Knowledge, Love, and Food Offered to Idols

We just read the first two verses were going to tackle the rest of chapter 8. It says now concerning food offered to Idols. We know that all of us possess knowledge this knowledge puffs up but love builds up if anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know he ought to know but if anyone loves God he is known by God back in 2012. There was a very catchy book title released and maybe read it. Maybe you've heard sermons preached on it and buy Man by the name of Bob. He wrote a book called love. Guys, love you guys and I have not yet read that book, but the title has very much caught my attention, but it cost me to ask a question. What is the First Act that love actually did and she really unraveled that idea. I think you have to go back to Genesis chapter 1 2 and 3 and you see a loving God who creates humans and this world that we inhabit and live in in all of its beauty and he creates Us in His image and in creating Us in His image, one of the things that sticks out is that we can then be known by God and no God. This idea of the First Act of Love involves an aspect of to be known and to know now for any human one of the most terrifying things we can actually do is open up our live to somebody else. Correct. If you know me, if you know my past if you know my failures, if you know more than just simply the Persona that I put off the billboard of my life that I want you to read. Will you actually accept and embrace me for who I am yet at the exact same time. There is a deep longing to be accepted and loved and to be known and so we enter into relationships and friendships in community with one another in the hopes that you'll receive and accept me for the way that I am and I'll be a part of the community and that I will Delong why is that so important to us? Because the First Act of What love does where love begins is it begins in a place of knowing and being known by God then inevitably because of that we live out at the service acts of kindness and generosity. But if we're going to see through this morning, it stems from a position and a place of having been known by God now love is an interesting Concept in our day in age today with all sorts of definitions and philosophies and theories behind this concept and idea of love and to beat loving today feels a little bit like a moving Target. Doesn't it? The standard hit that Mark to realize I am I a loving person or not based on societal standards become incredibly difficult, but the Bible simplify that for us How so? Says God is love not very different than Love Is God love is not God. That's that moving Target definition than the idea with you always shifting. But God is love and they're Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your strength. It's all your soul with all your mind and then to love your neighbor as yourself and if we tackle this chapter this morning, it's going to call us to position of love and it's going to move us outside of the idea that love is simply looking at someone or someplace or something that has me which is an aspect of showing love but it's going to the also looking within and saying sometimes the most loving thing I can do is withhold a right that I have for myself in order to uplift my neighbor in order to love my neighbor. I have Sunday and I'm entitled to I have a ride to get within Christian Liberty. But yet the most loving thing that I can participate in is not just simply doing kindness and doing good with holding participating in something. But even I have a Raichu in order to bless my neighbor, is he in Corinth? They're dealing with a very sticky issue. There are all of these Pagan to worship the gods and if you remember last week There's a bit of an unraveling and Anna packing that we didn't say they believe that these were God who ruled Inn had power. We went through the words of Elohim and say Austin we looked at all of that last week. You can listen to that online if you missed it and it would go to these temples and in these temples they were sort of like the corner market there would be food that would sacrifice to these Idols but inevitably there be leftovers. If you are average Corinthian on a day, you might be invited by your neighbor to a birthday party at the temple or to some business event at the temple and they would bring meat which was released and at the temple you would participate in sacrificing and eating onto this God these temples that were set up a believe they were hot spots. If you would are there places where the gods came down and then Connect with the gods and they believe that through ingesting food and eating they would participate in all sorts of sexual immorality another acts of unrighteousness. And this is the world in which these Christians were being saved out of and brought into the lights so sure they are in Corinth. And he said we'd on our knowledgeable. We know something that this food offered to Idols. They are nothing and tosses. Correct the woods. You the metal it is nothing you're right. But Paul is going to say there is something very demonic. There is an there is a stay off behind so don't go to the temple, but they said hey, what about if it's sacrificed in the temple that we go in the marketplace cheap? Can we go ahead and buy it there and then eat it at home in the next few chapters are actually continuation 8 9 and 10 of Liberty's and legalism what we can and cannot do that gray area in which we have Christian those that are in the world in habits and other things that we can participate in and not participate in and Paul is looking at this church a new looks at these that have knowledge for the sake of your brother for the sake of those who are weaker don't participate if it the files their conscious now the idea of week in today's culture. If I were to say somebody has a weak conscience the vast majority of people would understand that to be there somewhat immune or insensitive to Amor Actually participate in this I did a weak conscience in today's day and age is one that isn't bothered by a morality isn't bothered by things that would be hurtful or harmful maybe to their own energy. But that's not what Paul means hear what Paul means when he talks about the week in this passage. It is those who would have a lack of the understanding of the gospel of grace and in this situation particularly, it's that when they sit down at the table to eat their own conscience makes them feel guilty because when they smell the meat going up, it's barbecue season when you smell your neighbor turn that thing on your life. Yeah. I'm going to go get some steak to all right, the whole neighborhood is smelling so good with all participate in this and it brings up the emotions and feelings of Good for them. It would feel like these emotions coming up of what did we used to do in the Temple? And so when they would sit there and they would eat their own conscience would make them feel guilty Paul describes the week as those in Romans 14 as well In this passage not those who are necessarily not Christians, but those were still reminiscing thinking about when they smell that food for the acts that they used to participate in and it would defile their conscience. But there is this idea that their conscience would be changed and if they would grow but they're identified as the week in this passage for that reason the week are the people who typically don't like the gray areas of life. They like black they like white they like to know what's up with down what's left was right. They want to know what they can and cannot do they want to be told by somebody that you can listen to this, but you can't listen to that you can eat this but you can't eat that you can drink this but you can't drink that. They want their conscience to be determined by directive that are very very clear. We simply don't live in a world that is like that it's a Paul is looking at the week and instead of despising them. He then turns to the knowledgeable. You can come strong. It turns to the knowledgeable. And here's their problem. The knowledgeable are intolerant of intolerant people. Get that their intolerance knowledgeable are looking down on the week going sure. So intolerable you yourself are being intolerable of those that are intolerable and what you're choosing to do something in their life. And he said why not for the sake of love. Could you not lay down your rights in order that their conscience not be defiled their conscience not The Syndicate but you wouldn't leave him down a road of idolatry. Now this passes get you used and twisted and all sorts of way. But first let me have the knowledge of God Paul is not down on knowledge knowledge is a means to an end, but that end better be loved. Hotels that your knowledge is puffing you up. It's actually making you unusable not lovable not kind. kind of knowledge there in the garden where the serpent comes to Adam and Eve and that surfing there speak Eve and the serpent have Insider's knowledge about the fruit on the tree looked at each team plants as deceptive idea into her head and he said

It won't tell you I'm tired of this Council. I know what it actually do. It'll open your eyes and you yourself will be like Elohim. You will know good and bad same serpent. The cash there in the Hebrew is the one that we call Staton which we know to have fallen because of what fried knowledge when used not in love will be a self-serving aspect to have your way. Not your neighbor's way, which is not the way of Jesus knowledge. When used for your own intentions in your own desire will be a way to elevate yourself and put you in a place of superiority really an elitist some religious snobbery of looking down on others going to be more like me. Why can't you think like me act like me talk like me. And hear what Paul is saying is if your knowledge leads to religious snobbery or superiority. I'm definitely paraphrasing. That is not good knowledge that touch you up and it does not lead you down the roads of love. Christian love is overriding this knowledge that is feeding their arrogance not blind. It's informed. In fact in Philippians. 1:9 Paul said my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and with all discernment but in 1st Corinthians 13 chapter 2, he says but knowledge without love is Barren and in Romans 14:13 through 23. That's a long section that I will not read. All of it. The whole point is not what you can do with this freedom, but how can you love others and not buy into a selfish mindset of this is simply for me and what I want to have done in my life. Paul says says here in this passage in this essence of love is not doing something for yourself in order to help others. How can we do this what Paul says in verses 1 through 3 how to take place in our lives when you are known. God I know that relationship with God it frees you up to live in other league kind of way. Would you like me to open up to the only one who really opinion truly matters and is a value it allows me to look at your own circumstances and situations and look at others and go I know what I have all sorts of Rights in this world and in this life because I love and care for you as a Christian brother or Christian sister. If this is going to lead you down the road of destruction of idolatry of synth. I will refrain from that. I can give up something that is mine in order to fill your life up. Why because I am filled up by this God who knows me and is accepted to Yahweh. And this is the encouragement that is laying out for us here and he's talking about the other conscience 313 if we finish off this passage this morning, purses for 13 therefore up 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 for all the other be many so-called gods in heaven on Earth as indeed. There are many gods in mini Lawrence get for us. There is one God the father from whom are all things and for who we exist one Lord Jesus Christ, and we are all things. However, not all this knowledge, but some through former association with Idol eat food as really offered you and I don't he's basically saying these people can't break from the idea that it's just food that is not about menu. It's about the venue. That's probably the biggest issue going on in their hard-working in their life and they continue to associated with food. Idol type of worship but take care of that this right of yours is not somehow become a stumbling block to the week for anyone sees you who have knowledge eating and then idles Temple. He will not be encouraged if his conscience is weekly food offered to idols and so by your knowledge this week person is destroyed. The brother of Christ died that's sinning against your brother and wounding their conscience when it is weak you stand against Christ there for food makes my brother stumble. I will never eat less. I make my brother stumble. Let me look at this passage Paul begins to outline. Who all he is talking about in this and the ramifications for it is being talked about the knowledgeable in the week and he drying out the contrast between the two thing. I know you have this right before your brother's sake if you cause them to stumble you've destroyed them and done harm. That's the ramification know. What is the idea of stumbling block? stumbling block it's not just something that offends you. I'm going to do all sorts of things in my life that offend each and everyone of you just going to happen. We have different views. We have different ideas. We have different thoughts about different Liberties that we can partake in or not partake in some people have made a Christian profession out of being a professional weaker brother where every single thing as somebody does are going to look at what they did the following them. They're doing it might make me stumble. It might make me fall typically somebody with that mindset is not a weaker brother but is a legal if he wants to put their ideas for what to put in your conviction on areas that are gray on to everybody else. So they fit into the box of the weaker brother act like me talk like me. Go to church like me pray like me. Here's the box of what it means a God has made it so much more ambiguous in this world that we live in of what it looks like to live out following Jesus idea of a stumbling block all uses. It is truly something that would lead somebody down the road of idolatry. Not just something you see a Christian brother or sister doing that. You don't like it they participate in The Bible is very very explicit when it talks about good and bad Rights and Wrongs think we can and cannot participate in this follow me on that. It clearly outlined so many aspects of what the Christian Life ought to look like, but it leaves a lot of room for gray and there has been a lot of professional younger weaker brothers who wants to place their convictions on somebody else. Maybe you grew up in a church like this where if out front people are out there smoking a cig you hear that that's the worst thing that happened this week. What's same family goes in pump the bunch of grease at McDonald's down their throats, right? You tell me which one's healthier smoke 30 days straight or eat McDonald's for 30 days straight and I ain't judging on either Case by kids hit up the drive-thru last week. Okay, it's okay. It's what I'm saying. I'm not ducking in there anymore cuz can't judge me on that. We can eat me. All right.

Yeah, alright, we all know we all know.

About a lot of things that are gray in the scriptures and some of us are just defended at any and every little thing and want to make a case about it and it has been grossly taken out of context. 5 in offense Maybe it is a mess in the area of Liberty. I certainly should consider that Paul says my Weezer brother my brother or sister in the faith. But if it's something that is not leading Us full circle as a follower of Jesus. I have to care for them. Even if it rust on them I ought to be able to lay down my right in order to serve them. Well, first Peter 2:16 says don't use your Liberty as a cloak of maliciousness to wilfully injure somebody not the reality of Jesus offended. A lot of people didn't pee With his Liberties he drank too much with those who didn't like Jesus drinking. We don't really know what that means and I say he drank too much. I don't mean he's intoxicated. I just me and they simply looked at him. He's a drunkard and yet yet when he was hanging out with John the Baptist they didn't like that. He was hanging out in that crew either. How did he fit in there's always these issues and problems? He's hanging out with the prostitutes in the tax collectors. We don't like that thing hanging with the Pharisees. If there's problems there is he Jesus was a professional offender. He was really good at it. But he did it in such a way that he always honoring God and exposing the heart of the offended your legalism needs to be offended, but my Liberty should not cause somebody to send now, what does it look like for us and I just kind of want to unravel this and then we got little chilling and hanging in here with us and Maddie Mae's going to be glaring at me in the next Gathering the entire service. So I under I understand how do we handle the issues of the Bible says if your conscience offend you then it is something you actually should not participate in even if your other brother can. Personal issue if it's not black. It's not wipes in an area of Grey music I grew up in a very hyper Conservative Christian culture Piper Conservative Christian culture. So I'm meeting some of the Christian band run the don't listen to with kind of culture or I know you know, I'm talking about like mxpx couldn't listen to them. They were too rough. Are there some other groups as well as it came from the top down. It wasn't anything my own heart convicted me every my parents telling me it's just somebody in the Pulpit that don't do this. Don't wear this don't drink this don't act like this. All right and because of this, I believe that and felt was true and I had these Christian friends were incredibly gracious and kind of me and I know this is kind of sad because of my beliefs, they wouldn't play things. I didn't want to listen to Cuz I'm going to have strongly to that's something that I carry over when I'm with other people because of a conviction that they might have. What does your conscience say on something? It's because your neighbor can do it doesn't mean your conscience is okay with that enrollment Paul. Explicitly about that. And that's the question first informative speaking to you on these issues. And even when you come in and out I can or cannot participate in some of the gray areas that were allowed to two number two. What does my friend or friends need? That means you have to know them. That means you actually have to be known by them as well. And sometimes there's things that we need to lay aside for our friends when they come over for dinner. We need to choose friends over maybe alcohol or friends over violent movies are friends over hamburgers, whatever it maybe because ultimately we want to love our brothers and sisters. Wow. The management here this morning is one you're constantly one of those offended by all the Liberties you grow up. Understand that there's a gray area that we exist in number to don't buy though into religion snobbery a religious lead in them. That would say you just don't know like I know you should just be trained like I'm trained you should just grow like I have grown. I meant then you'll finally be set free is he your knowledge is not cheating unless it's the knowledge of how much God loves you changed u-shaped you and is invited you into the rule of his kingdom and then in so doing a radically shift how you're going to care and love for your neighbor. And for the person next to you Christian, you are known by God. Let me read this description of Galatians 4:9, but now that you've come to know God or rather to be known by God since idea. How can you turn back to God again? So in Galatians, let me just have that in the back of your head.

Sorry, I thought I'd written that down.

Galatians chapter 4 verse 9 He says I will wash his hands afterwards.

But now that you have come to know God or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless Elementary principles of the world whose slave look if you are known by God and God knows you he's going to radically shift transform and change how you live in light of what Jesus has done in your life. Redeemers, I don't send this is a massive issue in our church, but as we grow we need ideas down. Is somebody truly leading you into idolatry and sin, or is it just that you are offended because of something they watch them if they drink something they eat. Something that they do and we need to be able to do a better job of filtering that out. And then if we are the ones participating that willing to listen to the one who is weaker and to hear that side of it in order for the glory of God to be exalted at all of the Claret chapter 9 next week. Let's pray. Thank you for your love and your generosity and your kind did you for the way in which you lead us by your holy spirits? That you called us to be responsive to how you speak to each and every person. God that you called us to Unity but not uniformity. We don't all talk the same dress the same look the same and we appreciate the diversity that you brought into our own body. And we celebrate that God knew we grow in your grace. And then we grow in the love of Jesus Christ that allows for us to love others as we love ourselves. She just to be that kind of people in your name. Amen.