back to index2015-10-10 Study of 1 Corinthians Part 2 Week 9
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If you would turn in your Bibles to chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians, and we're reading from 00:00:20.520 |
And this is what it says, "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. 00:00:27.640 |
All things are lawful, but not all things edify. 00:00:31.040 |
Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. 00:00:34.560 |
Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience sake. 00:00:39.800 |
For the earth is the Lord's and all it contains. 00:00:42.720 |
If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before 00:00:47.520 |
you without asking questions for conscience sake. 00:00:50.800 |
But if anyone says to you, 'This is meat sacrificed to idols,' then do not eat it. 00:00:56.000 |
For the sake of the one who informed you and for conscience sake. 00:00:59.440 |
I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's. 00:01:02.720 |
For why is my freedom judged by another's conscience? 00:01:06.360 |
If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks? 00:01:12.320 |
Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. 00:01:16.920 |
Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God. 00:01:21.480 |
But as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit 00:01:29.720 |
All right, let's take a moment to pray and then we'll jump into the text. 00:01:35.200 |
Father God, we truly want to thank you for the word. 00:01:38.680 |
God help us to be a people who are hungry for your truth. 00:01:43.360 |
Hungry God, knowing that we need your guidance, we need your nourishment. 00:01:48.080 |
And Father, as you are directing the church on how to behave in relationship to other 00:01:54.240 |
brothers and other sisters, I pray Father God that you grant us wisdom. 00:02:02.640 |
So this is like a great kind of conclusion to a long segment. 00:02:09.480 |
For those of you guys, there's no table seating, so just sit anywhere you want, okay? 00:02:15.800 |
This is a kind of a long drawn out section that is now coming to a little bit of a conclusion. 00:02:23.880 |
And remember, I mentioned earlier that it's talking about Christian liberty. 00:02:28.840 |
And the way I would like to summarize that chapter eight till 11 verse one is really 00:02:34.520 |
knowing the difference between right and wrong. 00:02:37.680 |
So I left a blank for you there, knowing the difference between right and wrong. 00:02:43.380 |
But if you guys would, in your blank, write dot dot dot, or what's best. 00:02:49.740 |
So it's knowing the difference between right and wrong, dot dot dot, or what's best. 00:02:55.160 |
And it took me a long time to think about that little heading. 00:03:00.080 |
But what I see as, again, a huge benefit to the book of First Corinthians is it is truly 00:03:11.080 |
And if you take a look at verses 23 to 24, it says, "All things are lawful, but not 00:03:17.400 |
All things are lawful, but not all things edify." 00:03:22.000 |
And that really sends us back to chapter six, which when I taught that lesson, I introduced 00:03:27.640 |
as a wisdom text, teaching you not simply to decide, hey, what's right and wrong, but 00:03:37.440 |
Because you're asking the question, what is profitable? 00:03:41.900 |
Not just what's lawful, but what's really profitable? 00:03:46.300 |
And so, perhaps the people at the Church of Corinth wrote a letter to the Apostle Paul 00:03:53.880 |
saying, "So what do we do about this disagreement we have? 00:03:57.080 |
You got a bunch of people saying, 'We can't touch that meat because it's been offered 00:04:02.300 |
to idols and it's been sacrificed and it will be unholy.' 00:04:06.260 |
And then they're wrestling, like, 'Oh, but I want to, but I don't want to, and there's 00:04:10.220 |
a lot of reasons to want to, and then there's a lot of reasons to not want to. 00:04:14.060 |
And then there's a bunch of people who are saying, 'Dude, it's nothing. 00:04:19.600 |
Maybe it was a simple question, but they just got an earful from Apostle Paul, from chapter 00:04:28.820 |
Now what's really interesting about this concluding remark, okay? 00:04:32.600 |
So this is a concluding section, is that I feel like Apostle Paul goes back and forth. 00:04:38.600 |
If you read verses 23 and 24, essentially what he's saying is, "Don't eat it." 00:04:44.300 |
I mean, he's saying, "Look, all things are lawful, not all things are profitable, all 00:04:47.700 |
things are lawful, but not all things edify." 00:04:50.640 |
So he says, "Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor." 00:04:55.460 |
If you were to receive that after asking the question, "Hey, what should I do?" 00:05:00.420 |
And you know, maybe it's your pastor or an older brother or sister, they're like, "Don't 00:05:13.380 |
You know, like, that's the way you would respond probably, right? 00:05:16.540 |
So what I'd like you to do in order to kind of get the point of what he's saying is, take 00:05:21.660 |
a look at chapter six, verse 12, and tell me, by comparing contrast, what is he getting 00:05:28.700 |
What do you see as a difference between what he's saying back in chapter six when he wanted 00:05:33.060 |
the church to be wise, versus here in chapter 10 when he wants the church to be wise? 00:05:39.940 |
So I'll read the passage for us, chapter six, verse 12. 00:05:43.140 |
"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable." 00:05:48.060 |
"All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." 00:05:55.820 |
My question to you guys is, it sounds like the same thing, but there's obviously a difference, 00:06:03.620 |
and the difference is obvious, but why that difference? 00:06:07.420 |
"Isn't 6.12 talking about what's good for me, and this is talking about what's good 00:06:19.980 |
So in the context of chapter six, he's talking a lot about your own self-control, and it's 00:06:23.740 |
in the context when he recently, or really closely in proximity, talked about sexual 00:06:30.220 |
So you are having a control over your own flesh. 00:06:34.260 |
But then here in chapter 10, he wants you to think outside your box, and to think about 00:06:41.820 |
And what he says is, "Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor." 00:06:47.620 |
So there's your point that he really wants you to get at, okay? 00:06:52.660 |
Now, if you were to highlight, or circle, in that little phrase, "Let no one seek his 00:07:00.260 |
own good, but that of his neighbor," what would you circle as the command? 00:07:11.300 |
And I know it's kind of like, "What are you really asking here? 00:07:16.260 |
Well, I want to make a point from it, and I didn't know how else to get at it. 00:07:20.620 |
Here's the obvious question, what's the command? 00:07:24.340 |
So someone volunteer and tell me what you circled. 00:07:37.180 |
Sometimes you see things in the negative form, "Hey, don't do this." 00:07:42.220 |
And then sometimes you see things in the positive form, "Do this." 00:07:48.660 |
When I first read this passage in, you know, verse 24, I just underlined, "Hey, don't seek 00:07:57.100 |
So essentially what that's telling you is, "Hey, don't be selfish." 00:08:00.780 |
Well, let's think of a hypothetical scenario, and I want to make the point that if you were 00:08:07.180 |
to leave it at that and say, "Hey, don't be selfish," that would not really capture what 00:08:15.540 |
So let's all think of a hypothetical scenario where you have three friends. 00:08:20.300 |
I try to pick names that, you know, nobody shares the name in this room. 00:08:26.660 |
Lawrence wants to go eat with his buddies and says, "Hey, I feel like Mexican food today." 00:08:35.300 |
But then Lydia was like, "Oh, but I had Korean yesterday." 00:08:41.140 |
You got three people who want different things. 00:08:44.600 |
If you were to obey the command of, "Hey, let no one seek his own good," in the negative 00:09:09.820 |
But I think a lot of times what I find people do is to say like, "Okay, then let's just 00:09:18.660 |
Sometimes what I find like option A is just scenarios like this have happened, okay? 00:09:24.400 |
Three friends get together and they want to go out to eat and then everyone says something 00:09:28.300 |
different and then so there's this like, "So, do, do, do." 00:09:32.660 |
And then there's this awkward silence because everyone's kind of waiting for someone to 00:09:38.640 |
Option A is to not say anything and let it be awkward. 00:09:45.140 |
And the reason why I say that's not sufficient because to say whatever, "I guess I'm okay 00:09:52.060 |
with Korean," is actually not what Apostle Paul is expecting. 00:09:57.900 |
It's because, let me suggest an option C. Option C is for one person who perhaps is 00:10:05.980 |
thinking of this scenario and really has the heart that exemplifies what Apostle Paul says, 00:10:11.100 |
"Let no one seek his own good but that of his neighbor," and becomes what I like to 00:10:20.420 |
And let's say it's Rebecca and Rebecca says, "All right, let's go Chipotle." 00:10:27.660 |
I guess you'd call it like, you know, Americanized Mexican food, right? 00:10:31.260 |
Well, the thing about that is she didn't say, "Hey, whatever. 00:10:34.780 |
I'm okay with it," but what she said was, "I suggest." 00:10:37.900 |
Here's an option that I know pleases you, but I'm suggesting it. 00:10:41.820 |
It's very different from saying, "Hey, whatever. 00:10:47.540 |
It's because when you say something to the extent of, "Hey, like, I'm okay with it, but 00:10:56.100 |
as long as you want it, sure," what ends up happening is the person who says, "Yeah, I 00:11:02.860 |
And so I'm not sure if you guys have ever experienced a scenario with your friend or 00:11:06.700 |
a scenario with your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever it may be. 00:11:14.460 |
If you say whatever you decide, you are already lost. 00:11:20.020 |
Even if she gets in the end what she wants, you lose. 00:11:24.340 |
Because it seems like either you don't care, it seems like secretly you want something, 00:11:29.060 |
but you're not willing to say it, which now you've lost your pants. 00:11:32.140 |
The other thing that happens is if you say whatever, you know what I'm saying, right? 00:11:36.540 |
It's just a no-win situation when you do that. 00:11:38.740 |
But if you become a considerate initiator, you say, "Okay, you're choosing something, 00:11:45.420 |
and rather than choosing, like right now, Bea and I, we moved into our home, and I could 00:11:50.260 |
have decided I want to decorate my house with masculine things. 00:11:54.300 |
Everything needs to be gray and navy blue, right? 00:11:57.480 |
But if I chose to decide to become a considerate initiator and pick the thing that I know she's 00:12:03.640 |
delighted by, now I've done way more, way more than just I'm not being selfish." 00:12:14.720 |
This is just like scenarios of this and that. 00:12:18.000 |
It's because if you read the passage as, "Let no one seek his own good and stop there," 00:12:26.080 |
Because if you put that into the right circles, it should be, "Seek the good of his neighbor," 00:12:36.160 |
And that is so much more than just simply stop being selfish. 00:12:41.200 |
And I want to ask you the question, are you being characterized by not just simply, "Let 00:12:48.840 |
Or are you going above and beyond that to, "Are you seeking what is profitable? 00:12:54.800 |
Are you really seeking that which is good for your neighbor?" 00:13:04.160 |
Go above and beyond, cease from your selfish ways to now seek what is actually in favor 00:13:12.840 |
That is very much so more than perhaps what we would think. 00:13:19.600 |
A biblical scenario more in tune with this is really, you know, let's say Wesley who 00:13:27.280 |
Wesley could ask stubborn Steve, "Hey, could you not eat that for me? 00:13:36.400 |
I mean, in this scenario, Wesley could be the one to ask, right? 00:13:42.440 |
But the thing about it is, if stubborn Steve had this attitude of like, "I'm going to eat 00:13:46.920 |
until somebody asks," is he fulfilling what Apostle Paul is calling him to? 00:13:57.000 |
If he's in there, or if let's say, you know, Rebecca's in there like, "Yeah, I'm all Korean, 00:14:04.800 |
That's a completely different attitude of the heart. 00:14:07.960 |
And I think that's what I'm getting at here and I'm seeing is, if you're reading it one 00:14:12.120 |
way, it's like, "I will fulfill this by doing the minimum." 00:14:16.240 |
But the other part is, the considerate initiator would be the one who says, "Beyond that, I'll 00:14:28.960 |
If you would, turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 14, Romans chapter 14. 00:14:35.240 |
And this passage, I've referenced before, when I was preaching chapter 8, but realize 00:14:41.940 |
that this scenario, not only is it common in the Church of Corinth, but this scenario 00:14:50.560 |
And I mentioned how not only is it common, but it's something that probably came up in 00:14:58.440 |
But the principle behind it will actually show itself in our everyday context as well. 00:15:11.160 |
If you're cold, you guys can lower that thermostat. 00:15:30.200 |
I'll let you work out your faith and fear and trembling over there. 00:15:52.960 |
Verse 13 of chapter 14 in the book of Romans. 00:16:00.720 |
And it says, "Therefore, let us not judge another anymore, but rather determine this, 00:16:08.680 |
not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in our brother's way. 00:16:12.440 |
I know and I'm convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but to 00:16:17.040 |
him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 00:16:21.360 |
For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. 00:16:26.760 |
Do not destroy with your food him from whom Christ died. 00:16:30.560 |
Therefore, do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil. 00:16:35.680 |
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the 00:16:41.680 |
For he who is this way serves Christ in this way, serves Christ, is acceptable to God and 00:16:48.400 |
So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 00:16:53.560 |
Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. 00:16:56.480 |
All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives defense. 00:17:01.600 |
It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 00:17:07.440 |
The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. 00:17:11.160 |
Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves, but he who doubts is condemned 00:17:16.560 |
if he eats because his eating is not from faith and whatever is not from faith is sin." 00:17:23.640 |
Wow, that's a lot just packed in that paragraph, right? 00:17:28.360 |
But for our purposes, I'm just highlighting the exhortation, right? 00:17:35.280 |
He essentially said, "Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor." 00:17:41.400 |
In almost very similar context, Apostle Paul is addressing the same issue in the book of 00:17:55.320 |
Welcome back and can you read verse 25 to 27? 00:18:02.400 |
Yeah, first Corinthians chapter 10, 25 to 27. 00:18:03.400 |
"If anything that is sold in the meat market, not asking questions, but consciously, for 00:18:04.400 |
the earth, for the Lord, and all it contains. 00:18:05.400 |
If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go eat at a set before you go 00:18:06.400 |
to bed, and you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:07.400 |
But if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:08.400 |
And if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:09.400 |
And if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:10.400 |
But if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:31.400 |
And if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:32.400 |
But if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:33.400 |
But if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:34.400 |
But if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:35.400 |
But if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:36.400 |
But if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:37.400 |
But if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:38.400 |
But if you don't want to go, you can go to the market and ask for a meal. 00:18:39.400 |
well as far as verse 23, 24, he essentially said, 00:18:41.700 |
"Hey, can you please think about your brothers? 00:18:49.500 |
and I would conclude, okay I'm not gonna eat it. 00:19:12.680 |
I'm asking for another, again, just observation question. 00:19:28.240 |
All right, so eat anything for conscience sake. 00:19:35.280 |
So he's saying, eat anything without asking questions 00:19:38.960 |
So he repeats that essentially, that whole phrase twice. 00:19:53.680 |
Another scenario is, you are at your friend's house. 00:20:06.200 |
I find it a little hilarious 'cause it's kind of like 00:20:29.800 |
in the marketplace, eat anything at your friend's house, 00:20:34.680 |
My question is, is this what I think it sounds like? 00:20:38.520 |
Is it the same as a don't ask and don't tell policy? 00:20:47.240 |
And if you say no, then I'm gonna ask you why. 00:20:57.400 |
And if it's not a, hey, don't ask, don't tell 00:21:19.120 |
But if somebody tells you, then it matters for them. 00:21:25.760 |
So it's kind of like, there is still a difference 00:21:37.280 |
Apostle Paul in his mind knows that that's there. 00:21:41.200 |
If you take a peek over at the next verse, okay? 00:21:55.040 |
So, it is not a don't ask, don't tell policy, okay? 00:22:00.040 |
It's more of a differentiating your conscience, 00:22:11.040 |
It's because for you, what exists is verse 26. 00:22:19.080 |
support this policy of eating the market food 00:22:25.280 |
from Psalm 24, one, is basically the earth of the Lord's 00:22:46.200 |
and the food that's given is just food, right? 00:23:04.320 |
Okay, First Timothy, I believe it's chapter four, 00:23:10.200 |
It says basically, refuse the men who forbid marriage 00:23:12.960 |
and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created 00:23:15.400 |
to be gratefully shared in by those who believe 00:23:24.920 |
for it is sanctified by means of the word of God 00:23:29.640 |
So the truth that we know is that everything belongs to God, 00:23:47.400 |
Now, it's gonna sound like you're splitting hair, 00:23:53.120 |
There's still their conscience and my conscience, 00:23:55.360 |
but when it comes into effect about my conscience 00:24:02.840 |
If it's just me before the food, my conscience is clear. 00:24:07.680 |
is my eating before the face of my brother, right? 00:24:11.320 |
So there is a differentiation in the scenario. 00:24:19.960 |
but in the two scenarios, what comes into play 00:24:25.560 |
So in order to kind of summarize this point real quick, 00:24:38.960 |
but in New York they have a thing called a Halal Guys. 00:24:53.920 |
and then there's like the Halal Guys coming in there, 00:24:55.920 |
there's this like world renowned Japanese ramen place 00:25:07.540 |
is 'cause I met a brother at church at a restaurant, 00:25:14.680 |
"I thought that was the name of the restaurant." 00:25:17.800 |
And so for those of you guys who are really excited 00:25:24.480 |
If you guys have never heard of what is Halal, 00:25:32.720 |
So Muslim is the people, Islam is the religion. 00:25:51.040 |
and then you have to prepare the food the right way. 00:25:53.240 |
And the thing about it is, underneath that law, 00:25:55.480 |
they have restrictions in the kind of animal, 00:26:01.960 |
in a way that's as painless as possible to the animal. 00:26:21.040 |
the Quran allows Christians and Jews to prepare that food, 00:26:26.200 |
because Christians and Jews are monotheistic, 00:26:29.640 |
meaning they have scripture text to abide by, right? 00:27:28.240 |
Well, the other reason why that came up is because, yeah, 00:27:30.240 |
the term actually is not just referring to food. 00:27:37.560 |
So know that that's what the term means, okay? 00:27:44.960 |
this time of year, they have to kill the animals. 00:27:49.200 |
Yeah, so kosher food also, you're right, is strict. 00:27:54.800 |
Kosher too is dietary restriction based on Jewish law. 00:28:22.960 |
This was in the past and I just ate it, okay? 00:28:27.400 |
Okay, the reason why is because this is what I did. 00:28:34.320 |
oh, like, do you guys promote this, you know? 00:28:42.240 |
you know, they just had that for people who came by. 00:28:58.560 |
So for example, if the Halal guys opened this thing up 00:29:04.440 |
that we as a people who are Muslim have a restaurant. 00:29:12.800 |
they were promoting their religion and faith, right? 00:29:16.240 |
And they were really advocating this as like, 00:29:18.680 |
the success of our business is because Allah. 00:29:24.520 |
Then I would have had crazy conflict of conscience, 00:29:32.240 |
But then in front of me, it's just kebabs and like rice, 00:29:44.040 |
and I ate it because that was my conscience before the Lord. 00:29:48.640 |
But if, again, the restaurant and what it stood 00:29:51.520 |
as an institution was a promotion of who they were, 00:30:08.480 |
if, again, if the restaurant was just about like, 00:30:12.480 |
hey, we serve a bowl great for lunch, here it is. 00:30:15.960 |
If the restaurant was more like, this is who we are, 00:30:17.960 |
this is our identity, and this is why we make our food, 00:30:28.400 |
- I could share kind of a related story really quickly. 00:30:43.040 |
connected to the event, and in the name of the event. 00:30:55.880 |
And it was clear that it really bothered them 00:31:01.160 |
to this sporting event that was connected to Santa Claus, 00:31:29.640 |
probably this passage means they shouldn't participate 00:31:45.400 |
I'm actually not convincing you one way or the other. 00:31:48.640 |
You guys have to make your own decisions about it. 00:31:54.260 |
Verse 25 to 27, he says, "Eat anything that is sold 00:31:57.960 |
"in the meat marketplace without asking questions 00:32:06.200 |
and I'm gonna talk about it a little bit more 00:32:18.720 |
he is stating the fact that there is a liberty for us 00:32:21.860 |
because everything in the world is the Lord's. 00:32:33.240 |
because everything in the world is the Lord's. 00:32:38.880 |
that the other person's conscience can be involved. 00:32:43.600 |
So, his point here is don't involve his conscience. 00:32:48.980 |
I don't know if that sounds weird to you guys, 00:32:51.960 |
Don't ask the question because don't involve his conscience. 00:33:04.600 |
And that's when you are considering your neighbor. 00:33:11.400 |
we don't have to have a law outside of the law of the Bible 00:33:13.960 |
and say, I can't eat anything that says the law, 00:33:18.040 |
That would be quite a standard above and beyond 00:33:29.320 |
and then there's a whole idea of invoking the name of Allah 00:33:38.120 |
If you just decide to say, yeah, I don't know. 00:33:43.040 |
and until I think about it, I'm not gonna eat it. 00:33:46.600 |
So, I'm not gonna convince you one way or the other, 00:33:50.640 |
you do have a freedom because everything belongs to the Lord. 00:33:55.920 |
Okay, let's move forward to the next section. 00:34:04.240 |
Diane Kim, can you please read verse 28 through verse 30? 00:34:44.220 |
that someone's conscience against a brother or sister, 00:34:52.860 |
He says, don't eat it for the sake of the conscience 00:35:03.220 |
so why is my freedom judged by another's conscience? 00:35:06.380 |
And when I read that, I was a little confused. 00:35:11.620 |
why is my freedom judged by another man's conscience? 00:35:15.020 |
I almost would take that as like, so I can't eat it. 00:35:18.080 |
My conscience, you know, my freedom shouldn't be judged 00:35:38.780 |
and he uses the question to support his statement. 00:35:42.780 |
If someone brings it up to you, don't eat it. 00:36:09.100 |
in a way where someone whose conscience is bothered 00:36:14.860 |
and be bothered by your exercise of your own freedom. 00:36:38.100 |
where someone might accuse you of doing evil? 00:36:46.380 |
I'm just gonna read it for us for the sake of time. 00:36:48.620 |
He says, "Therefore, do not let what is for you 00:36:54.320 |
"For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, 00:36:56.320 |
"but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." 00:36:59.720 |
And what's interesting is even the term for judge, 00:37:04.120 |
it's not kinda like judged as in judged against the Bible 00:37:56.280 |
All right, then let's move on to the last section. 00:38:03.400 |
And if I can have, Mel Wong, can you read that for us? 00:38:07.040 |
- Excuse me, whether then you need for thanks 00:38:09.080 |
or whatever you do, you will also be glorified. 00:38:37.760 |
I'm not sure if you guys see value in repetition, 00:38:57.640 |
And I almost feel like, gosh, that's confusing. 00:39:00.280 |
Give me just one principle and let me do it, you know? 00:39:19.300 |
Would God, you know, be pleased in your eating? 00:39:31.320 |
Now, obviously, the overarching principle is, 00:40:07.600 |
do you guys have a principle that will help you decide? 00:40:10.400 |
Do you guys have something that's going to keep you in line 00:40:14.380 |
with what should be the measure of success in your life? 00:40:20.440 |
although it's probably the broadest one of all the Bible, 00:40:23.680 |
is something that we should really rehearse and memorize. 00:40:29.760 |
That we need to do all things to the glory of God. 00:40:40.120 |
and it matters even so why you end up not eating. 00:40:47.600 |
in this scenario, do this, in this scenario, do that, 00:40:49.680 |
in this scenario, do this, and in this scenario, do that. 00:40:59.840 |
what is going to be most glorifying to the Lord? 00:41:10.200 |
when you think about what is most glorifying to God, 00:41:16.560 |
And I want you guys to share just a couple of those things. 00:42:15.560 |
into his mind frame, how he thinks, you know? 00:42:22.000 |
and he's so, like, in many ways, purpose-driven, you know? 00:42:34.640 |
And if you remember back in chapter nine, right? 00:42:41.120 |
Oops, I'm in Romans, that's why I'm like, what is this? 00:42:43.840 |
Remember back in chapter nine, verse 22 to 23? 00:42:51.480 |
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. 00:43:03.080 |
so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. 00:43:13.080 |
that he would dare not put any stumbling block, right? 00:43:17.880 |
To see an individual go from the kingdom of darkness 00:43:29.540 |
to see an individual as those who are slaves of their sins, 00:43:34.280 |
to see an individual who had no God in the world 00:43:43.360 |
he sees nothing else that would be a greater honor to God. 00:43:47.720 |
And so Apostle Paul has as his great ambition 00:43:59.520 |
not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, 00:44:07.680 |
And again, just love that kind of passionate, 00:44:20.280 |
I want us to think about that a little bit is, 00:44:23.760 |
for us, when we think about the glory of God, 00:44:32.720 |
And all the things that you guys mentioned, it's right. 00:44:37.980 |
we give glory when we show him to be a sufficient provider, 00:44:41.720 |
we give him glory when we show his answer of prayer, 00:44:45.600 |
we give him glory when we ourselves are thankful 00:44:55.120 |
when it comes down to those who'd be saved by the gospel. 00:45:04.040 |
I really think that this passage, in my mind, 00:45:17.240 |
You know, the benefit of having a veteran on your team, 00:45:22.160 |
let's say you're playing football, and you have a veteran, 00:45:31.360 |
if you guys played anything, you have to just react. 00:45:34.960 |
you're looking at formation, and you just have to react. 00:45:39.920 |
is that through experience, they know what to do. 00:45:44.660 |
I mean, a coach can sit there telling a rookie, 00:45:49.660 |
okay, if the quarterback throws deep, you do this. 00:45:53.580 |
If the quarterback starts to pass off, you do this. 00:46:00.380 |
is it now, like, for right now, do I do this? 00:46:04.420 |
And so in my mind, when I think about Apostle Paul, 00:46:11.040 |
and then trying to teach the Church of Corinth, 00:46:12.620 |
like, when you see the faith of the other people, 00:46:18.960 |
When you see what idolatry is, and what it represents, 00:46:27.660 |
So he's giving, yes, all these conditional statements, 00:46:30.060 |
but he gives them the overarching priority, right? 00:46:33.820 |
The overarching priority is that you glorify God 00:46:44.780 |
In this scenario, what's most honoring to God? 00:46:47.220 |
In this scenario, what's really going to magnify the Gospel? 00:46:50.220 |
In this scenario, what's really going to glorify our Maker? 00:47:03.020 |
Lord, we get a glimpse into the kind of focus 00:47:10.860 |
And in many ways, he's trying to impart his focus 00:47:13.860 |
upon the church, and calling them to follow him 00:47:17.940 |
as he's laid a pattern of willing self-sacrifice 00:47:21.380 |
and self-restraint for the benefit of the rest. 00:47:28.740 |
God, help us never to be a people who simply insist 00:47:31.620 |
on our own rights, our own benefits, and our own securities. 00:47:36.020 |
But rather, God, help us to really follow the footsteps 00:47:39.260 |
of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who condescended, 00:47:45.620 |
so that those who would come to salvation would benefit, 00:47:48.300 |
and that he would lead many brothers into God's glory. 00:47:53.020 |
that same kind of vision, the same kind of purpose 00:47:57.020 |
Father Lord, we do pray for every single person here. 00:47:59.700 |
God, many of us live lives that are very busy. 00:48:05.340 |
God, we have work that consumes a lot of our energy, 00:48:14.020 |
to persevere past fatigue, to persevere past distraction, 00:48:21.620 |
I pray, rather, God, that you would encourage us 00:48:27.660 |
Whatever we can afford, help us to glorify you. 00:48:40.180 |
of seeing somebody, have the joy of Christ by being saved. 00:48:43.900 |
I pray, Father God, that by all means would you use us. 00:48:47.620 |
Lord, we wanna thank you again in Saint Christ's name. 00:48:56.300 |
written on your thing, but I wrote it in my teaching notes. 00:49:14.340 |
Second, I just mentioned it, but practically, 00:49:43.840 |
If you guys have any other points of conviction, 00:49:46.640 |
or applications you guys wanna share, you guys can do that. 00:49:49.240 |
So hope you guys have a good time of discussion, okay?