blood of bulls and goats.

 Heb 9:13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 

Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 

 Every church is to set time aside to observe the Lord's Supper, which is to concentrate our minds upon our Savior.

 His death.

His return.

 Jesus Christ died for us that we might live for Him!

 We must understand that there can be severe consequences for taking part in the Lord's Supper unworthily!

 *****1Co 11:27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 

1Co 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 

1Co 11:29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 

1Co 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 

 We know that Paul has sent this letter by Timothy to preach to the Corinthian church, but this letter would be preached to every Christian church of that day, and we have a copy of it today.

 We know that if we have sin in our hearts, God will not answer our prayers.

 Psa 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: 

 In partaking of the Lord's Supper, we must understand its purpose.

 Psa_116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

Psa 116:14  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. 

 The same night of the Lord's Supper, we know that He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.

 If we partake of the Lord's Supper with sin in our lives, then we are not saved by the "grace" of God, we have not accepted the New Covenant of God, and we have partaken of the Lord's Supper unworthily.

 The Lord Jesus died for our sins; He had no sin.

 The Lord's Supper shows forth His death until He returns!

 This event commemorates the death of our Savior.

 1) Not His life, for He lived in holiness without sin.

2) Not His teaching, though He spoke in Divine Truth.

3) Not His miracles, though He walks in mercy.

4) But His death, not glorious, but broken. His blood, not flowing through His veins, but shed for all mankind.

The Lord's Supper is when we see our own sins laid upon Him

The Lord's Supper is when we see our souls washed by Him.

The Lord's Supper is when we see our doom reversed by Him.

The Lord's Supper is when we see our lives secured by Him.

So, we must show forth His death till He comes.

The eleven disciples who remained became more faithful witnesses after the Lord's Supper, and we should also, if we can see how great our salvation is.

Those who partake of the Lord's Supper unworthily put the Lord in open shame.

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 

Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 

Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 

Those who have no concept of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His death in payment for our sin, and partake of the Lord's Supper show irreverence of the body and the blood of the Son of God, will stir the judgment of God the Father.

It sounds serious because it is serious!

1Jn 5:16  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 

*****1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 

1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 

1Co 11:33  Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 

1Co 11:34  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come. 

If we know we have unconfessed sin, we should not take part in the two ordinances of the Church, and certainly not the Lord's Supper.

If we take that word "judgment" to mean "discern," we need to examine ourselves to make sure we are not living in sin or carrying some unconfessed sin in our hearts; we must certainly not take part in the Lord's Supper.

We must confess our sin and repent of that sin, knowing that God will chasten us, but He chastens us out of His love for us. If we continue in sin, we may be running the risk of being judged with the unbelievers.

We must share and demonstrate our love by putting others first, serving one another.

We must not bring condemnation upon ourselves. We must repent of our old life. We must change what we have been doing.

We can eat our meals at home, but the Lord's Supper is for those who truly trust in the salvation plan of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jonah realized His sin, he cried unto the Lord with these words: Jon 2:2  And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 

Amen

Who or What Do You Worship

 Admonitions from Israel's History

 Book of 1 Corinthians Chapter 10

 Idolatry is the practice of paying divine honor to any object that is created.

 There are three forms of idolatry:

 1) Fetishism: the worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, etc.

2) Nature worship: the worship of the sun, the moon, and the stars as the supposed powers of nature.

3) Hero worship, the worship of deceased ancestors or heroes.

 During their long residence in Egypt, the Hebrews fell into idolatry.

 Eze 20:7  Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 

 The world before the flood was a wicked and idolatrous world:

 Jos 24:14  Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 

Jos 24:15  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

 What is the first commandment given to Israel after Jehovah freed them from Egypt? Deu 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 

Deu 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Deu 6:13  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 

 Today, throughout the world, people worship everything but Jehovah God!

Those who worship themselves have made themselves to be God.

 *****1Co 10:1  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 

1Co 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 

1Co 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 

1Co 10:5  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 

 As Paul gets further into this epistle, he will eventually get to the security of the believer.

 The security of the believer is one of the great doctrines of Scripture, but unfortunately, it is taught without much understanding and without the warnings that come from the Word of God.

 We know that when the time of judgment comes, God will first judge the Church.

 There are multitudes in the Church who are not truly converted to Jesus Christ, but they have a false security and are overconfident.

 They say they are saved, but their lifestyle says different.

 Saying and knowing are two different things.

 Being baptized and belonging to a church does not mean we are saved.

 Taking part in the Lord's Supper does not mean we are saved.

 Being greatly gifted and very active in the Church does not make a person safe and secure in Jesus Christ.

 These things were problems in the Church in Corinth.

 As Christians, we are in a race for an incorruptible Crown, but this crown is not given on a silver platter.

 We must actually be in the race!

 The nation of Israel was a prime example of a people who had been greatly privileged by Jehovah, and it led to a people who felt safe and secure, yet many of them perished in the wilderness after Jehovah had saved them from Egypt.

 All of them shared the many blessings of God, but none of that group but a few entered into the Promised Land.

 The Israelites were as much a people of God as we are today, yet most of them fell in the wilderness of sin.

 In truth, the possession of great privileges does not secure us from the danger of falling from the "Grace" of God.

 The worst sins of Israel were a direct result of idolatry!

 Idolatry is not a light matter to Jehovah God!

 Today, many in the Church are willing to be delivered from Hell but shy away from living life like Jesus Christ, which is the standard for being a Christian, and which is the standard for repentance.

 What did Jesus teach the Jews?

 Mrk_1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

 What has Jesus taught the Church?

 Rev_2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

 The Israelites accepted the position as God's people, but failed in the duties of being God's people.

 Is the Church doing the same thing today?

 We love to say we are the children of God, but is the Church fulfilling the duties of the Church?

 Many who say they are Christians were never truly converted and have never really repented of their sins before God!

 Israel passed through the Red Sea as if on dry land.

 Archaeologists have found the place of the crossing of Israel, even finding the chariot of that Pharaoh, but now Egypt will not allow any more research because it changes the narrative that they want remembered.

 Many more like them do not want the Bible to prove itself to be the truth, but it is.

 Israel had the presence of Jesus Christ with them.

 God gave His Son the Leader to lead them to the Promised Land. That Rock was Christ!

 God took care of their day-to-day needs.

 Jesus Christ was the source, the Energy and the Power, and the Person who caused water from the Rock, caused the Red Sea to part, who caused the cloud to guide Israel, and rained down the manna, and who gave Moses the promises of God.

 Jesus Christ is the Jehovah of the Old Testament!

 We should remember there were over six hundred thousand men alone who broke away from the bondage of Egypt.

 This means we do not know the actual number of the children of Israel.

 We know that only two families, the family of Caleb and the family of Joshua, stayed true to the Lord; the rest died and were replaced before they entered into the Promised Land.

 So, we have proof that God will save people from one tragedy, but still not allow them into His Heaven.

 We must know that we know we are saved according to the Word of God, or we could still end up in Hell.

 These things are a warning to the Church!

 *****1Co 10:6  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

 These things were examples for the Church to learn from!

 God has given us a Jewish history lesson for the Church to learn because we know that God never changes.

 The things that happened to the Hebrews (Jews) are valuable lessons to Christians, and we must not ever forget this!

 Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 

Eph 5:7  Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 

 Then God gives us some of these examples.

 *****1Co 10:7  Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 

1Co 10:8  Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 

1Co 10:9  Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 

1Co 10:10  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 

 **Warning number one: While Moses was upon the Mountain with God, the children of Israel began lusting after the things of the flesh.

Many of them turned to idolatry. Aaron made that golden calf, and the people began dancing around it.

 In typology, we know our Lord Jesus is now on Heaven's Mountain, and the Church is lusting after the flesh and worshipping idols.

 **Warning number two: Immorality took over the children of Israel.

 And the Lord Jesus says to the Church, Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 

 **Warning number three: Neither let us tempt Jesus Christ. They tried the Lord's patience.

 You want to get to Hell! Go ahead and see how far you can go to test the patience of the Lord Jesus Christ. These children of Israel always felt that God expected too much from them. Many in the Church still feel this way today!

 Many of them even longed for things they left behind in Egypt. Even onions. Who can believe that? Many people love onions, but I doubt they would choose slavery to get them.

 Many Christians think they will be forgiven even if they take that second look.

If they just get a taste, or if they could just touch, or if they slip just a little, or if they hold back just a little, which is the sin of covetousness.

 Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 

Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 

Heb 10:30  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 

 **Warning number four: These people could not go a day without murmuring, complaining, and grumbling.

 It is the same for the Church of today. So many today are not satisfied with the truth and seek to make their own truth. Much of the Church has moved away from the truth of solid preaching and seeks a church and a Bible that goes along with their own thoughts of Christianity, forgetting what being a Christian is all about.

 Jud 1:14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 

Jud 1:15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 

Jud 1:16  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. 

 All these things are examples for the Church not to get caught up in!

 Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

Rom 15:5  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 

Rom 15:6  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 We must be sure of our salvation, and we must know what it is to be Christian!

 To be Christian is to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 This name was given to the followers of Jesus Christ by unbelievers.

 Act 11:26  And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. 

 This name was given to the followers of Christ in sarcasm.

 How many in the Church today would the world call Christian when the word I hear the most is hypocrites?

 All these things that Paul has mentioned today should cause us to look at ourselves and just see what our standing is with God.

 *****1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

We must understand that was impossible for any Christian in Corinth to avoid coming in contact with idolatrous practices in its many forms.

We can also say this about America today!

We must understand this warning from the Holy Spirit.

Most every church acknowledges that we are in the last days of the Church Age.

The Church Age is the Age of Grace. There will be no other Age of Grace as Jehovah moves forward with His plans!

Grace is the way God deals with people today. We are a foolish church if we do not heed the warning Jehovah is showing us in the examples of how He dealt with Israel.

Rom 11:20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 

Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 

Any person can fall, especially when we get to thinking we cannot fall.

As long as we are still in the Church Age, there is no way to escape temptation!

We can be encouraged that there will be no temptation that is not common to everyone else.

This means we can prepare for those temptations.

No temptation will be superhuman.

No temptation will be unique to the Church.

No temptation will be beyond our capacity to handle.

No temptation will be terrifying in any sense of the word.

Every temptation that attacks the believer is common to all humans!

Most every Christian has already overcome most of these temptations, and yes, some of us have fallen and caved in, but we have repented and asked for forgiveness, and we can still be overcome if we are not prepared for them.

We should also understand that the Lord limits every single temptation within our limits to overcome it.

We must have enough faith to believe this. God will provide a way out of that temptation!

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 

We of the Church have a greater responsibility to overcome temptation than the Jews because we can read of the mistakes they made and see how Jehovah dealt with them.

The modern Church has no excuse for sinking into sin!

*****1Co 10:21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 

1Co 10:22  Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? 

1Co 10:23  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

1Co 10:24  Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. 

1Co 10:25  Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: 

1Co 10:26  For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. 

1Co 10:27  If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. 

1Co 10:28  But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: 

We must know that Satan is out to cut the heart of Jehovah and to destroy God's purpose in saving mankind.

Satan smiles every time he turns a person away from the Lord Jesus Christ by enticing us to give our lives to the things and the false gods of this world.

When we become consumed by the things of this world, then we have fulfilled the will of Satan, the Devil.

We had better understand that God will not allow us to be a guest at His table and be a guest at the table of idolatrous devils.

This is being a hypocrite, and we will provoke the Lord's wrath, and there will be no hypocrites in Heaven!

Even if we know that a certain thing is legal for us to do without it being a sin, should we do it?

There are limits to Christian freedom!

Should Christians attend social functions with our neighbors and fellow employees who are not saved?

We should ask ourselves:

1) Is it beneficial to me as a Christian?

2) Will it violate my conscience; will it grieve the Holy Spirit?

3) Will our actions affect our relationship with another Christian?

4) Are we just being courteous and kind to that unbeliever, who may just be seeing how far we are willing to go against his thoughts of God?

5) Does it hurt the conscience of another believer? 

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then we should not attend.

Even if our own conscience is not bothered, we are to act for the sake of others!

We are not to do anything that might offend another brother or sister in Christ!

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 

Rom 15:2  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 

Rom 15:3  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 

*****1Co 10:29  Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? 

1Co 10:30  For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? 

1Co 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 

No man has a right to interfere with the liberty that is enjoyed by another if his own conscious, his own conduct, and his own convictions are not affected.

If I am doing no harm according to the Word of God, then why should I be judged by another Christian after I have asked God to bless my meal?

In fact, I do not have the right if it causes harm to another brother or sister who may think that I am worshipping idols when I should know better!

Bearing the criticism of another brother or sister in Christ will not be worth my attending such a social event.

We must keep in mind that everything we do outside the Church is to be for the glory of God!

Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

We are not to be so concerned about our own rights that we have forgotten that all things we do are to be for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Lord tells us: Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

We cannot allow our light to grow dim!

We are never to be stumbling blocks to the Jews, to unbelievers, nor believers!

We are to do absolutely nothing that will offend another person or cause them to stumble because this goes against the Lord's rule of love!

We are God's children, and again Jesus says: Mar 9:42  And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 

We are not to seek our own profit because we are left upon this earth to seek the profit of our Savior!

Again, our Lord Jesus says: Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 

Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

The world might ignore our Savior, but our life outside the Church is to bring Him glory every day that God the Father gives us!

Amen

Christian Freedom

 Claiming Rights and Living by Love

 Book of 1 Corinthians, Chapters 8 and 9

 

In this lesson, we will see the contrast between knowledge and love.

 We know the Word of God provides us with the knowledge of how to live our lives according to the Word of God.

 God has a response to every question we have in this life, no matter what it is!

 The City of Corinth was a pagan city, full of idolatry.

 Most of the meat sold in the marketplaces had been offered in sacrifice to idols, pagan gods.

 A portion of a sacrifice was offered as a burnt offering to a false god; the person who offered the meat would get a portion, and the rest of the meat would be sold in the marketplaces.

 Practically every social event in Corinth served meat that had been offered as a sacrifice to false gods.

 What was a Christian to do when they went shopping for meat for their own families?

 They had no idea where that meat came from, just as we have no idea when we go shopping for meat for our own families today.

 There were also great social functions in the city, and many of them were held in the temples built for the worship of these false gods.

 Could a Christian attend these events and eat the meals that were served, knowing that the meat might have been offered to false gods?

 Many felt that it was wrong to buy meat that had been offered to false gods, but they could not tell if the meat they bought had been used as a sacrifice or if the meat came from some other source.

 For this reason, many Christian believers became vegetarians.

 Just as these Corinthians, Christians of today live amid a sinful and pleasure-mad world, and we will have questions.

 These Corinthians wrote a letter to the Apostle Paul seeking answers to these questions, and the Church of today has those answers.

 The greatest questions of today are about Christian freedoms.

 Are we free to do as we please?

 What restraints are put on Christian Liberty?

 What controls our behavior in this wicked world?

 What is Christian love?

 Today, we have the complete Word of God, and it gives us all the answers we need to live in this life.

 *****1Co 8:1  Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 

1Co 8:2  And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 

1Co 8:3  But if any man love God, the same is known of him. 

 We must understand the three Christian graces which are Faith, Hope and Charity!

 Faith is the vision of the unseen: Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

This is our trust in God.

 Hope is our desire to be with our Creator: Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

 Charity (love) is the necessary condition of our dwelling with God and God in us: 1Co 12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. 

 We know that God is love: 1Jn_4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Jn_4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

 God loved us when we were worthless to Him, and we must strive to love like God loves and show that love not only to our brothers and sisters in Christ, but also to those we witness to.

 It will be our love that will define us as Christians in the end!

 Then, we need to first judge all things by love and not by knowledge.

 We all have knowledge if we study the Bible and attend a Bible believing Church, but we all may not have the love of God within us as we go through this world.

 The knowledge we have learned may come forth as pride, and our pride may interfere with our love.

 It is our love that must define our bodies as a Temple of God!

 We certainly have much more knowledge about God's creations, but it is by no means perfect knowledge.

 We have much knowledge about the true Church, but it is love that builds the Church.

 It is good to have clear views of Christian liberty, but if we exercise that knowledge without love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, then that knowledge is not fruitful for the Body of Christ.

 The Holy Spirit is not given to us to do as we please!

 We have the Holy Spirit living within us to give us freedom to serve the Lord Jesus, which is perfect freedom.

 We are free to obey all the Word of God.

 We are free from the law of sin and death: Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

 1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

 We have complete freedom to do the things that are in God's will for us.

 When God created this world, we live in, He said that it was all good.

 Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 No actions of any Saint of God are unlawful if they are in accordance with God's design in creation.

 We should understand that desires are a function of our bodies that God made. So, in this sense, we have complete freedom.

 1) We must understand that many things in this world are neither worthwhile nor are they profitable.

2) We must understand that many things in this world are not wise. Some things will enslave us and not bring self-respect.

 We are never to become slaves to anything on this earth, which would include such things as drugs or alcohol, or substance abuse.

 We are to preserve our self-control to control the things upon this earth and not be controlled by any of them.

 Our good health and our emotions depend upon us being in control of our bodies and our spirits.

 Indulgence in any of the appetites of the body is one of the greatest sins of any believer.

 Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 Our knowledge is useless if it is not bound by love for each other!

 It is love that unites us with Jehovah.

 If we love Jehovah, then He knows it and accepts it.

 We are not accepted by God because of our knowledge!

 Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

 *****1Co 8:4  As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. 

1Co 8:5  For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 

 As Christians, we know that there is no God but Jehovah.

 We know that no idol is God and is nothing in this world, no matter what their worshippers may think.

 There is no God but One, and He is Jehovah.

 False gods are gods of the mind and imagination, ideas and notions.

 They are gods made of wood and stone.

 They are gods and lords of their own creation.

 We could all sit down and think about what a perfect God should be, but we do not even know what perfect really means; we just know that our Savior is perfect and He is a perfect God.

 We know that an idol is created because the Devil has influenced the mind of that person.

We know that an idol could represent the demons and evil spirits in our world.

 1Co 10:20  But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 

1Co 10:21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 

 There is indeed demonic influence in our world.

 Even the powers of nature are worshipped as gods.

 Even the Roman emperors claimed to be gods.

 As Christians, we know that all these so-called gods do not exist except in the minds of some foolish people.

 We know that there is, but one God and He is our Creator.

 Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

 Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 

 There are just far too many in our world who have not met the Lord Jesus Christ.

 *****1Co 8:7  Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 

1Co 8:8  But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

 We already know that this church in Corinth was full of baby Christians and was full of division.

 They had not understood the truth of Jehovah.

 They had many times eaten of this sacrificial meat and had visited the temples of false gods and taken part in the big banquets.

 To them, to continue to do these things had to be a sin against Jehovah and apostasy.

 It was their conscience that was weak. They just could not accept that this meat could be clean.

 They could not tell what meat came from which source, so to them all the meat was unclean.

 Too many, they just did not ask the source of the meat, and they just took it home and ate their conscience free and clear of any wrong.

 We can see a lack of faith by those who became vegetarians.

 They were not strong enough spiritually to control their minds and beliefs.

 Act 10:14  But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 

Act 10:15  And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

 Food is immaterial to God. Food does not make us more spiritual or less spiritual.

 The eating of food does not make us acceptable to God nor does it better or worse.

 We lose nothing by not eating and we gain nothing by eating.

 Some would tell you that this same line of thought would apply to wine or alcohol, but the Scripture never said wine was clean.

 Pro 23:29  Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 

Pro 23:30  They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 

Pro 23:31  Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 

 Isa 5:22  Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 

Isa 5:23  Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

 Isa 5:11  Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! 

 There are many more places in the Scriptures concerning wine and alcohol.

 We understand that there is such a thing as Christian Freedom, so the question of real importance is, "What effect will our conduct have on others"?

 *****1Co 8:9  But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 

1Co 8:10  For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 

1Co 8:11  And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

 Some people use verse 8 to say "fasting" is not needed for a Christian, because of the words "but meat commendeth us not to God", but this would be a wrong interpretation.

 We do have liberties as true Christians, but we are in sin if we lead anyone to do that which he thinks is wrong.

 We make things worse for the "babe in Christ" by our example if we teach them to act in contradiction of their conscience.

 God has revealed Himself through conscience; Rom 2:13  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 

Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 

 Conscience may be regarded as an inward monitor or the voice of God in the soul, that passes judgment on men's response to the moral law.

 We can study the Bible and learn every prophecy and think we know all that we can about Jehovah, but if we do not use these things to benefit others, such as babes in Christ, then these things will not bring the blessings of the Lord but rather reproach for the cause of Christ.

 No matter how great a Christian we think we are, we must not become a stumbling block to a new Christian and especially to that one who left the Church before they experienced the salvation of Jesus Christ.

 1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

 Note that phrase in verse nine: "But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumblingblock to them that are weak".

 To the world, the Church is already a place full of hypocrites, so why would we ever make matters worse?

 When Christians are seen out in public doing questionable things, others are sometimes influenced by the things they see us do, but in the wrong way.

 We must never forget that none of us are so Spiritual that we cannot fall.

 *****1Co 8:12  But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

 There is no greater sin for the Christian than to damage the conscience of another believer!

 A wounded conscience will make any person feel useless and helpless and may destroy their drive and initiative, and ambition.

 Jesus Christ died for us in our weakness. If we lead some poor soul astray, we have committed a terrible sin against the truth of Jesus Christ.

 What had the Lord Jesus told the Apostle Paul on his day of salvation?

 Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

 Any persecution of any believer is the same as persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ!

 *****1Co 8:13  Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

 We must understand that we have no value in ourselves, but because of the work of Jesus Christ, we are valuable in Heaven!

 If we are striving to be more like Jesus Christ, then we must remember what He has said: Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

 Our love for our brothers and sisters should mean that we will self-sacrifice for their welfare.

 In the Church, we will influence more people by example than we will influence by our knowledge!

 Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 

 *****1Co 9:19  For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 

1Co 9:20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 

1Co 9:21  To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 

1Co 9:22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 

1Co 9:23  And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. 

 We can see that the Apostle enslaved himself to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 As did the Lord Jesus: Joh 13:14  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 

Joh 13:15  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 

 We talk about Christian freedom, and we have certain freedoms, but we are free to walk with the Lord.

 When we walk with the Lord, we are not as likely to return to the bondage of this world, which is bondage to the Devil.

 Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

 This passage may apply more to preachers or pastors, but it also applies to every Christian.

 The one purpose of following the Lord Jesus is to reach out to the lost and be a witness for Christ.

 Paul said he was free from all men, but he had enslaved himself by love to serve one another.

 As we are free because of Jesus Christ, we are not obligated to conform to the world's opinions.

 We are never to compromise our convictions, but we must show the love of God to those we are trying to witness to.

 We must remember our humble Shepherd and how He treated everyone He met, no matter their walk in life.

 Paul obeyed the laws of Moses when he witnessed to Jews, as did the Lord, as long as nothing violated his walk with Christ.

 This is a great example for the Church today.

 We are free to do all things that do not violate the Law of God.

 Though Paul would be obedient to the Law of Moses as best he could, he did not compel any Gentile to do the same.

 Paul would go along with the customs of the Gentiles that were not in violation of the Laws of God.

 Paul would go along with babes in Christ and refrain from doing some things that he had the Christian freedom to do.

 Paul would not become a stumbling block to anyone seeking Jesus Christ!

 The most important "grace" we have in our possession is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

 Mar 10:43  But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 

Mar 10:44  And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 

Mar 10:45  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 

 No true Pastor or preacher, or even a Christian believer, can approach the Christian life with a bad attitude.

 *****1Co 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but onereceiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 

1Co 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 

1Co 9:26  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

One of the great festivals of the Greeks took place in Corinth during the Isthmian Games in honor of Poseidon, which took place every three years.

When Paul mentioned the word race, these people knew what he was talking about.

No racer entered those games determined to lose, knowing that only one would be crowned the victor.

To be honest, it is the race itself that brings excitement and not always the winner.

As Christians, we all enter the Christian race to be winners, and we can know that our journey to Heaven will be exciting if we put our hearts into it.

God expects us to run and run hard!

Php 2:16  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. 

A racer will spend much time preparing his body for that one day of the race.

He will prepare his body.

He will prepare his mind.

He will prepare his spirit.

As Christians, we must be just as disciplined as these athletes.

A true athlete will not put anything into his body that is corrupt or polluted.

Remember, our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

We must control our minds and our thoughts, and we must give in to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

That crown we receive from Heaven is far greater than any crown we could receive on this earth.

We must make every time we witness count toward salvation, even if we water where someone else has planted the seed.

We cannot allow our bodies to dictate our actions.

As we age, our bodies will tell us it is just too tired to do anything and has too much pain.

God will not accept this as an excuse!

We are not to be slaves to our bodies; our bodies must be a slave to our work for the Lord!

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

That cross is a sign of pain and death, but we must overcome it because we can never die, and that cross will drive us to success.

To give in to our bodies is to be disqualified from the race!

We will struggle with sin all our days, but we cannot allow sin to dictate our actions.

There is nothing that we do that can separate us from the love of God.

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

Amen

Marriage

 Godly Instructions for Marriage

 1 Corinthians Chapter 7

 We know that marriage was instituted while Adam and Eve were still in the Garden of Eden.

 At this time, the human race was in that period of life described as innocence.

 Gen 2:18  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 

Gen 2:19  And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 

Gen 2:20  And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 

Gen 2:21  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 

Gen 2:22  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 

Gen 2:23  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 

Gen 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

 A Biblical marriage can only be between one man and one woman.

 One man, born a man, lives as a man, and one woman, born a woman, has lived her life as a woman.

 God does not recognize the marriage of two homosexuals

God does not recognize the marriage of the LGBTQ movement.

God does not recognize the marriage of two people who are confused about their gender.

God will never recognize the marriage of more than one wife.

God will never recognize the marriage of a man and some animal.

 God will only recognize a marriage that is in obedience to the Word of God, and the Church should do the same, or be in defiance of the Word of God and living in sin.

 We know these things have divided many so-called churches today, just as they divided the Church at Corinth.

 The Church at Corinth was a cesspool of immorality, just as the City of Corinth was immoral.

 Many churches of today have rejected the Word of God and have allowed all sorts of immorality into the church.

 Every church of today needs to be concerned about marriage.

 Believers must understand the concept of marriage because it was Jehovah who instituted the concept of marriage to begin with.

 Chapter 7 and verse 1

 *****1Co 7:1  Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 

 Even if society is falling apart, which it is, in the divorce courts of this world and immorality and cohabitation run rampant, and it is, the Church that Jesus Christ built must hold high the truth of Biblical marriage.

 Marriage is ordained of God, and God never changes.

 Mal_3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not;

 It is a fact that God said it is not good for man to live alone, but here Paul says it is good for a man not to touch a woman, but this is not a contradiction.

 There are special situations for not marrying!

 That word "good" means advisable. Which can mean that it is open to advice.

 Let's look at the words of Jesus Christ: Mat 19:5  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 

Mat 19:6  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

Mat 19:7  They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 

Mat 19:8  He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 

Mat 19:9  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. 

Mat 19:10  His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. 

**Mat 19:11  But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. 

Mat 19:12  For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

 There are times that unmarried persons should remain unmarried because of situations happening in this world by unbelievers, such as Christian persecution, but we can also include wars, economic collapse, disease, obligations, and some other things.

 We should also consider what God has called us to do.

 We know that most men would not be able to live in this because of the sin of lust.

 Mat 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

 1Th 4:3  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 

 What is a virgin?

 Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 

Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

 A man could remain pure because there is no immoral sin between the singles in the Lord's Church.

 Of course, it is the same for women.

 Notice next the command of the Holy Spirit.

 *****1Co 7:2  Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

 This Scripture should be the rule of the Church!

 This marriage is done to avoid fornication.

 We are sexual beings, but we are to follow the Word of God to avoid sin.

 Without marriage, there would be no human race!

 Without marriage, there would be no foundation for the family.

 Notice this verse eliminates polygamy.

This verse eliminates the marriage of two lesbians.

This verse eliminates the marriage of two men.

This verse eliminates the marriage of two people who do not know if they are a man or a woman.

This verse eliminates the marriage of a human and an animal.

 Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

 A good marriage is a type of the design of the Church that Jesus Christ has built.

 Many groups of the human race will no longer exist simply because they have neglected true marriage, and this may be why some have already disappeared.

 Jer 29:6  Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. 

 Some countries, like Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, are already experiencing noticeable population declines.

The U.S. and many countries in western Europe have below-replacement fertility rates but have not yet seen significant population decline.

China, for many years, allowed only one child, and the parents chose boys over girls, but now China is begging for families to have three children.

Our President said we should pay families to have children.

 God said to Israel Get married and have enough children so that their population would not go down while they were in captivity.

 God blesses the good marriage.

God blesses those who keep themselves pure.

God blesses those who give themselves to the work of the Lord and remain single.

God blesses those who live a life that avoids sin!

 *****1Co 7:3  Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 

 We must understand that there are mutual duties within a marriage.

 That word benevolence used here means debt.

 Both the husband and the wife have rights in a Biblical marriage. Each one can expect to receive some things from the other.

 Both have a responsibility to pay the other exactly what is due to them.

 If we go back to the very first marriage of Adam and Eve, we know that in typology, this first marriage was a type of the Church.

 It was God who said that a man should not be left alone.

 It was the Church that the Lord God formed.

 Jesus Christ has but one wife, and it is the Church. Jesus Christ did not have a wife when He walked upon this earth, and He did not lust for any woman, and He certainly was not gay.

 It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has made the Church happy by His "Grace".

 The Church has but one husband, and it is Jesus Christ, and comes by "Faith".

 Hos 3:3  And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.

 The marriage of one man to one woman is special and is to be eternal, and is to be based on love!

 Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

 The word "render" used here is a continuous action.

 The rights and the duties of the man and the woman are to be continually fulfilled.

 Some say this verse means sexual rights, but it pertains to all the rights and the duties of the husband and the wife.

 To the husbands:

 1Pe 3:7  Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. 

 To the wives:

 1Pe 3:1  Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 

1Pe 3:2  While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 

 Marriage is mutual ownership.

 *****1Co 7:4  The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 

1Co 7:5  Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. 

 We must understand that a good marriage comes because these two people will put comfort, well-being, and happiness before their own.

 Every married couple has made obligations to each other that they must keep.

 It is not a matter of giving and taking; it is just a matter of giving to each other.

 God knows we have sexual needs, and He gives us the outlet of marriage to satisfy those needs.

 Heb_13:4  Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

 Just as God is in everything, He is clear and forceful in His instructions for a good marriage.

 Both husbands and wives have equal rights over the other's body. This is part of the marriage union.

Both the husband and the wife belong to each other so fully that to withhold is an act of fraud, cheating the other of what he is due.

Both the husband and the wife must agree to abstain, but only for fasting and prayer. This is the only exception given in Scripture.

We know that the health of each other is also important.

 These things are the beginning of an intimate family structure that has disappeared in this sinful world, but must take place with God's people.

 Neither the husband nor the wife will stay apart from their spouse for too long a period of time because of temptation.

 We have to give Satan his due; he is strong in temptation, especially in this sex crazed society.

 The stronger the bond of marriage between two Christians, the stronger the loyalty and the security of the family.

 A good marriage begins when both husband and wife have surrendered their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Only His presence and power can keep marriages according to the Word of God, along with much prayer and, yes, some fasting.

 It is not good for us to believe that every marriage would work out just because we are obedient to the things mentioned by Paul, when we know that without prayer, nothing will work in this world.

 John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

 We are all created differently from each other, and we will do things differently, but Jesus Christ is always the same, and He will guide us in His ways in all things, even marriage.

 *****1Co 7:10  And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 

1Co 7:11  But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

 Marriage is God's gift to society.

Being single is also God's gift.

 Because persecution was coming to the Church, Paul said it might be best to remain single to those people who had already lived much of their lives in wickedness.

 The fact is, everyone must do as God's gifts call them to do.

 Corinth was an immoral city, so many of these church members had already been married and divorced and remarried, and many of these second marriages were any better than those first marriages because of wickedness.

 Paul said it might be better for them to stay as they were when they were saved.

 It was time for wickedness to end in the Church.

 The Lord Jesus has given us the one rule for divorce: Mat 5:31  It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 

Mat 5:32  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. 

 No doubt some women were saved without their husbands, and some men were saved without their wives, and the Lord Jesus said this was not a good reason for divorce.

 If that unbeliever decides to depart from the marriage, then they should remain unmarried or be reconciled back together.

 The Lord Jesus explains this to every Pharisee: Mat 19:3  The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 

Mat 19:4  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 

Mat 19:5  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 

Mat 19:6  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

Mat 19:7  They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 

Mat 19:8  He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 

Mat 19:9  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. 

 As the Lord Jesus explains, why would we ever want to live in sin and call ourselves Christians?

 We would be no different from the world.

 Paul said to these Corinthians it would be better to remain single than to live in sin.

 We should understand that God hates divorce!

 Mal 2:16  For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

 To God, divorce is not just a wrong choice; it is a destruction of His work, a violent act He abhors.

 There are three groups of people in this Church at Corinth.

 1) The unmarried.

2) The married.

3) The rest of them.

 There were mixed marriages of believers with non-believers.

 *****1Co 7:12  But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 

1Co 7:13  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 

1Co 7:14  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

 What do we do on those occasions when we cannot find the answer we are seeking from the Word of God?

 The Lord Jesus gives us this answer: Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 

Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 

Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

 When those times come that we just do not know what to do, we must not forget we have the Holy Spirit living within us, and we must trust Him to lead us.

 We may also have to do some fasting and praying.

 God will not leave us in the dark, and we know the Lord Jesus is the Light in all things of God!

 These were those church members who gave themselves to the Lord, but their spouse did not.

 God has already warned us against marrying someone who is lost.

 2Co 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 

2Co 6:15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

 Sometimes people have enough love to stay together under all circumstances, and sometimes they don't.

 We must understand that we are living under "Grace”, and we must show that "Grace" to the unbelieving spouse.

We must also show forgiveness to that person the same forgiveness we have received from Christ.

We must show the love that Christ has shown us.

 The bond of this marriage is still holy in the eyes of God.

 Any children that are born from this relationship are just as children born from any Christian marriage.

 Rom 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 

 But they choose to depart from marriage, the believer is under no obligation to try to stop them from leaving.

 *****1Co 7:15  But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 

1Co 7:16  For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? 

If you are married to an unbeliever, you are not under bond to that unbeliever if they choose to depart for that reason.

We do not know if this is true if you choose to marry an unbeliever after your salvation, because God commands us not to do this.

2Co_6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Remember what God says are commands and not suggestions.

If one person in the marriage of one man and one woman gets saved and the other rejects the Gospel, then that person should try to keep the marriage functioning, but this may not be possible. 

If that unbeliever decides to depart, then that marriage bond is broken, and that person is free to marry again, but only to a believer.

We can see that "peace" in each believer's life is important to God!

1Co 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 

2Co 13:11  Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. 

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Some saints would even try to keep that marriage together in the hope of leading that spouse to the Lord, but there is no way of knowing this.

In fact, in most cases, it is the unbeliever who would try to lead the saved spouse back into the world.

In every portion of our lives, God has called us to live in peace!

One more important thing we should see is that the believer is not to initiate this divorce, but it is the unbeliever who has decided to get a divorce.

This was a problem in the early church.

One of the great heathen complaints against early Christians was that Christianity broke up families.

This is something that the Lord Jesus said would happen, and it will get worse.

Mar 13:12  Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 

Mar 13:13  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

God is never caught by surprise.

God tells us to abide in the same calling wherein He has called us.

We are bought with the price of the blood of Jesus Christ; we are to serve Him rather than serve mankind.

If we are married when God calls us, then we should not seek to be loosed.

If we are single, it may be best that we do not marry, but we must beware of the sin of lust.

It is very hard for a young person to remain single because this wicked world is so full of immorality and peer pressure.

Every wife is bound by law!

*****1Co 7:39  The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

1Co 7:40  But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.  

Every Christian widow has the right to remarry, but a Christian widow is only free to remarry another Christian.

This commandment of the Lord is as plain as can be written.

She may be happier if she remains single, if God is calling her to remain single.

Remaining unmarried may offer this widow more opportunity to serve the Lord.

It is always more important to remain in the will of God for our lives!

We must remember that every word we have from the Apostle Paul came by the Holy Spirit.

Every word we have in our possession is a word that came from our Heavenly Father.

Psa 119:89  LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. 

1Pe 1:25  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 

Amen

Loose Living and Lawsuits in the Church

 Lawsuits and Loose Living

 1 Corinthians Chapter 6

 As we learned last week, there must be discipline in the Church that belongs to Jesus Christ. If we are not willing to discipline sinful members, we are not being obedient to the Word of God, and we are lacking in faith.

 Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

 Today, we get into another subject about church members and the saints of God.

 A “lawsuit” is described as a suit in law for the recovery of a supposed right, a process in law instituted by a party to compel another to do him justice.

 We simply say legal disputes.

 We should understand that this passage deals only with disputes between Christian brothers and sisters.

 It has nothing to do with unbelievers or disputes between unbelievers!

 In the end, we will see that a true believer might ought to suffer wrong rather than risk doing wrong.

 The Apostle Paul will lead us through this thought, one question at a time.

 The first question.

 *****1Co 6:1  Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 

 What Paul is saying is: “How dare you saints of God go to unbelievers to settle any issue you have with another saint of God"?

 A Christian can expect no justice from unbelievers, and two Christians might easily decide small matters in a private and friendly manner.

 There is no real reason why two believers should not be able to settle a dispute themselves!

 Believers should not be disputing and arguing over rights and authority, nor the things and possessions of this world.

 Christians are to use the things they have possession of to further the cause of Christ.

 Paul called those secular laws unjust, and most of those judges were ruled by Rome or appointed by Rome and were certainly unjust.

 Christians were hated in most places, and it would be hard for Christians to get a fair trial.

 In reality, when believers try to settle disputes with other believers before the world, it damages the name of Jesus Christ.

 Jesus taught: Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

 If we truly love one another, we will not cause each other harm in any way.

 Christians have the Holy Spirit living within them, and the fruit of the Spirit is:

 Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

Those Christians who do not possess the “Fruit” of the Spirit may not be saved.

 The word “fruit” is singular, so each Christian should possess all the traits that are mentioned here.

 The world is a terrible place because it does not have the Holy Spirit or the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

 When Christians take their disputes with other Christians to the world, we make the Lord Jesus look foolish.

 He has already given us the means of solving issues with each other.

 Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 

Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 

Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

 The problems in any church can be resolved if we live and learn as the Word of God instructs us.

 Our lifestyle must not resemble the lifestyle of the world!

 *****1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 

 What Paul is saying is that all this information is in the Bible; if you would just read and study it, you would know what God said about all these things.

 This verse tells us that believers are to judge "all disputes" between themselves.

 We should be able to judge the smallest matters, which are the things that pertain to this life.

 We must never take these things to the world!

 We will one day judge the world!

 We will one day judge and govern angels in the next world, which we may not understand as of yet.

 We lower ourselves and lose our dignity as the saints of God when we take our church problems to the world!

 The word judge as it is used here means to govern and administer the affairs of the Church, which the world is to have no part of.

 Jesus Christ told the Apostles that they would oversee Israel during the Millennial Kingdom.

 Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

 Paul tells the Church that we will govern and oversee the Gentiles during the Millennial Kingdom.

 Dan 7:22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 

 Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

 There may be judging, which is governing, supervision, and oversight throughout eternity.

 Verse 2 says the world will be judged by the Church that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of.

 Those who reject the Lord Jesus will never live the life of a Christian, so how could they ever judge the life of a Christian?

 Judgment can only come when the Word of God is the "Standard" for all laws.

 This "Standard" is rejected by the world of today!

 We should be able to judge the things of this life!

 *****1Co 6:4  If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

 If we care for the Lord Jesus Christ, we would suffer ourselves rather than bring reproach to the Christian name!

 Unbelievers are as nothing to the Church.

Unbelievers are of no account in judging matters in the Church.

Unbelievers are not held in high esteem within the Church.

Unbelievers have no standing in the Church.

 Why would we ever take matters of the Church to an unbeliever?

 They do not live the life of Christ, nor do they intend to.

 They do not have the Holy Spirit to rely on!

 This Church at Corinth had fallen from Grace and needed to return to the truth of God.

 When problems arise between believers about everyday things, other believers ought to be able to give solutions.

 These things did not require any Spiritual insight to come to the proper conclusion.

 *****1Co 6:5  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

1Co 6:6  But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.  

 Salvation is our great deliverance from the guilt and pollution of sin and can only be accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 

Heb 2:4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? 

 Once we are saved, we find that the things of this world have little, or no value as compared to the things of Heaven.

 Knowing this, why in the world would we take our issues with other brothers and sisters to a court of non-believers?

 Surely there are plenty of people in the Church who are competent to settle such disputes.

 If we lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask God!

 Jas_1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 There should be nothing that comes between two children of God that needs to be settled in a court of unbelievers!

 If we feel that outside courts would be better able to handle simple disputes between two Christians, it only proves that their worldliness is stronger than their Christianity.

 We are also saying that there are no wise men in the Church who understand our problem.

 Then we do not accept that the wisdom of God is far superior to the wisdom of this world!

 *****1Co 6:7  Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 

1Co 6:8  Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

 Rather than cause friction in the Church, why not just give in?

 Why not suffer being wronged and cheated rather than wronging or cheating another brother in Christ?

 Just going to an outside court is defeating the principles of the Church of Jesus Christ.

 Just going outside the Church ruins our testimony for Jesus Christ.

 Rom 12:17  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 

Rom 12:18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 

 1Pe 3:9  Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 

1Pe 3:10  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 

1Pe 3:11  Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 

 Obviously, these things concern disputes between two members of the same church and not the broken laws of the world.

 No doubt that some of these Corinthians were guilty.

They wanted some of the things their brothers had.

They did not steal them outright but sought them by outside legal means.

The world may have called it legal, but they were cheating and stealing from God and God would deal with them.

 The Lord Jesus said: Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 

Mat 15:20  These are the things which defile a man:

 Can church members who do such things really be saved?

 We can surely say they are unrighteous, and we could question their character.

 *****1Co 6:9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 

1Co 6:10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 

 We should be able to see that some of these things are things that God will condemn and reject.

 We can expect that nothing can save a person who practices these sins.

 We cannot defy God and get into His House!

 As Christians, we should know these things!

 Since God is righteous, His Church must be righteous to be accepted by Him!

 Many people profess religion.

Many people practice religion.

Many people talk about religion.

Many people defend their beliefs about religion.

 So, they live their lives according to religion.

 However, Christianity is not about religion but is about a "relationship" with God!

 God's "Grace" is not given to us as a free ticket to sin.

 There are very few people in the many churches who think that God will reject them!

 Most church members think God will accept them, and many of them are wrong.

 The Lord Jesus taught by parables, and there is one we should pay attention to.

 The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Mat 25:1  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 

Mat 25:2  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 

Mat 25:3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 

Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 

Mat 25:5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 

Mat 25:6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 

Mat 25:7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 

Mat 25:8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 

Mat 25:9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 

Mat 25:10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 

Mat 25:11  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 

Mat 25:12  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 

 If this oil represents the Holy Spirit, then Jesus is saying that only about half of the Church is truly saved.

 Remember, God will judge the Church before He judges this world!

 Many believe that deception sins are not fatal, but they seem to forget what being a Christian is about.

 2Jn_1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

2Jn 1:8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 

2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

 Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

 God simply says that none of these persons shall inherit the Kingdom of God.

 We should know these things!

 *****1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 

If we truly give ourselves to the Lord Jesus, then those sins of our old life have been forgiven, and God will never bring them up in our relationship!

Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 

Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 

Rom 6:19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 

We cannot be saved by anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

We can then be "Born Again" into the family of God!

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 

Tit 3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

We were once dead in trespasses and sins: Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 

We cannot approach God without faith: Jas 5:15  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

That faith must be in the work that the Lord Jesus Christ did to save us: Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

The Lord will save everyone who calls upon Him with a pure heart!

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

We know what we were before we met Jesus Christ, and when we see others doing those same things or similar things, then we know they are not saved.

This is not judging, this is knowing them by their fruit!

We cannot say we are saved unless we have a salvation experience!

It is a once-for-all event because the Scriptures tell us this.

We are not to return to the world, and its sin pollution. The worst of all pollution.

God the Father takes our "faith" in the Lord Jesus Christ and counts our faith as righteousness.

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

We do not have any righteousness of our own.

We are still imperfect.

We know we are short of God's glory.

We must surrender our new life to God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and worship Him.

It is these things that honor God the Father, and He will gift us with God the Holy Spirit.

The Lord Jesus takes care of our past.

The Lord Jesus takes care of our present.

The Lord Jesus takes care of our future.

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

Are all things now lawful to us as the Saints of God?

*****1Co 6:12  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 

The Holy Spirit is not given to us to do as we please!

We have the Holy Spirit living within us to give us freedom to serve the Lord Jesus, which is perfect freedom.

We are free from the law of sin and death: Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 

1Pe 2:16  As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 

We have complete freedom to do the things that are in God's will for us.

When God created this world, we live in He said that it was all good.

Gen 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 No actions of any Saint of God are unlawful if they are in accordance with God's design in creation.

We should understand that desires are a function of our bodies that God made. So, in this sense, we have complete freedom.

1) We must understand that many things in this world are neither worthwhile nor are they profitable.

2) We must understand that many things in this world are not wise. Some things will enslave us and not bring self-respect.

We are never to become slaves to anything on this earth, which would include such things as drugs or alcohol, or substance abuse.

We are to preserve our self-control to control the things upon this earth and not be controlled by any of them.

Our good health and our emotions depend upon us being in control of our bodies and our spirits.

Indulgence in any of the appetites of the body is one of the greatest sins of any believer.

Rom 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 

Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

1Co 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they (sinners, the unsaved) do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 

Paul adds: 1Co 6:15  Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 

**1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Amen