"Everything is permissible,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. 24 No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person.
25 Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake, 26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it. 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake. 29 I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thanks, why am I slandered because of something I give thanks for?
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory. 32 Give no offense to the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God, 33 just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, so that they may be saved."
I Corinthians 10:23-33
Good Morning Beloved,
Welcome to worship, we're so glad you're here today!
Thank you for joining us.
The great composer Bach said, "All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub."
Bach always headed his compositions "J.J." For those of you who have no idea what that means, what it stands for, the letters stood for "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus Help Me."
And, he ended them "S.D.G." these letters stood for "Soli Deo Gloria" which means "to God alone be the glory."
Let's bow our heads in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
We are so grateful to You today that You have given us such a clear direction in no uncertain terms, of a life that glorifies You. And we know that You’ve said that if we don’t glorify You, that’s a very serious issue, so we know that. Lord, we thank You, for the great honor and privilege, that even as humble as we are, we have been blessed with the prestigious gift of reflecting You image to the world. Therefore, we a deep desire to glorify You. We pray that all of us might make that commitment a priority in our lives, that we will be to the glory of You and of Christ, that our families will also be to the glory of God, that our church will be to Your glory. That in whatever time we have left upon this earth, that there might be at least one moment in our world where the Shekinah shines for all to see, where we all so live to praise You. May all of our thoughts, speech and deeds bring the glory to You, that You so deserve O' Lord.
In Jesus' precious name
Amen
Today's Message: Giving God The Glory
Open with me your Bibles, to the book of I Corinthians chapter 10. It is my prayer, that we, as believers, as a church, through this message, we will recommit ourselves to giving glory to God in everything we do, doing that which honors and glorifies Him. Follow along with me as I read to you these marvelous truths from Paul's epistle in I Corinthians 10:23-33.
"Everything is permissible,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person.
Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake, for the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it. If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake. I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience? If I partake with thanks, why am I slandered because of something I give thanks for?
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory. Give no offense to the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God, just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, so that they may be saved."
In our text today, I Corinthians 10:23, Paul explained that "Everything is permissible,” but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up." Some people in the Corinthian congregation were exercising their Christian liberties, without any regard for the spiritual good of others, and, in many cases, even their own good. Paul is correcting that thinking by reminding them that unless something is spiritually profitable—unless it is edifying, unless it builds up another spiritually—then it’s not worth doing.
Beloved, based on Paul’s exhortation, we as believers should ask ourselves, "Will doing this activity enhance my spiritual life and the spiritual lives of others? Will it cultivate godliness in me and in them? Will it build us up spiritually?" If not, then is it really a wise choice? Is it something you should really entertain doing? The answer is pretty clear, No, it is not.
I cannot speak for anyone else, however, personally I am not looking to invest my life in the things that do not have a spiritual return, a spiritual dividend. If it there isn't the promise of spiritual gain, giving me some positive spiritual benefit, then why would I want to engage in it? Will it assist in my spiritual development? Does it cultivate godliness? Though all things are lawful, if they’re not forbidden by God, however, this world is filled with things, that though are permissible, they promise absolutely no real spiritual benefit, no godly advantage. In other words, they do not promote, encourage, or stimulate any type of spiritual growth.
There are a plethora of ways, of course, in which we can build up others in the faith, in which we ourselves can "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"
II Peter 3:17-18 says, "Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen"
The Psalmist David, said in Psalm 29:1-2; "Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in holy array."
Beloved, our Lord deserves glory, He desires glory, He is due glory and the Psalmist declares, in Psalm 21:1-2, "O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! You have given him his heart’s desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.."
As believers we are to give God glory both with our lips and our life.
As we look at Paul’s epistle, we see that it is giving God glory with our life that is his focus. He talks about what we do and not necessarily what we say.
Paul describes in verses 23-33 a life that glorifies God. He describes a life that is ruled by certain principles. Let’s look at the life he describes and learn about the kind of life that glorifies God.
In a life that Glorifies God we see; a life that glorifies God a certain spiritual gauge is applied to one’s personal life. It is a gauge by which all things in life are evaluated and assessed. Notice the gauge that Paul Describes. Twice in verse 23 Paul speaks of that which is lawful. We have see the phrase earlier in I Corinthians. It is a phrase that is used to speak about the freedom and liberty that we have in Christ. Paul used it in reference to the gray areas of life. You know those areas that aren’t quiet black and white. Those areas where something isn’t identified as right or wrong.
Paul applied a two fold gauge:
Is It Expedient? The word expedient means to bear together. It speaks of bringing something to a wholesome conclusion. When something is not expedient, it means that it does not produce spiritual benefits in the life. It is not spiritually profitable.
Whenever it comes to the gray areas of life, in those situations of life that the Bible doesn’t seem to speak specifically about, it could be possible that it might not be wrong for a Child of God to participate in it, what ever it may be.
When Paul said, "all things are permissible for me" That is what he was saying.
He was simply acknowledging that when a matter is not clearly defined as right or wrong, A Christian could possibly do such a thing and it would not be sin. However, the gauge that Paul applied to such things was whether or not it would bring about a wholesome conclusion in a believers life.
You can’t necessarily judge a situation by where it is at, but where it will take you.
What ever it may be does it glorify the Lord Jesus, does it Glorify God?
This is the gauge that Paul says we need to line our lives with. What a person does is filtered through whether or not it is expedient. The truth is that oftentimes our life is built around things that aren’t wrong, they just don’t have any spiritual value.
We must be asking ourselves, "How does this help me grow spiritually?; Is what I am doing or want to do is it going to benefit me in my Christian life? Will I glorify Jesus by doing whatever."
In everything we do, God should be praised and glorified. Paul says in verse 31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory." The word glory speaks of something or someone that is worthy of praise or exaltation. Giving the glory to God is to acknowledge Him as the One worthy of praise and exaltation and ascribing Him praise and exaltation.
To make decisions that stimulate your own edification, and offer you opportunities to edify others. And guard against the inclination to complicate your decision-making process. If you need to devise a complex system of causes and effects to manufacture a distant potential for spiritual benefit, it’s a good indication that the activity you’re trying to excuse isn’t truly beneficial. That is what Paul is saying here. A life that glorifies God applies that kind of test.
Paul asks himself, if whether it is expedient but He also asks: Is it edifying? Is it edifying?
In the latter part of verse 23 Paul says, "but not everything is helpful."
The word helpful, or edify is a word that means to build a house. It is a word in the New Testament that talks about the kind of life we are building, this spiritual house that we live in. The building up of our Christian life. The flip side of the gauge Paul applied to what he did was whether or not it lent to spiritual growth and the development of spiritual maturity.
As spiritual Christians, people who have a strong devotional life, who spend time each day in prayer, and who love to read and study their Bibles, and who are concerned about the lost. Even though that sounds hard, that is a pretty fair assessment in most churches. The majority of the believers are not spiritually mature. The majority are not seeking to grow spiritually.
A life that glorifies God seeks to grow spiritually and desires to spiritually mature.
What a person does in life IS Tested by whether or not it is edifying. If you are a Christian, if you are not moving forward, than you are moving
backward, there is not such thing as static involvement with Jesus Christ.If God is at work, in your life, then you cannot stay where you are, you can't maintain the status quo and go with God. So we must always ask ourselves: "is this expedient and is this edifying."
Paul had a Gauge He applied to Life.
A Guide that He Adopted in Life, a life that glorifies God not only is concerned about their personal spiritual life but also is interested in the spiritual life of others. In a life that glorifies God, there is not only a gauge by which one measures their activities, but also a guide by which they monitor their actions.
Therefore, we are to live an unselfish life! An unselfish life. In verse 24 says: "No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person." Often people, including some Christians, are selfish, self-centered and all they do is for themselves.
Paul tells us that one of the characteristics of a life that glorifies God is that it is not self-centered or selfish. The word wealth, used in some translations, that is used in verse 24 is in italics meaning that it was added to clarify what was said. The word used was not in reference to material things. It was used to speak of one’s well-being and profit. The good of another person.
A life that glorifies god seeks to lift, help, and profit others. It is not marked by selfishness but by selflessness. Paul declared the same principle in Philippians 2:4 when he said, "Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."
Some people serve, only for what they will receive, what they will get out of it. Some people do what they do for their own benefit. Those who seek to glorify God do what they do so, that others will profit. Their focus is not on self. Just as Christ did not focus on Himself. As we see in Matthew 20:28, "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many," and in Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many."
Beloved, we are to strive in our Christian walk, to become more like Christ.
Then Paul points us to an unhindering life. After saying that a life that glorifies God seeks the well-being of others, Paul then demonstrates such a life in verses 25-29. Notice what he says, "Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake, for the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it. If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake. I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience?"
Paul once again goes back to the matter of eating meat that has been offered to idols. If you Remember back in chapter 8 their was a detailed discussion over the matter. Again, here, Paul was reminding them that it was just meat, don’t worry about it being offered to idols. In other words, go ahead and eat if you want to. He gives the reason in verse 26. "for the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it." Then in verse 27 he gives a scenario to illustrate the point, "If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions of conscience."
So, Paul gives an illustration of Christian being invited to dinner by someone who is not a Christian. Paul says that if that person is disposed to go or if you really want or desire to go, then go ahead.
Then if that friend takes you out and orders a big steak, don’t ask or even worry about if it has been offered to idols. Eat and enjoy yourself.
Then, in verse 28, Paul gives another scenario of the same situation. "But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake."
So here Paul adds sort of a twist, by adding that another Christian coming along, and this brother notices that the steak came from the temple where it would have been sacrificed to an idol.
Paul says that this brother, who is not as mature as others and doesn’t understand that it is just meat.
He leans over and says to you, "this has been dedicated in the temple.”
Paul is saying, then you shouldn’t eat for his conscience sake.
Now the mature believer knows that there is nothing wrong about eating the meat, but remember, he does not seek his own, but the well being of the weaker brother, so he won’t eat the meat.
In other words, he doesn’t want to do anything that will cause offense or hurt someone else.
Then, in verse 29, Paul adds, "I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience?"
Paul was saying that though he had the right to eat the meat, even if the weaker brother didn’t understand but since it could cause hurt the other, and you are to seek the well being of others, therefore he wouldn’t.
And in verse 30, Paul addresses those who criticize and condemn those who did eat such meat.
"If I partake with thanks, why am I slandered because of something I give thanks for?" Paul just says, that it is not right for someone who thinks that it wrong to do such a thing to condemn anyone anyway. The point is, they should learn not to hurt others by what they say.
I recall some time ago, reading about an argument, where the Christian life was being compared to a fax machine.. On a fax machine you can send an exact duplicate of a document anywhere in the world. However, the recipient of the fax, does not see the original but a duplicate. The writer says that in a Christian Life, people see a copy of the Lord Jesus in your life. They don’t see the original, but a duplicate. When you think of someone living their life in light of others, the Lord Jesus is our supreme example. When we practice the kind of selflessness that Paul describes, we are showing the life of Christ in and through our life.
A life that glorifies God, is one in which a guide or a gauge is adopted. One that ultimately says, I will seek the well-being of others and not seek my own. A life that glorifies God, not only has a spiritual benefit on one’s own life and one’s life as it relates to other believers, but is also concerned about those who are not saved. What example of Christ am I showing the unbeliever?
Paul, in verses 32-33, describes a goal that He has assumed for life. Notice the goal that Paul describes as a feature of a life that glorifies God. "Give no offense to the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God, 33 just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, so that they may be saved."
The word offense means to hit, or smite. Here again, Paul is talking about doing nothing that will discredit or weaken his testimony and witness. The people that he mentions are those that are saved, the Church of God. Then Paul makes reference to those who are not saved, "the Jews and the Gentiles."
What Paul is saying, is that he doesn’t want to do anything to hurt the Church of God, but then he says that he doesn’t want to do anything that would hurt his ability to win lost to Christ. Paul is saying that he wants to walk godly before those that are unsaved. One of the goals that Paul assumed for his Life was a Godly Walk. Paul illustrates this to us in verse 33, where he says, "just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, so that they may be saved.
As I have stated before, Paul had one main goal, and that was to win people to Christ.
A life that seeks to glorify God is one that seeks to win people to Christ. Winning people to Jesus should be the goal of every believer. When you come to know Jesus as your Savior; now you recognize the Holy Spirit lives in you. He gives you the desire, the determination to tell others about Jesus. It is a passion that every believer should possess.
Now, we know that we cannot win everyone, but everyone can tell someone about who Jesus is and the difference that He has made in your life. Just as you can’t save anyone, but you can tell them about the One who does save! If a person really wants to know Jesus, it will be revealed to them how they may come to know Him. Perhaps, through you! Or me.
Beloved, we have all been saved by grace. We are all sinners by nature and choice!
Romans 3:23 says, we all have this sense that one day we are going to die. And Romans 6:23 teaches that the wages of sin is death.
Has God devised a plan, He provided a way for someone to know for certain, that when they die they will go to heaven. As it says in I John 3:14, "We know that we have passed from death unto life."
How do you get from here to heaven: Listen again as I read to you from Romans 6:23: "The wages of sin is death; but gift of God is eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ."
Jesus died on the cross for you. He gave His life. Now in return; you give Him your life.
You are not buying fire insurance, you are receiving a relationship with God Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 17:3 tells us what eternal life is: "And this is eternal life, that they might know you the only True God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
If you trust Jesus and what He has done then you will be saved: Romans 10:9 says: “if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
What do I do" Repent and be Baptized. Acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior.
"Turn and sin no more." You can't keep doing all the worldly things you did before giving your life to Christ. Salvation is not a license to sin, as many today have been taught to believe.
Let me be clear on something, that doesn't mean that you will never sin again, but it does mean when you sin, you will convicted, it will bother you that you have done such a thing, and it will cause you to confess and repent before Christ.
If you have never received Jesus Christ, all you have to do is ask Him to come into your heart and He will do it! Revelation 3:20 says; "Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me."
And, if you are a Christian, are you living a life that Glorifies God? If the answer is no, isn’t it time to return now, and if not now, when?
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent."
Revelation 3:15-19
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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