Body Life - Chapters 8-13 - #4

INTRODUCTION:    Let’s go back and remember some of what we looked at when we started our study of 1 Cor. 

1. As we were looking at 1 Corinthians 1-4, we identified some important truths about wisdom.

1.      There are many different definitions on what it means to be wise.

2.      Wisdom is more than having and applying a value system.

3.      We need a wisdom system, and Jesus has become for us Wisdom from God.

4.      We need to pursue the M&M’s of wisdom, AND the pursuing the Maturity & Mystery of

Wisdom is seeking to know, understand, and learn about Jesus.

5.      The teacher and revealer of God’s Wisdom is His Spirit.

1. Wisdom Promises at least 3 Things?       Proverbs 2:1-11

1.      It promises to teach us what it means to “Fear The Lord.”

2.      It promises to teach us Knowledge of God.

3.      It promises to provide God’s Protection.

1. Remember the Key Theme & Verse.   1:2 – “Sanctified in Jesus, CALLED TO BE HOLY!!!”

PROPOSITION:        Apply God’s Wisdom & Holiness in the Battle with Sin.

TRANSITION:                                                                  

1.      Don’t live with FALSE security.        10:1-5

A.     Just because you are saved, it does not mean that you will avoid God’s consequences for sinful behavior.

B.     Just because we are a church, don’t think that we will avoid the corporate consequences of sinful corporate choices.

Revelation 1-3  (Remember that 1 Corinthians was written before the book of Revelation.)

2.      Learn From The Examples of History – 10:6-11

3.      Guard Your Heart And Life – 10:12-13

A.     Remember that Pride Lies & Destroys. 

·         Pride says I have it under control --- I can live on the edge and not fall off.

·         Wisdom says I will establish some boundaries & buffers to keep me safe.

B.     Look honestly at your battle with sin.

·         Sin wants to isolate you.

·         Sin wants to play on your embarrassments and pride.

·         Sin want to entrap you and make you it’s slave.

·         There is nothing about your sin that is unique or unusual. 

·         (Sin has not changed it’s playbook since the beginning of time)

2500 years after Moses, what are the Corinthians struggling with?

Ø      Idolatry

Ø      Carousing / Sinful Revelry  (1 Cor. 11)

Ø      Sexual Immorality

Ø      Grumbling

Ø      Pride (This was the first sin ever committed.  It is still in sins playbook and Paul is warning against it.)

Ø      Disobedience (This was the second sin committed and Paul is calling the Corinthians to OBEDIENCE!)

·         WHAT ARE WE STILL STRUGGELING WITH TODAY???

C.     Believe God when he says that he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can Bear. 

      Q – Why does God allow us to be tempted?

·         God wants us to live in dependence upon HIM, not ourselves.

·         In the furnace of Temptation:

---We will learn about God, His Character, His Nature, etc…

---We will learn how to experience intimacy with God in the hard times of life.

---We will have some of our greatest opportunities to be Salt and Light

---We learn how to live by God’s Sprit instead of ourselves.

---We learn that we really can trust God.

---We learn how to make good/excellent choices.  (Often private choices that have public implications.)

---God refines our character

D.     Make the right choices.  (Sin for a Christian is always a result of our choices.  We are no longer slaves to sin.)

·         God has guaranteed us that there will ALWAYS be an escape route away from temptation.

E.     Q –As a Community, how do we flesh out this guarding of our heart

Remember, Verses 11-12 are the midst of a discussion about Building Community Within the Church

4.      Recognize what is happening behind the scenes – 10:14 & ff

A.     On the surface things appear similar – In communion & the temple, we use food items in our worship.

B.     Behind these food items is the worship of God or the worship of Demons.

C.     Key Question – Who is receiving worship from our lives?  (God, Demons, Self, Man???)

5.      Exercise Freedom with Wisdom, with Discernment, with Godliness.

CONCLUSION:  

Apply God’s Wisdom & Holiness in the Battle with Sin.

Gluttony

Greed

Sloth

Envy

Anger

Pride

Lust

We can live with fear of judgment

We can live with self indulgence

Return to Wisdom in Chapters 1-4 (Tension within the Family)  (Splatter Zone)

Return to 1:2 – “Sanctified in Jesus, CALLED TO BE HOLY!!!”

How can I best help you grow?  By committing myself to pursuing the two greats with an attuned sensitivity to your needs and struggles.