Answering the 2^nd question – Food offered to Idols

• The place of knowledge… vs. 1-3
  • The church had questioned Paul about idols…
    • This was a common problem of the day – the Greeks worshiped many gods…
    • Part of how they worshiped these gods was by offering a sacrifice of food to them…
    • Some part of the animal was offered up as a sacrifice – but the rest was to share…
    • The ‘picture’ – having a meal with the gods – they got part / you got part…
    • Much the same as with the Jewish faith – the ‘peace offering’ – Leviticus 3:12-17
    • If you were invited over to an unbeliever’s house for a meal…
    • Or if you bought meat in the market (almost always which had been offered)…
    • As a believer in Jesus – could you with a good conscience eat the meat…
  • We all have knowledge… vs. 2-3
    • Apparently the church in Corinth had a solution to this problem…
    • They thought they ‘knew what to do – how to handle the issue’…
    • Paul warns them – everyone has knowledge – but knowledge alone is not the answer…
    • This is hard for us as men – because we are problem solvers – we look for the answer…
    • When people come to us with a problem we want to be the answer – we can fix it!
  • When we think we are the answer…
    • If you think you know anything/everything – you really know nothing at all!
    • When we think WE have THE answer – we become arrogant – puffed up…
    • Rather than solving the problem – often we become one ourselves!
    • I had a friend many years ago who believed in evolution – because of the facts…
    • He challenged me that if I could show him he was wrong – he would change his mind…
    • I took up the challenge and studies up on Evolution vs. Creation…
    • I came back and dismantled the Evolution theory – he admitted he not defend it…
    • But he still believed in Evolution – because he wanted to!
    • I had all the right knowledge – but knowledge is not enough…
  • Knowledge and Love…
    • The one who has the answer is the one who has God’s love…
    • * I Corinthians 13:2 – “Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
    • We might have all the knowledge – know our Bibles from front to back…
    • We might have degrees – titles – the answer to every question – but…
    • Knowledge is only half of the picture – Love allows me to use that knowledge for God!
    • I may know the only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ – true…
    • But unless I have the Love of God – and am willing to share that message – it is useless!
      
• There is only one God… vs. 4-6
  • We ‘know’ that and Idol is nothing…
    • Apparently the solution of the church was to ‘know’ idols were just lifeless images…
      • Jeremiah 5:10 – “Do not be afraid of them, they cannot do evil of good…”
      • Idols have no power – they are neither harmful nor helpful…
      • It’s foolish to trust in them to be able to help us – just as foolish to be afraid of them…
      • They are just a block of wood or plastic – no more powerful than a stick of wood!
    • The church had come to understand the foolishness of trusting in an idol…
      • The idea that something I create – can then turn around and save me…
      • * Isaiah 44:19-20 – “The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, ‘Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to… roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a chunk of wood?’”
      • There are many today who trust in idols – to answer prayers / help in hard times
      • Even those who do not look to idols – still tend to trust in our money…
      • We forget what our money is made of – paper is a wood product…
      • We look to Manuel Roxas (P100) / Benigno Aquino (P500) / Jose Santos (P1000)
    • Idols may have feet, ears, eyes, mouth – but they cannot walk, see, hear, or speak
      • Psalms 115:8 – “Those who make them [trust in them] are like them.”
      • If we trust in statues – or we trust in pretty printed-paper – we become like them…
      • If we are trusting in idols then we are no longer looking or listening to God…
      • Where God has the power to help us / save us – idols can do nothing…
      • So if we are trusting in idols rather than in God – nothing happens!
  • There is only One God – Ephesians 4:6…
    • While there are many so-called ‘gods’ – they are not really gods – they are fallen angels…
    • * I Corinthians 10:20 – “Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God…”
    • The only REAL God – is our Father in Heaven – our Lord Jesus Christ…
    • One of the great mysteries of our Faith – there is only One God – Deuteronomy 6:4…
    • Yet God exists in three distinct persons – God the Father / God the Son / God the Spirit…
    • The Bible makes no effort to explain how this is true – only that it is a fact!
    • What makes a religion a cult – rather than a denomination – Mormons / Iglesia…
    • Is there denial of this ‘key’ doctrine – rejecting the divinity of Jesus Christ!
• Knowledge with Love… vs. 7-13
  • The Strong & the Weak…
    • The strong – those who have the knowledge – those who know idols are nothing…
    • They can eat any meat with a clean conscience – knowing there is only one true God!
    • But not everyone has that knowledge – the weak – do not understanding God’s word…
    • Those who still think there is power in an idol – don’t know it’s just a block of wood…
    • If they eat meat they know has been offered to idols – their conscience is convicted…
    • For the most part people don’t offer food to idols anymore (common still in India)…
    • But people do kiss idols / they do still burn candles to idols…
    • We know this is foolish – but those who don’t know God’s word don’t understand…
  • Food cannot defile us…
    • You are not better because you eat – you have understanding – the strong…
    • You are not the worse if you do not eat – you do not understand – the weak
    • The food is not the point – it is about our conscience…
    • And the tendency for us to criticize people who do not share our convictions…
  • Those who do not understand – the weak…
    • This is where most people tend to struggle – being judgmental of others…
      • If we have a rule we believe we must follow…
      • If we think you cannot eat meat offered to idols…
      • If we think we cannot see movies / listen to secular music / have a tattoo…
      • Then we tend to think everyone else has to follow our rules as well!

• Passing on your convictions…
  • If I we have conviction – it wrong to drink (the Bible does say it is sin to be drunk)
  • And I tell you that you should also not drink – I have given you a law…
  • The problem is I have not changed your heart – you still want to drink…
  • I set you up to fail – you will drink cause you want to – then feel like a bad Christian
• Trusting in the Lord to show others right and wrong…
  • If instead I tell you to go to the Lord – ask Him if you should drink…
  • God will tell you – and if He says no – He’ll change you heart so you don’t want to!
  • God does not just give you a Law – He gives you the ability to live up to the Law!
• Those who have more knowledge – the strong…
• This tends to be the easier position to take – having more freedom in Jesus…
  • If someone follows more rules than we do – ‘God bless them’ – we don’t mind…
• So long as they do not force their rules onto us!

Consider your brother before yourself – Ephesians 4:15

Not that we are free to sin…

If you have any doubts about what you are doing…

If you are not sure if you should see that movie – play with those cards…

Then better not to – because whatever is not done in faith – is sin – Romans 14:23

Don’t let your freedom lead you away from Jesus…

I Corinthians 6:12 – “You may say, ‘I am allowed to do anything.’ But I reply, ‘Not everything is good for you.’ And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything.”

We have incredible freedom in Jesus – but be careful…

Do not let your freedom become a snare that brings you into the bondage of sin…

Make sure whatever you do – or don’t do – do it to the glory of God!

I Corinthians 10:31 – “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Be careful of your freedom in Christ – if a weaker brother sees you…

If you eat meat inside the temple of an idol – for sure it has been offered…

Maybe they have a special that day – maybe the food is REALLY good…

You don’t care because you know that idols are nothing…

But if your weaker brother sees you eating – he might be tempted to follow along…

But because he does not understand – he will sin against his conscience by eating…

Our freedom in Christ can lead another brother into sin!

We might know that idols are nothing / cards are nothing / movies are nothing…

But to a brother who thinks they are evil – to him they are sin…

Don’t use your freedom in Christ – to destroy someone who Jesus died to save!

Suppose you knew a brother who struggled with gambling – lost everything…

He got saved – stopped gambling– and stated to get his life back…

One day a ‘brother’ invited him over to a cockfight – ‘just to watch’…

‘We have freedom in Jesus’ – the brother told him – what can one fight hurt…

He ends up falling back into his old lifestyle – walking away from the Lord!

One man’s freedom in Christ – can be another man’s undoing…

Be sensitive to each other’s weaknesses – protecting each other from sin!

If we stumble our brother through our ‘knowledge’ – wounding his weak conscience

We are actually sinning against Jesus!

It’s all about Love…

So if eating stumbles your brother – then don’t eat meal offered to idols…

Be considerate of the convictions of your brother in Christ… 

If eating food offered to idols stumbles your brother – don’t eat in front of him…

If watching a movie stumbles him – then don’t watch the movie in front of him…

If playing with cards stumbles him – then don’t put out the deck when he comes by…

Don’t abuse your knowledge – remember it’s about Jesus…

Don’t just have the knowledge of the truth – use that knowledge in love…