1 Corinthians 6:12-20 HOLY and in CONTROL

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1 Pastor Joe Snyder June 23, Corinthians 6:12-20 HOLY and in CONTROL Paul s Warnings to Christian s Freedom: 1. Not all things are helpful for your spiritual walk. 2. We should not be enslaved/controlled by anything. 3. We are made for union with Christ, in this world, and for even closer union in the next! To sum it all up: Glorify God in your body! Jesus mission does not send us to a holy place, but He sent the Spirit to make us a holy place.

2 SPENDING TIME ALONE WITH JESUS * WEEK OF JUNE 23, 2013 DAY ONE Read over 1 Corinthians 6: We re going to just work slowly through this passage this week (and maybe a few other passages along the way) because there is a lot to reflect on and we want to take our time and allow God to work in our hearts over these truths. So, today, we want to just camp out on the very first sentence: All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. On Sunday we talked about how you, as a believer in Jesus Christ (a Christian), should BE ALL IN for living for Christ! It is all about Jesus!! Read Philippians 1:21 and 1 Corinthians 2:2 What is Paul saying in these verses? Now, what are these verses REALLY saying I mean, saying to you - in light of what Paul said, how are they speaking to you in your life? How do you relate to them? How do they apply to you? Can you say what Paul says? Why or why not? Take a few minutes to pray and ask God to show you your heart. Are you ALL IN for Him? Is He really your whole life? And while all things are lawful for you, are there things in your life that are not helping you in your walk with Jesus (or are hindering your walk even if the things in and of themselves are not bad things)? What are those things? What are you going to do about them? Are there helpful things you could replace them with?

3 DAY TWO Read 1 Corinthians 6: Yesterday we dealt with the first sentence. Today, let s deal with the second: All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything. Today, let s also look at another passage that really speaks to this same concept we are seeing yesterday and today. And let me remind you of the illustration that was given it s like trying to run a race in flip-flops and with a backpack on. You re allowed to run a race that way, but it s certainly not beneficial and helpful. It weighs you down and trips you up that s really no way to run a race! And many of us try to run the Christian race of life like that. Read Hebrews 12:1-3. Yesterday we looked at the things in our life that are not necessarily bad things, but are just things that aren t helping us. But these verses show us that there are also things that enslave us, or sin that entangles us things that have control over us. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what is enslaving you what is controlling you? (What is it that you have to have?) A speaker once said, Deal ruthlessly with sin! Did the Holy Spirit show you anything in your life that is entangling and controlling you? Deal ruthlessly with it! What can you and are you going to do about it? Now, lest you get discouraged in any way by looking at your sin read back over Hebrews 12:2-3. Where is your hope? Where do you need to keep your eyes focused? How does that truth touch your heart today? Why not take a few minutes today to just reflect on the power and love of Jesus. Ask and receive His forgiveness for those sin areas. Let Him wash you clean. Thank Him for His Spirit, His Helper in your life. And walk in the love and power of the Holy Spirit today.

4 DAY THREE Read 1 Corinthians 6: Flee from sexual immorality. Sex is really the particular sin that Paul is focusing on in this passage. No sin that a person commits has more built in pitfalls, problems, and destructiveness than sexual sin. It has broken more marriages, shattered more homes, caused more heartache and disease, and destroyed more loves than alcohol and drugs combined. It causes lying, stealing, cheating and killing as well as bitterness, hatred, slander, gossip, and unforgiveness. What are observations you can make about what Paul is teaching in this 1 Corinthians passage about sexual immorality? Now, today I want to take you somewhere a little different. Keep in mind a few things as we go today first is what you ve read in 1 Corinthians. Second, keep in mind what Jesus said about adultery But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Mt 5:28) Third, remember that regardless if you are a man or a woman reading this, it applies to you in several ways. Don t be tempted to look for the sin in others. Let God show you your heart, your thoughts, your eyes, your motives, your life. Proverbs is called wisdom literature - it is full of wise sayings to help drive home truth and turn sinners from their wicked ways. Today we want to look at passages in Proverbs that address sexual immorality. These verses are more poetic, so they sound very different from many of the New Testament passages we ve been staying in lately. Take your time reading through these passages and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp the principles you ll find there. Proverbs 5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:1-27 Write down observations you see as you read. Also, write down anything the Lord is pointing out to you personally.

5 DAY FOUR What a special truth we heard on Sunday We are made for union with Christ, in this world and for even closer union in the next! Read 1 Corinthians 6:13-17 again (and reference Genesis 2:24). So glorify God in your body. We saw yesterday that we are to flee sexual immorality. Today, instead of reading further about that, let s focus on the answer to how the answer is in Jesus! When you have Jesus in your life and you really and truly love JESUS and you are pursuing more of JESUS you ARE fleeing sexual immorality!! So, let s spend some time in a passage that may be familiar to you, but seems fitting for today. As you read through this chapter, prayerfully meditate on what God is saying through Paul s heart. Consider some of the following questions or thoughts: - What is Paul passionate for? - Why is he passionate for that? - What cost is he willing to pay for it? - In what ways is his mind focused on it? - How would a life lived with this focus be different from others? - How would your mind be different? - How would your actions be different? Read Philippians chapter 3. Write down some of your thoughts or observations on this passage (maybe in answer to some of the above questions, or maybe other things the Lord shows you today). Ok, so let me ask you how does your heart compare with Paul s today? Where is your passion level for Jesus? Is Jesus really in your life? Do you really love Him? Are you pursuing Him? Where are you at, and what do you need to do? How will you do that?

6 DAY FIVE We want to encourage you today to take some time for reflection and review. We ve just completed chapter six and sometimes it s helpful to remember where we ve come before continuing on. So, today, take a minute and just pray - ask God to speak to you through His Word today to remind you of what He has shown you, or to bring to light something you have not yet seen, but that He wants you to see. Read back over 1 Corinthians chapters 1-6. As you read, don t feel the need to stop and take a lot of notes or anything like that. Just read expectantly expecting the Holy Spirit to tug on Your heart when there is something He would have you to see. When something stands out to you, write it down. Now, go back over that thing (or those things) that stood out to you and ask God to speak to You about what He is wanting you to know. Take time to just reflect on those verses - prayerfully meditating on the words and phrases. Why is God bringing those things to mind? What is He saying to you? What specifically do you need to do as a response to what God is saying to you today?

7 1 Corinthians 6:12 Everything is permissible for me - but NOT EVERYTHING IS BENEFICIAL. Everything is permissible for me - but I WILL NOT BE MASTERED BY ANYTHING. Application Questions: Below are some good questions to consider before engaging in any action. Let the ideas of these questions become engrained in your mind and help lead you to a holy and in control life one that is pleasing to Jesus and increases your intimacy with Him. Does it impede my being like Jesus? Would I be apt to find Jesus participating with me? Could I be brought under it s power? Could it get such a hold on me that I cannot control myself? Could it enslave me? Will this thing build me up? Is it good for me in Christ? Can this action bring about emotional/psychological bondage? Can I glorify God with this activity? Will this action please Christ? Is this a potential stumbling block to someone else? Is this something that I could see Jesus doing? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, who is in you, whom you have received from God? YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN; YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE. Therefore HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY.

8 HOW TO BECOME A CHRIST FOLLOWER STEP 1: STEP 2: STEP 3: STEP 4: Understand that God loves you and He wants you to live in peace with Him and to receive eternal life. we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23b) Realize that we all often choose to disobey God and go our own selfish ways. This is called sin and it separates us from God. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God the wages of sin is death. (Romans 3:23; 6:23a) But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2) Believe that Jesus Christ is the answer to this problem of separation from God. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the penalty for our sin - completely bridging the gap between us and God. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24) Receive Christ as your Savior by believing in His message and trusting in Him alone to save you. A. Admit your need as a sinner. B. Be willing to turn from your sins. C. Believe that Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave D. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. What to pray: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am sinful and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died to pay the penalty for my sin. I want to turn from my sin nature and follow You instead. I invite You to come into my heart and life. In Jesus name. Amen. Through this sincere prayer Christ will give you new life you are born into God s family!