All right, let me open us up with a word of prayer, and we shall dig in. Father, we do thank you, Lord, for this beautiful morning. We have the freedom to gather as brothers and sisters in Christ, to exalt you, Lord, to stand in awe of who you are, what you have accomplished on our behalf, this great salvation that is ours in Jesus. Father, you have Chosen us Unto obedience as your children and so God we want to be faithful servants this morning and To that end you've called us to love one another fervently and from the heart as Peter reminds us And so Lord may love mark us this morning as a body of believers and may your word Lord have its own way in our hearts, bringing forth change in us so that we might reflect more and more of the character of our Lord Jesus. And so, Father, we commit this time to you. We ask you to be our teacher through the Holy Spirit. And we ask all of this in Christ's name. Amen. Okay, as you guys will recall, we've been in chapter 10. Paul has provided Israel as an example of how not to be. They are to avoid Israel's sins, namely the sin of idolatry and connected with idolatry with sexual immorality. And this is all in the context of the church in Corinth where The believers there have been arguing, you will recall, for the right to eat idle food in the pagan temples. And so Paul has to draw a distinction between those things which are matters of indifference, what have been termed the adiaphora, things indifferent, He has to distinguish that from absolutes. So, from our study thus far of chapter 10, and from your reading of chapter 10, you will recall that a matter of indifference to Paul is meat that has been sacrificed to an idol. There's no issues there. You can't attach any religious significance to the eating of meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. You're free to do that. And we're going to see in this morning's text, as one commentator said, meat is meat. Go and eat. Or buy and eat. It's a non-issue. Right? But the Corinthians are taking it too far. They're wanting to eat this meat in the idol temples as part of the feasts that characterized 1st century Corinth. and how much of life was lived out in the temple precincts surrounding these meals. So Paul is saying, listen, that's a form of idolatry. You eat that meat that had been sacrificed to an idol in a pagan temple, okay? Don't forget what's behind those idols are demons. And look what happened to Israel. Israel had their own form of baptism, as it were, because they passed through the sea. They had their own form of the Lord's Supper, as it were, meaning spiritual food and drink, manna, water from the rock. Well, did God spare them despite the fact that they had these things? No. Many of them died in the desert. God's not going to spare you, Corinthians, if you test the Lord Jesus Christ by your idolatry, eating this meat in the pagan temples. Are you stronger than God, he asks? Are you provoking the Lord to jealousy? I mean, that's what Israel did, and it did not end well for them. So, he's giving the Corinthians this example from the past, which, by the way, we will see in Peter's first epistle this morning during the sermon, where Peter's going to draw from the example of Noah's time, and another illustration of baptism. So, you've got matters that are indifferent, and you have freedom as a Christian with matters that are indifferent. Remember, we saw earlier that Paul speaks of circumcision in this way. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything. Okay? You can imagine how that would offend the Jews of Paul's day. Well, he's going to offend even more this morning. So let's look at our text. 1 Corinthians 10, beginning at verse 23, where Paul, as he does in chapter 6 verse 12, is going to pick up a new topic, and so he's now going to focus again on Christian freedom. And no one has the right to judge you as a Christian, because you are free in Christ, But freedom for Paul means he's now free to become a slave to others out of love for them, because look at what Jesus Christ has done in giving Himself up for us. We have an example in Jesus. Paul is imitating Jesus with his life, and he wants the Corinthians to do likewise, which he says explicitly in chapter 11 verse 1. So he's going to switch topics now over to this issue of personal freedom, but while recognizing that freedom, personal freedom as a Christian, is not the main thing, right? The main thing is love. That's what needs to mark us as Christians. What are the Corinthians doing? We have rights. Okay? So they're arguing for the rights that they have as Christians. And we have knowledge. And because we have knowledge, we know what our rights are. And no one should infringe upon those rights. A weaker brother. A weaker sister. Right? We should be able to do what we want, when we want, with matters that are things indifferent. And Paul's going to say, oh, you have freedom in Christ. But that's not what it's all about. It's about what he's going to say in verse 24. Seeking to benefit others. It's about seeking to build up others. Not making use of your rights. Not exercising your freedom. Where you're doing that without any concern for your fellow brethren. So, verse 23, all things are permitted. Now, of course, he's not talking about sinful things. He's talking about things indifferent. That all things that are matters of indifference, like circumcision, like festivals, in terms of the Jewish customs, where Paul's not going to make an issue of those things unless you try to attach religious significance to them, then he's going to fight tooth and nail. As one person said, as Christians, we're basically called to be doormats, except when it comes to the truth of the Gospel. Now you fight. Right? So all things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. He's talking about not all things are of benefit to others. So even though in matters that are things indifferent, they're permissible, they're lawful, they're permitted, that doesn't mean you should do that. Right? Why? Because it may not bring benefit to another. So he's leading up to verse 24. That's going to qualify our freedom in matters that are indifferent. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up. Okay? Are you edifying, building up others when you exercise your freedoms, your rights? Paul has enumerated many rights that are his in chapter 9, to take along a believing wife, to be supported financially, etc. But he does not make use of those rights. He doesn't want to put any hindrance, any obstacle in the way of the gospel going out and being received. So, all things are permitted, but not all things build people up. I have the New American Standard. There are no quotes around the words, all things are permitted. If you do have quotes, that's because translators are thinking he's quoting from the Corinthians letter. And then responding to it by qualifying their absolute statement. I mean, he can agree all things indifferent are permissible, but he's going to say, but let's qualify that Not everything is beneficial. Not everything builds up. So this is either Paul speaking himself, saying all things are lawful, but not all things benefit. Or he's quoting the Corinthians letter. And then responding to that letter by saying, but not all things benefit, Corinthians. Not all things build people up. So verse 24, he's now going to provide that Christian ethic that should mark all of us as followers of Jesus Christ and so often does not mark us. Verse 24, no one is to seek his own, and the NAS adds the word advantage. Your translation may use the word good or something like that. Verse 24, no one is to seek his own advantage, his own good. But rather, that of his neighbor. Now where is this going to reappear? In chapter 13. As Paul helps us to understand what love is. So, this is what love looks like. Corinthians. Knowledge puffs up. Love builds up. So verse 24, don't seek your own advantage. Did Christ do that? Philippians 2? No. Does Paul do that? No. Paul is all about gaining a hearing for the gospel. He's all about the gospel and its advance. So he's prepared to give up his freedoms and become a slave to all in order to gain a hearing for the gospel, whether he's with Jews or Greeks. So, seek that which is to the advantage of your neighbor. So we are to die to ourselves, right? Now, what's interesting is that in verse 25, he's going to give an example of personal freedom. So he's saying, we're free in Christ, but there's qualifications to that. So now let's talk about that freedom again in verse 25. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for the sake of conscience. So you go to the meat market, You may have a priest that's butchering the food. Remember we talked about the meat that was offered to idols and how it was divided up into basically three parts, where one part is consumed and sacrificed to the pagan god, another portion goes to the priest, and then the other portion to the one bringing the sacrifice. And so you go to the mekelem, the meat market, and you can buy meat, And Paul says, meat is meat, buy and eat. Verse 25, eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions, because it's not a matter of conscience. It's a matter of things indifferent. Now, this should shock any Jewish person who's hearing Paul talk like this, much like when he said circumcision is nothing, An uncircumcision is nothing. Now he's saying, in contradiction to Jewish custom, they would investigate. If you're a Jew, you're going to investigate what it is you're about to consume. You want to make sure you're not violating any of the dietary restrictions placed upon you. And here's Paul, eat anything that is sold in the meat market. You don't have to ask any questions. Right? Then he says, and he quotes, Paul has just got Scripture always just, you know, his heart is full of the Word of God. Remember the quote about John Bunyan, that if you pricked him, he would bleed. I forget the word, but basically Bible. So here's Paul, he's able to just pull up Psalm 24 1, and he's going to use that text to say, the source of all food is God. So, you're free to eat whatever you buy in the marketplace and whatever is sold. Remember, Jesus declared all foods clean during His earthly ministry. And so here is Paul, oh this is offensive to the Jew. Right? For the earth is the Lord's and all it contains. Now, the Jew would acknowledge Psalm 24 1, and it would be the basis of their blessing that they would do at each meal. So, you find as you're reading the Gospels, when Jesus has food, he's breaking bread, he gives thanks. Well, that was part of the way Jews operated in terms of their meals. Because of Psalm 24, 1, recognizing that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, if we're going to eat of the food and of the things that belong to God that come from Him, we need to pronounce a blessing at each meal. And thank God, lest we appear to be defrauding Him by taking what is His without giving thanks. Right? So, but the Jew is going to investigate that which he's about to eat while blessing God before he does so. And Paul is saying, no, you, yes, the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. And that means all of this food originates with him. So you can go and take and eat. Yes, give thanks, but you don't have to investigate. And so then he goes on in verse 27. So he's been talking about in verses 25 and 26 the idea of you as a person eating meat that you've purchased in the marketplace. So you're basically eating this in your own confines. Now he's going to switch to a different setting where you're now moving into the confines of another. You're going into someone's house. Now, this is fascinating. We're believers. We confess Jesus Christ. You have people you work with who are not Christians. Family members who are not Christians. At various times, you're put in those situations where an unbeliever wants to get together with you. Wants to hang out. Wants to have a meal together. And it may run through your mind. What fellowship does light have with darkness? Right? The whole 2 Corinthians 6. And to what degree can I have a relationship with this person who's not a believer? Should I go? Well, here's Paul. He's now going to change the setting from your own personal setting to a setting in which you're invited to someone's home. And this person's not a Christian. So if one of the unbelievers invites you, a Christian, and you want to go, it's up to you. You don't have to go. But you know what? You can go if you want to. And of course, Jesus was scoffed at because he ate with tax collectors, etc. And the Jewish leaders of the day, if he were a prophet, he would know the kind of people he's dining with. So that just rules out any possibility that he's a prophet, let alone the Messiah, right? So Paul says, an unbeliever invites you over. If you want to go, go. Eat anything that is said before you without asking questions. So again, the setting has changed, but the principle hasn't. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, so whatever food they set before you, eat it. Don't ask any questions. Have you ever been invited? This is just a little side story that came to my mind just now. Have you ever been invited to someone's house or you go over to someone's house and they serve you a meal And you didn't know what was on the menu. And it's something that really turns your stomach. This is where if you're a missionary in another country, you better be prepared to be able to handle those types of settings, right? Because you're going to be eating some stuff where you're going to be very squeamish. I'll never forget going over to a professor's house. I would try to redo it now if I could. I'm embarrassed by my actions, So we sit down to eat, and we're outside on a picnic table, and he's got a piece of property. His wife's inside. He's got animals, and she's making the meal. She brings it out to us, and it's egg salad. I don't know what it is about egg salad, but mayonnaise-y white stuff on bread just kills me. And I look at it, and I'm like, what do I do? What do I do? She made this for me. I don't know if I should, I mean, So I said, I'm just going to be transparent, right? I mean, if you're transparent, that's a good thing. Just be authentic. And I said, Dr. Black, I don't think I can eat that. So he looks at the plate of food. He takes the sandwich, and he just throws it. And his goat comes and just cha-cha-cha-cha, and it's gone like that. I don't think I got a replacement meal. I think that was it. But in any case, so whatever's put before you, you eat it without asking questions. And then he says, 28, but if anyone says to you, this is meat sacrificed to idols. So you know this wasn't a festival that you've been invited to because if it were one of the pagan festivals, you would already know. that this was meat sacrifice to an idol. So you're in your neighbor's home for a meal. There's no religious significance to it. But you're now told, now who is telling you this? Who is saying to you, hey, I know you're a Christian. This is meat sacrifice to idols. Is it the host? Is it an unbelieving guest? It's probably an unbelieving guest who's aware of the fact that you are a Christian, and they would associate Christianity with a form of Judaism, and would know that you would probably want to know that this was temple food. And the word used here is not idol food, it's temple food. So that would indicate that this is an unbeliever, because believers refer to that as idol food. This person is saying this is temple food. So this is likely a pagan who's at this meal with you, and he's thinking he needs to help you out, like make you aware of what you're about to eat, thinking You're not going to want to partake of this as a Christian because I associate you with the Jews. So I'm just letting you know this is what this is. And then Paul says, do not eat it. Do not eat it for the sake of the one who informed you and for the sake of conscience. So at that point, you're being sensitive to this unbeliever and his concern for you to where you recognize this is a matter of things indifferent, and I have freedom to partake, but I don't want to in any way hinder my testimony because this person is seeking to show an act of kindness to me and thinks this would be offensive to me, so I'm just going to pass on it. for the sake of the one who informed you and for the sake of conscience. Now, he's gonna clarify what do you mean for the sake of conscience. Now, verse 29, by conscience, I do not mean your own, right? But the other person's, the other person's conscience. So you're doing this on behalf of the unbeliever who's a guest at the table, who's making you aware of this, It's obviously a big enough issue to him that he thinks he needs to let you know. He himself has no qualms with eating it, but he thinks you would, and so you just pass on it. Then Paul is now going to defend, it's kind of a rough transition in the second half of verse 29, because he's now going to go and defend his own personal freedom, as he did in chapter 9, where he was arguing for the various rights that belonged to him as an apostle, rights that he does not make use of. And he's been under attack. And he's been defending himself and defending his actions to the Corinthians. And it seems like here he's going to shift into that mode once again and defend his own personal freedom. Because he says, for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience? So apparently Paul ate idle food. And some are judging him for it. And so he's saying, why is my freedom judged by another's conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, that goes back to the Jewish blessing at each meal and the giving of thanks to God. And so Paul is saying, if I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered, literally blasphemed, about that for which I give thanks? Of course, Paul shouldn't be slandered for exercising his own personal freedom. And he should not be judged for doing so. And yet, again, freedom isn't the end all be all. It's about seeking the advantage of the other person and building them up. Now, we're about to get into, you know, people will call certain passages that tend to be one of our favorites. Some call them purple passages. And I'm sure John 3.16, and we've got all of these different verses that have become verses that we carry with us in our memories because they speak to us in a particularly powerful way. And surely verse 31 is one of those verses. Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God. That's an all-encompassing passage that helps us to see what our motivation should be in the things that we do, even in the exercise of our personal freedoms as Christians. You are to do it for the glory of God. But when you think about eating and drinking, remember the context here. The context has involved eating and drinking and idle food, right? And Israel's eating and drinking as they sat down and then rising up to play, right? So that's the context for Paul using the language of whether you eat or whether you drink, as you're exercising your personal freedom in Christ, make sure that you are doing it for the glory of God. Now, he's going to help us to see what drives him as an apostle. We've already seen some of this in chapter 9. Again, Paul wants to make sure that in seeking the glory of God, and in eating and drinking and whatever else he is engaged in that may be a matter of indifference, that he's doing everything that he does with the goal of glorifying God. Right? So we talk about people you know who are not Christians, who may do something honorable, commendable. They help a person across the street They reach out in Christmas time and bring food to someone less fortunate. All of those kinds of examples of people who are not believers who are engaging in these kinds of philanthropic acts and they're seeking to help someone that they know. Or maybe don't know. But the question is, and this is what separates what you and I do from what an unbeliever does, is we are to be doing these things for the glory of God. God has no higher end, right, than His own glory. And so we should have no higher end than seeking God's glory, and that should mark everything that we do. Okay? Whatever good deed we perform, it should be done for God's glory. That's the motivation. And Paul wants to ensure that that's the Corinthians' motivation. And if your motivation is to glorify God, it's going to mean that there will be occasions when you are going to curtail the exercise of your own personal freedom in order to advantage someone else, in order to advantage a fellow brother or sister in Christ. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God. Verse 32, do not offend Jews or Greeks or the church of God. So to a Jew, Paul becomes as a Jew, as one under the law. He has Timothy circumcised, even though circumcision is nothing. because he understands the importance of circumcision to a Jew. So I'm not going to offend the Jews, whom I want to reach with the gospel of Christ, by bringing along with me Timothy, whose dad was a Gentile, a Greek, and therefore Timothy's not circumcised. I'm going to make sure Timothy is circumcised. Right? Because everything I do is for the glory of God, and the glory of God is made manifest in the gospel of Christ, and I do not want to place any obstacles in the way of gaining a hearing before my fellow Jews. So I'm going to have Timothy circumcised. But the moment someone starts placing salvation significance on circumcision, now Paul is going to fight tooth and nail. And then he says to Greeks, Paul lives as one who's not under the law. So he'll eat freely. That which offends the Jew that doesn't offend the Greek, Paul will do that which doesn't offend the Greek himself, even though he's a Jew, because he's a Christian. And so he doesn't offend Greeks. He's as one who's not He's as one without law, as he puts it. So you can see how Paul adapts depending upon the context in which he is in, and the cultural setting in which he finds himself. But he doesn't change the message. The message of the gospel remains the same. But what we recognize as Christians is there's so much offense already in the gospel. that we don't want to add to its offense by the things that we're doing, that we have the freedom to do, that we could curtail so that it doesn't offend the person that we're trying to reach with the gospel. Because the gospel's going to offend, because it's going to say, you are a hell-bound, wicked person who needs a Savior. Repent of your sins and trust in Jesus Christ. So he says, do not offend Jews or Greeks or the church of God. We've seen that. Your fellow believer, your fellow brother or sister in Christ, some of them are lacking in knowledge. They are weak, as Paul describes them in chapter 8. But, out of love for them, you need to curtail the exercise of your freedom for their advantage. He says, verse 33, just as I also please everyone in all things. Now this is so interesting. This is where Paul is always making you a little bit out of balance, because in other texts, he's like, I do not seek, you know, pleasing men. I'm not a man pleaser. Right? Again, when it comes to the gospel, Paul's not going to compromise. He's not going to water down the message. He's not going to seek to tickle the ears of those to whom he's preaching. He doesn't seek to please men in that regard. But here, that's what I do. I seek to please men. I seek to put myself in a situation where the person to whom I am seeking to bring the gospel Whatever obstacles are in the way, that I get those obstacles out of the way, culturally, etc., so that I can share with them the good news of Christ. So, just as I also please everyone in all things, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of the many, so that they may be saved. So now the context is unbelievers, Because believers are saved, and so now you're at the home of the person who's invited you, and he's not a believer. Are you thinking about, I want to see this person saved? That's what Paul's thinking. I want to see this person saved. Okay? I want the benefits of salvation to accrue to this man or this woman's account. So I don't seek my own benefit. You see how driven Paul is, how single-minded Paul is that he can make these kinds of statements. Not, I kind of don't seek my own benefit, but I don't seek my own benefit. This is a man on a mission. Well, it's because the risen Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus and said, this is what you are going to do. I am appointing you. to confess me before kings, rulers, etc., and you are going to suffer. And so Paul is not going to allow anything to hinder him in any way from seeing the gospel advance through his apostolic ministry, which is why, as you get to finishing up here, you'll look, and this is where the chapter breaks, really hurt you because we need to add 11 one to finish out this morning's lesson. Because this is all connected to what he just said. He's saying, I follow Christ. Right? I do not seek that which is to my benefit. I seek the benefit of the many so that they might be saved. Who does that sound like? That sounds exactly like Paul's Lord. Like our Lord. So, 11.1, be imitators of me, Corinthians. Don't put a stumbling block before your fellow believers, those who don't have the same knowledge that you do. Those who are so accustomed to idolatry that their conscience is offended when they eat idol food, they're just not there yet. They're not ready for that. You don't say to them, well let me get you from your elementary Christian understanding to a level of maturity and knowledge like I have. Where you kind of look down on the weak. No. You should have the exact opposite attitude. You're now saying, I'm going to refrain, I'm going to curtail my freedom for you because I love you and I don't want you to stumble because of my actions, which I'm free otherwise to do. Because that's not looking like the example of Jesus. So, be imitators of me, Paul, just as I also am of Christ. So it's always all about, as Peter will say and has said in our first epistle, walk in His steps. Follow His path. Because that path is a path of suffering. But as you pass through that crucible, where does it ultimately end? Glory. Keep your eye on the glory to come. Allow what is in the future to affect the present so that it changes you. in these kinds of self-emptying ways. All right, well, we're getting into chapter 11, Lord willing, next week. And as 1 Corinthians has proven to be, there is so much coming our way, and we're going to be getting into head coverings. and then spiritual gifts in chapters 12 to 14, and tongues and prophecy. There's a lot coming up here. And we're going to need God's wisdom, God's grace, and for God to teach us. Let's close. Father, we thank You, Lord, for Your Word. It is precious to us. We see the wisdom of God as we read Your holy Word, Lord. We see the power of the Holy Spirit as it takes someone who cursed Christians and sought to stamp out Christianity, Saul, whom the Spirit laid hold of and transformed into a new creation, so that he sought now to give his life for the sake of the gospel. Lord, we thank You that this is the God we serve, a God who transforms, a God who forgives, a God who is patient in long-suffering. Bear with us, Lord, as we seek to work out the things that we've even seen this morning in loving one another and seeking their advantage over our own. We ask this in Christ's name. Amen.