WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.500 reading today comes from 1st Corinthians chapter 10 verse 23 going all the way to chapter 11 verse 00:00:07.500 --> 00:00:17.400 1 and if you're using one of our blue pew bibles it's on page 958 i'll give you a moment to find 00:00:17.400 --> 00:00:23.400 it page 958 in your pew bibles 1st Corinthians 10 23 to 11 1 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:33.799 let me pray for the reading and preaching of god's word 00:00:33.799 --> 00:00:40.820 heavenly father we pray that you will now address us from your word 00:00:40.820 --> 00:00:50.280 let all that is of you land on our hearts with force the power of the spirit 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:57.740 and let all that is not of you fade recede into the background and not be uttered lord from this 00:00:57.740 --> 00:01:06.519 pulpit and we pray lord that as we are addressed by you we will draw closer to you that we'll become 00:01:06.519 --> 00:01:12.980 more like you grow as a church to be able to glorify you in all things and to work for the good of our 00:01:12.980 --> 00:01:23.439 neighbors as your people so meet with us in jesus name we pray amen 1st corinthians 10 23 to 11 1 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:32.679 all things are lawful but not all things are helpful all things are lawful but not all things 00:01:32.679 --> 00:01:41.340 build up let no one seek his own good but the good of his neighbor eat whatever is sold in the market 00:01:41.340 --> 00:01:46.620 without raising any question on the ground of conscience for the earth is the lord's and the 00:01:46.620 --> 00:01:52.420 fullness thereof if one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go eat 00:01:52.420 --> 00:01:57.480 whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience but if someone 00:01:57.480 --> 00:02:04.640 says to you this has been offered in sacrifice then do not eat it for the sake of the one who informed 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:11.480 you and for the sake of conscience i do not mean your conscience but his for why should my liberty be 00:02:11.479 --> 00:02:16.819 determined by someone else's conscience if i partake with thankfulness why am i denounced because of 00:02:16.819 --> 00:02:26.679 that for which i give thanks so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of god 00:02:26.679 --> 00:02:33.959 give no offense to jews or to greeks or to the church of god just as i try to please everyone in 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:42.580 everything i do not seeking my own advantage but that of many that they may be saved be imitators of 00:02:42.580 --> 00:02:51.420 me as i am of christ the word of the lord thanks be to god we all consider a variety of factors 00:02:51.420 --> 00:02:58.020 when making decisions sometimes our decisions are deliberate and logical sometimes they are spontaneous 00:02:58.020 --> 00:03:03.319 and intuitive sometimes we think that they are deliberate and logical but they are more intuitive 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:09.359 and subconscious than we know usually they are a mix of both and sometimes we make altruistic decisions 00:03:09.359 --> 00:03:15.439 and sometimes we make selfish decisions that advance our own agendas but in all that we do 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:21.759 there are a couple overarching principles that must govern all of our habits and all of our decisions as 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:28.639 christians and in first 10 23 to 11 one apostle paul teaches us that we are to imitate christ 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:35.739 and do all things to the glory of god and the good of our neighbors that's the main point of this 00:03:35.739 --> 00:03:42.000 passage and i will talk about that in two parts the first part of the sermon will be covering verses 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:48.079 23 to 30 about the good of our neighbors in the second part we'll talk about the glory of god from 00:03:48.079 --> 00:03:56.339 chapter 10 31 to 11 one paul begins in verse 23 by quoting the often used slogan of the corinthians 00:03:56.340 --> 00:04:02.280 which we've seen before in this uh letter all things are lawful right we saw that earlier in 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:07.180 chapter 6 when the corinthians were using that slogan to justify sexual immorality 00:04:07.180 --> 00:04:12.819 so they mistakenly believed that because of their newfound spiritual freedom in christ 00:04:12.819 --> 00:04:18.840 that they now all things were permissible for them lawful for them to do so on the surface that 00:04:18.840 --> 00:04:24.079 sounds similar to paul's own teaching he says in galatians 5 18 that christians who are led by the 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:30.599 spirit are not under the law so we no longer have the the binding force of the law on us with its 00:04:30.599 --> 00:04:35.339 penalties that are threatened against us that's no longer on us because christ has fulfilled the law 00:04:35.339 --> 00:04:40.299 but that's still a distortion of paul's teaching to say that because of christ now i can do all things 00:04:40.299 --> 00:04:46.279 all things are lawful for me because paul also says specifically in romans 6 14 to 16 for sin will 00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:53.419 have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace what then are we to sin because we 00:04:53.420 --> 00:04:58.560 are not under law but under grace by no means do you not know that if you present yourselves to 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:04.439 anyone as obedient slaves you are slaves of the one whom you obey either of sin which leads to death 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:11.000 or of obedience which leads to righteousness so while it is true that those who are in christ because 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:16.620 christ fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf are no longer under the law in terms of its legal and 00:05:16.620 --> 00:05:21.819 penal demands this did not mean that we could go on sinning as christians because to do so would mean 00:05:21.819 --> 00:05:28.019 that we are still enslaved to sin when christ died to save us to free us from sin and so this freedom 00:05:28.019 --> 00:05:33.319 in christ was an opportunity to keep in step with the holy spirit and to follow god not to do whatever 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:39.420 we please to be lawless and that's the difference right between a christian between a legalist and a 00:05:39.420 --> 00:05:44.420 lawless person and a christian the lawless person doesn't want to follow god's law he does not follow 00:05:44.420 --> 00:05:49.839 it the legalist does not want to follow god's law but he follows it anyway because he has to 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:55.219 the christian on the other hand follows the law because he wants to the law of god is written on 00:05:55.219 --> 00:06:01.579 his heart and the spirit of god enlivens him and leads him and so the mindset really of doing what 00:06:01.579 --> 00:06:08.239 is lawful is fitting for a pharisee a legalist but woefully inadequate for the christian that's why 00:06:08.239 --> 00:06:13.439 jesus said in his sermon on the mountain matthew 5 20 i tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:18.939 that of the pharisees and the scribes you will never enter the kingdom of heaven sometimes we 00:06:18.939 --> 00:06:24.420 mistakenly think that these pharisees held to a higher standard than we can keep but the pharisees 00:06:24.420 --> 00:06:28.920 kept to a lower standard than we can keep and that's why jesus says you unless your righteousness 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:34.199 exceeds theirs then you will not enter the kingdom of god because the mindset of a legalist of a pharisee 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:40.659 is essentially self-serving and self-preservationist their goal is to pass right their goal is to not 00:06:40.659 --> 00:06:45.459 mess up to meet the minimum requirement so they can enter the kingdom of heaven that's the mindset of a 00:06:45.459 --> 00:06:51.039 legalist they're just trying not to disqualify themselves but that's different from the christian's mindset 00:06:51.039 --> 00:06:57.120 because the christian's mindset is not simply to pass for one's own sake but to please god to honor god 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:03.939 to glorify god so by definition a christian is a maximalist and not a minimalist like a pharisee 00:07:04.699 --> 00:07:09.959 it's the difference between really a student who is trying to do the minimum requirement and pass and 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:16.120 graduate and compare that to a straight a student who loves learning i am wants to please the student 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:19.680 that's the difference that's the pharisee's righteousness and the christian's righteousness 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:27.120 so for paul the corinthian slogan all things are lawful is misleading and inadequate and he qualifies 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:35.399 it in verse 23 he says all things are lawful but not all things are helpful sure you might have the right 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:41.299 or authority to do such things but that does not mean that such things are helpful or beneficial 00:07:41.299 --> 00:07:47.279 for paul it's not enough that we can we can do something we need to ask whether we should do 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:53.759 something and then paul continues all things are lawful but not all things build up so the christian 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:59.199 life is not about claiming our rights but it's about doing things that benefit and build up the church 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:04.879 so that means our decision making process and everything that we do should never be purely self-centered 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:10.560 but oriented toward helping and building others up that's paul's first qualification the proper 00:08:10.560 --> 00:08:18.279 christian attitude is one of service selflessness so and that's why even though it might be lawful for 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:23.620 you when you return home from a long day at work to seat yourself on the couch to put your feet up on 00:08:23.620 --> 00:08:30.680 the table and relax unwind watch tv but i'm sure it will do you i'm sure that will do some good 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:38.759 to rest and relax but is that what is most helpful for you in that moment is that helpful to your spouse 00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:45.879 is that helpful to your children does it build up your children yes it's lawful for you do that but is 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:52.299 it helpful yes it's lawful for you to spend hundreds of dollars on that latest gadget or that latest design 00:08:52.299 --> 00:08:57.440 that came out of your favorite clothing shop and i'm sure it will do you some good because it's beautiful 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:03.720 and useful to have those things but is that the most helpful way for you in that time of your life 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:10.780 to spend that money does it benefit only you or does it build up others is there a better way you can 00:09:10.780 --> 00:09:18.260 spend that money everyone in the world looks out naturally for their own interests but christians are 00:09:18.260 --> 00:09:24.060 called to not only look out for our own interests but also for the interests of others that's why it says 00:09:24.059 --> 00:09:33.759 in verse 24 let no one seek his own good but the good of his neighbor this is another way to state 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:39.299 the second half of the greatest commandment that jesus taught us you shall love your neighbor as 00:09:39.299 --> 00:09:46.339 yourself because love is by nature self-giving and self-sacrificing and one of the defining 00:09:46.339 --> 00:09:51.759 characteristics of love as paul writes later in chapter 13 verse 5 is that it does not insist on its own way 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:57.100 we're supposed to look out for the other's interests and it's amazing that we as humans 00:09:57.100 --> 00:10:03.039 selfishly can even turn the greatest commandment uh to our own end for our own selfish purposes 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:09.200 because how many times have you heard this in order to love your neighbor as yourself you need to first 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:16.480 love yourself so take care of yourself treat yourself serve yourself then you will know how to love your 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:22.539 neighbor as yourself have you heard that before i've heard that before that's pop psychology nonsense 00:10:22.539 --> 00:10:31.100 that's we know very well how to love ourselves that's taken for granted even the people with the 00:10:31.100 --> 00:10:38.139 lowest self-esteem in the world they who hate themselves they love themselves in fact it's because 00:10:38.139 --> 00:10:43.039 precisely because they love themselves so much that they hate with such hatred the things that they 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:48.799 don't like about themselves that's why they pity themselves it's because they love themselves 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:54.079 that's why the greatest commandment assumes our self-love and then it tells us to love our neighbor 00:10:54.079 --> 00:11:01.299 as we love ourselves self-love is not the foundation of neighbor love it is the impediment to neighbor love 00:11:01.299 --> 00:11:09.099 that must be overcome that's why paul says let no one seek his own good but the good of his neighbor 00:11:09.100 --> 00:11:12.659 because seeking our own good is often at odds with seeking the good of our neighbor 00:11:12.659 --> 00:11:21.580 and who is the neighbor whose good we must seek jesus answered this question in luke chapter 10 25 to 37 00:11:21.580 --> 00:11:28.460 in the parable of the good samaritan and there even though in that time and age the samaritans and jews 00:11:28.460 --> 00:11:35.100 hated each other refused to congregate with each other in this story jesus taught the jews who were listening 00:11:35.100 --> 00:11:41.340 that even a samaritan is a neighbor so that shows us that a neighbor is not someone who has the same 00:11:41.340 --> 00:11:47.700 ethnic heritage or racial heritage as you it's not someone who was born in the same decade as you 00:11:47.700 --> 00:11:53.220 part of the same generation it's not someone who has the same academic pedigree as you it's not someone 00:11:53.220 --> 00:12:00.120 that shares your preferences opinions and interests a neighbor is anyone you come into contact with 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:07.379 a neighbor is literally your neighbor the ones you're rubbing shoulders with 00:12:07.379 --> 00:12:15.299 and this is so insightful because given the busyness of urban living and the transience of the city that 00:12:15.299 --> 00:12:23.279 we live in and our relative anonymity in the city because there's so many people it's so easy for us to 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:29.080 ignore the neighbors that are immediately within our reach isn't that true many of us have have more 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:35.660 social interactions with facebook friends that we hardly know and we have never met than our actual 00:12:35.660 --> 00:12:36.600 neighbors 00:12:36.600 --> 00:12:45.460 because and because our time and resources and our emotional capacities are all limited we could only 00:12:45.460 --> 00:12:51.540 really love a handful of people in a tangible way each day so while it is true that we should love 00:12:51.540 --> 00:12:58.520 everyone the bible is so wise that god jesus is so wise to command us not to just love everyone in 00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:06.100 general but to say love your neighbor because in trying to love everyone in general can make we can 00:13:06.100 --> 00:13:13.439 love no one in particular because loving everyone is so general and abstract and so he says concretely 00:13:13.439 --> 00:13:18.419 love your neighbor and that's what paul saying paul is saying here let no one seek his own good 00:13:18.419 --> 00:13:25.459 but the good of his neighbor do you love your neighbors do you know your neighbors 00:13:25.459 --> 00:13:31.299 do you make an effort to say hi to your neighbors and introduce yourselves to them 00:13:31.299 --> 00:13:39.179 because you can say hey uh i see you around quite often but i've never had a chance to introduce myself 00:13:39.179 --> 00:13:44.939 to you my name is sean what's your name you get to know them talk to them ask them questions how they're 00:13:44.940 --> 00:13:50.600 doing and once you get to know them and that you're in have enough relational grounds you could ask them 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:53.360 to come over for dinner talk to them 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:56.880 see what their hopes and fears are 00:13:56.880 --> 00:14:00.680 and speak the truth of the gospel over that 00:14:00.680 --> 00:14:06.340 please don't say you don't have time to get to know your neighbors 00:14:06.340 --> 00:14:14.300 the bible doesn't call this the polite suggestion this is the greatest commandment 00:14:14.300 --> 00:14:17.019 it's the matter of priority 00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:25.680 in keeping to our own busy schedules we are being selfish with our time and we are seeking our own 00:14:25.680 --> 00:14:31.100 good rather than the good of our neighbor that's part of it let no one seek his own good but the good of his 00:14:31.100 --> 00:14:39.420 neighbor in verses 25 to 28 paul uses an example to illustrate what this principle looks like 00:14:39.420 --> 00:14:45.240 in application he writes in verses 25 to 26 eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising 00:14:45.240 --> 00:14:50.159 any question on the ground of conscience for the earth is the lord's and the fullness thereof 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:54.720 in paul's day much the meat that was sold in the markets were actually from 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:57.860 animals that had been sacrificed at the pagan feasts 00:14:57.860 --> 00:15:05.180 so for this reason the jews abstained generally from eating meat whose origin they did not know 00:15:05.180 --> 00:15:07.080 they refused to buy meat from the meat markets 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:12.220 however paul says that this should not be an issue for the christian for the conscience of the christian 00:15:12.220 --> 00:15:14.680 because there is no need to be concerned about eating such food 00:15:14.680 --> 00:15:18.419 and the reason paul gives for this is psalm 24 1 which he quotes 00:15:18.419 --> 00:15:22.120 he says the earth is the lord's and the fullness thereof 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:27.779 this is the verse that jews often cited to say that whenever you eat something before you eat you should thank god for it 00:15:27.779 --> 00:15:34.179 because it came ultimately from him he's the origin he's the source so to not acknowledge him and to thank him for it is like defrauding him 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:40.879 and not not giving him the due that the thanks that is due to him so the jews often use this verse before they ate 00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:47.379 and paul is not using this for another purpose he's saying that if this is true that the earth is the lord's and the fullness thereof 00:15:47.379 --> 00:15:50.860 if the whole earth belongs to god and everything that's contained therein 00:15:50.860 --> 00:15:56.300 then all the animals in the world belong to god and it doesn't matter who butchered it it's ultimately from him 00:15:56.300 --> 00:16:01.100 and so you should be able to eat it with a clean conscience 00:16:01.100 --> 00:16:05.860 it doesn't matter that people in their ignorance had offered these animals as sacrifice to idols 00:16:05.860 --> 00:16:09.139 these idols are nothing at all and since god alone is creator 00:16:09.139 --> 00:16:11.659 all that is part of creation belongs to him 00:16:11.659 --> 00:16:15.960 so believers should partake and freely eat the meat as gifts from the lord 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:21.340 now some of you might be thinking about our previous passage and raising some questions 00:16:21.340 --> 00:16:25.860 because this case is a bit different from what paul just addressed earlier in chapter 10 00:16:25.860 --> 00:16:29.639 because in the first part of chapter 10 he instructed the corinthian believers 00:16:29.639 --> 00:16:35.080 not to participate in the pagan festivals and to eat the meat that's sacrificed there 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:41.519 so the difference here is that those those people in the first case people are actually going to 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:47.840 and participating in the sacrifices and in the pagan feasts therefore partaking what is essentially 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:55.259 worship of demons in idolatry and so paul says don't do that don't participate however in this case 00:16:55.259 --> 00:17:00.840 he's not talking about being at the feast but rather buying meat from the market and the meat that had come 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:05.339 from a feast but it was sold just at a market he's saying for those things it's fine to consume 00:17:05.339 --> 00:17:10.480 so this is really helpful actually when you think about christian ethics because it seems that in terms of 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:16.400 indirect and secondary and tertiary association with the sins of this world the bible seems to 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:20.799 afford considerable liberty to the christian he's saying no that's not an issue as long as you're 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:26.380 not directly participating in the feast you can eat that meat so that's why paul says in verse 27 00:17:26.380 --> 00:17:30.259 if one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go 00:17:30.259 --> 00:17:34.839 eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience 00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:38.599 so paul recognizes it as a distinct possibility that christians 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:44.359 might be invited to unbelievers houses for dinner he says that if they are disposed to go 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:50.199 that they should and not only are they free to join unbelievers for a meal uh he expects that in the 00:17:50.199 --> 00:17:55.059 likely event that a meat that is served in that in that setting is a meat that had been formally 00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:59.459 purchased purchased from the market that was sacrificed to an idol he said there's no need to 00:17:59.459 --> 00:18:02.579 care about its origins you can just eat it with a clear conscience 00:18:02.579 --> 00:18:10.039 this is quite liberal uh for for paul's day uh it's hard to uh um grasp how difficult this would 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:15.519 have been for for the jews the christian jews at the time because around this time the jewish manual 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:20.819 called the jubilees book of jubilees which is from about the first century bc uh it says this 00:18:20.819 --> 00:18:29.079 chapter 22 verse 16 separate yourself from the gentiles and do not eat with them and do not perform 00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:35.659 deeds like theirs and do not become associates of theirs because their deeds are defiled and all of 00:18:35.659 --> 00:18:42.759 their ways are contaminated and despicable and abominable that's crystal clear right and so and 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:48.199 but but for the christian paul says it's okay and here's the reason if you look at acts 10 you see an 00:18:48.199 --> 00:18:54.679 actual example of this principle being applied by jews and because in the god shows a peter apostle peter a 00:18:54.680 --> 00:19:01.620 vision of of unclean all kinds of unclean ceremonially unclean animals uh being lowered on a sheet uh and 00:19:01.620 --> 00:19:08.019 then he tells peter kill and eat and peter of course being the observant jew that he is he responds by no 00:19:08.019 --> 00:19:14.620 means lord for i have never eaten anything that is common or unclean but then god says to him what god 00:19:14.620 --> 00:19:22.220 has made clean do not call common the purpose of that vision was to show peter that god has made the 00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:28.360 gentiles clean and that his salvation plan is not just for the jews no longer just for the jews 00:19:28.360 --> 00:19:34.339 but includes all the nations of earth and because he had been prepared ahead of time by that vision 00:19:34.339 --> 00:19:41.680 when cornelius a gentile military commander in the roman army asks him to come and teach him and his 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:46.700 household about god peter accepts the invitation to go to his house and when he gets there this is what 00:19:46.700 --> 00:19:54.319 he says he says you yourselves know how unlawful it is for a jew to associate with or to visit anyone 00:19:54.319 --> 00:20:00.980 of another nation but god has shown me that i should not call any person common or unclean 00:20:00.980 --> 00:20:07.539 so when i was sent for i came without objection and then peter preaches the gospel to them the holy 00:20:07.539 --> 00:20:14.580 spirit falls on the gentiles and they are all baptized as a result so in the old testament right the primary 00:20:14.579 --> 00:20:21.019 concern the religious concern of the old testament was to preserve israel's integrity and their 00:20:21.019 --> 00:20:26.819 religious purity and the reason for that was because they were the nation the people from whom 00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:32.220 jesus christ the savior of the world would come for this reason non-jews could be saved only by 00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:37.599 joining the jews becoming a jew by being a part of the nation of israel but that was only the half of 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:41.599 the promise that god had given to abraham god promised abraham that he would be made into a great nation 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:46.959 but he also said in genesis 12 in abraham all the families of the earth shall be blessed 00:20:46.959 --> 00:20:53.759 salvation is from the jews but it is not exclusively for the jews and so after christ comes to save his 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:59.319 people and after his death and resurrection he instructs his disciples then to go and make disciples 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:05.779 of all nations that's what happened when christ came and that's why paul's posture toward gentiles 00:21:05.779 --> 00:21:11.879 is radically different from the posture that his fellow jews had in his day and so he's able to say 00:21:11.879 --> 00:21:18.019 if one of the unbeliever invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go eat whatever is set before you 00:21:18.019 --> 00:21:23.700 without raising any question on the ground of conscience do you eat with unbelievers 00:21:23.700 --> 00:21:31.200 when you share a home-cooked meal with someone you're going beyond a mere acquaintance to friendship 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:36.019 and paul expects believers to have that kind of table fellowship with unbelievers 00:21:36.019 --> 00:21:40.539 is there an unbelieving neighbor who knows you and trust you enough to invite you over for dinner 00:21:40.539 --> 00:21:47.519 as christians we are called to be set apart but not to be separatistic we're called to be distinct 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:53.480 from the world but not distant from our neighbors how can we share the gospel with our neighbors if we 00:21:53.480 --> 00:22:00.360 don't befriend them and if we don't befriend them how can we claim to love them and because love not 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:05.619 liberty is the basis for christian behavior because we're not supposed to seek our own good but the 00:22:05.619 --> 00:22:13.459 good of our neighbors paul adds verse 28 read with me verse 28 but if someone says to you this has been 00:22:13.459 --> 00:22:19.159 offered in sacrifice then do not eat it for the sake of the one who informed you and for the sake of 00:22:19.159 --> 00:22:28.139 conscience it's not exactly clear of who this someone might be some people assume that because paul had 00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:33.520 mentioned in the previous chapters a christian brother who has a weaker conscience for whom you 00:22:33.520 --> 00:22:37.759 need to you need to whose conscience you need to guard he thinks that some some people think that 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:42.300 another fellow believer with a weaker conscience was invited along with you and they object saying oh 00:22:42.300 --> 00:22:47.940 this is sacrifice this was the meat that was sacrificed to idols so i there's a couple reasons why i don't 00:22:47.940 --> 00:22:53.800 think that's likely first is that it says this has been offered in sacrifice a more literal translation 00:22:53.799 --> 00:23:00.419 of that is this is sacrifice meat there's a specific word that means sacrifice meat and that's a word that 00:23:00.419 --> 00:23:06.399 the pagans used unbelievers used to refer to meat that was sacrificed in pagan worship sacrifice meat 00:23:06.399 --> 00:23:10.919 the jews and christians had another word for the exact same type of meat they called it idol meat 00:23:10.919 --> 00:23:16.579 and so the fact that this person is saying this is this is sacrifice meat suggests that it's likely to be 00:23:16.579 --> 00:23:21.720 an unbeliever who is informing the christian and then secondly not only is a fellow christian that is coming 00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:27.420 with the weaker conscience not even mentioned in this context it's unlikely that a fellow guest along with you 00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:32.279 would along with this person would know the sacrificial origin of the meat how would they know this meat came 00:23:32.279 --> 00:23:38.000 from the the sacrifice was sacrificed to the to the idols they wouldn't know i mean it's not like they mark it 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:43.640 with the stamp right so it's it's it only makes sense that this is probably the host the unbelieving host who is 00:23:43.640 --> 00:23:51.480 saying that this meat was sacrificed to idols then at this point of course we could ask uh why uh 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:56.920 uh why is the host would inform the christian of such a thing that this is sacrificed meat 00:23:56.920 --> 00:24:02.180 and it seems to me like much like a host you know when you go over to someone's house a host can uh 00:24:02.180 --> 00:24:07.279 realize that he cooked food with nuts in it and and realize that you know someone might be allergic 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:12.360 to nuts and so he said hey this has nuts in it by the way as a way of a service as a way of courtesy 00:24:12.360 --> 00:24:18.519 informing the guests in a similar way it seems that this gentile who has invited a christian over for 00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:23.039 dinner has prepared meat like he normally does from the meat purchase from the market it's meat that 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:27.599 will sacrifice the idols but then he realized that as a christian the christian might have an objection 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:33.559 to it because this was maybe he thinks that to eat such a meat is to partake in idolatry and the 00:24:33.559 --> 00:24:40.400 worship that was part of the meat sacrifice so for the sake of christian this unbeliever says do not eat 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:46.799 it i mean so he says this is sacrificed meat and in such a case paul says do not eat it for the sake of 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:52.139 the one who informed you and for the sake of conscience because the unbeliever thinks that to 00:24:52.139 --> 00:24:58.500 eat that for the christian would be to condone idolatry or to partake in it and note that paul 00:24:58.500 --> 00:25:03.319 doesn't say hey in that context if they serve you serve it to you just explain to them that it's not 00:25:03.319 --> 00:25:09.220 idolatry he doesn't say that right because maybe that's not the best context to explain it to them and 00:25:09.220 --> 00:25:13.779 how can you be guaranteed that they will believe what you say or be convinced of it do you know 00:25:13.779 --> 00:25:18.619 where they are in their conscience right now they think that it's inappropriate for you to eat it as a christian 00:25:18.619 --> 00:25:26.099 so don't use your liberty to eat it abstain from it for the sake of the person who informed you 00:25:26.099 --> 00:25:33.399 because this might prove to be a stumbling block they might think that idolatry is okay 00:25:33.399 --> 00:25:40.379 and not come to know the lord we are to do all things for the good of our neighbors that's the first 00:25:40.380 --> 00:25:47.820 principle but what exactly is the good of our neighbors who defines this good that first 00:25:47.820 --> 00:25:53.020 principle can't stand alone and that's why we turn to the second point the glory of god in verse 31 he 00:25:53.020 --> 00:26:00.060 teaches us a second and more fundamental principle that's supposed to govern and ground our first 00:26:00.060 --> 00:26:05.980 principle so he writes this follow with me verse 31 so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do 00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:12.640 do all to the glory of god so paul mentions eating and drinking specifically because that fits the 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:17.799 illustration that he just used but and and uh but the principle applies beyond eating and drinking of 00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:23.880 course that's why he adds the phrase whatever you do this principle this principle is pervasive it 00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:29.920 concerns everything that we do whatever we do from the slightest thing to the weightiest thing 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:35.559 from the smallest to the biggest from the most trivial to the most important everything in our lives is to be 00:26:35.559 --> 00:26:44.159 done to the glory of god even insignificant details like what you eat and drink must be made 00:26:44.159 --> 00:26:53.639 to the service of the glory of god that these are what is the glory of god exodus 33 18 19 when moses 00:26:53.639 --> 00:27:03.519 asks god please show me your glory god answers i will make all my goodness pass before you and will 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:11.359 proclaim before you my name the lord so god's glory is a manifestation of god's goodness it is the 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:18.639 manifestation of god's character and attributes the glory of god is the display of divinity therefore 00:27:18.639 --> 00:27:25.279 it's unique to god it's what makes god god so then to glorify god that means to acknowledge who he is to 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:31.579 ascribe glory that is already his to him that's why psalm 29 2 says ascribe to the lord the glory 00:27:31.579 --> 00:27:37.399 do his name worship the lord in the splendor of holiness it's not something that we give to him 00:27:37.399 --> 00:27:42.399 that he doesn't have it's something that we ascribe to him because it's due to him it's owed to him it 00:27:42.399 --> 00:27:49.639 already belongs to him that's what it means to glorify him and so isaiah 43 and and that's what we're 00:27:49.639 --> 00:27:55.759 created to do as people we are created to glorify god to ascribe to him glory so isaiah 43 7 says 00:27:55.759 --> 00:28:02.779 everyone who is called by my name whom i created for my glory whom i formed and made god created each 00:28:02.779 --> 00:28:09.819 of us uniquely like a facet of a prism and when the light of god's glory shines on it we are supposed 00:28:09.819 --> 00:28:16.519 to reflect the light of the glory of god and in all its glorious colors that's humanity's purpose 00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:24.720 that's the reason you are alive that's the meaning of our lives so eat to the glory of god 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:28.900 read to the glory of god bleed to the glory of god please bogate to the glory of god 00:28:28.900 --> 00:28:37.579 read to the glory of godiec to the glory of god babysit to the glory of god sell and buy to the glory of god 00:28:37.579 --> 00:28:45.539 teach to the glory of god cook to the glory of god change diapers to the glory of god talk to the glory 00:28:45.539 --> 00:28:47.460 of God. Listen to the glory 00:28:47.460 --> 00:28:47.980 of God. 00:28:49.819 --> 00:28:51.079 Tweet to the glory of God. 00:28:54.059 --> 00:28:55.480 Everything we think, 00:28:56.139 --> 00:28:57.819 everything we feel, 00:28:58.220 --> 00:28:59.559 everything we 00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:01.200 say, everything 00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:03.339 we do should be for 00:29:03.339 --> 00:29:04.759 the singular purpose 00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:06.579 of glorifying God. 00:29:09.099 --> 00:29:10.720 And there's such freedom 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:13.500 in living that way. 00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:15.399 It simplifies your life. 00:29:15.539 --> 00:29:19.220 It's important that we get this because 00:29:19.220 --> 00:29:21.440 without seeking the glory of God first, we will not 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:22.920 know how to seek the good of our neighbors. 00:29:23.539 --> 00:29:25.359 Those two things go hand in hand. That's why 00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:27.299 the greatest commandment has two parts. First, 00:29:27.379 --> 00:29:29.359 to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, 00:29:29.399 --> 00:29:31.200 mind, and strength. And then to love your neighbor 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:33.359 as yourself. Love for God is the 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:35.319 reason behind one's love for our neighbor. 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:37.339 And one's love for neighbor is a necessary 00:29:37.339 --> 00:29:39.339 expression of our love for God. 00:29:39.819 --> 00:29:41.399 And that's why he says here, in order 00:29:41.399 --> 00:29:43.440 to seek the good of our neighbors, we need to seek 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:45.500 the glory of God. Now, if we don't hold 00:29:45.500 --> 00:29:47.279 those two things together, we will misunderstand 00:29:47.279 --> 00:29:49.019 verses 32 to 33. 00:29:49.180 --> 00:29:49.880 Read that with me. 00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:53.240 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks 00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:55.259 or to the church of God, just as I 00:29:55.259 --> 00:29:57.200 try to please everyone in 00:29:57.200 --> 00:29:59.440 everything I do, not seeking my own 00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:01.380 advantage, but that of many, that they 00:30:01.380 --> 00:30:02.539 may be saved. 00:30:03.339 --> 00:30:05.259 That can be misinterpreted if you're 00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:06.859 merely thinking about the good of our neighbor 00:30:06.859 --> 00:30:08.519 without thinking about the glory of God. 00:30:08.519 --> 00:30:10.460 Because Paul's not saying here 00:30:10.460 --> 00:30:12.200 that we should sacrifice our Christian 00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:13.960 convictions in order to please our neighbors. 00:30:15.259 --> 00:30:16.319 We live among 00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:18.019 people whose sensibilities 00:30:18.019 --> 00:30:20.379 are frequently offended, whose feelings 00:30:20.379 --> 00:30:22.379 are easily hurt. And Paul's 00:30:22.379 --> 00:30:24.139 not saying that we shouldn't ever say 00:30:24.139 --> 00:30:26.480 or do anything to offend anyone 00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:28.119 in that kind of superficial sense. 00:30:29.180 --> 00:30:30.400 The gospel of Jesus 00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:32.180 Christ itself teaches 00:30:32.180 --> 00:30:34.160 us that we are sinners in need of a Savior 00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:36.299 and that truth alone is offensive 00:30:36.299 --> 00:30:38.059 to the vast majority of unbelievers. 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:40.119 If we 00:30:40.119 --> 00:30:42.059 are so concerned about not offending them, 00:30:42.099 --> 00:30:44.139 then we would never share the gospel with them. 00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:46.259 That's not what Paul is talking 00:30:46.259 --> 00:30:48.240 about. Our neighbors have all kinds of wrong ideas 00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:50.079 about what is true and just 00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:52.019 and right, and it would be sinful 00:30:52.019 --> 00:30:53.980 for us to compromise our convictions. 00:30:54.159 --> 00:30:55.659 That's not what Paul is talking about. 00:30:56.220 --> 00:30:58.079 The word give offense here literally 00:30:58.079 --> 00:31:00.119 means give no cause for 00:31:00.119 --> 00:31:02.220 stumbling. It's the 00:31:02.220 --> 00:31:04.339 negative form of the word that Paul used 00:31:04.339 --> 00:31:06.059 a stumbling block in chapter 00:31:06.059 --> 00:31:07.379 8 verse 9 where he said, 00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:09.720 But take care that this right of yours 00:31:09.720 --> 00:31:11.940 does not somehow become a stumbling 00:31:11.940 --> 00:31:13.059 block to the weak. 00:31:14.139 --> 00:31:16.019 So it means when he says give no 00:31:16.019 --> 00:31:17.740 cause for stumbling, when he says give no 00:31:17.740 --> 00:31:19.799 offense to anyone, he means don't 00:31:19.799 --> 00:31:21.859 put up any unnecessary obstacles 00:31:21.859 --> 00:31:23.839 to people coming to Christ. 00:31:24.339 --> 00:31:25.740 Don't make them stumble 00:31:25.740 --> 00:31:27.740 in their pathway, in their way to 00:31:27.740 --> 00:31:29.519 Christ. That's what Paul means by give no 00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:31.740 offense. And this is confirmed by the 00:31:31.740 --> 00:31:33.419 purpose clause at the end of verse 33. 00:31:33.420 --> 00:31:35.320 33, what is the purpose for which we 00:31:35.320 --> 00:31:36.759 should give no offense to anyone? 00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:38.900 That they may be 00:31:38.900 --> 00:31:41.000 saved. That's the goal. That's the driving 00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:42.880 purpose of not giving offense is that 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:43.700 they may be saved. 00:31:44.279 --> 00:31:46.279 So Paul's really kind of reiterating 00:31:46.279 --> 00:31:47.920 what he already said in chapter 9, 00:31:48.140 --> 00:31:49.420 20 to 22 where he said, 00:31:49.420 --> 00:31:51.700 to the Jews I became as a Jew 00:31:51.700 --> 00:31:53.380 in order to win Jews, to those 00:31:53.380 --> 00:31:54.880 under the law I became as one under 00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:56.900 the law though not being myself 00:31:56.900 --> 00:31:58.380 under the law, that I might win those 00:31:58.380 --> 00:32:00.440 under the law. To those outside the law 00:32:00.440 --> 00:32:02.100 I became as one outside the law, not 00:32:02.100 --> 00:32:03.620 being outside the law of God but under 00:32:03.620 --> 00:32:05.560 the law of Christ, that I might win 00:32:05.560 --> 00:32:07.920 those outside the law. To the weak 00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:09.660 I became weak, that I might win 00:32:09.660 --> 00:32:13.140 the weak. I become all things to all 00:32:13.140 --> 00:32:16.200 people that by all means I might 00:32:16.200 --> 00:32:24.400 save some. Paul's not trying to please people for the sake of pleasing people. He's trying to please 00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:31.519 people for the sake of pleasing God, for the sake of saving them. That's why in another context in 00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:36.759 Galatians, Paul says, like, I'm not seeking the approval of man. He says, am I trying to please man? 00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:41.019 If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. That's what Paul says in 00:32:41.019 --> 00:32:49.720 Galatians 1. This is not a contradiction. So if you're a people pleaser and you avoid 00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:58.180 confrontations like a plague, so much so that you would never dare to share the gospel of Jesus Christ 00:32:58.180 --> 00:33:04.180 with anyone lest you offend them, then you're definitely not pleasing people as Paul is talking 00:33:04.180 --> 00:33:10.619 about. He said that he was not seeking his own interest, own advantage, but that of many that 00:33:10.619 --> 00:33:14.379 they may be saved. People pleaser, on the other hand, are seeking their own interest and their 00:33:14.379 --> 00:33:19.679 own advantage so that they could be thought well of, so that they could be not thought of as foolish, 00:33:20.159 --> 00:33:23.559 so they could avoid being embarrassed. That's self-seeking. 00:33:26.619 --> 00:33:31.839 To interpret these verses in that way, to try not to be afraid of offending anyone in the possible 00:33:31.839 --> 00:33:37.579 order, to try to please them in that sense, that's a total distortion of what Paul's teaching in this 00:33:37.579 --> 00:33:42.259 passage. That's self-serving cowardice, not self-sacrificing courage, which is what Paul's 00:33:42.259 --> 00:33:46.939 calling us to. So the ultimate good of our neighbors, because we see it in the context of 00:33:46.939 --> 00:33:54.039 the glory of God, is their salvation. Trying to please everyone in everything, everyone in everything 00:33:54.039 --> 00:33:59.879 one does, that parallels doing all to the glory of God. Doing all to the glory of God parallels doing 00:33:59.880 --> 00:34:09.420 everything for everyone to please them. And note the categorical nature of Paul's statement. He doesn't 00:34:09.420 --> 00:34:16.440 say that he tries to please some people in some things. He says he tries to please everyone in 00:34:16.440 --> 00:34:23.140 everything so that he might save them. Do you make your everyday decisions with the salvation of your 00:34:23.140 --> 00:34:29.280 neighbors in mind? Do you do everything that is within your power to do it for everyone that is in your 00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:36.560 life? When you decide where you're going for dinner, who you invite to your house, which community 00:34:36.560 --> 00:34:42.980 events to attend, where to send your kids to school, where to go to school, do you have the salvation of 00:34:42.980 --> 00:34:52.440 your neighbors in mind? Or do you have only your interest in mind? Are you content with being on 00:34:52.440 --> 00:34:57.120 friendly terms with your neighbors without ever sharing the saving use of Jesus Christ with them? 00:34:57.119 --> 00:35:02.739 Sure, you might be seeking their good in some smaller ways, but are you seeking their ultimate good? 00:35:03.519 --> 00:35:10.119 Are you seeking to save them? What would it look like then for us to try to please everyone in 00:35:10.119 --> 00:35:16.900 everything? Not seeking our own advantage, but that of many that they may be saved. So this is a little 00:35:16.900 --> 00:35:21.559 bit hard to apply, right? Because Paul's talking about meat, sacrificed meat that's being sold in the 00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:26.279 marketplace. He says, I will go to an unbeliever's house and eat it, but if they mention that it was 00:35:26.279 --> 00:35:30.500 sacrificed to idols for his conscience sake, I will refrain from eating it. So that's what Paul, 00:35:30.759 --> 00:35:37.659 that's the principle that Paul's teaching us. How does this apply to us? Maybe some of your 00:35:37.659 --> 00:35:45.099 coworkers invite you to work social at a local bar. You can go and enjoy yourself 00:35:45.099 --> 00:35:53.179 and drink in moderation, right? And that's a great opportunity to share the gospel with them. 00:35:53.839 --> 00:35:59.119 There's nothing inherently sinful about drinking. And as long as you stay sober and as long as you're 00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:03.360 not leading any other weak believer with the weaker conscience into sin by doing so, 00:36:04.440 --> 00:36:10.440 the Christian has the liberty to do so. Like Paul, we can go over to an unbeliever's house and eat his 00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:14.700 meat with a clear conscience. For another example, many of our neighbors in Cambridge and greater 00:36:14.700 --> 00:36:22.820 Boston area are very environmentally conscious. And you might have a neighbor who is very mindful of 00:36:22.820 --> 00:36:29.119 her own carbon footprint, and she might think that using styrofoam cups is destroying our environment. 00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:33.320 I have a lot of neighbors who think that way, so this is not just a hypothetical situation. 00:36:34.260 --> 00:36:40.099 And so this might be a non-issue for you. You might agree with her, you might not. Maybe you're aware 00:36:40.099 --> 00:36:45.579 that if foam cups are recycled, which you can't do through the Massachusetts system, but you can by 00:36:45.579 --> 00:36:50.360 taking it to recycling companies like RefoamIt in Newton. If you actually recycle it, it has a much 00:36:50.360 --> 00:36:56.219 less, it's much better in terms of carbon footprint than actual paper cups. So maybe you're aware of 00:36:56.219 --> 00:37:01.980 that and you have freedom with regard to using styrofoam cups. But regardless, because you know of 00:37:01.980 --> 00:37:07.900 your neighbor's convictions and his or her conscience sake, for the sake of your neighbor, you choose not to 00:37:07.900 --> 00:37:12.820 put that stumbling block when you have that person over to your house for a party and have styrofoam cups 00:37:12.820 --> 00:37:17.619 sitting on that table. I know that seems like a really small thing, right? But eating meat, 00:37:17.740 --> 00:37:22.559 sacrificed idol, was a very small thing for Apostle Paul. It doesn't matter. I could eat that whenever 00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:27.320 I want, Paul said, but for the sake of that person, I will not eat it. If it's an important issue for your 00:37:27.320 --> 00:37:33.660 neighbor, it's an important issue for you for the sake of removing the stumbling block. Or maybe your 00:37:33.659 --> 00:37:38.819 unbelieving neighbor invites you to a TV viewing party, but because he knows you're a Christian, 00:37:38.940 --> 00:37:45.379 he warns you, just so you know, there's a lot of graphic and gratuitous sex and violence in this show. 00:37:48.379 --> 00:37:54.420 Now, there are a lot of good biblical reasons not to watch a TV show that has a lot of graphic and 00:37:54.420 --> 00:37:59.539 gratuitous sex and violence. So this may not be something that you could do with a clear conscience 00:37:59.539 --> 00:38:07.219 anyway. But let's imagine that you can. You're one of those people who are not affected by these 00:38:07.219 --> 00:38:10.880 things, or you're at least convinced that you're not affected by these things, and you don't think 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:17.679 that it's sinful to watch it. Even if you have the liberty regarding an issue, because your neighbor 00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:22.500 has warned you for the sake of your conscience, not for your conscience' sake, for the sake of his 00:38:22.500 --> 00:38:27.460 conscience, so you don't put a stumbling block in front of him by showing that person that it's okay 00:38:27.460 --> 00:38:32.659 for Christians to participate in gratuitous sex and violence, so you don't put a stumbling block in 00:38:32.659 --> 00:38:37.880 front of your neighbor, refrain from going to the party, and use that opportunity to say no as an 00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:44.820 opportunity to share the gospel and the hope that you have in Christ. If we're honest with ourselves, 00:38:45.139 --> 00:38:49.199 it was really hard to come up with examples that might be relevant to you, but you could probably 00:38:49.199 --> 00:38:53.380 think of more in your life as things come up as you relate to your neighbors. But if we're honest 00:38:53.380 --> 00:38:58.960 with ourselves, we don't do this perfectly, and we are to do all things to the glory of God and the 00:38:58.960 --> 00:39:05.960 good of our neighbors, but often we do things for our own glory and our own good. And that's where the 00:39:05.960 --> 00:39:14.640 chief problem of humanity lies. Human beings are by default glory thieves. We steal the glory that is due 00:39:14.640 --> 00:39:21.820 to God and live to glorify ourselves. We're like that brat that goes to a friend's birthday party and then 00:39:21.820 --> 00:39:28.640 makes the party all about himself. Even though all indications, the signs on the walls, the name 00:39:28.640 --> 00:39:33.740 written on the cake, all the gifts, everything points to the fact that it's your friend's birthday, 00:39:33.880 --> 00:39:40.660 but that brat must make that party all about himself. That's us in this world with all creation 00:39:40.660 --> 00:39:45.820 pointing to the glory of God, saying that it was all created for him, and we want to make it all about 00:39:45.820 --> 00:40:00.680 us live for our own glory. Or we're like that rude conference attendee who during the Q&A session 00:40:00.680 --> 00:40:06.039 after the talk, instead of asking a question like he's supposed to, gives a 10-minute monologue as if 00:40:06.039 --> 00:40:16.759 he were the expert on subject and the speaker of the topic. We're vain. We have illusions of grandeur, 00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:25.139 and we live like we are unimpressed with and unaware of God's presence. We ought to be learning from him 00:40:25.139 --> 00:40:33.000 and submitting to him, but we presume to teach God and make him fit our narrow and erroneous view of life. 00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:36.659 That's why Romans 3.23, which we read from, says, 00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:46.519 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Instead of doing all things to the glory of God, 00:40:46.679 --> 00:40:53.760 we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And because of that, we can't do all things 00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:59.639 for the good of our neighbors either. I used that analogy of the prism earlier, that we're supposed to 00:40:59.639 --> 00:41:05.920 reflect the glory of God in our unique way in which God created us. But instead of reflecting 00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:13.460 and displaying the light of God's glory, we have become chipped and clouded prisms that distort the 00:41:13.460 --> 00:41:20.119 light of God's glory, that block it and not let it through. That's the biggest problem facing humanity, 00:41:20.679 --> 00:41:25.199 the sin that separates us from God. And if you are not yet a follower of Jesus Christ, 00:41:25.199 --> 00:41:31.419 please pay attention to this. Until you deal with this issue, until you make this right, 00:41:31.559 --> 00:41:40.519 your life will always feel off kilter. You will feel like a misshapen puzzle piece that you're unable 00:41:40.519 --> 00:41:45.179 to make fit into the grand scheme of God's plan for your life and for this world. 00:41:45.179 --> 00:41:53.619 You will be successful and accomplished without feeling fulfilled. You will be wealthy and well-fed, 00:41:53.739 --> 00:42:00.460 but you will feel empty. You will have many friends and admirers yet feel lonely and not fully known. 00:42:01.399 --> 00:42:06.879 You will be recognized and esteemed yet feel like an imposter and a hypocrite. 00:42:06.880 --> 00:42:13.280 That's because you're not fulfilling the purpose for which you were created. 00:42:14.800 --> 00:42:20.440 Your life needs to be realigned and reordered according to God's will for you. 00:42:21.960 --> 00:42:27.360 But none of you can make this right in your own strength. We can't restore our relationship with 00:42:27.360 --> 00:42:34.059 God on our own, and that's why God the Father sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to save us. In 2 Corinthians 4, 00:42:34.059 --> 00:42:41.619 4-6, Paul writes that what saves us is the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image 00:42:41.619 --> 00:42:48.259 of God. And later in the same chapter, he writes, God has shown in our hearts to give the light of the 00:42:48.259 --> 00:42:55.360 knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. How do we get restored to that place where 00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:59.659 we're giving glory to God? How do we get restored to that place where we are doing all things to his 00:42:59.659 --> 00:43:04.879 glory? And we're no longer falling short of the glory of God. It's the gospel of the glory of Christ. 00:43:05.239 --> 00:43:11.079 It's by looking into the face of Jesus Christ who came to save us, though we fell short of God's glory. 00:43:11.399 --> 00:43:16.839 Christ was the perfect embodiment of God's glory. And even though he alone deserved that glory, 00:43:16.840 --> 00:43:32.200 he didn't glorify himself, he humbled himself, even to the point of dying on the cross for our sins, 00:43:32.840 --> 00:43:38.039 so that we can share in his glory. 00:43:38.039 --> 00:43:47.119 Paul told us to try to please everyone that they might be saved. That's what Christ did for us. 00:43:47.219 --> 00:43:52.719 Romans 15, 1-3 tells us what Christ did. He says, we who are a strong have an obligation to pair with 00:43:52.719 --> 00:43:59.599 the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to 00:43:59.599 --> 00:44:07.739 build him up. For Christ did not please himself. But as it is written, the reproaches of those who 00:44:07.739 --> 00:44:17.139 reproached you fell on me. Christ traded his glory for our reproach. Christ deserved honor. He deserved 00:44:17.139 --> 00:44:19.739 praise. He deserved glory. 00:44:23.739 --> 00:44:30.139 Christ should not have been reproached. Christ had every right to please himself. 00:44:30.139 --> 00:44:39.639 But he chose not to please himself. To please, to please, to please his father. To please us. 00:44:41.739 --> 00:44:48.339 To save us. And that's why Paul closes this section with chapter 11, verse 1. 00:44:48.339 --> 00:44:53.440 Be imitators of me as I am of Christ. 00:44:53.440 --> 00:45:00.300 Christ, in his self-giving love, became the paradigm by which all of us are supposed to live. 00:45:01.380 --> 00:45:06.360 So, before we have a moment of silence to reflect on this, let me ask you some questions. 00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:09.940 What rights can you give up for the sake of your neighbors? 00:45:11.700 --> 00:45:14.119 What condenses can you give up for their sake? 00:45:15.420 --> 00:45:18.019 In what ways have you been living for your own glory? 00:45:18.019 --> 00:45:21.500 How can you reform your life? 00:45:22.239 --> 00:45:25.239 So that you can live for God's glory. 00:45:27.000 --> 00:45:31.800 Let's imitate Christ and do all things to the glory of God and the good of our neighbors. 00:45:32.599 --> 00:45:36.659 Please take a moment in silence to reflect on this and to respond to this in prayer. 00:45:36.659 --> 00:45:36.780 Amen. 00:45:48.559 --> 00:45:50.619 Amen. 00:46:12.840 --> 00:46:13.420 Amen. 00:46:13.420 --> 00:46:13.519 Amen. 00:46:13.679 --> 00:46:14.179 Amen.