Loving Other Christians Like Christ Loved Them - [1 Corinthians 8:7-13]

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As a pastor it's my delight to teach people like you the Bible people who want to know and who have a desire to obey
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To obey is better than sacrifice the Bible says and two weeks ago when I preached last we were in the context of 1st
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Corinthians 8 as we marched through verse by verse chapter by chapter in the book of 1st Corinthians and Wes came up to me
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Wes Blackstone, and he said you know Stephanie and I in light of what you've just taught
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We've got a question we have a harvest festival here at the church in late October And there's all kinds of kids games and sometimes the kids dress up as I don't know astronauts or football players or something like that or ballerinas and Some people last year didn't want to go because they didn't believe you should dress up around Halloween time
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So we thought this year We just wouldn't have anybody dress up And then everybody could feel comfortable to come and we want to do what the message says in 1st
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Corinthians chapter 8 and that is Love other people and so matter no matter who's weaker or stronger in this particular issue
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We want to just make sure that we love others, and so let's just not have any dress up for the
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Halloween I'm excuse me the Harvest Fest I'm really sick today
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Let me take a lozenge And so you know what I thought? How good is that How right is that if you're saying you know what but we've already got our costume
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And we've already got everything ready And we want to go and there's nothing intrinsically wrong are inherently wrong are spiritually wrong
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With putting some cat whiskers on your face and some bunny ears on your head and hopping around well
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Then my advice to you is in light of love Why don't you just say you know what
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I can do it? But really should I that's 1st Corinthians chapter 8 so I was very
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Very encouraged by the Blackstones who want to obey what
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God has Said in light of who he is what he's done for us How big of a deal really is that?
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Sorry kids. You know you can't dress up today and go to the church dress up another time I know you can do whatever you'd like, but I was very very encouraged
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First Corinthians chapter 8 9 and 10 is all about this very issue and the issue is There are new
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Christians that get added to the church God saves wonderfully they get baptized and their theology isn't perfect Christians come along and they're new
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Christians and some grow like weeds as my father would say Sprout up quickly and others take a while and how should we?
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Those who have been around the block those who have been here for a long time. How should we treat them and Paul uses a very
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Specific illustration here in 1st Corinthians 8 9 and 10 and that is food offered to idols
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For us we're really not working through that very much although there could be some Eastern people here who still think you know
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I used to eat food offered to idols because I thought that that was Significant, but now
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I don't do that and still though it bugs me when I see food offered to idols But before we look at 1st
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Corinthians chapter 8 today, I'd like you to turn to Hosea chapter 11 Hosea Hosea chapter 11.
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I almost said it. I said Hosea or didn't I I said it I've been struggling against this kind of language for 14 years
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Turn to Hosea chapter 11 and here's where we're going to go The context in 1st
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Corinthians 8 is very simple since we've been loved Therefore we love but since we're parachuting into chapter 8
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It's only talking about love others. So I want to remind you in a Hosea chapter 11 how
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God loves people We'll talk about through the lens of the cross as well So then you say to yourself in light of who
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I am that is a person loved by God if you're a Christian God has sent his son to die for you.
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He not only loves you as a creator He loves you specifically as a God who's chosen you the father who's
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Arranged a wedding as it were saying you were part of the bride for my son And so since God has loved us, how do we respond because that's the paradigm for Christian living?
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Since you are loved love, right? That's that's the Christian paradigm
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And so let's look at Hosea chapter 11. You've had time now to look in the table of contents. Look it up and We're gonna see the love of God because you know what the love of God does it cuts through any kind of culture
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What binds us together? I look out and we are not as monochrome
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Chromatic, is that the right word monochrome like as our city is You know churches aren't good because they have different colors and backgrounds there
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But what's good is the gospel cuts through everything so that what binds us together is not what we eat
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What we look like who our family is. What are we what are what our? Language is but it's the gospel that cuts through and that's what the love of God does
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And so we're gonna see God loving Israel. We'll talk about how he loves us, and then we'll say well Of course if God has loved me that much
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Why do I say to myself? I've got to exercise my liberty at the expense of another
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Christian So Hosea chapter 11. We'll look at the love of God and it is an amazing love.
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It's unquenchable It's got things in it that if you read and we will read in a minute You're gonna go.
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I want to make an excuse for that. I don't think really God's like that. That's too Anthropomorphic that's too much like describing a man, and he
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I don't think we should talk about God like that because his love for disobedient
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Israel So much like a father's love for his rebellious son
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He's gracious he could exact justice But he gives grace who's a
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God like that Hosea chapter 11 Verse 1 just to give you a little context when
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Israel was a child. I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son and the main thing
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I want you to hear in this particular passage is the relationship of father and son
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A familiar relationship a paternal relationship. This is not King language here
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This is not sovereign language here. This is not justice language here. This is family Discussion Look at the tragedy of the the sin of Israel verse 2
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The more they were called The more they went away They kept sacrificing to the
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Baals and burning offerings to idols Yet it was
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I God said who taught Ephraim to walk. I Took them up by their arms
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But they did not know that I healed them You ever teach a kid how to walk and they're so close
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And you want your kid to walk in nine months because everybody else is taking them 12 months And you want to brag to their dads and so you're helping them and you're pushing them
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And you pull the table back a little bit and the kid takes a couple steps You can imagine holding those two hands kids not able to walk yet So you're kind of holding lighter and lighter letting it fall and God's saying with this language
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That's how Israel was they were stumbling around and bumbling around and I was helping them walk and yet still it's going to be
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I don't care what you say God The more they were called the more they went away
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The more you said good. Come on this way This is the right way to righteousness and justice and holiness the more they said no
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What will go the other way of unrighteousness and unholiness and ungodliness? and There's going to be a disaster
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There's going to be disaster even though verse 4 I led them with cords of kindness with the bands of love and I became to them as one who
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Eases the yoke on their jaws. I bent down to them and fed them all father language.
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I'm getting down low I'm meeting them at their own level. I'm feeding them Sadly verse 5 they shall not return to the land of Egypt, but a
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Syria shall be their king Because they have refused to return to me The sword shall rage against their cities consume the bars of their gates and devour them verse 6 says because of their own counsels
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God has a holy law and when you break it, there's going to be justice. There's going to be judgment My people are bent on turning away from me
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That's just their propensity. That's Luther like sinners are curved in on themselves They're fallen and though they call out to the
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Most High he shall not raise them up You're gonna want to have deliverance from Egypt Not gonna happen
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Yet, but look at this. This is the one that I want you to study this week 11th chapter of Hosea verse 8
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Who talks like this? Except a father who loves his son. How can
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I give you up? Oh Ephraim? How can I hand you over? Oh Israel? How can I make you like odd moth?
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How can I treat you like zeboim? My heart recoils within me. My compassion grows warm and tender
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God is almost asking himself the questions you deserve judgment Israel But how can
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I do it? He's torn you deserve this, but I'm not a God who's just full of justice
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I have tender compassions and mercy and this is basically
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Language to tell you that the covenant love that God has for Israel is deep.
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It's intense For questions, I know what
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I should do, but I can't get myself to do it. I Know what you've deserved the wages of sin is death and here
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God like a father who loves his wayward son full of all kinds of emotions of love as Boy said portrays himself as inwardly divided
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He's inwardly divided. I Know what I should do, but I have a hard time doing it son.
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You've disobeyed and disobeyed and disobeyed I'm at my wits end, but I still can't give you that Justice one commentator said
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Still we should not be over hasty to correct the image that the text gives us While accepting the fact that God transcends our metaphors and that theological doctrines about the
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Impassibility and foreknowledge of God should never be jettisoned Texts such as this should be allowed to speak to us in the power of their raw emotion
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It is precisely in text such as this that the love of God becomes a vivid reality and not a barren abstraction remember
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Sodom Remember Gomorrah, did they get what was coming to them? You bet they did
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There are two other cities that he uses here in verse 8 to other cities Zeboiim and Adma They represented the depravity of God too, and so you know what you deserve
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Sodom and Gomorrah treatment but I just can't get myself to do it because I I Love you, and here's what's happening
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You have a conflict between the love of God and the justice of God at least in our minds.
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It seems like a conflict Theologians have called it the mysterium Tremendium the awful mystery of grace and mercy grace and mercy and justice
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How do they fit together? How can God be holy and be gracious at the same time?
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I should give them up I should give them over I should hand them over there, but I can't because I Love them and then look at back of the text in verse 8 my heart recoils within me my compassion grows
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The Hebrew word is just one word, but we have to translate in ESV warm and tender it could be translated hot
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Just a hot burning desire of fatherly love As a mom would so love a baby you think a mom's love for a baby wanting the best for the baby
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Wanting what was right for the baby that love for a mother if a baby's in harm's way
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You could just almost see the love of a mother for a child hot compassion warmth tenderness all put together
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Let me read you a passage and you see if you can figure out where that word is used for this feeling of tenderness and compassion for someone
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The two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him the one woman said Oh Lord This woman and I live in the same house
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And I gave birth to a child while she was in the house Then on the third day after I gave birth this woman also gave birth and we were alone
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There was no one else left with us in the house Only we two were in the house and this woman's son died in the night because she lay on him
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She rose at midnight and took my son from beside me while your servant slept and Laid him at her breast and laid her dead son at my breast
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When I rose in the morning to nurse my child behold he was dead But when I looked at him closely in the morning behold, he was not the child that I had born
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But the other woman said no the living child is mine and the dead child is yours The first said no the dead child is yours and the living child is mine
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Thus they spoke before the king then the king said The one says this is my son that is alive and your son is dead and the other says no
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But your son is dead and my son is the living one and the king said
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Bring me a sword So a sword was wrought before the king and the king said divide the living child in two give half to the one and half to the other
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Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king because her heart yearned full of tender compassion hot
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Comer in the Hebrew Because her heart yearned you imagine there's the king the king's law cut the kid in half her heart yearned.
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Oh My lord, give her the living child and by no means put him to death But the other said he shall neither be mine nor yours divide him then the king answered and said
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Give the living child to the first woman and by no means put him to death She is his mother and all
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Israel heard the judgment that the king had rendered and they stood in awe of the king king Solomon Because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice
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When Joseph first saw Benjamin after all those years, he's in Egypt They finally come down go get
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Benjamin bring him back and he saw Benjamin. What did Benjamin's? Presence due to Joseph's heart answer
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He burned with this hot love compassion tenderness
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And you could just see back in verse 8. So how can I give you up? I should but I can't The same love that's exact same word
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Tenderness compassion, how can
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God be merciful and holy at the same time? So I have a question for you
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Here's God's love for Israel To what degree do you think he loves his people if Jesus has died for you to what degree does that show the love of God?
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If Jesus has died for other people in the local church to what does degree does that show that warm tender?
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compassionate love of God Listen to the predecessor of Martin Lloyd -Jones G. Campbell Morgan. And when
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I read this, I just thought this is the best But God does not have the
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Bible end in Hosea The name Hosea means salvation. I don't know who named him the father or mother or both in all probability but they called that boy
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Hosea a Sob and a sigh and a song merging in a name There came one in the fullness of time whose name was both
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Yahweh and Hosea Jesus so in the fullness of time the gleams and glints of glory broke out into full manifestation and We find out at last in Jesus how
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God can be the just and the justifier of the sinning soul In other words, how can mercy and justice come together?
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We find out at the cross G Campbell Morgan the way of accomplishment Hosea did not see in communion with God He had learned facts about the divine nature which seemed to be conflicting and he delivered his message and uttered the words
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But at last he came Who is the brightness of the Father's glory and express image of his person and in him?
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I see how righteousness and peace meet together how God can be the just and justifier Because of Jesus God says of you and me
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How can I give you up I will not I will not I will not
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Through Christ he has made a way by which sinning souls can be conformed to his image his likeness his will
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The gospel is gleaming in Hosea. It is shining in the full radiance of Christ Friends we have received the love of God.
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We have received the love of God. So, how do we treat other Christians? Reminds me of that story who's heard the
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Rolls -Royce story I think SOS Johnson told it and if you're not listening to SOS Johnson on the weekdays you
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Are missing out guy bought a Rolls -Royce because he said, you know what the advertisements say it never breaks down Bought a
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Rolls -Royce. He's driving in Germany. The thing breaks down He calls back to England My Rolls -Royce is broken down two guys get on a plane and then a helicopter fix the
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Rolls -Royce and go back Guy takes off and he's a he's a wealthy man He bought the
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Rolls -Royce, but he knows in the back in the rearview mirror of his accountant mind You know what?
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I still haven't got the bill and I want to make sure I take care of the bill Haven't got the bill. So he called up Rolls -Royce. Hi, this is so -and -so
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You fixed my car on such and such a day What do I owe you where's the bill Sir, we have no record of your car ever breaking down Nobody's on such and such a day such and such a day such a sir.
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We have no record of your car ever breaking down Yeah, but sir, we have no record of your car ever breaking down.
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Have a good day And you know what that's one half of justification because of Christ because of the eternal love of God When God looks at your life think about how many sins you've committed in a week
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Think about in the last year think about in your lifetime And when God looks at you through the lens of Christ, I have no record of Mike Ebendroth ever sinning
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How good is that? That's only half. I have no record of Mike ever sinning
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And by the way, because of right Christ righteousness his obedience his life fully obeying the law of God Fully loving
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God fully loving his neighbor fully doing everything so that the father would say this is my beloved son in whom
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I am What well, please because of what Christ has done. I don't only hear this on the other side of the proverbial phone
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I have no record of Mike Ebendroth ever sinning. The only record I have of Mike Ebendroth is perfect obedience
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For those of you that know me you're going wow, that is a big deal Can you imagine perfect obedience?
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That's the only record I have perfect obedience And you think what did it cost God to do that as there were some?
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Unexplainable Wasn't a rift in the Trinity. It wasn't a break, but certainly the father
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Turns his back on the son and for the only time ever in the Bible the son says to the father
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Not father, but my god my god Why have you forsaken me and he was forsaken the son was so that we might not be forsaken
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And then I say to myself, you know what if that cost me a stake or two, what do I care? That cost me.
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Well, you know what? I already got my outfits for my kids and they want to be you know Jolly Green Giant and I don't know a sousaphone player.
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I don't know what we dress up as uh See we forget how
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God has loved us and when we forget that then we forget how we're to treat other people
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But if we remember how God has loved us, then we say, you know, what nothing is too big of a deal Of course,
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I love these people Say well, yeah, but these people were supposed to love our week
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They're scruffy Sheep sometimes bite. I wonder how
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God loved us So let's turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 8 because I think that was important to be reminded just how much
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God loves us because the Whole passage is about in in light of God's love
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How do we treat other Christians who are weaker who are scruffy who bite? It's hard to kick them because they're
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God's sheep. And so you have to just love them first Corinthians chapter 8
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That was all my introduction, but I loved it Not because it's my introduction because it's the love of God First Corinthians chapter 8
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Dealing with the exercise of Liberty Can I do it?
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wrong question Should I do it? few watchwords in review watchword one when it comes to gray areas in Christian Liberty and we can apply this to Schooling and how to feed babies and Halloween and Christmas trees or wherever else the church has difference of opinion
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Number one found in verse one when it comes to Christian Liberty as we saw two weeks ago be humble not proud
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Verse one now concerning food offered to idols. We know that all of us possess knowledge Number two build up and set a puff up found in the second part of verse one this knowledge puffs up but love builds up Christians who love others will be humble
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They want to try to build up other people instead of just learn for no reason you learn to serve other people
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Number three we saw in review remember that none of you have arrived Verse 2 of 1st
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Corinthians 8 if anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know as he ought to know There's plenty for us to learn by the way if this anecdote will help
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I don't know if it will or not, but I've changed my views in the last 14 years not so much theologically
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But on Liberty issues because when you first learn something you think I have the freedom to do it And then later you think you know what but maybe
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I just shouldn't We all can learn number four remind yourself that what you are you are by divine grace alone
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Verse 3 if anyone loves God he's known by God that is to say God knows you first, and then you respond fifth watchword for gray areas
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You can study the Bible to remove unneeded offenses that is to say if your conscience doesn't match with the
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Bible Then study the Bible so your conscience and your butt and the Bible are the same And he does this here for those who are caught up with the whole idol thing verse 4 through 6
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Therefore as to the eating of food offered to idols We know that an idol has no real existence and that there is no
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God But one and then Paul gives a little Bible study here for although there may be Many so -called gods in heaven are on earth as indeed there are many gods and in many
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Lords yet for us there's one God the Father from whom are all things and for whom we exist and one
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Lord Jesus Christ Through whom are all things and through whom we exist
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So now we move to chapter 8 verses 7 through 13, and we'll give you two more watchwords and finish this section up today
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Let me read the passage first, and I want you to see how many times you see the word weakness found And before you start looking for weakness let me say this right now
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I'm going to say it about five times a day hopefully Convicting truth ready for the conviction now before we read it
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Paul doesn't say to the weak people grow up Paul says to the strong people to the mature people
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You're the ones who are responsible You are the ones and a Bethlehem Bible Church. I think we have a lot of strong mature people
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So when others come in who differ on liberties who are more immature in a certain area
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Disagree about this that of the others our propensity in the flesh would be you people just need to grow up This is how we do things around here
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This is what chapter 4 says of the 1689 and you better get on it right now You're gonna see that Paul doesn't do that at all
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You tell the younger kids in your family to be the leaders are the older ones Here all the onus is on strong if you think you're the strong Christian around here
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Then you ought to be the most patient say yeah, but that new person that came to the church I kind of obnoxious
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And that new person they don't know this that or the other and they don't do things the way we do and they're loud and they're This and they're that and they just kind of bug me
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Well to me you're just preaching a huge sermon and that huge sermon needs to be to yourself You are the one that needs to love them.
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It's always the stronger So let's take a look at the passage. How many times can you count the word weak?
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However, not all possess this knowledge But some through former association with idols eat food as really offered to an idol and their conscience being weak defiled
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Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat and no better off if we do
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But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak
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For if anyone sees you who have knowledge Eating in an idol's temple
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Will he not be encouraged if his conscience is weak to eat food offered to idols?
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And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed the brother for whom
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Christ died thus Sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak you sin against Christ Therefore if food makes my brother stumble,
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I will never eat meat lest. I make my brother stumble Watch word one number six.
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Don't forget about weak Christians number seven in your Liberty Yes, I have the Liberty to drink and to smoke and to do all these things in your
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Liberty in a gray area Remember weak Christians See what we do when we first grab
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Liberty. We say, you know, look what I can do When I first got saved
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I got saved out of a very sinful lifestyle a
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Very loose lifestyle a very non -moral lifestyle and so then when you get saved if this is biblical theology here and you're a
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Amoral person and you get saved sometimes you go too far the other way, don't you? That's if you're a fundamentalist and then you get saved sometimes you go too far this way
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There's that pendulum and eventually, you know When we're dead, we're right there But we're slowly getting there closer and closer
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And so you go, you know what when I first got saved I pretty much trashed all my albums kids you know what albums are and All this stuff and I can't see this kind of movie.
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I can't do that all these things But mother focus wasn't even on those things, you know
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The focus is on me and my my what I believed then I started to learn and then
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I thought you know what? I can do that. I won't let my kid go trick -or -treating. I could If I want to let my kids bob for apples
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You know, I don't tell my kid that's a satanic origin Every Apple represents the cosmos dominated by Satan and when you put your head under your baptizing your head into the unholy
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Trinity But I'm thinking you know, I have freedom. I have freedom to do this thing
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I don't think I've ever let my kids go trick -or -treating But one year by the way, we let him dress up as Christian martyrs
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It's Kim's idea, but I'll take credit for it It's a great idea and she had tracks from the
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Fox's Book of Martyrs and they would knock on the door and they'd say trick -or -truth And they're like, who are you?
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You know, we've been killed By the Roman Catholic Church, and you know,
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I don't know if they said that Here's a tract grace alone faith alone
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Christ alone to the glory of God alone through Scripture alone But my
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Okay, my point is this You guys all know if you're visiting we laugh for a second because then
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I'm gonna kill you Hardy har har bang But the focus is on me
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I have this Liberty If I want to put some dried up leaves in a pipe light them on fire and suck in the smoke
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Maybe I have Liberty to do that. Maybe if I say, you know what if I have communion wine, it's really wine It's not gonna damn me and all these things.
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It's me me me. I have the Liberty. I have the Liberty I now have learned from the Bible. I've got
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Liberty to do this What Paul is saying though friends We live in a community
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This has nothing to do about the eye when you learn a Liberty great It's true wonderful But don't ever take your eye off the other person
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That may be weaker that may be just the new Christian because you don't live in a vacuum and in Christianity today
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That's exactly what we end up doing You can go online and do the I church kind of thing and when you want to get baptized you bring your little
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Skype deal in with your laptop put it on the counter and you say in the name of the Father Son of The Holy Spirit and you baptize yourself and everybody online claps time for communion
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You get a little juice and you get a little bread and everybody gets there together and huddles and the Skype and do the communion
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Friends we have body life here and body life is always not what I could do not what
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I should do Not what I must do but forget the eyes. I have to think about other people because that's exactly what
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Jesus did Looking at these other folks So he says don't forget the weak ones. Do you see it in verse 7?
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I already read it, but I'll read it again. However, not all possess this knowledge say back in chapter 8 verse 1
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Yeah, we've all got this knowledge. No not all possess this knowledge Some through former association with idols eat food as if really offered to an idol and their conscience being weak is
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Defiled not every Christian is mature when it comes to these things He really thinks this is going to be offered to an idol and he's eating this food offered to an idol
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He doesn't say weak change. No, I didn't say weak change. Let me ask you this way. Should the weak change?
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Yes, but you know what as they sit underneath the word they will change The Word of God powerfully performs its work and those who believe as Paul said the
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Thessalonicans they will learn they will grow because if you Don't learn and grow. I know something about you You're not a
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Christian Might be baby steps, but you will learn and grow so strong Christians love the weak
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Christian Final watchword is found in verses 8 to the end of the chapter
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Christian Liberty Must be governed by Christian love if you think you have
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Liberty you must be governed by love of other people love in The Christian word in the
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Christian sense is I want what's your best So let's read verse 8 We will gladly forego our rights for the sake of others because we love them.
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That should be our motto Verse 8 food will not commend us to God.
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We're no worse off if we do eat it and no better off if we do On Judgment Day, that's the language here
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Commend us to God on Judgment Day future tense Will God say you know what more crowns for you because you ate a lot of beef
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More crowns for you because you ate a lot of sushi More crowns for you because you were a vegan By the way, we could do a whole sermon on how people like Seventh -day
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Adventist over in Lancaster think that food can commend them to God Food doesn't commend you to God and so Paul's future tense language here on Judgment Day For those of you
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Christians who have said I've loved other Christians So I just decided not to eat any meat because they're gonna think it's all full of an idol
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I just won't eat meat. You're not gonna lose out on any rewards by the way What will you get you probably get extra rewards for operating in love?
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You're no better off if you eat it or not to eat it you stand before God on judgment seat what you've done
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In light of who God is for other people foods morally neutral What does it say in verse 9 the only command in all of chapter 8 you want to find an imperative?
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Here's the only one it's two words in the English text. Take care but take care
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It's the only command found in this whole section Take care you ye the church
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Take care that this right of yours Does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak
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Love gives for the weak. Don't make this a stumbling block. This isn't the stumbling block like I Stub my toe
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The usual one. I just stubbed my toe. Ouch It's not that one
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This word stumbling block is some stone in the pathway or obstacle that makes you not progress
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That makes you not progress Don't get in someone's way
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They're trying to obey the Lord in light of the love of God and then you just you're just like a big no trespassing sign
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Stop it. Be careful not to do that. That's its point Watch out Verse 10 for if anyone sees you have this knowledge eating tonight as idols temple
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Will he not be encouraged his conscience is weak to eat food offered idols. He sees you in the pagan temple eating now
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He thinks it's okay. He goes in he eats it and then now he sinned against his own conscience. Therefore he sinned against God Now if you think about this
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These people probably aren't Jews that Paul's talking to because a Jew would say there's only one God probably
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Gentiles here the weak ones Verse 11 and so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed.
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Wow That were destroyed is put at the beginning of the sentence for what emphasis and you know what it means
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Eternally destroyed to hell. I wish it didn't mean that my theology my exe Jesus would be simpler
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But it means to ruin to perish to be annihilated forever It always is used by Paul to refer to eternal final
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Destruction, you know, what's the big deal Paul? You mean if they eat some food they lose their salvation No, it's such a big deal that you should be concerned about these people that there could be some
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Who find themselves on the slippery road back to hell? You say theologically though that would mean they never were of us first John chapter 2.
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That's all true Paul's not saying a Christian can lose their salvation. He's saying friends It's a big deal
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If you're gonna lay down in front of a Christian and be a stumbling block to them because sin leads to more sin
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So be careful. It's all he's saying And to give more emphasis the brother for whom
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Christ died That's a big deal You say you've got knowledge and that knowledge trips people up.
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What does it say in 1st Corinthians chapter 8? verse 11 He's one weak person
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To he's a brother think community Three for whom
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Christ died. I don't want to destroy that person.
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I want to be cause for them to stumble in any way shape or form and Then Paul says in chapter 12 chapter 8 verse 12
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He gives a consequence thus sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak you sin against Christ Could there be a tougher warning sin sinning twice there in the same sentence
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Sinning against Jesus by sinning against the brother reminds me of Paul I'm Jesus whom you were persecuting
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In other words flaunting Liberty could be sin therefore verse 13 if food makes my brother stumble
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I will never eat meat lest I make my brother stumble. I think it's hyperbolic But Paul said you know what
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I'm so resolved for the good of the other Christian in the church if it comes to food I'll just won't eat meat anymore
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When does food become spiritually toxic is when you eat it and other Christians stumble because you do so in Light of God's love for us you see other
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Christians, and they're weak they have no Liberty They have this that of the other and they come into the church by the way I'm still glad we have new people come to the church aren't you?
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But I don't think they're walking in card -carrying members Understanding all the doctrines and what we believe
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Friends I actually think That some churches are wound so tightly with all their doctrines and all their reformed faith and everything else
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That they forget about this love for the weak Christian They forget about people who come in and they go you know what they don't believe like we do
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They believe that Jesus died for their sins and was raised from the dead That's about all they get But they don't know all the isms and schisms and we're we're this kind of person
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Theologically and we ascribe to this that and the other they are wound so tightly That when some immature person comes walking in that church.
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They never can make it They never make it Because these who should know better aren't loving
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And some people go you know what we only have 30 people at our church, and we're proud of it Well, maybe that's a lot for some
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There's nothing I'd be ashamed of to have 30 people at your church. I could care less about the numbers But if you have 30
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Because you've run away another 40 Because you're not loving them, then
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I think there's a problem. Don't you? So when people come through this door Let me just give you a little hint
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When we build that building and the new building opens up There will be a lot of people attending
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Bethlehem Bible Church because there's a new building a lot When they go see the pastoral jacuzzi area
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Skate parks, no listen That's what people do you say well I look for a church because they hold to the word is inerrant infallible authoritative sufficient
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Christ the only one Substitution atonement penal substitution a little resurrection preaching and that's how
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I look for a church. That's good. That's how you should look for a church But a lot of people don't look for a church like that.
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They go. You know what it's close, or I like Iwana Maybe it could be good there's a thousand reasons but people pick churches because of the parking lots and because of the nice building and when they come in I Want this this passage to just be brought up again to you by the
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Spirit of God's illumination and remembrance that we need to love these people Friends when seeker sensitive people come here.
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We need to love them wild -eyed charismatics We need to love them
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People who aren't reformed and couldn't tell you what a solo was if they had to we need to love them
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These are the people we need to love I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure we get along and that the people who are mature are the ones
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Loving the immature ones isn't that right? That's right now because I want a large church
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But I don't want to hinder God's work by us saying you know what you should have got a line a long time ago
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Just shape up or ship out No, if I could be frank you mature Christian you shape up or you ship out
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Because that brother died for that brother Christ died for him just as much as he died for you
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And you ought to know better So let's just lay down our lives and not have this club The shingle of Bethlehem Bible Church is this the exaltation of Christ Jesus through verse by verse preaching
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And if you like that then we're gonna get along with everybody else and you just be patient and kind and loving to the weak
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Right, that's what we do By the way, a lot of you already do that a lot of you and new people come in I time it
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Here's what I do I sit in my study and when I see new visitors come in I know exactly when to get up So I'm there at the door when they walk in Cuz I want them to think
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I'm nice before I get up there and blast them on Sunday from the pulpit like whoa But I want to greet them and I want to be nice to them and I'm thinking
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I have no idea what baggage these people Are coming with But it's my job to love them
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And God's shown us the truth and so I want them to know the truth it's because God has loved us
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We are to love other people. That's why you won't see it
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Bethlehem Bible Church a lot of things that are restricting This is the only way we do this schooling this is the only way we do this parenting
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This is the only way you're to feed a kid. This is the only way music style is done This is the only way because you know what?
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Those issues are irrelevant to your spiritual growth You say I'll know that now you pushed it too far
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Okay, if Paul can use hyperbole I can too. Here's what I'm after I'm after The Word of God to so richly dwell in you that you'll be changed and if you have a conviction about schooling
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Which I do then I can love people who don't What's gonna happen when a homeschool person who's really convicted about homeschooling?
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Sees a mom walk in with a five -year -old son and she there's no husband to be found and God just saves her
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She's got to work full -time and that boys in public school, then I want to see the love of Christ, right?
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That's a perfect scenario Think about it this way.
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I stole this from a T Pearson three thieves on the cross
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No The society all thought they were bad and scallywags and scoundrels, but there were two thieves and Christ Jesus, right?
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the repentant thief because of Christ's sovereign grace Didn't have the penalty on him.
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No sin on him. He had only sin in him Sin in him because he was not perfect yet, but no sin on him because he was not declared
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Unrighteous because Christ righteousness was over him right sin was not on him, but it was in him
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Christ Jesus, it's the other way around Was there any sin in Christ Jesus no sin in Jesus, but was there sin placed onto his account?
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Yes, so the first thief the repentant thief sin in but not on Jesus sin on but not in The last thief sin on and sin in when you remember that You'll say to yourself.
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I should have got this sin on and in for all eternity But because of this sin credited his account, even though he didn't sin
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I now have his righteousness credited to my account, even though I was never righteous
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And because of that Lord just help me to love other people That's a good message for our church, let's pray
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Father in heaven, we thank you today for your word and as we sang that final song
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Speak to us in your word Father we we know you have Thank you for the many loving people here at Bethlehem Bible Church And father like the
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Thessalonians, we can always be more loving we can always excel more Father, I pray that the people who visit
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They come in there Wesleyan their Methodist. There's something else They come and they they know the
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Word of God comes forth from the pulpit father Would you help us to love them to be kind to them?
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Let your word work father protect us from being their Holy Spirit And father increase our love for one another.
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We're all so different here and backgrounds and we're all busy And father if you love people when we want to love them to father, this is your son's church