Third Sunday after the Epiphany January 25, 2009 The Rev. Charles Henrickson
“Living in a World That’s Passing Away” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) Are you married? Some of you say, yes; some of you, no. OK then, how about these questions: Are there times when you mourn? Are there times when you rejoice? Or how about these: Do you buy goods? Do you have dealings with the world? OK, now I think we’ve covered everybody. Well, I’ve got news for you then: Stop doing those things! The time is short. This world is passing away. Alright, before you call the guys with the funny jacket and the padded cab ride, let me explain. What I just said is a somewhat oversimplified version of today’s Epistle, from 1 Corinthians 7. So if you’re gonna send me to the funny farm, you’ll have to send St. Paul too, because he’s the one who said it. In fact, today it’s God’s word we’re going to hear, for Christians “Living in a World That’s Passing Away.” Our text is 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, where St. Paul writes: “This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.” OK, let’s take that a piece at a time. First, you married men: Live as though you have no wife. Now some of you wives are saying to yourselves, “Hey, he already does that anyway!” But that’s not the point. Paul is saying to both husbands and wives, “Live as though you’re not married.” Huh? That sounds odd, coming from an apostle. Oh, wait, this is coming from Paul, the unmarried apostle, the one who doesn’t understand or appreciate marriage, right? Wrong. This is coming from the same Paul who, in Ephesians, writes, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church,” and “let each one of you love his wife as himself.” But here in Corinthians, he’s saying, “Let those who have wives live as though they had none.” What gives? This sounds like two contradictory pieces of advice. And then there’s this bit about not mourning or rejoicing: “Let those who mourn live as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing.” But again, Paul seems to contradict himself when he writes in Romans 12, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Or even a little later right here in 1 Corinthians, Paul says about the church, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” But now it sounds like he’s saying, “Don’t mourn or rejoice at all.” Then there’s this business about not buying goods or having dealings with the world: “Let those who buy live as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it.” What is Paul smoking? Is he a hippie or something, dropping out of society? No, that can’t be. In fact, Paul himself worked as a tentmaker when he had to do that to support himself. And Paul elsewhere encourages hard work and honest labor among the people to whom he writes. But here he says, “Live like you have no goods to buy, no dealings to transact with the world.” So what’s the point? It’s this, in what Paul says at the start and at the end of this passage. He says, “The appointed time has grown very short,” and “the present form of this world is passing away.” You see, we Christians are living in a time that is growing shorter and shorter. We’re living in a world that is passing away. And knowing this, realizing this, knowing who we are, having a sense of the big picture of things--this will change our perspective. It will change how we live in this world that is passing away and in this time that is growing short. That’s the point. Paul says it here in strong and dramatic terms, in order to make the point. Elsewhere, he can just as easily talk about fulfilling our various vocations in life, living responsibly--in marriage, in matters of mourning and rejoicing, in our work and business dealings. But there he’s making a different point. Here in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul is giving us the big picture and he’s saying, “Don’t get so caught up in the things of this world, the affairs of this life, that you lose sight of eternity.” That’s the point he’s making here, and it’s one that you and I need to be reminded of. Notice, by the way, that none of the activities that Paul mentions here--being married, mourning, rejoicing, buying goods, dealing with the world--none of these things is wrong or sinful in itself. No, these are good and normal activities. But any good gift from God, if it takes the place of God, becomes an idol. These things become a problem when we get overly caught up with them, so that they get in the way of, or squeeze out, our devotion to the Lord, our listening to his word, or our following him in faith. It’s like what Jesus said about the seed that fell among the thorns, that the cares of the world choke out the word. How does that show up in your life? Examine yourself. What is getting in the way of your discipleship? What is taking the place of God in your life? What is taking up your field of vision so that you’re losing sight of the big picture, the perspective of eternity? That’s how this text is addressing us today. Take a lighter hold on the things of this world, while at the same time fulfilling our responsibilities in life. Realize that the things of this world, even the good things--marriage, joys and sorrows, our work life and retirement--all this stuff is not going to last forever. “The appointed time has grown very short. . . . The present form of this world is passing away.” We are living in a world that is passing away. So don’t become too attached to it. “The appointed time has grown very short,” Paul says. If it was short then, it’s even shorter now. The “time” he’s talking about is the time left until our Lord’s return. Christ is coming to judge the living and the dead, and we just don’t know when that will be. No man knows the day or hour. But we do know that he is coming, and it could be any day now. And for any one of us, we don’t know how many days we will have in our own individual lifespan. And so the time of this age is like a drop in the bucket compared to the unending days of the age to come. That puts the brevity and the fleeting nature of this life into perspective. This world is passing away. Actually, Paul says, the “present form” of this world is passing away. The world as we know it will take on a new form, it will be transformed, when Christ returns. All things will be made new. But for now we are still living and groaning in the old world, the world subject to death and decay, the present form of this world corrupted by sin. Therefore we dare not become too attached to our life in this world, lest like Lot’s wife we look back in longing when the fire and brimstone are falling. As the writer to the Hebrews says, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” This world is passing away. So where do we find our stability, where do we find security, in a world that is passing away? In one place, and one place only: In God. Today we say with the psalmist: “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” Yes, here is the rock that will keep your feet firmly planted. Here is the refuge that will shelter you from the storm: The Lord God Almighty. In him and in his word, you can trust. In him you can live confidently and valiantly in a shaky, insecure world. In him, in the Lord our God, you can venture out into paths unknown, knowing only that he will take you by the hand and lead you. He is your security. His word is your promise and your guide. His heaven is your hope everlasting. That, my friends--that will change your perspective! “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” What has God done for you, what has God promised you, to give you such confidence and boldness? Look to Jesus. Listen to him, and you will get your answer. “The time is fulfilled,” Jesus says,” and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” You see, you can handle the time being short, because the time has been fulfilled! Jesus has fulfilled it. He has done everything you need to face the appointed time. He has taken care of the judgment for you. By his death on the cross Jesus suffered the judgment, the punishment you deserve, so that you need no longer fear that day. He died for all your sins, your idolatry, all the times you do let other things take the place of God. You and I earned death by our idolatry, we earned hell and damnation, but God in his mercy sent Christ to bear that judgment for us, for you. Therefore turn from your sins and live! Repent and believe the gospel! Here is good news: You have a Savior who forgives your sins. You have a Redeemer who has risen from the grave and who will return to raise you up also. His everlasting life, his perfect righteousness, his abounding joy he gives to you and shares with you. There, in Christ--there is enough security to last a thousand lifetimes! You have a sure and certain hope in Christ your Savior! Now you can treat the things of this world with a lighter grip. Oh, hold on to Christ, cling to his cross--yes, hold on to these with the firm grasp of faith. But these other things--lighten up a bit. Your heavenly Father knows what you need to make it through life in this world. He cares for you, he clothes you, he feeds you. And most of all he has provided you with a new life, a clean slate on Judgment Day, a new lease on life and on eternity. Now when Jesus calls you and says, “Follow me,” you are free to leave any entangling nets behind and to go where he leads you. You are free to let go of the “stuff.” You are free to love others, even forgive them, to serve your neighbor in costly ways, because you are sure of your riches in Christ. That’s security. That’s faith. That’s freedom. “Living in a World That’s Passing Away”: It becomes exciting when you are living--really living--by the word that will never pass away. Charles Henrickson 4749 Melissa Jo Ln St. Louis, MO 63128 (314) 845-8811 (home) (314) 779-8108 (cell) [email protected] ___________________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_ _attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author, as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. Note: This list's default reply is to the *poster*, NOT the list. Do *not* reply to the list with your comments, but to the poster. Subscribe? Send ANY note to: [email protected] Unsubscribe? Send ANY note to: [email protected] Archive? <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/> For more information on this or other lists offered by Confess And Teach For Unity, you can contact the CAT 41 list administrator at: Rev. Fr. Eric J. 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