Freedom and Responsiblity
Notes
Transcript
Christian Freedom
Christian Freedom
Do you know that you are FREE from the Bonds of Sin?
Does it feel that way to you today?
Ch 8 is all about the Freedom that we have
BUT that we also have a responsibility to exercise it properly.
We should explore this gift of Freedom
maybe read the Instruction manual on this gift
There is a lot in our thirteen verses this morning.
we are in ch 8 of 1 Cor
We are starting another mini series that Cory is kind enough to finish for me in the next three weeks
Personal Freedom vs Personal Responsibility.
Paul opens this section with Knowledge Puffs up but LOVE builds up.
Paul uses food from Idols which was a huge issue in that culture
if you remember this was a wealthy place with many many opportunities for sinner ( and a great place to HARVEST)
Many if not most of the new Christians were coming to Christ from a very pagan, sinful culture.
Do you remember the message on the Corinthians trying to BALANCE culture and Christianity.
They thought that Christianity could be a blending and not a total commitment
I believe that is exactly what our Scripture is teaching us today.
We must be all in for Christ
We must remove the poison of the world from our daily walk
We must learn to WALK IN WISDOM
Idols are nothing —- so don’t you assist in giving them power
Culture Today
Culture Today
i will use our culture today.
Political disunity many layers deep
not even the opposition is united
An army with no strategy, no direction, no coordination
Immigration
What is the truth
would i want that person in my community
Just follow the rules
Collective Moralism
Just because your group thinks it is right, doesn’t make it right
We use the wrong measuring stick
not the World
BUT SCRIPTURE
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
All decisions should be
BIBLE — HISTORY — CULTURE
Living Christianity Daily
Paul really is giving us practical wisdom
Be Careful what you Do
Be Careful where you do it
Be Careful what you Say
9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
If you are a complainer, doesn’t that teach your students it is okay to complain
What sports figure or politician do you look up to today?
if you have a YES
Then i ask WHY
FYI — there is really one answer —Because they Glorify God in all that they are doing in their role
or do we say… that person says this, but does that
I told you last week —- God wrote it done, and it has never changed
Have you political party beliefs changed over the years —— over the days
We don’t have UNITY
We all know people that care more about Football or Sports than church attendence
Church attendance GOES DOWN when the local popular sports team play
Team before God.
Not it is NOT something we should do.… they have the ability to record it.
PUT it second.
I have struggled for years with Sunday morning practices.
even if you go Saturday night
Who are you sending a message to that
SOMETHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOD
What are our idols today?
Unity
Unity
I believe was you study these verses, reaching past the food and idols to the IDOLS OF TODAY
you will learn a few things
Nothing matters for your salvation EXCEPT JESUS
but with that being Truth you need to learn to DO IT
I am PROUD to tell you
you must learn to
Put your Freedom aside because of Personal Responsibility
YOU must PUT God first and OTHERS second
That is key in these verses.
it also reminds us BIBLE, HISTORY AND THEN CULTURE
Give it Up, Lift it UP
Give it Up, Lift it UP
here it is in the last verse
1 Corinthians 8:13 “13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”
mantra:
If i cannot GROW my BROTHER or SISTER
If i cannot GROW ANOTHER
If it will sidetrack or encourage wrong in another
I will not do it at all
Not wrong or right in God’s Eyes
But thinking about the GROWTH of ANOTHER
Do not be a STUMBLING BLOCK
Do not stunt GROWTH
that is SIN.
I’ve witnessed a pastor struggling with this.
He was in a position to make calls for church to set standards. N
When I first became aware of this, it was about 13 years ago.
And at that time, the church’s policy on drinking was you could drink at home, but you couldn’t drink in public.
But frankly, I thought was rather weird because I thought people with alcohol problems did that.
They hid it. But I had to wave my perspective, didn’t I
My perspective in this case was very much in line with this scripture.
It’s not that it’s wrong It just could be wrong if other people see it.
if it causes somebody to stumble and get drunk.
And I’m responsible for it.
Then I’m responsible for it
You know, the problem is about 2 three years into this policy.
A worldly situation happened. and the church immediately pivoted and required all.
its employees to sign abstinence from alcohol documents. N
Let’s just think about this a second.
We go from not working for this church, making our own decisions based on culture and family and those type of things.
to it’s wrong.
We should never do it.
We should never do it at all because we don’t want to cause somebody to stumble.
Two years after they changed again to okay to drink, okay to drink in public. just don’t get drunk
Glad they found the TRUTH
Glad they allowed the TRUE FREEDOM
YET a reminder of our LESSON THIS MORNING
You are Free —- But be RESPONSIBLE
You know, I can interject a little example here that maybe. brings us all home to you
but if you had somebody loved an uncle, a grandfather, a dad, and he was coming over to your house
and you knew that he had a problem with alcohol, that he got himself in a lot of trouble and risk hurting others in the situation Would you sit there and have a beer in front of him and make him stare at it?
Or would you just decide that this gathering was going to be alcohol free
This is exactly what we’re talking about here.
You have the freedom to have a beer But if you’re around somebody you love and they struggle with it.
And you know they have a control issue that that’s very likely they’re going to hurt themselves or hurt others.
You put your freedom aside.
Truth and Freedom
Truth and Freedom
Paul closes our message with morning with this conclusion
We must always obey His Truth, not Our Truth.
And even though we have freedom in Christ
s
its not about you
it’s not just about us.
It MUST be about GOD
It MUST be about others.
The Truth —- God is so clear on sin that He is IN US through the SPIRIT to guide and teach us
The Freedom —- We can do all things that aren’t SIN
The Responsibility —- We must NOT cause another to sin
We must watch our walk, and our mouth
WE MUST LEARN DISCERNMENT
So today I pray this for us and we’re going to bow our heads in a minute
and pray and father it’s one word that comes to my mind
and that word is Discernment
Father I want to pray to you today to give us discernment.
so that we know your Word.
We know you because of the work of your son that we’re set free.
But in that freedom may we have discernment on when to exercise our freedom
and when to put our personal freedoms aside.
Let’s pray.
