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.