Stumbling Blocks
Lessons From 1 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: Lessons From 1 Corinthians
Hope: To gain a better understanding of God’s word through this great letter due to the mass number of differing doctrines found therein.
Last week, we examined the “Marriage During Tribulation” and how it is going to be easier during those times for those that are single and not married.
Married couples during these time must consider the spouse and family but as Paul points out not at the expense of their soul (1 Corinthians 7:35).
Today, we are going to examine the “next doctrinal issue” Paul address concerning food offered to idols and eaten.
The actual point of this chapter however, is focusing on “Stumbling Blocks” and a Christians need to “not place them” in the way of other Christians.
Let’s begin by examining the context and then the practical lesson here.
The Context
The Context
Food Offered To Idols.
Food Offered To Idols.
Keep in mind the church here in Corinth was formed by those that came not out of denominationalism but paganism.
They had been worshiping other idols, some there whole lives until recently being converted, and they were thinking it was sinful to eat any food that had once been offered to an idol.
1 Corinthians 8:7 (ESV)
7 …But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
Now, from a purely biblical perspective there was nothing wrong with eating meat that had been cooked on an altar to a god that does not exist.
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
So, from a purely doctrinal reality there is nothing wrong with eating meat that had been offered to idols.
8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.
Summary
Summary
Because there is no such thing as a god other than “the God” that meat that had been offered had simply been cooked.
It was not sacred or condemned it was simply food for those that were not “weak in biblical knowledge, i.e., weak in the faith.”
Notice I didn’t say strong in faith or weaker in faith but “the faith.”
However, the main concern here is not pointing out the weakness of the faith of those that were ignorant on this subject but the potential problem a fellowship Christian could cause their brother or sister by eating this meat and putting a stumbling block in front of them.
9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
That brings me to our practical lesson…
The Stronger Can Harm The Weaker
The Stronger Can Harm The Weaker
Through What Is Practiced.
Through What Is Practiced.
The simple fact of the matter is there will always be different levels of faith in a congregation.
There will be those that are strong in the faith and those that are weaker in the faith.
Because this disparity exists and because we are all human God knows those that are less knowledgeable on the doctrine of God will have a greater chance of stumbling.
With that said, what are some common “stumbling blocks” Christians can create today.
Eating pork products in front of a new convert from Judaism or Islam.
BTSOP students ate ham sandwich in front of new convert from Islam and had to apologize.
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
How about some in the congregation putting down a good plan or program that could help the church and thus discouraging the young Christians from participating.
32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.
1 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
Bible class teachers can be unprepared to teach and place a stumbling block on a potential “new teacher.”
That person might think they can “shoot from the hip” and be unprepared to teach God’s people about God.
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
With summer here how about a new Christian that was not taught modesty growing up and then sees their fellow sister in Christ wearing short shorts, see through tops, or very tight and revealing clothing.
14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
Summary
Summary
The truth is, those weak in the faith will look up to those that are stronger in the faith.
They will rely, as they should, on the stronger.
1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
The stronger “must” be that gentle and kind soul that patiently brings along their fellow faithful.
Let the older teach the younger in “the faith” and rather than being a stumbling block let them be a hand that raises up.
12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Conclusion
Conclusion
When we boil it down to it’s fundamental truth it comes down to what Paul declared in Colossians 3:12-14.
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Perfect harmony between each other, and God is our goal in this life so as to be with each other in the next life.
Let us focus our attention on such an endeavor while always being aware of the stumbling blocks we could place in front of our brother or sister.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.