KINGDOM LIVING: The Testing of Love and Liberty

LIVING UNDER KINGDOM AUTHORITY

August 11, 2024

THE TESTING OF LOVE AND LIBERITY

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

INTRODUCTION:

Four different types of consciences

1. A conscience.

1 Timothy 4:2 (NIV) Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have ben seared as with a hot iron.

2. A conscience.

1 Corinthians 8:12 (NIV) When you sin against them this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

3. A conscience.

Titus 1:15 (NIV) To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

4. A conscience.

1 Timothy 1:18-20 (NIV) Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

John 16:13 (NIV) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Romans 2:15 (NIV) They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.

1 Corinthians 8

TEXT:

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 (NIV) Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. ² Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. ³ But whoever loves God is known by God.

⁴ So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” ⁵ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), ⁶ yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

⁷ But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food, they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. ⁸ But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

⁹ Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ¹² When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

THREE PRINCIPLES:

1. LOVE WILL BE A TO OUR

1 Corinthian 8:9 (NIV) Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

Three areas of knowledge:

• The of knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:1 (NIV) Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

Hosea 4:6 (NIV) My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge…

1 Corinthians 8:4 (NIV) So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”

John 13:35 (NLT) “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

• The of knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:2 (NIV) Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.

• The of knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:3 (NIV) But whoever loves God is known by God.

2. LOVE WILL OUR LIBERITY

John 13:35 (NLT) “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

1 Corinthians 8:9-11 (NIV) Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV) Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

John 13:35 (NLT) “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

1 Corinthians 8:10 (NIV) For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?

Matthew 18:6-7 (NIV) “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.  Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!”

1 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV) Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

3. LOVE WILL OVER OUR LIBERITY

1 Corinthians 8:12-13 (NIV) When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Ephesians 5:30 (NIV) For we are members of his body.

Matthew 18:8-9 (NIIV) If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

1 Corinthians 8:13 (NIV) Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Romans 14:21 (NIV) says, It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

CONCLUSION:

John 13:35 (NLT) Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV) For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

PRAYER:

WORSHIP:

ALTAR:

TEXT ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS MESSAGE TO 701-712-6030.