1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 4:5; Luke 12:1-3 – There Are No Permanent Secrets – MP3 / YouTube
There probably isn’t a person who doesn’t have a few secrets that he wishes could remain buried forever. Even if you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for the free gift of everlasting life and are a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ, the fact is that there are no permanent secrets. Hypocrisy does not pay, for every secret thing and every secret word will someday be revealed. Even Christians can fall into the trap of hypocrisy, where we are more concerned about what others think of us than we are concerned about what we really are in the sight of God. Forgiving our sins is not the same as keeping those sins a secret. In the future world there will be no hypocrisy. For Christians, all secrets will be revealed when we stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Other passages mentioned: 2 Kings 11:14; 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13.
1 Corinthians 6:18-7:6 – How Committed Are You? (July 1995) – MP3 / YouTube
We live in a society where sex has been divorced from love and lifelong commitment. In this message, Zane Hodges, a life-long bachelor, answers the following questions from the Bible: (1) Is it ever right to have sex outside of marriage? (2) If you are not sick, is it ever right to refuse sex to your partner in marriage? (3) Is it ever right to say, “Sex is always sinful.” Other passage: 1 Peter 3:7.
1 Corinthians 7:1-5 – Marriage Part 4 – How to Be the Spouse God Wants You to Be – I’m Ashamed; You’re Ashamed (August 16, 1998) – MP3 / YouTube
Zane discusses the issues of sin, guilt, shame and physical intimacy in marriage. Passages discussed include: Genesis 2:21-25; 3:6-11, 20-21; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; and Hebrews 13:4.
1 Corinthians 10:25-29 – Decision Making and Guidance from God (1972-1976) – MP3 / YouTube
Is there any support in the Bible for the concept that we will receive some sort of divine mystical guidance from God before we make a significant spiritual decision? Is a vague feeling of inner peace, the same as divine guidance? Do the Scriptures encourage us to take a combination of circumstances which may be ambiguous in themselves and translate it into guidance for our lives? Where should we find guidance for our lives today? Do we recognize that the Word of God within the guidelines laid down to us, give us tremendous areas of freedom within which the decision-making process is our own? If there is something you need to learn, the Bible can teach you, because it is profitable for doctrine. If there is something in which you need to be rebuked, the Bible can rebuke you, because it is profitable for reproof. If there is something in which you need to be straightened out, the Bible can straighten you out, because it is profitable for correction. If there is training that you need, the Bible can train you, because it is profitable for instruction in righteousness, that you might be the complete man of God that God wants you to be. The Bible is enough for you and your conscience. Other passages: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Colossians 3:15; Acts 8:26-29; Acts 10:1-6; Acts 16:6-9; Judges 6:14, 36-40; Luke 15:13; 1 Corinthians 5:9-10; 7:39; 2 Timothy 4:13.
1 Corinthians 14:34-38 – Don’t Be Gun-Shy (1999) – MP3 / YouTube
Are we afraid to confront situations, that need to be addressed, because we are afraid of the consequences? Rehoboam has become a gun-shy king after losing ten of the tribes of Israel from his kingdom. Are we gun-shy from following the word of God, because we are afraid of the consequences that may follow? How should churches handle God’s commandments for women to be silent during the Lord’s Supper meeting of the church? How should churches handle immorality in the church? We must not be gun-shy when the word of God and the commandments of God are at issue. When we fail to confront what is wrong in situations where we need to stand for the word of God, we will experience valuable losses. Other passages mentioned include: 1 Kings 14:21-31; 1 Timothy 2:9-10; 1 Kings 12:1-23; 1 Kings 3:2-12; 2 Kings 18:1-4, 17-22; Deuteronomy 12:1-14; 2 Kings 19:35; 1 Corinthians 15:5; 2 Chronicles 12:1-7; and Proverbs 18:10.