Principles for - PowerPoint Presentation

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Principles for

Christian Living

Studies in 1 Corinthians Series

[

43]

1 Corinthians 16

:

13-14

May

31

,

2015

Pastor Paul K. KimSlide3

FIVE CULTURAL

TRENDS/INFLUENCES IN TODAY’S WORLD

Trend

#1:

“Don’t worry, be

happy

.”

Trend#2:

“Keep

your beliefs current and relevant

.”

Trend#3:

“Play

it safe and just go with the flow

.”

Trend#4:

“Be

strong in your abilities

.”

Trend#5:

“

F

ollow

your heart in all things

.”Slide4

In fact, when we listen to the church today,

at

least in the West, we are often left with impression

that

Christianity actually has very little to do with truth

.

Christianity is only about feeling better about ourselves,

about

leaping over our difficulties, about being more satisfied, about

have

better relationships, about getting on with our mothers-in

-

law

, about understanding teenage rebellion, about coping with

our

unreasonable bosses, about finding greater sexual satisfaction

,

about getting rich, about receiving our own private miracles, and

much

else besides. It is about everything except truth. And yet

this

truth, personally embodied in Christ, gives us a place

to

stand in order to deal with the complexities of life, such

as

broken relations, teenage rebellion, and job insecurities.

David

F. WellsSlide5

FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

AMIDST THE PRESSURE OF CULTURE

PRINCIPLE #1:

Be

WATCHFUL—rather than

being in

a spiritual stupor.

13

Be

watchful..

. (v. 13)

12

 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

1 Corinthians 10:

12

8

Be

sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil

prowls

around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

One of the primary

cause

s for the Corinthian problems was a

state of s

tupor in their pride; so is

ours in today’s world.

The only remedy is to wake

up to our need by humbling ourselves before the Lord—to be vigilant in spiritual battle.

Jesus himself commanded us to watch and pray BEFORE we get into a situation of temptation.Slide6

FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

AMIDST THE PRESSURE OF CULTURE

PRINCIPLE #2:

Stand FIRM in the faith—rather than being tossed back and forth by the cultural waves.

13

 Be watchful, 

stand firm in the

faith

... (v. 13b)

7

 rooted and built up in him and established in the

faith...

Colossians 2

:7a

14

 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro

by

the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine,

by

human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Ephesians 4:14

Notice the article “the” faith—it is not any faith but the faith in Christ; but that we are to anchor in THE GOSPEL of Christ.

The remedy is that we become rooted firmly in God’s Word.

Hence, our conviction in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture

as well as our daily intake of God’s Word is critical.Slide7

FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

AMIDST THE PRESSURE OF CULTURE

PRINCIPLE #3:

Act like men [with COURAGE & MATURITY]—rather than playing it safe and avoiding responsibility.

13

 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, 

act like

men

...

(

v. 13c)

6

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them

,

for it

is the

LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:

6

20

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking.

Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

1 Corinthians 14:20

The Septuagint [Greek translation of Hebrew OT] uses this word primarily NOT for style but for desired character traits.

The character traits are mainly courage and maturity.

Hence,

this

is applicable to all of us—it is a call for us to take courage

with

matur

e responsibility and prudence.Slide8

FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

AMIDST THE PRESSURE OF CULTURE

PRINCIPLE #4:

Be strong [IN THE LORD]—rather than in your own

abilities.

13

 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, 

be

strong.

(v

.

13c)

1

You

then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:

1

14

 For this reason I bow my knees before the

Father...

16

 that

according

to the riches of his glory he may grant you to

be

strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner

being.

Ephesians

3:14, 16

The

command

is to be actively passive—i.e., be strengthened in the Lord and by his might.

Hence

, it is far from worldly self-confidence or self-reliance.

We are to be strengthened

by

the strength of God through surrendering and relying on the Holy Spirit within us.Slide9

FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

AMIDST THE PRESSURE OF CULTURE

PRINCIPLE #5:

Let all that you do be done in love—rather than merely following your heart.

13

 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

14

Let all that you do be done in love.

(vs. 13-

14)

1

 This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.

1 Corinthians 8:

1b

7

 Love bears all things, believes all things,

hopes

all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13

:7

Notice the word, “ALL”—

this

means that love must never be an extra peripheral thing but an all-encompassing way of life.

Even the previous four commands must be DONE IN LOVE.

In the end, t

his is what Paul depicts to us

: T

rue

spirituality

embraces both

toughness

of truth and

tenderness

of love.Slide10

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS

FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFEIn what ways are you more convinced of your need for practicing these five principles for Christian living amidst the pressure of culture?

What would it mean for you to seek vigilance and stability in your Christian life?

What would it mean for you to seek maturity, strength, and all-encompassing love in your Christian life? Slide11