To God Be The Glory

This sermon is from Grace Fellowship Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. To access other sermons or to learn more about us, please visit our website at graceedmonton .ca.

The Structure of 1 Corinthians and the Need for Context

Looking back, as Jason just read, we are back in 1 Corinthians. We are looking at our series. We're continuing our series called to be saints. And this week again, like Jason just read, we're at the tail end of chapter 10.

So we're looking at verse 23 onwards and to verse 11 or verse 1 of chapter 11. And to begin this week, I want us to do a little bit of a flyover of our Bibles for just a second. So if you guys have 1 Corinthians open, I want you guys to flip open just to be Corinthians chapter 1.

I want to take us almost like a bird's eye view of 1 Corinthians because it's helpful for us to know how the book is structured. Because Paul is going to do something very interesting in the text that we're looking at today.

So in knowing how the structure is built and if we do a quick flyover of 1 Corinthians, I want us to take note of landmarks of just the way that the book is structured. So again, if you have it open with me, just flip with me as we go along here.

As we look at chapters 1 through 4, if you guys remember, if you guys have been following, this book is divided into three sections. The first section that Paul looks at in chapters 1 to 4, Paul is dealing with factionizing and schisms in the church.

If you remember, he starts with interruption and then he quickly gets into the factionizing that is taking place in the church in Corinth. If you remember, there are divisions amongst who they follow.

And Paul is correcting their view and their relationship and their love, their idolatrous love it would seem, of knowledge and how they look at orators and different people that have since come through into a town of Corinth.

And then as we keep going further, so that's the first part or the first act as it were, for the sake of the analogy. As you look on in chapter 5 and onwards, we see that Paul deals with many other things.

So Paul, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, intended to write the word, 1 Corinthians, with a very specific purpose in mind. Again, if you're looking at the second part of the second act, chapter 5 onwards, you look at sexual immorality.

Paul is correcting sexual immorality. He's addressing lawsuits amongst unbelievers, more sexual immorality, principles for marriage, and he's dealing with all these things sequentially. He talks about much, much more.

He talks about food offer titles. We've covered this a couple times already in this book. And then Paul continues to, again, in one sense, continuing to look at these issues sequentially, one by one. Paul keeps knocking these things down, and as he's doing this, one thing that we need to understand, my hope is that as we look at 1 Corinthians in context, is that everything that Paul is dealing with up until this point has been somewhat sequential.

Again, we're looking at all these topics and all these themes and all these different areas of focus that Paul has put into his letter, and they're all being dealt with one by one. Not in isolated situations, but he has to tackle them.

He has to focus in on these things as he teaches. But we have to understand, as we come to know God's Word, and we come to know what contextualization looks like, that as we study it expositionally, which means verse by verse, that everything has a purpose.

God's Word has a purpose in how it's written and how it's delivered, and every verse and every single word has its intent. So in other words, each passage, each verse, each word has intent behind it. So when we're studying 1 Corinthians, we don't look at it as an isolated book, and as you come to understand it as its full totality, you look at this, you say, well, how does this context, how does this verse that we're studying today, how does this shine in light of context of everything else?

Why is it written in this way? Why did Paul talk about this topic again? So again, to really drive the point home, every word, every verse has its context, and we need to know that. So as we look at these things, as we start, again, study 1 Corinthians, and we're at the end of chapter 10, we have to understand that as Paul has structured this book, it is written, again, in three sections.

We looked at the first section, and now we come to the tail end of the second section. So again, if we're looking at this in kind of an analogy of a play or a story or of some kind, something like that, this is where we're at the tail end of Act 2.

And Paul, before moving on to this next stage, before setting up the events and what he's going to be teaching on in the remainder of the book, has to set up this point. Before the curtains close, in other words, before everything comes to an end in this chapter, Paul has to set up how it is that we are to view the rest of the book, the perspective with which we are going to study the rest of 1 Corinthians.

So in other words, if we don't do this, it would be like missing the beauty of the forest for the trees, to be looking at Scripture so close without taking a step back and looking at the big grand total plan that Paul has in mind for us.

So again, it cannot end until all the proper elements are put in their place. And we need to have the right perspective. Again, if we're going to look at the next section, it needs to end emphatically, addressing and having the right perspective that Paul intends for us to view the rest of Scripture here or the rest of 1 Corinthians.

So again, like I said, if we don't do that, then we run into a problem. We run into a problem. We will not see the intent that Paul intends for us to learn in the next few chapters. So that's what that's our point for today's.

That's what Paul intends to teach us in today's verse. It's this. All the glory is the Lord's. All the glory is the Lord's who is our only idol. Keeping that in mind again, all the glory is the Lord's who is our only idol.

He is our only idol, and with this in mind, we're going to study this passage, and we're going to look at why it is that it's written the way it is. So before we do that, let us seek the Lord in prayer.

Our Father in heaven, Lord, we come today needing your glory, seeking your glory. Psalm 115 says, Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory for the sake of your steadfast love and faithfulness.

Father, as we've come to know, Lord, we ask that you would fill our hearts and our minds with your glory, Lord. We know that in you, Lord, there is no wasted breath. Not one verse, not one word has been misplaced, Father, and you have written your word in such a way, with such sophistication, Father, that we would study it for its fullness.

I pray, Lord, that we would have that understanding about us. That as we come to the tail end of chapter 10 of our passage today, Father, that we would seek your glory, seek to know it in context, seek to know it for what it says and how it's meant to be read.

Lord, I pray that you would, again, prepare the soil of our hearts, Lord, and our minds, that we would come away, Father, with even greater worship for you, for how your word is structured so beautifully, so masterfully rendered, and that we would come before you again, beholding the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, Lord, I ask, Father, unite all these ideas, unite all these themes that Paul talks about, and unite them under the banner of your glory. So, Father, we ask and we pray these things humbly before our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen. So, again, as you guys turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10, again, we're reading out of the ESV, verse 23 and onwards. The reason we, again, we really took somewhat of a short detour in 1 Corinthians, again, is just we need to understand the word in context, because in this passage, Paul is going to be talking about things that he's already addressed before.

So, for those of you who have been keeping up and are reading and being studious of the word as he's prepared for the sermons, you know, I thank you and kudos to you guys, but one question you might have had is, well, you know, it seems that he's talking about something similar that he's already addressed.

You know, specifically, there are phrases and themes in chapters 6 and 8 that we see rendered here again. In one sense, this is kind of like a review for Paul. Paul is looking at things, again, this the topic of food and idols, but he's framing it differently.

He's using this as a somewhat of a review, but Paul isn't just copying one section of Scripture, you know, taking sections of 6 and 8 and different parts of the earlier part of the letter and just writing it again.

He's actually doing something just a little bit different. He is changing our perspective. Again, remember that he addressed all these issues of, you know, sexuality and idolatry and food, but each thing was dealt with sequentially.

Each thing was dealt with in its time, and as he went in deeply into each single topic, each one was addressed appropriately, but now he's uniting certain things, and again, it comes under the banner of God's glory.

Looking at 1 Corinthians 6, verse 12, again, we get this similar language. So as we dive into the text today, we have to understand that the context, again, context matters here because Paul is going to mention something similar to how he started in chapter 6, verse 12, and it says this, All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.

All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything. If you guys remember the freedom that we were talking about, that we've been talking about in 1 Corinthians, this freedom, this Christian freedom that seemed to continue to come up in Corinth was misapplied, misunderstood, and as a result of that, sin was running rampant within their midst.

Again, we're talking about all these different topics that Paul brought into effect, but sin was running amok in this church, and it was a young church, but because of this wrongful view of freedom, they were allowing the sin to run rampant into their church.

Again, because stemming from this misapplication of freedom. So again, when we're looking at 1 Corinthians 6, Paul was looking at this from a sinful perspective. This was a warning passage, if you guys remember.

A flee from sexual immorality, these were warning passages. That's not to say that Paul is, again, he's adding stuff to here, but the focus was sin-focused, was man-centered, warning-focused. Don't do this, this is sinful.

So that was the focus. However, this time, again, looking at our passage, looking at verse 23 of our text today, it says this. All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. That much he repeated in verse 12 of chapter 6.

But he says, all things are lawful, but not all things build up. And this is where Paul is adding some depth. Actually, the term in build up, in verse 23 of our text, it actually can be substituted for the word edify.

That's something that we use often, or you might hear often in Christian circles. The word edification, or to edify one another. It's almost like Christianese. If you ever hear this word in your workplace or in public, you're likely in the midst of Christians.

Because this is a word that only Christians really use, the word edify. The Greek word here for edify is oikodemeo. And the usage, again, the definition, the usage of the word here is to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, and blessedness.

So all really good stuff. These are all really important things that Paul, again, using this word here, wants us to do. He wants us to edify one another. And to further prove the point, when he goes on to verse 24, it's clear that this is what he intends for us to do.

It says, no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. In other words, let's not seek our own edification, let's seek to edify everyone else. Let's seek the edification of our brothers and sisters and those we come in contact with.

And again, the context for this, the method, I guess the vehicle by which we're going to do this, is something that we've already seen before. Although the issue is still food. As we've looked at this, the issue of food continues to come up.

And Paul continues to use this vehicle by which we, this method. The focus isn't exactly on sin anymore. Because in chapter 8, if you guys remember, that focus was sin-focused. It was, do not provoke your brother to sin.

Whereas this one, this is different. This says, okay, this same circumstance, it's not a Christian life about not doing. Often you'll hear that the Christian life is not just about don'ting. Don't do this, don't do that, don't do this thing and the other.

But rather, it's a life of doing. So whereas Paul's looking at this as an issue of sin, he's now taking this argument and he's moved it from inward, inward-focused, sin-focused, to heavenward. This is a call for a glorification.

So instead of focusing on the sin aspect, he's uniting all these ideas heavenward in Jesus Christ. He's moving that focus from, I guess, the temporal to the things that will last, to the eternal. Looking at verse 25, again, just like it says in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, Paul reaffirms to the Corinthians what they should already know.

So again, this is nothing new. And the point is this, you don't need to carry any guilt about what food you are eating. Paul goes so far to make this point that he quotes Psalm 24. Psalm 24, I'm going to read verses 1 to 2.

It says this, the Lord, or sorry, this is the Psalm of David.

It says,.

This is a wonderful psalm. And honestly, I wish I could give it more time and more study because this is a psalm of the glory of God. This is a glorious hymn about the wonders of God's hands. But Paul references this verse, and actually if you look at Psalm 24 verses 1 and 2, this is actually a reference to Genesis 1 and 2.

This is the creation story rendered again. So again, if we're going to make a case about the glory of God, David, the writer of Psalm 24, harkens back all the way to the beginning, to the beginning of time, to the beginning of creation.

Before creation, before the world knew any matter, any time substance, and only the glory of God was there. God in all his glory was the only thing that was there. So this is what David is saying, and this is what Paul recognizes and cites here.

So he makes this point about the glory of God, the creation, all of it is God's. And if you remember the creation story in the Garden of Eden, all the creation is good, and he looks at man and he says, man is very good.

So he makes this point, especially when it comes to the subject of eating, all creation is the Lord's. Before creation, only God's glory existed, and then after creation, God is as glorious as he is, and all creation points to him.

So in other words, you don't need to carry any guilt about over the food that is placed before you. So this again, Paul is just restating this. Like I said, I'm going somewhat quicker here, because this is something that everyone should be familiar with.

God's glorious sovereignty shines even in the plate that is set before believers. And again, that's his point. Because he says, if you were invited to eat, so if you were disposed to eat, eat what is put in front of you.

If it comes to your attention that this food has been used for other purposes, you know, spiritual, religious, you know, things that would defy the conscience of the Lord, gracefully decline. This is, again, looking at this passage, this is nothing new.

We looked at this in chapter 8, and you might be disposed to think, well, okay, then why is it here? If Paul has talked about this, if Paul has already mentioned this in chapter 8, why is this being referenced here again?

If you look at chapter or verse 24 of our passage, it says, let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. This is kind of what we might like to call the interpretive key, right? If we're looking at this verse, Paul wants us to understand this verse, or the passage that we have today with verse 24.

Let us seek his own good, not our good, but the good of our neighbor. That's what Paul wants to drive home here. It's not that this issue isn't resolved, it is resolved. Paul is making no contradictions about what he's done before or what he's said before.

But now, we as believers, as those who understand the word in context, need to know, okay, Paul's looking for the edification of brothers and sisters. He's moved this argument from sin-focused to heaven-focused.

I mean, why is that the case? Why is he moving, I guess, the lens or the perspective to focus on this aspect? So again, that's what we need to think. These questions that need to come up as we read the word.

He actually ends this point. Looking, again, just at verse 30 here. Paul, again, nothing new here is being introduced, but when you look at verse 30, again, Paul makes this really clear that he understands this is what's happening.

Because he says this, If I am to partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? So in other words, he himself recognizes, okay, I've talked about this before, but in other words, if I am to eat, if I'm disposed to eat, why is my issue of conscience being brought up again?

Why is this an issue that continues to run forth? And Paul is going to give an answer for this, because, again, this is a rhetorical question. Paul intends to answer this immediately after. But before we do that, before we get into our second point, before we look at what Paul's answer is to all of this, we need to understand that there's application in this before we step one foot forward into verse 31.

And it is this. This is our application for this point. Something that, as faithful stewards of the word, we have to understand is the application is this. Understand the context. Understand the context of Scripture.

Looking at these verses in isolation, if you were to look at verses or this passage of Scripture, and as you read, as you're digesting the word, you might be tempted to think, this is just a reiteration of what Paul has already said.

So in other words, this is something that Paul has said. I'm going to maybe glean over this. I'm going to gloss over this part of Scripture. However, in doing that, you'd be making an error, and you'd be glossing over very important details.

2 Timothy 3, verses 16 -17 says, All Scripture is God-breathed. It is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

There are no idle words in God's word. In the Logos, there is no wasted breath. God does not waste His breath when He speaks. Every verse has its purpose, and God has written it for such and such purpose.

So looking at this verse in particular, in other words, if we were to take verses 23 and 30, and we were to interpret it with the exact same lens, as we did with other pieces of Scripture, in 1 Corinthians even, if we were just to look back a couple chapters, we would actually be depriving ourselves of the same edification that Paul talks about in verse 24.

Remember, let us not seek our own good, but the good of our neighbor. Even if we approach Scripture with somewhat of a callous look, we would be depriving ourselves of that edification. But worse still, probably more consequential of all things, we would be treating the word of God callously.

We would be looking at it lower than actually it needs to be interpreted and understood and loved. And as a result, we'd be sinfully robbing Him of the glory through our study. So not only would we deprive ourselves of edification, of good knowledge, of good study of the word, reading it in context, but we would actually be sinning against the Lord, looking at His word lower than as we should.

It would actually be sinful for us to be doing this. If we hold God's word with the rightful view it deserves, so if we hold our Bibles up with the correct amount of reverence that it deserves, it's important we seek to understand the word in its context.

It's vital, brothers and sisters, that we do this, that when we read the word, we study it and we know its context. These verses matter and their positions. All of it has its purpose. And as we do that, as we keep it in context, as we know why Paul said this, why he's repeating this point again, why is it written in such a way?

As a result of this, we reap the fruit of faithful interpretation. And all the while we do this, while we reap fruit from having studied the word faithfully, we also give God the glory. And that's the point that Paul is going to drive further here.

We're going to give God the glory, but before we can do that, we have to understand the context. We have to understand that Scripture has a place and a time and a purpose. So, brothers and sisters, again, if we're going to be faithful, studious disciples of the Lord, we have to understand the context, seek to understand it, understand it.

Giving God Glory in All Things

So, that was the end of the first point. So, I like to, at this time, because I like to pick on the kids a little bit. So, I'm going to maybe, this will be a referendum a little bit on the parents, but I have a couple of questions for the kids here.

So, you guys are paying attention. Just a show of hands for right now. Do you guys, so who here likes books?

Okay, perfect.

Especially since we were talking about the Rose, R .C. Sproul's book, the kids' book. So, the kids, hopefully you guys like books. Hopefully you guys are readers. You guys like to read books. Another question.

Does anyone here actually write books? Does anyone like to write? Oh, we have a couple.

Okay.

We have people who like to write.

Okay.

So, writing books and reading books are two separate things, obviously. But reading actually, those people who actually write books, I have a question for you guys. You guys, when you guys write books, do you guys have a purpose in mind?

Do you guys have like a thread? Do you guys remember how stories are made? See, okay, perfect. So, you have a plan, right? You have a plan that leads the story, kind of a thread that runs.

Okay.

Again, and the reason I ask this is because we're keeping in mind 1 Corinthians, right? We're learning that this letter has purpose in every single part. We're looking at this in Acts, you know, Acts 1.

Or Act 1, you know, if this was a play. Act 2. We're at the end and right to 3. So, what is this beginning? What's this part that everyone, when you read a book, what is this first part? Do you guys remember that?

The introduction. That's right. Some part, it's kind of the boring part of the book, right? The boring part. You know, so, I'll ask you guys more questions, but I want you guys thinking about this. Because we're looking at, again, the context of this letter is in full.

But what Scalic has said is true. There is introduction. There is build up. There are arguments being built up here. And there are things that are being pointed in a direction. There's a purpose that runs.

So, for the kids, keep paying attention. Keep thinking. Because I'm going to ask you guys questions again. Especially those guys who are writers. But getting back to our scripture, the passage for today, our second point is this.

I think you guys have it in your bulletins. Maybe not. I didn't actually check. The second point is this. Give God all the glory. So, give God all the glory. This is our second point. Verses 31 to the end in 33.

So, remember Paul, in our first point, left off with a rhetorical question. He said, If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? Again, in other words, if I'm to partake of the Lord's provision, which is all good, and he provides it and he is sovereign, why am I still being chastised for exercising my freedom?

In other words, that's what he's saying. And the question, and the way he answers it, is actually in verse 31 of our second point. Remember, he's closing his argument here, but even read it how, look at how it's written here.

It says, So, I'm going to stop there first. So, everything that I've said up until this point. So, all that I've said, everything concerning my chastisement of the church or my chastisement of how you guys have idolized knowledge, your sexual sin, your relationship to food, to knowledge.

So, in light of all these things that I have said, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. So, in light of everything that he has said, he is taking all these ideas and the banner that he unites all these ideas.

Is the glory of God.

All these things find their rightful place under this banner. That's a lot for one little word, so, right? We're looking at this, you're thinking, that's a lot for one little word, and it is. Brothers and sisters, we know that there's so much more to life than just food.

We know that there's more than the next plate of food that is going to fall at our tables. We know that life is way more consequential than that very, very... It's important. Food is important for our daily necessities, but life is infinitely more than what falls before us on our plate.

These things are temporary. Food and drinks are temporary things that will come and go, and things that we will no doubt ingest over the course of time, but the Christian, the follower of Christ, the disciple, has eternity in mind.

Even with a plate of food in front of them, the Christian looks at this with eternity in mind. It was Jonathan Edwards that said, Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs. In other words, if that's the case for us, if we are Christians that have eternity stamped on our eyeballs, if we see through the lens, almost like a camera lens, with eternity filtered eyes, if we look at everything within us, within our midst, within arm's reach, whatever you do, we should all do to the glory of God.

If eternity is stamped on our eyes, everything we do can and should glorify God. I'll say that one more time. If eternity is truly stamped on our hearts, if it is the prism by which we see everything, then everything, whatever we do, do all to the glory of God.

All of that can and should glorify God. Romans 12, Chayne actually referenced it earlier.

When he was praying.

Praise the Lord for his providence, but Romans 12, chapter 1,.

Sorry,.

Chapter 12, verses 1 to 2 says,. And I appeal therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by test you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I want us to note that spiritual worship, what Paul is saying in this, in our passage here, in verses 31 to 33, is that these are matters of worship. These aren't just matters of eating food and eating things that we find to be, to be, you know, pleasurable to the body,.

You know,.

We enjoy good food. These are actually all matters of worship. Thinking on the glory of God and the reality of this knowledge, this passage in this section, due all to the glory of God, should fill us with joy enough to jump us out of our seats.

The very idea, in one sense, let me try to frame it like this. The very idea that our freedom, that with our Christian freedom, we can do all things to the glory of God, from the smallest thing to the thing that no man can see other than you and the Lord, to the biggest acts of courageous acts of wisdom, of intelligence, of bravery.

All these things find their glory in God. And that's exciting stuff. That is exciting. In other words, let me put it, even let me contextualize it again. You know, whether that's eating at a party, again, like Paul uses this idea of being invited to a party, a Christmas party, a staff party at work, all of that, that is an act of worship.

When done to the glory of God, you can glorify God by going to that party and being salt and light where you are. Taking pictures around the city, I know we have a couple of photographers here, that in itself is a testament of the glory of God.

People seeing you glorify God by his creation, by giving up gospel tracts and evangelizing all the while with a joyful heart, that is an act of worship. Do that to the glory of God. It's not just about taking pictures anymore.

God being at the center of it is glory. To those who have families, to those who are, you know, mothers, fathers, and anyone who have kids in their midst, leisure time with your kids is now an act of glory to the Lord.

Even leisure, even reading to them, reading your Bible, watching a movie, enjoying leisure with your children, what some people actually groan and moan about, spending time with kids, I don't want to do this, in its rightful place, is actually glorifying to God.

It's worship.

And that's exciting. That should excite us. In one sense, we should go home and say, I'm going to worship the Lord. I'm going to go and read a story to my kids. I'm going to go watch a movie with them.

I'm going to go call with them.

That's exciting. Even the littlest things, even the way that you chip ice on your sidewalk, even that is a testament of the glory of God. All these things find their dominion in God. All these things, when done to the glory of God,.

Are glorious.

And that should excite us. So that is where we're going to lead our application. So if we're going to apply this, again, we have a couple places that we're going to, that we might have ideas for, how we're going to apply this.

But the point that Paul is saying is this, is trust his glory. Trust his glory. Trust it. If we read verse 33, and again, like I said, verse 24 is kind of like the interpretive key that we're going to look at the rest of this, that we're looking at through this passage with.

You can almost read it sequentially. You can go from verse 24 to 23.

It says this,.

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Verse 33, it says, just as I try to please, I'm sorry. Yeah, just as I try to please everyone and everything that I do, I do not seeking my own advantage, but that of many that they may be saved.

In other words, God's glory is evangelistic. So if we trust the glory of the Lord, we trust that his holiness is good and that everything we do brings him glory. If we do it in the way that honors him, then God's glory is evangelistic.

If our main concern is glorifying God, if the moment we wake up in the morning, we set our minds to glorify God and what we do in the drive to work and the way that we labor at work, we know that God will bring about increase.

God is going to be honored if we glorify him. And by extension, his glory reigns and it will shine to those in the midst of our, in our witnesses. Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 6 .33, he said, Seek first his kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

Remember that Jesus Christ is preaching to the Beatitudes. He's preaching on the issues of food here,.

Of provision.

So how fitting is it that he says that if you seek first his kingdom and righteousness, all these things will be added to you. We don't have to worry about what comes on our plate, but if we worry about, first and foremost, about the reality of God's glory actuated in our midst, if we work hard for that, that is a beautiful thing.

That is an amazing thing. Like it says in verse 33, but that many may be saved, that they may be saved. This is glorifying stuff and it brings about glory to God. Martin Lloyd-Jones said this. He said, When a man becomes a Christian, in a real sense, he does not live for himself.

He lives for Christ. He lives for God. He's a pilgrim going into eternity and sees the world as a kind of preparatory school. If I flip quickly to Matthew 5, verse 13 to 16. Again, this is the Sermon on the Mount.