The Church - Community Principles - 8/31/08
Sermon Series: The Church ________________
Sermon Title: The Church – Community Principles
Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 8
Theme: In this section of scripture Paul begins his answer to the Corinthian church concerning their question over eating food which has been sacrificed to idols. While Paul’s answer is essentially three chapters long the theses or main principle is given here – the principle of brotherly love and concern outweighs both displays of religiosity and personal freedom.
Introduction: I have found out something since I have become a full time minister which is incredible. As a common rule Church people are some of the best cooks ever. And in every church that you go into there are those dishes which are made famous as they have become a part of carry in dinners for years. Teresa and I spent a couple of years traveling to a ministry which was about 100 miles from our home and occasionally we got the privilege of spending time and sharing meals in the home of those folks. Some of the best meals that I have ever eaten are now fond memories from those times. But I also remember a meal which was memorable for another reason. Let me preface this by making one thing clear – I hate spam. I know for some of you spam is a miracle of the modern age but something about canned processed pig just turns me off. (Being social when spam dinner is served)
Transition: Today we are going to continue our study of the book of 1 Corinthians by turning our attention to Ch. 8. A lot of us may be tempted to overlook this portion of the Corinthian letter which seems to have little relevance to people of our century and culture: After all none of us are in danger of eating food which has been offered sacrificially to a Greek or Roman deity. But when Paul answers this congregation’s question about this problem which they are trying to work their way through, he also puts in place some principles for living in community with one another which are more than relevant to the congregation at Prairie Hill, they are vital.
(Some background on the social context of the question)
Ultimately the question which is being asked of Paul has to do with how we live out our faith within the unbelieving world that we have to exist in and correspondingly what kind of behavior we should expect from each other as Christians in the world at large. You see as Christians we are given two fold responsibilities to love one another and have a positive impact in the world we are placed in.
I. The principle of restrained knowledge
a. As we experience and learn more during the course of our Christian walk we have to be sensitive to the fact that not everyone in our community is at the same place in their lives. Like every other part of the individual God has designed knowledge to fit into a certain place in the believers life.
b. The point of learning all that we can about God and the miraculous regenerative gospel message is not so that we get to exhibit our vast knowledge to the rest of the community of Christ and puff ourselves up.
i. This is not the first time in this letter that Paul has had to kind of pull out the discipline stick in regards to the “knowledge” which the Corinthian church is so proud of. Back in chapters 1; 2; 4; 5; and 6 he has cautioned them about their so called wisdom and knowledge. In chapter four verse six he used this same word (fusioo) to caution them about being arrogant concerning the person who led them to Christ. Here he says their knowledge is having the same effect.
ii. Here it appears from the Greek text that he is quoting them when he says that “all of us possess knowledge” this is apparent in the ESV version which I put on the screen.
iii. It is obvious that there is a contingent of folks among the Corinthians that are holding their supposed superior knowledge like a badge. Paul says they are puffed up. In other words if you inflate yourself through some so called knowledge you are setting yourself against Jesus’ principle of love.
c. The point of learning is not to use our knowledge like a measurement of religious fervor among the rest of the community.
i. Apparently some of these folks were also using their knowledge as some kind of measuring stick for the behavior of others.
1. While it is important that we keep one another accountable for our behaviors among each other and the world let’s be sure that the spiritual well being of one another is our primary goal.
d. If our knowledge is not leading us down a path which sees us becoming more and more like Jesus than our knowledge is worse than useless - it is dangerous.
i. When I first went back to Bible College at the ripe old age of forty I was pretty certain that I was more biblically literate than most of those young people that I was sharing classrooms with. After all I had been teaching adult studies at a couple of different churches for decades before coming back to college. As a matter of fact there was a part of me that kind of had the attitude that I would hang around there for a while and see what I could pick up from them but I wasn’t too sure how much good they could do me. Somewhere in the middle of that experience it slowly began to dawn on me that while I may possess a little bit more knowledge than some in the vast array of what there is to know and learn about God and His word I had not even scratched the surface. My pride began to deflate as the picture of that sea of knowledge grew more and more.
II. The principle of social liberty
a. As Christians we experience a freedom that has never been a part of most religious traditions throughout the world.
b. Most of the major religions in the world act as a catalyst for fear to try and modify the behaviors of the righteous.
i. In many of the eastern religions the adherents are encouraged to perform certain behaviors in order to keep from upsetting the careful balance of karma which is being supernaturally tallied up. Wrong decisions and actions can have the effect of bringing lifetimes of punishment in the form of reincarnation as beasts of burden or bugs or something equally nasty.
ii. Those professing Islam believe that for anyone who does not profess faith in Mohammed and the Koran and keep the tenets of the faith are destined for an eternity of torture including having scalding water poured over their heads and melting their skin.
iii. The modern philosophies of new ageism and postmodernism leave people with the conclusion that there is no personal and loving God only the mindless and soulless universe of unending choices and consequences.
iv. It is only through Christianity that we see God displaying Himself as the incredibly loving Deity who expresses Himself through the supreme sacrifice on our behalf. And the almost unbelievable point of this act of love is that God wants a personal and authentic relationship with us.
1. Throughout scriptures there is a long list of titles and names to try to capture the majesty and power and purpose of God but the one that moves me the most is used by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as He calls out to ABBA the Aramaic equivalent of Daddy. Paul uses this same term in Romans 8 when he explains the nature of our relationship with God. (Romans 8:15-16)
v. This liberty is the heart of Christianity. – Paul made it clear that these idols were not living breathing entities and as such eating the meat that had been sacrificed to them was of no consequence whatsoever. This statement would have been next to blasphemy for the Jewish people in this church.
1. We are set free from the eternal effects of sin and death.
2. Our lives are disentangled from the minute observation of the religious dietary laws and social obligations that was a part of the Jewish law-keeping.
vi. This freedom leaves us with a responsibility to act as though who are in relationship with Christ. We are representatives, sons and daughters and co-heirs with Christ. While our freedom allows wide latitude in our behavior it entrusts us with the responsibility to act like God’s kids.
III. The principle of mature community
a. Finally Paul cautions the Corinthians that we also need to be mature in our care for others with whom we are partners in the community of Christ.
b. (Illustration of trying to be like the big kids)
c. As Christians we have to recognize that we are in community with other believers and our actions, attitudes and behaviors can have an effect on all of them.
d. Paul’s principle for the congregation at Corinth and for the one at Prairie Hill is that when our freedom comes at the expense of another brother’s spiritual well being than our freedom must be modified.
