Paul's
Epistles - 1 Corinthians
Part
21 – Believer's Freedom
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Paul's
letter to the church in Corinth, was addressing the things he had heard about
them, including incest, adultery, over-spiritualized behaviors, wandering away
from the Word of God, and an overall pride about them.
Paul
has corrected the Corinthian Churches view about the division; Christ is head
of the church, no one else. He also let them know that the power comes from
God, and they should be humble, not conceited and over-spiritual.
He
warned them not to go beyond what is written.
He
addressed their pseudo-faith and spiritual activity of abstaining from intimate
relations with their spouses, explaining this was the root of their immoral
behavior.
He
also warned them against lawsuits with other believers, saying the only reason
they could not come to terms together inside the church was because of their
pride and arrogance.
He
instructed them to be content in their situations, so as to quench the immoral
behavior that was coming from discontent, and selfish ambition. Paul warned
about becoming a stumbling block to other believers if we have certain
knowledge that they do not possess.
Week
before last we spoke about how the church was to care for the Pastor and his
family financially, also, bringing up the fact that he was free, and could
marry if he chose.
Paul
cleared the air, stating that even Peter, whom some denominations teach is the
first Pope, the founder of their church, and yet, restrict ministers from
marriage, was married himself. Many of the Apostles took their wives with them
on their mission trips.
Paul
will wrap up what he has said in the last few chapters about freedom in Christ,
and how he chooses to use his freedom.
Today
we will look at what Paul says about freedom for believer's.
SCRIPTURE
REFERENCE I Corinthians 10:23 - 33
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is
beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not
everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own
good, but the good of others.
25 Eat anything sold in the meat
market without raising questions of conscience,26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and
everything in it.”[f]
27 If an unbeliever invites you to
a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of
conscience. 28 But if someone says to you,
“This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of
the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 I am referring to the other
person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s
conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with
thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31 So whether you eat or drink or
whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the
church of God— 33 even as I try to please
everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the
good of many, so that they may be saved.
I.
I HAVE A RIGHT TO
DO ANYTHING, YOU SAY
a.
Christian Liberty
i.
Paul is trying to make the Corinthians understand that
in the life as a Christian, we put others before ourselves.
ii.
I have the right (as a follower of
Christ) to do anything
1.
To which Paul replies, but not everything is beneficial, not everything is constructive.
iii.
Those in the Corinthian church believed, because of
their Christian Liberties, they could literally do anything they wanted,
because all sin was forgiven by the Lord.
b. No one
should seek their own good, but the good of others.
i.
Meaning, we should
consider others in all things that we do.
ii.
Christian Liberty,
or Freedoms, does not mean to seek my own good, but rather the good of others.
c.
The difference between the narrow and wide path
i.
Selfish,
self-gratifying, self-centered existence is the wide path.
1.
If it feels go, do
it
2.
If you want it, take
it
3.
As long as you are
happy
4.
As long as you're
not hurting anyone
5.
Look out for number
one
6. Acting impatient, cruel, envious, boasting, prideful, dishonoring
others, self-seeking, angry, forever remembering all the wrong done to you in
your life, delighting in evil, speaking lies, not protecting others, never
trusting, never hoping, giving up when things look tough.
7. This is the wide path, leading to destruction, where
there are many travelers
ii.
Selfless, unselfish,
Christ-centered existence is the narrow path
1.
If it is righteous,
do it
2.
If someone needs,
give
3.
As long as you are
serving God, be happy
4.
Avoid sin, it hurts
others too
5.
Look out for others
6. Remember, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not
self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it
keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres...Love never fails!
7. This is the narrow path, which few travelers
find.
d. Paul defines
the difference between a follower of Christ, and one who hollows himself.
i.
Who are you loving?
1. Is it God with your whole heart, mind, body and
soul?
2. Or is it yourself?
ii.
You are not a follower of Christ if you are on the broad
path.
iii.
Christ
is found on the narrow, and to truly be His follower, you too must be on the
narrow.
II.
THE ISSUE OF LAW
AND CHRIST
a.
Paul addresses food
laws once again
i.
Eat anything sold in the meat market without
raising questions of conscience,26 for, “The
earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
b. If an
unbeliever invites you to dinner, eat whatever he gives too
i.
UNLESS, he says to you, “This has been offered in
sacrifice,”
ii.
Then do
not eat it for the for the sake of the
one who told you and for the sake of conscience.
iii.
WHY?
Because, you may be causing everything we do must be looked at for how it will affect
others!
c. Eating sacrificed meat may give
the unbeliever a false sense of what is right with God
i.
As Paul
has stated earlier in I Corinthians, he CAN eat anything without negative
effect on his own body, because these false idols are nothing, everything is
God's and His domain.
ii.
However,
the effects of doing this on others may be negative, and therefore, avoided.
iii.
Paul says in verse
30, "If I take part in the meal
with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?"
1.
Paul states here, we
cannot please everyone, so if we do everything, thinking of others and being
thankful to God, let the talkers talk.
III.
ALL YOU DO MUST BE
FOR GODS GLORY
a. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the
glory of God.
i.
My leather
shop glorifies God
1. Every day I am at work, I speak with many people about God, blessings,
scripture, doctrines, etc...
2. I hand out church invitations weekly
3. I invite them to read the sermons online
4. I encourage them to find a good Bible church, regardless of if it
is here, or elsewhere
ii.
My
books glorify God
1. By showing that good science fiction can be written without all of
the perversion in most modern books.
2. By making the hero of the novels face countless moral decisions, and
make the right choices to the best of his ability, rather than give in to his
selfish motivations.
iii.
I try
to glorify God, even in my sinful past, by showing how God not only forgave me
of my sin, but changed me from the man who served only himself, to a man who
struggles to serve God in all he does in his life.
1. Am I perfect, no.
2. Do I fail sometimes, yes.
3. However, the moment I discover I am failing, I call out the Lord,
seek forgiveness, and most importantly, repent, for without repentance, there
is no forgiveness!
b. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God
i.
This
speaks about the impression we give of God by our behavior
ii.
The
example Paul gives is food laws.
1. Do not be a stumbling block to ANYONE
2. Jews do not eat pork,
shellfish, they have kosher laws
a. So don't act in a way to offend them, driving them away from God.
3. Greeks (gentiles)
may have meat that has been sacrificed to idols, if they invite you over, eat
whatever they serve, unless they say it's been sacrificed, then do not eat and
give the wrong impression that sacrificing to idols is OK with the one true
God.
4. Church of God or
fellow followers of Christ, may believe that one day is holier than another (Sabbath),
or that certain foods must still be abstained from (kosher laws), or it is
wrong to drink wine, Paul tells us do not fight about such things, if they are
doing it for GOD, then let it be. Paul refers to them as "weak in
faith", they do not yet understand the freedoms we have in Christ, but do
not offend them and drive them away from God.
c. Even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
i.
Why do
we try not to offend, or give the wrong impression?
ii.
Not for
our sake, which many times people will accuse you of thinking you are "perfect"
or "sinless" or you think you are better than everyone.
1. But these statements come from their ignorance of the Word of God.
2. They are either "weak in faith", or just simply
uneducated in God's word, or perhaps, not even received salvation as of yet.
iii.
We do not do this to seek our own good, but the good of
others.
iv.
So that they may receive salvation.
CONCLUSION
Under the Law (Old Testament) there were 10
commands of God that no one could keep.
Showing that we are all sinners who needed
salvation, saving, and that Christ, the Messiah was coming to do just that.
Followers of Christ are under the Law of Love
now, (New Testament), and when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment in
the Law is in Matthew 22:36, He answered;
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and
greatest commandment.39 And the second is like it:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law
and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.’
Your heart is what you DO
in your body.
Your soul is WHO you are.
and your mind is WHAT you
think.
Surrendering it all to
God, loving Him with all our being is the first and greatest commandment.
Jesus
then says, "And the second is like it: ‘Love
your neighbor as yourself.’
I Corinthians
13
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus
means the requirements of the Old Testament (the 10 commands of God), are
satisfied and fulfilled through Christ when we live in this manner.
Through
Christ, when we are truly His follower, we can live in this manner.
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