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 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,040 When you turn to Bibles of First Corinthians chapter #8 as you 8 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,480 remember, we've been in our series living for God in an 9 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,440 ungodly world, and we've been starting to go into a little bit 10 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,120 more of a speedier pace as we picked up into Chapter 7, 11 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,320 chapter 8. We will continue this way to 12 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,640 chapter 910, eleven, and then finally slow down in chapter 12 13 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:45,800 and chapter 13 and onward from there. 14 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,720 And the reason why is because as we look at these chapters, each 15 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,960 of them deal with one specific issue, 1 specific thought. 16 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:55,240 And I could say that's about other chapters as well. 17 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,760 Chapter 5 particularly comes to mind with Church discipline. 18 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,120 But I do feel like these chapters really lend themselves 19 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,440 well to us being able to take them all together, particularly 20 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,880 this evening's chapter as we consider this issue that 21 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,640 remember at the beginning of Chapter 7, Paul says, you've 22 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,560 written to me about some issues. Now I'm going to address these 23 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,360 issues with you now. And we're going to look at 24 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,280 another one of those issues this evening. 25 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,120 And it really comes down to the possibility of the abuse of the 26 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,040 Christian liberty that the people of Corinth had for one 27 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:28,640 another. And the title, the message this 28 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,600 evening is this. You can, but should you? 29 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,840 You can, but should you? There's a lot of things in life 30 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,000 that you can do, but the question is just because you can 31 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,240 do it, you know, should you do it like that third cup of coffee 32 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:44,120 that you had today? You know you can do it, but 33 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,760 really, should you do it? This is why I switched to decaf 34 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,240 not that long ago because it was a bad move to drink as much 35 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:55,280 caffeine as I have, although I take this sip and again, this is 36 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,640 decaf, so it's all good. You know, you can carry all the 37 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,800 groceries in one go, you know, with by the handles. 38 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,240 But is it a good idea, especially when you drop the 39 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,039 eggs or who knows what milk, eggs and bread and such as you 40 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:11,680 could say, and keep opening the door, the oven, you know, just 41 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,440 to see if everything's baking inside. 42 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:15,440 But is that a good idea? Who knows? 43 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,480 Probably not. You stay up till 2:00 AM 44 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,760 watching TV, watching a West Coast Red Sox game because they 45 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:26,200 started late in Anaheim or in Seattle, working late on a 46 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,800 project, but just because he can. 47 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,280 Is it a good idea? Life is filled with these kinds 48 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,480 of decisions where I can do it, but ought I to do it? 49 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,960 And I'll be honest with you, a lot of them, the consequences of 50 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,240 them are very short lived and they're very minor. 51 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,320 You know, you stay up late one night, you'll be a little groggy 52 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,000 the next day. You drink up too much caffeine. 53 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,640 You know, one day you stay up too late that night and you'll 54 00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:52,920 be a little groggy the next day. However, there's some very 55 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:55,880 serious issues that come along with this idea, and this is what 56 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:57,400 we're going to look at this evening. 57 00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:59,640 Tonight we're going to see the Church of Jerusalem had a 58 00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:02,840 similar issue with something they had Christian liberty to 59 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,880 do, but the issue itself was tearing the church apart. 60 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,640 And through the conversation in chapter #8 Paul makes clear 61 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:13,480 this, that love matters more than liberty. 62 00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:15,640 And if you want to remember something from this message this 63 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:17,840 evening, it would be this. And we'll explain what it means 64 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,920 in just a moment that love matters more than liberty. 65 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,600 So let's read chapter #8 OK, we're going to start verse one. 66 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:28,440 We'll go all the way through. And it says this now as touching 67 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,520 things offered to idols. We know that we all have 68 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,600 knowledge. Knowledge puffed up, puffeth up, 69 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,960 but charity edifieth. If any man think that he knoweth 70 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,960 anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 71 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,080 But if a man love God, the same is known of Him. 72 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,560 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are 73 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:51,200 offered in sacrifice unto idols. We know that an idol is nothing 74 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,160 in the world, and that there is none other God but one. 75 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,720 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven 76 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,040 or earth, as there be gods many and Lords many. 77 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,800 Now don't be afraid of that. We'll look at that again in just 78 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,640 a moment. But to us there is one God, and 79 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,560 the Father of whom are all things, and we in Him, and 1 80 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,480 Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him. 81 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,040 Howbeit there's not in every man that knowledge. 82 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,560 For some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a 83 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,120 thing offered unto an idol, and their conscience being weak, is 84 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,720 defiled. But meat commendeth us not to 85 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,200 God. For neither if we eat, are we 86 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,360 the better, neither if we eat not are we the worse. 87 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,000 But take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours become a 88 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:37,880 stumbling block to them that are weak. 89 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,480 For if any man see thee which hath knowledge sit at meat in 90 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,720 the idols temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak 91 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,680 be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to 92 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,120 idols? And though thy knowledge shall 93 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:55,320 be weak, pardon me. And though thy knowledge shall 94 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,640 the one more time all right. And through thy knowledge shall 95 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,520 the weak brother perish, for whom Christ die. 96 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,320 But when he sins so against the brethren, and wound their weak 97 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:07,960 conscience, he sin against Christ. 98 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,280 Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no 99 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:15,360 flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to 100 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:18,800 offend. Now, before we get too far into 101 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,080 our message this evening, it's important for us to review once 102 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:25,520 again the concept of Christian liberty that we looked at just a 103 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,600 few weeks ago. Back in chapter 6. 104 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,320 We asked ourselves this question in regards to Christian liberty. 105 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,840 If we're free, are we then therefore free to sin? 106 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,160 And we saw in that message that freedom in Christ does not mean 107 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,920 that we have freedom from living for Christ. 108 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,360 So that freedom in Christ does not mean that we have freedom 109 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,920 from living for Christ. In fact, our Christian liberty 110 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,720 actually makes us more free to be able to live to serve Christ 111 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,320 out of love, and now out of obligation. 112 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,120 Our love for God helps us to understand that liberty is not a 113 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,400 blank check to be able to do whatever we want. 114 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:02,920 And that's really what this chapter builds upon. 115 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:06,640 Christian liberty when it comes to what we saw in chapter #6 we 116 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,840 need to be thinking about God when we are making the decisions 117 00:06:10,840 --> 00:06:12,560 that we are in regards to Christian liberty. 118 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,440 Now here in chapter 8, it's not just that we need to think about 119 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:19,080 God, but now that we need to think about man in regard to our 120 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,560 decisions as to what Christian liberty is all about. 121 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,880 So what is the issue that they are arguing about? 122 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,240 You saw it mentioned here in our text, this issue of eating meat 123 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,400 that is offered unto idols. And we'll explain more about 124 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,560 that what means in just a moment and why they would have been 125 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,840 controversial and why some people would have thought it's 126 00:06:36,840 --> 00:06:39,200 not a big deal and why other people would have thought that 127 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,160 it was a huge deal. But before we get to that, I 128 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,960 want to give us some background that really Paul gives us in 129 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,360 this chapter. So if you're if you're following 130 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,960 along your prayer bulletin, which you are not, but if you 131 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:52,440 were to have a prayer bulletin and you were writing down inside 132 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:57,320 your prayer bulletin, the first blank would be #1 the concern #1 133 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,120 the concern. What was the concern that Paul 134 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,320 had for the Corinthians in this matter? 135 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,960 You see, before he addresses the specifics of the controversy, he 136 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,640 makes a statement that seems like on his face it would have 137 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,400 nothing to do with the controversy whatsoever. 138 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,760 He says knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifies. 139 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:17,760 You see that verse number one right there at the end. 140 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,040 Knowledge puff it up, but charity edify it. 141 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:25,120 Now this may sound strange. It may sound like Paul is saying 142 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:29,400 that knowledge is no good, but we understand by knowing the 143 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,600 whole counsel of God that knowledge is very important. 144 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,800 But knowledge is not the end all or the be all. 145 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,520 And So what Paul is saying is that knowledge is good, but 146 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,640 there is another element to knowledge that you need to know, 147 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,760 and that is charity, of course, the purest form of love. 148 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,440 First Corinthians 13 we're going to get there where we find that 149 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:52,600 charity is not just love, but is the highest regard of love, the 150 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,800 type of love that gives, expecting nothing in return. 151 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,480 And so here he says knowledge puffeth up, but charity 152 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,400 edifieth. Now here's how I've explained it 153 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:03,760 before and I'll explain it again this evening in regards to 154 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,640 knowledge. Knowledge is like having a pile 155 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,760 of bricks. If you're going to build 156 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:11,800 something, having a pile of bricks is a good thing. 157 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,320 And if you're building something with bricks, can't build it 158 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,440 without, well, the bricks, right? 159 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:19,320 That just makes sense. If you were a bricklayer, if 160 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,320 you're building some of the bricks, you have to have bricks. 161 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,520 And knowledge is like a stack of bricks in building something, 162 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:27,640 you need to have the right kind of bricks. 163 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,800 I have heard that there are different kind of bricks that 164 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,760 may not be as suitable for the tasks that are needed. 165 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,400 They could be too crumbly, they could be too porous, they could 166 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:40,320 be the incorrect or inconsistent sizing. 167 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,760 These are issues that make sure that you have the right kind of 168 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:44,760 bricks. And so when it comes to 169 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,280 knowledge, it's it's the same way that we need to make sure 170 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,720 that we have the right kind of knowledge because there's 171 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:52,560 knowledge that is foolish. There is knowledge that is truly 172 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:55,120 not knowledge. And so it is important that we 173 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:57,360 learn knowledge. We're not condemning knowledge 174 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,720 here. Paul certainly as one who was so 175 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,480 learned as he is, was not condemning knowledge in any way, 176 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,320 shape or form, but he's trying to make people understand that 177 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,080 you need to know what knowledge is for. 178 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,320 And knowledge needs to kind of stay in its lane, if you will. 179 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:16,800 Just because a bricklayer has bricks doesn't mean he can build 180 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:20,160 in whatever way he wants. You know, he could do a lot of 181 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:21,960 things with the bricks that were incorrect. 182 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,560 He could make a lot of mistakes. He could just collect bricks and 183 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:27,960 never do anything with them. He can just find all these 184 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,720 beautiful bricks and never actually do anything with them. 185 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,280 He could say with pride, look at all the bricks that I have and 186 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,160 maybe feel arrogant about the fact that he's collected more 187 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,440 bricks than any other Mason. You could start to build and 188 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:42,880 never have a plan. Just brick here, brick there, 189 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,120 and hey, we'll see what happens. You can use the bricks to build 190 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,960 something, but then follow the wrong kind of plan that's 191 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,080 suitable for that which you were trying to build. 192 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:55,520 You can build properly, but yet you can build lazily and not 193 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,040 with that haste that is necessary, particularly when 194 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:00,440 you're considering the mortar that holds them together. 195 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:04,400 If you don't lay the bricks in the right timing, then you could 196 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,400 end up not having them cohesively together and they 197 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,480 could cause problems later on. So having the bricks is good, 198 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,760 but what you do with the bricks is vitally important. 199 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,600 Here's what I'm talking about when it comes to the issue of 200 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,480 knowledge. Having knowledge is good. 201 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,320 You need to have the right kind of knowledge. 202 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,960 But just because you have the knowledge doesn't mean you have 203 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,960 achieved the end goal. It doesn't mean you've gotten to 204 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,920 the end result. All it means is, well, you have 205 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:32,480 some knowledge, you have some bricks. 206 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:34,640 And here's the question. What are you going to do with 207 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:37,600 those bricks or what are you going to do with that knowledge? 208 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,760 And that's why he says this. That knowledge puffeth up. 209 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:44,800 But charity edifieth. Now what is that word charity? 210 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:47,360 Well, we just talked about what the word charity means. 211 00:10:47,560 --> 00:10:49,800 But that word edifieth, what does that mean? 212 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,200 It it literally means something that is helpful or something 213 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,080 that will build. And so here we see the the 214 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:01,080 connection of the illustration to what we see here in the Word 215 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,960 of God. If knowledge is the bricks, but 216 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:08,200 then the bricklayer has to make sure that he is building in a 217 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,440 way that, well, builds properly. If we have knowledge, then we 218 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:17,280 may have to make sure that we edify or build upon that 219 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,520 knowledge in the right way. And how do we do that? 220 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:24,480 We must use knowledge with love. We must use knowledge with 221 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,120 biblical charity. And this is how Paul opens First 222 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,040 Corinthians 13, 13 when he says, though I speak with the tongues 223 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:32,800 of men and angels and have not charity, I'm become as a 224 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:34,920 sounding brass or tinkling cymbal. 225 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,480 And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all 226 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,800 mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that 227 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:44,160 I could remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing. 228 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:46,320 He says this, it's good to have the knowledge. 229 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:47,440 It's right to have the knowledge. 230 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,200 But that's not the end all be all. 231 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,680 It's just the beginning. Like a Mason can't collect 232 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:54,600 bricks and say I'm done. It's like, dude, you just 233 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:56,440 started, what are you going to do with it? 234 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,760 OK, You have knowledge, you're going to do with it, You're 235 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,520 going to employ it. You were going to use it in a 236 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,000 fashion that builds people up, which means that you need to use 237 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,800 it with charity. And so Paul's laying a 238 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,600 foundation right now in this whole argument about whether we 239 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,400 should eat meat offered to idols or not. 240 00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:15,320 This argument that's taking place in the Corinthian church, 241 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,640 it's so hot that they are now writing to Paul and saying, help 242 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:23,160 us settle this issue, whether we should be acting this way or not 243 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,200 with the meat or without the meat, with the idols or without 244 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:28,320 the idols. And Paul says time out. 245 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,760 Before I tell you what I think you need to do with this, you 246 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,200 need to understand that the knowledge that you have is good. 247 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:39,360 However, the charity that you have, one to another, should 248 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:43,480 supersede that knowledge and should really coincide with the 249 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:46,800 knowledge so that make it you can make sure that you are 250 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,000 making the proper decisions because these decisions aren't 251 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,320 being made in a vacuum. And Paul reiterates that in 252 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:57,000 verses #2 and 3 when he says, if any man think that he knoweth 253 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:00,600 anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 254 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:03,440 Basically Paul saying a know it all doesn't know anything. 255 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,120 He says though, listen to what I'm trying to explain to you. 256 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:08,160 Listen to what I'm trying to teach you. 257 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:12,800 Because if you're just going by this is what I know, this is 258 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:17,000 what I believe, and that's it. And you're not keeping in mind 259 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,000 the other people around you, then you're going to abuse your 260 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,440 Christian liberty. And the verse #3 says, but if 261 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,480 any man love God, the same is known of him. 262 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,240 And we could look at it this way, that true spiritual 263 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:33,400 maturity isn't about how much you know, but by how much you 264 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,280 love and how much you are loved by God. 265 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,000 And again, we know that God loves us all, that God loved us 266 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,600 when we were unlovable, that he loves us. 267 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:43,840 We love Him because he first loved us first. 268 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:47,640 John, we just mentioned, I just mentioned that last week, But 269 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,880 rather, we also understand that we are known of him, that our 270 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:56,880 love that comes from him to us, that there's an intimacy that 271 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:01,160 comes when we have a loving relationship with him. 272 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,080 And so Paul's reiterating that here to the people of Corinth, 273 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,840 You know, you know what you know and what you know is good, but 274 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:12,400 you have to make sure that you have charity with each other as 275 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,400 well. And so that first part is the 276 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,400 concern that Paul's laying out. He's giving the groundwork for 277 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:22,120 the problem at hand here, and this is important for us to see. 278 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:25,160 But then he lays out number two, not just a concern, but the 279 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:27,840 controversy. So what's the actual controversy 280 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:30,680 that takes place? I know we saw it here, mentioned 281 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,240 it briefly, but what exactly is taking place? 282 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,960 And verse #4 opens up with that when it says as concerning, 283 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,920 therefore, the eating of those things that are offered and 284 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:43,800 sacrifice unto idols. We know that an idol is nothing 285 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,880 in the world and that there is none other God but one. 286 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:49,720 OK, so it says right, right there that there is this issue 287 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,760 that people in the church are eating meat offered to idols. 288 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,360 Now, that's enough for us to be able to have some understanding 289 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:00,000 what's taking place, but history actually also gives us a fuller 290 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,600 understanding of what Paul is talking about here. 291 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:07,320 The meat that was being spoken of was offered on Pagan altars 292 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,640 and it was usually divided in three portions when it was taken 293 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:14,280 to the altar of Zeus or would have been taken to the altar of 294 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:18,680 Aphrodite, particularly there in Corinth, that they had this meat 295 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,960 that had been sacrificed and now they had loads and loads of meat 296 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,600 that was leftover and typically one portion was burned and honor 297 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,200 the God. Another portion was given to the 298 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,720 worshipper to take home and to eat, and a third final portion 299 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,560 was given to the priest. Now the priest didn't always 300 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,240 want that portion or the priest sometime may have had more of an 301 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:41,480 abundance that was necessary. So what they would do is they 302 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:45,680 would take that and they would sell that meat at what would be 303 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,720 a temple restaurant or a temple market or something of that 304 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:51,840 nature. So what you have is the people 305 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:56,720 at Corinth are having questions about whether members are going 306 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:00,760 to the temple, an area adjacent to the temple, maybe even inside 307 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,840 the temple, and they are going to eat this meat. 308 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,800 And the meat was at a bargain because it was received for 309 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:08,720 free. And so, you know, people in back 310 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,040 then like a good deal. And So what is going to happen 311 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,000 is that the Christians of the Church of Corinth, some of them 312 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,720 were saying, listen, my meat market is the temple. 313 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,920 Why is that? Well, I don't like the what goes 314 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:23,520 on to the temple, but they have the best prices and I want to 315 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:25,000 make the most of the money that I have. 316 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,160 Nobody has been prices than temple meat market. 317 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,760 Nobody cooks it better than the temple meat market. 318 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,480 So I will go over there and eat. And so you can see that there's 319 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:40,920 this argument that's fomenting here for that's not the word I 320 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:44,480 was looking for fermenting. There's, there's an argument 321 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:48,840 here and that's, there's an argument that's taking place 322 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:50,040 amongst the people. It's hard. 323 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:51,760 I don't have any feedback because it's just me. 324 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:54,280 And so some of you just saying, Pastor, what are you talking 325 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:55,680 about? I can't tell what you're saying. 326 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:58,120 But anyway, if I could just stare at myself on the computer 327 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,440 screen and I, I don't, I'm not giving myself approval right 328 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,480 now. But anyway, even there's a Greek 329 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,200 order and philosopher who talked about this. 330 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:09,119 His name was Christostum and he said in the markets of Corinth 331 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:11,640 and other cities, people do not think it's strange to buy meat 332 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:15,720 from the sacrifices, for this is lawful and customary among men. 333 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,560 So this raised many ethical and theological questions amongst 334 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:22,800 the people that were there in the Church of Corinth. 335 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:29,040 And so they had some real issues with this questions like what if 336 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:31,960 we're served meat purchased at the temple market when we're 337 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,960 guests at someone's home? Can a Christian eat at the 338 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:40,440 restaurant at the Pagan temple? Is it proper to be able to eat 339 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:45,040 meat at all that has been blessed by a Pagan priest or 340 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:49,360 that was offered to a Pagan God? And so there are two sides to 341 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:51,400 the argument here. And maybe already you're 342 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,840 thinking about, well, I know what I would do if this was me. 343 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:56,840 And I want you to put that on pause for just a second because 344 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:58,920 I want you to consider the arguments and then consider what 345 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:00,160 Paul's going to say in response to him. 346 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:01,640 But they're basically 2 arguments. 347 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,000 There's one group that says, listen, who cares? 348 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,040 The gods aren't real. We know they're not real. 349 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,880 We know that God is real. He's the only one that's real. 350 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,560 I'm trying to save my money. I'm trying to be a good steward. 351 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,600 If I go there and I buy it for cheap, then what's the 352 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:16,200 difference? And that's really the argument 353 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:20,680 that comes up in verse #5 and six for though there be that are 354 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,160 called gods, whether in heaven and earth, as there be gods many 355 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:25,880 and Lords many. And again, I told you, don't 356 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:27,960 worry about that. Let's talking about the human 357 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,200 gods and human Lords. In fact, you go to Psalm 82, 358 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,800 verse 6 through 8. It talks about those leaders 359 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,520 that have a judgment that is laid upon them. 360 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:41,160 But it's not talking about the fact that there are other true 361 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:46,160 gods, because it says in verse #6 But to us there is but one 362 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:47,480 God. Of course, that was reiterated 363 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:51,280 the end of verse #4 as well. But there is to us but one God, 364 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,520 the Father of whom are all things, and we and him and 1 365 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:58,640 Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 366 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:02,600 So there's this first group who says, if I know that God isn't 367 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:05,360 real, well, who cares if I go or not? 368 00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:07,600 I can handle it. I'm not going to go into the 369 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:11,720 temple and worship in the way that they worship. 370 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:15,160 And I know that God's not real. And if anybody saw me walk into 371 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:18,680 that temple meat market and thought that I was actually 372 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,920 going to worship that idol will shame on them for thinking that 373 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,360 because they should know my Christian testimony as such as 374 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:26,920 that. I don't believe those things. 375 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:29,360 And so that one group is very passionate about that. 376 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,520 But you had the second group that, well, they didn't quite 377 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,760 understand why, if you're saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, 378 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,320 then why on earth would you go back to the temple of which you 379 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,960 probably were worshipping at before, and now you're going 380 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:45,440 back? But it's like, hey, I don't 381 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,640 believe that anymore, but I like the meat. 382 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:50,520 And listen, I like BBQ as much as anybody. 383 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:53,360 But the question is, does that mean I should be going into a 384 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:56,680 Pagan temple to get it? And that comes up in verse #7 385 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,120 where it says, howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge. 386 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:02,360 For some with conscience of the idol, under this hour Eden is 387 00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:05,200 the thing offered unto an idol, and their conscience being weak, 388 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,600 is defiled now. The first group could dismiss 389 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,240 the second group and say, well, listen, get it together. 390 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:12,920 You know, you're a believer now. You know that this isn't a 391 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:16,560 thing, so what's the big deal? But the second group could say, 392 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,480 what's the matter with you? Don't you know we used to 393 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:20,360 worship there? Don't you know the things that 394 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:23,040 took place there? Don't you know that that meat 395 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,600 was offered to the idols? Why would you have a part of 396 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:27,760 that? And there were some that perhaps 397 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:32,320 were Jews that in their soul they were uncomfortable with 398 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,360 this Pagan worship. They were uncomfortable with it 399 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:38,480 in his very core, even before they were saved and said, no, I 400 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:40,480 don't want to go in there. But then again, there were some 401 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,360 of the Gentiles who went in there freely before they got 402 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:45,200 saved. And and now they're saying, why 403 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,840 would I want to go back there? And they kind of look at the 404 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,320 thing with the first group and say, how could you be so casual 405 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,120 about this? How could you not? 406 00:20:51,120 --> 00:20:53,720 How, how could you just go in there knowing what takes place 407 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,280 and, and knowing that this meat was offered to idols? 408 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,680 Why on earth would you do that? And it says that there's a, a 409 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:07,080 weakness in their spirit in that second group in verse #7 when it 410 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,160 says and their conscience being weak, is defiled. 411 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,240 Now, again, that's not talking about the fact that they're weak 412 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,520 and self-discipline in the sense that they Paul's not suggesting 413 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,000 that they think that if they go back to the temple, all of a 414 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:20,840 sudden they're going to start worshipping at the temple again. 415 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:22,920 Was talking about that in their conscience. 416 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:24,520 They say, I, I can't handle that. 417 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:27,160 I can't do that. I, I, I can't square that 418 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,720 circle, if you will, that I would go back to the place to 419 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:34,440 buy meat where I used to worship a Pagan God. 420 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,560 And so it seems like they're loggerheads. 421 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,760 It seems like there's two groups that have two very entrenched 422 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,280 positions and never the twain shall meet. 423 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,800 And so we have this concern that Paul has he he lays the 424 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,880 groundwork that knowledge puffeth up. 425 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:53,160 But charity edifieth knowledge is like the bubble and charities 426 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,320 like the builder, right knowledge, you know puffeth up, 427 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,040 you know, you know the bubble and then you have the builder. 428 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:01,600 That's what charity is. And so we start with this 429 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:05,960 foundation of charity and then he goes into the the controversy 430 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,440 itself. And again, their knowledge is 431 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:10,560 getting in the way. A little bit of really thinking 432 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:14,840 about this group says, I know that God is not real, that 433 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:16,880 little G God that is being worshipped. 434 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:20,160 I know he's not real. My knowledge is right and true 435 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:24,040 about that and that other group, but their knowledge is different 436 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:26,320 and they're saying, I came from that before. 437 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:29,600 And I don't understand why anybody would want to go back 438 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:31,880 there, even if it's not to worship, even if it's just to 439 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,160 get this cheap meat. And so that really brings us to 440 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:36,880 the third part, which is the conclusion. 441 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:38,880 And unfortunately for you, that's the longest part of my 442 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,960 message. And so we have the concern and 443 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,160 the controversy, but we also have the conclusion because what 444 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,480 does Paul say about this? And interestingly enough, this 445 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:51,680 conundrum doesn't probably have the satisfying answer that 446 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,960 you're looking for because perhaps maybe just going back in 447 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,120 your mind from when we read the text a few moments ago, you're 448 00:22:57,120 --> 00:22:59,800 saying which camp did he go into, camp number one or camp 449 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:01,280 number 2? Was he? 450 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,120 And it's not a big deal to go in there or you ought not to go 451 00:23:04,120 --> 00:23:08,720 back in there at all. And the answer is yes, you say, 452 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:10,760 pastor, it's not a yes or no question. 453 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,840 And the answer is exactly, it is not a yes or no question. 454 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:16,520 And if you're looking for a yes or no answer, then you're going 455 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,440 to be very unsatisfied by what you're going to find in the next 456 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:21,760 verses. But really the issue all comes 457 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,240 down to this love. Now, I'm not talking about that 458 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:29,000 weak, wishy washy, mealy mouthed, liberal Christianity 459 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,440 type of love. That means love everything that 460 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:33,680 God hates. That's not what I'm talking 461 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:35,800 about. What I'm talking about is love 462 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,080 for the brethren, love for one another. 463 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,600 This is what is to govern, what we ought to do. 464 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:47,320 Love matters more than liberty. That was true in chapter 6, that 465 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,800 our love for God matters more than our liberty. 466 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:54,400 And here in chapter 8 our love for each other matters more than 467 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,000 liberty. And this shouldn't surprise us 468 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,040 because we go back to the Gospels and Jesus says this. 469 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:01,000 He says the 1st and greatest commandment is this. 470 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,400 Love the Lord thy God of all that heart and all thy soul, and 471 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,720 all that mind. And the second greatest 472 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,720 commandment is life unto it. Love thy neighbor as thyself. 473 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,160 Upon this hangs all the law and the prophets. 474 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,360 And Jesus said this because he basically said if you love God 475 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:18,440 the way you want and you love man as you want, then really you 476 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,360 can fulfill all of the law and the prophets in that. 477 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,960 Because, well, even the 10 commandments, the first four 478 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,040 deal with this love God. The last six deal with this love 479 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,360 man. And if you call those or if you 480 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:31,320 follow those the way you want, you follow all the 10 481 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:33,200 commandments. And the issue here is the same. 482 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,080 Christian liberty should be tempered by our love for God. 483 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:39,480 Christian liberty should be tempered by our love for each 484 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:41,120 other. See, a lot of times when we come 485 00:24:41,120 --> 00:24:43,520 these issues, and this is where we're going to kind of get down 486 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:48,280 to brass tacks because here for us, you're saying, pastor, this 487 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:51,280 is not an issue for us today and it's not an issue for us today. 488 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:56,480 But the issue that underlies the issue is as relevant today as it 489 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:58,560 was 2000 years ago when this was pinned. 490 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:02,240 When we get to these issues, you know, what should I do? 491 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:04,680 Should I eat the meat offered idols? 492 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:06,880 Should I not eat the meat offered idols? 493 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:10,960 Everybody was concerned with what I need to do. 494 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,280 Now catch this. Everyone's concerned. 495 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:17,200 What can I do? What am I allowed to do? 496 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:21,280 Me, me, me, me, me. And so Paul says this. 497 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,600 The answer really comes down to not you. 498 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,080 The answer has to come down to your brother. 499 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,480 It's really not about what's best for me, what is about 500 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:34,320 what's best for thee. And that's what Paul gets down 501 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:38,840 to, to the place that if you did something that you knew would 502 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:42,280 cause your brother to stumble and fall into sin just so you 503 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,480 can exercise your Christian liberty, then you are the one 504 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,200 that is in sin. This is what Paul says for us, 505 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:50,800 and this is what Paul means in Galatians 513. 506 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:54,200 I know we read this verse back a few weeks ago in relation to 507 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,720 Christian liberty and 1st Corinthians chapter 6, but he 508 00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:00,280 said this in Galatians 513 For brethren, he had been called to 509 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:06,000 liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by 510 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:10,800 love that what do we just see? Charity edifieth by love serve 511 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:14,120 one another. And so we see here think about 512 00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:17,040 the other person. And so Galatians 513 just fits 513 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:21,120 so well into this chapter. But by love serve one another 514 00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:23,840 that our liberty is not to be abused. 515 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:27,800 And that is true even with our Christian brethren, or I should 516 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,840 maybe even say, especially with our Christian brethren. 517 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:36,000 So what should a Christian do when meat is offered to idols? 518 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:40,920 Well, again, the problem with answering this so cleanly is it 519 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,520 doesn't. It's an answer that can't be 520 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:48,160 answered in a vacuum because you're talking to people who are 521 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:50,480 intertwined in a church. You're talking to brothers and 522 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:52,880 sisters in Christ who are observing one another in the 523 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,760 temple, outside the temple. And so the answer cannot just be 524 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,200 as clean as this is what I want to do because you were part of a 525 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:01,480 body. And we learned from First 526 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,280 Corinthians 12, and it's why the book just goes so well together. 527 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,320 God's harmony of this word is that First Corinthians 12, we 528 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:09,440 are a body and that we are intertwined. 529 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:12,120 And what you do affects me, what I do effects you. 530 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,480 And so it's not just about what I want, cheap meat. 531 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,360 It has to be more other than that. 532 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:19,720 It's not just about that God isn't real. 533 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:24,040 It has to be more than that because what you do effects me, 534 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,360 and what I do ought to affect you. 535 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:28,840 So now go down to verse #8 let's read through the rest of the 536 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,760 chapter and see the conclusion of this matter. 537 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,880 It says, But me commendeth us not to God. 538 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:39,200 For neither if we eat are we the better, neither if we eat not or 539 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:40,800 we the worst. So Paul says, stop right here 540 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:42,480 before you get so bent out of shape. 541 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,200 It's just made, you know, there's so many hills that we 542 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,680 want to die on. And if we just took a breath and 543 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,720 backed up for a second about backed up in the ice maker. 544 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,960 But if we we just took a breath, we realized this isn't as 545 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:57,360 important as I'm making out to be. 546 00:27:57,360 --> 00:27:59,000 He says you eat meat, you don't eat meat. 547 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,720 Really in the eyes of God, this doesn't matter. 548 00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:06,600 Again, there's nothing wrong with eating meat in general. 549 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:08,160 We know that Peter struggled with this. 550 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,080 And then the vision came down three different times. 551 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:12,440 Peter was told rise and kill and eat. 552 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:15,160 So there's no condemnation that comes with that. 553 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,280 But whether you eat it or not your whole life, this is not the 554 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:20,920 real issue of life. And so he starts by saying, 555 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:25,560 listen, calm down for a second. Take a breath, survey the 556 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:29,440 landscape of this argument before you plant your flag on 557 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,160 one side or the other. And that's why he used the 558 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:36,840 phrase take heed in verse #9 but take heed by any means. 559 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,240 This liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to them that are 560 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:42,480 weak. So you have the liberty to go to 561 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:47,760 the temple, but make sure that you don't cause someone to 562 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,600 stumble. Make sure that someone who is 563 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:51,840 weaker. Remember weaker in their 564 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:52,960 knowledge. We're going to see weaker in 565 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,080 their conscience, the idea that either they're younger in the 566 00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:59,080 faith or because they've had some experiences in their past, 567 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:02,000 or because of a sin that does so easily beset them. 568 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,040 Be careful that you don't allow your Christian liberty to cause 569 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:09,720 someone else to stumble. For if any man see thee which 570 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:12,760 hath knowledge sit at the meat in the idols temple, shall not 571 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,160 the conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat those 572 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:16,480 things that are offered to idols? 573 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,560 What you do matters to other people. 574 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,000 As soon as somebody sees you do something, they see that as 575 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:23,880 approval. And so Paul says, think about 576 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:25,960 this. Imagine you were sitting at the 577 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:28,920 window, if we could just put it that way, of the temple meat 578 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:31,680 market. You're enjoying a rack of ribs 579 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:33,720 right there. You got sauce all over your 580 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:35,320 face. You got sauce all over your 581 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:37,960 hands. Saint Louis style BBQ. 582 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:40,080 OK, I'm going way too far here, but you understand. 583 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:43,000 You're just loving life and you got barbecue on your face. 584 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,080 You got barbecue on your hands. You got those wet naps and 585 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:47,880 you've got them everywhere. And you look out the window and 586 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:51,440 right there is a man from church and he's staring at you. 587 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:57,520 This brother just got saved. This brother perhaps used to be 588 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,520 in service in the temple. Now he sees you sit in the 589 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,600 temple eating the ribs, having the time of your life. 590 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,040 What does that communicate to him? 591 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,360 And maybe say, well, listen, I'm just going to live my life and 592 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,280 it really doesn't matter. Knowledge puffeth up. 593 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:16,240 I know it's not real knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifies. 594 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,720 Is that meat so important to you that you were willing to allow 595 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:22,360 someone else to stumble in their walk? 596 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:26,160 And so verse #11 continues. And through thy knowledge there 597 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:28,640 it is, the connection with verse #1 thy knowledge. 598 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:31,200 Shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died. 599 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:35,080 Now talking about that brother perishing, I, I, we could look 600 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:36,880 at that several different ways. The Bible talks about the 601 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:39,680 outward man perishing, but the inward man renewing day by day. 602 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,680 Perhaps even that brother could end up going into a place, not 603 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:44,920 that his soul was taken, but that he could get into some 604 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:48,640 very, very bad ways. Because he's seen other people 605 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:52,240 that have given the name of Christ, but for some reason 606 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:54,160 doesn't seem like they're acting like Christ. 607 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,400 And now they get involved in something they shouldn't get 608 00:30:57,400 --> 00:30:58,920 involved in. And now all of a sudden they get 609 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,000 themselves and stared into a really, really bad place. 610 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:05,800 And so Paul said, does this, Are you willing to sack love my own 611 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:09,680 preferences. And so verse #12 says, but when 612 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,640 he sins so against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, 613 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,200 ye sin against Christ. This is important. 614 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:18,520 You say this is a preference password. 615 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:24,520 Whatever I do, you know if you do something that causes another 616 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:29,080 brother to stumble, then you have sinned against the Lord, 617 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,600 even if what you are not doing is inherently sinful. 618 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,440 Because your inherent sin is loving yourself more than loving 619 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,280 the other person. Your inherent sin is 620 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:37,680 selfishness. So. 621 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:39,160 But what I was doing wasn't a big deal. 622 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,920 But the meat. The idols aren't real. 623 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:45,360 Yes, but you took an idol and worshipped it. 624 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,960 You weren't expecting. You worshiped yourself above the 625 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,800 other person, and so in that you have sinned. 626 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:53,400 You see, there's a completely different way of looking. 627 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:56,360 You know, we're so in tune and ingrained, especially United 628 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:58,000 States of America. These are my rights. 629 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,080 These are my rights. And by the way, we have rights 630 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:01,640 and thank the Lord for the rights that we have. 631 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,720 But sometimes we take that into the Christian realm and all we 632 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:06,840 think about is this is what I can do, this is what I can do. 633 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,920 And we don't give a hoot about our brethren, and we might cause 634 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:13,640 them to stumble, them to fall, them to be concerned, them to 635 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,720 have a conflict of conscience. And it never even crosses our 636 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:20,680 mind. And Paul says this is sin and 637 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:24,720 you're sinning against Christ. But verse 13 says, wherefore me 638 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,960 make my brother to offend? I will eat no flesh while the 639 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,560 world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. 640 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:32,600 Now there's an interesting phrase here. 641 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,000 It's given twice in the phrase in the verse. 642 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:39,920 It doesn't say that if you offend somebody that you need to 643 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,200 correct your ways because boy, people can get offended on 644 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,840 anything nowadays. But it says if I've caused my 645 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:49,280 brother to offend, the difference there is it's not 646 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:53,080 that I am they are offended because of their sensibilities. 647 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:56,240 But if I do something that caused them to offend, in 648 00:32:56,240 --> 00:33:00,560 essence to stumble to sin, that's a big difference because 649 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:02,040 if you're constantly looking around, are you offended? 650 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:03,120 Are you offended? Are you offended? 651 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:07,600 Are you offended you can't live the Christian life because we 652 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:10,440 just need to make sure we live for the Lord as he has told us 653 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,200 to live. But in that he has told us make 654 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,800 sure that you're looking to others, that you're not going to 655 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:20,400 do something that is going to teach them something that will 656 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:22,960 cause them to stumble. And so because of that, what do 657 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,080 you do? Christian Liberty says you love 658 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:28,560 the other person. There's a lot of examples of 659 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:30,120 this today. Again, you say, pastor, this 660 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:34,040 probably doesn't have a whole lot to do with us today. 661 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,760 There are in Christianity several items that again, this 662 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:39,760 is not about things that God calls sin. 663 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:42,560 You say, well, you know, some people drink alcohol and some 664 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:44,600 people don't. The Bible calls it sin. 665 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:47,000 We're not talking about that. Well, you know, some people use 666 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:48,760 the King James Version, other people use different Bible 667 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:49,160 versions. Nope. 668 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:53,600 I believe very clearly the King James Bible is the inspired word 669 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:54,880 of God for the English speaking people. 670 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:57,520 Praise the Lord for it. That is perfect. 671 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,560 It's inspired. We're not talking about that. 672 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:05,160 We're talking about items that, you know, different people look 673 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:08,920 at a little bit different ways. There are some Christians that 674 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,120 won't eat pork. I love bacon. 675 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:13,920 Avoid. Well, I love bacon. 676 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,320 I sure do. I couldn't do that. 677 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,040 I could not. I go back to, you know, rise and 678 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:20,440 kill and eat. But there are some Christians 679 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:22,000 who believe we should be following the Leviticus, 680 00:34:22,679 --> 00:34:25,560 Levitical dietary laws, the laws of Moses. 681 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:27,520 Some Christians don't eat meat at all. 682 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:31,360 That is their right to be able to do so. 683 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:37,600 There are issues like Christian School and home school and 684 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:42,320 public school, which is right. And boy, there could be heated 685 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,800 arguments on all of those sides. I'll say I have typically not 686 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,320 like a lot of regard for the public school system, but there 687 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,080 are some places where in situations where the public 688 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:53,840 school system is such that you feel like your child could be 689 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:56,880 shielded from a lot of the worldly influences. 690 00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:59,760 But that's something that you have to get with with the Lord. 691 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:03,920 Going to eat on a Sunday or even shopping on a Sunday. 692 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:05,600 There's some Christians who won't do it, Still won't. 693 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:06,840 I've encountered some of them before. 694 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:09,520 I'll go out to eat on a Sunday. Don't have any problem with it, 695 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:14,800 but there's some that do. Going into a paki and buying 696 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:19,560 something that is not alcohol, you know, you go in and buy a 697 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:21,080 bag of ice. You can go in and buy a soda, 698 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:24,440 you can go in and buy a pack of gum. 699 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:27,560 You can do that. Now, I would argue that we're to 700 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:29,960 abstain from all appearance of evil, and I think that ought to 701 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:33,920 cover something like that. But you could also say, well, I 702 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,560 mean, I'm not going in to buy any alcohol, so what's the big 703 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:38,160 deal? And you could be right about 704 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:39,560 that. You can walk into a packie every 705 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,280 day your entire life, never get alcohol, never get scratch 706 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:45,080 tickets, never get anything like that and you could be fine. 707 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:49,480 But the question is, what happens when those people see 708 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:51,320 you go in there every day? Are you going to be able to 709 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:53,080 witness to them? What happens when someone from 710 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:55,120 church sees you going in there? Are you going to be able to talk 711 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:58,680 to them about the Lord? Are you be able, oh, could they 712 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:01,480 stumble? Go to a restaurant that serves 713 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:02,720 alcohol? That's another one. 714 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:05,640 I know some who don't want to go to a restaurant that won't serve 715 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:07,200 alcohol. Not many to go to anymore. 716 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:08,680 Be honest. Even Cracker Barrel serves 717 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:11,280 alcohol anymore. It's an abomination as far as 718 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:14,080 I'm concerned. But I go to restaurants that 719 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,000 serve alcohol. I just don't sit at the bar. 720 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,400 And there are some Christians who feel like that is not 721 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:21,360 something that they should do. So here's what it comes down to. 722 00:36:21,720 --> 00:36:22,920 What? What should we do? 723 00:36:23,240 --> 00:36:26,960 Well, what we need to do? As you just read, we finished 724 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:29,400 the chapter. He said, which one can't #1 725 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:32,280 can't #2 where does Paul fit? Again, Paul doesn't fit in 726 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:33,520 either of them. He says this. 727 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:37,440 Consider the brethren. Consider that you don't cause 728 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:42,560 them to offend, to stumble. So think of others more than you 729 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:47,800 think of yourself. Now, this follows a lot more 730 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:51,840 than just the Christian element, or rather maybe the Church 731 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,560 element, we could call it, but it ought to be just true in our 732 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:56,840 homes. You know, when it comes to a 733 00:36:56,840 --> 00:37:00,520 marriage relationship, we ought to think of our spouse more than 734 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:02,280 we think of ourselves. If we're not careful, even in 735 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:05,760 marriage, we can push our own ideas, our own things that we 736 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:07,560 want to do. This is what I want to do. 737 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,280 This is what I want to spend my money on or our money on. 738 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:13,840 This is what I want to do this evening. 739 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:17,240 And we can end up just pushing our own agenda and causing the 740 00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:21,200 other person some real harm in the sense that they don't feel 741 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:22,800 loved or they don't feel cherished. 742 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:26,000 And so we prefer ourselves more than the other person. 743 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:29,720 And that can be problematic amongst friends. 744 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:33,280 Even making sure that one another cares for one another 745 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:34,680 and encouraging each other, building each other. 746 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:37,680 They're up in their Christian walk instead of something that 747 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,080 could take away from it. At work, again, even amongst 748 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:44,280 other people that we're making sure that we're acting in such a 749 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:46,520 way that people can see Christ in us. 750 00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:49,880 The hope of glory. Our mindset should always be one 751 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:53,800 of love and not of liberty. It's not that I can do it, but 752 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:55,680 the question is, should I do that? 753 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:59,240 That's what we have to truly ask ourselves this evening. 754 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:02,800 Now I want us to to finish by turn to Romans chapter #14 755 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:04,640 there's a text. I think they'll be helpful to us 756 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:08,680 tonight. Romans chapter #14 begin in 757 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:14,640 verse #1 here in just a second. This text fits very well with 758 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:16,800 what we're talking about tonight. 759 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:18,040 You know, I'll be honest with you. 760 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:20,320 There are times I don't even tell people, you know, this is 761 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:25,160 what TV shows I watch or movies I watch because even then, now 762 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:28,480 we watch our television shows and movies with filters because 763 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:31,040 there's filtering companies filtering software out there 764 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:33,360 that are great at that. But what if somebody shouldn't 765 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:35,480 be what? What if just turning on the 766 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,360 television certain things brings things up in their minds that 767 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:41,480 they ought not to? Maybe some people don't have 768 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:43,040 televisions in their in their house. 769 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:45,320 Maybe some don't have the Internet and a lot of different 770 00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:47,200 things. I don't want to call someone 771 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:49,520 else to stumble by past, you know, Pastor said this, this 772 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,080 show is approved. Well, sometimes I watch a show 773 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:54,160 and maybe I realize later, maybe I shouldn't have watched that 774 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:55,440 show. The Holy Spirit starts working 775 00:38:55,440 --> 00:38:57,560 on my heart. What I'm saying what we got to 776 00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:00,800 be super careful about how we affect other people, not because 777 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:03,280 we're going to offend people, but I don't want to cause them 778 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:06,040 to offend. I don't want them to stumble and 779 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:10,280 to put my thumbprint to put my stamp of approval on something 780 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:13,400 and it could end up somebody go in a direction they ought not to 781 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:17,440 go in the 1st place, just because I exercised my Christian 782 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:19,720 liberty in a way that was unwise because thinking more about 783 00:39:19,720 --> 00:39:21,880 myself than I was thinking about other people. 784 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:24,800 So look at Romans chapter 14 verse #1 him that is weak in the 785 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,480 faith receive ye, but not too doubtful dispensation 786 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:29,960 disputations. Rather, one believed that he 787 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:32,720 made whole things. Another who is weak Edith herbs. 788 00:39:32,720 --> 00:39:34,600 So see, that kind of goes back what we're talking about 789 00:39:34,640 --> 00:39:36,240 vegetarianism and such like that. 790 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:40,600 Let him, let not him that Edith despise him that Edith not, and 791 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:43,800 let not him which Edith not, judge him that Edith for God 792 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:47,520 hath received him. Here's what's being said in 793 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:49,280 conjunction with what we just read about. 794 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,040 If you're in camp, number one, don't despise the people in camp 795 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:54,520 #2. And if you're camp #2 don't 796 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:59,080 despise the people in camp #1 because the people in camp #1 if 797 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:01,360 they are truly right in their heart, just want to love Jesus. 798 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:03,480 And in their mind, they know they love Jesus and there's 799 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:05,240 nobody else like Jesus. So I'm going to eat this meat. 800 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:07,680 And the other side, they're not going in because they love 801 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:09,560 Jesus. And they don't want to go in 802 00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:12,680 because they love Jesus and they don't want to do anything that's 803 00:40:12,680 --> 00:40:15,680 may even have a sniff of it. So it says if you're whatever 804 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,360 group you're in, don't despise the other. 805 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:21,400 To understand with Christian charity again charity edify this 806 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:25,000 that knowledge that builds that it tears down so often again, 807 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,760 not that knowledge is wrong, but built improperly can cause so 808 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,000 much trouble. Who art thou that judgeth none 809 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:33,360 of the man's servant to his own master. 810 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:36,200 He standeth or falleth. Yeah, he shall be holding up for 811 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,520 God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above 812 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,240 another. Another esteemeth everyday 813 00:40:41,240 --> 00:40:43,280 alike. Let every man be fully persuaded 814 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,160 in his own mind. I'm going to go here. 815 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:47,360 Maybe it's because I'm at home and because I can't look at your 816 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:50,800 faces, but I not go here anyway, whether I was at church or not. 817 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:53,160 There's controversy, especially here in New England. 818 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:55,760 Is Christmas something that we should be celebrating or not? 819 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:58,760 Because our Puritan roots here in New England are such that 820 00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:03,600 they go back to, you know, some Pagan roots of Christ of 821 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:05,600 Christmas. There are people have problems 822 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:07,160 with Christmas trees, things like that. 823 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:11,400 Now, I love Christmas, I love Jesus of Christmas tree. 824 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:14,280 We had people at liberty who had a problem with Christmas trees 825 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:15,880 and problem with Christmas and those kind of things. 826 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:18,080 We had a man at one point who decided he wasn't going to come 827 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,960 to church during Christmas, which it seems odd to me because 828 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:24,560 we still want to like be in church because we ought to be. 829 00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:27,640 But that was his Christian liberty to be able to do so. 830 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:31,160 But here's what it comes down to that even in those groups that 831 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:33,240 the people who celebrate Christmas, what's about Jesus, 832 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:35,760 we love him. And the people, the other group, 833 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:39,200 they see something in Christian, which I believe some of their 834 00:41:39,240 --> 00:41:41,880 historical background is actually in error, quite 835 00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:44,160 honestly. But in that even in their heart 836 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:45,920 it is. But we love Jesus. 837 00:41:46,240 --> 00:41:49,520 And so instead of looking at each other like we're enemies, 838 00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:52,640 why don't we try to encourage one another even if we're on 839 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,960 different sides of the issue. And so Paul says this, don't get 840 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:57,760 yourself bent out of shape about this. 841 00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:00,560 And I'll be honest, there were people even at our church the 842 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:02,560 first couple years ago really bent out of shape by this to the 843 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:05,080 point I had to say, listen, we're all on the same team. 844 00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:07,280 Everybody here is trying to love Jesus and we're trying to do it 845 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:09,080 the best that we can. This is what Paul says here. 846 00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:10,840 You can't argue with Paul. You can argue with me, but you 847 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:13,680 can't argue with Paul because Paul says literally about 848 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:15,880 regarding the day and others not regarding the day. 849 00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:18,120 He that regardeth the day regards that of the Lord. 850 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:20,560 And this is what I just said. He that regardeth not the day to 851 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:24,120 the Lord, he does not regard it. He that eateth the Lord or he 852 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:26,160 giveth God thanks. He that eateth not to the Lord 853 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:29,840 he is not and giveth God thanks. Now remember I said none of 854 00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:31,080 these things happen in the vacuum. 855 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:33,440 Here's what it says. For none of us live it to 856 00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:35,360 himself, and no man died to himself. 857 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:37,520 For whether we live, we will live into the Lord. 858 00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:39,560 Whether we die, we die into the Lord. 859 00:42:39,720 --> 00:42:42,280 Whether we live therefore die, we are the Lords. 860 00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:45,240 So we think of the Lord with our Christian liberty. 861 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:47,520 We think of others with our Christian liberty. 862 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:50,640 And love Trump's liberty. Again, not the wishy washy, 863 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:52,520 mealy mouthed liberal Christianity. 864 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:55,840 Love everything, love sin. No, no, we're not talking about 865 00:42:55,840 --> 00:42:57,880 that. Our love for the Lord and our 866 00:42:57,880 --> 00:43:01,360 love for others should make sure that we do right no matter what. 867 00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:04,400 I give you the story and I'll be done and I've given the story 868 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:06,880 before it's been a few years, but there was a man who lived or 869 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:09,480 rather worked at Westgate for just a year. 870 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:14,480 He was a man who was a got an earned doctorate from UC 871 00:43:14,720 --> 00:43:17,200 Berkeley. Now you understand that not all, 872 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:20,160 excuse me, not only is that a very prestigious institution is 873 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:24,040 also probably one of the more most liberal institutions in 874 00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:28,680 America, perhaps apart from Harvard and anything that would 875 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:33,200 be located in Cambridge. But this gentleman got saved by 876 00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:35,640 the blood of Jesus Christ. Absolutely incredible. 877 00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:41,320 Was living a very, very Pagan life before in every way, very 878 00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:43,840 heavy in the party scene. Now this man's relaying this to 879 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:48,320 me in his 60s, very heavy in the party scene, very heavy in 880 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:52,240 substance abuse of all kinds. They got saved by the blood of 881 00:43:52,240 --> 00:43:55,600 Jesus Christ, and it took some time for him to extricate 882 00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:58,040 himself from that lifestyle because he was in the place 883 00:43:58,040 --> 00:44:01,560 where he said, well, I'm going to do less of what I did before 884 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:02,760 that. I'm not going to do what I did 885 00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:06,080 before, but I'm still going to go to the parties and those kind 886 00:44:06,080 --> 00:44:08,080 of things. And he was trying to wean 887 00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:11,200 himself off, which is probably not the wisest thing, but if you 888 00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:14,320 don't have someone necessarily disciple you exactly in this, 889 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:16,760 this is what he was doing, and he was trying to do it for the 890 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:19,440 Lord. Now he was talking to someone 891 00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:23,960 else about becoming a Christian and he was very adamant to this 892 00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:26,600 gentleman that he needed to receive Christ just as he did. 893 00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:30,800 And so he was doing that and this was going on for some 894 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:33,160 period of time where he was trying to explain to him his 895 00:44:33,160 --> 00:44:37,480 need to believe in Jesus Christ just as he did. 896 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:44,120 Went to it happened to be that this gentleman that I knew went 897 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:46,720 to a party one night and they said, hey, you know, do you want 898 00:44:46,720 --> 00:44:48,280 to drink? And he said, no, you know, I'm 899 00:44:48,280 --> 00:44:50,320 not drinking anymore. I'm here, but I'm not going to 900 00:44:50,320 --> 00:44:51,560 drink. They said, Hey, we go to the 901 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,360 liquor store, then we're at we're out of liquor. 902 00:44:55,160 --> 00:44:59,200 And So what happens is he says, well, I guess I should, I'm 903 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:02,040 going to just go and I'll, I'll just go and, and, and get some 904 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:03,600 liquor. And it may honestly may have 905 00:45:03,600 --> 00:45:05,560 even not been liquor. It may have just been they got 906 00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:07,440 some mixers or some ice or something like that. 907 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:09,920 That part, I don't remember. This part is very clear to me, 908 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:13,240 but that he was in the store and he was in line at the store. 909 00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:16,480 And who happens to walk into the store and sees him in the line 910 00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:18,880 carrying a bunch of stuff. The man that he's trying to 911 00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:21,960 witness to. And he says, I thought you said 912 00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:24,120 you were a Christian. And he's who I am. 913 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:25,160 I'm not really, this isn't for me. 914 00:45:25,160 --> 00:45:28,240 It's really for someone else. And this man looked at me, tears 915 00:45:28,240 --> 00:45:30,040 in his eyes. That has probably happened four 916 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:32,600 years before or so. And he said that that man would 917 00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:34,880 never listen to him about Jesus Christ ever again. 918 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:37,720 And so he understood. Was he doing anything wrong? 919 00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:41,440 He wasn't going to drink it. He wasn't imbibing himself, 920 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:45,800 nothing of that nature. But he realized I really 921 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:49,720 shouldn't be doing this and it's going to hurt someone else. 922 00:45:50,360 --> 00:45:53,240 So when it comes down to the issue of sin, don't do sin. 923 00:45:53,240 --> 00:45:55,640 That's the end of the message for that. 924 00:45:57,200 --> 00:45:59,600 There is no Christian liberty when it comes to sin, right? 925 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:02,880 Don't do it. I mean, you can, but you ought 926 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:04,800 not. But there are some of these 927 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:08,400 issues where you're not really doing anything wrong, but if you 928 00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:11,840 are causing someone else to stumble, you are doing wrong and 929 00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:14,680 you are sinning. So tonight, are your thoughts 930 00:46:14,680 --> 00:46:17,720 more about me or more about thee? 931 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:21,840 Is it more about I have my rights, or is it about I'm going 932 00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:24,560 to try to help other people and I'm going to consider them more 933 00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:27,440 than I consider myself. Not just a church, but in my 934 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:31,440 home, the marriage relationship, in the home, in the workplace, 935 00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:33,920 the people you're trying to witness to, the people that 936 00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:37,520 you're around every day, just in the here and there of life. 937 00:46:37,960 --> 00:46:39,800 Will you consider them more than you consider yourself? 938 00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:43,160 Because love matters more than liberty. 939 00:46:44,320 --> 00:46:46,840 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 940 00:46:46,840 --> 00:46:49,760 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 941 00:46:49,760 --> 00:46:53,240 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 942 00:46:53,240 --> 00:46:57,840 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 943 00:46:58,120 --> 00:47:02,680 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 944 00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:05,480 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 945 00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:06,680 grow in His Word.