Let's all stand together. Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty. Early in the morning our song
shall rise to Thee. Holy, holy, holy, merciful and
mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity. Holy, holy, holy, all the saints
adore thee, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy
sea. Cherubim and Seraphim falling
down before thee, which wert and art and evermore shall be. Holy, holy, holy, though the
darkness hide thee, though the eye of sinful man thy glory may
not see. Only Thou art holy, there is
none beside Thee, perfect in power, in love and purity. Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty
All thy works shall praise thy name In earth and sky and sea
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty, God in three persons,
blessed Trinity. Please be seated. Good morning. We're going to continue our study
in 1st Corinthians chapter 7. 1st Corinthians, I'm sorry. Chapter
6. Chapter 6 this morning. Before
we do, I want to remind you that. The Lord has been so merciful. To allow us to remain together
and faithful to the gospel for twenty years and uh... and we want to have a time of
uh... of celebration a time to to uh... spend together so i think that's
the thirteenth of november and uh... We're planning some special
activities and we're going to cater a meal, so somebody will
be getting in touch with you about, we need a head count so
that we can do that. So please respond to that. Sarah Lenore Reynolds, most of
you all know them. They've been visiting us for
several years off and on. This past week they moved into
their new home in Windermere and will be here with us during
the winter months. So we're very, very thankful
for that and we'll welcome them as part of our fellowship. All right, let's ask the Lord
to bless His Word. Our Heavenly Father, we are thankful
that once again you've called us out and brought us
here to this place where you've promised to meet with your children,
where you promised to inhabit the praise of your children.
You are seen in Your Word, Lord, as walking among the candlesticks.
And as we saw this morning, peeking through the lattice and
whispering in the ears of Your bride, oh, how we pray that You
would do that this morning. We pray that You would speak
to our hearts and cause us, Lord, to set our affections on Christ. We pray that You would give us
wisdom to make righteous judgments. We ask it in Christ's name. Amen. I've had over the years, many
people say to me, well, you know, you can't judge. You can't judge. Don't judge. and by that what
they mean is don't be critical of other people's religion you
know uh... everybody's got some truth and
nobody's got the market on truth and so let's just be tolerant
to everybody's the lord says in my in john chapter seven that
we are to judge righteous judgments would judge according to the
truth and uh... in first christians chapter six That's really the theme of this
passage. If all you see in 1 Corinthians 6 is a rebuke against brother
taking brother to a civil court, then you haven't seen anything
more than I saw before the Lord was pleased to save me. Anybody
can see that, that the Lord is rebuking the church in Corinth
because they were disputing with one another over civil issues
and taking one another to a court of law to settle those problems. And the Lord rebukes them for
that and prohibits us from that behavior. But you don't need
the Holy Spirit to see that. That's clear. That's obvious. And that's something that is
shameful for a believer to do. I'm more interested in understanding
the spiritual application of this matter of making judgments
and bringing one to the law because that's where it meets my need
for salvation, that the Lord would enable us to make righteous
judgments about the truth, about our own salvation. Now, let's
read this passage together. Dare any of you having a matter
against another go to law before the unjust and not before the
saints? If you have a dispute over some
matter, why would you go to a court of law? Why don't you just settle
it among yourselves? uh... do you not know that the
saint shall judge the world and if the world shall be judged
by you are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters no you not
that we shall judge angels how much more things that pertain
to this life if then you have judgments of things pertaining
to this life set them to judge who are least esteemed in the
church The Lord is using some... He's exaggerating things in order
for the purpose of exposing the error of taking one another to
court. He says, let the newest believer,
let the youngest believer, let the most immature person stand
in judgment over those issues. They'll do a better job than
a civil court. 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. But brother goeth to
law with brother, and that before unbelievers? we why would you
do such a thing you have the mind of Christ you have the wisdom
of God you've got the discernment of the Holy Spirit why would
you take your civil matters to to a court of law to settle things
when when you've got so much more ability to do that than
they do why would you take a brother back to the law Now, some of
us came from backgrounds of reformed legalism where this passage would
have been clearly understood in terms of what it's saying
about taking someone to a civil court. But at the same time,
that same group of people would take you back to the law and
stand you in judgment under the law. And that's what this whole
passage is about, making righteous judgments. We don't go to the
law. We don't take our brother to
the law, whether it be a civil law or whether it be the law
of God. We don't take one to the law. Now, therefore, there is utterly
a fault among you, because you go to law one with another. Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer
yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, you do wrong and defraud,
and that your brother." Anytime you take your brother to the
law, you're defrauding him. What are you defrauding him of?
You're defrauding him of grace. you defrauding him of freedom
you defrauding him love liberty anytime you take anyone to the
law now let me uh... let me say that this is not a
prohibition for under all circumstances for believers to not have to
use civil courts in settling disputes sometimes with unbelievers. be very cautious uh... we live
in a society that's uh... it's very free and it's and it's
uh... uh... suing of one another uh... the lord's not forbidding that
uh... sometimes that's the old the
only way you can deal with an unbeliever uh... the law the
scripture says is for the lawless and if you're dealing with someone
that's lawless you might have to use the law in order to get
justice in that in that dispute uh... don't put your picture
on a billboard and say dan got me two hundred seventy thousand
dollars that would be shameful uh...
you know that's uh... that that's not what the scriptures
you're talking about uh... Paul appealed to the highest
court of his day in his dispute with the Jews who were unbelievers
over the accusations that were being made against him. And so
there may be a case where that has to be done. But it's shameful
to take the disputes among believers and carry them before unbelievers
for settlement. Believers should settle those
things among themselves and settle them under the principle of grace,
not the law. And if that means that you've
got to be defrauded and you've got to give up your rights in
order to settle an issue, then do it. Do it. The Lord will take
care of that. He'll take care of you for that.
Now, making righteous judgments. How
does this passage start out? Notice he says in, um, in verse
two, do you not know that the world, I mean that the saints
shall judge the world. Turn with me to Matthew chapter
19, Matthew chapter 19. Look at verse 27. Then answered
Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all and followed
thee. What shall we have therefore? Lord, we've given up everything
for you. What's in it for us? That's what Peter was saying.
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which
has followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit
in the throne of His glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones
judging the tribes of Israel." He said, you've got to understand
that the judgments that you're going to be making are eternal
judgments. Now, how can I make an eternal
judgment unless I know what God's standard is for that judgment? So the Lord's rebuking the believers
for suing one another. and going outside of grace in
order to get judgments over dispute. And he's saying to them, don't
you know that you're going to be standing in judgment over
the whole world? Over the whole world. You're
going to be standing with Christ executing judgment over all the
world. How can that be? Because I know
what God's standard of judgment is. I know what the plumb line
is. I know what God is requiring
for righteousness. The perfection of the Lord Jesus
Christ, that's the standard of judgment. And every believer
understands that. Every believer knows that. And
every child of God is going to be standing with Christ in eternity,
executing judgment against all those that fall short of the
glory of God. All those that are found outside
of Christ, all those who don't know anything of the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ are going to be judged by the church. Don't you know that you're going
to be judging the world? Why would you? And what the Lord's
saying here is He's saying, set your affections on things above.
Judge the temporal issues of this world in light of the eternal.
because the eternal judgment is that's where it's that's where
it's where it where it all matters that's where all matters you're
gonna be standing up with christ judging the world look what he
says and everyone that half forsaken verse twenty nine houses or brethren
or sisters or father mother wife or children or lands for my name's
sake shall receive a hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting
life. Shall inherit everlasting life. Now what the Lord is saying is
what David said in Psalm 17. He said, I shall behold thy face
in righteousness and I shall be satisfied when I awake with
thy likeness. I shall behold it does not yet
appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear
we shall be made like him for we shall see him as he is here
you are what he's saying to the church is here you are getting
caught up in putting one another under the law going outside of
grace involving unbelievers in your disputes and you've lost
sight of the fact That as a child of God, you have the ability
to judge righteous judgments over the whole world. And one
day that's going to be. So, you know, make your judgments
in this life in light of the eternal judgments. What a difference,
what a difference that would make if we could look at things
that way. To stand on the other side of
the grave, if you will, and look back at this life from that perspective
and say, now what's really important? Is it important for me to get
in this contentious relationship with my spouse or with my child
or with another believer over something that's so petty compared
to the judgments that are going to be made by me over the whole
world? That's the judgment that's going
to matter in the end, isn't it? That's the argument that the
Lord's using to correct us. in these petty disputes that
we get caught up in in this life. He's saying don't lose sight
of the eternal. Make righteous judgments. Remember who you are. Remember
where you're going to be. And it will put the petty things
of this life that we get so bent out of shape about in their proper
place. Don't you know you're going to
be judging the world? And that all the things that you've given
up, that's what Peter said, Lord, we've given up everything for
you. And what did the Lord say? Those that have given up houses
and brethren and sisters and father and mother, what do you
have to give up in order to avoid a dispute with someone? What
do you have to give up? Do you give up some pride? give up being right, you know,
just let them have it. Why? Because what do I have to
look forward to? Well, look at the last part of
verse 29. For I shall inherit eternal life. I shall inherit eternal life. In that day, In that day, the
afflictions of this life cannot be compared. They cannot be compared. And whatever we have to give
up in this life cannot be compared to the glory that shall be revealed
in us. Now that's what the Lord is saying.
Isn't it important for you and me If we're believers and we've
got the Spirit of God, and we've got the Word of God, and we have
the hope of eternal life, to judge things in light of the
eternal? Now, he goes on, turn back with
me to our text, he goes on to say, not only are you going to
judge the world, And if the world be judged by you, are you unworthy
to judge the smallest matters? These things are nothing. These
matters are insignificant compared to the judgment that you're going
to be exercising, executing against the world. When God stands the
entire world and all their righteousness and all their works and all their
religions and all their will up against the Lord Jesus Christ. And who is the child of God going
to side with? He's going to side with Christ. And Revelation speaks of this. When the Lord cast men into hell,
the whole church is going to be crying with the Lord Jesus
Christ hallelujah for he has executed righteous judgments look at uh... look at verse three
no you not that you shall judge angels can you not judge things
pertaining to this life You say, well, what are believers going
to be doing in judging angels? Well, turn with me to 2 Peter
2. 2 Peter 2. Verse 4, for if God spared not
the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered
them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment. He's talking about the fallen
angels. Turn with me now to Jude over just a few more pages to
Jude verse 6. Look at verse five, I will therefore
put you in remembrance that though you once knew this, how that
the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards
destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept
not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath
reserved in everlasting change under darkness unto the judgment
of the great day so now the Lord saying you ought to be able to
make proper judgments about the temporal things of life because
you're going to be making eternal judgments when it comes to the
destruction up the whole world who stood against Christ and
trusted in their own righteousness other than him You ought to be
able to make judgments when it comes to the things of this life
because you're going to be standing in judgment of the fallen angels. Those that are reserved to the
day of judgment. Now what the Lord's saying is,
you're going to have to have an understanding of the fall. Satan was involved in the fall,
wasn't he? He's called the father of lies. He's the one that deceives men. He deceived Eve and tempted her
to not believe God, but to trust in her own will. In the day that
you eat of the fruit, Your eyes will be opened and you'll be
like God, knowing good and evil. You'll have a free will. You'll
be able to make discernment. Where did all that come from?
It came from Satan. And we know that free will and good works
is the lie that Satan has sent into the world to destroy men. And he's the enemy of Christ. And the Lord is saying, you're
going to be there casting Satan into the pit of fire in the day
of judgment. You're going to judge angels.
Why? Because you know something about
the fall. God's given you an understanding.
The natural man doesn't know anything about the fall. He doesn't
understand that when Eve took and ate of that fruit, that the
temptation was for free will. He doesn't understand that the
fall corrupted everything about the natural man. You know that
because that's been your experience. When the Lord made you to be
a sinner, He showed you What happened to you at the fall,
didn't he? And the Lord's saying, you're
going to be standing in judgment over these angels, these fallen
angels. And so how much easier it's going
to be to stand in judgment over the temporal things. Now look
what he goes on to say. Verse 9, Know ye not? Now notice the three times in
verse 2 he says, do you not know? in verse 3 he says no you not
and in verse 9 he says no you not you see these are the these
are three things that do you not know that you're gonna stand
in judgment of the world judging them having us having fallen
short of the of the righteousness of Christ do you not know that
you're going to be judging that the angels who who who have been
your enemy all your life and you're going to be casting them
into the pit of fire for what they did in the fall and what
they've done uh... to you all this all this time
here in this world uh... and now he says do you not know
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of god and
what do we know about unrighteousness well look what he says Do you
not know 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, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such
were..." Now I want to clarify something in this verse. I've looked it up. Some of you
can also be understood for some time. Now, Paul's not saying
some of you were like this. What he's saying is that there
was a time when you were like this. And let me show you that. I turn with me back to Titus,
um, um, Let's see, I think Titus 3. Yes. Titus chapter 3, look at verse
2. For we ourselves, now Paul's
including himself. He's not saying, well some of
you were that way. uh... no he says for we ourselves also
were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lost
and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one
another but after the kindness and love of god our savior towards
man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done
but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration
and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Now Paul throws himself
into that category when he's describing the way we were. He's saying, the unrighteous
are not into the kingdom of heaven. And you all were that way in
time past. But now, but now, the kindness
and the goodness of God has revealed Christ to you. You know something
about your own unrighteousness, don't you? You know something
about the seeds of these sins remaining in your old flesh.
And you cry out, oh God restrain my flesh. Don't let me. Go back with me to our text in
chapter six. For such, verse 11, were you
at some time in time past. But now, but now you are washed. Now the rest of this verse the
Lord is going to give us the things that God the Holy Spirit
does, God the Father does, and God the Son does in salvation. But now you're washed. The washing,
we just read it in Titus chapter 3, the washing of regeneration
by the Holy Ghost. That's the work of the Spirit
of God. That's the first acknowledgement that we have of our sinfulness
before God. or this is this is the way I
am this the way I used to live this is the way I lord I I I
I don't want that to be my life and so the washing of regeneration
the cleansing of the sin the taking away of all of our guilt
and shame before God is the work of the Holy Spirit he say now
you washed and then he says now you are sanctified What does
sanctified mean? It means to be set apart. Who
set us apart? Who set you apart? You see, this
is making righteous judgments. We judge the things in the temporal
world from the perspective of the eternal. Number one, I'm going to be standing
in judgment of the world. I'm going to stand in judgment
of angels. I'm going to stand in judgment
of sin, knowing that I was a sinner. And that sin's been put away
through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God, the
Holy Spirit, has washed me with the regenerating power. The Father
has sanctified me. He set me apart. That's the one
who did that in the covenant of grace. He chose a people according
to his own will and purpose before time ever began. I've been sanctified,
been set apart by God the Father, and I've been justified. How
was I justified? Through the shed blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ, I'm made perfectly righteous before God. Making
righteous judgments the only and and this is this
is what every believer what what the lord saying is that every
child of god the the youngest believer in the church knows
these things so why do you get so caught up in in in letting
that the the conflicts of the temporal things in this world
when you You've got an understanding of the eternal. You've got an
understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit who made you
willing and opened the eyes of your understanding and caused
you to be made alive. You've got an understanding of
what God the Father did when he chose a particular people. Wrote their names in the Lamb's
Book of Life. the elect of God sanctified set-apart
by God the Father and justified justified Romans chapter 4 says
that that time that time he bore our sins and well houses say
let's go back there was let's roll Romans chapter for verse 25, He was delivered for
our offenses and raised again. Now you see that little preposition
for? It's also translated because.
The Lord Jesus Christ wasn't raised in order that we were
justified. We were justified when he bowed
his head on Calvary's cross and cried, it is finished. When he spilt his precious blood,
that blood became the covering for our sins. And the Lord Jesus
Christ was raised from the grave because of our justification. He was offered up for our offenses
and raised again because of our justification. We're justified
before God, sinless before God. Now there's righteous judgments.
Judge righteous judgments. Do you believe this? You see, this whole thing about taking
a brother to court, anybody can see that part of it. But might
God give us the blessing of His Spirit to understand that everything
in this world, all the conflicts of this life need to be understood
and judged in light of the eternal. Lord, give us that grace. It'll
put away a lot of conflict, won't it? And it'll give us the wisdom
to wait on the Lord for that judgment that's going to be eternal. Alright, let's take a break. th th