They has profaned his crown by casting it to the ground, that has broken down all his hedges, that has brought his strongholds to ruin. All that pass by the way spoil him. He is a reproach to his neighbors. Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries. Thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice. Thou hast also turned the age of his sword and hast not made him to stand in the battle. Thou hast made his glory to cease and cast his throne down to the ground. The days of his youth hast thou shortened. Thou hast covered him with shame, Selah. How long, Lord, wilt thou hide thyself forever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is, wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave, Selah? Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thy swearest unto David in thy truth? Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants, how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people. Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Lord, wherewith they have approached the footsteps of thine anointed. Blessed be the Lord forevermore. Amen and amen. And we'll finish there at the end of that psalm. We pray the Lord will bless his word to our hearts for Jesus' sake. We're turning to hymn number 70 in our hymn books. Immortal honors rest on Jesus' head. My God, my portion, and my living bread. In him I live. Upon him cast my care. He saves from death, destruction, and despair. We'll stand together as we sing, please. Immortal, all the words that from Jesus read, for my strength, and for its righteousness. With love and faith, he leads me safely on, and he leads ♪ I am redeemed ♪ ♪ And pass this gracious day at leisure mine ♪ ♪ Oh, that my soul could love and praise him more ♪ O hear His voice and know His will. This morning, as we come before the Lord at the throne of grace, praying for his help and his blessing upon us. Our gracious Heavenly Father, we draw nigh into thy holy presence in our Savior's name. We thank thee for thy mercy that finds us in thy house, and we thank thee for the blood that has been shed, thus giving us access to thy heavenly throne. We thank thee today for our Savior, the Lord Jesus, We thank Thee for His life and death and resurrection. We rejoice today that Christ is seated at Thy right hand, a Prince and a Savior, and all who have been saved by Him are in union with Him. And therefore, Father, we have access to Thee through Him, and we bless Thee today for our Mediator. The dear Lord Jesus Christ, we thank thee for one who is an everlasting righteousness. We thank Lord of the words of this hymn we've just been singing, reminding us of our need of righteousness and of Christ as that righteousness. Jehovah said, can you, we bless thee today for the one who came into this world to live and to die for sinners like us. that we might come and put our trust in him and one day be with Christ, which will be far better. And we thank the Lord for this first day of the week that points us and reminds us of the resurrection, the fact that we serve a risen savior and come to worship one who lives in the power of an endless life. Lord, settle our hearts in thy presence, we pray. We ask today, as we gather around thy word, that, Lord, thou would speak to us through the scriptures of truth, that word that cannot be broken, the oracles of God. We thank thee for the inspired word of God. And we ask, Lord, today, as we study that truth and thy word, that thou would come and minister to our hearts, help us today to worship thee, for our minds to be fixed upon thee, We know the devil will come and seek to draw our minds in a thousand different directions. Lord, shelter us beneath the blood. Guard this meeting, we pray. We pray, Lord, we might treasure it. We might treasure the opportunity it presents to us to open up the scriptures and to hear thy word. And we pray, Lord, for every person gathered in, the youngest to the oldest, of all the boys and girls who are here, the young people who are here, the adults who are with us, that, Lord, thou wilt come today and minister thy truth by thy spirit with power into our hearts. And, Lord, help us not just to be hearers of it, but doers of it as well. And we pray today we might glorify thee in our reception of thy word. We pray for any who are not saved among us, that, Lord, thou would have mercy upon them today, that this would be the day of their salvation, that I would speak with grace and mercy, call them to thyself, and Lord, we pray that they might pass from death to life and be saved for time and eternity. Remember, too, our sister congregations across this province and across the island and into the British We think, Lord, of our land. We think of our nation. We think, Lord, of the moral condition of this country of ours. We think, Lord, of the state of so many aspects of life in our nation, the lack of honesty, the lack of integrity, Lord, the lack of scriptural reference, the lack of godliness, the lack of godly fear. Lord, we cry to thee that thou would come in days like this and send us a revival. Lord, we pray for the moving of thy spirit upon the hearts of us, thy people. and lord we pray that that would overflow into the lives of many who are unsaved that they would come to realize the need of christ and be saved by thy grace so we commit our way to thee today bless us in this meeting and again tonight lord we ask that i would remember our evening service bring in visitors to all our services we pray and Lord minister thy word to our hearts by thy spirit and we ask that Christ will be greatly glorified for we ask it in his name and for his sake amen. Hymn number 625 is our second hymn this morning what a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and griefs to bear what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer and we'll stand again as we sing please. Oh, the bread we have in Jesus. Oh, what peace they often forfeit! Oh, what pain the strain they bear! Oh, because they do not carry every burden. Public trials and temptations, is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a place so faithful, where the love our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness. Come, work with the Lord again. Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer. Take, my friends, this rightful sacrifice. If you have your Bible with you, we're turning to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. 1 Corinthians chapter 7. And we're going to read at this time from verse one of the chapter. First Corinthians chapter seven. I'm reading from the opening verse of this portion of scripture. My concerning the things were off. He wrote on to me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband, and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one another, except it be with consent for a time. that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incumbency. But I speak this by permission and not of commandment, for I would that all men were even as I myself, but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. but if they cannot contain, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn. Amen, we'll finish there at verse nine of this chapter. We pray the Lord will bless the reading of his word to our hearts for Jesus' sake. We do welcome you in the Savior's name this morning. We're glad you're with us and we pray we'll know the Lord's blessing, the Lord's help and the Lord's presence as we come around his word. a little time in the service. We do welcome those who have joined us online as well, either on Facebook or YouTube or on Sermon Audio, and we pray the Lord will bless the service to your heart and your soul too. I mentioned Sermon Audio, we are on Sermon Audio. And there is a little app that you can get on your phone. If you have a smartphone, you can download the church one app and then link into the OMA free Presbyterian sermon audio page. It'll send you notifications when things are uploaded on the sermon audio page and you can share those then with others. I'll say a little more about that perhaps tonight, but that is an option we have. And if you can use that, it's a tremendous way just to keep in touch and to pass the sermons on to other people. We do welcome you in the Savior's name, whether in person here or online, we pray the Lord will meet with us at this time. Some announcements for this incoming week, and the Lord's will, we have our meeting tonight at 6.45 for prayer, 6.45 to 7.15 then our evening service at 7.30. Let me encourage you to come and join with us for the evening meeting. I want to speak tonight on the subject, the blindfolded Christ, taking some words from Luke chapter 22 in our evening meeting. So let me encourage you to come along. If you can encourage others to come too, then do make that effort even throughout the afternoon. and encourage others to join with us tonight for our service. Tomorrow night at 6.15, the meeting with the boys and girls in Seskinore, and then 6.30 on Tuesday night, the Pathleters meeting here for the boys and girls also. Wednesday 8 o'clock is our prayer meeting and our Bible study, and we will continue with our study in 1 Peter. So do remember that. We'd love to have you along on Wednesday night for our prayer time. It's also a Let the Bible Speak offering this coming Wednesday. We should have had it Wednesday past. We're going to have it this coming Wednesday. And there's also a committee meeting after the prayer meeting for the members of the church committee on Wednesday night as well. Friday night youth fellowship, eight o'clock. and also our presbytery meeting, and it meets via Zoom again this month at 8 o'clock on Friday night. Next Lord's Day, the services are all at the usual times, 11 o'clock or Sunday school and Bible class, 12 noon and 7.30, the worship times with the half hours of prayer. before those services as usual. Next Lord's Day is our building fund retiring offering. The offering for January came to 862 pounds. It's also our Sunday school missionary offering that'll be lifted next Lord's Day as well in the Lord's will. The children's bulletin should go out this afternoon, so boys and girls, keep an eye out for that. And there is a quiz on that again this time, and you can send those answers back in to me as soon as you're able to. Those are all the announcements I think we have at this time in the service. We're going to turn to another hymn before we come back to the Lord's Word. It's hymn number 371. My Jesus, I love thee. I know thou art mine. For thee all the pleasures of sin I resign. My gracious redeemer, my savior art thou. If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, tis now. And we'll stand again as we sing, please. Jesus, my loving, I know thou art mine. all the pleasures of sin I retire. My gracious Redeemer, my Savior, our God, if ever I love Thee, my Jesus, I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me, and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree. I love Thee for wearing I love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death. And praise ye as long as my lip is keen read, And sing when the death do thy soul abide by, My Jesus is love. With mansions of glory and endless delight, I've ever adored Thee, made heaven so bright. Returning back to the portion we read together from 1st Corinthians chapter 7 And I want to draw your attention, at least as a starting point this morning, to verse 7 of this chapter. Paul writes, for I would that all men were even as I myself, but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner and another after that. And on this last Lord's Day, or Lord's Day before that perhaps, and on the Announcements of Undoubt. And I would speak this morning on the subject of singleness and the Scriptures. Singleness and the Scriptures. And so we're coming to 1 Corinthians 7 and verse 7 with that in mind. We will look at other references, but we will try and keep our focus on the verses that are before us here. So with our Bibles open there, let's seek the Lord together in a word of prayer. Let's pray for his help and his blessing upon his word at this time. Our gracious Father in heaven, we thank Thee for Thy word that we have read, both at the very commencement of this service and again just now. We thank Thee for the word of truth. Lord, we thank Thee for direction in Thy word. We thank Thee for guidance. We thank Thee for words in season to our hearts and our circumstances. Lord, we pray today that Thou would come and minister to us as we think upon this important theme. We think of what we've looked at over the last number of weeks now in regards to marriage and families and husbands and wives. Lord, now as we come to look at this subject, we pray for the help and power of the Holy Spirit. Fill me with the Holy Ghost at this time and bless in the preaching and the hearing of the word. We pray, Lord, we'll find an entrance into our hearts and thy name will be glorified. So answer our prayer, be with us now. We ask in Jesus' precious name, amen. When the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Corinth, he dealt with some very doctrinal matters. For example, he addressed the issue of holiness and the importance of Christians living holy lives, whether in public or in private. He also addressed the significance of the Lord's Supper. how the Lord's Supper is to be preceded by self-examination and observed with reverence and diligence. Then in chapter 15, Paul explains the doctrine of the resurrection, and he stresses that if Christ was not raised from the dead, then our faith would be in vain, we would still be in our sins, and we would be the most miserable of all people. And those were very vital doctrines that Paul is drawing the attention of the Corinthian Christians to. But alongside those Christ-centered doctrines, and really flowing from them, Paul also wrote on practical matters. What we believe impacts how we behave. And therefore it's no surprise to find Paul applying the doctrine of Christ to the everyday life of the Christian. He constantly does this. The other gospel writers do the same. And in 1 Corinthians chapter seven, Paul speaks at length about marriage. He talks about the mutual duties of husbands and wives. But that's not all. For Paul also wrote about those who were living single lives. He writes about singleness. This is not the only place in scripture where this theme is addressed. It appears in Isaiah 56 verses four and five. It also appears in Matthew chapter 19 and verse 11, and in a number of other places throughout both the Old and New Testaments. In fact, the Bible has much to say about singles. I think it's very interesting that there are many, many books written about marriage, shelves in bookshops are lined with them. And the internet is full of articles, the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to marriage. But there's not so much written or said about singles. And I think that's also true within the church of Christ. It has been said that post-adolescent singles are probably the most overlooked social group in the contemporary Western church. a group that's overlooked. I think that's a shame because God certainly doesn't overlook those who are single. And there are many who are in this category. For example, some are single because they have never been married. Others are single because their spouse has passed away. And then there are some who are single because of divorce. Something has happened in their marriage, and separation and divorce have followed, and they're living life as a single person once again. And singleness is very common among young adults, or older adults too. In 2019, it was estimated that 35% of the UK population were single because they had never married. 8% were divorced, and almost 7% had been widowed. Almost 50% of the adult population in 2019 in the UK were living single lives, 50%. Percentages, I think, among Christians and within the Church of Christ are perhaps a little lower, perhaps much lower, but it remains a fact that many Christians, men and women, young and old, are living single lives. That's very important to note. that just as married people face challenges, marriage brings adjustments, it requires adjustments, it requires understanding, it requires grace and patience and forbearance and many other things, and you'll find that many married couples have many challenges. But it's also true that single people face challenges also. And I'm thinking especially in this message this morning on those who have never been married. But singles face challenges. There can be a sense of loneliness, a sense of missing out, a sense perhaps in their minds that there's something wrong. People can feel the absence of companionship and closeness that they miss out on because they haven't got a husband or wife, things that married couples perhaps just take for granted. They also live without having children. and perhaps dwell on the thought that they will grow old without a spouse. And even more than that, there are many single people who are tempted to think, I'm single, therefore there must be something wrong with me. All my friends are getting engaged, getting married, having families, and I'm left alone. What have I done wrong? Where have I gone wrong? Here I am by myself. And what makes that even worse for those who are single is that sometimes, well-meaning family or friends can make some very unhelpful comments or some very harsh criticism. And that can be like a dagger in the heart. So singles face challenges. And that's why it's very important to come to the scriptures and discover what God says on this subject. What is God's word to single people, and especially to those who have never married? Remember, and this is very important to keep this in mind, God is the all-wise, all-loving, all-gracious God. And therefore his word on this subject will be all-loving, all-wise, and all-gracious too. So what does God say to singles? Hence my subject as we've worked our way through a series of messages on husbands and wives and marriage, what does God say to singles or singleness and the scriptures? Well, there are three things that I want to draw your attention to this morning. First of all, singleness is a gift from God. Singleness is a gift from God. After God created Adam, and placed him in the garden of Eden, he said in Genesis 2 verse 18, it's a verse we have looked at a number of times, he said, it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him and help meet for him. Now when God made that statement and said of Adam that it was not good for him to be alone, he was emphasizing the important and honorable state of marriage. We have noted on numerous messages over the last number of weeks, marriage has been instituted by God. God is the one who ordained marriage, God is the one who officiated at the first wedding, and therefore marriage is a divine institution. It was not good for Adam to be alone. And so God created Eve and he brought them together as husband and wife. However, having said all of that, it would be entirely wrong to think that these words in Genesis 2 verse 18 teach us that it is God's will for everyone to be married. That's not what Genesis 2 verse 18 is saying. One commentator said, Adam could not be alone because he was the father of the human race and he had to marry and have sons and daughters, but every one of us does not have to marry and all of us don't have to become parents. Genesis 2 verse 18 is not a statement that applies to every person. For some men, And for some women, it is good. It is better. It is even best for them to be single. While it's true to say that it's God's will for in this place. Jeremiah was told not to take a wife. He was not to have sons and daughters in that place. It seems that Daniel wasn't married either. And it may well have been the case that Mary and Martha and Lazarus were unmarried too. And there were many, many others throughout Old Testament history, New Testament history also. Not every Christian man or every Christian woman mentioned in the Old Testament or the New Testament had a spouse. And that's true of Christians to this present time. Marriage is not God's will for everyone. In fact, in some cases, God gives the gift of singleness. Look there at 1 Corinthians chapter seven, the passage we read together. Now clearly Paul is dealing with the theme of marriage. He's dealing with the important matter of husbands and wives dwelling together in loving harmony. And he emphasizes the importance of intimacy in marriage, and he reminds them that such intimacy is honorable and proper. And they're not to defraud each other in that aspect of married life. They are to, if it is their mind, they are to come away from that for a time to give themselves to fasting and prayer, but it is only for a short time. And then he says in verse six, but I speak this by permission and not of commandment, for I would that all men were even as I myself, but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. Now Paul was not married. But notice what he says there in verse seven. I would that all men were even as I myself, but every man hath his proper gift of God. Now what does he mean by that? Every man hath his proper gift of God. He's talking about the fact that he was single. And while he acknowledged that marriage was God's gift for some, he also acknowledges that it's not God's gift for all. For some, God's will is singleness. And therefore singleness, just as marriage, as Paul is identifying here, just as marriage is the gift of God, singleness is also a gift of God. Now there are certain things we ought to bear in mind as we think through that, and think of what Paul is actually saying here in 1 Corinthians 7, verse 7. Things about God's will, for example. We should remind ourselves that God's will regarding singleness is always perfect. God's will regarding singleness is always perfect. God's ways are perfect. David says that in Psalm 18 and verse 30 when he notes, as for God, his way is perfect. God's way for his people and God's way with his people is never flawed. God never makes mistakes. He never gets it wrong. He never has to do a U-turn. His ways are always good, always wise, always loving, and always perfect. The word perfect there in Psalm 18, as for God's way is perfect, the word means to be marked with integrity, or to be sound, or to be sincere, to be complete. And that's how it is with God's will for us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows not only what is good for us, he knows what is best for us. He knows our frailty, he knows our futures, and he orders all things according to his knowledge. God never does anything with just a little bit of information. He knows everything at all times, and in his perfect, loving, wise way, he gives the gift of marriage to some, and he gives the gift of singleness to others. Now that doesn't mean, and this is very important, that doesn't mean that a person cannot or should not pray for a loving spouse. or that they should not take proper steps to seek a spouse. But it does mean that such prayers and such steps should be taken with a careful resting upon the perfect will of God and with the acknowledgement that God's way is best. It may be hard to adjust to. It may be hard to think through that. But as for God, his way is perfect. One preacher said it is God who ultimately chooses who is to marry and who stays single. The Lord must give a spouse. I dare not snatch one without his provision. So God's will on this matter is perfect. Therefore, wait on him and rest on his will. But something else, God gives grace to his people who are single. God's gifts, whatever they might be in life, are always given with God's grace. God's will for us in life, whatever that might be, is always matched with God's grace. He doesn't call a person to a way or a path in life and not give them the grace that they need for the way the Lord is leading them. In 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 9, the Lord says to the Apostle Paul, my grace is sufficient for thee. Remember, Paul had a thorn in the flesh. He prayed about that three times. He prayed for the Lord to remove that from him, and the Lord did not remove that thorn in the flesh, but he gave him a promise and he said, my grace is sufficient for thee. Now while that's in the context of suffering, it's also true in the context of singleness. God gives grace to those who are married. He gives grace to love and to cherish and to honor their spouse. He gives grace to those who are married to deal with all the challenges that come with being married. He gives grace to those who are married. But he also gives grace to those who are single. He gives grace that they would accept his will. Grace to enjoy the many blessings in life that he gives. He gives grace for them to be patient and prayerful, and if needed, he gives grace to them that they will accept the fact that marriage may never happen, never be for them. The Lord gives grace. It can be very difficult for a young woman or a young man who desires to be married. It can be very difficult for a Christian young person who desires the companionship and closeness that marriage permits. It's hard for that person if they're not married and see no prospect of being married. That can be hard. And it's often made harder by insensitive comments by others. And because it's hard, Because it's difficult, there can be the temptation to try and solve the issue by yourself. The temptation, perhaps, to act your own way. The temptation to behave as the world behaves. The godless have a way of dealing with singleness. Go out and do your own thing, party, and go from one relationship to another, and it doesn't really matter about God's will in that matter of life. And single Christian people can be tempted to do the same thing. But remember, there is grace from God to help you resist those temptations. Never underestimate the grace of God. Never venture out in life without being conscious of God's grace to help you and to keep you, because in the matter of singleness, there is grace for you. If it's God's will for you to be single right now, then he will give you grace in your singleness and grace for your singleness. But something else to bear in mind. Singleness may be God's means to develop other graces in your life. Singleness may be God's means to develop other graces in your life. For many Christians, perhaps young and old, singleness is a great trial of their faith. They see friends, starting to date, being engaged, getting married, having children. They see couples having good times together. They watch friends finding spices and settling down, what appears to be the norm for so many people. And it becomes a great trial of their faith not to experience those things themselves. They can grow downcast. They can fall into despair. They can become despondent. But what are they to think of all of this, this trial of their faith? Well, let me suggest that they ought to think the same way as any Christian thinks of any trial. God tries us for a reason. Trials are sent to prove our faith. They're sent to purify us. In other words, God has a purpose in the trials he sends. God doesn't just send a trial for the sake of sending a trial. God has a purpose in sending our trials. In Romans 5 verse 3, Paul said, James 1 verse 3 says the same thing. And singleness may lead to more prayer and more faith and may draw that person closer to Christ. It may be God's means to make you more like the Savior. And so I say to those Christians who are in the service this morning who are single, do not think, do not think there's no purpose to this. God works in the lives of those who are married. He works in their lives by trials and tribulations and troubles. He does the same for those who are single. He works by trials, he works by troubles, he works by tribulations. And remember that while it may be God's will that you're single now, it may not be His will that you're single forever. He may have a spouse for you later in life, so you can look to Him and you can trust Him and you can remember that He does all things well. This is one of those subjects, like every subject, that we must look at through the lens of God's ways, through the lens of God's will. Horatius Bonner, and you've heard me mention him often, and we sing his hymns often, but Horatius Bonner has a hymn that goes like this. Thy way, not mine, O Lord. However dark it be, lead me by thine own right hand. Choose thou the path for me. I dare not choose my lot. I would not. If I might, choose thou for me my God, so shall I walk aright. Choose thou for me my friends, my sickness or my health. Choose thou my cares for me, my poverty or wealth. Those are good things to pray over. Good things to lay before God, that God would choose the best for us, whether it's the gift of marriage some who were free people, some who were slaves, some who were Jews, some who were Greeks, some who were male, some who were female, and he says in Christ, in Christ there's neither Jew nor Greek. There's neither bond nor free. There's neither male nor female. You are one in Christ Jesus. He might well have added into that list, you're neither married nor unmarried. For when it comes to the spiritual standing of a Christian, there is no difference between those who are married and those who are not. A Christian who is single is not less of a Christian because of that singleness. I have known some unmarried Christians who have struggled with that very thought. Some young men and some young ladies. And they imagined that they were somehow, in their own estimation, and perhaps in the estimation of others, that somewhere or other they were lesser Christians because they were single. That they were incomplete or disadvantaged before God because they were not married. That's not the case. And Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, he spoke of them all, married and unmarried, as the church of God. That's how he opens this letter in 1 Corinthians 1. And that's something that every single Christian should bear in mind. Your singleness does not detract from your position in Christ. Let me expand on that a little bit. The single Christian is as much in union with Christ as the married Christian. The single Christian, whether the person has never been married, or the person is a widow or a widower, or the Christian is divorced, the single Christian is as much in union with Christ as the married Christian. And that's the relationship that really counts. You may not have a spouse here on earth. You may not be in a marriage union with a husband and wife or wife. You may not have the experience of wedded love, but if you're a believer, if you've been saved, then you're in union with the Lord Jesus. He is your heavenly bridegroom. He is your spiritual husband. He is the greatest lover of your soul. The Lord Jesus Christ is your greatest companion and the most dearest friend that any person could ever have. Christ, by his Spirit, has brought you into union with himself and nothing will ever break that union. Christ is the perfect man. His love is from everlasting to everlasting. He never feels his people. He never says the wrong thing. He never makes the wrong decision. He never treats us in the wrong way. He never forgets to love you. He never forgets to nourish you or to cherish you. Though Christ was unmarried while here on earth, he is the truest man. And therefore he's the one to follow. And Christ lavishes, he lavishes his love upon you. And he would have you love him with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. Believer, you're in union with Christ. And nothing can ever sever that union. Every Christian, married or unmarried, should rejoice in that. Above any relationship we have with any person here on earth. Above any relationship, the believer is in the greatest relationship of all. We're in union with Christ. And therefore we can say with the spice and the song of Solomon, of Christ, this is my beloved, and this is my friend. And your singleness, your singleness doesn't detract from that. The fact you're not, perhaps, What you would like to be in regard to your marriage status doesn't detract from your union with Christ and all the blessings that flow to you through that union with the Savior. Let me say too that the single Christian is a true part of God's family. a true part of God's family. One of the aspects of life that some single people may consider with some concern is the fact that they will not have a family of their own. That's true of those who are married but have no children, no family of their own. That can be a cause of much heartache, cause of much sorrow. It was certainly a great trial in Old Testament times. To be childless then was to be a very heavy burden to bear. Partly, I think it was because some of the promises in the Old Testament of the Messiah, and then if a young mother, young wife wasn't having children, wasn't able to bear children, then she would have lamented that in connection with the Messiah. But single Christians still feel that. No family. Married believers without children perhaps feel that too. But I ask you to remember that you're part of an even greater family. And your adoption in Christ means that you're in union with his people. You have brothers and sisters in Christ. You're part of a glorious body of people And therefore you're among those who love you in Christ and think highly of you because of Christ. You know, Christians need each other. And it's good for married Christians to fellowship with single Christians. It's good for single Christians to fellowship with married Christians because we are to carry one another's burdens. We are to pray for one another, we are to encourage one another, we are to love one another, we are to be considerate towards one another. There are so many one another commandments in scripture regarding the church of Christ and God's people in that church, that it's very important we bear them in mind. So it's good that when married couples are getting together, it's good to invite some single people into that group too. and to care for them and to love them just as we do with others who are already married. Another thing to bear in mind in regard to the fact that your singleness does not detract you from your position in Christ is that the single Christian will be a participant in the great marriage supper of the Lamb. In Mark chapter 12, verse 23 to 25, the Sadducees came to Christ with a question. question about a woman who had been widowed seven times. You're familiar with the passage they asked the Savior at the resurrection. You remember the Old Testament law was if the husband had died then his brother was to take his widow and be a husband to her. And if he died, then the next brother, and this is what the Sadducees were bringing to the Savior, after seven brothers had the same wife, after they all had passed away, then they came to Christ and said, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be? Since the seven were married to her. What did Christ say to them? It's actually interesting, it was the Sadducees who asked the question about the resurrection. The Sadducees didn't even believe in the resurrection. So their question was, a trap for Christ. They tried to snare the savior. They weren't coming with an honest inquiry, but Christ answered them. He says, do you not therefore air because you know not the scriptures, neither the power of God for when they shall rise from the dead, they neither married nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels which are in heaven. So at the resurrection, when Christ returns and the resurrection takes place, marriage as we know it, now on earth, now in this time, will not exist. In that sense, marriage is temporary. But there's a marriage that is eternal. The great marriage supper of the Lamb. When the bride of Christ will be presented to Christ without spot and without wrinkle. On that great day all safely gathered in. And every believer, married or unmarried here on earth, every believer will be called to that married supper of the Lamb. And they will be in that glorious position just as those who are married here on earth were They will be in that glorious position with Christ. The story told of a young lady, maybe not so young, middle-aged perhaps, and she had never married. It was a great cause of concern to her. She talked to her parents about that often. Her father and mother were godly people. She was a godly girl too. But she struggled with that. Struggled with the fact she was never married. She took very ill. fell to the point of death. It was her last illness, it took her in death. And he thought her mind was starting to go. He tried to say to her, no, no, dear, that's not the way it's They don't have the responsibilities of husbands and children and things like that. That's what Paul is driving at here. Now that doesn't mean that single people, and this is always a danger, that doesn't mean that single people don't have other things to do. They have many things that they have to do by themselves and for themselves that married couples can share. So a single person has many other responsibilities, many decisions to make financially, many decisions to make in regards to home and cars and all of those things that are so mundane that married couples can share. So it's not good to think that single people have all this free time and therefore we can give them many, many, many, many things to do. But the point that Paul is driving at here The point that I want to emphasize as we close is that just because you're single, never imagine that you're no good to God. In fact, there are opportunities and advantages and situations that are much more suitable for single people to be involved in, and therefore you can serve him with all your heart. In those unique opportunities that God presents to you. It is a very important theme, the aspect of marriage and husbands and wives, how important that is. But as the writer at the very beginning, I mentioned earlier, said that it seems that within the Church of Christ, sometimes singles are neglected. We ought not to do that. pray for families in the church, we ought to pray for those who are widows.