The Gift of Singleness

Many people have asked for my notes on this weeks sermon. Here they are below.

Stats:
• 4% of young people attends an evangelical church.
• Approx 65% of Netcast Church is made up of young adults.
• 51% of our Demographic (Ages 15+) on the North Shore are Married
• 49% are single.
• Approx 65% of Netcast is made of young singles or divorces couples.

Corinthian Context:
Corinth is a young hip and urban city and the Corinthians church is also a young, hip cool church. Very much like Netcast. Full of young people who love Jesus but still struggle with lots of confusion. The singles have friends with benefits, booty calls, hookups.

Questions they were asking:
1. Do all Christians have to get married?
2. Is it ok to get married?
3. How do I know when I’m ready to get married?

How does Envy play a role?
• The wickedness of our heart is to want what we don’t have. Single people want the joys or marriage, and married people want the freedoms of being single.
• Hebrews 13:5 says Be content in what you have for the Lord says, I will never leave you or forsake you.

Marriage is a gift:
• Hebrews 13:4: Let marriage be in honor among all.
• Genesis 1:18 It is not good for man to be alone, so I will make a helper fit for him.
• Genesis 1:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife.

Singleness is a gift:
Just as marriage is a gift from God, Singleness is also a beautiful gift from God. The reason why some of you are married today and others here are single today, is because God in his rich wisdom and gracious mercy, found it best according to His will that this be the way it is. Will you trust in that?

Text: 1 Corinthians 7:8-9; 25-38

3 Relational Options: Per Paul

1. Stay single with self control.
2. Get married and have sex.
3. Burn with passion, or sin sexually.

3 Benefits of Being Single.

1. You only have to worry about a yourself.
2. Complete devotion to the Lord. (No Distractions) “If an unmarried man or women has not come to terms emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually, to the gift of singleness, even for a season, they will find themselves being frequently distracted from pleasing the Lord and drawn towards pleasing the prospective marriage partner.” As a single person, God has granted you this gift of singleness as a means to grow and mature spiritually. There is a conflict of concern for the married man and women. The scriptures say that “the married person is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife and his interests are divided.” As a single person, you simply have more time for things like Bible Reading, Prayer, Worship through song, and even listening to sermons. Once a person accepts the responsibility for a marriage, and even more for children, there simply just isn’t enough time available for such a thing. (Stay at home mom doesn’t get quiet time; the couple who doesn’t see each ether all day because they work 50 hours a week, typically doesn’t run home to do a bible study.)
3. More freedom to serve the Kingdom.

3 Problems Marriage won’t Solve. (top 3 reasons for both marriage and divorce)
1. Loneliness
2. Sex
3. Satisfaction of deep emotional needs.

How the Gospel comes into effect:
To the married and single people; here is the God’s honest truth. You’re greatest need isn’t a spouse. Your greatest need is to be delivered from the wrath of God. Your greatest need is to somehow find a hope and a joy in all circumstances. And a spouse cannot offer that to you. That is only offered to you and has been accomplished for you with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is why Paul is able to say what he says in vs 29-31.

1 Corinthians 7:29-21 From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy(AK) as though they had no goods, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For(AL) the present form of this world is passing away.

John 4: The women at the well. The woman was searching for hope and purpose in a man. She had 5 husbands and the man who she was currently living with was not her husband, and Jesus drops this line on her. “He who comes to me and drinks the water I give to them, will never thirst again.

Stop putting your hope in your spouse or the hopes of having a spouse, but put your hope and trust in Christ. He’s a much better savior.

Netcast Update....Cults, Easter, and more.

This morning I was sitting and reflecting on all God has been doing the
past couple of months and felt compelled to write. I need to thank you
for your continued support this past 8 months. It is amazing how the Lord
has been using us here in Greater Boston in such a short amount of time.
The latest news is that this past week we have begun to pull people out of
a local cult. This cult is targeting unchurched people with no biblical
knowledge and using out of context scriptures to manipulate them in very
sick ways. We already have at least 2 people who are now with Netcast and
there are more planning to get into community with us.

On Saturday before Easter we did an Easter egg hunt for the community. We
were a little disappointed when we woke up and it was pouring rain and 40
degrees outside. Over 400 people came out, IN THE RAIN, to join us for the
easter egg hunt. We gave out a ton of prizes, loved on some kids and just
had a good time.

I was just asked to be a part of the Youth Collaboration Board in Beverly .
This means that I will help make decisions on the direction of the youth
programs on the North Shore . Also, we are discussing how Netcast will be
able to use YMCA events as outreach opportunities for the good of the city.

In addition, Beth and I are doing great. She recently went to a counseling
conference in Dallas with Paul Tripp, Matt Chandler and some other people.
It was a great opportunity for her to get away and be reminded of the
beauty of the gospel.

Please be praying for our team. We need to continue to fight for unity as
things are growing. We currently have 6 community groups going and are
planning to go to 2 services in September. All of this is very stressful,
but to Christ be the glory. Thank you for your support this year. God has
used it to do far more than we could ever have imagined.

Matt

Matt Chewning
Netcast Church - Lead Pastor
netcastchurch.org matt@netcastchurch.org

The NOT House! (Netcast Outreach Team)

98% of Greater Boston is labeled “unchurched”. By God’s wonderful grace, Netcast Church is opening up an opportunity to become an intern for the Netcast Outreach Team (NOT). Our short term goals will focus on joining forces with established community service groups as well as starting our own initiatives based on the exposed needs in Greater Boston. These connections will enhance the main, long term goal of the NOT House, which is to provide a safe place for missions teams to come and stay and serve Greater Boston. The house will also offer a unique set of opportunities to deepen personal faith. Before this program can officially launch in the fall, substantial groundwork must be laid.

We are looking for 12 people to move into the Netcast Outreach Team House (located in Beverly, MA) during June and begin a 3 month adventure to help start this revolutionary outreach program.

We are also looking for other churches to send short term missions teams to serve here in Greater Boston. There is a ton more I’d like to share, so if you want more details, please email me at matt@netcastchurch.org. Pastors, please offer this opportunity to your college students.

Together in the Gospel.

Matt

Pastor Andy Thompson will be at Netcast

This week, Pastor Andy Thompson will be visiting us. Besides being a dear friend and one of the most gifted speakers I have ever met; He is also the Senior Pastor of World Overcomers Christian Church, currently located in Durham, North Carolina. The church, which was started in January 2003, now ministers to nearly 6000 people per week, and is one of the fastest growing churches in America. Andy and WOCC have been major supporters of Netcast since before we started. They have financially funded us as well as helped us structurally as we have been growing.

Please come out as we thank him and honor him as someone who has been behind the scenes of Netcast Church since before it was in existence. I'll encourage to bring a friend this week as it will be a great day in the life of Netcast Church.
--

Matt Chewning
Lead Pastor - Netcast Church
matt@netcastchurch.org
www.netcastchurch.org