Glorify God in All Things 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 Adapted from a Michael Luke sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?SermonID=87651

1. Adapted from a Michael Luke sermon
http://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?
SermonID=87651

2. ESV

7. The apostle Paul asks the Corinthian church to
take a look at everything they’re saying and
doing and then evaluate it based on whether it
brings glory to God or dishonors God.
The Christians in Corinth had damaged their
witness and testimony to that area because of
the divisions and immorality in their midst.
Throughout the entire letter, Paul is asking the
Christians at Corinth to do one important thing:
Stop thinking about pleasing yourselves and
concentrate on pleasing God.

8. Paul is simply reminding the Christians at
Corinth of a basic scriptural principle.
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9. ESV
Paul cites three areas in which we need to
remember to glorify God

12. An Amish farmer and his son were traveling in
their horse and buggy down a lane only wide
enough for one vehicle to pass through at a
time.
They met a car coming from the other way.
There was no room to pass for two miles in
either direction.

13. The motorist was in a hurry and started
beeping his horn.
The Amish man waited until there was silence.
He jumped down off the buggy, rolled up his
sleeves, and said, “If you don’t back up, I won’t
like what I’m going to have to do.”

14. The surprised motorist put his car in reverse
and backed up two miles, allowing the Amish
man and buggy to pass.
The Amish man’s son asked, “Father, what
was it you would not like to have done back
there?”
The Amish man said, “Back this buggy up two
miles.”

15. Disputes and conflicts between the Christians
at Corinth had gotten so bad that they were
suing each other in civil court.
Paul wants to know why those who are
supposed to be godly are going to the ungodly
for justice
He wants to know: Isn’t there one believer
who’s capable of making even simple
judgments?
Where are those who are supposed to be
spiritually mature and your leaders?

16. The U.S. has become a “lawsuit-happy”
nation.
There are 1,300,705 lawyers in the United
States. (Source: American Bar Association, 2015
National Lawyer Population Survey)
Annual cost to the US economy for civil
lawsuits: $239,000,000,000
(http://www.statisticbrain.com/civil-lawsuit-statistics/)

17. Paul points out three distinct tragedies in this
situation:
The Christians were presenting a poor
testimony to the lost.
If we can’t even get along with ourselves, how
can we expect others to want to join us?
If there is no difference in what happens in the
church and what happens in the world, it’s not
a church.
It’s just a social club.

18. The Christians had failed to live up to their full
position in Christ.
Paul asks a very bold question: “Since we as
saints will one day take part in the judgment of
the world and of the fallen angels, why can’t
we settle our differences here on earth?”
As we’ll see in just a short while during our
study of , the Christians at
Corinth boasted about their great spiritual gifts.
Paul is asking why they don’t use some of
these great gifts to solve their problems?

19. They had disgraced themselves through their
disobedience to the Word of God.
Paul pointedly says:
African proverb: “When bull elephants fight,
the grass always loses.”

21. The Corinthian Christians had a very high and
esteemed view of themselves.
In vss. , he quickly reminds them of their
condition before coming to Christ:
What a fine pedigree to be proud of!

22. Paul emphatically states that these kinds of
unrepentant people will never ever
.
Contrary to what some people believe and
teach, you can’t enter the kingdom of heaven
while still trying to live these same lifestyles.

23. But the gist of Paul’s message is not the
negative but the positive.
Jesus washes away all sin and gives new life.
The blood of Jesus is able to take out any kind
of sin stain.
Get your laundry detergent to do that!

24. I agree with the old preacher who said,
“I ain’t what I wanna be;
I ain’t what I’m gonna be;
but thank God,
I ain’t what I usta be.”
Because Jesus has washed away those sins,
we’re no longer under the bondage of sin. We
have found liberty and freedom.

25. In , Paul warns these Corinthian
Christians not to abuse this liberty we have in
Christ –

26. While those that say, “Everything is
permissible for me” are correct in that
observation, Paul says that everything is not
necessarily beneficial.
I’m free to do anything I want.
But the real question is:
What do I want to do?

27. Is what I want to do detrimental to my
relationship with Christ and my testimony to
others?
Or will what I want to do enhance my
relationship with Christ and my testimony to
others?

28. Paul says, “
.”
I’m sure that Paul is thinking back to Jesus’
words: “No one can serve two masters.”
He’s asking, “If no one can serve two masters,
why do I want to get involved in something that
if I continually do it, can control my life?
I’ve already submitted myself to Jesus as my
Master and I don’t need any other master.”

31. The last section of glorifying God in our
liberties naturally leads to glorifying God with
our bodies.
Literally, Paul says, “Because God has done
so much for us, we have an obligation to serve
him with our bodies.”

32. The Corinthians used a saying to justify their
immorality: “
.”
Paul quickly reminds them that God created
the food and the stomach and will eventually
destroy both.

33. The Corinthians weren’t talking about food or
stomachs.
They were referring to sexual immorality.
They treated sex as an appetite to be satisfied
instead of a gift to be cherished.
Warren Wiersbe: “Just because we have
certain normal desires given to us at Creation,
does not mean that we must always give in to
them and always satisfy them.”

34. Sexual relations outside of marriage is
destructive, while proper sexual relations
within marriage is beautiful and enhances the
marriage.
Someone said: “Sex outside of marriage is like
robbing a bank – you get something but it’s not
yours and someday you will pay for it.”

35. Sex within marriage is like someone putting
money into a bank: there is safety and security
and the investment will bring dividends.
Paul points out the overarching principle in this
entire issue is:
As Christians, we do not belong to ourselves.
We belong to Christ.

36. If we belong to Christ, we are joined to His
body.
How can we take part of Christ’s body and
unite it with someone who is not part of
Christ’s body?
When you have sexual relations with
someone, Paul says consider these things.
Sexual relations makes you “one” in body.”
Paul quotes from – “
”

37. That uniting process will affect you the rest of
your life.
When you pull away from it, it’s going to tear
that “one flesh” and it will hurt not just in the
physical sense but emotionally and spiritually
as well.
It’s why we’re warned in vs. – “
”

38. If we belong to Christ, our bodies are the
temple of the Holy Spirit.
The Old Testament tabernacle/temple housed
the Holy of Holies – the dwelling place of God
on earth.

39. In the Gospels, Jesus’ body was the dwelling
place of God on earth.
After Christ ascended to heaven, He sent His
Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
Therefore we are the Holy Spirit’s temple – His
dwelling place.
Paul is saying, “Don’t use the dwelling place of
God on this earth for cheap and tawdry
things.”

40. If we belong to Christ, our bodies do not
belong to us.
We’ve been bought at a very expensive price –
Jesus’ blood.
The Bible’s very clear that we could not
provide a way to cleanse ourselves from our
sin.
Only the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross
could pay our sin debt in full. Therefore, what
we do with our bodies should not be our
decision.
It should be the decision of the owner – Jesus
Christ.

41. Have you ever noticed that when the
Powerball Lottery reaches a high amount,
everything hits a fever pitch?
Record numbers of lottery tickets get sold.
People in states that don’t participate in the
Powerball flock to stores at state lines just to
get tickets.

42. What if you found out that a large amount of
money was designated for you?
All you had to do was just ask for it and then
claim it?
Would you say, “I don’t know if all of that
money is for me or not.”

43. How about, “Well, I’m kind of busy.
One of these days, I’ll get around to claiming
it.”
Would you say, “What if that story isn’t real?”
I think almost all of us would at least check it
out and most of us would run right over just to
pick up the money.

44. Yet the riches of Christ are all ours.
Jesus paid the price so that we could share in
His riches.
He simply asks that you ask for them and then
claim them.

45. David Brainerd was a missionary to the
American Indians in colonial America.
In a conversation with colonial preacher
Jonathan Edwards, Brainerd said, “I do not go
to heaven to be advanced but to give honor to
God.

46. It is no matter where I shall be stationed in
heaven, whether I have a high or low seat
there, but to live and please and glorify God....
My heaven is to please God and glorify Him,
and give all to Him, and to be wholly devoted
to His glory.”