A Good Neighbor
Lessons From 1 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: Lessons From 1 Corinthians
Hope: To draw closer to God through a better understanding of his law through this diverse letter.
Last week, we looked at 1 Corinthians 10:15-22 on The Lord Vs Demons.
The focus by Paul was that we cannot straddle the fence, we cannot serve the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
There is no “half way serving and worshiping” of God.
Today, we see Paul transition from “not trying serve two tables” at the same time (The Lord’s & Demons) to how should I interactions with my unbelieving neighbor who is serving me “food offered to idols.”
You can imagine the question after Paul’s last remarks about not partaking of the table of demons being, “What happens if our neighbor serves us food literally offered to idols which you said are demons?”
I want us to read God’s answer to that question and then how we can apply those lessons to how we interact with our neighbors.
23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—
29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
There are three take-a-ways from this it seems.
First…
We Must Interact
We Must Interact
We Cannot Hide From Our Neighbors.
We Cannot Hide From Our Neighbors.
We find in our text an interesting situation brought up by God concerning the church’s interaction with their “unbelieving neighbor.”
27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
In our post-technological world that we live in where you can have you groceries, toiletries, and just about anything else you desire delivered to your home without ever needing to leave, as Christians we must understand this is not “God’s way.”
Now, as we have studied in the our Sunday morning bible class fairly recently there is nothing wrong with “getting away from the interactions of the world” from time to time.
Jesus and his disciples demonstrated this truth over and over.
No, what I’m saying is that, that cannot be the norm in our life.
To be “Christ-Like” we must go and “be with our neighbors socially.”
Remember Jesus was not an “anti-social” person to the point that they called him a drunkard and glutton.
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
Summary
Summary
The point is this, as God’s children who are responsible for teaching the lost we cannot do so without actually interacting with our neighbors.
And the more we are involved in their lives, the more they know our love for them, the more opportunities we will have to get them to study God’s word, obey the gospel, and live a faithful life with us.
What we also find in our text that during these interactions with our unbelieving neighbors…
Truth Must Be Upheld
Truth Must Be Upheld
We Cannot Compromise.
We Cannot Compromise.
Notice what Paul says about that “dinner with one’s unbelieving neighbor.”
1 Corinthians 10:28 (ESV)
28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience”
As Christians it is very difficult “sometimes” to talk with out close friends and people we love dearly about truth because we are scared it will harm our friendship.
This is completely understandable but there are things we can do to mitigate the situation somewhat.
First, we must understand that “timing” must be respected as there are times when people will simply not be willing nor able to hear truth.
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Second, we must be gentle and respectful of our friends.
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect
Third, we must kind knowing that what they are about to hear is possibly going to be hurtful even though we are not intending to hurt them.
12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
Fourth, we must be honest and not try and sugar coat the truth.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Summary
Summary
…
Conclusion
Conclusion
…
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.