Thank you for your support. I have been following closely the ministry of 40 Days for Life. We're also meeting during this time as they go outside of abortion clinics all around the world, outside of hospitals. We're good? Thanks for hanging with us this morning. Okay, all right. And next week I hope to prepare a fuller report. on what Caring for Women is doing, but there is a lot of good news that's going on already in the first week and a half of their outreach. And I'll just give you a little preview. They have closed one more abortion clinic. The abortion clinic that was, yes. The abortion clinic that was in Mexico City, Mexico. And so this is a global outreach. And there are workers and doctors that were working inside the abortion mills that are leaving. And so we want to continue to pray until the day that we see that not only abortion is illegal, but it's inconceivable, it's unimaginable that we will be a life-affirming culture instead of in the spiral of death that we find ourselves. We're looking already forward to what we're going to be doing for Sunday morning on Easter. coming up in the middle of April and we will have baptisms again. We will have a time of brunch and fellowship together and then we'll have a baptism service and then a full service at 1030 with lots of musical presentations, lots of congregational singing. And so if you have not yet followed the Lord through the waters of baptism, this is an opportunity for you. Come and see me. Give a call to church office during the week. But we will have a baptism celebration. I think there's no greater way to celebrate Easter than to have testimonies and baptism, have a living symbol in front of us of what the gospel means to all of us. Well, with that, let's turn our attention to our message this morning. There is a story about a proud young man who came to the ancient philosopher Socrates, and he wanted to have knowledge. So he walked up to this esteemed philosopher and said, oh, great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge. Now Socrates recognized a pompous fool in need of an attitude adjustment when he saw one. And so he led the young man through the streets, down to the sea, and into the water, chest deep. And then he asked, what do you want? Knowledge, oh wise Socrates, he said with a big smile. Socrates placed his hands on the man's shoulders and pushed him under the water. Thirty seconds passed, and Socrates let him up. What do you want? Knowledge, oh great and wise Socrates. And boom, down he went again under the water. Thirty-five seconds. Forty. Forty-five seconds, Socrates let him up. The man is gasping. What do you want, young man? Between heavy breathing breaths, Knowledge, oh wise and wonderful, and down he goes for the third time. Forty-five seconds. Fifty seconds. A full minute. Finally, Socrates lets him up out of the water. What do you want, young man? Air! I need air! And then calmly and wisely, the philosopher said, when you want knowledge as much as you have just wanted air, Then you will have knowledge. Knowledge, what is it? What does it do? Where does it come from? How do we get it? Well, we're going to have a chance to look at that subject over the next several chapters in 1 Corinthians. As we hit the eighth chapter of this letter to this church in Corinth, Paul is going to start a new series of issues that he will deal with. Beginning here today and over the next several weeks and chapters. We will talk about the relationship between knowledge and love especially in dealing with idols and sacrifices The chapter 9 Paul will show us how he used his own Knowledge in his apostolic role even willing to lay aside his own personal rights for the cause of the gospel In chapters 10 and 11, Paul will show us how wisdom and knowledge deal with not only idols, but the fact that idolatry and immorality are often closely side by side, how the one helps us to avoid the other. And he'll continue as he looks at how the proper use of knowledge promotes the proper practice of the Lord's Table and the problems that were going on in Corinth. And then we'll get into a section of chapters 12, 13, and 14 where Paul will talk about how the use of knowledge and the recognition that we are the one body of Christ led by the one Spirit will cause us to use those gifts that the Spirit gives for the well-being of the body and not for individual gain. And it's then in the middle of that long section, we will get to chapter 13, that great love chapter that we often proclaim at weddings, but we will see it in a deeper way when we see it in its context, of how it addresses all of the different issues that are present in the church of Corinth. And we'll see then that 1 Corinthians 13 is something that affects every Christian and every aspect of the Christian life. But today and next week, we're going to look in chapter 8, where Paul addresses the subject of idols and sacrifices that are being offered in the city of Corinth. He's going to show us how in that context we need to use knowledge and divine love and properly use our Christian freedom with Christian responsibility. Well, with that as our introduction, I invite you to stand in honor of God's Word as we read our passage for this morning from 1 Corinthians 8, verses 1 to 6. And the unchanging Word of God says, Now concerning food offered to idols, we know that all of us possess knowledge. This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that an idol has no real existence and that there is no God but one. For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, Yet for us, there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist. And one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. Father, as we have read your word this morning, we recognize that we need you and the power of your spirit to give you understanding. And so, Father, would you draw our attention to your word this morning, and would you guide us and teach us as only you can. And may our hearts be drawn closer to you in worship of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Please be seated. We get to our first point this morning, knowledge and love. And we will see as we work through this chapter of 1 Corinthians chapter 8 that there are two groups that Paul has to deal with. The first one I will call the weak group. The weak are those that are young in the faith or who have come from pagan backgrounds and trying to figure out how to live out the gospel in light of the dramatic change that has taken place in their lives. of living in a very pagan, a very immoral, a very difficult situation, and redeemed out of the kingdom of darkness, how are they to live out this gospel and the freedom that they have in Christ? But there's a second group that I'll refer to as the elitists. This is a group that sees themselves as sophisticated, advanced in their knowledge, advanced in their understanding, and Paul's going to directly address them. Because they're people that don't see themselves in need of any further guidelines or any further restrictions. They see themselves as free and uninhibited and So one commentator refers to them as the knowers and that's how I will refer to them as we go throughout chapter 8 they have their self-proclaimed knowledge perhaps thinking they know it all and don't need any more help to live out the gospel, but Paul will show them that They're not all that. They do not know as much as they claim to know. Well, our text begins this morning with the phrase, now concerning food offered to idols. And so the direct issue here is whether to eat food, whatever it may be, and we'll look at that in a little more detail. But food that has been sacrificed to idols as part of the religious worship of the people of Corinth. Now, that's not a burning issue in our day. We don't tend to have temples And places of worship where people are offering sacrifices to these gods. But it does remain a live issue for many believers around the world. In many places of Asia, across large swaths of Africa. And it certainly was a potential issue in our years serving in the Arab Middle East. Where in Muslim majority countries all animals are slaughtered according to Islamic customs. With Islamic blessings pronounced over them. And so there are believers today that have to deal with this very direct issue. That is not an issue, however, that most of us have to deal with. But we do need to think about how do we find the balance between Christian freedom and Christian responsibility. And we could get into all kind of different topics and issues that we could discuss this with. What about movies? Can we go to movies? What kind of movies? How do we decide? What about Eastern medical treatments like yoga or acupuncture? Or meditation? What about table wine with dinner? There's a long list of things that we could create in our own cultural discussions for which we would differ. Maybe not even having a clear scriptural mandate, but over which we would certainly have strong opinions. How do we balance the freedom that we have in Christ with the responsibility that we have to promote the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace? And I think we can learn from Paul then as he addresses issues like that by addressing a specific issue that the Corinthians are dealing with. We don't want to become the type of group of people who fight the most about the things that matter the least. We need to be those that focus on the main and plain sayings, growing people up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, in the full counsel of God, as we interpret one part of Scripture with another. And not just arguing over personal preferences and pet peeves. We want to have those core doctrines for which Christ is building the church. And Paul is going to get at some of that as he deals with the church in Corinth. We notice now that Paul is in a way that he has organized, in a way that he has decided, is answering questions that he received from the Corinthians. And so he starts, now concerning, and then the issue at hand, food offered to idols. We saw it earlier, and he said, now concerning, and he went on a discussion about the issue of marriage, and about the issue of being single. And he's going to do that throughout these next several chapters. I think he received this letter, and he organized his own thoughts on how he could best present them, and he's going through them in a way that we can understand as we get from now until the end of this wonderful book. But Corinth, as we know, was a city full of idols and temples and religious rituals and sacrifices. And I think the word that is translated here is food, and the ESV is translated correctly. It dealt with all types of sacrifices that could be made. including meat, but not just exclusively to meat. But the thing that is a warning here is that all of them were attached to idolatrous practices of some sort. Oftentimes those idolatrous practices led to immoral practices because, as we have seen, reading through the prophets and all throughout the early church, this idolatry, where our heart is turned to someone other than God, often leads to immorality, where our heart is turned away from our spouse to something else. They're often interconnected, and it's important for us to respond to one and the other. So there was a great need then for the Corinthians to understand what to do with the meat, what to do with this food that was sacrificed in these manners. Now, when it did involve meat, which it often did, There would be rituals that they went through. How they would butcher the animal. How they would inspect different organs to look for signs that the gods had accepted these sacrifices. How they would cook certain parts in certain ways for certain gods. And then there would be certain parts that would be left over that they could sell in the marketplace. Now there would be three ways in which this meat in particular would become available to people in Corinth. The first would be if they went to the temples themselves. That was where the people would come and attend and watch the sacrifices. They were coming in honors of this or that god, this or that goddess, this or that tradition. And they would come to the temple, watch the sacrifices, and then eat of what had been sacrificed. But secondly, it could be those that were invited to private parties and private homes. And you recall that in the city of Corinth, there were the different strata of social influence. And oftentimes, the well-to-do would be able to have private parties in their homes, and they would have some of this meat available. And so they would gather these parties in honor of certain gods. But it would also include things like birthdays, the birth of a child, or funerals, or some type of important event. This would be for mainly the well-to-do people of Corinth. But thirdly, whatever was not taken care of in either one situation or the other would then be available in the marketplace. to the vendors in the butcher shops where it would be available for public sale. So what is a Christian to do? And Paul, not only in this chapter, but he'll bring it up again in other chapters, how a Christian should live in such a pagan culture. Now the term here is translated food offered to idols. I think a better term in this case would be sacrificed. Because that's really what we're getting at here. They were sacrificed. And it's a pejorative term for Paul. Every time he uses this term, it's used in a pejorative, a negative sense, not something that is good. There are positive sacrifices that believers offer, a sacrifice of praise, a sacrifice of a contrite heart, but this is not one of those. This is used in a negative sense. It's the same term that the Jerusalem Council used in Acts chapter 15. And you may recall the problem that was going on. The gospel is starting to penetrate into Gentile areas. And so how do these Gentile believers have table fellowship with Jewish background believers? Because they came from a different understanding of sacrifices and offerings and what is clean and what is not. And so the Jerusalem Council, under the wisdom of God, had this council meet and discuss what they would do in this type of situations. And the same word that is used here in 1 Corinthians 8 is what was used there in Acts 15, abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols. And so Paul is beginning this new section on these issues affecting believers, their understanding of the gospel, their implementation, and how do we balance these difficult issues of knowledge and love. What does puffing up mean? What does building up mean? And as we see the larger context, we can recognize some of the struggles that Paul had and the wisdom that he showed in responding to them. So first we see this, we know. Now concerning food offered to idols, we know that all of us possess knowledge. Now Paul's quoting directly from the letter that he's received here. And he's dealing with a group of people claiming a special level of knowledge and acting upon that knowledge and using their, quote unquote, freedom in Christ. So how will Paul respond? It's an important issue. He recognizes that they do indeed have knowledge. They have knowledge of many things, of their history, of their culture, of their religion, of their traditions, of their practices. Because of what we saw earlier in this book, They were claiming a special knowledge of the Spirit, or of the gifts of the Spirit, or the key word here is the charismata, or the charisma. Both are the Greek words, and you understand we use the same words in English to talk about the gifts of the Spirit, and how to use those gifts in an appropriate way that upholds the unity of the body of Christ. But here they're claiming this special knowledge, and in a sense want to lord it over people. But Paul wants to remind them of who they are. He wants to remind them that they were not inherently better than these other groups if they've received anything from God It wasn't because they had a supposed superiority status a superior status Because he had already warned them earlier in this letter What do you have that you did not receive and if then you received it? Why do you boast as if you did not receive it everything that we have is? is given to us by grace because of the goodness of God. There was nothing meritorious about any of us, and so we need to use whatever the gifts we have, including the knowledge that they had, to build up, not to puff up. And that's exactly what he says in the next phrase when he says that this knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. To make it clearer, when we understand the background of the word to puff up means to cause one to be arrogant. If we put it in those terms, it stands out a little stronger. The knowledge we have given has not been given to us to cause us to be arrogant, or to be self-absorbed, or self-centered, or to think that somehow we've been given a secret that no one else has. So these knowers were misusing their knowledge to flaunt their freedom in Christ, to try to set themselves apart as being Uniquely unique because all Christians are unique because we've been set apart in Christ, but they're unique Because they have special knowledge that they've been given in a secret manner, and they're misusing it It's as if they're looking down on others and saying these poor people. They just don't have what we have They just don't have our level of knowledge or our level of experience or they haven't been where we've been or they haven't visited the circles that we have visited and And it's kind of a condescending, know-it-all attitude. And really, it's divisive, because knowledge should never be used to run over other believers. Otherwise, it's not a proper use of knowledge. And as Paul will move through this chapter and move through this section, he'll get even stronger. He will say, basically, knowledge improperly used will mislead believers, maybe cause them to stumble. And you can imagine then the concern that he has as the one who founded this church, the one who worked to build it up, who is seeing these struggles and he's grieved because he sees all these gifts. He tells them in chapter one, you're not lacking anything. You have all these grace and knowledge gifts, but you're misusing them. And imagine the grief that he feels when it's those very gifts that are being misused to divide. to make distinctions, to try to promote a spirit of superiority one over the other. It's really hard to build a unified community of believers when that attitude is there. But by contrast, Paul says love builds up. And we have already seen several times this idea of building. It's a construction term. So clearly in our minds we understand that the love that we have that we've received in Christ is to be used to build up the temple of God, which is the people of God, who are inspired and led by the Spirit of God. At several times in the Old Testament when God would call a prophet, he would use the terms of construction, build up and tear down, give life and harvest. And I think Paul has that in the back of his mind as he writes this, that this knowledge is used to build up. Because he recognizes that it is the church that is the true temple of God. It is the church that the Holy Spirit is leading and indwelling, not only the individual members, but the church, and that that knowledge that he gives us to build up that church in Christ. Because each believer, if we were to borrow some language from the Apostle Peter, each believer is a living stone of which Christ is the cornerstone. And we're building on that foundation of the apostles and the prophets and the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the Christian has a very challenging situation in that he is living under the double command of love. He is called to not only love God with a full body, full person commitment, heart, soul, mind and strength. He is called to love his neighbor as himself. And Paul will show what that looks like, especially when we get to chapter 9, where he says, I'm even willing to give up my rights so that the benefit of the church is strong, so that there's blessings that go forth. Because it's ultimately not about me and my gifts and my calling, it's about building up the church. And so he will present this great opportunity for us to understand what this double command to love looks like. So first we see this we know, but then we go to you do not know. If anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know as he ought to know. One can imagine the reaction of the Corinthians as they would have heard these words read to them for the first time. It would have been a sharp rebuke. You think you know, you have plenty of knowledge, but by the fact that you think you know, you show that you really do not know. And it kind of sounds a lot like what the Lord Jesus Christ was saying. By you thinking you're in this situation, you are still dead in your sins. But Paul is trying to call them to a higher plane, a higher level of trusting in the knowledge of God, not in their own knowledge. He knows that it's not just the fact of having a certain experience that gives knowledge. Maturity and wisdom take time. They take the proper use of knowledge. They take time, experience, teaching, reflection. It is something that is going and growing. It's not just given once for all time. And so we need to be aware of those who think they have an inside track on something with God, a secret knowledge that they have been given, or a certain pet doctrine that they want to just talk incessantly about, or who think they have a little higher level because of experience or education or something else, but are often blind to other things in their own life, and even blind to weaknesses in their own position. Paul would say, you need knowledge, but you need humility. because knowledge without humility leads to arrogance that he's already warned them about. The irony, Paul says, is that in their claim to have knowledge, they actually show that they do not. And he's going to take his time to lead him to this point because as he talks about knowledge here, By the time we get to 1 Corinthians 13, we will see that knowledge, like everything else, is of a limited nature. It's incomplete. He will tell us there that knowledge will pass away when perfection comes. That knowledge needs to be tested by the Word of God. That knowledge needs to be used to build up. And so to this church that was boasting about its knowledge, at least ten times he has to say, Do you not know? as a direct challenge to get them to see what is the proper use of knowledge that should lead to wisdom, that should lead to building up unity, that should lead to building us up as the body of Christ. And so there's an appeal then to this knowledge to be put into action, to give glory to God, not to a particular person, and to be useful for people. This knowledge will be shown in love, which we know from 1 Corinthians 13 will never fail. Because these things remain faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love because that's the one that will endure forever. I think the early church father Ambrose Astor captured it well when he said that only when a person has love can he be said to know as he ought to know. Wouldn't it be wonderful if that was said of us? that because we are so attached to the Lord Jesus Christ, so abiding in the vine, so letting the fruit of the Spirit of love pour forth in our lives, that it's then people will pay attention to us and say, wow, they really know God. because they see the love of God pouring forth in our lives and our relationships and our interactions. I think that's what Paul is trying to drive the church in Corinth towards. Just not the head knowledge alone, but the head knowledge that transforms the heart, leading to action of the hands. Head, heart, hands. The gospel transforms the whole person. So he says, you know, you do not know, and then he concludes this major point by saying, he knows, You love as a result And there's something going on in the grammar here But if anyone loves God he is known by God one comes before the other But the first part if anyone loves God it it can be translated like this He's proven his love for God or he has shown his love for God, but this is not knowledge about God it is knowledge of God how How this is used all throughout the scriptures is not just this theoretical knowledge. It is personal, intimate knowledge where they actually know God and it shows in love and it shows in the proper use of this knowledge that they have received. It's the same thing that Paul is he's dealing with the church in Galatia. What the church in Galatia is trying to figure out how to put all these things together with the impact of the gospel. And at a very dramatic point in chapter four of the book of Galatians, he says this. But now that you have come to know God. or rather to be known by God. And he goes on and says, because you are known by God, swept up in a relationship with God, why are you continuing in the same way of living that you were living before? It's the same idea that he has for the church in Corinth. If you show this love, it's proof that you are known by God. It's the result, not the cause of being known by God. God knows us, and as a result, we love. Paul simply carrying on here what the prophets said about this very subject. If we were to look in the book of Numbers chapter 16 verse 5 and what the Bible that Paul would have used of his day would have been in what's called the Septuagint. The Septuagint was the Greek translation of the Old Testament. And in that version of the Old Testament which Paul would have used because he was talking to Greek speakers. It's translated this, the Lord knows those who are his and who are holy, whom he has chosen for himself. It shows that is this intimate knowledge that God initiates. It's this divine action of God whereby he places his love on his people. And as a result, then they show love for him and love to each other. It's what he said to the nation of Israel. And it's what he said when he called out the prophets. Look at what he said to the prophet Jeremiah. Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. This is not a theoretical knowledge. I know that you will exist. It is a personal knowledge. I knew you. I knew what you would become. I had set you apart. I appointed you. And you will be a prophet to the nations. And it's because of God's foreknowing, which is really another way of saying foreloving, placing His love on those He sets apart, that they in turn are able to turn around and love others. And He's already made this point clear throughout Corinthians that it wasn't them that was the cause of God choosing them. It was God's love for them, just as He told the people of Israel. Where he said, I did not choose you because you were great or powerful in numbers. I chose you because I loved you. And because he loved him, he placed his love upon them, drew them out, formed a relationship with him as their God. And it's that same idea then that continues into the New Testament. As Paul was writing on this to the church in Ephesus, we see how when he writes to these different letters, he does not write different things to different churches. His theology is consistent. We've seen that he wrote to the Galatians in a similar way. We see now that he wrote to the church in Ephesus in a similar way. Hey guys, I'm really having trouble with this clicker. Okay So if we can figure out a way to get it connected, I have to hit it like four times. Okay He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love He predestined us for adoption as sons that puts us in a good place. I Because now it's God that has put His love upon us, that has arranged things so that we would become His children, and now has given us this great heritage. Now that puts us in a good place, we can actually turn around and obey and love Him, love His people, proclaim Him without fear. We don't have to earn His love. He's already lavished it on us. And so we are truly in a wonderful position. And so if believers are known by God, and in a saving relationship with Him, why would they use that love to turn away from Him to idols or to anything of the flesh or to anything of the world if they have The love of God. They are known by the love of God. And He says, I have set you apart for a purpose. I have this great heritage for you. I have given you knowledge. Why would you turn around and misuse those things for personal gain, for political struggles, for whatever might happen when people get together? Because we know that love is the true marker of the church. It's not knowledge. Knowledge improperly used puffs up. Knowledge properly used because it's strengthened by love builds up. Love is the first manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, which I think is the wealth spring then for all of the other ones that flow out of that. Loving God causes us to obey God. Loving God is the greatest commandment we've been given. Loving him with heart, soul, mind, and strength, which then causes us to love others. Paul wants us to see things in their proper order so that the result is proper worship, proper service, proper proclamation, proper building of the church. That's why Paul would repeat this to Timothy when he was training him as a young pastor, encouraging him in ministry, and would say, the Lord knows those who are his. Where have we heard that before? coming from Numbers 16. And let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. Do you see the cause and effect? The cause is God knows us. The effect is that we love Him. And when we love Him, we turn away from idols. We turn away from other things that would pull us away from God. And as a result, there will be a service that will advance the agenda of Christ. not my own agenda, not our agenda, not somebody else's agenda. We bow before the Lordship of Christ and say, what do you want from us? We will do it. Just empower us for that to do. Well, after seeing knowledge and love, we now see idols and food. Simple for us to understand. Idols are those things that draw us away from God. Food represents the things of life. Paul's getting at something very deep here. us to understand that all of life needs to be consecrated to God. Now concerning the idols themselves, he's going to play a little bit of a catch back and forth. But first he's going to say they are not real. Therefore, as to eating of food offered to idols, we know that an idol has no real existence and that there is no God but God. Paul quotes the knowers here who seem to be thinking, well, there's no God but God, so who cares what we eat, when we eat it, where we eat it, with whom we eat it? So they say we believe in one God, but Paul is saying this wrong use of knowledge is leading them to flaunt their freedom. It's leading to danger in the church. Because the general principle is that those who are properly aligned with God have a certain long-suffering with believers. They have certain patience. They have a certain openness, as it were. They want to receive the believers of God that He is sending their way. Believers who have been set free in Christ know that they are free in Christ, but they don't want to abuse that freedom for their own agendas. They know that it's not well each one does what seems right to him, but each one does what is good for the church And that's a challenge into each one of us that This time and maturity that we need and the commitment that we should have to the community will cause us to use our freedom to serve to serve Christ to serve one another because that gospel when it takes root in our lives and From the moment that we hear it, and the moment that we're born again, and the moment that we are growing, all the way until the time when the Lord will take us home. He is continuing by the influence of the gospel to root out the idols that we have placed in our hearts. Because we're really good at creating idols in our hearts. Those things that we passionately serve, those things that we run after, those things that we are emotionally attached to. And so we need to be willing to let God open us up and say, what is it, Father, that I'm holding back from you? What is it that I cling to, that I'm afraid to let go, that ultimately is saying to the Lord, I don't trust you. If you take this away, I'm not sure that you will bless or give really what I need. And we know where our idols are when we see what our reaction is to when they're taken away. If it's not something that's clearly ordained of God, but we react strongly, we need to ask why. Is it because we fear losing control? Is it because we enjoy making decisions for others? We need to ask those difficult questions and let the gospel penetrate and transform our lives. Now this was a real dilemma in Paul's day, what they're dealing with here. As we've already said in the introduction that most of the meat available in the marketplace had already been sacrificed to idols. So did that mean that Christians couldn't eat it? They shouldn't buy it? Paul's going to deal with that issue. But literally he's responding to their claim right now that an idol is nothing in this world and that there really is one true God. Fair enough on both accounts. But Paul says that's not enough to make a proper decision. That's not enough to live in a way that is acceptable. And one thing he will make very clear, you remember the three things we gave where meat was available. Paul will make clear on more than one occasion over the next several chapters that he says it is not acceptable for believers to enter the pagan temples in order to eat the meat that has been sacrificed to God and participate in those ceremonies. Now, he'll have a more nuanced response to the other two situations. But for here, he's very clear. Both here in chapter 8, we'll see it again in chapter 10. He's going to be very clear. You cannot participate in those type of things. While it is true on the one hand that idols are not real, on the other hand, the danger is real. For although there may be so many so-called gods in heaven and on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, All we have to do is look around us to realize that there are gods and lords everywhere. We have our heroes. We have our legends. We have our religious leaders, our political leaders. We have our traditions. We have our customs. We have our athletes. There are kings and queens. There are cultural leaders, music leaders, theatrical leaders. People worship many things. The world is full of gods and lords. Now, it's true that an idol in and of itself is nothing. An idol could be made out of wood, or stone, or paper, or jewelry, or a picture. But the problem here is the danger that idols represent. They represent something that is not good, something that is not godly. The folly of idolatry is this thing's made by people for people who then turn around and serve what they have made. And the scripture warns us again and again and again against idolatry. But what makes them even more dangerous is that demonic forces take advantage of idols to ensnare people into serving and worshiping them instead of serving and worshiping God. They take advantage of these things appealing to the passions of the flesh to the fears that we may have to detract from the glory of God. And so Paul warns them against idols. And he will tell them in stronger terms in chapter 10, do not have fellowship with demons. And so we need to listen to what Paul is saying. He is saying the idols that we build in our hearts or those things that draw our attention, if we are not sacrificing them to the Lord, they may be used to draw us away from the Lord. All the while we fight for them. That's the folly and foolishness of our sin and of idolatry. So first we have seen knowledge and love, then we see idols and food, and finally we see one Lord, one God, and one Lord. Now these knowers have said, well, we are monotheists. We believe in one God. And Paul's going to respond to that by saying, it's not enough that you believe in one God. You must respond appropriately in your belief in this one God. And in this one verse, 1 Corinthians 8, verse 6, Paul lays out some incredibly rich theology, some of the strongest statements made on the identity of Jesus Christ. And I hope that in the weeks to come you'll try to memorize this verse because it'll give you deeper insight into how the Trinity works, the Father and the Son, how they work together, and how they are part of what we know to be this one true God, which we confess in our statement of faith. We believe in one God, creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for himself and to make all things new for his own glory. This is a good summary of what we have here in 1 Corinthians chapter 8. But let's take a deeper dive. In this passage, we see the authority of the Father. Yet for us, there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist. Paul is simply affirming what he knows every Jewish scholar would affirm, there's one God. It's stated over and over again through the prophets that there is one God. But Paul here, as he's trying to help the church understand this God, will introduce us first to the Father, which was a term that was used for God in many places in the Old Testament. You have a representative list behind you on the screen. There's a much longer list. Of course, in the New Testament, referred to as Father over and over again. He is the Creator. He is the Sustainer. He is the Provider. He is the Protector. He is the Guide. He is the Father of those who believe. He is the Father of the prodigal who needs to come back home. And if He is the Creator, if He is the Sustainer, then our position before Him is always one of deference, reverence, need Because he is the Creator we are the creature And this is something the people of God have to learn over and over and over again As the people of Israel were going through the desert and they're about ready to arrive at their point of destination the great prophet Moses is recounting for them what they have done and In chapter 32 of Deuteronomy, we have what's called the Song of Moses. And he's telling the people, do you repay the Lord, you foolish people? And he's saying, is this how you repay the Lord, as we'll see in just a moment? Is not He your Father, who created you, who made you and established you? And you say, well, what is it that He wants to draw their attention to? And He will continue, and then He will confess their sins. They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods. With abominations they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. You were unmindful of the rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth." Does this language sound familiar? This is exactly what Paul is dealing with in 1 Corinthians 8. And by the time he gets to chapter 10, he's going to quote from these very passages to show that this was in the back of his mind. The people of God had seen these wonderful things of God. And how did they respond? With their idolatrous hearts, sacrificing the demons. What are the people of Corinth doing? They have been set free from their sin by the salvation of Jesus Christ. And what are they doing? using their passions, sacrificing the things that are not God. It's not enough to say we believe in one God. That must show itself in practical application of that truth. And so monotheism, mono, one, theism, God, must translate into mono, one, practice. There is only one God who is worthy of our service, worthy of our energy, worthy of our passion, worthy of our planning. And that's why when we get to the end of this great saying of the salvation of God in Romans chapters 9, 10, and 11, what He's doing in the nations, Paul cannot help but cry out, for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. We see the authority of the Father in this verse. But we see more. We see the agency of the sun and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist. We know that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. He is the only way to God. He is the only name by which we can be saved. Paul's trying to tell them, you have lords, you have saviors, you have gods. There's only one God. There's only one Lord. There's only one Savior. In our own statement of faith, we say we believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one person in two natures. Jesus, Israel's promised Messiah, was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest. That is our Savior. That is our Lord. We have only one Lord, Paul says. And so this verse shows that not only is Jesus Christ divine and equal to the Father, but he is the only one to whom we are to pledge our allegiance. We are to be monotheists and monopractitioners. But if we look at the words that are here, it says Jesus Christ is the one through whom all things are created. Jesus is the agent of creation. If you want to have a Wonderful Bible study I encourage you to write down these references John 1 Hebrews 1 Colossians 1 and this week meditate on these verses and see who Jesus Christ is and Be ready to give an answer for those who ask well Who is Jesus and what he has done and you will see that not only is he the agent of creation Through whom all things were created Colossians tells us very clearly in him all things hold together and And so when Paul says here to the church in Corinth, through whom we exist, Jesus Christ is our life. And we have that affirmation. So the one who denies Christ, or the one who disobeys Christ, will find out one day that the very one they were defying, the very one they were disobeying, the very one that they were denying, is the very one that held their lives together and before whom they will stand in judgment. How terrifying to stand before Christ one day not knowing Him as Lord and Savior. My friends, is that you this morning? Is your only plea and your only hope the Lord Jesus Christ? Paul is giving us an amazing display of theological accuracy and acumen in this verse. We believe in one God. But He has manifested Himself, He has shown Himself, He has revealed Himself in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As we look at who Jesus is so far in Corinthians, among many other things, He is our wisdom, and He is the wisdom of God. He is our life, through whom are all things, and through whom we exist. If that's the case, then Jesus needs to be our priority. How can our own individual agendas trump what Jesus Christ has done and who He is? Because He is our life. He is our existence. And He showed us the way. He came, left the glory of heaven that He might redeem a people for God. He gave up His rights that others would be saved. He used the knowledge that He had received and He channeled it into love for the greater good, even the salvation of His people. He taught us how to use the freedom that we have for the sake of others. He taught us how to serve and not to seek to be served. And so as we see what has happened within the Godhead, God the Father and God the Son sharing this intimate and perfect intimacy of love that gives, of love that serves, of love that saves. He sends us out to do the same. And so in weeks to come, There'll be an ongoing discussion on the balance of Christian freedom and Christian responsibility, the balance between knowledge and love. And there'll be some challenging thoughts that we will have to wrestle with. But very briefly and very quickly, just some things to help guide our thinking as we do that. God is great. God is greater than our thoughts, greater than our plans, greater than our efforts, greater than everything. And so use your strength for God. Give Him your best. Give Him your ultimate. Your fullness because he's greater than everything else. But God is also love. And if we have been beneficiaries of the love of Christ and if we are in Christ, we surely have. Then let that love overflow and guide the knowledge that we have been given, that we might be useful and helpful and fruitful in our service. And serve God alone. All we have comes from Him. All we have is to be used for Him. All we have will be returned to Him one day to be analyzed with how we used it. Jesus showed us the example. He tells us who He is. And now He sends us out to do likewise in His power and for His glory. Let us pray. Father, we recognize that in the face of the perfection of Christ and the demand for holiness, we are undone. But how thankful we are this morning that we can stand covered with the righteousness of Jesus Christ and knowing that his righteousness now is ours before the throne of God. To that we cling, Father. We have no other resource. And I pray that in the days and weeks to come, we would realize in a deeper way what this knowledge, what this love looks like. Because Father, we want to fall at your feet and tell you how wonderful you are. And we want to serve a Savior that is so good. And we want to proclaim him to a world that is so needy. And the power of your Holy Spirit. So we commit ourselves to you. We offer ourselves to you afresh. Use us for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.