Sermon – “Let Yourselves Be Cheated?”

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge be-tween his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! 7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adul-terers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If any-one wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collec-tors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

I think this morning just a good reminder of how this entire service not just the sermon it’s part of ministry I mean the fellowship the the whole thing of the ministry through the prayer and everything it’s just such a blessing such a blessing to experience and feel God’s presence in this place in our hearts as we sing that song our God reigns from heaven above but does he reign in your hearts that’s where he wants to reign is in our hearts when you allow him to do you allow him to reign in your hearts I pray that we all do that he reigns if you see the sort of this morning’s title there let yourselves be cheated and make sure you notice there’s a question mark at the end of there. Will we let ourselves be cheated do we let ourselves be cheated think about that you don’t have to answer don’t raise your hands or anything let yourselves be cheated you know is we think about God’s word and we study it you know we have the gospels that share Jesus’ ministry in his life on Earth and all the experiences and all the wonderful things he did and then we get to the letters you know the letters rather than be from Paul or from Peter from James or Luke we get all these letters but what are the what are the purpose of these letters to guide the church is the church is made up of people just like us right. The peeve is made up of people that has issues has problems in their lives they come together yes they they believe in Christ but they committed to the church and they still have issues that they’re working through in their lives it’s the process of salvation we’re not I mean yes some are banned there instantly go from bad god to all their dirt they’re great but others it’s a process and it’s you got to work through it and that’s what these letters as we’re seeing as we’re in the chapter 6 I know we’ll get there eventually in chapter 6 we’re seeing the polls trying to help guide and direct this church in the things that they need to do the way they need to walk to represent Christ that’s what it’s all about that’s what we have this for us while we have these letters to help teach us how we should live what we should do and what we should get rid of in our lives that’s what these are all about let yourselves be cheated 1st Corinthians Chapter 6 verses one through 11 it’s really strange way he begins is there. You remember when you was a kid I dare you to jump off of that. When I was young I had a fear of heights and I you know grew up on the farm from the time I was 8 I had cousins one was older mum was there but younger Well we had these silos on the farm 2 of them were 70 feet tall on a table in your stand there looking up in his and you’re a kid not one very tall when I was a kid 70 feet looked like a 150. You know it’s tall a couple up one is only 60 feet but they’re tall Well my cousin says like the room right up the ladder thing to the top and that’s a couple on I dare you to come up and start off in the beginning get the shaken and back down not go for a year a couple years and finally they kept their mean and then found they got brave enough when I climbed to the top of that solid for the 1st time I thought I wasn’t top of the world it was wonderful I dare you Paul says dare any of you have in a matter against another go to law all before the UN righteous and not before the Saints do you not know that the Saints will judge the world brothers and sisters let that sink in for a minute Paul saying to the Corinthian church and we can say to the church today do you not know that that the Saints will judge the world did you know that not if you knew that OK the Saints would judge the world and if the world would be judged by you are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters do you not know that we shall judge angels how much more things that pertain to this life if then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life do you appoint those who are least esteem by the church to judge I say this to your shame is it so that there is not a wise man among you not even one who will be able to judge between his brother and brother goes to law against brother and that before unbelievers Now therefore it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another why do you not rather accept wrong why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated. Why do you not let yourselves be cheated No you yourselves do wrong you cheat and you do these things to your brother do you not know that the UN writes his will not inherit the kingdom of God Do not be deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexuals nor sodomites ne nor covetous nor drunkards nor reviler nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God and such were some of you so what did I say about the church in the beginning there made up of people just like us they were sinners they were all sorts of people and such were past tense some of you your are no longer like that but you were washed you were sanctified you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Amen May God out his blessing so they hear it in the reading of his wonderful word let us pray Father we do thank you and praise you for your work we thank you for your spirit it is present in this place we thank you for your spirit dwells in our hearts and father may your word be proclaimed today may your truth be explained exclaimed Father in order to receive the glory honor in Jesus’ name amen. So as I already said the beginning. People or people you know we can relate to the even the early Christian church we can relate to them. Maybe a little easier than the Old Testament ancient people but all of the New Testament people we can relate to that they had issues the same as we have issues in our society today right these people struggle with covetousness right now what they cut what did they cover it well they covered the same things people covered today they covered it their neighbors was they covered their neighbor’s property they covered their neighbor’s car to wait their neighbors horse you know we’ll covered our neighbor’s car they covered it you know they had houses too we have houses their houses may have looked different than ours but they covered their neighbor’s house they there are things that they had maybe looked a lot different than what we have today but they still had the same issues they struggled with adultery they struggle with idolatry they have idols that they would struggle with my friends we have idols today that we struggle with just as I said they may look a little different for some their I don’t know is that shiny car set in the garage for some their idol is that home for some or Ottawa’s work it’s what takes precedence over God. That’s what we need to look at what we need to fix if we’re struggling with that so the cultures may be different but friends people are the same right people are the same. So Paul’s again continuing to deal with matters in the church matters of division in morality pride disputes he’s not talking about a dispute with someone outside the church this is inside the church among believers among brother and there have been disputes and all of this is a result of immaturity Let’s go back to the 1st chapter he says I have to feed you with mail because you haven’t grown enough yet there you are now you’re taken brother to court because of his disputed you have you know it’s a fact of life that individuals are going to have differences of opinion they’re going to have disputes the fact of life right we’re not all always going to agree right so at times would need someone to help settle matters Paul is not so naive to think that you’re never going to have disputes remember Moses when he brought the children of it or a lot of Egypt and they’re out wandered in a desert you know do you remember the story 71 and. Over a 1000000 came out but listen they’re all family because they were all from one family right here the other out in the desert one around and they’ve got disputes among themselves because Moses sat from morning to evening trying to fix their problems until Jethro’s Vollmer came on their way to Moses This is way too much you can’t do this you’re going to work yourself down you need to appoint judges to help settle these things let them handle all the little stuff and bring only the big stuff to you my friends. What did they have disputes about out there wandered around in the desert again their people they have differences right so they too had disputes Paul says I know you’re going to had disputes but what his problem is they went to the unbelievers to help settle their disputes. That’s what these stirred him the most he says I there are any of you go to the lobby for the unrighteous That’s the whole problem he has here they are going to the heathens if you will to help settle disputes among the people in the church instead of going to believers because think about this there’s a problem if your have a marital problems and you go to a heathen counselor I’m sorry it’s a harsh word a number leaving counselor and used both said down there and you share the problems you’re having your marriage with that unbelieving cow from I say the head you’ve got a lot of things problems is good divorce continue going to reconcile this thing right but if you go to a believing counselor you’re going to say God is powerful God is able to heal this marriage let’s pray together let’s work this out let’s do what we need to do the save this marriage there’s a whole different set of values that drives people. So if you go to unbelieving counselor you’re not going to get the same. Help counsel that you need as you would with a believing counselor Paul said in verse 5 he said I say this to your shame is it so that there is not a wise man among you not even one who would be able to judge between his brother but brother goes to law against brother and that before unbelievers you know I know that unbelieving lawyers and counselors you know they’re smart they know they have to know the law all they have to spend many years and in college or school whatever there are so many things and I’m sure that there is a lot of well qualified lawyers or counselors out there in the world today but again as I said they’re going to use man’s system to help guide and direct and counsel and settle matters. The Believing Council is going to use God’s ways to help set matters right you know today’s worldly values go like this life is about what I can get it’s about what I can achieve it’s about who I can impress what I can possess it’s about where I live it’s about what I drive it’s about how much education I have how much money I make it’s about who knows my name and how successful I am in the list goes on and on and on and on but by contrast true believers it’s about what I can give it’s about who I can encourage who I can help it’s about who not who knows me but it’s about how many can know him through my witness of him right. It’s about how I can bless others and it’s about not ma knowledge but all knowledge and wisdom comes from him and knowing that. Since I was we’re talking kind of about lawyers I found this lawyer joke and since I did choose with Sharon to share this there was a lawyer he went to Dr one day and the doctor shared some bad news with him did says I hate to share this with you and tell you but you have a brain tumor and he says I’m sad to say that is brain tumors in operable He says there’s no way we can get in there and do that he said but he goes but I can still help he said we can do a brain transplant you know they can do that it is my story I’m going to do it we can do a brain transplant with you he says I know that we can bring you healing he says not come back in his room with me take him back here and he shows me his Jory says now here it is YOUR he said Here are the brains of an architectural engineer he goes you can have this praying for only $10.00 an ounce. He goes now if you don’t like to be would like to be an engineer he says come on every said here’s the brains for a rocket scientist they’re only $15.00 an ounce here’s why I don’t think I want to be a rocket scientist. I don’t think so because well he said in this story said there’s brains of a lawyer he said they are $800.00 an ounce and the guy says what wait a minute how in the world can the others be $10.00 and $15.00 How in the world could the brains for a lawyer be $800.00 an ounce he goes that’s is robbery that’s no there’s no way and the doctor says no wait and listen he goes you know how many lawyers it takes to get an ounce of brains. All right so we got the laugh today. And that a good one I’m sorry lawyers on the lawyers listen and I’m sorry. You know we make fun of people and you know I know that there’s a lot of wonderful warriors out there but you know we can laugh and then they’ll laugh at me right but we can laugh it’s good to laugh it’s good for the Solway men on the issue of lawyers since I’m talking about these things and settling disputes probably would come to no surprise if you to you that there are $16000000.00 lawsuits filed Leon States every single year many of these of course are frivolous lawsuits but the fact remains that every one of them must be heard right it must be settled that works out I think my math worked out 243835000 lawsuits a day did not phenomenal a day in the United States most of you in the past have probably heard this anybody remember the infamous lawsuit against McDonald’s There we go right the hot coffee right. Everyone has probably heard that and for some reason in my mind as I thought about this lawsuit I was thinking it happen much earlier than it did I was thinking it happened like in the eighty’s in a lot of people and I’m going to confess that I jumped on that bandwagon and thought This is the lawsuit that caused frivolous lawsuit forensic but I really don’t think it was because this lawsuit didn’t happen until 1902 and as a real Were I know that the lawsuit friends began long before that because I can remember back in the mid eighty’s or early to mid eighty’s to the SO into the ninety’s well coarseness is just say continuously that the lawsuit frenzy had begun because the rail there were so many railroaders back in the middle way D.S. that they called it the railroad lottery seriously they call it the railroad lottery and it started with hearing oh man I’ve got hearing loss we’re going to sue the railroad so one begins then another jumps and not only on that bandwagon Ozma workaday another one Johnson on air so it’s almost like the railroad allotted this much big sum of money to settle all these hearing disputes so they just a whole bunch I’m talking systemwide I don’t mean just local jumped on that and started sooner for the hearing so they would get a settlement with that money was gone boom they were done no more then it was carpal tunnel you know they were given $15.00 on a hand or maybe $15000.00 on a dozen $15.15 or so per hand so they go get them both done so they get more friends it was all about money so all was about was that big payday I remember a gentleman named names that he had probably had. $10.00 to $15.00 lawsuits against a company myself and one time he claimed injured wrist so he goes to the doctor and he swears he didn’t even miss work but he’s wearing is brace and the day he went to see the claim agent he come right back from Air took that off threw in the garbage and said that was good for $1500.00 so frivolous lawsuits happened before this so I will admit that thinking about the the McDonald’s and also. I didn’t have all the facts you know we should not say something and thus we have all the facts I did not have all the facts on that case this lawsuit was filed in 1900 to 1902 by a 79 year old woman her and her grandson and went to McDonald’s He was driving she was in the passenger seat so they placed her order to drive up window and he gives the coffee to his grandmother and it had the name on us all this information but she spilt the coffee on her lap now I think it said she set it down there but then it spilt on her lap what most did not know and I did not know too I did some research there had been over 700 complaints about the temperature of the coffee prior to this to McDonalds They refused to turn the temperature of the coffee down which was ordered to be set at 182190 degrees temperature that’s what they demanded that the coffee machines be set at that is at least 30 degrees hotter than most people’s coffee machine that you have in your house very hot so I can envision that so hot it you’re going to let go of it well it burned her last she had 3rd degree burns on her legs most don’t know that she spent a little week in the hospital her hospital bills accumulated to 10000 dollars course today that probably 10000 dollars a day but 10000 dollars in a week. And what we also didn’t know all her 1st request was she wrote a letter to McDonald’s would you please pay for my hospital bills $10000.00 McDonald’s said no we’re going to do it they offered her 8 $100.00 they offered her $800.00 bucks so she wrote another letter 2 more times she requested that they pay her medical expenses and again they refused and a 2nd time the 3rd time they refused they would have been smart to settle her original request because it went to court and it’s not what she was asking all she wanted was her medical bills pay and attempted coffee turned down so no one else would spend we can hospital with 3rd degree burns they wound up settling 416-0000 the medical expenses and 640000 punitive damages a dollars would have been smart to pay her medical bills when they but what I get has my wrongful attitude over the years and yet that’s a stir crazy just took off in your lap I didn’t know her suffering and I did realize that that’s all she wanted in the beginning medical bills paid so let’s don’t be quick to judge this kind of really awful mom theme here today do you ever wonder why these 1st century Christians are what they had to sue want to have a nother over we’re not told the content of the lawsuits but some scholars and commentators believe that they were perceived insults against one member or one party in the church if you remember from earlier and earlier chapters Paul said there is one that says I am of Paul one’s groups as I am of Peter another groups as I am of Apollos So they say perhaps that one of the members of Poles groups a soul insulted one of the members of apologist groups or one of Apollo’s groups and sold Paul’s groups they didn’t like to be insulted they said. Diu Chrysostom reports that the Roman world at that time in the late 1st century was filled with lawyers in numerable lawyers and most of all suits were politically motivated between members of the rich or the elite class but it gave these lawyers these orators time to show off their rhetorical talents so these are the same people just make up the church right so they still had that mindset that if you insult me I’m going to sue you little things Paul solution though to this problem is remember shame them Same them shame on them pursuing their brothers the same was an important factor in 1st century Rome also Paul twice in this letter Corinthians change the church over the behavior here because of lawsuits in Chapter 11 which will eventually get to over drunkenness the lawsuits were motivated by a perceived loss perceived loss of honor so for him to shame them hopefully got their attention a key verse verse 7 now therefore it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another why do you not rather except wrong why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated you know if you were working together on a project at your place of work UNICO or work or working on it and if you did 90 percent of the work and they did 10 but with the day came that you completed the project and that lazy coworker that only did 10 percent jump right up there and took the credit for are you going to take it lightly are you going to be offended most Levasseur going to be offended right why would you not rather be cheated. If you go to the store and you get shortchanged you give them a 20 in the thing with only $2.00 and they only give you $10.00 back are you going to shortchange of course not you don’t want to be cheated you worked hard for the money right but here’s the way believers should respond to wrongs done to them Matthew 538242 you have heard that it was said and not for an eye and a tooth for tooth but I tell you not to resist an evil person but whoever slaps you on the right cheek turn the other to them also if anyone wants to see you and take away your tunic let him have your cloak also and whoever compels you to go one mile go with him to give to him who ask and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away so let’s bring out to to modern to modern day someone steals your shirt given your coat also don’t know to knit What’s a tunic right what’s a cloak it’s a perilous clothing but someone’s you know many people give the shirt off their back but if someone steals your shirt Jesus said take your coat off or madam how that also I remember a story that I think I might share there were some kids on re kids let’s call them and this was up around the grants where you and it was on the ship or had a farm and he had pumpkins and there was pumpkins ever in this one section of the farm and it was more ponds on the other well this farmer caught some these kids over there bust and he’s pumpkins So he goes over there to him and you know he didn’t go rushing over there with a gun and run him off he says Boys boys he says Come here he says these are the bad pumpkins Comerford here let me show you the good ones half of them have fun with these That’s the way he responded is that not the way we probably should respond with love with compassion right the offer and I has come from Leviticus Chapter 24922. Says If a man calls disfigurement of his neighbor as he has done shall it be done to him fracture for fracture eye for an eye tooth for tooth as he is cause disfigured disfigurement of a man so it shall be done to him and whoever kills an animal shall restore whoever kills a man shall be put to death you shall have the same law for the stranger and for the one from your own country for I am the LORD your God Now these walls were not given as a means of revenge these walls were given for the judges to use as a guide but not for everyone to use as revenge but that’s what Israel had done with they was using this as a means of revenge. When Jesus says not to resist an evil person and make sure we don’t take that out of context a slap on the cheek or stolen code or cheated out of something or taken credit is different than the one harm to one’s family member I’ll stay or say if someone was harming one of my grandchildren I’m not going to sit by I am going to resist that person they better run. But there’s it’s teaching us not to retaliate though for wrongs that are done to us is not tilting about harsh cry or murder or someone abusing a child man named Richard Weaver who’s a Christian worker and he earned a living working in the mines but he had a higher priority of trying to bring his associates his coworkers and contact with Jesus Christ tried to save their souls by sharing a word with him through his work every day he would share the word most of the men were indifferent to his preaching and teaching but one man became offended by his witness and found he explained explained he says I am sick of your constant preaching I have a good mind to smack you in the face. Richard said go ahead at that he did he struck him on the face and he turning the other cheek so he struck him again he did not retaliate he did not retaliate but as the man walked away Mr Weaver called to him I forgive you and I still pray that the Lord will save you the next morning they say assailant was waiting for him when he came to work he said Oh Richard he said with bills of voice filled with emotion do you really forgive me for what I did yesterday certainly Richard said we were extended his hand to the man and he told him the message of salvation again and the man gave his heart to Jesus Christ what would he have done if he would have struck back Jesus said Love your enemies it’s like heaping coals of fire upon your head right May we respond like that Jesus says in Matthew 543 through 48 you have heard that it was said You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy but I say to you these are Jesus’ words Love your enemy bless those who curse you do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you friends that’s a hard command to pray for those who spitefully you I mean that’s hard to take to do things to out of spite I might not be there myself yet. Just pray for those a spitefully usu and persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven for he makes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good and send rains on the just and the unjust for if you love those who love you what reward have you do not even the tax collectors do the same so let me say do not eat the heathens do the same they even love those that love them love their family and if you greet your brother not only what you do more than others do not even tax collectors do that therefore you shall be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect my friends who is our example Jesus Christ what did they do to him today not strike him on the cheek did he retaliate and he forgave them did they not punch him in the face I say they slapped him any punching they tortured him with the whips placed a crown upon his head pierced the side they ridiculed him so many times but what did he do as he hung their Father forgive them for they know not what they do friends he is our example it’s not what others do but Jesus Christ is our example of how we should respond to evil done to us it is a hard thing it’s not the way that we are wired but it’s the way we can be wired when he rules and reigns in our hearts Amen. Amen dare you be cheated I hope that we can hope that we have the experience to be cheated and respond in love so they may come back the next day tell me about your savior a man a man.