GOD S HOPE FOR TROUBLED CHURCHES The Law of Liberty Part I: Christian Liberty Is Marked by Sacrificial Love for the Saints I. INTRODUCTION I Corinthians 8:1-9:18 a. Opener Is all truth relative? i. Over the last several weeks, as we have looked at I Corinthians and God s hope for troubled churches, I have been sounding the call for repentance. I believe that as the pastor if you preach repentance, then you should practice repentance and model that repentance before your people. So if you ll allow me, I d like to begin today by repenting in a way that will prepare our hearts for this morning s sermon. ii. On Monday night, one of our deacons made a statement that kind of upset me, and I didn t respond well. Initially, I was upset for good reason, but then, he clarified what he meant. It s taken me all week and studying for today s sermon to soak it in. I believe what that deacon said is very close to what Paul is saying in our text for this morning. Perhaps by sharing this story and my failure to listen and wait before responding, by publicly acknowledging my own sin, you ll be motivated in some small way to do the same. iii. So, what did that deacon say? 1. What a person believes in his mind to be true, to him, that is truth. iv. Now, without the clarification, which I will get to in a moment, I hope that statement startles you a little at first as it did me. Why? 1. Our culture teaches that all truth is relative, that each individual has his own truth. Whatever you believe to truth, that s truth, and no one has a right to tell you otherwise. 2. That way of thinking has made its way into the church. This is what it sounds like, Well, that s your interpretation. What the Bible means depends on the person who s reading it. That way of thinking with regard to the Bible show the effects of liberal Christianity on the everyday Christian, and it is opposed to historical orthodox Christian teaching. The Bible has fixed
meaning. Every text has a correct and fixed meaning endowed by its author, both the human and the divine. It is our job as Christians, by the power of the Spirit, to discern the meaning of the text from the text, not from within ourselves. 3. So, was this deacon saying that all truth is relative? No. He wasn t. Listen to the statement again. v. What a person believes in his mind to be true, to him, that is truth. vi. Two little words to him. In other words, whether true or not, whether sinful or not, what a person believes in his mind and heart to be true, to him, it is true. And on some level we must meet and judge and love and respect people where they are, not where we expect them to be or even where they should be. b. Transition statement. I believe this is what Paul is teaching in I Corinthians 8 thru 10, which we turn to now. c. Context. One of the dilemmas facing the Corinthian church was whether or not to partake of food that had been sacrificed to idols. The more spiritually mature members of the congregation knew that there was nothing inherently sinful in eating food that had been offered to a false god. Others, however, immature in their thinking but sincerely desirous to do what is right, believed otherwise. The problem in the Corinthian church, however, was a problem of humility. Those with knowledge lorded it over those without knowledge and in many cases caused their weaker brothers and sisters in Christ to violate their own consciences by sinning against themselves. d. Main Point of the Text So Paul exhorted the more mature believers of the church at Corinth to show humility, grace, and sacrificial love to those who were weaker in the faith. e. Paul s theme in chapters 6-11 The Law of Liberty All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. i. Just because I can do something, doesn t mean I should. ii. Just because I don t have to do something, doesn t mean I shouldn t. iii. What matters is holiness (ch. 6) and mutual edification (chs. 8-10).
f. Main Point of the Sermon God s Word exhorts those in the church with greater knowledge to be mature with regard to their weaker brothers and sisters in the faith, to practice humility, and to show grace and sacrificial love. g. To show love is better than to prove oneself right. h. Read text I Corinthians 8:1-9:23 i. Pray j. Transition statement. I want to offer you three ways from the text that we can live out the law of liberty within the body of Christ. II. POINT #1 PRACTICE LOVE AND HUMILITY TOWARD THE WEAKER BROTHER OR SISTER IN THE FAITH (vv. 1-6) a. EXPLANATION i. Knowledge is good. 1. Knowledge is a gracious gift For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it (I Co. 4:7)? 2. Knowledge is a gracious gift from God by the Spirit Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in those taught by the Spirit (I Co. 2:12-13). 3. Knowledge comes through much study and patience Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II Ti. 2:15). 4. Knowledge is formed through Christian community When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea (Colossians 4:16). 5. Knowledge is formed through a combination of study and community Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men (Acts 17:11-12).
ii. But 6. Knowledge is formed through much prayer 7. Knowledge in context is that there is nothing sinful about eating food sacrificed to idols. a. There is no such thing as an idol in the first place. b. False gods aren t real gods. c. There is only one God, God the Father. d. There is only one Lord, God the Son. iii. Knowledge without love produces arrogance. iv. Paul isn t saying don t seek knowledge, he says just the opposite elsewhere. 1. I Co. 1:4-5 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge 2. Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may about still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment v. But true knowledge, Spirit-filled is transformative. Spirit-filled knowledge is accompanied by love, love that produces humility and patience. 1. Edify to contribute to advancement in religious knowledge, to advance a person s spiritual condition (Mounce) a. Instruction! 2. With great patience a. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with [all] patience and instruction (II Timothy 4:6, emphasis mine) 3. With love as the aim a. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (I Timothy 1:5).
vi. Knowledge without love is a mark of spiritual immaturity or worse, lostness. 1. How you know something is as important as knowing something. vii. Knowledge with love is a mark of spiritual maturity and thusly, salvation. 1. I Co. 13 b. APPLICATION It is better to show love than to prove oneself to be right. i. When it comes to knowledge, we show the love of God best through humble, careful and patient instruction. c. ILLUSTRATION Rome wasn t built in a day and the church won t be either. d. ILLUSTRATION Eric Schumacher I believe the Gospel. Some of my theology is wrong. Some of my theology will be wrong at death. The Bible doesn t indicate that God is in a constant state of annoyance with, anxiety over, or suspicion of me. He patiently loves and teaches me. How ought we to love one another? e. Transition statement. #1 Practice love and humility toward the weaker brother or sister in the faith. #2 Practice grace toward the weaker brother or sister in the faith. III.POINT #2 PRACTICE GRACE TOWARD THE WEAKER BROTHER OR SISTER IN THE FAITH (vv. 7-12) a. ILLUSTRATION Learning league, two coaches, and the difference in grace b. EXPLANATION i. There are varying degrees of knowledge. 1. Weak in the faith those accustomed to the idol 2. Strong in the faith a. Food is nothing.
i. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them (I Co. 6:13). b. To eat is fine. c. To abstain is fine. ii. We are held accountable to that level of knowledge to which we attain. iii. We are held accountable to respect that level of knowledge to which others have attained. 1. Do not become a stumbling block by flaunting your liberty. a. It is to ruin your brother i. (to destroy utterly; to kill [Mounce]) b. It is to sin against him c. It is to wound his conscience d. It is to sin against Christ WHO DIED FOR THAT PERSON! c. APPLICATION i. Just because I can doesn t mean that I should. 1. ILLUSTRATION Alcohol & my fellow millennials ii. Just because I don t have to doesn t mean that I shouldn t. 1. ILLUSTRATION Pastoral visitation d. Transition statement. #1 Practice love and humility toward the weaker brother or sister in the faith. #2 Practice grace and patience toward the weaker brother or sister in the faith. #3 Practice sacrifice for the sake of the weaker brother or sister in the faith and ultimately for the sake of Christ. IV. POINT #3 PRACTICE SACRIFICIAL LOVE FOR THE SAKE OF THE WEAKER BROTHER OR SISTER IN THE FAITH AND FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST (v. 13) a. EXPLANATION i. To respect the conscience of a weaker brother or sister in the faith, I may have to deny my own liberties in Christ. b. Transition statement. V. ILLUSTRATION Paul & Barnabas, ministers of the gospel
a. As a minister of the gospel, Paul had certain rights. i. The right to eat and drink food that perhaps might have been sacrificed to idols. ii. The right to marry. iii. The right not to work but rather to draw his living from the gospel ministry. 1. Examples a. Like the soldier serving at the expense of the government b. Like the vinedresser partaking in his own vineyard c. Like the shepherd drink the milk of his own sheep 2. Scriptural Support a. Deuteronomy 25:4 b. Leviticus 6:26 b. As an apostle to all kinds of people, Paul often (but not always) denied himself these rights. i. It was about mission, not money. ii. It was about people, not privileges. iii. GOSPEL!! c. APPLICATION At the end of the day, we do what is best for the sake of Christ, His people, and His mission. i. Financially (depending on the situation of the church and the community) 1. Bi-vocational pastor 2. Full-time pastor ii. Spiritually, sacrificing our rights for the sake of 1. Love 2. Peace 3. Unity VI. APPLICATION A word of caution Let Scripture interpret Scripture here. a. The importance of theological triage i. We cannot compromise first order doctrines that are necessary for salvation. ii. We cannot compromise with regard to holiness and morality. b. The importance of wisdom and discernment about how and when to act regarding each. i. Loving instruction with regard to 2 nd and 3 rd order issues ii. Loving church discipline with regard to 1 st order issues and immorality
c. ILLUSTRATION There is a fine line between lack of knowledge and idolatry. The lady and her pulpit. d. Comment. We cannot allow sin and idolatry to flourish. That is unloving. It is the difference between acceptance and approval. Where ignorance and immaturity are present, we lovingly and patiently and graciously and sacrificially and prayerfully offer instruction from God s Word. But where idolatry has set in, where time and patient instruction have been consistently rejected, we must lovingly confront and call to repentance. VII. SUMMATION & RESPONSE a. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. i. Just because I can do something, doesn t mean I should. ii. Just because I don t have to do something, doesn t mean I shouldn t. iii. What matters is holiness (ch. 6) and mutual edification (chs. 8-10).