Are Your Rights Worth it?

1 Cor 8:1-13

A Michigan state policeman had stopped the same man twice in one day for reckless driving. The offender was weaving in and out of traffic at speeds up to 93 miles per hour. When he was pulled over, he flashed an official seal, signed by the U.S. Secretary of State. He announced that he was the consul general of another nation, and he had no intention of obeying America's laws. He honked his horn impatiently while the trooper radioed headquarters to verify that a foreign diplomat cannot be detained except for serious crimes. Upon learning this, he said to the man, "Even though you aren't subject to our laws, you could at least have some regard for the safety of our people."

As Christians, we have freedom in many areas. Because of personal or cultural convictions, many of us have laws that bind us but do not bind others. How do we deal with those situations? Do we stop doing anything that offends someone else? These questions are even more pressing to church leaders trying to keep a congregation all going in the same direction. Hopefully today, as we study this text, we will find some answers to these questions.

PRAYER

I. How Much Knowledge Do You Have?

A. Don’t get puffed up

1. It’s easy to get caught up in knowledge.

a) We often think that by showing off how much we know, that we are better than others.

b) We aren’t new to that phenomenon; apparently, the Corinthians had the same problem.

c) READ vs 1-3

2. George K. Harris, a minister, once wrote, "Sometimes even we pastors take ourselves too seriously. I remember one young man--so new in the ministry that the ink was scarcely dry on his degree--who felt he must have an answer for every question brought to him. He would put on a knowing look and bravely attempt some reply. His wife laughed him back to normalcy, however, when she privately began calling him 'Encyclopedia Pretendicus.'"

3. We’ve all known people like this.

4. Why does Paul call them out?

a) It’s okay for someone to make a fool of themselves if they choose, the ramifications only effect them.

b) But when we do that with the gospels, the ramifications can be much greater.

c) Our false knowledge could endanger other’s souls.

B. Love of God is better than knowledge

1. Paul brings out a very intriguing concept in these first couple of verses.

a) It’s better if you love God than have a great Biblical knowledge without loving God.

b) Too many times I have seen the proof of that as preachers, teachers and others say exactly what the Bible teaches on a subject, but with so little love for God that it comes out only as cold facts rather than conviction.

c) knowledge of the Bible is wonderful and needed, but unless we know God, all that Bible knowledge is simply wasted.

C. Knowledge and witness

1. "A rich Dutch merchant was seeking to buy a diamond of a certain kind to add to his collection. A famous dealer in New York found such a stone and called him to come and see it. "The merchant flew immediately to New York, where the seller had assigned his best diamond expert to close the transaction. After hearing the assistant describe in perfect technical detail the diamond's worth and beauty, the Dutchman decided not to buy it. Before he left, however, the owner of the store stepped forward and asked, `Do you mind if I show you that stone once more?' The customer agreed. "The store owner didn't repeat one thing that the salesman had said. He simply took the diamond in his hand, stared at it, and described the beauty of the stone in a way that revealed why this stone stood out from all the others he had seen in his life. The customer changed his mind and bought it immediately. "Putting his purchase into his coat pocket, the customer commented to the owner, `Sir, I wonder why you were able to sell me this stone when your salesman could not?' "The owner replied, `That salesman is the best in the business. He knows more about diamonds than anyone, including me, and I pay him a large salary for his knowledge and expertise. But I would gladly pay him twice as much if I could put into him something I have which he lacks. You see, he knows diamonds, but I love them.'"

2. A person who brings out all the facts, but doesn’t show a love for God will more often than not, turn people away from the truth rather than towards it.

3. A person who really loves God may not get everything out perfectly, but the listener can see the passion and truth behind their words.

II. My Freedom Versus Your Salvation

A. What this passage doesn’t say

1. I don’t know how many times I have heard someone quote this scripture to say we need to see things like them.

a) I remember a family who didn’t like the idea that the church where they attended played acappella songs before worship. The wife claimed it offended her to have the songs played on the speakers and if the elders didn’t stop it, she would leave.

b) Brethren, that is blackmail not a spiritual stumbling block.

2. This scripture is not dealing with offending someone.

a) Almost any time a church leadership does something new, it’s going to offend someone.

b) And if they never do anything new, it’s going to offend someone.

3. We shouldn’t purposely try to offend someone, but neither can a person use this scripture to spiritually blackmail a church or individual.

B. Stumbling blocks

1. Look again at this text. READ vs 9-11

2. This is talking about doing something that would endanger someone’s soul.

3. In the ancient world, there were two places you could get meat. In the markets which were usually high priced or in the temples where there was always meat left from sacrifices. Too, many of the social functions of a society happened in the temple courts.

4. Many of the new converts had just came out of paganism and spiritually couldn’t comprehend how a Christian could be in a temple and not go back into pagan worship.

5. Let me use a slightly controversial example.

a) I don’t believe it is a sin to take a drink from time to time. It is a sin to get drunk or to drink in places that would hurt your spiritual witness.

b) Let’s say that someone here is a recovering alcoholic and we have a meal together in which I pour me a glass of wine or something. Now I have the legal and spiritual freedom to have a drink, but I become a stumbling block to that person because he might justify having a drink because I did. More than likely, that would send him back into a drinking lifestyle and I very well may have jeopardized his soul.

C. Freedom not worth the price

1. When our country was formed many died for our freedom. Others found the price too high and did not fight for our country even though they may have believed in the cause.

2. We have freedoms in Christ that allow us to do some things that might cause a weaker brother to stumble in his faith.

a) While we have the freedom to do those things, the loss of a soul is too high a price to exercise that freedom.

b) That is the essence of the last verse of this chapter READ vs 13

3. Finding the balance between freedom and love can sometimes be tricky.

4. Some people try to use this as a blackmail tactic.

5. Some people demand their rights no matter the cost spiritually.

6. Both thoughts are sinful.

7. Your freedom ends at the possible loss of someone’s soul

a) If you love your brother, it should never get to that point.

b) Then take the time to teach and edify the weaker brother to see that what you are doing is not sinful in itself.

c) Help them to grow to where the issue is no longer a threat to their soul, then you can resume your freedom with no danger involved.