What It's Not About ("To Corinth" Series)

(notes from fbc ruston and dr chris, sunday night, april 29, 2012)

1 Corinthians 8: 1-13 (at bottom)
This scriptures speaks of 'food sacrificed to idols.' What is it saying to us today?

I. It Is Not About Knowledge
v 1 "knowledge puffs up, but love edified"
Ephesians 4: 2 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
James 4:10 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up"
1 Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you"

Spiritual arrogance is stupid.

A: Knowledge creates a false sense of awareness
v. 2 -- a man who thinks he knows a lot, doesn't

B. Love always wins
v. 1 Loving builds up
Loving peopls is what will make a difference with people

II. Christian Life Is Not About You First, For Sure
A. It's about Jesus first v 4-6
B. It's about others above us v 7-13
Live your life with an awareness of more immature Christians and the lost, so you won't influence them negatively. And don't become a Pharisee who looks to be offended.

Jesus
Others
Yourself
=
JOY

Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God.


4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.


7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.


9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.