I've entitled this message, the
true Christian world view. The true Christian world view. Now, a phrase that's in vogue
in our day among religious people is a Christian world view. You
ever heard that phrase? A Christian world view. What is the Christian view of
politics? and government and legislation. What is the Christian view of
economics and education? What is the Christian view of
war and peace? What is the Christian view of
wealth and welfare? What is the Christian philosophy
of these things? And underneath this Christian
worldview is a desire to infiltrate our society with Christian principles. You know what the Lord had to
say about this? My kingdom is not of this world. That's what the Lord had to say
about it. There's one other thing that
I believe would be applicable. Render unto Caesar The things
that are Caesar's. And render unto God. The things
that are God's. Now I personally am very skeptical
of this quote Christian worldview. It seems to me that underneath
it all is a desire for power. Being able to influence. If I can influence you even for
good, I've got power over you. That's what's behind this way
of thinking. Now, in this passage before us,
Paul gives us the true Christian worldview. Now, did you notice
when I read that passage of scripture, did you notice a word that stood
out when I read it? It's the word called. Or calling. Nine times in that
passage of Scripture, we read the word called or calling. And before we get into our text,
I'd like to spend a few moments speaking of what the Bible has
to say about this thing of calling. Calling. God's call. Now, if you're a Christian, if
you're a believer, If you are a true disciple of the Lord Jesus
Christ, you have been called by God with a very special calling. It's a calling that not everyone
experiences. He singled you out from many
of your fellow men, and he's done something for you that he
did not do for everybody. That's a very humbling thing
to think about, isn't it? He called you. He didn't call
everybody. Look over in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 26. For you see your calling,
brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble are called. God did not call many of these
people. And if you're a believer, this
is such an awesome thing to think about. You personally have been
called by God Himself. You're looking for a reason for
significance? You're looking for purpose? Right
there it is. He has called you. He's separated you from your
many of your fellow men. He's separated you in eternal
election when he chose you. Now, this is something to think
about. The Lord loved me. He knew me. I had existence with him before
I was ever around. He loved me. Behold, I've loved
you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I called thee. That's just an awesome thing
to think about, isn't it? Can you believe that the Lord
had his mind Do you know the Lord's love to you? However old
the Lord is, that's how long He's loved you, if you're a believer.
That's how long. You've had being, existence with
Him, all that time. I know, I'm speaking, time, being
creatures of time, it's hard to talk about stuff that goes
outside of time, isn't it? I mean, we just don't have the
sense to really be able to grasp that, but He separated you. He called you. Did something
for you on the cross. He put away your sins. He gave
you the very righteousness of his son. He called you. And then he called you personally
and powerfully by his grace. It's what the Bible calls the
effectual call. Zacchaeus. Make haste. Come down. For today I must abide at thy
house. Now, there was a lot of people
in Jericho that day. A whole lot of people. But who
was it that he called? Zacchaeus. It's a personal call
and it's a powerful call. It's a call of effectual grace.
I think of Lazarus. He's been in a grave stinking
four days. Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth. What a powerful call this is. Lifers couldn't say no, could
he? Not all men have been called
by this call. You're there in 1 Corinthians
1. Look at verse 23. But we preach Christ crucified
unto the Jews. This message is a stumbling block.
Unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called. Both Jews and Greeks, Christ,
the power of God and the wisdom of God. Turn to Acts chapter
2 for a moment. This is Peter preaching on the
day of Pentecost. We read in verse 37, now, when
they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and they said
unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren,
what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, repent
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost for the promise is unto you and to your children
and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our
God shall call. Now, all men have been called
with the general call. You probably heard that term,
the general call. Many are called, our Lord said.
Few are chosen. Now, what is this general call?
Well, it's the call of your conscience, for one thing. You know, God's
law is written in the heart of every man. Everybody knows the
difference between right and wrong. There's the call of nature.
That's a general call. The heavens declare the glory
of God and the earth. You can't look at this creation
around us and really believe that there's no such thing as
God. You know that God is. How did this creation get here
if there wasn't? Everybody deep down knows that and everybody
knows they ought to obey him. There is a general call. that
everybody's been called with, but there is also this effectual
call, and not everybody's been called with this call. He said,
you see your calling, brethren, have it not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. Now this
is, this is an internal call. Yes, it's an external call, and
since it's the call of the gospel, we're called by the gospel. It's
hearing the gospel. It's external in that sense.
But it's also an internal call. It works like this. This is what
I thought about when I thought about this internal call. It's one
thing for somebody to say, come and eat. Time to eat. Come on. Supper time. Come and eat. Well,
you may come and you may not come. But if your stomach says
it's time to eat, you obey that call. It's an internal call. And this call of God's grace
It's internal. It's irresistible. It's invincible. You can't say no to this call. You know, you come to Christ
truly because you have no choice. It's not like you have an option.
It's not like you have anywhere else to go. You come to Christ
because you have no choice. You must have Him. Now, most
people, when they think of the irresistible call, they think,
well, do you mean God takes you by the hair and just drags you?
Well, sort of. Sort of. I mean, you know, you
wouldn't come if He didn't make you willing. I have no problem
with that. I don't have any problem with
that. I know when God called me, He's
still calling me. It was against my will with my
full consent. With my full consent, I follow
Him willingly. But He grabbed me. But not only
is it invincible in the sense that I just can't resist His
power, I find Christ Jesus irresistible. I find His glorious person irresistible,
and I must have Him. I must be found in Him. I cannot
stand before God on my own. I must be found in the Lord Jesus
Christ. That is the irresistible call.
Well, I've resisted it. Well, you've never had the irresistible
call then. You can't resist this call. You
come to Him. I mean, you come to Him. You've got no choice. You have
to have Him. Now, this call, nobody says no to this. Lazarus,
come forth. No. It didn't happen that way,
did it? He that was dead came forth. Now this call, let me
give you some things the Scripture has to say about this call of
God. This call is a call into grace. We read in Galatians 1.6
of Him that called us into the grace of Christ. Galatians 1.15
says, When it pleased God who separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by His grace. Now when you're called by the
grace of God, I know this. You become personally, truly,
individually a fanatic about grace, the grace of God. And I don't hesitate to use the
word fanatic. I can't bear any kind of preaching
that doesn't exalt the grace of God. I don't want to hear
it. I don't want to have anything to do with it. I can't bear any
doctrine that doesn't exalt salvation by the free and sovereign grace
of God. I'm a fanatic about that. And I must have His grace. Grace! I love that name. I love that word. I love the
way it sounds. Salvation by grace. Unmerited, unmerited favor. That gives me such hope. Being
justified, Paul said, freely by His grace through the redemption
that's in Christ Jesus. We're called to grace. We're
grace people, aren't we? We're grace people. There's a
badge I want to wear. I'm a grace person. I believe
in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in 1 Peter 2,
9 where we're called out of darkness into His marvelous light. Called
out of the darkness of religious superstition and salvation by
works and salvation by man's will and man's worth and man's
merit. We're called out of that darkness into His marvelous light
The light of how He saves for Christ's sake. That's light,
isn't it? What marvelous light it is. We
read in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 9 that we're called unto the
fellowship of His dear Son. Fellowship. Sharing in common. You know, the Lord Jesus Christ
and every believer, we share in common the same Father. He's
my Father. He's His Father. We share in
common this nature that He's given, partakers of the divine
nature. We share in common the same desire,
the glory of God. There's a true fellowship. I speak to the Lord in prayer.
You do too. And He hears me. He hears me. He speaks to me. Not I don't
hear His voice audibly. But he speaks to me from His
Word, and I hear what he's got to say. Fellowship. You want to talk about significance. Fellowship with the Lord Jesus
Christ. We read in Galatians 5.13 that we're called to liberty. You're being called to freedom.
Not to be under the bondage of the law, but freedom. Oh, the
freedom that's in Christ Jesus. I don't owe anything. All my
debts have been paid. I owe nothing. I have a perfect
standing before God, and I'm doing what I want to do. I'm
not doing what I have to do. I'm doing what I want to do,
following the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in 1 Corinthians 7, 15
that we're called to peace, peace with God. He made my peace. He is my peace. I have peace. I have peace. I'm not worried
about God getting me. I'm accepted in the Beloved.
And I have free access into His very presence through the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have peace. I have peace with
you. I'm not in competition with you. I love you. I love you.
We're brothers. We're fellows in the same ship.
What a wonderful peace we have together. Peace. 1 Thessalonians 4, 7 says we're
called to holiness. We are called to holiness. Our
Lord said, Be ye perfect. Be ye perfect, even as your Father,
which is in heaven, is perfect. Be ye holy. Holiness is a state
of being. There's not something you do
to become holy. It's something you are when He
saves you. We're called to holiness. Now, who is it that God calls?
He calls His elect. Romans 8.30, whom He did predestinate,
them He also calls. This is the fruit of God's eternal
love for His people. Those that He loved before the
foundation of the world, He calls irresistibly and invincibly by
His grace. Now, it's what the Scripture
calls a high calling. Philippians 3.14, we read of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It's called a holy calling. 2 Timothy 1.9, He saved us and
called us with a holy calling. Not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace. It's called a heavenly
calling. In Hebrews 3, verse 1, we're
called partakers. We read of being partakers of
the heavenly calling. And here's something that's wonderful
to think about. This is an irreversible, irrevocable call. The gifts and
the callings of God are without repentance. He doesn't call you
and then quit calling you. He continues to call you by His
grace. Now, I want you to think just
for a moment. Of your significance. God called you. Now, what else do you need? God
called you turn with me for a moment to John Chapter 17. I suppose
that this is in some respects the hardest verse of Scripture
to believe in all the Word of God. It seems just too good to be
true. Verse 23 of John chapter 17,
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one,
that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved
them as thou hast loved me. Now, do you believe that? The
same love that God the Father has to His blessed Son, He has
to every single believer. Now, the only way I can understand
it, but the only way I can begin to understand it is this thing
of union with Christ. I'm united to Him. Who He is,
I am. What He did, I did. Where He
is, that's where I am. Union with Christ. He loves me
with the same love he loved his son. I can't be separated from
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, talking about, you know, we all sometimes feel
so minuscule and so worthless and so like such zeros. And I reckon we ought to feel
that way in many respects. I'm not even denying, you know,
we don't even we don't even know the half of it, I'm sure. But
I want you to think of the significance you have to the Lord now there.
That's amazing. That's amazing. Now, when Paul
is writing. To the Corinthians and first
Corinthians, chapter seven. It was feared that Christianity
was subversive and that it would. Cause these people to rebel against
the Roman government. So turn back to 1 Corinthians
chapter 7. Look what Paul says. Now, remember,
this is the Christian worldview, the true Christian worldview. But as God hath distributed to
every man. As the Lord hath called everyone. So let him walk. And so ordain
I in all the churches, as you've been called, married or unmarried,
slave or free, rich or poor, circumcised or uncircumcised,
however you were in your calling, walk with God in that calling.
It really doesn't matter if you're a slave or you're a king. Walk with God in that calling. Don't get up if you're rich.
Don't get down if you're poor. You've been called by God and
the distinctions that the world makes just really don't matter. They just don't amount to a hill
of beans. You've been called by God. You
be content in that calling. It doesn't matter whether you're
at the bottom of the rung or whether you're at the top. All
these worldly, fleshly distinctions just don't make any difference.
You've been called by God. That's where your significance
is. You've been called by God. Abide. in that calling. This is what I ordain, says Paul,
in all the churches. Be content to know Christ. Be content to have Him to know
you. This is infinitely above all
these fleshly, worldly distinctions. The Christian worldview is, in
some respects, the world just doesn't matter. It just doesn't
matter. It doesn't even count. You're a child of the king in
whatever state you are in this world. Verse 18. Is any man called being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Are you called when you're circumcised?
You were a Jew circumcised? And God called you in that. Don't
try to become uncircumcised. Now, how in the world somebody
goes about becoming uncircumcised, I don't know. But he says don't
try it. Don't try it. He says, are you called in uncircumcision? Then don't become circumcised.
Don't worry about it. But what he says about these
two subjects, circumcision and uncircumcision, law keeping,
ceremony keeping and so on. He says circumcision is nothing.
And uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments
of God. Now, these things are nothing.
This shows how the Old Testament law has been done away. These
things are, what's he call them? Nothing. Hey, you know, that's
almost scary to say it that way. Nothing but the keeping of the
commandments of God. But that's what he calls it. Nothing. I
mean, they're ceremonies that have been done away with. Don't
worry about it one way or the other. He says in verse 20, let
every man abide in the same calling wherewith he was called. Abide,
stay content in whatever state you have been called. And turn
with me to Hebrews chapter 13 for a moment. Abide in that calling, don't
be ambitious for anything else, don't always be wanting something
else is what he's saying. Verse 5, Hebrews 13, let your conversation, your conduct,
your life in this world be without covetousness, without desiring
something else, and be content, be satisfied with such things
as you have. Well, what do you have? Well,
I don't have all that much. I don't have that much money.
I don't have that big a house. I mean, that's not what he's talking
about. It doesn't have anything to do with it. What do you have?
What do you possess right now? You possess the Lord Jesus Christ. You can say, I am my Beloved's
and He is mine. You have His perfect righteousness. You have His shed blood covering
your sins. You have His intercession. He's
representing you before the Father. You have the promise of His continued
grace. You think about what you have.
You want to talk about, I'm looking at some infinitely wealthy, rich
people. What we have in the Lord Jesus
Christ. What do I have in Christ? All
things. Ephesians 1.3 says, He has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings. in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. Now, if all you've got is Christ,
what have you got? You've got all, don't you? What
is there to covet? What is there to be not content
about? What if you had to live in a
cave and all your creature comforts were taken away? Would you still
have any reason to not be content if you have Christ? I love what
John Bunyan said about that one woman, he said he sat down with
her to a meal of bread and water, and she looked at him and she
said, Christ, and all this too, be content with such things as
you have, for He has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee, so that we may boldly say with confidence, the Lord's my
helper. I will not fear what man shall
do to me." Now, that's the Christian worldview. I mean, this world
just doesn't really make any difference. I mean, all the things
that the world is after, they don't amount to a hill of beans.
They just don't count. They really don't. That's my
worldview. The world passes away in the
lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. That's true satisfaction. Look
what he says in verse, back to our text in 1 Corinthians 7. Verse 21, Art thou called being
a servant or a slave? Now you think about what a miserable
existence that would be. I need to be a slave. to belong to somebody else, and
you can't go where you want to go, you can't do what you want
to do, you're their property. And there's not a thing you can
do about it. You're a slave. And most of the people Paul was
writing to back in those days were slaves. That's what he was
talking about. I mean, slaves. Somebody that
didn't own property, didn't have anything. Are you called being
a slave? Don't worry about it. Don't be
anxious over it. Don't even care. Don't shed a
tear over it. Don't be upset over it. Don't
think, oh, my lot is miserable. Thank God for it. Are you caught being a slave?
Don't worry about it. If you have Christ, so what?
Don't stress over it. But look what he says next. But
if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. That doesn't mean
if you have an opportunity to be free from being a slave, you
ought to reject it. Doesn't mean that at all. Doesn't mean, well,
here's what I thought of. I thought, what if you're on
a very uncomfortable mattress and you just couldn't sleep?
I mean, your back would ache by sleeping on it. You were just
miserable on it. Maybe you've slept on a mattress like that.
And you had the money to buy a new mattress. Should you just
be content with that uncomfortable mattress? Of course not. I remember one time I was drinking
a weak cup of coffee. And I hate weak coffee. And I
said, man, this coffee's no good. It's weak. And this lady said,
I've learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.
You know, I ought to be content with that weak coffee. No, I'm
not. I'd rather have a good cup of Starbucks. But this is not
an advertisement for Starbucks. But the point is, this is not
saying you need to be satisfied when you could be free. Use that
rather, he's saying. If you could be free, if you
get out of being a slave, that's OK. But don't be anxious if you
are a slave. Now, this is my worldview. Wherever
the Lord's put me, that's best. I can be the best ditch digger
in the world. I can be the best president in the world by His
grace. It doesn't make any difference. I love that story John Newton
tells. If God called two angels, one
to rule an empire and one to sweep streets, They both do it
with equal zeal, not caring which job He gave them. And that's
true. Verse 22, For he that is called in the Lord. Isn't that a wonderful
place to be called? He that's called in the Lord
Being a servant, he may be a slave, but he's the Lord's free man. Absolutely free. He's no slave. Oh, Christ has set him free. And even when he's in this manservitude,
he knows, I'm the Lord's servant. I'm the Lord's free man. I'm
totally, completely free. Isn't it wonderful to be free?
I don't owe anything, and I get to do what I want to do. That's
freedom. You've been called unto liberty. Stand fast in the liberty,
the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free. It's wonderful.
I may be a slave, but I'm still the Lord's free man. And if I'm
called, Paul says, being a free man, I'm still the Lord's slave. And here's the slave I like being.
I like being His slave, don't you? I like being His servant. If I'm called in freedom, well,
remember, you're still the Lord's serve it. You're still the Lord's
slave. This is something we're one at the same time being. I'm
free and I'm a slave. And my greatest freedom, and
I can say this in, I hope I can say it in all honesty, I'm trying
to, my greatest freedom is being completely His slave. That is freedom to me, being
a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. He that's called being a slave,
He's the Lord's free man. He that's called as a free person,
He's still the Lord's slave. Verse 23, he says, you are bought
with a price. And what was that price? The precious blood of Jesus Christ. That is what paid for your freedom. And that is what was paid to
make you his slave, the precious blood of Christ. And you can't
put a price on his blood. His blood is infinite in value. There's nothing you could do
to make it more valuable or less valuable. You've been bought.
You've been paid for. You've been bought with the price.
And, you know, that doesn't mean anything to your average religionist
in this sense. If you believe in universal redemption,
If you believe that Jesus Christ died for everybody, that means
nothing. What if you had been bought with a price? You still
might be damned anyway. But if you really believe in
His successful, effectual redemption, you've been bought with a price.
Your salvation is absolutely necessary. And you think of how
precious you are to the Lord that He would pay that price
for you. Now, I don't know of anything
more amazing than that, that he would pay that price for you. He says you've been bought with
the price. Be not ye the servants of men. What you do, do as unto
the Lord. Turn to Ephesians chapter five. Verse 5 of chapter 6, I'm sorry,
Ephesians chapter 6, verse 5. Servants, slaves, be obedient
to them that are your masters according to the flesh with fear
and trembling and singleness of your heart as unto Christ,
not with eye service as men pleasers, just obeying them when they're
watching, but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God. from the heart. Turn to Colossians
3, verse 22. Servants, obey in all things
your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as
men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God in whatsoever
ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men. That's what he's talking about
when he says, don't be servants of men. You do what you do for
the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that he's the one who's
over you. Now, this is what is going to
put a real true work ethic in somebody. I mean, you're doing
what you're doing for the glory of God. You're doing what you're
doing as unto the Lord. You're not going to be a lazy
bum like that. You're going to have a true work ethic in that
sense, as unto the Lord. Now, back to our text in 1 Corinthians
chapter 7. Verse 24. Brethren, let every man wherein
he's called, rich or poor, bond or free, circumcised or uncircumcised,
let him abide with God. Abide there. Be satisfied there. Don't be ambitious for something
else. Be content. Be satisfied with
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I think he's already made
it plain when he says if you can be, use it to be free, use
that rather. He's not saying if you have an
opportunity to better your position, don't do it. I mean, there are
times where you could do it, but what he's saying is be content,
be satisfied with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, that's my worldview.
Wherever God's put me, that's fine. That's fine. It really is. It's just fine. It's best. It's the best place
to be where he's put me, however he's called me. I'm content with
the Lord Jesus Christ. Look what he says down in verse
29. We're going to look at this next week. But this I say, brethren,
the time is short. It remaineth that both they that
have wives be as though they had none, and they that weep
as though they went not, and they that rejoice not, and they
that buy as though they possess not, and they that use this world
as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passeth away. John Newton put it this way, how tedious and tasteless the
hours when Jesus no longer I see. Sweet prospects, sweet birds
and sweet flowers have all lost their sweetness to me. The midsummer
sun shines but dim. The fields strive in vain to
look gay. But when I am happy in Him, December's
as pleasant as May. His name yields the richest perfume,
And sweeter than honey His voice. His presence disperses my gloom,
And makes all within me rejoice. I would, were He always thus
nigh, Have nothing to wish or to fear, No mortal as happy as
I, my summers would last all the year, content with beholding
his face. My all to his pleasure resigned. No changes of season or place
would make any change in my mind. When blessed with a sense of
his love, a palace, a toy would appear. and prisons would palaces
prove if Jesus would dwell with me there. Dear Lord, if indeed
I am Thine, if Thou art my Son and my song, say, why do I languish
in pine? And why are my winters so long?
Please drive these dark clouds from the sky. Thy soul-cheering
presence restore. or take me unto thee on high
where winter and clouds are no more. He says, Brethren, let every man wherein
he is called therein abide. What are those last two words?
With God. With God. You can be satisfied
there, can't you? Let's pray.