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Alright. Good morning, everybody. Hey, can I start with a, first, a greeting? It's really good to see you guys. I'm glad that you're here.
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And, this is one of the best parts of my week. I love to see all of you and I'm glad to be here to worship with you. Let me start with a verse. It's from Proverbs eighteen ten and it says, the name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe.
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We worship a mighty God. Shall we sing to him this morning? Let's stand up and sing.
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As the morning dawns and evening fades, that you inspire songs of praise that arise from birth to touch your heart and glorify your name. Your name and your name is strong in that time where your name Jesus, in your name we pray. Come and fill our hearts today and give us strength to live for you. Glorify your name and your name. He's a strong in my tower.
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Your name is a shelter like no other. Name Let the nations sing louder because nothing I spy were to say but your name.
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How are you this morning? Good. I'm doing doing well. I'm a little overdressed, I feel. Anyway, I'm glad that y'all are here.
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Glad that y'all are here this morning. We have announcements. They are on this black and yellow card right here in your bulletin and we print the bulletins every week. I know this service hardly ever uses them, honestly but so that you know, so you can stick it up on your, you know, your refrigerator or wherever to know what's going on this week. They're there.
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I'm going read them straight from this today. So, today, obviously, we've got a 09:00 service and 11:00 service but between we have the connect hour. So, that means there will be coffee and donuts and who knows what back down the hall, the fellowship hall that way. We also, this morning is the first morning that we're going to have the Peak Children's Church starting up again. Nothing?
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Nothing? I expected there would be a cheer there. So, Peak Children's Church is starting up. We'll give you a few more instructions on that. In fact, Christa says that the preschool age is going to go down.
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We'll go down just after the offering this morning. Preschool is going to go down for for a devotion to the nursery and not the classrooms. There's a kindergarten through second grade class and the third through fifth class. So, if there are people who'd like to to go down and help with preschool eventually, talk to Krista. She's right over there in the front.
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Also, today, between services and that connect hour, Carl is going to be doing a child safety training.
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Can you hear me okay? There we go. Check-in with me. So right after this service, go right down to Ray's office and check-in with me. We wanna make sure that you're up to date on child safety training right after this service.
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Alright? Thank you, guys.
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Thank you. And that also between services we've got a lot between services today. Connect hour and child safety training. There's also a choir meeting. So if you wanna be a part of the choir and you do child safety stuff, you need to do that.
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Do the child safety stuff. That is better. That is more important, okay? The choir meeting will happen again after the 12:00 service so you can come back and get a hold of the choir at that point. It's going to be the same meeting for choir at ten and at twelve.
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Monday nights at First B, this is the first week for Awana. Is there a cheer here? Yeah. There we go. Yes.
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Awana is awesome. It'll meet in this room. First, Monday nights at First B will meet down the hall like it always does and Paco is cooking again. So, we've got a message from Matthew, from Carl, and a great meal from Paco and music from this band. Tuesday is starting the study, the art of marriage and after the sermon today, oh my goodness, all of y'all married folks are going to want to be in there.
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So, the art of marriage is on Tuesday evening at six in the living room downstairs. That is the library. Wednesday evening or Wednesday morning, we have prayer just like we do every week, 07:30 in the morning but also the women's Wednesday worship started back up this past Wednesday. It is great. At 12:00, the ladies come in.
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There were 50 something ladies here worshiping together and having a Bible study. They're doing 1,000 gifts. It's focusing on being thankful and increasing your gratitude. But that evening, 05:45 on Wednesday evening is going to be Financial Peace University with Grant and Kristen Galloway hosting that. We have an unusual one.
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This will probably come up during the sermon too. Hey, Ray. Ray.
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Yes. Well, since you just announced that financial piece, do you wanna run that teaser video real quick?
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That would be great.
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Okay.
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Thank
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you. Twenty years ago, I hit rock bottom. I lost just about everything. I turned to God for help and I learned how to handle money his way. As you can imagine, it worked.
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That's why I started Financial Peace University because God's ways work. Whether you're in over your head or you're doing okay right now, if you bring home $10,000 or $10,000,000, if you're 21 or 61, we all need a plan. Millions
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of people
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have been through Financial Peace University. They have success stories of their own. They've learned how to get rid of debt, prepare for generations to come, and give like crazy. Your success story, your financial peace is up to you. Now is your time.
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It's time to take control of your money. It's time to get ready for what God has for you. It's time for financial peace. Thank
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you. So that is starting 05:45 on Wednesday evening. There is also something called Tall Truth Youth Night that is going on on Wednesday evening. A lady named Shelly Donahue. She is a tall lady.
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She's almost as tall as me actually and she is she has a message and Lindsey's going share.
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I'll interrupt Ray one more time for this announcement. So, originally, we were kicking off middle school youth this Thursday but when we found out that Shelley Donahue was coming to town, we're going to go ahead and it's a big youth night on Wednesday anyway. So, we're going to kick off middle school that night. They're going to have pizza here. It's going to be in the sanctuary and it's going to be a good time.
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It used to be, what would, it used to be called weight training?
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Weight. And now, it's called Yes.
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So anyway, it's not just for middle schoolers, it's for high schoolers and it's actually for the youth all throughout Jackson. So invite anybody, neighbors, friends. We could fill this whole room. We'd be cool with it. And there's also today, one more plug for the girls class today at 10:00 downstairs in Common Grounds with Jerilyn and Melissa.
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And that's going down too. But wait, but tall truth, this Wednesday here at 07:00, It's going to be a good time.
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Alright and then the Solid Rock High School Feed and Frenzy with Renzy starts this week also. So, that's 07:30 in the morning. Breakfast, Renzy gets up and whips the cream by hand. That joker's crazy. Anyway, would you all stand with us, greet one another, and then we'll bring you back together with a song.
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If you don't know what those are, they're all written down in black and yellow.
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Sing, go for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melody song and sung by fame means of his above. Praise his name, and I fixed upon it. Name of God's redeeming love. Hitherto and hitherto thy love has blessed me.
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Thou has brought me to the springs. And I know thy hands will bring me safely home by thy good grace. And let thy goodness like a feather make my wandering heart to be. Born to wonder, Lord, I feel it. Born to leave the God I love.
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Here's my heart, Lord. Take it, see it, see it for thy courts. Prone to wonder. Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.
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And here's my heart, Lord. Take it, seal it, seal it for thy courts
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Lord, that is our prayer. Our hearts, here they are. Take them, seal it for thy courts above. Keep our eyes, our hearts, our minds set on you. Amen.
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A strange and lonely sound. I could hear it in the thunder and rain. It's ringing in the sky, like cannons in the night. The musical universe plays. We're singing holy is the Lord.
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And you are worthy. Great and mighty. The moon and the stars declare who you are. And I'm so unworthy, but still you love me forever my heart will sing of how great you are. Beautiful and free.
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Beautiful and free. The song I would sing, reaching for me on Milky Way, joining with the sound, The moon and the stars declare you are. And I'm so unworthy, but still you love me forever my heart. We'll sing of you. All glory and all glory, honor, power is yours.
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All men. And all glory, honor, power is yours. Amen. And all glory, honor, power is yours forever, amen. Singing you are holy.
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We're singing you are holy. Great and mighty. The moon and stars declare who you are. And I'm so unworthy, but still love me forever my heart will sing of how great you are.
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God, we do say that. How great, how mighty, how strong you are, and, more than we realize, more than we more than we know. We thank you God for your love, for your grace, for forgiveness, for sustaining us, for creating us. We acknowledge God that you are our creator and we thank you God for Christ that he came down and lived life among us. That's greater than we than we know.
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And so we give you thanks this morning. Alright. I hear the savior say.
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I hear the savior say, thy strength indeed is small. Child, I'm weak. Miss, watch and pray. I find in me with thine on and on. Jesus paid it all Jesus to him I owe.
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Sin had baptism crimson state, he washed it white as snow. And over now, indeed, I find that thy heart and thine alone can change the lepers spots and melt the heart of stone. Jesus paid all to him. And when before the throne, when before the throne, I stand in him complete. I'll pay my trophies down, all down at Jesus' feet.
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Me white as snow. Alright. We're gonna praise the one who paid our debt. Alright. Praise the one.
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Paid it all and all to him I owe sin had left a crimson stain ye wash still white as snow.
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God, we do thank you. That is exactly what you did. Sin does leave a stain on our lives. But you, God, have taken our sin on yourself. You have died in our place for our sin.
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And we proclaim that, we say that, we claim it once again. That is what has happened. And and place our faith and trust in you and reaffirm that today and every day, God. You are good and we are thankful. Amen.
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You may have a seat and I'd like to invite the frontline team to come forward here as we participate in the worship of giving. Let's pray together. God, again, we do give you thanks. Everything that we have and all that we are, it comes from you and so this is a way to say thank you. It is a way to say I trust you And so would you take these gifts, God?
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And and the crazy thing is is you can multiply these things, God. It's it's it's not so that miracle where they had the the five loaves and the two fish and and they you get you you took what they gave and you multiplied it and we believe that you can do this here so that ministry can go forward and the gospel can be made known here into the ends of the earth. We thank you. Amen. And I think the lyrics will be on the screen here in this song but please feel free to sing along with us.
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Istry across the evening sky. And when I feel the mystery of a distant God of sea, it owes and humbles me to be loved by God so high. And what can I do but thank you? What can I do but give my life to you? A hallelujah.
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Hallelujah. What can I do but praise you every day? Make everything I do a hallelujah. And when I hear the story of a god of mercy, who shared humanity and suffered by our side, of the cross ain't nailed to that could not hold you. Now you're making all things new by the power of your risen light.
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And what can I do but thank you? What can I do but give my life to you? Hallelujah. What can I do? But praise you every day make everything I can do.
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Hallelujah. A hallelujah. What can I do? But thank you. What can I do?
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But give my life to you. A hallelujah.
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How can your I do?
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You. But praise you every day. Make everything I can do. I holler and do your
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Now is the time for the Peak Children's Church to head on down and they already know it. I love seeing that little cavalcade. Just go out. I'm glad they're going out this morning in particular. My goodness, the subject matter at hand but we are we are in first Corinthians and I think I've mentioned this to this group.
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I know I've mentioned it to the next group. Pastor Rich Steeg still goes to church here. He was the former pastor here and he has told me a couple of different times. He said, I like what you're doing going through the scripture in order. I like that and I like that you're not skipping anything but Corinthians is going to be hard.
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It's going to be really, really hard. So, we're going through an unflinching look at Corinthians. First Corinthians and I am going to hopefully, go through this many verses. Six, twelve, all the way through seven forty. Now, I did a bit last week.
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Yeah, everybody's eyebrows just went up. Last week, I did cover six twelve through 20. Very very quickly but mainly what I was talking about last week was the point is to glorify God in your bodies. Glorify God in your body like corporately and individually. That was the point last week to serve him and I think that that's the overarching message of this whole passage and honestly, I'm going for it all at once because I think that's the way it was meant to be read.
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I think that from 12 through 40 is all about the same subject. It's about two different ditches though. It's about a ditch on one side of the road and a ditch on the other side of the road. Y'all can call it a pendulum swing if you want to. Some people call it overage.
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You can be over on either side, either, either way. Bumper stickers will save the world. How many y'all believe that's true? That is terrible. That's terrible theology.
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Bumper stickers are not going to save the world but I do want to say this passage to understand six twelve through 20 especially you're going to need to know that there are some little pithy sayings in there that the Corinthians used as slogans and our slogans have a way of making it the bumper stickers coexist. That's one of them that you'll see around town on lots and lots and lots of different Subarus and lots of different cars. Well behaved women rarely make history. That actually is a Mormon lady did that quote in the mid seventies and got to be so popular and she was almost never given credit for it that she actually wrote a book called Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History or Seldom Make History, I think. That is a little thing in our society that you see that.
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It's kind of a slogan and you go, oh, I I know that. I I I get that. I looked up these. I was looking up bumper stickers in general just thinking about where is one of those little pithy sayings and these are all anti Christian bumper stickers, all of em. You can read some of em.
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Some of em. I'm glad you can't but what I thought was funny and the only reason I included in this presentation is this, that one right there, it says, atheism, where you get to be your very own God. And I thought, this is this is the atheist bumper sticker page. I mean, this was, all of these were together. I didn't put em together.
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Atheism, where you get to be your very own God and I thought it was funny because when I blew it up and looked at it right there, that says, Psalm fourteen one. Do you all know what Psalm fourteen one is? It is the fool who has said in his heart, there is no god. Ain't that crazy? That was included.
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There was a Christian that was putting all those bumper stickers on that page and he put it up there because that actually is a selling point where you get to be your very own God but it's not true. So, Paul has taken slogans that the Corinthians have. Oh, this is just more of the same. These are and then I thought this was funny. Bumper stickers are an ineffectual means of communicating my nuanced views on a variety of issues that cannot be reduced to a simple, pithy slogan.
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Bumper stickers will not save the world. When Paul starts off to the Corinthians, now remember, although we call this first Corinthians, Paul has written them at least one other letter. Probably a couple of letters and I think Paul is learning that he's gotta be more specific. He's gotta go into a greater depth with his letters and he's gotta try to cut off the possibilities. He may have even written them speaking on the subject of Christian liberty.
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He probably even wrote to them, all things are lawful for you. Like, you're set free in Christ. But they went beyond that. You're set free to do his will. You're set free to glorify him in your body.
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This is where we're picking up right here. All things are lawful for me. Bumper sticker, Corinthian slogan, all things are lawful for me and you might hear this today. A lot of college ministries around the country have a problem from time to time with people saying, oh, I'm a believer now. I'm not stuck in that legalistic stuff I used to be.
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I can do whatever I want to. You know, whatever. List list the sins that are your favorites. All things are lawful for me. I can smoke.
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I can do whatever I want to do. Whatever I want to smoke. All things are lawful for me but Paul says, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any. These things, these things that you're saying, all things are lawful for me and you're getting into have a way of trapping you and enslaving you and Paul is trying to direct that and say, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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I get that you're free in Christ and there may be a time when he wants you to go into a place or go hang out with a few people that you wouldn't normally do. You wouldn't normal think of it as Christian association or you wouldn't think of that but not all things are helpful. Yeah, it might be possible for you to do that but it's not beneficial. He'll say that again in a few chapters but all things are lawful for me but I will not be under the power of any. That's a foolish thing to think that sin will not enslave you.
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Foods for the stomach and the stomach's for food. That is actually a euphemism. It's a euphemism, food for the stomach. It actually says, meat for the belly and the belly for meat. Foods for the stomach and the stomach's for food.
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It's a euphemistic way in context and in other historical writings, you can see that that was something that was used to say, sex for the body and the body for sex. Food for the body, body for food and Paul says, but God will destroy both it and them. Now, the body is not for sexual immorality but it is for the Lord and the Lord is for the body and God has raised up the Lord and he will also raise us up by his power. What you do with your body matters. That's what he's saying.
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What happens matters and the tall truth stuff we were talking about a little while later. What she is going to be talking about is a research based study on human sexuality and the imprint that sexual relationships make on you and how difficult it is to pull away from a bad relationship because of God's design for the two to become one flesh. Once that happens, it it complicates things horribly and so she'll talk about this from a research based study. It is biblical but she's going to talk about it from proving and showing that what God has designed and what he tells us in in this chapter and many others is the right way and the good way and can be trusted. So, that's where she's going to go.
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All things are lawful for me. It's a very statement of Christian liberty and in a way that is true but Paul's trying to redirect them and say, but it's not always helpful. You could get caught up with this. Don't let that get to be important. God is going to raise up the, he raised up the Lord and he will also raise us up by his power.
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Keep on trusting in his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot or prostitute? Certainly not. Megan Noito, may it never be.
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Absolutely not. There is no chance that that is true or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her. He's saying, you can't just say, oh, that mean anything. It's just sex. Doesn't mean anything.
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It does mean something. Do you not know that he was joined with a harlot as one body with it? For the two, he says, shall become one flesh. That's quoting back to Genesis in the garden. That's pulling it back to God's original plan.
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The reason he made us the way he made us is so that we would be together that way but he was joined to the Lord as one with him in spirit or as one spirit with him and he's saying, if you're one in spirit with the Lord, know that what you do in the body matters. The Corinthians had this crazy notion that the soul and the body were completely separate, that the body was absolutely evil, and the soul was the only thing that was good. Didn't matter what you did with the body. You can do whatever you want to with the body, whatever, whatever. No big deal.
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That's going to be gone. The soul is the only thing that will continue. So, he was joined to the Lord as one spirit with him but the body matters. Flee sexual immorality. Get away from it.
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Every sin that a man does is outside of the body but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body or do you not know? This is the sixth time that he's had a do you not know statement. Do you not know? I told you this when I was there. I was there for like eighteen months and we talked about this every day because this is the society that you live in.
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It's very very promiscuous. That's the way Corinth was. That's what it was known for. The Corinthian girl was a very very promiscuous woman. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?
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Whom you have from God and you are not your own for you are bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's. He's saying, both of those, united with him in spirit but the flesh is weak. You remember that? The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
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He's saying, no. God owns both of those. He paid a price. He redeemed you at Calvary. This has been done.
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Be who you are in Christ. Live it out in your body, in the normal day. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who's in you, whom you have from God. You're not your own. Okay.
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Now, I hit that running because I want to see the marked contrast. Most of Corinthians probably for us listening today, for the people who are here right now in our society, we're going to hear it and we're going to hear all those commands against sexual immorality. We're going hear it, hear, hear, hear, hear it because that's all around us all the time. Pornography is huge. Internet pornography, all that stuff is just a big, big deal.
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We hear it all the time. So, that's the one that we're bracing for impact on because we know that speaks directly to our society. Well, this next section does not speak so much to our society. There are very few voices that are crying out for celibacy besides Christians. Celibacy for the unmarried.
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There are very few voices that are saying this is the right way and this tall truth project that's that she's doing. She is one of those voices and she's doing it from a research based thing. Based on her faith, based on the Bible, she's doing this. She's calling out for it. Now, there's a marked contrast between all this and all that because hedonism is the way of the Corinthian society and asceticism was the answer that the Corinthian church leaders, some of them were proposing.
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They were saying, oh no. Yeah. It does matter and it matters. You shouldn't have sex. Not even if you're married.
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Period. There were powerful leaders and some of them would say, it is absolutely you need to do whatever you want to do and then there are others. Absolutely not. Do not do that. That is crazy.
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What are you even thinking about? That's just put there to test us. No. Hedonism is one and asceticism is the other and I did not put the definitions in there. Hedonism is the wanton pursuit of pleasure.
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It is pursuit of pleasure as the highest goal and there are many many philosophies that still espouse that today that you might as well be happy. Go for it. Aceticism is usually of a religious nature and it is to deny oneself all physical comfort. Not eating. Luther said that Luther was quite an acetic at times and when he was Catholic priest, he knew that most of the guys in the monkery as he called it, most of the guys in the the monastery would sleep with one blanket and it was cold, stinking cold in Germany where he was and he would sleep with no blanket and if they're sleeping on a hay bed, he would sleep on the floor.
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He was trying to do through works of physical discipline and aceticism. He was trying to get his life down to where he was suffering literally for Jesus. Does that make sense? No, it doesn't make sense but we all have a way of feeling like it needs to happen. We have a feel like, what if lord, I just skip the Reese's pieces?
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If I just quit that altogether, would you then bless me with whatever? What if I were to put this off? Or put that off or I'm not going to do that. That's asceticism. Some people take it to the extreme of even taking something and flogging themselves and beating themselves up, buffing the body.
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That's a religious thing. It's practiced in lots of religions all over the world. It is not Christian. Aceticism is not Christian. So, I'm going to go now into chapter seven and we're leaving this part over here that we're all used to and I wrote it too small for you to read, I know but it's all about the hedonism and chasing after whatever you feel.
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Now, concerning the things of which he wrote me, there's another marked contrast here. Up to this point, he's been sharing with him about things that he heard from Chloe's household that this is the way things are going in Corinth. They were a trusted source for him and he knew the things that were bothering him but he wanted to answer the letters. How many y'all got an Email this week? Everybody got an Email this week.
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You get an Email and it says, Ray, I need you to answer this for me. What about insurance this, though and so, that, so and so. So, you just go down the list and you answer em. Some some of us do em in red in between their lines so we don't get off track. That's what Paul is doing.
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Starting in chapter seven, he's going to do that for the next several chapters. He's just answering, bam, bam, bam, bam. One right after the other. Now, concerning the things of which you wrote to me. It's good.
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It is good for a woman or for a man not to touch a woman and this could also be translated as question. Is it good for a man to not touch a woman? It's exactly the same in Greek. Either question or not. You just have to depend on the context.
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I think it's actually a question but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. I'm saying that they're saying, we're hearing conflicting stories. One of them saying, who cares what you do with the body And others are saying, no, it really matters and you should not do this. I don't care if you're married. That's okay.
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That's not okay. So, is it good for a man not to touch a woman? Now, concerning the things of which he wrote me, it is good. So, the question there, consider for a minute who Paul was when you consider that question. Paul was a single man.
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He was the founding pastor of that church. He had been with him for a long time and he'd been away from him now longer than he had been with him. Apollos had come in after divisions and factions are raising up and some people are on one side of the road and some people are on the other and so they're asking him. Now, they're asking a single man and he's single by choice as far as we know. Some people postulate, he could have been married.
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He never mentions it. That he was a widow. He never mentions that. I think he would have. He had sufficient opportunity.
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He wrote two thirds of the New Testament. He didn't ever tell us that. So, we think he was a single man by choice. He was an apostle sent by the Lord, a missionary, and a church planner. He was a preacher of the good news.
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He always brought it back to the message of the cross. He always brought both salvation and sanctification rested on Jesus every time. He was a committed, hardworking guy, content whether he was abased or in plenty, and he was ready for whatever danger in from Galatians, to live as Christ and to die as gain. That's the way that that's who Paul was. So, going with that, now concerning the things of which you wrote to me, this guy, single guy, it's good for a man not to touch woman.
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Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband. He said those things exactly the same way, okay? It's exactly the same that his wife, her husband. It is mutual, completely. Let the husband render to his wife the affection that is due her and likewise also, the wife to her husband.
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It's exactly mutual. It's not heavy on one side or the other. It's exactly mutual, both of those. The wife does not have authority over her own body but the husband does and likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body but the wife does. He's already said that the two will become one flesh.
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He's saying that if you are a married unit, you are one and you mutually, mutually should be taking care of one another and looking out for the interest of the other but it has to be completely mutual. It has to be. Do not deprive one another except with a consent for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self control. Said the single man. But I say to this, as a concession and not as a commandment.
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He's saying it in humility. When he says it's a concession and not a commandment. He knows that Jesus has said that marriage should be mutual. He knows that and he's confident of that and he also understands that some people are not built for singlehood and he will go into that for single life and he is and he says that he is. This makes perfect sense to him and it is holy writ.
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It is holy scripture. It should be something that you go by. I stand up here today thinking of how many sermons I've heard where it was just so uncomfortable here in the here in the preacher stand in the front and say, no matter what, you gotta do this. It's your duty. It is your duty to take care of one another.
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Absolutely, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically, it is. But don't just make it be physical and don't use this verse to prove your point, alright? He's saying, this is a concession not a commandment. What he's actually talking about the concession and commandment is probably most likely except with consent. That time of fasting.
41:15
Now, we don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about spiritual disciplines in our society. He's saying that there is a time where you might need to pull back from one another because you want to pull back from one another to pay attention to what God is doing and not let anything get between you and him. Does that make sense? He will follow that up in the next little while. He's saying, except with consent for a time, the two of you agree to pull apart for a time.
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I need a little bit of time away. I need a little bit of time back away. I need a little bit of time where we're not concentrating on our physical relationship right now. Can we do that? With consent for a time.
41:56
Yes, we can do that. So that they can fast and pray. Think about these things. Come together again so that does not tempt you because of your lack of self control. But I say this is a concession not as a commandment.
42:09
So we've got hedonism on one side of the road. We've got aceticism on the other and they're deep ditches and they're easy to get stuck in. This is funny to me. I think therefore, I'm single. This is another bumper sticker.
42:21
Paul is about to give his defense of why he's single. I wish that all men were even as myself. Each one has it but and that's a strong disjunctive there. I wish that all men were even as myself and when he says that, he knows how motivated he is by the good news of Christ. He knows how motivated he is.
42:43
He was content to be unmarried. It did not seem to bother him. He was so content that he could say he wished everybody were like this. If you've ever been in a pastoral situation where you are the person that people came to, it's a huge deal for people. If they're not married and they want to be or if they are married and they don't want to be.
43:02
So, Paul can say, contented as he is with the gospel and with his carrying it forward that his singleness was a preferred option and he'll explain it further down but he can say, I wish that all were just as myself. That does not bode well for the future of Christianity. If everybody were single, it doesn't go well and I wanna mention a cult right now. There's a last year and this year, we've had two different times. These two guys came by.
43:29
They were wearing white T shirt material all over their whole body. They had a turban. One of them had a turban made out of white T shirt material and they rode in on two motorcycles. They came into the office and they were we're spreading the love of the of Jesus and we would like to know if you would be able to help us with the motorcycle tire. That was last year when they came in and and we actually did.
43:51
We were able to do that. We helped them out and I got to talking to him though last year after that and I got to talking to him this year when he came back and as I explored, he went through the history of their family. This it used to be, I'll say these guys, I do believe are both Christians, both of these guys, I think they are but they came out of a cultic background and he said, I said, so what are the primary things? He said, celibacy and I was like, for the unmarried or or for who? For everybody?
44:26
He goes, well, we don't believe in marriage. I was like, oh, okay. He says, well, actually, it's not that I don't believe in marriage. It's just I don't believe God made me to be married and so and he went on to it and I said, why why seldomacy? Why is that the first thing you bring up?
44:41
He said, because we practice something else a while back and that didn't work so well. It was called flirty fishing. This was where the primarily the ladies, women, and the group were encouraged by the head guy which Colts all have always have a head guy and it's not Jesus. They were encouraged to solicit new converts through physical means. Flirty fishing, sacred prostitution, and he said, that didn't go so well especially after the AIDS epidemic broke out.
45:18
And they stopped it. They discontinued the practice because of that. But it was a time of growth. That's not the only time this heresy has come up where people swing from one side to the other. The Adamites by the second century, they had believed.
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We're free in Christ. So, why do we wear clothes? We're completely innocent. So, they started going naked. Nudism in the name of Jesus.
45:44
That's a ditch. Way off one side of the road. And it has come up as neo Adamites in the sixteenth century. And it came up again more recently. And there are people who will claim it.
45:54
But it's not true. It's a ditch that you can fall in. For I wish that all men were even myself but each one has his own gift from God and he's saying by those gifts, it's not just the spiritual gifts. Some of you have a gift to be single and some of you have a gift to be married. That's what he's saying but I say to the unmarried and to the widows, it's good for them if they remain single even as I am but if they cannot and there's no cannot in the in the Greek, I don't know why they put cannot in there.
46:23
It really says, if they are not exercising self control, let them marry. If they're already doing it, let them marry. For crying out loud, for it's better to marry than it is to burn with passion. Take that for holy writ. Take it for what it says.
46:41
If they cannot or if they are not exercising self control, then let them marry. He's saying that with that contract that your bodies are making needs to come a commitment. That's what he's arguing for. I'm going to run through this. Now, to the married, I command, yet not I, but the Lord, a wife is not to depart from her husband but even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband and a husband is not to divorce his wife.
47:08
Now, he's saying this because this is exactly what Jesus said, not I but the Lord says this, I'm repeating what he has already told us but to the rest, I, not the Lord, say, if any brother has a wife who does not believe and she's willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. So, we talk a lot in Christian circles about being unevenly yoked this way and that. The uneven yoking in this case is already happened. These people became believers, their spouse is not. He says, let em remain if the person will live with them and a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he's willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.
47:47
Don't run away because you're Christians. Don't seek to change your status because you now know Christ and you see how bad this other person is. Don't seek to change your status. For it's the unbelieving husband is sanctified through Peter says, the quiet witness of a believing wife, the husband will come to know. It's not a promise but he'll come to know more about Jesus by being around her if she lives a holy life.
48:11
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean. They'd be just left but now, they're holy. They're brought into, they can be brought into the family this way but if the unbeliever departs, let it depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases.
48:33
Abandonment is something that you can't do anything about. If somebody leaves you and you've done all that you can, there's nothing you can do about it. God has called us to peace. He's saying, you're not to you're not going to be held responsible when someone leaves you. For how do you know a wife whether you will save your husband or how do you know a husband?
48:54
Whether you will save your wife, he's saying, just keep on living your Christian witness out in front of them. The best of your ability. When they, if they leave, there's nothing that you can do about that. This is hitting you. I mean, it's hitting me.
49:06
It's right where we live. Every single day, this is this is life. It's not easy and it uncovers all kinds of painful stuff, I know. But just as God has distributed to each one as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. What he's saying is, whatever the status is when you find yourself in Christ, when he brings you to himself, do not be seeking.
49:29
I think he says it and so I ordain in all the churches. Was anyone called while he was circumcised? Then, let him not be uncircumcised like that's possible. Was anyone called while he was uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.
49:40
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. Were you called while you're a slave? Don't be concerned about it. You can practice Christianity as a slave.
49:57
Don't be concerned about it but if you can be made free rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freed man. Likewise, he who is called while free is a is Christ's slave. You were brought bought at a price. Do not become slaves of men.
50:15
Brethren, let each one remain with God in a state in which he was called. He's saying, don't be in a hurry to get out of this state. Whatever it is that you're you're in, if you think all of a sudden, I've gotta change. I gotta change everything about myself. I gotta get away from this.
50:27
I gotta get into this. Don't be so big and hard fired hurry to get out of that situation. Bloom where you planted is what I'm going to come to at the end. It's like, do follow after him with all that you've got. Oh gracious.
50:44
We got a long way to go. Nope. Now, concerning versions. I have no commandment from the Lord. Thank you.
50:48
Yet, I give judgement as one whom the Lord and his mercy has made trustworthy. I suppose therefore that it's good because of the present distress that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife?
51:02
Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless, such will have trouble in the flesh but I would spare you. What Paul is saying is marriage is hard.
51:16
I've never been married but marriage is hard. Do you get it? Don't try to get away from it and heaven to mercy. Don't try to get into it. If it's not the time.
51:28
Tommy Nelson did a study on Song of Solomon and I think this is just great. He says, what you should be doing no matter whether you're married or single is running after the Lord with all your heart. If you're single though, run after the Lord with all your heart and once you get up to speed and you're concentrating all your efforts on him, you're running. He said, look over and see who's running with you and grab her. Don't be unequally yoked goes that far too but I say this brother and the time is short so that from now on, even those who have wives should be as those who had none.
51:59
Those who weep though they did not weep. Those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice. Those who buy as though they did not possess. Those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is fast and away away.
52:11
But I want you to be without care. This is the reason why he argues for singlehood. I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord and he's saying this from personal experience. How he may please the Lord but he who is married cares about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.
52:33
I will say this very quickly too. I went on a mission trip by myself to Mexico. The first time when God kind of called us into missions, I was by myself. I normally care so much about what is going on with Tanya and me that I don't pay as much attention as I probably could and so to be removed with consent for a time of prayer and fasting and we pull away from each other. It hit me.
52:56
Now, Tanya was already ready. Tanya had already had six weeks before, had already had this thing about us needing to be missionary. I didn't even, it didn't even register with me until it hit me. God needed to get me alone in order for that to be the case but I say this brethren, oh, I'm not going read that again. It's too long the first time.
53:13
There is difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord that she may be both holy in body and in spirit but she who is married cares about the things of the world, how she may please her husband and I say this for your own prophet, not that I may put a leash on you for what but for what is proper and that you may serve the Lord without distraction. He's saying it from experience. Peter hung out in Jerusalem, right? Peter hung out in certain cities and he kinda was tethered a bit.
53:44
Paul was untethered and he knew it and when he talked to guys who are married, he's like, oh gracious, I was lowered down over a wall, shipwrecked three times, all this stuff. Can you imagine him having a wife and having to put her through all the stuff he went through? I can. Because I have a wife and I've put her through all kinds of stuff. He's saying it from his own experience and he admits it several times.
54:04
It's still holy scripture. It is true that you will have less trouble but I would say, you'll have somewhat less joy too. Consider the first century context and we're going to finish up here real quick. 36, if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin. When I say consider the first century context, I believe and I could be wrong about this in several year translations.
54:27
It'll say, fiance. When it says, if any man thinks he is behaving improperly towards his virgin, it'll say fiance. I'm using the New King James. Virgin is the word. There's no doubt about it in Greek.
54:39
If she's passed the flower of her youth and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin. Let them marry. I think and I'm there are lots of people and lots of versions that back me up on this. I'm pretty sure that when it says, if any man thinks he's behaving improperly towards his virgin, it's his virgin daughter because in the first century context, he is the guy.
55:01
We still do it. Who gives this woman to be wed to this man? I do or her mother and I. The father is still kinda in charge of that and that's what he's saying. If any man, any father thinks he's behaving improperly towards his virgin by not letting her get married, if she's passed the flower of her youth and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes.
55:20
He does not sin. Let them marry. Have you all heard the new song by Magic? No, probably not. It's a song called Rude.
55:27
It's a guy. Think I have a copy of it. He goes, Saturday morning jumped out of bed, put on my best suit, got in my car, raced like a jet all the way to you. This is you, a father. Knocked on your door with a heart in my hand to ask you a question because I know that you're an old fashioned man.
55:46
Yeah. Yeah. Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes. Say yes.
55:50
Say yes because I need to know. You say, I'll never get your blessing till the day that I die. Tough luck, my friend. The answer is no. Why you gotta be so rude?
56:02
Don't you know I'm human too? Why you gotta be so rude? I'm gonna marry her anyway. Marry that girl. Marry that girl.
56:06
Marry that girl anyway and she's gonna rebel against you. That's a great song by the way. It's a reggae song. I took it as being great. Renzy took it as being absolutely sacrilegious and terrible but I actually eloped.
56:18
So, anyway, if if any man thinks he is behaving improperly towards his virgin daughter, here she's passed the flower of youth and thus it must be. Let him do what he wishes. He does not sin by holding on to her. This is the problem. Acedicism told that dad, don't ever let this girl out of your house.
56:35
Don't ever let her have that sex. Don't ever let her do that. Don't ever get married either. It's better if she never gets married. She needs to be a nun.
56:44
Really? He does not sin as the father. Let them marry as the the two, okay? Nevertheless, he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity but has power over his own will and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin daughter. He does well.
57:00
So then, he who gives her in marriage does well but he who does not give her in marriage does better. As Paul sees it, certainly does better because they're not encumbered by that spouse and they're able to devote themselves holy to God. I still think nuns are a good idea. I don't idea like Baptist typically do. Because you can devote yourself holy and this is the last two verses.
57:26
A wife bound by law, a wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives but if her husband dies, she's at liberty to marry to whom she wishes. Only in the Lord but she is happier if she remains as she is according to my judgment and I think I also have the spirit of God. Well, we know he has the spirit of God because we don't have the first first Corinthians. We have this one and this is God's put his seal on this book. He's saying that find your contentment where you are.
57:53
If you're married, find it there. If you're not, find it there. God may bring you a spouse but he may not. Hedonism on one side, aceticism on the other. You can call it license on one side or legalism on the other.
58:05
If you find yourself in the ditch, as we are apt to do, about October, things are gonna get real slippery around here and if you find yourself in the ditch, either one of em, I thought this was funny. This car has a triple A symbol on the back. That guy's in a ditch but he has triple A. And he can call and get out. If you find yourself in a ditch, call the one who can do something about it.
58:30
The Lord God can do something about it. His word is right here. It's clear. I know that there was a lot of it today and some of those things are confusing especially in our context. Just a few takeaways because Carl likes him.
58:44
Stay out of the ditches. License and legalism are both errors. If you find yourself in the ditch, call the one that can do something about it. Mutuality in marriage is God's standard. You really should.
58:57
It's the best place for you to really care about what that other person is. You're linked to them for the rest of your life. Seeking their good is the best thing that you can do. Don't be in a rush to change your status in life, bloom where you're planted. I already mentioned Tommy Nelson's run after Jesus with all your heart and then grab whoever's next to you.
59:17
Run the race that God has set before you. I think that's it. I'm gonna close with Ephesians five seventeen through 21. Y'all have gotten a lot of scripture. It's a lot to to chew on but I felt like breaking it down would just be beating you over the head needlessly.
59:36
Okay? We've had six straight weeks. We did skip the one last week to talk about service but we're gonna go to Ephesians five seventeen through 21 and if I do a homily in in a wedding and I almost always do. This is where I'll point back. Ephesians 17 through 21 says, therefore, do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is.
1:00:07
So many people coming into the to to counseling will say, I wanna be married. I know I wanna be married. That's what I want. That's what I want. That's what I want and what he's saying is, do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord.
1:00:20
Is this the Lord's will? Is this guy the Lord's will? Is this girl the Lord's will? Understand what the will of the Lord is and be not drunk with wine which is dissipation but be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is the Lord's will.
1:00:35
Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart, giving thanks always in all of your situations for all things to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and then verse 21 says, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. It is absolutely about mutuality. Now, you can go down below that and says, husbands, you know, wives submit to your husbands but right below it, it says, husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church which is the harder. If a guy is loving his wife like Christ loves the church, there is absolutely no problem for her to submit that to that kind of love.
1:01:16
It is a mutuality. That's what God's standard is for marriage. I think that's it, Carl. Would y'all come on back up and we're gonna sing. Would you stand with us as we sing?
1:01:26
And if you wanna talk about any of this stuff, we are here. I'll be here but I'll be playing the bass. So, I'm here all week.
1:01:40
Singing great is his faithfulness Great is your faithfulness, oh God. And you wrestle with the sinner's heart. And you lead us by still waters and still mercy. And nothing can keep us apart.
