1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,600 Good morning to you all. I'm Dan. 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,080 I'm one of the pastors here and. Happy to be. 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,760 Leading you in First Corinthians chapter 1023 and following. 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,440 It's on page 900 in the Church Bible. 5 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,560 These black. Bibles if you want to turn there 6 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,800 and follow along. I think you would get more out 7 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,680 of this if you did this. Is our last. 8 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,480 Sermon on 1st Corinthians for the summer It's We've been in 9 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:33,600 first Corinthians all summer long, and we'll be. 10 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:35,960 Back to the. Old Testament starting next 11 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,680 week. This message is about primarily 12 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:44,360 our freedom and our mission as ambassadors of King. 13 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,480 Jesus, so before we. Begin. 14 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:51,120 Let's pray. Thank you Almighty God, that you 15 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,440 nourish. Us with your word day by day. 16 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,200 Week by week, we thank you. For Saint Paul and for. 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaking to us through him. Please fill us with your. 18 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:07,680 Spirit to understand what you. Would have for us through this 19 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,000 passage. And then give us the faith and 20 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,200 the. Courage to live faithfully, 21 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,320 according to. What you teach us, we pray in 22 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:20,640 Jesus name, Amen. So here in the middle. 23 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,720 Of Paul's. Very long letter. 24 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,400 To. The church in Corinth. 25 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:30,640 He takes 3 chapters to talk about whether they could. 26 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,520 Eat meat that had been sacrificed. 27 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:35,720 Or. Dedicated to Pagan. 28 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,760 Idols Paul is. Responding to a question. 29 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:42,800 That they had. Sent to him and today's. 30 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,520 Passage wraps up this. Three chapter, long section. 31 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,480 In case you're new or you've forgotten what this is all 32 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,680 about, here's a quick summary. It seems that in those days 33 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:56,080 throughout the Roman Empire. Butcher's shops were. 34 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,480 Often times connected. To. 35 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:03,120 Pagan temples and animals. That were devoted. 36 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,920 And slaughtered before Pagan gods would then be butchered and 37 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,120 would be taken to market and sold. 38 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,280 So in many places throughout the Roman Empire, the only way that 39 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,520 you could purchase meat was by purchasing meat from one of 40 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,160 these butchers, from animals that had been. 41 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:27,160 Dedicated to a false God. Was an animal that was signified 42 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,120 as being the property. Of a false God. 43 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,360 So to put this in modern terms, imagine going over to Eastern 44 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,360 Market and standing in line at Trader Joe's and you're in the 45 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,760 checkout line and they're right in the. 46 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,160 Basket right before you is your favorite, the dark chocolate. 47 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,640 Peanut butter cups. Right there. 48 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:49,200 It's a bag of them, but it's been rebranded and now it's 49 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:56,440 called Scientology Peanut Butter Cups and every cup inside has 50 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:01,680 printed on it, stamped on it likeness of Tom Cruise St. 51 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,520 St. Tom and. 52 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,520 Your Jesus curious. Co worker is in line right 53 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,440 behind you and is watching what you're purchasing, looking in 54 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,760 your basket, your longing to put these in your basket and eat of 55 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:16,680 them. What? 56 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:21,360 Should you do? That's the Corinthians question, 57 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,080 more or less sent to Saint Paul about meat. 58 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,440 Devoted to idols. In 1st century Corinth there 59 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,480 were temples we know to. Apollo and to Aphrodite. 60 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,840 And Paul says in last week's reading, chapter 10, verse 19. 61 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,920 He says those gods. Are nothing. 62 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,600 They're nothing. They don't exist. 63 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,880 Idols are superstitious. Fiction he does. 64 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,400 Say, however, that there are. Demonic. 65 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,360 Forces that are. Behind idolatry and all kinds of 66 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,640 other things. And the demonic? 67 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:02,480 Forces would have us. Turn away from God. 68 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,720 So when it comes to eating meat. Devoted to Aphrodite or Apollo 69 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,400 or other so-called. Gods, one might expect. 70 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,440 Paul to say. Just don't do it. 71 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:19,760 Don't risk it because you don't want to fall into the hands of 72 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:21,640 demons. But Paul doesn't do. 73 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,200 That he, he. Instead says. 74 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,800 Feel free, he says it. Over and over again. 75 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,400 Throughout this passage. Look at verse 25, he says. 76 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:34,280 Eat whatever is sold. In the meat market without 77 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:38,680 raising any question on the ground of conscience verse 27 he 78 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,000 says it again if one of the unbelievers invites you to 79 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,720 dinner and you're. Disposed to go eat whatever is 80 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,080 set before you without. Raising any question on the 81 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:49,920 ground of conscience. But if? 82 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:55,040 Paul thinks that Satan's minions use Aphrodite and. 83 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:59,360 Apollo to distract. People from Jesus Then why not 84 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:04,240 tell Christians to? Boycott their butchers because. 85 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:08,000 Look at verse 26, Paul quoting from the Psalms from Psalm 20. 4 86 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,080 The earth is the Lord's. And the fullness. 87 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,360 Thereof see. From. 88 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:19,680 Paul's perspective. Satan and all his minions are no 89 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:24,960 match. For the Lord God's way leads to 90 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,960 the. Bountiful multiplication of life 91 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:30,360 and all. Of life's. 92 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:36,200 Fruitfulness to plenty, while Satan's way leads only to 93 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:41,760 dissipation and death and nothingness, as Paul will go on 94 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,680 to say later in this. Letter Death is swallowed up. 95 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:50,240 In victory, see, we are not trapped in an endless. 96 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:55,320 Cycle of good versus. Evil kind of equal and opposite. 97 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,400 Forces. Battling one another. 98 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,000 Out all the. Way until the end of time. 99 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:01,760 This is probably. What most people? 100 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,680 Believe today it is certainly what we. 101 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:05,640 See in all. Of the. 102 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,520 Sci-fi franchises that have been playing out ever since Star 103 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,600 Wars. Where you've got a Death Star. 104 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:15,920 And you've got. Rebel good guys. 105 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,320 Battling it out. Every decade. 106 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:22,360 A new series coming out to say the same thing and all. 107 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,920 Of the other shows have the. Same thing playing out over and 108 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,680 over again because this is what most Americans, most Western. 109 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:33,480 People believe good. And evil are like the yen and 110 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,360 the Yang, they're locked in a battle. 111 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,680 Forever. It will always be this way. 112 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:40,840 That is not what Christians believe. 113 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,040 Good and evil are not complementary. 114 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,720 Forces like the. Yin and the Yang for. 115 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,760 Christ has died. Christ is risen, Christ is now 116 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,080 enthroned at the right hand of the Father, and. 117 00:06:56,280 --> 00:06:59,680 The Father. Is making every enemy. 118 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:03,640 Christ's footstool. The last enemy. 119 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:05,960 To be destroyed is death. Paul will. 120 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:10,560 Say later on and then all that. Will be left is life. 121 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:16,560 Bounty, fruitfulness, that's all that will remain. 122 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,880 I love how CS. Lewis talks about. 123 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,480 This in The Great Divorce if you haven't read it. 124 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,280 Before I urge you to read it, it's so. 125 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,960 Good and he writes about the consummation of all things at 126 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,400 the end of time and he. Says at that. 127 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,680 Time Hell will be smaller than a Pebble when he goes on to say 128 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:37,360 that if a. Butterfly were to. 129 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:41,520 Fly along and Happy happened to catch hell in its mouth. 130 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,480 That hell. Would not be big enough to do it 131 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,280 any harm, nor for it to have any taste. 132 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:50,920 Where did Lewis get this? He got it from Saint Paul. 133 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,600 He got it from reading through First Corinthians to the end and 134 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,560 hearing about. How death will be swallowed up. 135 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:59,720 In victory. So what does this have to do 136 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:02,400 with food sacrifice to idols? Paul says that. 137 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:04,360 King Jesus. Is the rightful. 138 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:09,200 Lord of creation he lays claim to creation, including all food 139 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,640 and drink because verse 26 the. Earth is the. 140 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,800 Lord's and the fullness thereof, and we. 141 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,200 Through our. Baptism as Christians have. 142 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,280 Died to that. Old Pagan world we have been. 143 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:24,960 Resurrected with Jesus. And now we enjoy freedom from 144 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,720 Satan's tyranny over the good things of the world. 145 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,480 So God wants us to enjoy the fullness of the earth, including 146 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,000 meat that's been. Dedicated to Apollo. 147 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,760 And arugula that's been dedicated to Aphrodite, and 148 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:42,240 bourbon that's been dedicated to Dionysus and even. 149 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:44,320 Dark chocolate. Peanut butter. 150 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:50,360 Cups dedicated. To Saint Tom Cruise, God wants 151 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,480 us to enjoy the good things he wants. 152 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:57,360 Us to. Enjoy them with freedom in. 153 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,360 Christ because? Satan is a. 154 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:03,160 Loser and Jesus. Is the King forever and ever? 155 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,000 Amen. And make no mistake that God 156 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:09,000 delights in our enjoyment of good things. 157 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,520 This sort of freedom. Freedom is what he intended in 158 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:12,360 the beginning. It's what? 159 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,960 We were supposed to have before our first. 160 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,200 Parents fell into sin when Adam. Disobeyed God's word. 161 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,160 God was. Rightfully angry because Adam 162 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,560 chose to love created things more than the. 163 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:27,680 Creator so God. Sent his son to enter into our 164 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:29,720 world. To live faithfully according to 165 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:31,600 God's Word. And. 166 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,840 Through his death. And resurrection the new Adam. 167 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:41,400 Reset the world. As God intended and now. 168 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,120 All of us who have died. With Christ and been. 169 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,480 Resurrected through. Baptism can enjoy the good 170 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:51,440 things as God intended. We can feast. 171 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:55,040 With the Lord because of the. Freedom that God. 172 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,520 Gives us. Just as God intended. 173 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,040 So that's the word. About freedom, let me also say a 174 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,360 word now about mission. Look at verse 28. 175 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,320 Paul. Caveats are freedom, he says. 176 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,080 Eating. Food Dedicated. 177 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,640 Dedicated. To idols is not always the 178 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:15,240 responsible or loving thing. To do for Paul. 179 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,040 Says in verse 28 if someone says. 180 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:20,000 To you this. Has been offered in sacrifice. 181 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,600 Then do not eat it for the sake of the one who informed you and 182 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,480 for the sake of conscience that is his or her conscience, Paul 183 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:32,720 reminds. Us here, that we're here for a 184 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,080 greater purpose. Than just enjoying the good 185 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,920 things. Of the Earth that is absolutely 186 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:40,440 a. Blessing that God gives us 187 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:44,400 freedom to enjoy, but more importantly, we are a colony of 188 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,200 the Kingdom. Of God. 189 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:51,240 We have been commissioned to represent King Jesus as his 190 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:52,640 ambassadors. This isn't a. 191 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:56,400 Luxury cruise. With an open bar and an all you 192 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,280 can eat buffet that is not. Why we're here? 193 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,920 We are ambassadors on mission for the King. 194 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:05,920 So while the Lord has blessed. Us with freedom. 195 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,160 He has also given us responsibilities. 196 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,120 As his. Ambassadors. 197 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,760 Sure, all things are lawful, as Paul quotes him saying, but all 198 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,960 things don't always. Build people up. 199 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:22,160 And that must. Be our priority. 200 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:25,520 As ambassadors of the King, in other words, we must see our 201 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,800 collective mission as taking precedence. 202 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:32,760 Over our. Individual freedoms, collective 203 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,480 mission comes. Before the exercise of our. 204 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:39,440 Freedoms now this is one of the most transformative 205 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:41,320 countercultural. Aspects. 206 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,920 Of being a Christian and following Jesus today, and one 207 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,160 that will have implications reaching far beyond whether you 208 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:49,840 can eat. Chocolate. 209 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:51,880 Treats from trader. Joe's we. 210 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,920 We've forgotten, largely. How to be? 211 00:11:55,920 --> 00:12:00,800 The church in Western culture, all we know is Christian 212 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,480 individualism, where you welcome Jesus into your heart and 213 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:06,560 you're. Good to go. 214 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:09,680 Without needing anyone or any institution. 215 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:15,000 For the rest of your life. You won't find that kind of 216 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,400 Christian individualism in the Bible. 217 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,040 Which is the story of the people of God. 218 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:26,160 Being reconciled to God from Genesis all. 219 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:27,360 The way to. Revelation. 220 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:32,840 It's never about individualism. It's always about the people of 221 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:34,880 God. You won't find Christian 222 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,480 individualism in the. Early church that. 223 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,880 Taught that you cannot have God. As your father. 224 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,800 Without having the Church as your mother, you won't find 225 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:47,160 Christian individualism in the great tradition of which. 226 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,400 We're a part that says. You can't. 227 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,920 Baptize yourself. You can't give Holy Communion to 228 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,600 yourself. You can't marry. 229 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:58,400 Yourself or bury. Yourself. 230 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,200 You need the church for these things. 231 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:02,080 You need the church every Sunday. 232 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:03,240 You need the. Church. 233 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:06,440 Throughout your life. You can't do it alone. 234 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,400 There's no such thing as an individual Christian. 235 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,520 To be a Christian is to belong to the family of God. 236 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,360 So the New Testament epistles. Have a lot to say about what? 237 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:19,240 We should be doing with one another, so many one another. 238 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:21,680 Passages, as we've talked about before, how we. 239 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:23,800 Worship and pray with one another. 240 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,920 How we forgive. And reconcile with one another 241 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,640 how we bear one another's burdens so we. 242 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,840 Have to stop. Thinking of ourselves as 243 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,400 individual Christians and we have to remember that we are all 244 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,200 in this on mission. Together. 245 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:45,000 And that's why in all of Paul's triumphal emphasis on our 246 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,760 freedom in Christ, even the freedom to eat meat that's been 247 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,840 dedicated to Pagan idols, he reminds. 248 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,680 Us of our. Responsibility not to. 249 00:13:55,680 --> 00:13:58,840 Take liberties that. Scandalize someone else? 250 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:01,840 Because. We are here on mission together 251 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:06,200 on behalf of our Risen King. He comes first, the mission 252 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:07,840 comes. First, because of. 253 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:09,800 Him. So yes, you. 254 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:13,120 Can eat meat. You can drink alcohol in 255 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,040 moderation. You can watch avant-garde films. 256 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:20,280 But verse 30. 1. Whatever you do, do it all for 257 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:24,200 the glory of God. Don't do these things to blend 258 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:26,880 in with the Pagan world. That's not. 259 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,960 Why you're here? Don't be like those in today's 260 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:31,040 gospel lesson. We just. 261 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:33,760 Heard who say. Lord, we ate and drank in your 262 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,280 presence, and he says depart from me. 263 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:41,040 I never knew you make your mission your. 264 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:45,280 Top priority if the. People around you don't know 265 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:47,200 that you're a Christian. What? 266 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:52,160 Is going on make your mission? The top priority? 267 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:57,480 Look for opportunities to be Jesus's ambassador and do what 268 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,120 he. Would have you do every. 269 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:03,880 Time and yes, you can send emails and texts. 270 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:07,360 And write articles and. Post on social media but verse 271 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:11,240 31 do it. All for the glory of God. 272 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:16,480 For the good of our mission as an embassy of Jesus Kingdom here 273 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:17,480 on Capitol. Hill. 274 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,720 Give no offense to anyone verse 32. 275 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:25,320 Don't seek your own advantage. Verse 33. 276 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:27,640 But that of many that they may be. 277 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,600 Saved if you. Publish something that will 278 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,440 bring shame on the Lord or on His church. 279 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,680 Shame on you. Don't do that. 280 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,960 The mission comes first, not your freedom. 281 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:43,480 We are all in this mission together. 282 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:46,560 So that's what. Paul is saying here about 283 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:50,320 freedom and mission, Freedom and responsibility. 284 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:54,680 One final word from this. Passage, Chapter 11. 285 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:56,960 Verse 1A. Word about our. 286 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:01,120 Lineage. The chapter and verse divisions 287 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:03,760 were added much later and sometimes they were added 288 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,280 clumsily. This is one of those instances. 289 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:10,680 11/1 goes with this section. And so Paul ends this huge 290 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,920 section with a reminder about our lineage as Christians. 291 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,200 If you're. A part of this body, he says. 292 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,360 Get in line. Specifically get. 293 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,440 In that Apostolic line going all the way. 294 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,160 Back to the Lord. Look at 11 one, he writes. 295 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,760 Be imitators of me as I imitate. Christ. 296 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:33,480 Imitate me as I imitate. Christ. 297 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,560 Everywhere Paul went, he. Raised up ambassadors of the 298 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:40,760 Lord Jesus. Just like him, he taught them 299 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,080 what he knew about the Lord. He also. 300 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,680 Taught them how to be ambassadors. 301 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:47,240 How? How to? 302 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:52,040 Represent the Lord wherever they went, and they in turn then had 303 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:55,800 to turn and pass that on to the next generation and the next 304 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,680 generation, and on down all the way down to us. 305 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,359 That is the. Lineage. 306 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:07,119 That we have the Apostolic. Line. 307 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,280 All the way back to Paul. And to Jesus. 308 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:13,240 Every baptized. Christian. 309 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:15,880 Is called to be a part of that Apostolic. 310 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:20,680 Line So find brothers and sisters who imitate Jesus. 311 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,720 Learn from them. Read God. 312 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:28,200 'S word with them. Talk about how to. 313 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:30,800 Put it in practice and as you. Grow. 314 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:34,440 To be more like them as they grow to be more like Jesus. 315 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:40,840 Turn and do the same for others if you are not in relationships. 316 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:45,040 Like this it's. Time to start, This is a new 317 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:46,840 season for many. Starting schools. 318 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:51,320 Or changing jobs or something. This is a new season to imitate. 319 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,480 The Lord by. Finding proximate 320 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:56,280 representatives. Of Jesus. 321 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,800 And getting in line behind them, learning from them, and then 322 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,040 turning and passing that on to others. 323 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:06,680 That. The most important thing here is 324 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,160 to make sure that you are not the end of the line. 325 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:16,600 What a shame that would be. If it stops with you there has. 326 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,600 To be others coming after you and learning from you. 327 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,840 How to follow the Lord? Live faithfully. 328 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,840 In such a way that others. Want to imitate you? 329 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,080 Share with others the faithfulness of Christians who 330 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,840 have poured their lives. Into you, get in that Apostolic 331 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,280 line, imitate King Jesus and do it all. 332 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:39,080 For the glory. Of God, Amen. 333 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:44,560 Lord, we thank you. For your word, we offer. 334 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:46,480 These things back to you and ask for. 335 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,840 Your help by the power of your spirit guide. 336 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:54,640 Us and lead us and make us more and more into the image of 337 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:57,680 Christ, for we pray in His name, Amen.