Living In Christian Unity In The Christian Community

The man replies, "Me too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region council of 1912?"

The jumper answers, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region council of 1912."

The man then pushes the jumper off the bridge and screams, "Die Heretic!"

Historical/Cultural Context -

Paul preached the gospel in Corinth in the early 50s AD during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1–18). When opposition grew fierce there, the Lord Jesus spoke to him in a vision assuring him that he had ‘many people’ in the city (Acts 18:10). With this encouragement, Paul stayed on for eighteen months, ‘teaching them the word of God’ (Acts 18:11). God used Paul’s ministry to bring about the birth and establishment of the church in Corinth.

Biblical Text -

1 Corinthians 8:1–13 NKJV

Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - It’s Ok To Disagree With Other Christians, So Long As It Doesn’t Compromise The Gospel, & That We Are Sensitive To Other’s Consciences.

Life Point- It’s Ok If Christians Don’t Agree On Certain Things

Exegetical -

1 Corinthians 8:1–6 NLT

Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes. So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.

Homiletical -

There is, in this life, certain things that the Christian must have discernment about. The example here is about food that has been sacrificed to an idol.

It could be easily applied to other areas of the modern Christian life.

I am by no means a legalist. Paul will say later:

1 Corinthians 10:23 NKJV

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

What are some controversial things in times past that people railed against but now we don’t talk about too much?

Radios

Preachers used to say you shouldn’t have one, because there is nothing good on them.

Just as radios started to become accepted. Preachers used to say you shouldn’t have a TV, because there is nothing good on them.

When we look at what is on TV today, I am tempted to say the same thing.

Credit Cards

Will lead the way for the mark of the beast! Now just everyone has a debit card.

Dress

You can’t wear Jeans to any church function. so-called holiness preachers would take our dress to the extreme.

Yes you should be modest in your dress, no you don’t have to wear a 3 piece suit and tie.

Worship Wars!

Don’t you bring that new contemporary praise music in here now. It aint Holy

Does it exalt Christ? Then who cares if it has a beat? It may not be up my ally, but it might be up someone else’s

The interesting thing that is happening today is that the next generation who has grown up on Contemporary worship are starting to hear the hymns for the first time and want to bring some of them back.

You know what we are hearing now?

Don’t bring those hymns back, we just got rid of them. They are old and boring.

Does it uplift Christ? Does it cause people to worship? Then leave it alone.

King James Only Translation

You are going to ask people who can’t understand the words of Shakespeare to understand the KJV?

You know what they say? Well thats the anointed version. The Holy inerrant translation. If it was good enough for Jesus it’s good enough for me.

Listen there are some errors in the translation and the manuscript it was based upon, today we have better manuscripts that are a lot older and a lot closer to the original Greek, Hebrew, & Aramaic text.

Does that mean every translation is great and free from errors? No, thats why we study from multiple translation and when possible we go back to the original languages.

Are there some translations we should stay away from? Sure.

I personally am not a fan of the so-called “gender neutral translations” that are circulating. Like the NIV 2011 edition or LifeWay’s CSB (Christian Stand Bible). I also think The Message is a bit of a dumpster fire and should be read by no one.

I personally use New King James, New Living Translation, New American Standard Bible(95 edition), Holman Christian Standard, and the Berean Study Bible.

All translations are on a spectrum. You have the word for word translations. Some of these are hard to read because just doing word to word in English makes it hard to read and understand and can even throw you off.

On the other end of the spectrum is the thought-for-thought translation. The problem here is basically the problem with The Message. You get that person or team’s of peoples personal beliefs and prejudices translated.

Then you have everything in-between

I like stay closer to word-for-word where they just fix the order and the conveyance. Which is why I look at multiple translations when I study. When I am just reading I like to read from the Berean Standard because that is close to word-for-word and some of the word choices I find interesting.

So are there some things that must be discerned? Sure. Are there some debatable things? Sure. Does that mean that on all of these issues that your way is the best? No.

What is the standard in these issues?

Love

I can worship @ a kjv church with brethren I know are wrong, but if that is where the consciences are then I won’t condemn them.

Scripture says it is love that strengthens us

Colossians 3:14 NLT

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

1 John 4:8 NLT

But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 Peter 4:8 NLT

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Remember to claim you have all the answers in these situations is ridiculous. Don’t go around pushing your so-called freedom in these matters on others. Nor, should people push their personal convictions that are not outlined in scripture on you.

This is especially true with a lot of KJV only people. They get angry at you if you don’t agree.

Now in a situation like that I ask them to go to the front of their Bible and read the Copyright.

1. KJV is out of copyright, but not out of print.

2. Most will say 1789. So the King James Bible which they claim is inerrant from 1611 is not the same Bible they read today. It has been updated.

3. As far as the KJV goes from 1611 there were five different translations that were all called KJV. There was even a His and Her edition.

These are all things they don’t know, or won’t listen about anyway. But there you have it.

Life Point - Be Sensitive To Other Believers

Exegetical -

1 Corinthians 8:7–13 NLT

However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do. But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

Homiletical -

When something is not an obvious sin like what we find in

Galatians 5:19–21 NLT

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

These are the obvious ones here. This is not, however, an exhaustive list.

He says that when he says and “the like”, or in the NLT “and other sins like these”

When what is going on isn’t an obvious sin, then we must use discernment and get counsel from other, wiser believers.

If we are to error, let us error on the side of Love.

If a person’s conscious says that they cannot eat meat to an idol, but yours is not bothering you about that because you know it is not a god, but a dead statue that brings no value, still don’t eat that meat?

Why?

Because you may cause them to doubt their faith. They may see you as a hypocrite. You may shipwreck their life. You don’t know how that will affect them.

1 Corinthians 8:10–12 NKJV

For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

I have an acquaintance who believes it is wrong for him to eat at any restaurant that serves alcohol. He is a minister and I guess in his spiritual journey someone saw him at a place that served alcohol, of which he doesn’t partake, and it caused them trouble.

So you know what I don’t do? I don’t invite him to Chilis because Chilis has a bar in it. I don’t cajole him and push him on it.

You know what I do? I ask where he wants to go to eat, that way I know his conscious is alright.

I used to know a guy who God, for a season, impressed upon him to give up TV to spend more time doing other things.

You know what I didn’t do do during that time? I didn’t talk about his favorite TV shows in front of him. I found other things to talk about, because I didn’t want to be the cause of him breaking his fast of TV.

This was before DVR so there was no way for him to really catch up and I guess he felt like it had taken parts of his life from him to be in front of a tv at a certain time.

Can people’s minds change on these things? Sure, but let God do that part. Because their spiritual journey is not your spiritual journey. If it isn’t obvious sin, then leave it alone.

When we do not take into account another person’s conscience in these matters, then we can cause the believer to feel like they have sinned and it will put a hold on their spiritual journey. Maybe for them, God has asked them to fast or give up something; that He Hasn’t asked of you. Let us never be the cause of someone’s stumbling in their relationship with Christ.

James 4:17 NKJV

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Illustration -

For example, one of my mentors used to tell me that if you are going to a church and you don’t know the dress code. Go in a suit and tie. That way if they believe it is wrong for you not to wear a suit and tie then you are covered. However, if they are more free in that regard, then it is easier to lose the jacket and the tie than it is to dress up when you get there.

Now this was 24 or 25 years ago when it was still a big deal to wear your “good clothes” to church in some circles. Those circles are becoming smaller and fewer as time marches on.

Life Principle– It’s Ok To Disagree With Other Christians, So Long As It Doesn’t Compromise The Gospel, & That We Are Sensitive To Other’s Consciences.

Living In Christian Unity In The Christian Community

Historical/Cultural Context -

Biblical Text -

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - It’s Ok To Disagree With Other Christians, So Long As It Doesn’t Compromise The Gospel, & That We Are Sensitive To Other’s Consciences.

Life Point- It’s Ok If Christians Don’t Agree On Certain Things

Exegetical -

Homiletical -

Life Point - Be Sensitive To Other Believers

Exegetical -

Homiletical -

Illustration -

Life Principle– It’s Ok To Disagree With Other Christians, So Long As It Doesn’t Compromise The Gospel, & That We Are Sensitive To Other’s Consciences.

Call to Action – altar call….