God's Role Model as a Single Person

ROLE MODEL

God's Role Model as a Single Person
Pastor Aaron Sutherland  

SERIES SCRIPTURE:

Ephesians 5: 1-2 "Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children.  Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us."

I. SINGLENESS REMINDS US TO VALUE SIMPLICITY
1 Corinthians 7:25-28 "I don’t have a command from the Lord about people who have never been married but I’ll give you my opinion as someone you can trust because of the Lord’s mercy. So I think this advice is good because of the present crisis: Stay as you are. If you are married, don’t get a divorce. If you are divorced, don’t try to find a spouse. But if you do marry, you haven’t sinned; and if someone who hasn’t been married gets married, they haven’t sinned. But married people will have a hard time, and I’m trying to spare you that."

II. SINGLENESS REMINDS US TO VALUE  ETERNITY
I Corinthians 7:29-31 "This is what I’m saying, brothers and sisters: The time has drawn short. From now on, those who have wives should be like people who don’t have them. Those who are sad should be like people who aren’t crying. Those who are happy should be like people who aren’t happy. Those who buy something should be like people who don’t have possessions.  Those who use the world should be like people who aren’t preoccupied with it, because this world in its present form is passing away."
 

III. SINGLENESS REMINDS US TO VALUE  FOCUS
1 Corinthians 7:32-35 "I want you to be free from concerns. A man who isn’t married is concerned about the Lord’s concerns—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the world’s concerns—how he can please his wife. His attention is divided. A woman who isn’t married or who is a virgin is concerned about the Lord’s concerns so that she can be dedicated to God in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the world’s concerns—how she can please her husband.  I’m saying this for your own advantage. It’s not to restrict you but rather to promote effective and consistent service to the Lord without distraction."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In what ways have you seen our culture drive people towards being in a relationship at the expense of valuing singleness?
2. What parts of the single life teach us about eternal life?
3. How can our priorities shift in unhealthy ways due to the relationships around us? How can singleness address that problem?