Sermon: To Glorify and Enjoy Christ

Take a copy of God's word this morning and we're going to turn open to the book of 1st Corinthians. Using a Pew Bible there. It's on page 9:55 in the Q Bible.

this morning First Corinthians chapter 6

in verse 20

Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 20 using a Pew Bible that's on page 955

and let's go ahead and let's pray before we open the word together this morning.

our father at the start of this new year we are thankful. Thankful that you have preserved our lives that you've given us a breath of life this morning. That we're able to sing you praise.

We were able to Delight in you.

And that we're able to give you Thanksgiving. Confess the great need of this hour of the day of this year. Is that We would hear that you would give us ears to hear. And admits to all of the cacophony of voices in this world. That we would hear your voice above all. And so we pray. We pray that you begin our year with speaking to us. And we pray that this would be a year in which we find that your voice resonates deeper and deeper within

us.

We know your truth and we know you as our God more fully. May we have the beginnings of it even this morning? We pray all this in the strong name of the Living Word the Lord Jesus Christ. amen First Corinthians chapter 6 verse 20 and went back up to verse.

verse 20 is what we're focusing on. This is the holy and errand sufficient word of God.

Betty who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. flee from sexual immorality every other Sin, a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 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 for you were bought with a price. so glorify God in your body the grass withers and the flower Fades word

of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen

I don't know four or five maybe six years ago. We began to rethink kind of our Calendar year as a church together University Reformed Church where University Church and so our year very much a structured on the Academic Year. We Exist with that being our main mission Field Michigan State University. We seek to reach students and faculty and Scholars and staff with the truth of the gospel. And we hope that when they come in the doors here that they find this to

be a place of warm hospitality and a place of Truth as they are welcomed within the church building. We see that as our great Mission field outside our back door. We spin the summer and gearing up for the fall. We are gearing up for establishing the different Ministries that we do of Outreach and also of getting ourselves ready to be hospitable. And so we gear up for that during the summer as well as we gear up for all of the other Ministries that

we have here in the church as we seek to serve one another and so we plan and we recruit for men's Ministries and women's Ministries and children's ministries and youth Ministries and our young adults Ministries and young professionals Ministries and our growth group Ministries all of these different things and then we seek to do one Outreach to the community during the summer as we're seeking just on board one another of serving our community.

And as we looked at this four five six years ago, I don't know what it was as a leadership of the church. We said, you know, we have the beginning of our year. Where it seems like we have a little bit of a gap and an opportunity. And so we established what we call our faith Focus. at the beginning of the year Our faith focus is all we are. Doing is we're tempting to look at something within our body Life as a church as we

think about our congregation together and our church together. What is it that we just want to to drill down a little more in together. What is it that we need to have a little more in the DNA of our congregation. We're not a church that has arrived. We have much growing to do. And so we have sought to do that with our faith Focus each January. We've tackled together over the years prayer and living with the pilgrim mindset and

our identity in Christ and many other things and what we do is in January we preach through it on Sunday mornings. We take a break from our expositional preaching through books of the Bible and we do a topical Series in January on Sunday morning on this thing that we're just seeking to drill down a little more in the DNA of our church. And then on Sunday evenings, what we do is we just seek to track the tackle it practically and

to work it out together. And then what we ask our growth groups to do in January and February would encourage all of you to be in a growth group in January and February they take one of three different ways of studying that topic and just helping to work it through their growth group. And then we ask all of our different Ministry leaders to try and work it through their Ministry areas in are in February as we just focus on this together

as a church. And so we're beginning that this morning. This year it's a little different year in this regard because of what we've done this past year in that our elders the session of our church has spent a lot of time over this last year praying and thinking and deliberating on a vision for our church as we go forward together and we're excited to roll this out to you as our faith Focus this year. How with this Vision we're seeking to maintain and carry

forward what you are see has always been and what it is always been marked by even as we seek to go forward together as a church by God's grace and we've identified three immovable pillars of you or see. Three things that can't be moved. We are a church that is committed to proclaiming Christ. growing in Christ and advancing the mission of Christ Committed to proclaiming Christ growing in Christ and advancing the mission of

Christ. These are three immovable pillars that have marked you or see in its history and it's what we hope will continue to Mark you or see as we go forward and we're going to explore each of those things those three immovable pillars over these next weeks together. And then what we're going to do on Sunday evenings is we're going to take that last one advancing the mission of Christ. And we're going to look at what the elders have put together for just the

next five years. What is it that we're going to seek to do as a church? What are we going to focus upon over these next five years as we seek to advance the mission of Christ and will preach through that on Sunday evening. But before we get to all of that. There's something that comes first. And that is what we believe over arches all of our life together. And that is that there is a banner that flies over our church University Reformed Church exists.

to glorify and enjoy Christ

the banner that's the all-encompassing outlook on everything that we do. It's more than a sound bites. It's more than a slogan. It's our heartbeat. We exist as a church to glorify. and enjoy Christ

in fact as I think about my time at your sea.

Think this is 11 years. This is what I especially love about this church these two things.

We seek to glorify and enjoy Christ.

I want to look at that with you this morning. Just those two points first we exist to glorify Christ. We're University Reformed Church. We are reformed what does that mean? Whether a number of different ways that we could Define reform that we could think about it together, but beyond anything else we simply mean that we are a Biblical church. We stand upon the Bible what the Bible teaches the foundation of our church all of

our preaching all of our Ministries. All of our life is the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Christ. Jesus himself being the Chief Cornerstone by reformed we simply mean that we are biblical. God establishes truth and he's revealed it by his word. We are Bible people. And that Reliance upon the Bible shapes our understanding of Life of this world and of the church and a major part of that teaching that we find in the Bible is

that there is a God and that God is Sovereign. He is a sovereign God who we owe everything to everything we have a high view of scripture. And we have a high view of God.

There's nothing. Nothing more essential than we Orient our lives and we're Orient the lives of our children and we were in the lives of our neighbors and we see people on this campus or in their lives upon the fact that they're is a God he is told us who he is. He is not left to our whims and our imaginations. He is told us in his word who he is and what he desires from us we exist. to glorify God

turn to number of passages this morning I've simply selected one. here in First Corinthians Paul is addressing this church in Corinth. It's a church that has a host of problems and chuckle when people say we need to get back to the early church. We want to look like the early church. Really? You don't want to look like the church in Corinth. Church in Corinth had a host of different problems. There were false prophets in their

midst. They were abused in the Lord's table. They were abusing worship. They were committing sexual infidelity. There's a man even sleeping with his his father's wife. There are divisions within the church. There are all kinds of problems within the church in Corinth and pull throughout. This letter is going to seek to reorient the members of this church so that they are viewing things rightly. He wants them to see life and a right perspective because

so much foolishness has gripped them.

And so he says in our text in the context here of chapter 6, he is addressing the sexual immorality that some of them have a braced within the congregation and he says you are not your own. For you were bought with a price so glorify God in your body. Here's a right perspective for a new year. This is it right here. Here's the right perspective for a church. Here's the right perspective for a life together as a church. You are

not your own. If I could tattoo something on yours in my Minds it would be this. Jason you are not your own. Priscilla you are not your own. Michael you are not your own. or not our own

not our own that we were created not to be our own.

You and I were created as dependent beings created as image bearers of God Chief out of all of creation. He created you and I unique and all of creation to be his very image bears in this world created meant to live for him never apart from him always dependent upon him with a purpose. to glorify him

Let me rub you.

Say I'm not my own. Though very much like my own. created for another

Yes.

Yes, you are.

Some have argued over the centuries that such a view. destroys Humanity John Paul, sart the 20th century philosopher and existentialist was a prime example of this. He argued that if God truly exists in humanity can't exist. And if Humanity truly exists then God can't exist. interesting How did he get there because he has a great influence upon. Modern day thought today. He he rightly understood that if God exists the

mankind exists dependent upon God and was created with purpose. If God exists, then sort said man cannot be truly free. But conversely if man exists and man is truly free then God cannot exist.

Sir said that we know we are free. He said we know this because we are a moral creatures you and I choose from. right and wrong we choose what we are going to do we Irrational beings who have Wills we have volition. We make decisions and exercise that will therefore he came to the conclusion that God cannot exist, which of course means that if God does not exist you do not exist for God.

The problem with this logic is how we Define freedom.

To throw pointed out years ago for start Freedom meant autonomous freedom.

He believed that if you don't have autonomy, then your freedom is a mirage. What's autonomy words two words you can do it. The first word Auto you know, that word that the word just means self. And if you know the second part of that word these two words that are combined together. Autonomous Auto self namas which many of you know, which just means law. So Auto. autonomy autonomous self-law self-governments of law unto myself

for start Freedom and absolute self-governance. Nothing rules. Nothing over us. But here's where he's wrong. Man is free. You and I are free we make decisions. It's just not autonomous freedom. No one forces me to do anything. I make decisions by my own will now you can influence me. You can control me you can even limit my options from what it is that I am able to choose from but I still choose I am free in that sense, but not as free as

God. He's enthroned over all of my decisions. Nothing influences him. Nothing controls him. Nothing limits him but himself in the beginning. This is why it is so key in Genesis in the beginning was God.

Nothing causes him. to do anything

He is dependent upon nothing. But that is not true of you and me. He formed us from the dust of the ground. He breathed life into us we were created as dependent beings and as dependent means we were created with purpose. We are not our own we were created for him. We have a tell loss as philosophers say we have an end. There is a purpose for our creation and it does not terminate upon ourselves or even one another it terminates upon

him. You were created for him.

So much silliness in this world.

and all the silliness at its root is found in the seeking of self as if you and I exist for ourselves self-glory is a ruinous Pursuit. It is ruinous for you and it is ruinous for the world that you dwell in.

Good thing to remind ourselves as we enter the new year.

To think about what I want my year to look like. Is it I want to focus on it's not about you.

Your life's not about you.

It's about him.

You're not your own. It's not just that you're creative for him. You redeemed for him. If you're a Christian and that frankly is Paul's point in this text. That is the context. Christ came into the world to save you body and so suppose emphasis here in 1st Corinthians. 6:20 6:20 is that you must as a Christian honor Christ in your body and according to your soul. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore you

must Paul says quote glorify God in your body. That's the context. Your temple of the Holy Spirit you exist. to glorify Christ Of course, what is interesting about that as a Paul is taking imagery that is often used of the entire church, and he's applying it to you and I as individuals. So in First Corinthians 3 verse 16 is speaking to the entire church the whole and he says this do you not know that you are God's Temple and

that God's spirit dwells in you. Oh sure. In Ephesians 2. He says of the church. We are members of it are being joined together growing into a holy Temple unto the Lord. What is true of the whole is applied to the individual and what is true of the individuals applied to the whole we exist to glorify Christ. That is why this church exists. That is why you exist in this church.

It's not to promote the name of this church.

It's not to promote the name of this denomination. It's not to promote the name this or that Ministry is surely not to promote the name of the pastor.

It's Church exists as you exist to give glory to Christ.

We seek to make his name known. to exalt his name

love how the psalmist will say it in. Psalm 29 he will say a scribe to the Lord. Oh Heavenly be scribe to the Lord glory and strength The Scribe to the Lord the glory do his name glorious to his name

possess a high view of God and seek to worship him with all that we are. Again, notice the context why Paul says because we are a temple of the Holy Spirit.

the temple was The Dwelling Place of of God with man and the Old Testament and now he says we are a temple of the Lord the place meant for worship and the place meant to scribe him glory.

If you think back to them. Old Testament and the Erecting of that Psalm monic Temple when Salmon is building the Temple. It's a it's a incredible National undertaking. It is Monumental it it is a generational achievement. He will contract with. Lebanon to get Cedar and to get rock and stone and it requires an undertaking of 30,000 laborers and 70,000 burden bearers and 80,000 stonecutters and 30300 Chief officers. We're

told and then you think of all of the bronze and all of the gold and all the silver and all of the fine linen and all the fine yarn that was contributed to make the furnishings and all of this Temple. And then when Solomon goes in and he dedicates the temple, he will sacrifice 22,000 oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. imagine that cost

and yet that Temple did not cost a fraction. What was paid to make you a temple of the Living God?

poses for you were bought with a price this Temple

this body Was purchased at the cost of the very Son of God?

It's Peter will say you were Ransom. Not with perishable things such as silver gold. but with the precious blood Christ

Not a striking statement when you begin to understand everything that underlies that.

just with precious blood of Christ

pose laying down fact at his fact you were bought with a price and for him. There was a great implication that flows from that fact. There's a purpose Clause here. Here's the fact you were bought with a price. Here's the implication. So purpose Clause so glorify God in your body. You were created to glorify Christ and you were recreated to glorify Christ.

You're not your own.

You'll say just a few chapters over in chapter 10. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do all. the glory of Christ

Stephen Lawson once said better to live a short life for the glory of God. in a long life promoting yourself

exists to glorify Christ created and recreated the glorify Christ

glorifying Christ becomes the duty of the Christian even as it equally becomes or Delight. And that leads to our second much shorter point you are see exists to glorify and secondly to enjoy Christ.

It is one of the Great kindnesses. I think the greatest of Eternal blessing. That God has knitted together his glory and are enjoyment. Is knitted them together.

Continually astounds and blesses me. Because you see he didn't have to. That's not required of him. He could have made it absolute drudgery. For you and I to worship him and to give him glory and serve him. It's an exceeding kindness. That he made it a great desire of our hearts. And it is the great desire of your heart whether you know it or not.

his glory and are enjoyment. Are eternally tied together.

I drive a minivan. Never thought I would. Not only do I drive a minivan. I drive a minivan. That has 230,000 miles on it. And I'm secure enough of my manhood to drive this minivan. And allow my wife to have a nice car. But I always have this thought when I'm driving the minivan and I pull up and it's always East Lansing. pull up next to a Corvette or at Lamborghini every once in a while that shows itself for a Ferrari.

And I pull up next to that sports car while I'm cruising on the road in my mini van. And always strikes me when I have the opportunity to pass sports car in my minivan.

Confess a few little guilty and a little proud at the same time. But it just seems odd.

Sports car is meant to go fast. I know it is happiest when it's going fast. It was built. To go fast. I would dare even guess that person in East Lansing who bought it bought it because it goes fast. purpose

you were created. and bought purpose to give glory to Christ so he's tied up your enjoyment with it.

It's an exceeding kindness. Will not find true Joy until your worshiping God. And we will always find the most delight and joy, and that which we were created for man's Chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. It's two sides of the exact same coin. As he receives Glory we receive Joy. He's tied it together. His glory are Delight. Our Delight is his glory. It's how he's established.

think of it like the picture in Ephesians 5 were Paul will say to the husband husband love your wives as you love your own body. Why Paul? Why do such a thing he says because it is your own body. You're one flesh. As you love your wife, so you love yourself dear husband, and so it is for the Christian in Christ. We glory in him. We are united with him. We are his body. We are tied to him. His glory is our Glory. So there's Delight.

It's Spurgeon was thinking along these lines in a sermon once and he said this he said as the queen. Is crowned with the king so shall the church reign with Christ? What a joy it is thus to receive our honors and connection with our Lord crowned with the King. This is a vast increase of joy. It makes our seat in the heavenlies the more glorious when we remember that we are made to sit there together with him to rise in

his resurrection to live because he lives to be crowned in his coronation and to be glorified with his glory. This is a double. Yay. Seven full Bliss the Queen's coronation with the king is much more joyous to her than if she were crowned alone. For all her husband's honors are her delight and give her as it were another coronation better than her own. His glory is our Glory. Glory

Here's an additional reality. As we find ourselves enjoying Christ the good things. He has given us in the world become more enjoyable.

So often people think that you become a Christian and it becomes a kind of Debbie Downer.

kind of Lifestyle and it's just the opposite.

not everyone has this experience the experience that I did when I came to saving Faith, but I've read multiple people throughout church history having this exact same experience that I have. So it's not unique to me, but I can remember as a freshman in college coming to saving faith. And I remember sitting outside one day in the quad at Eastern, Illinois University. Right after I had come to saving faith. I remember looking up on the spring day and

just all of a sudden having this realization that everything was more brilliant.

Seemed brighter than I'd ever seen it before. The grass was greener and softer. I was listening to birds sing and thought I have never heard such pretty songs from Birds ever in my life. What was happening?

Enjoyment of the good things of this world multiply as we enjoy these good gifts the glory of their Giver. It's all that was happening. I was experienced them a fresh and anew. as gifts from the great Giver above it was greater Delight.

Food and drink and rest and Recreation and sex and work all become more enjoyable when you are enjoying them to the glory of Christ. You truly know Joy when you are enjoying Christ. The Christian is not a downcast hour Dorothy. The fruit of the spirit is joy. Enjoy him. And we enjoy the good gifts. He has given us.

You are see. exists to glorify and enjoy Christ

we seek to marry a high view of God. I view of God Sovereign over Heaven and Earth Sovereign over salvation a god whom we bow before married together with a warm enjoyment of the things he has given us here on Earth and in one another both go together.

So thought about this. Our church and vision. I've told our men. in the midst of these conversations I said, I'm not so concerned about church that were not

we're concerned about the church that we are and what we have. so much visioning and so many times is just about creating something that it is not becoming something else about proclaiming the name of the pastor the name of the church or

I rather think that we seek to glorify. Christ by being good stewards of what he has already given to us. And he has given us so much. of a long history of faithfulness in this congregation standing upon the word of having a heart for the laws. of welcoming in The Stranger In The Visitor For long history of peace and Purity being maintained here. But High degree of peace and Purity here for a congregation. We have a gifted congregation with

gifts all over the place. We have a leadership that is incredibly gifted and staff and elders and deacon. We have resources financial and time and energy. We have great opportunity right outside our door. The fields are white and to the Harvest. We have been given so much.

Just want to Steward that well, he can take it away. All tomorrow. We have to keep telling ourselves that he can take it away tomorrow, and it's his prerogative because he Sovereign if he wants to he can. And praise be to him if he does. But as long as we have what we have. And whatever it is that we have. We want to be good stewards of it. to the glory of Christ And as we seek to enjoy it.

Right. That's the banner over our church. That's the banner over your life.

And I hope you're going into the new year with that upon your mind and heart. pray

father we are thankful. We are not our own. What a miserable. Church, this would be what a miserable world. This would be.

to miserable eternity this would be If we were all just around.

Thank you for the great gift that you've bought us with a price. And what a costly price it was. You pray that we would glorify you in the person of your son with all that. We are that we present our bodies as a Living Sacrifice. Holy and acceptably you that whether we eat or drink or whatever we do that we would do to your glory that we would glorify you in our bodies. For you are worthy.

And may we find it to be great the great joy and Delight of Our Lives. It's a church. as families as individuals

and we pray all this in the strong name of Christ. amen