Sermon Tone Analysis

#. *Christian freedom?*

Gary Friesen, in his book ‘Decision Making and the will of God’, mentions being a pastor at a church where people strongly believed that a Christian should not eat in a public restaurant on a Sunday.

It had never been an issue to him before.

One Sunday on his way to evening church he stopped off to visit some parishioners in hospital, and then had a quick snack afterwards in the hospital cafe.

He mentioned this in the service.

Almost as soon as he got home after church that night the phone rang.

The voice on the other end asked ‘Brother if you had died in that diner tonight where would you have gone’.

Friesen answered straight away ‘why to heaven my friend’.

‘Nothing of it, said the other man, you would have gone straight to hell.’

Us Christians manage to get upset over some pretty weird things.

Friesen then writes ‘the American church has managed to divide itself over a whole range of issues.’

He then lists 34 issues which he says he has ‘personally encountered, (where) … in every case there are sincere believers who consider the activity in question prohibited by God, while equally sincere brothers maintain that participation is permitted with the Christian’s freedom.’

Here are some of those issues.

I wonder what you think about Christians –

Attending movies                      watching television                    mowing the lawn on a Sunday

Drinking alcohol in moderation  cooking with wine         eating food in a church

Playing sport                 gambling for recreation  insurance          dancing

Smoking                       listening to rock music   going to a psychiatrist

women wearing makeup or having short hair                  Men with beards or long hair

unmarried couples kissing

 

            They are all issues over which Christians have or do disagree.

Are Christians free to do these things?

In 1 Corinthians Paul talks much about Christian freedom, he upholds and urges Christians to make much of the freedom they have in Christ.

Yet is our freedom the be all and end all, or is it limited by other, more important principles?

Let’s turn to 1 Cor 10:23 and see what God says.

#. *Paul in Corinth – meat again?*

The end of chapter 10 concludes the discussion on eating meat sacrificed to idols which began way back in chapter 8.

Here Paul sums up his argument, and as he does so he sets out some general principles for Christian behaviour, which we need to hear today.

He starts in v23 by quoting a slogan which some of the Corinthian Christians seem to have used – which he’s also quoted before back in ch 6 – ‘everything is permissible’.

Now that I’m a Christian and Christ has died for my sins, I’m set free from the law.

I am free to do anything I like, whenever I like, because I have the right to do so.

Sadly such thinking leads to pride and self-centredness, as it did for some of the Corinthians.

What’s Paul’s response?

You’re not quite right.

Yes you’re free and yes, you have rights, but … there are higher principles than freedom and rights.

My personal freedom is not the deciding factor in life and making decisions.

Freedom actually means I am free to serve others above myself.

Look again at v23 – not everything is beneficial.

Not everything is constructive – especially in building up the body of believers, which Paul will explore more in chs 12-14.

Not everything I am free to do as a Christian is actually helpful for building up myself or other people.

And that matters.

So, v24, nobody, no Christian, should seek his or her own good but the good of others.

The principle of love for others overrides freedom.

Let’s stop and think about v24 for a moment.

It is so radical and extreme isn’t it – don’t seek your own good but the good of others.

Do you ever seek your own good ahead of others?

I do, and I’m sure you do.

Paul says don’t.

There’s a big challenge.

Christian freedom is not to be thought of in terms of my self and my rights, but others.

How does this work out?

And how does it tie in to eating meat sacrificed to idols?

Paul gives us 2 illustrations:

            - firstly to illustrate my own freedoms in Christ, look at vv25-26.

Paul talks about buying meat from the market, the local butcher.

Not a problem, no need to worry about it, Christians are free to buy and eat, even if it has been sacrificed to idols, which it probably had, because it is no longer connected to the pagan temple and demons.

All food is from God backed up the OT quote in v26 – the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.

If meat has been sacrificed to idols, well, no problem, for we know idols are nothing, and we know that our God owns everything, and we’re not going to eat it in a pagan temple.

God made this meat, he made food, for our use and enjoyment, so go ahead.

Buy it, take it home, put it on the barbie, cook it up, tuck in and enjoy.

Don’t worry.

All food is clean, nothing contaminates it on the way through, for it all comes from God’s good hand, and what I eat doesn’t affect my relationship with God.

I am free to eat it.

- but secondly, in vv27-30, he talks about being invited to someone’s home for a meal, where they serve you meat sacrificed to idols.

Same deal – Christians are free to eat whatever is put in front of them.

What a contrast to the Jewish traditions – Jews couldn’t even eat with gentiles, they couldn’t eat anything sacrificed to idols, and there were certain foods they wouldn’t touch whether they had been sacrificed to idols or not.

But Christians are free.

So – v27 – eat whatever is put before you, without worrying about it, and be thankful to God for it.

But, v28, what if someone else at the meal tells you it has been sacrificed to idols?

Then do not eat it.

Why? Paul has just said I’m free to eat, so why the change?

Because there are other people involved now.

So Paul won’t eat, not because Christians are not allowed to eat meat, but for the sake of this other person, quite probably a Christian brother or sister – for a pagan wouldn’t be worried about it - who has qualms about eating such meat.

For their sake Paul will restrain his freedom, so as not to offend their conscience.

Last night - dinner with a vegetarian, she had to be careful what she ate, special food prepared, I just tuck in, enjoy, don’t complain about no meat.

Don’t worry.

Food is food.

Remember the principle – seek the good of others.

If eating this meat is going to damage the conscience of someone else who is there, going to cause this person to sin because he thinks it is wrong, then Paul won’t do it.

Do you see – his freedom is secondary to love for others.

He knows he is free to eat, and v30 recognises that others shouldn’t denounce him for doing so, his own personal choices in free matters is not to be judged by others, but he is willing not to insist on his freedoms for the sake of others.

And now in vv31-11:1 Paul wraps up his whole discussion with some key principles about Christian freedom.

#.

*Christian principles*

Paul sets out 4 principles that he believes should govern all Christian behaviour, principles which govern his life, and which are based on the example of Jesus himself.

Remember the issue - how do we exercise our freedom in Christ?

What principles guide our behaviour?

a)      The first one is the most important – v31 – whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, it’s no longer just about meat, whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

What a great principle – do everything for the glory of God, not to establish Life is not about my freedoms and rights, it is about God’s glory.

Will what I am about to do glorify God - does it conform to his standards, his priorities, his character?

Whatever you do?

Chuck Swindoll says ‘my goal is not to please me, nor to please you, but to please our Lord, Jesus Christ’.

Do it all for the glory of God - that is our highest priority.

b)      Secondly, then, we will be concerned for others.

Look at v32 - Don’t cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God – other Christians.

Pretty much covers everyone.

Will what I’m going to do build up the church?

Is it beneficial to others?

Will it hurt someone else’s conscience?

Am I willing to limit my freedom for their sake?

c)      Thirdly, which is the positive spin from the second one – try to please everybody in every way.