About Life, Love, and Liberty1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Adapted from a Michael Luke sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?

SermonID=87663

“Overcoming Obstacles That Obstruct Obedience”

A very well-respected, Nobel prize-winning physicist was asked to travel the country and

lecture on some of his current theories.

The people sponsoring the lectureship provided a limousine and a chauffeur in which

to travel the country.

Night after night, from town to town, and banquet after banquet, the physicist delivered

the same basic speech.

After all the miles on the road together, the physicist and the chauffeur became good

friends.

One night, while driving the physicist to the next town, the chauffeur says, “Hey, Doc. I’m getting tired of hearing the same speech night

after night.”

The physicist says, “You know, I’m getting tired of delivering the same speech night after

night.”

The chauffeur replies, “I’ve heard that speech so many times, I could give it and no one

would know the difference.”The physicist asks, “Do you really think so?”

The chauffeur says, “Sure, Doc. No problem.”The physicist thinks on it for a while and finally

says, “Tell you what. Just to make tomorrow night interesting, I’m going to let you do the speech. You wear the tux and I’ll wear your

chauffeur’s outfit.This is going to be fun.”

According to the plan, the next night the chauffeur wears the tuxedo and delivers the

speech while the physicist wears the chauffeur’s outfit and sits at the back of the

banquet room.The speech goes so well that the chauffeur

finishes a few minutes early.As he goes to his seat at the head table, the emcee says, “Since we have a few minutes

left, I’m going to open the floor for any questions for our esteemed guest.”

The first person stands up and asks a very intricate and complicated question concerning

a principle in physics.The physicist sitting in the back is panicked!

He could easily answer the question but there’s no way the chauffeur can answer it. His stomach starts to churn and a bead of sweat

breaks out across his brow. He just knows that they’re sunk. Their little prank has backfired.

Meanwhile, the chauffeur has a huge grin on his face.

He pauses for a moment after the question and says, “That question is so easy that any

one should be able to answer it.

And to prove my point, I’m going to let my chauffeur come up to the microphone and do

just that.”

Some questions are difficult to answer.

Other questions seem to have obvious answers.

A young boy was helping his grandfather dig potatoes.

After several minutes of this strenuous work, he began to tire.

Wearily he asks, “Grandpa, what made you bury these things anyway?”

Some questions are annoying.As Bill Engvall says, “Here’s your sign!”

When you’re playing golf, why do people have to ask, “Did you lose your ball?” or “Did you

find it yet?” when you’re out in the rough looking for it?

What do they think you’re doing out there? Checking out the flora and fauna?

Why do people ask someone who’s digging their car out of a snow bank,

“Are you stuck?”

You feel like saying, “No, my car died, and I wanted to give it a decent burial!”

How about when you’re wet, disgusted and irritated with a flat tire on a rainy night beside a

busy road?

Why does anyone have to ask, “Have you got a flat tire?”

You feel like replying, “No, of course not. I always rotate my tires at night on a busy road

when it’s raining!”

Some questions are important to living the Christian life.

Last week in Chapter 7, Paul starts the section off by stating that he was going to take some

time to answer some questions.

Some of the Christians in Corinth had questions concerning living the Christian life.

The first question was answered in last week’s message concerning marriage and sexuality

The second question is in today’s text. “What about eating meat that has been sacrificed to

idols?”

Corinth was a town with a large pagan temple.Most of the meat available to purchase had at

one time been part of the pagan sacrifices.Part of the meat was burnt as an offering, part

was taken by the priests for their meals.Part given to public officials as part of their

salaries.The rest was sold to the markets for general

sale.

Meat sacrificed to idols is not a problem for us in 21st century USA.

However, there are behavior and situations in our society which the Bible does not explicitly

endorse nor does it specifically forbid: dancing, smoking, social drinking, Sunday

recreation or work, playing card games, styles of clothing, going to movies, watching

television, surfing the Internet and so forth.

In answering the question for the Corinthian Christians, the apostle Paul gives us some

standards and principles based on scriptural guidelines that we should use in making

choices concerning our participation these “gray areas.”

1 Corinthians 8:1 ESV Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us

possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone

loves God, he is known by God. 4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we

know that "an idol has no real existence," and that "there is no God but one."

5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus

Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 7 However, not all

possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being

weak, is defiled.

8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who

have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is

weak, to eat food offered to idols?

11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your

brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother

stumble.

8:1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If

anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But

if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

It’s About Real Life

The principles and guidelines given to us in Scripture are all designed to work in real life.

They’re not just some theological or philosophical discussions.

They’re given for our benefit and for our usage.

What we know and what we believe and profess is not any good until we can apply it to

real life.Paul is saying that anything we know about

God is only important when it can be lived out in everyday situations.

So many people have a knowledge about God and about the Bible but live as if it doesn’t

mean anything in the way they live their lives.

The ability to quote Bible verses and recite Bible facts is not as important as taking biblical principles and applying them to our jobs, our families, our friends, and our entire existence.

4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real

existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus

Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

It’s About A Real Lord

Paul mentions that there are other “gods” and “lords” meaning that there are other things we

can worship and serve.

He says that some of these are just “fairy tales.”

They’re manufactured by human imagination and desire.

Here’s something funny:

If I tell a story about a pretty girl kissing a frog and the frog turning into a man, the world will

tell me it’s a fairy tale.

If I tell about a frog turning into a man over millions of years, they believe I’m telling the

truth.

But he also says that some of these “gods” are actually spirit beings.

They’re Satan and his demons who have misled mankind into believing that they were

worthy of worship.

Paul then declares that there is only one Lord – one King of kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus

Christ.

The principle then follows that if we have made Him the Lord of our lives, the actual

guideline is for us to ask ourselves the question:

“What is it that Jesus would do in my situation?”

Some years back, WWJD became an over worn symbol in our society.

People wore WWJD bracelets and necklaces like they wear a cross.

It had no real meaning to them but they wore it because it was popular.

As Christians, “What would Jesus do?” should be a question we ask ourselves all the time.

7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with

idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8

Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block

to the weak.

It’s About Real Love

10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he

not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?

11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your

brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother

stumble.

Paul says that when situations arise where there is no clear-cut “Thus saith the Lord” that we should operate out of the principle of love.

Jesus told us the two greatest commandments.

Matthew 22:36 ESV “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and

with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You

shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law

and the Prophets."

To love our neighbor as our ourselves, we have to ask, “What is going to be best for the

other person regardless of what I’d like to do?”The principle of love operates when we put the needs of others first. It examines behavior with

two basic questions:1. Will what I want to do be a help or a

hindrance to someone who is weaker or more immature in the faith than I am?

2. Will what I want to do be a stepping stone or a stumbling block to someone else?

Everyone has a right to something and everyone is usually screaming about the loss

of some kind of a right.

Paul is saying in this passage that when we focus on our rights, we’ll probably end up

stepping on someone else’s rights.

Applied to life, he means that what I want is not as important as what someone else needs.

It’s About Real Liberty

The greatest liberty you will ever know is when you are free enough to give up what you want

or desire so that someone else can receive what they need.

Isn’t that what Jesus did when He paid for our sins with His life?

He prayed in the garden that if there was any way He could get out of doing what needed to be done, then He’d rather not go through with

it.

But He also showed His faithfulness when He said to the Father, “Yet not what I will, but what

you will.”

Mark 14:35 ESV And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are

possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

This sneaks up on me, especially if I’m tired, frustrated or upset.

But at the moment I can’t give up what I want, I’m not free, I’m trapped by what I want.

Have you ever stood in a long line waiting for service?

Maybe at Wal-mart, the grocery store, bank or post office.

The greatest place in line to be is “next”.

There’s a lot of joy in being “next”.

It’s hard to describe the joy we feel when the clerk or teller says, “You’re next.”

The best part about being “next” is letting someone else go ahead of you.

“Why don’t you go ahead of me?”“Why thank you very much.

You’re so kind.”You can let as many people go ahead of you

as you want because guess what? You’re still “next!”

Paul reminds us that we can have that joy all the time when we put the needs of others

ahead of our own.

1 Corinthians 10:24 ESV Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

Philippians 2:3 ESV Do nothing from rivalry or

conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

A real life, a real Lord, a real love, and a real liberty.

All these things are available if Jesus is really the Lord of your life.

Is He in control or are you?

Do you run your life the way you see things and how you want them to be or do you let

Jesus run your life the way He sees things and how they ought to be?

Conclusion

Ivan the Terrible was one of the Czars of 16th century Russia.

He was best known for his erratic behavior and his brutality.

He was so busy conquering new territory for his country that he had no time to find a wife.His advisors became concerned that he had not married, and therefore would not produce

and heir to the throne.

So Ivan commissioned his advisors to find him a suitable wife who was beautiful, intelligent,

and the daughter of a nobleman.They found the daughter of the king of Greece.Ivan asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage and the king agreed on the condition that Ivan

be baptized and join the Greek Orthodox church.

Ivan agreed and set out for Greece to be married accompanied by 500 of his best

soldiers.

When the soldiers found out that Ivan was to be baptized, the soldiers said they wanted to

be baptized too.

The Greek Orthodox Church required that everyone who came to be baptized make a

profession of faith and then make an affirmation concerning the articles of the

church.

The soldiers agreed to the profession of faith and they agreed to the articles of church

except for one.The article they couldn’t affirm was one which

prohibited them from being professional soldiers.

They asked the priest if they could have some time to think over the problem of how to join

the church and at the same time remain soldiers in Ivan’s army.

They devised a plan among themselves and announced they were ready to be baptized. They marched out into the water, all 500 of

them along with 500 priests.As the priests put the soldiers under the water,

each soldier grasped his sword and lifted it high in the air.

The soldiers were baptized completely, except for their swords and their fighting arms.

Those who witnessed the mass baptisms said that it was an amazing spectacle to see five hundred dry arms and five hundred swords

sticking up out of the water.

I have no confidence that the event ever took place.

The value of the story is not necessarily in its accuracy but in the lesson that it conveys.

Jesus encountered a person who wanted to be a “part time” convert. Jesus, knowing that the man possessed great riches, invited the man to follow him after giving his treasure to the

poor. Matthew 19:22 ESV When the young man

heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Jesus’ invitation did not allow the young man “to keep his arm and treasure out of the

water.”

What part of your life have you been unwilling to give to God?

What is the “unbaptized arm” in your life?