1 Corinthians chapter 7. Verse 29. 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 wept not, and they that rejoice as though they
rejoiced not, and they that buy as though they possessed not,
and they that use this world as not abusing it For the fashion
of this world passeth away. Now, what comes to your mind
when you think of the word fashion? You probably think of what people
wear in any given year. What is the latest fashion? And we know this much about fashion.
It's very temporary, isn't it? It's very temporary. What's in
fashion today is not going to be fashion tomorrow. And what
was in fashion however long ago, nobody even thinks of it now.
It's all temporary. Well, Paul says the fashion of
this world passes away. Now, Vine says the word fashion
means the manner of life, the actions of humanity in general,
It's all passing away. It will not continue. The time is coming where everything
that is around us will be no more. Now you think of how engrossed
you are in the things of this world, raising a family, making
a living, so many different things we could
say, It's all passing away. There's really nothing stable
in any of it. It's all passing away. I just read that passage of scripture
where the wise man said vanity of vanities. All is vanity. You believe that? All. A double L all is vanity. There's nothing stable. Now,
you can either become very cynical toward everything. Or you can
make it your business to seek the one thing that's needful. There's only one thing that's
needful. I want to look at a passage we
looked at this morning once again. Turn to Matthew chapter 6 for
a moment. If someone would ask me, what
is the passage that people seem to read from the most when they
get up, when the men get up and read? I believe Matthew six might
be one of the top two or three. Anyway, this is something that
we need to hear. Now, look what he says in verse
twenty five. Therefore, I say unto you, take
no thought for your life. No thought. Don't be anxious
about it. Don't worry about it. Don't plan
and scheme. And. Anything like that. Take no thought, wouldn't it
be a blessing right now if everything you worried about just went down
the drain? Not worried. Not worried, not afraid. Take
no thought, don't stress about it. Don't worry about it, take
no thought for your life. What you shall eat, or what you
shall drink, or yet for your body what you shall put on, is
not the life more than meat and the body than raiment. Behold
the fowls of the air, they sow not, neither do they reap, nor
gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than
they? Which of you, by taking thought, can add one minute to
his life? That's what that really means. Which of you, by worrying,
by stressing, by scheming, by making plans, can add one minute
to your life? It can't be done. And why take
ye thought for raiment, clothing? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet
I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these. Now, I think that means more
than physical clothing. It's talking about our covering
before God. Yes, physical clothing is included,
but much more than that. It's talking about the clothing
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Put him on. That's what that's a reference
to. Why would you worry about what you're wearing if you have him?
Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field which
today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much
more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Would that describe me? I believe it would. O ye of little
faith. Therefore, take no thought, don't
stress, don't worry, don't be anxious, saying what should we
eat or what should we drink or whether at all should we be clothed.
For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly
father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Now,
we can't be indifferent about these things, but we can be indifferent
about us coming up with them. Our heavenly father knows. What
we need. And he will provide what we need.
He says, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things shall be
added unto you. God's going to give you exactly
what you need. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Take therefore no thought for
the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of
itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. And back to our text in First
Corinthians chapter 7. What led Paul to make this statement,
the fashion of this world passes away? Beginning in verse 25, we left
off with verse 24 last time, he says in verse 25, now concerning
virgins. Unmarried people. I have no commandment
of the Lord. Now, a lot of folks have got
Stumped on that passage of Scripture, and you say, well, is Paul not
inspired at this time? No, he's saying, I don't have
a commandment regarding whether you ought to get married or whether
you ought not to get married. If you get married, you're not
sinning. If you don't get married, you're
not sinning. They're both OK. I've got no
commandment telling you this is what you need to do or this
is what you don't need to do. I've got no commandment of the
Lord Yet, I give my judgment regarding this thing of getting
married as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
Now, you know, that passage of Scripture is a very encouraging
passage of Scripture to me for this reason. Something I ask
the Lord, that every day, Lord, make me faithful. Whatever it
is to be truly faithful, I want to be faithful, don't you? Do
you notice what Paul says about this thing of being faithful?
He says, I've obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. That encourages me that I can
be faithful because it is because of his mercy that someone can
be faithful. Now, this ought to be our greatest
ambition. To be faithful. I've obtained
mercy of the Lord to be faithful and let's go on reading. He says,
I suppose, therefore, that this is good talking about an unmarried
state. I suppose, therefore, that this
is good for the present distress. I say that it's good for a man
so to be. Now, because of the present distress,
he's talking about the persecutions that believers were experiencing
at that time. And I want you to think, we don't
know anything about this. At that time, these fellows were
being thrown into the Eden by lions. They were being tortured. for their faith. They were hunted
around all over the place and it was against the law to confess
what they confessed. And they were all the time in
trouble being persecuted because of what they believed regarding
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, it would be difficult
to always have to be fleeing, wouldn't it? Flying for your
life, but it would be a whole lot easier if you didn't have
to drag around a wife and kids with you at the same time. I
mean, that would be very difficult. To have to take care of your
family during this persecution, he's saying you'd be better off
because of this present distress. That's the key word, the present
distress. You'd be better off not even being married. Verse
27. Are you bound unto a wife? Then seek not to be loosed. Don't
seek to have that relationship dissolved. Are you loose from
a wife? Has that relationship been dissolved? Then don't seek a wife. Keep
things just the way they are. But and if, verse 28, but and
if thou marry, thou hast not sinned. Now, I know I'm telling
you, you'd be better off not being married. But if you do
marry, you've not sinned. And if a virgin marry, one who
is unmarried, a woman, she has not sinned. Nevertheless, Such
shall have trouble in the flesh. Now, why does he say that? Such
shall have trouble in the flesh, because whenever you get two
people living together, there's going to be trouble. I mean,
there's going to be trouble. Does that mean people are not
happily married? Of course not. I'm very happily married. I thank
God for my wife. I believe she thanks the Lord
for me. I'm happy in that. Does that mean there's not trouble
in a relationship? Of course not. Wherever you've
got two people, you've got two people who have something called
the flesh. And that's always going to create problems. Look
what he says in verse 35. I'm sorry, verse 32. He says,
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried
careth for the things that belong to the Lord. How he may please
the Lord, but he that's married care for the things that are
of the world, how he may please his wife, and that's our responsibility
if you're married, you to give yourself to pleasing your spouse. He says in verse 34, there's
a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman
cares for the things of the Lord, how that she may be holy, both
in body and spirit, but she that's married cares for the things
of the world, how she may please her wife or husband. And this
I speak for your own profit, not that I may cast a stare upon
you, but for that you may do that which is comely, that you
may attend upon the Lord without distraction. That's what I want
for you. I want you to give yourself to attending upon him, serving
him without being distracted by the things of marriage. Back
to verse 28. Now, if thou marry, While you'd
be better off not being married, still you've not sinned. You
know, we've already covered that in the earlier parts of this
chapter. He says, if a virgin married, she has not sinned.
Nevertheless, such will have trouble in the flesh, but I spare you.
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 didn't have anything to weep about. And they that
rejoice as though they rejoice not, they don't have anything
to rejoice about. 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 passes away. Now, what all is
involved in the fashion of this world? Well, he mentions it in
this passage of Scripture. The first thing he talks about
is the relationship of marriage. Thank God for a good marriage.
Thank God for husbands and wives who love each other. And seek
to serve each other. What a wonderful blessing of
God. But understand this, that relationship
is not going to last. It's temporary. Time is coming that those that
are married, it's like they're not. They that weep as though
they went not. Now, this is part of the fashion
of this world, tragedies, trials in your life, difficulties, things
that make you mourn and grieve you greatly, heartaches and burdens
and bad relationships and disappointment and loss. You know, these are
all passing away, too. You know, they're not going to
last very long. I love what Paul said when he
said our light affliction. Which is but for a moment. And
then he talks about things that make us rejoice. Look what he
says in verse 30. And they that rejoice as though
they rejoice now. Now there's a lot of things we
rejoice in. Good relationships, security,
health, wealth, achievements. Things that make you feel good.
Things that make you happy. Everybody wants to be happy.
I don't want to be sad. I want to be happy. I don't want to
be depressed. I want to be rejoicing. I want
to feel good. I want to feel good about what's going on in
my life. Things that make you happy. They're
all passing away. You know, even if everything's
going great, it's not that big a deal. You know, Job said, naked
came I out of my mother's womb and naked will I return. The good stuff is passing away.
They that buy as though they possess not. Boy, that has a
big... That's a big part of this thing we call life, isn't it?
The accumulation of stuff. Buying stuff. I want stuff. I
want to buy this. I want to buy that. I've got
a goal to have this. I've got to have a goal to have that.
I want to get this. And if I get this, everything's
going to be good. Everything's going to be better. At least
it's going to be better than it is now if I can just get this. Now, wait
a minute. You know, our Lord used this phrase when He was
giving the parable of the sower. He talked about the deceitfulness
of riches. The deceitfulness. They make
promises that they can't give. They didn't buy. We buy stuff.
Oh, if I can just get this stuff, I'll be in good, you know. That
stuff is passing away. This is a solemn thing to think
about. But you know, the time is coming. Where if you saw a
million dollars, and you think what you could do with a million
dollars right now. What you could do with that, isn't there? There
might be somebody in here that's got a million dollars, but I
doubt it. I doubt it. That's a lot of money. Do you
know the time is coming? If you saw a million dollars
at your feet in the streets, it wouldn't be worth your time
to bend over and pick it up. That's a solemn thing to think
about, isn't it? They that buy as though they possess not. They
that use this world, and we do use this world. And God has given
us all things richly to enjoy, but it's going to pass away.
You see, the fashion of this world passes away. What makes
up living in this world? Relationships. This is what He
talks about. Heartaches, things that make you sad. Rejoicing,
things that make you happy. The acquisition of material things.
It all will not last. This world's religion will not
last. This world's priorities will
not last. What this world values, it's
all passing away. Turn with me for a moment to
1 John, Chapter 2. Verse 15. John says, Love not the world. Neither the things that are in
the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father
is not in him. For all that's in the world,
the lust of the flesh, that's the desire of sinful, fallen
nature. The lust of the eyes, that's
being concerned about what people see. That's trying to keep up
with the Joneses. That's being controlled by the
fear of man, the lust of the eyes. The pride of life, that
self-righteousness is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away. and
the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abides
forever. Now, therefore, in light of this, enjoy your marriage, but live
as though you weren't married. You know, you're going to stand
before God by yourself, not with somebody else. You're going to
stand before God by yourself. These relationships you thank
God for, but understand they're temporary. Things that bring
you trouble and cause you to mourn. Things that cause weeping,
hurt just as much to a believer as an unbeliever. I mean, all
the troubles, the troubles with people, financial problems, health
problems. Disappointments, loss. That hurts
just as much to a believer as it does to an unbeliever. But
believer, remember this, in the grand scheme of things, it just
doesn't matter that much. Even if you're going through
a difficult time right now, in the grand scheme of things, it really
doesn't matter that much. It's going to pass away. It's
just temporary. You know, what if you died without
a penny to your name and without a friend to your name, but you
died a believer? Would that be any loss? Wouldn't be a loss at all, would
it? Not at all. Remember, this world is passing
away. Things that we rejoice in, things
that make us happy. A pleasant marriage, being able
to pay our bills and have enough to go on vacation after that.
A good meal, health, all the different things. Good grief,
it makes me happy when my ball team wins. You wouldn't, it's amazing what
that does for my spirits, when my ball team, everything's great.
We lose, man, I'm in a bad, that stuff is so vain. It's all passing
away, the stuff that makes you happy. Don't get too happy about
it. Hold it loosely. They rejoice as though they rejoice
not. We buy and possess, and I'm thankful
for the stuff I have. I'm thankful for my house. I'm
thankful for heating and air conditioning. I'm thankful for
the car I drive, the stuff I have, but hold it loosely to find happiness
and satisfaction in material things is I said this recently, materialism
is so overrated. It's just overrated. Turn with
me for a moment to Luke chapter 12. Don't become engrossed in
this world, it's all going to be burned. Turn to Luke chapter
12. Beginning in verse 13. And one of the companies said
to him, Master, speak to my brother that he divided inheritance with
me. And I believe that you'll really find out what somebody
is made of when it's time for inheritance. You're going to
find out there's been more families divided and troubled over this
issue probably than it's amazing what all's happened over this.
Well, this fellow was upset about it. He said, tell my brother
that he divided inheritance with me. And he said to him, man,
who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them,
Take heed, and beware of covetousness. For a man's life consisteth not
in the abundance of things which he possesses, And he spake a
parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man
brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself,
saying, What shall I do? Because I have no room wherewith to bestow
my fruits. And he said, This I'll do. I'll
pour down my barns, and build greater, and there will I bestow
all my fruits and my goods. And I'll say to my soul, Soul,
thou hast much good laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat,
drink, and be merry. And we would congratulate this
guy for doing the right thing. I mean, he's only using wisdom,
managing his affairs right. But look what the Lord says.
Verse 20. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be
required of thee. Then who shall those things be
which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure
for himself, and is not rich toward God." Now, here is the marriage. to not hold loosely my marriage
to Christ. What a husband He is. What a
provider He is. What a protector He is. You know, regarding mourning,
the only real mourning I should do is mourning over my sin. There's
really nothing else worth mourning over. concerning rejoicing. Rejoice in the Lord, but don't
get too up about anything else. It's temporary. It's passing
away. The only rejoicing there is to
do is that rejoicing in the Lord. I love what our Lord said there
in Luke chapter 10 when the Sidney returned. They say, Lord, even
the devils are subject unto us. The Lord's the hands-on. We're
doing great things. And He said, in this, rejoice
not. that the devils are subject to you, but you rejoice in this,
that your names are written in heaven." Rejoice in your position
in Christ. The position that I want to hold
on to is my true possession. Christ Jesus being found in Him. I am my Beloved's, and He is
mine. Now look back to verse 32, 1
Corinthians chapter 7. Now, in light of all this, Paul
says, I would have you without carefulness. I would have you
without anxiety. I would have you without stress. I would have you footloose and
fancy free without a care in the world. Now, that's how every
believer ought to be. without a care in the world. Nothing to worry about. Now,
why is that? How is it that I can be carefree? Because somebody's thinking,
well, that's irresponsible. That's irresponsible to be carefree.
I mean, if you had any sense, you wouldn't be that way. Now, wait a minute. How much control do I have over
what takes place? Zero. How much control does the Lord
have? He has complete control over
everything and everybody and every event. The King's heart is in the hand
of the Lord. As the rivers of water, He turneth
it whithersoever He will. He has complete control of everything. Everything that happens, you
know what it is? It's God's will being done. Why worry? If the Lord controls
everything, and He does, He's God, and it's not hard for Him
to do it. It's not like it takes effort
and He's going to cover it. No! He's God. He controls everything. He's the first cause behind everything.
Why worry? I would have you without carefulness.
Now here's the best part of this. Because of the Lord Jesus Christ,
because of union with Him, God looks at you the exact same way
He looks at His darling Son right now. No difference. As He is, John tells us in 1
John 4, 17. As He is, so are we in this world
right now. Now, I would have you without
carefulness. You don't have anything to worry
about. You are as Christ is. However He is, that's how you
are. However the Father views Him, that's how He views you
right now. And that's never going to change.
You can't lose that. It's eternal. It's always been
that way. What is there to worry about?
I believe this right now, I hope. It's easy to believe this when
you're hearing the gospel preacher. Yeah, this is great. Then you
walk out the door. But God give us grace to just
continue to believe. I'd have you without carefulness. Back to the subject, he says
in verse 32, he that is unmarried careth to the things that belong
to the Lord. It doesn't mean he's worrying
about him. This is what he gives himself to. How he may please
the Lord. For he that's married, careth
for the things that are of the world, how he may please his
wife. Now, if you're married, you should
seek husbands. You know what your number one
job is? To make that woman happy. at
your, that's your number one job. Wives, you know what your
number one job is? Is to make that man happy. But
I'll tell you what, that's a big job. And if you're married, you
wouldn't even have to deal with anything like that. If you're
not married, excuse me, you wouldn't even have to deal with anything
like that. That's what they say. Verse 34. There is a difference
also between a wife and a verger or an unmarried woman. The unmarried
woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy,
both in body and in spirit, but she that's married careth for
the things of the world, how she may please her husband."
Now he's saying the same thing. Now he says in verse 35, and
this I speak for your own profit, not that I may cast a stare upon
you, I'm not trying to do that, but for that which is comely,
that you might attend upon the Lord without distraction. Now, does that mean you can't
attend upon the Lord without distraction if you're married?
No, it doesn't mean that. I want us to think. Turn to Luke
chapter 10. Luke chapter 10. Martha and Mary, were they married?
I don't know whether they were or not. The Bible doesn't Say
whether they were or not, I kind of think they were. But look
here in verse 38 of Luke chapter 10. Now it came to pass that
they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain
woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a
sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard
his word. But Martha was cumbered. Do you know that's the same word
translated distraction there? She was distracted. Now, while
her sister, Mary, was sitting there hearing her word, Martha
had a lot to do. And it needed to be done. I mean,
she had to cook, she had to clean, she had to get the house prepared
for the Lord. She had a lot going on. And Mary was sitting there
like a knot on the log, just listening. That's all she did,
just listening. And I'm sure that Martha was
getting hot under the collar. She's sitting there. She thinks
she's spiritual and everything. And she's leaving me like this.
I'm doing all the work. She's doing nothing. She's just sitting
there listening. She's getting hot under the collar. She's getting
mad. She's getting angry. She was cumbered. She was distracted
about much serving. And she came to him and said,
Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me alone
to serve alone? Bid her, therefore, that she
help me. And Jesus answered and said unto
her, Martha, Martha, you're careful and troubled about many things,
all of which I could say are going to pass away and really
just don't matter. Ain't that what he's saying?
They really just don't matter. They're passing away, but one
thing is needful. You don't even have to juggle
two things, just one thing. You don't need to try to figure
out what he's talking about. One thing is needful. You know what
that is? To sit at his feet and to hear his word. And Mary
hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken from her. Back to our text. Verse 36. But if any man thinketh he behaved
himself unkindly toward his virgin, and that's talking about his
unmarried woman. Now, some people think this is
talking about a dad deciding, I'm not going to let my daughter
get married. And she's forbidden to get married. And Paul's saying
that's a good thing if you just keep her from getting married.
That's not what Paul's saying at all. This is talking about
a man and a woman who are engaged. Says if any man think that he
behaved himself uncomely towards his virgin, he acts inappropriately
for you know how many reasons. If she passed the flower of her
age and need so require, let him do what he will. He sins
not, let them marry. It's not a sin to get married
if you're. Well, there's so many reasons
for that that he covered in the first of this chapter. Nevertheless.
He that standeth steadfast in his heart, having no necessity
to be married. but hath power over his own will,
and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his wife, he
does well. Paul commends him for this. So
then, he that giveth not in marriage doeth well, but he that giveth
her in marriage, that goes ahead and gets married, he does well,
but he that gives her not in marriage, he does better. Now,
there's doing well and there's doing better. I want to do better, don't you?
Whatever that means, I want to just do well. I want to do better. He says there's doing well and
there's doing better. May God give us grace to. To
not just be satisfied with the status quo. But to do better. Verse 39 through 40, the wife
is bound by the laws longer husband lives, but if her husband be
dead, she's at liberty to be married to whom she will only
in the Lord, but she's happier If she so abide after my judgment.
I want to be happier, don't you? Whatever it takes to be happier.
He says, and I think also I have the spirit of God. Now time is
short. I like a quote I put by Joe Taylor
on our bulletin recently. I want to read it to you again.
He said. We who have trusted the Lord
Jesus Christ. Boy, I pray everybody in this
room has actually trusted the Lord Jesus Christ. You trust
Him as your salvation. He's your husband. He's your
Lord. You've trusted Him. You've entrusted the salvation
of your soul to Him. You're not looking to your works.
You're looking to His works. You're relying on Him to save
you. Now, in this statement, He said,
We who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ should live our
lives in such devotion to Christ, that if in the end what we believe
is proved to be wrong, our lives will have been a total
waste. Let me read that again. We who have trusted the Lord
Jesus Christ should live our lives in such devotion to Christ
that if in the end what we believe is proved wrong, our lives will
have been a total waste. I want to have that kind of devotion
to Christ, don't you? Well, he gives grace to enable
us to Now, regarding the thing of well and better, I want to
do well, no doubt about it, but I want to do what's better, don't
you? I want to be like Caleb, following
the Lord fully. And does that mean I should get
married? No. Does it mean I shouldn't get married? No. But I know this.
I want to follow the Lord fully. I want to be And I'm not talking
about a competition thing, or competing, one person seeing
who's the most blessed and who's the most... I'm not talking about
that. But oh, would to God that you and I can be the most devoted
believers to ever live. That's a good ambition. And with
all that being said, Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in him. When God comes looking for me,
I'm really not interested in him saying, well, is he the most
devoted? Is he how devoted is he? That's
not what I want. When he comes looking for me,
only one place I want to be found. In the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray together.