Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 8: 1-13
Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols
1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.
2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.
3 But whoever loves God is known by God.
4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”
5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),
6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.
8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?
11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.
12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
Morning Message:
We hear these statements all of the time: you do you and I’ll do me; I am not my brother’s keeper! These statements make a lot of sense to us, especially in today’s world. We are taught to mind our own business, and in most cases this is sound advice. Too many times we see others or ourselves trying to insert our opinions and values into the lives of those around us. Now there are exceptions. I find myself saying to my family and people that I care about, “You are my business.” Telling people what to do rarely succeeds, especially when we do it in a manner that comes across as self-righteous. We don’t try to do this, but many times if we examine our words we find that we talk down to people. We do this sometimes in a very loving way, but the other person probably feels like they are being lectured. Mere knowledge of what is right and wrong can manifest itself as a sort of pride in the knowing that never makes the transition into living. Only knowledge that is humbly applied and motivated by love makes any difference.
I have preached this scripture many times and there is so much that we can learn through these words of Paul. Everyone possesses a certain amount of knowledge. It really doesn’t matter how old you are, or even to a certain extent, how long you have been a Christian. Godly knowledge comes from God and we gain understanding by studying God’s Word and spending time in prayer. God, for the most part, does not just give us knowledge; we have to discipline ourselves and want to grow as followers of Jesus. A problem that we encounter in the church is when people assume because they know Jesus and come to church that they know everything. Many think that they have knowledge and they use it to judge others, but Paul says, “They do not yet know as they ought to know.” What does this really mean? Some things run much deeper than basic understanding. Unless you mix in love to your understanding, you are missing the point. Paul’s example is eating meat that has been sacrificed to an idol. A person who has been in the faith for some time knows that there is only one God. And if there is only one God, then idols are not real. That’s easy, unless you are a new or immature Christian, and you were raised to believe in other gods. You see, even after we come to Jesus we are still trying to escape our old selves. There may be nothing wrong for you as a Christian to have a glass of wine with your dinner at a restaurant, but if a new Christian, who just escaped the grips of alcoholism and is battling everyday to stay sober sees you and thinks, it’s okay and takes a drink, and then another, and then another, you have caused him to sin. I know it doesn’t seem fair, why should I have to give up my rights for someone else: because, as a follower of Jesus, you are your brother’s keeper. I will put it this way, just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should. As Christians we sometimes become insensitive to the fact that the church is filled with people who, even though they may have come to Jesus, are still battling their sinful flesh. We are in this same boat together. We have to learn to be sensitive to one other’s struggles, and remember where we came from, and that we all have demons that we should not provoke.
We must learn to be more sensitive to each other. We can practice our faith and cling to every right that we have. We have freedom of speech, but I say to you in the name of Jesus, not if what you say harms your brother or sister in Christ. We can say that God’s Word is God’s Word, so deal with it, or we can understand that, depending on how long you have been in the faith and what God saved you out of, we may need to be truthful, but gentle, and say it with love. There is so much hurt and pain over past mistakes or choices that God has forgiven us, but it still takes a long time to heal, and many struggle to forgive themselves. God’s Word doesn’t change, and God’s Word is always right, but Jesus calls us to do everything in love. There is only one God and only He has true knowledge, so remember, just because you can, and have the right to do or say something, that doesn’t mean that you should, and you should do all things in love.
In Christ’s Love and Peace
Pastor Bob
Views: 0
