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Answering the 2nd 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!
- The church had questioned Paul about idols…
- 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!
- Apparently the solution of the church was to ‘know’ idols were just lifeless images…
- 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!
- We ‘know’ that and Idol is nothing…
- 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!
- This is where most people tend to struggle – being judgmental of others…
- The Strong & the Weak…
- 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…
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