Living Single

Pastor C. H. Jr.

Holy People • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

1 Corinthians 7:25–40

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God Assigns And Calls Us

Notes

Transcript

Introduction

Illustration: Living Single Fox t.v show

Living Single is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993 to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.

Roommates:

Kim Fields starring as Rajine

Kim Coles starring as Sinclair

Queen Latifa as Kadija

Erika Alexander- their friend Max

Kyle- T. C. Carson

Overton- John Henton

Illustration: Living Single Fox t.v show

Six black 20-somethings -- four women and two men -- share their lives and loves in a Brooklyn brownstone. A trio of women share one of the apartments, receiving frequent visits from a fourth pal; meanwhile, two men who've been friends for years share an apartment one floor up.

During Living Single's first season, it consistently had higher ratings than Martin, which aired immediately before it, and it quickly became the fourth highest-rated show aired on Fox.

Throughout its run, Living Single became one of the most popular African-American sitcoms of its era, ranking among the top five in African-American ratings in all five seasons.

Newspaper critics contrasted Living Single with Friends, which aired the following year.

Living Single had successful Black characters including an attorney, a stockbroker, and a business owner, in contrast to Friends which featured white characters including a waitress, a folk singer, and an unemployed actor and no lead characters who were people of color. Bowser was disappointed that Warner Bros. did not promote Living Single nearly as much as it did its other show, Friends.

Roommates:

The Gift And The Curse

Illustration: The Gift And The Curse

The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse (stylized as The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse) is the seventh studio albumby American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 12, 2002, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Island Def Jam Music Group. The album serves as a sequel to his sixth album The Blueprint (2001). Parts of the album were later reissued for his compilation album, titled Blueprint 2.1 (2003). The album debuted at number one, shipping with first-week sales of 545,000 units. The album is certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.

Kim Fields starring as Rajine

Societies Marginalization Of Singles

Illustration: Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After by Bella DePaulo Ph.D. (Author)

Tell new acquaintances that you are single and often they think they already know quite a lot about you. They understand your emotions: You are miserable and lonely and envious of couples.

Kim Coles starring as Sinclair

They know what motivates you: More than anything else in the world, you want to become coupled. If you are a single person of a certain age, they also know why you are not coupled: You are commitment-phobic, or too picky, or have baggage.

Or maybe they figure you are gay and they think that’s a problem, too.

They also believe they know something about your psychological development and your psyche: You are just not as mature as the other people your age who are coupled. And at heart, you are basically selfish.

Queen Latifa as Kadija

From knowing nothing more about you than your status as a single person, other people sometimes think they already know all about your family: You don’t have one.

They also know about the important person or persons in your life: You don’t have anyone. In fact, they know all about your life: You don’t have a life.

Because you don’t have anyone and you don’t have a life, you can be asked to stay late at work or do all the traveling over the holidays.

Erika Alexander- their friend Max

When you are a guest in other people’s homes, they will know where you can sleep: on the couch in the living room rather than in a bedroom with a door that shuts.

They know how your life will unfold: You will grow old alone. Then you will die alone.

Church’s Marginalization Of Singles

Kyle- T. C. Carson

Illustration: Singled Out: Why Celibacy Must Be Reinvented in Today's Church by Christine Colón (Author), Bonnie Field (Author)

Not only do many evangelical singles feel marginalized because they lack the requisite, traditional family that is so highly valued in today's evangelical church, but as soon as they leave high school or college, they are also denied a supportive community that might help them through the difficulties of remaining celibate. For many of these singles, as the struggle becomes more intense, the support system disappears. But at least many of them once had a support system that helped them to maintain their commitment to purity.

What about those singles who become evangelical Christians later in life?

Overton- John Henton

Whom can they turn to in their desire to embrace a celibate lifestyle that is so foreign to the secular world from which they came?

What about those who are divorced or widowed?

What about homosexuals who struggle with same-sex attraction? All of these groups may be called to celibacy for a time or for the rest of their lives. Where is the positive message of celibacy that will help them as well?

Transition To Body- The Temple of God & the Holy Spirit

You Are The Holy Temple Of God

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 ESV

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

You Are The Holy Temple Of God

You Are Not Your Own

You Were Bought With A Price

So Glorify God in your Body

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 3:

Your Body Is A Temple Of The Holy Spirit

You Are Not Your Own

You Were Bought With A Price

So Glorify God in your Body

1 Corinthians 7:7 ESV

7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

Societies Marginalization Of Singles

Illustration: Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After by Bella DePaulo Ph.D. (Author)

by Bella DePaulo Ph.D. (Author)

Tell new acquaintances that you are single and often they think they already know quite a lot about you. They understand your emotions: You are miserable and lonely and envious of couples.

Singled Out (p. 2). St. Martin's Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Or maybe they figure you are gay and they think that’s a problem, too.

From knowing nothing more about you than your status as a single person, other people sometimes think they already know all about your family: You don’t have one.

They also know about the important person or persons in your life: You don’t have anyone. In fact, they know all about your life: You don’t have a life.

Because you don’t have anyone and you don’t have a life, you can be asked to stay late at work or do all the traveling over the holidays.

Singled Out (pp. 2-3). St. Martin's Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

When you are a guest in other people’s homes, they will know where you can sleep: on the couch in the living room rather than in a bedroom with a door that shuts.

They know how your life will unfold: You will grow old alone. Then you will die alone.

Church’s Marginalization Of Singles

Illustration: Singled Out: Why Celibacy Must Be Reinvented in Today's Church by Christine Colón (Author), Bonnie Field (Author)

by Christine Colón (Author), Bonnie Field (Author)

Christine Col?n;Bonnie Field. Singled Out: Why Celibacy Must Be Reinvented in Today's Church (p. 14). Kindle Edition.

What about those singles who become evangelical Christians later in life?

today's evangelical church, but as soon as they leave high school or college, they are also denied a supportive community that might help them through the difficulties of remaining celibate. For many of these singles, as the struggle becomes more intense, the support system tem disappears. But at least many of them once had a support system that helped them to maintain their commitment to purity. What about those singles who become evangelical Christians later in life? Whom can they turn to in their desire to embrace a celibate lifestyle that is so foreign to the secular world from which they came? What about those who are divorced or widowed? What about homosexuals who struggle with same-sex attraction? All of these groups may be called to celibacy for a time or for the rest of their lives. Where is the positive message of celibacy that will help

Whom can they turn to in their desire to embrace a celibate lifestyle that is so foreign to the secular world from which they came?

What about those who are divorced or widowed?

them as well?

Christine Col?n;Bonnie Field. Singled Out: Why Celibacy Must Be Reinvented in Today's Church (p. 14). Kindle Edition.

1 Corinthians 7:17 ESV

17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

Body- To All Our Singles (Others As Well)

1 Corinthians 7:17 ESV

17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

Know God Places You And God Calls You- vv17-24

Go about the life the LORD has assigned you

ASSIGNED = State

Call = identify by name

Be True To The Game

Don’t Remove Marks Of Circumcision

Don’t Experience Spiritual Mid-life Crisis

Don’t Seek Circumcision Either

Don’t Get Brand New On Us

Keep God’s Commandments

You Were Bought With a Price

Don’t Become Bondservants of men

Remain With God

(Why? Theres are...)

Pressures Of Faithful Christ-Centered Living-vv25-28

seek=

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 27.41 ζητέω

to try to learn the location of something, often by movement from place to place in the process of searching

Married- don’t seek to be free

Unmarried- don’t seek to be married

Married have worldly troubles

Use Your Resource Of Time Wisely- vv29-31

Married live as if unmarried

Mourn as if not mourning

Rejoice as though not rejoicing

Buy as though they have no goods

Deal In Word as if no dealings in the world

Present Form of World is Passing Away

Something Greater is on the way

Give The LORD Your Undivided Attention (Power of Anxieties)-vv32-35

Free From Anxieties

Singles anxious about the things of the LORD, how to please the LORD

Married anxious about worldly things and the LORD- divided

Both Marriage And Singleness Bring Happiness-vv36-40

happier is not a transcendent meaning

Widows can be happy by remarrying

Illustration: Don’t party to much

La Di Da Di, we likes to party

We don't cause trouble, we don't bother nobody

Transition To Close- Live Life Like It Is Golden

Artist: Jill Scott

Album: Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2

Released: 2004

I'm taking my freedom, pulling it off the shelf Putting it on my chain, wearing it around my neck I'm taking my freedom, putting it in my car Wherever I choose to go it will take me far

I'm living my life like its golden Livin' my life like its golden Livin' my life like its golden Livin' my life like its golden Livin' my life like its golden Golden Livin' my life like its golden Livin' my life like its golden Livin' my life like its golden Livin' my life like its golden Livin' my life like its golden Golden

I'm taking my own freedom, putting it in my song Singing loud and strong, groovin all day long I'm taking my own freedom, putting it in my stroll I'll be high stepping y'all, letting the joy unfold

I'm holdin on to my freedom, can't take it from me I was born into it, it comes naturally I'm strumming my own freedom in the god in me Reverence in his glory, hope he proud of me

Livin' my life like its golden, golden, golden, golden, golden, golden Livin' my life like its golden, golden, golden, golden, golden, golden Livin' my life like its golden, golden, golden, golden, golden, golden

Living my life like its golden, it really matters to me oh! Livin' my life like its golden, golden, golden, golden, golden, golden Livin' my life like its golden, golden, golden, golden, golden, golden

1 Corinthians 7:40 ESV

40 Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

Jesus Full Of the Holy Spirit

Luke 4:1–2 ESV

1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.

Jesus In The Power Of The Spirit

Luke 4:

Luke 4:14–15 ESV

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus With The Anointing of The Spirit of the LORD

Luke 4:18–19 ESV

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18

Close- To Singles and Young People- Proclaim The Good News To the Poor!

Psalm 139:13–14 ESV

13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:11–14 ESV

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

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