Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

Theme: When it comes to matters of Christian liberty the bottom line for Paul is do all to the glory of God.

Date: 11/14/2021 Title: 1_Corinthinas_18 ID: NT07-10

One more time we’re going to dive into topic of Christian liberty.

When I outlined my preaching schedule of 1 Corinthians, I had not planned on preaching four sermons on the topic.

Paul, however, gives me no choice in the matter.

When the Apostle spends three entire chapters on the issue it must be pretty important.

So it should be important to us.

In Paul’s day the issue of Christian liberty was should a Christian eat meat that had been offered to idols?

Two thousand years later, the Church still finds itself divided over issues that come down to Christian liberty.

In our day the issue of Christian liberty is should a Christian use alcoholic beverages?

Is it wrong to enjoy a glass of wine at dinner or a bottle of beer at a ball game?

There are others ...

Should Christians homeschool their children or send them to public schools?

Should Christians use social media?

Should Churches have Sunday School?

In the late 19th century, the Christian liberty issue facing Flat Creek Baptist Church — my first pastorate out of college — was, should a Christian play croquet on Sunday?

The church by-laws said “no”, doing so was cause for dismissal.

Some of these seem like trivial issues, and it’s easy to roll our eyes and think What’s the rub, bub?

For many believers, however, these are not side issues or unimportant issues, and so the Church must speak to the issue of Christian liberty from time-to-time.

I. WE REALLY DO HAVE LIBERTY

1. the Apostle writes

““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.”

(1 Corinthians 6:12, ESV)

“”All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful.

“All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.” (1 Corinthians 10:23, ESV)

a. one of the implications of the gospel is the believer’s freedom in Christ

1) it was a regular part of Paul’s preaching everywhere he went, and was an issue close to his heart

a) after all, Paul had been by his own admission “a Pharisee among Pharisees” and he understood the spiritual slavery of the fence that they had erected around the Law

b) hundreds and hundreds of rules and regulations guided every aspect of his daily living ... from how many step he could take on the Sabbath to how to wash his hand correctly

2) in Christ, Paul had been set free from all of it

3) for Paul, Christian liberty means that those who come to God in faith no longer have to do so through an elaborate scheme of rituals, good works, and obedience to a plethora of religious rules and regulations, but by faith in Christ alone

ILLUS.

Edward Mote encapsulated the gospel when he wrote ...

My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus' blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Refrain:

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:

all other ground is sinking sand;

all other ground is sinking sand.

3) a simple act of faith expressed in the profession “ ... if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

(Romans 10:9, ESV) is all that God requires for entrance into his kingdom

ILLUS.

It’s a confession so profound that it can keep a theologian busy for the rest of his life.

It’s a confession so simple that a child can understand it, and come into the kingdom

2. our freedom in Christ also has a second aspect to it, and is what Paul has been dealing with for three chapters now

a. Paul sets forth the principle that Christians are free to do whatever Scripture does not forbid as being morally wrong

1) some in the church at Corinth had seized Paul’s teaching on their freedom in Christ as a creed to live by

2) if anyone ever questioned their behavior their response was “all things are lawful for me”

ILLUS.

In our day we find this theology among those believers who take God’s grace to an extreme.

Their attitude is, “Hey, I’m saved by grace which means I can do anything I want, and still have forgiveness.”

b. the apostles response is, “Yeah, you’re technically correct.

If you are truly in Christ there is no sin that we might commit which is not atoned for.

But your attitude stinks, and some of you are using your freedom in Christ as an excuse for indulging the flesh”

3. the problem is that some of the strong brethren had become cavalier in their attitude toward the weaker brethren

a. Paul reveals this in 1 Corinthians 10:29-30

“ ... For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience?

30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?”

(1 Corinthians 10:29–30, ESV)

ILLUS.

I’m thankful that I learned a lesson about this very early in my Christian walk.

When I went off to college, I got actively involved in the Baptist Student Union.

In my Sophomore year a bunch of us decided that, for those of us who stayed on campus over the weekends, a fun way to pass the time would be to have a weekly spades tournament on Friday evenings.

For several months about a dozen of us would gather at the BSU to play cards, and fellowship.

One Tuesday night at the weekly bible study, someone mentioned that a previously active member named Connie had not attended for some weeks.

When the BSU director asked if anyone knew why, someone said, “It’s because some of you are playing cards on Friday night.

Connie was brought up in a Christian home where card playing in considered sinful.

Your card-playing has offended her.”

For Connie, playing cards at the BSU was like playing poker in the church fellowship hall.

It was just wrong.

Some of us who were part of the spades-playing group got a little indignant.

Our attitude was like that expressed in 1 Corinthians 10:30, “If we participate in card-playing with thankfulness, why are we denounced because of that for which I give thanks?”

(Now, honestly, I don’t know that any of us had really “expressed thanks” for the liberty of playing spades in the BSU.

But that was our reasoning).

Thankfully more spiritually mature heads prevailed and I learned the principles that Paul lays down in his discourse on Christian liberty.

We apologized to Connie, and she became active in the BSU again.

4. the apostle’s correction to the Corinthians errant attitude is found in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 1 Corinthians 10:23

a. Christian liberty is real ... Our freedom in Christ is true ... All things not expressly prohibited by the Scriptures are lawful for us

b. however — and this is a big however — not everything I’m at liberty to do is helpful for my sanctification in Christ, especially if it proves addictive in some way

1) this is what the apostle means when he says I will not be dominated by anything

c. not everything I am at liberty to do edifies me, that is not everything builds us up in the faith

A. PAUL’S PRINCIPLES IN CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

1. Principle #1: You May Have Christian Liberty to Do Something, but If it Harms a Fellow Believer’s Conscience Don’t Do it (chapter 8)

a. the apostle calls for those who feel free to eat meat sacrificed to idols to put on a servant’s heart towards those who don’t posses the same freedom

1) this is exactly where Paul inserts the gospel

b. what would convince the proud Corinthians to deny themselves a freedom simply because someone else does not possess the same freedom?

1) answer: the cross of Jesus Christ — the cross makes our self-sacrifice on any issue make perfect sense

2. Principle #2: You May Have Christian Liberty to Do Something, but If it Harms your Christian Witness Don’t Do it (chapter 9)

a. although Christians are free to do whatever Scripture does not forbid as being morally wrong, if we love as God calls us to love, we will limit our liberty for the sake of weaker believers

1) in chapter 9 Paul illustrates this limitation from his own life and ministry

b. to keep from giving anyone in Corinth reason to think he was preaching for the money, he accepted no wages from those to whom he was ministering

3. Principle #3: You May Have Christian Liberty to Do Something, but If it Has Potential for Harming Us or Addicting Us Don’t Do It (chapter 10)

a. in chapter 10 illustrates how our use of freedom affects our own lives

1) in verses 1–13 Paul shows how misuse of liberty can disqualify us from effective service to Christ

b.

Paul knew that idolatry was and is a real temptation