1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,400 Turn to your Bibles, please. The First Corinthians chapter 8 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:31,680 #10 First Corinthians chapter #10 this evening in the Word of 9 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,280 God I. Don't know if you noticed over 10 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,400 the past. Week or so that there was a new 11 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:42,360 story about the NFL coach from the New England Patriots, Mike 12 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:47,480 Vrabel, and a reporter for The New York Times slash The 13 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:53,000 Athletic named Diana Rusini. There were some photos that were 14 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,680 taken of the two of them. These are two married people, by 15 00:00:57,680 --> 00:00:59,760 the way, married to other people, I guess I should say, to 16 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,640 be clear about that. And there were photos of them 17 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,720 holding hands. There were photos of them 18 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,800 hugging. There was photos of them alone 19 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,600 in a hot tub together. And these were put right on 20 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,680 front page of I believe it was the New York Post. 21 00:01:16,320 --> 00:01:18,840 Now, Mike Vrabel said about these things. 22 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,560 He said these photos show a completely innocent interaction 23 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,360 and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. 24 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,320 This is what he said. Now, I'm not here to pile on 25 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:35,520 either Mike Vrabel or Diana Rusini, but I would say this, 26 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,360 that what is being portrayed in those photos isn't laughable at 27 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,560 all. That it's very natural for us to 28 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,480 be able to look at those photos and to see intimacy between two 29 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,520 people and to assume that because there is closeness, 30 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:57,040 there is also affection between 2:00 that are so close. 31 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,160 Now, I didn't ask my wife this question because, well, I don't 32 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,160 have to ask my wife this question if she would be 33 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,480 bothered if I held another woman's hand and hugged another 34 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,199 woman and just jumped in a hot tub with another woman. 35 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,120 You know what? Because I'm a normal person, I 36 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,800 don't have to ask my wife what she thinks about that, because I 37 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:18,440 know what she thinks about that. It would be crazy, to be honest 38 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,800 with you. I don't need to ask her to know 39 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:22,560 I shouldn't do it because I don't want to do it. 40 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,120 Because my affinity, my intimacy. 41 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:28,200 Is with my wife, my beautiful wife. 42 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,440 Diane, this is what I understand and this is what we know, that 43 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,280 there's an association that's there. 44 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,680 And because of that association, we assume that there's intimacy 45 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,920 because probably there is. Say, pastor, are you here to 46 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:43,000 preach on current events tonight? 47 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,360 And the answer is no, I am not. But I do believe there's a very 48 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,280 real application to what we see here tonight in First 49 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,920 Corinthians chapter #10 Paul's going to bring this message home 50 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:55,400 to the Corinthians in tonight's passage. 51 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,320 And that's. This Don't dine with the devil. 52 00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:05,160 Don't sit down and have closeness with Satan and his 53 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,280 minions. That when you are close to him, 54 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:13,120 when you are in his proximity, it can only be assumed that you 55 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,680 have a closeness with him. That as believers, we ought not 56 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,080 to have. Don't cozy up with the devil. 57 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:21,880 Don't dine with the devil, however you want to say it 58 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:23,560 tonight, But the title of my message is this. 59 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:28,120 Choose your table wisely, and hopefully that'll make sense 60 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,360 here in just a moment. Choose your table wisely. 61 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,120 Now, we're going to try this evening to cover the rest of the 62 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,520 chapter, but we're just going to read the first few verses to 63 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,600 start, and we'll continue reading them as we go along. 64 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,320 So look at verse #14 First Corinthians. 10 where it says 65 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,520 this all right, I got 1 already, but thank you. 66 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:45,960 Oh, that's that's nice. Thank you. 67 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,240 I say super hydrated here. That's nice. 68 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,880 This one's cold and that's good. All right, I'll put that one 69 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:51,720 down there. All right. 70 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:53,720 Thank you, Kaylee. All right. 71 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,760 All right, First Corinthians 10/14 take 2 Here we go. 72 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,240 Wherefore, my beloved or my dearly beloved, free. 73 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:06,200 Let's try that again. Not free. 74 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,400 It's. What am I doing, Jay? 75 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:14,840 So wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry? 76 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,600 I speak as to wise men. Judge ye what I say. 77 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,760 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion 78 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,040 of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it 79 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,800 not the communion of the body of Christ? 80 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,480 Now we'll stop right there for a moment as we get into the 81 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,080 message this evening. Now last week we saw that Paul 82 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,200 was using examples from the Old Testament to show that the 83 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,800 issues of the Old Testament were still very relative to the 84 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,800 people of Corinth. Remember we saw that in the 85 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,320 first several verses. Remember, it says that you 86 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,880 should not lust. And then it said neither be 87 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,640 idolaters, neither commit fornication, neither, neither, 88 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,760 neither. And all Paul was doing was 89 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,840 taking issues that the Israelites dealt with in the Old 90 00:04:57,840 --> 00:05:00,760 Testament, and he was making application to the people of 91 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,640 court that we saw last week. It's good to read the Bible. 92 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:05,080 It's good to read the Old Testament. 93 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,200 Why? Because the things we find in 94 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,640 the Bible, the things we find specifically in the Old 95 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,680 Testament, it's all as relevant today as it was back then. 96 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,320 Because the issues of the heart really haven't changed. 97 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,560 Change over human history. We're not as unique as we think 98 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,480 we are. That's what we saw last week. 99 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,360 And so Paul has been talking about don't do this, don't do 100 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,040 this, don't do this. These are things we ought not to 101 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:29,640 do. Israel didn't learn their 102 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,520 lesson. The people Corinth finally did. 103 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,400 Their learn their lesson, I believe when you read Second 104 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,040 Corinthians. And then we have to learn this 105 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,160 lesson as well. But now Paul is going to take 106 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:44,640 what he had spoken about in these previous verses, and he's 107 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,640 going to apply it to an issue that he's already spoken about. 108 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,160 If you go back to chapter #8 don't go back to chapter #8 but 109 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,480 if you were to go back, do you remember we talked about the 110 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:59,040 issue of me being offered to idols, about how that it was OK 111 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,080 to all eat meat offered to idols. 112 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,440 However, the issue really wasn't about whether you wanted the 113 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:06,520 meat. The real issue was about your 114 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,080 Christian brethren. That was what liberty is all 115 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:10,680 about. And that Christian liberty is 116 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,000 about. Well, I can, I can, I can. 117 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,120 It's about making sure you're looking out for one another. 118 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:18,480 And so Paul talked about that, but he's going to bring this 119 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,120 back to a discussion here for the remainder of the chapter 120 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,280 because really, there's some questions that still need to be 121 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:28,760 addressed by the people of Corn that maybe they're unsure about. 122 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:32,840 For instance, what happened when the meat that was offered to 123 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:35,280 idols? Ended up getting sold wholesale 124 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:37,720 and now they found it in a butcher shop. 125 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,000 Was the meat in the butcher shop offered to idols or not? 126 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:44,400 What do you do if you go to someone's house? 127 00:06:44,840 --> 00:06:48,560 Do you know if the meat they are serving you came from the temple 128 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,080 or not? What's a person supposed to do? 129 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,600 Well, they still had questions about what to do in these 130 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,720 issues. And ironically enough, some of 131 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,000 the questions that they're asking are pretty relevant to 132 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,680 how we Live Today and some of the situations we find ourselves 133 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,280 in, as well as we'll make application in just a few 134 00:07:06,280 --> 00:07:08,160 moments. But Paul's going to walk them 135 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,160 through this issue through the remainder of the chapter. 136 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,480 And there's three principles that are there that I think will 137 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,560 be a help to us this evening. And the first is this. 138 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,640 Number one, your table matters. You can write that on the back 139 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:21,840 of your prayer bulletin #1 Your table matters. 140 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,000 Now, we should probably take a second to dwell on verse #14 141 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,320 because honestly, we could probably just preach a message 142 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:31,920 just on verse #14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved? 143 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,960 And by the way, Paul's going to say some hard truths, but 144 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,440 there's no doubt that he loved the people of Corinth. 145 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,680 I have circled in my Bible. My dearly beloved, you can have 146 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,720 hard preaching and still be loved by the preacher. 147 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,760 And this is what we see here. He's going to tell him some hard 148 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,360 truth, but he still loves them. In fact, he loves them so much 149 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:52,960 that he's going to tell them the truth. 150 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,080 That doesn't mean the preacher has to be ugly about it, but yet 151 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,200 here it is that he's going to talk to them about these issues. 152 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:04,280 Therefore, wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 153 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:09,720 Now we saw previously Israel had a problem with idolatry, and we 154 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,960 know from reading First Corinthians Corinth had a 155 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,520 problem with idolatry. A huge temple of idolatry 156 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,480 dominated life in Corinth. And would you say we have a 157 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,720 problem with idolatry today? Idolatry is still an issue. 158 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,160 By the way, I was reading this this week and I thought I wish 159 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,560 the president would have read verse, verse #14 here. 160 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,039 I'll just leave that there. This isn't political, but 161 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:38,320 idolatry is idolatry. The Lord's not pleased with 162 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,080 idolatry. It's easy to see idolatry in 163 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,000 others, but it's not as easy to see it in our own lives. 164 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,800 Is it idolatry? Idolatry is real today. 165 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,760 First, John 521 says this little children, keep yourselves from 166 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:54,160 idols. Amen. 167 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:56,520 And that's a reminder for us here tonight as well. 168 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,280 You say, well, pastor, I would never bow down to an idol. 169 00:08:59,560 --> 00:09:01,280 And who of us here would tonight? 170 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,880 None of us would. But yet idols are something or 171 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,560 is something, an idol is something that exalts itself or 172 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,840 that we exalt to a place it ought not to be. 173 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:15,800 You know, there are things that are obviously idols. 174 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,280 You see a a golden Buddha statue? 175 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,640 That's an idol. You see an icon of Mary? 176 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,120 That's an idol. That's not a popular statement 177 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,680 either today, but it is true. You'll tense on me right now, 178 00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:29,640 all right? But that's OK. 179 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:33,280 He said. That's a, that's an idol, but 180 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,280 there are things that aren't necessarily idols that are made 181 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:40,000 into idols that we make them into because they're good and 182 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,680 they're right in them of themselves in the right way, but 183 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:47,560 yet can be made into idolatry. We'll talk more about that in 184 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:50,840 just a few moments. Christians must keep themselves 185 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:52,760 from idolatry today, Charles Spurgeon said. 186 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,040 Flee from idolatry means you do not reason with it, you don't 187 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:58,960 negotiate with it, you do not linger near it. 188 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,200 You run. When I think of that word flee, 189 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:06,160 I think of, of, of Joseph. When Potiphar's wife tried to 190 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:07,520 get a hold on him, what did he do? 191 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,000 He ran out. He didn't care if he had his 192 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:11,720 code or nothing. He was going to get away from 193 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:12,880 her. He was going to flee. 194 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:15,640 And that's what we are to do with idolatry. 195 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,160 Now over the next several verses, Paul uses a parallel to 196 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:23,840 show what idolatry is verse #16 the cup of blessing which we 197 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:25,880 bless. Is it not the communion of the 198 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:28,000 blood of Christ, the bread which we break? 199 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:29,560 Is it not the community of the body of Christ? 200 00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:32,520 Now the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, Catholics and 201 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:33,920 many Protestants will teach that. 202 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:37,320 That verse there shows that it's actually the body and blood of 203 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,200 Christ that's received during communion. 204 00:10:39,560 --> 00:10:42,800 I was taught that through the Catechism when I was a Lutheran. 205 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,800 But yet here that is not what Paul is communicating. 206 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:49,120 That's why Jesus kept saying this do and remembrance of me. 207 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,960 This do and remembrance of me. That's not what's being said 208 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:53,840 here. Paul is talking about something 209 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,080 that's deeper here, that when we are having the Lord's Supper, 210 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:00,400 it's not just that we are having the Lord's Supper and it's just 211 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:05,240 a remembrance of what Jesus did. And it is a remembrance, but we 212 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:08,200 are having intimate communion with the. 213 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,360 Lord, you know, I'm not trying to turn the the juice into the 214 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,720 bread and something that it's not, but I'm saying the Lord's 215 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,560 with us in the supper. That's why we call it communion. 216 00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:22,400 We're communing together and look at verse 17 for we being 217 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,000 many or one bread. And one body, for we all 218 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,600 partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh. 219 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,120 Are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers the altar? 220 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,920 And there he goes back to the Old Testament and says, isn't 221 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,480 that true of Israel, that when they were giving of the 222 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,040 sacrifice, they were partakers, and they would eat of some of 223 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:40,880 the sacrifices as well which they gave. 224 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:44,080 But then he says this. But I say that the things with 225 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:47,480 the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice the devils and not to 226 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,480 God. And I would not that you should 227 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:53,560 have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the 228 00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:56,400 Lord and the cup of devils. You cannot be partakers of the 229 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,120 Lord's table and the table of devils. 230 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:00,720 Do you see the issue of the tables here? 231 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,160 He says this. You can take of the Lord's 232 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:06,480 table, you can have communion. I believe he's talking about of 233 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,360 the communion table, but then also of just the communion we 234 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,560 have of the Lord in general in our daily life. 235 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:14,360 But then he says this, that if you are offering things that are 236 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:19,440 to idols, if you are having things that are in fellowship 237 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,960 with idolatry, it's not just that you are having the 238 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:26,520 fellowship with that thing, you were having fellowship with the 239 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,040 thing behind the. Thing say, OK, pastor, I don't 240 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:34,360 know what you're talking about. Now, if someone was to bow down 241 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,560 to something that was made of wood and it's called a deity, 242 00:12:38,560 --> 00:12:40,560 are they really worshipping that statue? 243 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:45,680 No, they're really worshipping what's behind the statue, the 244 00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:47,640 false God. Who is really who? 245 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:52,000 Satan. Fellowship of Devils. 246 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:57,160 So what Paul is saying is this, when we partake in anything that 247 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:01,840 has the hint of idolatry, it's not just a little thing. 248 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,840 Just as much as we are a partaker of the Lord's table, we 249 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,840 could end up being partaker of Satan. 250 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,120 And that's what she says. I'm not teaching you're losing 251 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:13,520 your salvation. That's not in the Bible. 252 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:19,440 But the issue of fellowship is real, and you can be saved, and 253 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,440 not in sweet fellowship with the Lord, but rather having 254 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:26,280 fellowship with the one of whom you were saved from. 255 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:32,480 And Christians that ought not to be to be at the table with 256 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,040 Satan. He says you need to be careful, 257 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:39,120 you need to understand what the stakes are here when it comes to 258 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:43,200 the issue of idolatry. The people of of Corinth were 259 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,240 still dabbling with those things that they had come from. 260 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:47,840 They didn't think it was a big deal. 261 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:49,480 They thought it made them cosmopolitan. 262 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,880 They thought it made them open minded to live a little bit of 263 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,760 the old life, but also to live in the new life as well. 264 00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,680 And really, Paul is saying this. Pick a table, because you have 265 00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:05,320 to be at one or you have to be at the other, and which one you 266 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,400 are at is communicated to the people who are around you as 267 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:09,920 well. Your choice. 268 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:15,080 Matters who you fellowship with. Now I don't have time for us to 269 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:16,920 read a time you can write this down. 270 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,200 Galatians chapter 2 verses 11 through 14. 271 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:26,080 Peter after he got saved. Boy, didn't he do so much better 272 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,280 than the Gospels? You're just rooting for Peter in 273 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:30,840 the book of Acts, and he does so well. 274 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:33,880 There's really just one incident where you have to kind of 275 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,120 scratch your head a little bit and think, Peter, what were you 276 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:37,960 thinking? And that was an issue. 277 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:42,800 Where Paul and Peter were dining together with Gentiles and Peter 278 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,200 was sitting with the Gentiles and was enjoying fellowship with 279 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,520 the Gentiles until. A group of Jewish believers came 280 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:51,840 in and. Peter all of a sudden said. 281 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:58,680 Look at the time, got up from the table, slowly scooted over 282 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,920 to the Jews table. And sat down with them you know 283 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,160 what happened? Confusion. 284 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:10,360 Why? Well, because Peter wasn't at 285 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,840 the table that he ought to have been at and he was sending a 286 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:17,120 message by what table he was at. We're. 287 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:22,400 Going somewhere with us, but the table you are sitting at sends a 288 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:24,280 message to the people around you. 289 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:28,080 And you have to be careful because what Peter did is just 290 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,880 by standing up and moving to another table ended up causing 291 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,120 other people to say, well, maybe Peter is right. 292 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,160 And now everybody's trying to switch tables and confusion 293 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,640 reigns. And Paul has to withstand Peter 294 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,640 to the. Face the elder in the faith. 295 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,400 The faith was withstood by the younger one in the faith because 296 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,640 Paul was and. He had to tell him you did wrong 297 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:54,040 by what you did and look at what you've caused here just by your 298 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:58,280 simple action of getting up from the table you were at and moving 299 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,200 to another table. What do we look at here tonight? 300 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:05,160 The issue of this is dabbling with idolatry may seem harmless, 301 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,160 but you're sitting at a table and having things in common with 302 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:11,280 people you have very little in common with. 303 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:14,880 And worst of all, there will be people who are watching. 304 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:17,120 There will be people who will be looking. 305 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,240 And because of that, we must make sure that we do right. 306 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,920 When it comes to the issue of where we sit, and again, I'm not 307 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:27,280 talking about physically being seated, although sometimes I 308 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,400 guess that could be the case, but I'm talking about where 309 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,000 we're seated in our heart. Are we having fellowship with 310 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:33,840 the Lord? Are we having fellowship with 311 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,640 idolatry? It just can't be one or it can't 312 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:39,480 be both. It has to be one or the other. 313 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,440 Second Corinthians 614 through 16 Be not unequally yoked 314 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:45,720 together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has 315 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:47,240 righteousness with unrighteousness? 316 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,560 What community had light with darkness, And what conquered 317 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:52,960 hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that 318 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,360 believeth with an infidel? And what agreement at the temple 319 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,520 of God with idols for you, the temple of living God? 320 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:02,520 As God has said, I will dwell in them. 321 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,240 And walk in them. I will be their God, and they 322 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,760 shall be my people. Don't be yoked together. 323 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,119 When you're yoked together with that which is wrong, you know 324 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,440 what's going to happen. You're not going to pull wrong 325 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:18,359 in the right direction. You're going to get pulled in 326 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,640 the wrong direction. Don't yoke up with it. 327 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,079 They're polar opposites and God knows that your dining. 328 00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:30,520 Choices of today will dictate your direction tomorrow. 329 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,960 Just a little bit of idolatry, elevating that above which it 330 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,760 should not be in your life. Could end up causing grave 331 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,480 consequences later. Again, you say, pastor, I don't 332 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,280 worship and I don't bow down to anything. 333 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,000 But I've said before, I believe the Scriptures make this clear, 334 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,440 that pretty much anything that you have to, well, I shouldn't 335 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,720 say pretty much anything that you have to consult with in your 336 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,800 life before you do the will of God is an idol. 337 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,400 Because if God says that we do it, well, God, I know you said 338 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,560 it, but stop right there. Whatever your next appeal is, is 339 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,520 an idol in your life. No, I'm talking to all of us 340 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:06,960 here tonight. Because we all have these idols 341 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,760 that need to be torn down. What I'm saying is those idols 342 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,920 don't come without consequence because you sit at that table. 343 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,080 Long enough with them it will dictate your direction. 344 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,600 And look at Corinth. They gave themselves up to that 345 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,880 which they got saved from, and they're a mess. 346 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:25,440 And they're a warning for us here tonight as well. 347 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:27,480 So what does it say your? Table matters. 348 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:29,800 First of all #1 your table matters. 349 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,560 But #2 your actions matter. Not just your table. 350 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:36,720 It matters where you are seated, if you will, but also your 351 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:40,000 actions matter. Verse #22 Do we provoke the Lord 352 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:41,840 to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? 353 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:45,320 Verse 23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not 354 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,440 expedient. All things are lawful for me, 355 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:51,160 but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but 356 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:57,800 every man another's well. Verses #23 and 24 here really 357 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,160 set the tone. It says this, All things are 358 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:03,520 lawful for me. Here's a question for you now. 359 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,040 Are you ready? Are we free in Christ? 360 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:08,600 Some of you think it's a trick question. 361 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:09,920 It's not a trick question, I promise you. 362 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:11,960 Are we free in Christ? Amen. 363 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:13,640 Have we been free? We are free indeed. 364 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:16,880 That's what Jesus said. We are free in Jesus Christ. 365 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,000 But we've seen this before. Does that mean we are free to do 366 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:22,920 anything we want to do? The answer is no, no, no. 367 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:28,200 Now we have been set free to serve Christ, not to serve our 368 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,600 flesh. That's what we see. 369 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,000 And so Paul says all things are lawful for me, but not all 370 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,800 things are expedient. Just because it's lawful for me 371 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:39,040 doesn't mean it's a good thing. You know, I often hear people 372 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:40,880 say something like this. Well, you know, the Bible 373 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:42,680 doesn't say anything about it, so it's OK. 374 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:45,360 That's their standard in the Christian life. 375 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:46,960 And I understand that to a point. 376 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,680 Why, why they would think that The Bible doesn't say it's 377 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:51,680 wrong. So that means it has to be OK. 378 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:53,560 But that's the that's the wrong way. 379 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,640 I think that's the backwards way of thinking about it. 380 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,400 Really it should be something like this. 381 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:04,400 What's the benefit for me? And this question, what's the 382 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,200 benefit for others around me as well? 383 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:10,200 Isn't that what he says here? All things are lawful for me, 384 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,360 but all things edify not. Not everything's good for me 385 00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:15,680 just because I can do it. Let no man seek his own, but 386 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:17,200 every man another's wealth meaning this. 387 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,440 Look out for the needs of others when you make this decision as 388 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:21,560 well. Everything through the rest of 389 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,040 the chapter is about that. That your actions should be able 390 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,720 to be blessed to be able to bless other people in your life 391 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:28,840 as well. It this would be like saying 392 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:29,840 something. Like, well, as long as it's not 393 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:31,000 illegal. It's good for me to do. 394 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:34,960 That that's the equivalent of saying, well, as long as the 395 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:38,120 Bible says doesn't say that you know it's wrong, then I can do 396 00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:39,400 it. Well, there's a lot of things 397 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:43,120 that aren't illegal that you ought not to do. 398 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:50,560 You know I can fill. Up my house with Twinkies and Ho 399 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:53,200 Hos and snowballs and all those. Actually, it sounded pretty 400 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:54,280 good. Now I think about right, Marsha, 401 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:59,720 but organic. Of course it's legal. 402 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,840 I could eat candy morning, noon and night. 403 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:05,320 I could be like my son, eat candy in the bed. 404 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:06,920 Right, AJ? Yeah. 405 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:11,520 He likes that, doesn't he? I can fill myself with soda from 406 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:15,000 morning to noon tonight. Hey, there's no law against it. 407 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:19,560 Is that good for me? No, by the way, I've tried it. 408 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,080 I can tell you it's not. Good for you, all right. 409 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:23,720 That was most of my college experience right there. 410 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:26,440 It's not good for you. You can do it. 411 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:30,440 Nobody is going to stop you. What would we say in America? 412 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:34,040 It's a free country. But just because you're free to 413 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,200 do it don't mean you should do it. 414 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:39,040 And the. Christian life, we often look at 415 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:41,240 the actions that we take and say, well, as long as the Bible 416 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:42,840 doesn't say I can't do it, I'm going to do it. 417 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:45,120 Is that really the way to look at it? 418 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:50,200 Is this going to benefit me? The word the Bible uses Edify. 419 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:55,520 Is this going to help others engage in spiritual wealth? 420 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,960 Will they be built up in their life by watching me do this or 421 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:03,520 partaking it with me? Because if a younger believer 422 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:06,800 watches an elder believer do a certain activity, they're just 423 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,520 going to assume the Bible says it's OK because they trust you. 424 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,760 And you're communicating through your actions that which is right 425 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,600 and that which is not. So he says this, you're looking 426 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,320 at it the wrong way. Your actions matter. 427 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,120 And too many Christians fill their lives with the equivalent 428 00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:25,600 of empty calories. Is it allowed? 429 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:28,560 Yes. Is it beneficial? 430 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:32,600 No. Now that brings to verse #25 431 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,880 look what it says. This whatsoever is sold in the 432 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,720 shambles that eat. Asking no question for your. 433 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:39,720 Conscious sake. Now you look at that word 434 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,840 shambles, you say Solon, the shambles. 435 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:43,400 I mean, what is that talking about? 436 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,880 Now to look that up here, just for my own edification, to make 437 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,600 sure I was looking at this clearly, but the word for 438 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,160 shambles, there is an old English word that literally 439 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,560 means the butcher shop. Now, that doesn't maybe make a 440 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,400 lot of sense to us, but what would we say if something's 441 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:00,800 falling apart? It's in shambles, right? 442 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,040 It's kind of how I feel right now. 443 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,920 You know, I just said that my my shirts in shambles, all right, 444 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:07,200 because I didn't iron it like I should. 445 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:08,760 And now I can't take my jacket off. 446 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,760 Something's in shambles. It's falling apart if a animal 447 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:17,120 has been taken apart. It's in shambles and the 448 00:23:17,120 --> 00:23:20,120 shambles would be a butchery that would take apart an animal. 449 00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:23,520 So that is a butcher shop. So that goes in line with the 450 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,760 discussion that was on chapter 8 about meat that was being sold 451 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,760 to idols. And so whatsoever is sold in the 452 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:33,680 shambles that eat, asking no question for conscious sake, for 453 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,160 the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. 454 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:43,280 But or if any Verse 27, if any of them that believe not bid you 455 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:47,080 to a feast how you supposed to go whatsoever is set before you 456 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:49,200 eat, asking no question for conscious sake. 457 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,400 But if a man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto 458 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,240 idols. Eat not for his sake that showed 459 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:58,440 it for conscious sake for the earth is the Lord and the 460 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:00,200 fullness thereof. Now stop right. 461 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,120 There's a lot of things going on there for just a second. 462 00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:04,240 But remember, we're talking about meat that's offered to 463 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:05,960 idols. But now Paul is taking it out of 464 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,440 the temple and this meat is now out in the open. 465 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:13,360 You're going to the butcher shop and Paul says this when you go 466 00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:15,200 to the butcher shop, every time you go to the butcher, do you 467 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:16,600 have to say this? Do you have any meat offered 468 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:18,040 idols today? Because I don't want that. 469 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:22,480 Could you do that? Could you live like? 470 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:26,280 That probably not. They might not even know what 471 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,160 was offered to idols and not at that point. 472 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:29,640 It's probably all been mixed together. 473 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,960 How would they know? And it could be that everywhere 474 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,520 has some of that mixture there. And so because that he says you 475 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,680 don't need to ask every time you go to the butcher shop if the 476 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,320 meat has been offered to idols or not Why? 477 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:45,160 Because the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. 478 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:46,480 Now this is important, you'd say. 479 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,600 But that meat, it belonged to pagans. 480 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:54,840 Well sure, the meat did belong to pagans, but Paul's point is 481 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:56,360 who did it belong to before the pagans? 482 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,520 This verse came to mind. Psalm 50, verse 10 for every 483 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:05,360 beast of the forest. Is mine and the cattle upon a 484 00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:08,080 thousand hills? By the way, it still all belongs 485 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:09,720 to him, even if the pagans think it belongs to them. 486 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,560 It all belongs to him. Everything belongs to him. 487 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,280 And so Paul says that don't don't worry about this. 488 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:16,800 Don't, don't, don't stress about this. 489 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:20,600 Don't don't fret about this in this instance, if you go to 490 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:24,400 someone's house and they're an unbeliever when you go. 491 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,200 Over to the house. Don't ask them. 492 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:28,840 Was the meat that we're offering tonight the meat eating tonight? 493 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:33,720 Was it offered idols if you're. Trying to win someone to Christ? 494 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,960 Do you think this is probably the opening salvo that you 495 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:39,840 should have in trying to explain them? 496 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:41,760 Jesus Christ? Probably not. 497 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:49,040 But what if they come to you and say, hey, we're having a dinner 498 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,600 tonight? Boy, I tell you, we got a great 499 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,160 deal. We got it at the market. 500 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:58,000 It was offered to idols, and it's so cheap, you're not going 501 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,880 to believe it. Well, at that point, it kind of 502 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:05,720 turns on its head, doesn't it? OK, here's what you need to 503 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,400 understand about this tonight. Because not about the meat, it's 504 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,120 about the message. It's important. 505 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,200 It's not about the meat, it's about the message. 506 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:20,560 At that point when they told you it's offered idols, you are now 507 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:25,200 complicit and you're telling them I have no problem with this 508 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:30,160 and you need to be very careful. You say, pastor, does this have 509 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:36,640 anything to do with us today? Man, got to give you an example 510 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:42,080 from my point of view. First, imagine every time 511 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:46,360 someone ties, I get a report from Ruth, which I do not get, 512 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:51,160 but I said give me a report and on that report, I didn't know 513 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:52,160 where everybody got all their money. 514 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:56,160 It is so quiet. You have no idea. 515 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,480 This is because you have no, you don't know where this is going. 516 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:00,160 I know. Could you imagine? 517 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,360 I do again, this is an illustration. 518 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:07,840 We would never do that. Could you imagine the chaos that 519 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,000 would cause to every week to try to figure out where everybody 520 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,120 got their money from? Now, what if someone came to me 521 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:15,320 and said this, pastor, I robbed a bank. 522 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:20,320 I want you to have the money. You know, I'm giving it to God. 523 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,640 Perhaps even to make their conscience feel better. 524 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:28,600 My answer would be no thanks, Not interested. 525 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,520 Why? Because the message of that 526 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,400 would be I'm OK with what you did. 527 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,120 See, that would never happen. Here's one, pastor, if I hit the 528 00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:38,240 lottery, we'll give you the money. 529 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,760 Not now you won't. Why? 530 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:50,400 Because the message that communicates from me to you is 531 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:55,440 we need I'll gotten gain to be able to support the Lord's work. 532 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,040 And that's not the message that I want you to have. 533 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:01,760 I had people tell me that over and over again. 534 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,080 Now am I going to ask questions every time someone gives you 535 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:06,120 say, oh, I see what it's supposed to be pastor, I should 536 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:07,720 do it. I just need to tell you about 537 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,680 it. No, that's not the heart of this 538 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:13,720 message. The heart of it is it's not the 539 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:19,080 meat, it's the message. Now, where does this apply in 540 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:22,040 life? Oh, I don't know. 541 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,960 Stores that are out there, do you shop at them? 542 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,280 Do you not shop at them? Do you know if I didn't shop at 543 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:38,760 ever at any stores that didn't support LGBTQ Plus, Prep, 544 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:42,440 Planned Parenthood, all those things, I probably wouldn't 545 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:47,320 shop. What do we do before I go to 546 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:49,680 every store? Do I need to ask them, where do 547 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:51,960 you invest your money in? Where do you donate? 548 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,160 This is a principle you had to put in a practice for yourself. 549 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:58,960 Say, pastor, are you going to give me a list of things I need 550 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:01,640 to boycott tonight? Where in my ministry do you 551 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:03,400 think that that's what I'm going to do to you tonight? 552 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,080 I want to give you a principle that you have to put in place 553 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:08,040 yourself prayerfully, because this is what he's telling them 554 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:10,200 to do. You have to put this principle 555 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:11,360 in place. But I want to teach what this 556 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,960 principle is. So, you know, because this was 557 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,080 helpful to me, every store do you go into? 558 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:19,960 Well, before I know I need to make sure I check every donation 559 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,240 that they make, what political party they don't donate to, 560 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:23,720 plan, parent, blah, blah, blah, blah. 561 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,320 You can't live like that. It's not even possible. 562 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:32,440 And also you do want to go in places that are dark so that you 563 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:35,600 can be a witness. So there is an element of that. 564 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:39,120 But what if I have to go to a coffee shop? 565 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,040 Well, I never have to go to a coffee shop. 566 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,480 What if I go to a coffee shop and right out front there's a 567 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:52,480 big rainbow flag? At that point, am I sending a 568 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:55,440 message by going in that I'm OK with what they're doing? 569 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,040 I think you are. And so when I see that, do you 570 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:04,120 know what I do? I don't eat coffee that bad when 571 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:09,280 there are stores that are openly promoting a lifestyle that's an 572 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:15,280 abomination to God, as we saw Target do just a few years ago. 573 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:20,320 Was it good when they were in your face saying we're going to 574 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:23,040 promote an entire month for homosexuality? 575 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:30,120 We're going to have clothing that kids can portray themselves 576 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:34,120 differently than the way God created them in that moment? 577 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:37,760 Am I going to walk in that store and buy anything I am not? 578 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:40,400 Does that mean you shouldn't go forever? 579 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,800 That's between you and the Lord. But in that moment, while 580 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:45,720 they're sending a message, I'm sending a message. 581 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:49,440 If I go in and shop and browse around all those other things 582 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:54,880 while I'm looking at that, there's other companies, 583 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:57,320 entertainment companies. Oh, let's just go ahead for 584 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:00,920 Disney. I remember when the girls were 585 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:02,480 kids, you put them in front of Disney stuff. 586 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:03,760 You just knew that's what you're going to watch. 587 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:08,240 It was OK, it was good. I remember the first time I saw 588 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:11,040 something, and this is not Disney, but in Sesame Street, 589 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:17,480 LGBTQ propaganda aimed at my 5 and 6 year old. 590 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:23,480 We're done, Arthur. So what's Arthur? 591 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,360 Isn't it a cartoon? They're like little anteaters 592 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,240 and stuff. You know, that talk that's, you 593 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:29,640 know, it was, you know, just normal stuff for kids. 594 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:35,080 You know, it was all great until Arthur's teacher, male teacher 595 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:40,760 married his boyfriend aimed at five and six years old. 596 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:47,840 We're done. Now, has Disney done some things 597 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:51,760 that have been pretty awful? They absolutely have. 598 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,040 And there are certain things. It's just like, I don't want any 599 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:58,120 part of that. But Disney owns about 18,000 600 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,800 companies. And does that mean you cannot 601 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,320 purchase from any Disney company at any time? 602 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,720 That's between you and the Lord. But I will tell you this, I 603 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:11,640 don't want to do anything that would cause a message to other 604 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:14,440 people that I support unrighteousness. 605 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:18,880 So it's really not about the meat, it's about the message. 606 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,720 So, Pastor, I see this is what I got from the message tonight. 607 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:24,760 Boycott Target. Boycott Disney. 608 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:29,040 I've shopped at Target since I live in walking distance to 609 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:30,000 Target. I hate it. 610 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:34,120 It's way too convenient. I can walk there and I say, and 611 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,200 if I walk there and walk back, I burn off the calories from the 612 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:38,640 ice cream. No, I won't, unless I walk for 613 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:39,880 two hours the way I eat ice cream. 614 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:46,480 All right, I understand. Disney and I I have memories of 615 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:47,320 that. I lived in Florida. 616 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:49,040 We would go on field trips to Disney World. 617 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,080 There's nothing, you know, going to Epcot. 618 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:53,080 That's scientific, right? Not really, but that's what we 619 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:57,040 did. I'm not telling you what to 620 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,720 boycott tonight. I don't think it's my place from 621 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:02,560 the pulpit to tell you as a church what you need to boycott. 622 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,720 I will say this. If something is sinful, don't do 623 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,960 it. That's the Bible. 624 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,640 But if there's something that's kind of associated with that, 625 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:14,600 you have to ask yourself this question. 626 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:19,080 What's the message of me participating in something 627 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:24,200 that's in its general sphere? And you pray on that, and you 628 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:26,320 ask yourself this, How does this edify me? 629 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,600 How does this edify other believers around me? 630 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:31,840 That's what you have to ask yourself. 631 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:33,840 You'll never hear me from the pulpit. 632 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,120 Get up and say don't ever do this. 633 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:38,400 Don't ever do this unless it says it in the Word of God. 634 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:40,040 If it says in the word of God, you'll hear me say a lot. 635 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,280 Don't do it because we're Baptists, we say don't a lot. 636 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:44,400 Neither. Neither. 637 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:45,360 Neither. Neither. 638 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,800 It's one of our favorite words. All all joking aside, that's not 639 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:51,880 true, but the idea is we do say thou shalt not quite a bit 640 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:53,720 because the word of God says thou shalt not quite a bit and 641 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:58,200 we don't apologize for that for the same time and issues of 642 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:01,200 conscience like this. It's not about, well, what? 643 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:04,600 What do I want to do you already? 644 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:08,800 It's not about you in the sense that what do I get to do? 645 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,560 Will it build me up? Will it build other people up? 646 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:18,719 In the midst of the brouhaha at Target, there's a lot of unsaved 647 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:20,320 people I'm trying to witness to here in Easton. 648 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:22,239 What if they see me walk in there? 649 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,600 What did that communicate to them that was on their side? 650 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:27,880 You say, would somebody think that? 651 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:29,000 I don't know, but it wasn't worth it. 652 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:31,719 Not for something I could buy somewhere else. 653 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,719 It wasn't what? What if I have to duck under an 654 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:41,360 LGBTQ flag to get into a coffee shop because it's so proudly 655 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:43,800 hung there and someone sees me walk in? 656 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,080 What message that send, I don't know, but it's not worth a cup 657 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:50,280 of coffee I was going to buy because it's about other people. 658 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:53,360 It's about other people and making sure we're doing right. 659 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:56,920 Your your actions matter and I want to communicate that I'm 660 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:01,280 sitting at the right table. I I don't want pictures of me 661 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:04,080 cozying up in a hot tub with sin. 662 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:08,000 You know, I'm saying to show intimacy with sin. 663 00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:10,080 I don't want that because I don't want to be questions. 664 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:12,920 So what do we do? Your your actions matter. 665 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:17,240 How do we handle those things prayerfully and with thoughts of 666 00:35:17,240 --> 00:35:19,040 others? If the Bible says don't do it, 667 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:21,560 don't do it. If the Bible doesn't say don't 668 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:22,560 do it, that don't mean you should do it. 669 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:28,000 You should pray about it. Be convinced in your own mind as 670 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,520 to what God would have you to do, but err on the side of being 671 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:33,680 an encouragement to other people. 672 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:37,040 Why do we say that? Well, because #3 your motive 673 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:39,240 matters. Your motive matters. 674 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:43,680 Look at verse #28 Paul is anticipating some push back from 675 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:45,360 the people of Corinth here. Kind of like maybe some of you 676 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,160 were thinking right now. So he say, I don't know that 677 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:49,920 everybody's going to be in line with this. 678 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:55,200 And so he says, But if any man say unto you, this is offered in 679 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:56,960 in sacrifice unto idol, Oh no, I'm sorry. 680 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:01,000 Verse #29 conscience. I say, not thine own, but of the 681 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:02,720 other. Now here's the what I would call 682 00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:06,000 the parentheses here. For why is my liberty judged of 683 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,760 another man's conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker, 684 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:12,680 why am I evil spoken of for that which I give thanks? 685 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:18,640 It's almost like Paul is saying, if I it's OK that I do it, then 686 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:21,880 why should someone have the right to be upset at me if I was 687 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:26,280 OK to do it in the first place? And you can kind of squint and 688 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:28,360 see where they're coming from. Paul. 689 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:31,560 Paul, I hear what you're saying, but we're not doing anything 690 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:33,440 wrong. We have liberty. 691 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:36,680 So how do they have the right to get upset at us when we're not 692 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:38,320 even doing anything wrong in the 1st place? 693 00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:41,320 How do they have a right to claim it's a stumbling block 694 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:43,520 when they're not doing anything wrong? 695 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:50,040 And that's when he gets to verse #31 Whether therefore you eat or 696 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:55,320 drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. 697 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:59,560 Your motive is this. Not that I be praised, but 698 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,560 whatever I do, God be praised. That's the motive. 699 00:37:03,560 --> 00:37:06,800 It's one of my favorite verses. I was a Christian School teacher 700 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:08,880 for seven years. At the top of. 701 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:11,800 Every year, the syllabus for my class, I would always put this 702 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:13,720 verse. Whether therefore you eat or 703 00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:16,800 drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. 704 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:21,040 And I'll be honest with you, for a long time I had my thinking 705 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:24,480 backwards about this. I'll remind you, we are every 706 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:26,840 word Baptist. We believe every word in the 707 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:29,320 Bible and every word matters, doesn't it? 708 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,320 It doesn't say do all for the glory of God. 709 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,040 I think sometimes that's how we think it is. 710 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:36,360 Do all for the glory of God. Lord, I'm doing it for you. 711 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:38,800 And there's nothing wrong with that. 712 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,320 You should be doing your doing what you do in life for the 713 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:42,560 Lord. You really should. 714 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:47,000 But that's not what it says. It says do all to the glory of 715 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:49,920 God, meaning this everything I do. 716 00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:53,360 I am directing it. Towards God. 717 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:59,240 Everything I do, I'm directing it towards God so that I can 718 00:37:59,240 --> 00:38:02,360 direct. Other people towards God, and 719 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:07,040 that's the motive and that's why I'm willing to give up certain 720 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:08,560 things that I don't have to give up. 721 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:13,680 Because everything that I do, I want to direct it to God so that 722 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:19,520 I can direct other people. To God once you see what that 723 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:21,960 verse really says. And not just fill in the blanks 724 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:24,600 of what we think it says, it actually makes it more powerful. 725 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:27,880 Imagine that man's words are as powerful as God's words. 726 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:32,280 Whether therefore you eat or drink, whatsoever, do to all to 727 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:35,600 the glory of God, give none offense. 728 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:38,520 Neither do the Jews, nor the Gentiles, nor the Church of God. 729 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:40,160 So. So what is he saying here? 730 00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:43,400 Don't do something that would cause someone in the church to 731 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,680 stumble. Don't do something to cause the 732 00:38:46,720 --> 00:38:50,560 unsaved to stumble. You mentioned this a few weeks 733 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:52,360 ago. Why don't I go into a paki and 734 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:56,280 pick up a soda or a bag of ice? Because I don't need that bag of 735 00:38:56,280 --> 00:39:01,040 ice or soda so badly that will it take a chance that someone 736 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:04,280 could think that I, as a not just a pastor, but as a 737 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,560 Christian, doing something not to do? 738 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:08,640 I'll be honest with you. I think the Bible's pretty clear 739 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:09,800 about what it says about alcohol. 740 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:14,240 But even if you don't think that's the case, this alone is a 741 00:39:14,240 --> 00:39:19,040 compelling argument to stay away from the stuff right here. 742 00:39:19,080 --> 00:39:20,840 Because I don't want to cause someone to stumble. 743 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:23,600 It's not worth it for a drink or two. 744 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:24,840 Well, I'm not going to get drunk. 745 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:28,640 I would argue that could be the case in your life. 746 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,440 I know many people that that's the case. 747 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:33,640 But it's really not about that. It's about I don't want to put 748 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:36,040 anything in someone's way where they say. 749 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:37,960 What? I thought you were a Christian. 750 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:40,720 I didn't want them to question that. 751 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:43,840 I want to know what table I'm sitting at and I want to do 752 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:47,520 everything that I can to make sure the glory goes to God so 753 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:50,480 that I can help them come to know God. 754 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:55,640 Verse 33, even as I please all men in all things, not seeking 755 00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:58,440 my own prophet, but the prophet of many that they be saved. 756 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:00,280 And again, that goes down to motive. 757 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,360 We're almost done here. It goes down to motive. 758 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:04,520 I don't want my own prophet. It's not about me. 759 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:09,280 I want to help somebody else because in heaven, at the 760 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:12,880 judgment seat of Christ, we won't care a nickel about a lot 761 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:14,600 of the things we care so much about down here. 762 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:18,480 But we will care about those people that we influence for 763 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:22,120 Christ, boy, that'll be huge. That'll be everything. 764 00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:27,080 So he says, make sure you value the right things. 765 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:30,280 Make sure that you're looking for other people's profit and 766 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:35,040 not your own. Let me let me go back to 767 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:38,920 Galatians 2 for just a moment. Remember the the table that 768 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:43,400 Peter sat at mattered because other people were LED astray 769 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:44,800 because he sat at the wrong table. 770 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:45,880 That's why we have to be careful. 771 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:50,360 But do you know one of the people who was LED astray by 772 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:54,640 that whole situation was none other than Barnabas. 773 00:40:55,880 --> 00:41:00,560 And Barnabas was a good man. Barnabas, you don't really see a 774 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:02,280 crossword about him in the word of God. 775 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:05,840 I mean, he and Paul kind of got at loggerheads at one point. 776 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:09,360 They both had some pride in their life and the Lord used 777 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:10,720 him. One went one way, one went the 778 00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:13,560 other, and the gospel spread. But I mean, Barnabas, his name 779 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:17,760 literally meant the son of consolation, that he was one who 780 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:22,440 encouraged people. And Peter, when he moved over, 781 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:27,960 even caused a strong man like Barnabas to waver. 782 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:32,720 That's what I'm saying tonight. This isn't just about trying to 783 00:41:32,720 --> 00:41:38,160 placate weak people, but strong people have weak moments. 784 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:43,400 Strong people have weak moments. I never have a weak moment. 785 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,160 Then you don't know yourself and someone needs to help you 786 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:50,160 understand yourself. Because we all have situations. 787 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:55,000 Our flesh is weak, the Spirit's willing flesh is weak, and that 788 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:59,360 even within a body of mature believers, if we're not careful 789 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:05,480 that we could in some action that was not thought out 790 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:10,520 properly or prayerfully, we could end up communicating to 791 00:42:10,520 --> 00:42:12,160 someone else that something is OK. 792 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:15,080 That's not OK. And So what do we do? 793 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:19,120 We've got to be so careful. One person can make a 794 00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:21,840 difference. One person can cause a whole 795 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:24,320 group of people to think something is OK. 796 00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:25,720 That's not OK in the eyes of God. 797 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:30,120 But I'd also encourage you, one person who stands can do great 798 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:35,320 help as well. Here's the Philistines 40 days, 799 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:37,480 Goliath. Send me out a man. 800 00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:42,760 And the people of Israel, the people of God, are all hiding in 801 00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:44,160 their tents, including their king. 802 00:42:45,240 --> 00:42:51,080 Here comes David, a teenager's, a little boy, not little, but 803 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:54,240 young enough, so not young enough to be in the battle. 804 00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:58,800 He comes out, he looks around, he says, is there not a 'cause 805 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:02,040 he goes out with the help of God. 806 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:06,800 The giant's dead. David comes up, hacks his head 807 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:07,720 off. You want to talk about one of 808 00:43:07,720 --> 00:43:09,840 the things I'd love to see in instant replay in heaven? 809 00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:13,920 There's one of it right there. Hacks his head off and he's 810 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:17,960 standing there holding the sword above his head, probably 2 hands 811 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:20,760 all things considered. And all of a sudden Israel 812 00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:25,360 charges through the valley and now the Philistines are on the 813 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:27,680 run. You know, they could have done 814 00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:31,960 that 40 days ago. God would have helped him, but 815 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:34,360 took one man who was willing to stand up in the face of those 816 00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:38,120 who wouldn't, and it changed the course of the people of Israel. 817 00:43:39,240 --> 00:43:43,840 Yeah, one man can do great damage, but one man doing right 818 00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:48,120 can be of great help. One who says I'm not going to 819 00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:51,040 get involved in idolatry. I'm not going to think of 820 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:53,400 myself. I'm not going to play as close 821 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:56,560 to the edge as I possibly can without going over like it's the 822 00:43:56,560 --> 00:43:59,960 price is right. You know what I'm going to do? 823 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:02,160 I'm just going to stick to this book. 824 00:44:03,240 --> 00:44:05,040 I'm going to stick to what the Lord has for me. 825 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:08,440 I'm going to find things that are beneficial for me in my life 826 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:12,040 and beneficial for the people of others so I can communicate to 827 00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:15,960 everyone that God gets glory in everything in my life. 828 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:20,560 So I can give the glory to God to bring other people to God. 829 00:44:21,480 --> 00:44:23,600 Now, there's a lot of answers you'll have to work out for 830 00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:26,000 yourself tonight. These are things that you 831 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:27,560 prayerfully will have to consider. 832 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:29,240 I'm going to give you the answers. 833 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:33,520 That's the easy way out. But I will tell you as your 834 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:36,200 Christian liberty allows you pray on it. 835 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:38,960 Think about others in your unique situations. 836 00:44:39,240 --> 00:44:42,600 If God says don't do it, listen, don't do it. 837 00:44:43,720 --> 00:44:46,000 There's nothing to pray about. You'll never hear pastor, they 838 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:48,400 don't pray. But I will say it about this. 839 00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:49,840 If the law says do it, don't do it. 840 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:51,360 Don't pray about it, just don't do it. 841 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:54,040 Then you pray, ask God to give you strength to not do it. 842 00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:57,520 But Lord, is it still not right? It's not going to be right 843 00:44:57,640 --> 00:44:59,520 forever. You don't have to pray and ask 844 00:44:59,520 --> 00:45:01,440 the Lord if it's if it's still the same in his word. 845 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:07,880 But there's some things that, well, how do we apply that in my 846 00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:11,920 situation with the people around me, that I have influence on the 847 00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:15,080 people I'm trying to win to Christ, that unique situation. 848 00:45:15,880 --> 00:45:17,320 You have to ask yourself this question. 849 00:45:17,640 --> 00:45:18,920 The principle is always the same. 850 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:21,280 How does it affect me? How does it affect others? 851 00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:25,480 And can God receive glory? And can I bring other people to 852 00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:27,840 Christ by making sure I do the right thing? 853 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:31,440 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 854 00:45:31,440 --> 00:45:34,360 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 855 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:37,840 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 856 00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:42,440 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 857 00:45:42,720 --> 00:45:47,240 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 858 00:45:47,240 --> 00:45:50,080 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 859 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:51,280 grow in His Word.