Sermon Transcript:Give a warm, warm welcome. Put your hands together for Pastor Brent. Yeah, thank you so much.Appreciate that. I want to welcome those who are online. Thank you all so much for being in the room. We had a great time last week with Dr. Berry creamer from Cristallo college is bringing First Corinthians nine. And really that whole idea of I Buffett my body and make it my slave list. After it's all said and done, I'd be disqualified. What I love about First Corinthians and the reason why we're doing this series is it's so practical for us as a church, it's really week in and week out is just giving us practicalities of how we're to conduct ourselves, as Christians as believers in the body of Christ, and how that affects the world and the people around us to our closest neighbor, right to those who we live with, and those who live on either side with, but also to anyone else in our community and our world. And so first Corinthians 10, he is going to bring up things that he's already sort of brought up. That whole idea of even meat or food offered to idols, there's going to be warnings, there's going to be blessings, there's going to be the idea of there's God makes a way out when you feel like you're tempted or things are heavy on you. And that's gonna happen all here in First Corinthians 10 today, so we're gonna put those scriptures up on the screen. So that way we can go through it. And as we go through it, I'll try to explain really where Paul's coming from. And if there's any allusions to the Old Testament, we'll try to reference those as well. Let's go and get started this morning. You have a Bible, First Corinthians chapter 10, beginning in verse one says this, I don't want you to forget Dear brothers and sisters, and that's the people of the church, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago, all of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them. And all of them walked through the sea, on dry ground, in the cloud. And in the sea. All of them were baptized as followers of Moses. Now I want to stop right there. What is he talking about? He's talking about that story of the Exodus account, were the people of God, who were known as Israelites back then. And we know that when Christ came, it's very clear that God didn't just come for the Israelites, but that he bless Israel to bless the nations. Jesus came a Jew, but he came for the Gentiles as well. And so here we look back at our spiritual ancestors, and we're seeing that they crossed through the Red Sea, all of them did, as they escaped as they were exiting from Egypt. And how were they guided, it was a cloud a pillar of cloud and pillar by a fire at night. But what did they do, they walk through dry land, all of them got to do that. So the waters were held back. That's what's going on so far. And these verses, all of them ate the same spiritual food. And all of them drank the same spiritual water, for they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them. And we now know that that rock was Christ, yet, God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Before we go the next slide, go ahead and keep that one up. I want to explain kind of what's going on here. Even when you're part of a great community of believers, whether it's this one or you've been a part of another one, or God may lead you to another church, because of moving or whatever in the future, you get real blessings. You get to be around people who look you in the eye, love you. And you know, say they're glad you're here. And we get to worship a real God and we get to have professional band people and even someone to maybe communicate with us who's done this before. But all that to say we all get the same spiritual meat or food. But guess what, in that desert, or in that wilderness, it says many didn't believe many sort of died right there in the wilderness. Even though everyone got the opportunity to partake of these spiritual blessings. It says most of them were were ended up dying there in the wilderness keep going. He says, Well, why why did this occur? These things happened as a warning to us so that we would not crave evil things as they did or worship idols as some of them did. We go all the way back to you remember that when Moses was up on Mount Sinai to get the 10 commandments? What did the people of God do so quickly? Give us an idol make us a golden calf? Let's throw everything we have in worship that some of them did, as the Scriptures say, the people celebrated with feasting and drinking and then indulge in pagan revelry. And we must not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. Now, what happened there? If you go back to numbers 25 You can read the story that God told them very clearly. Don't engage in sexual immorality, don't take pagan women and do what you want with them sexually. And they had one that just did that right there in front of everyone in front of the tent and all of a sudden a sphere comes through both of me saying and then because of that, applyspread out and killed 23 or 24,000 that day. That's what he's referencing. He keeps going to say these are warnings, isn't it so great that our God says, Listen, there's people before you who have not done the things of God. And that tells you in warnings, nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and then they died from snake bites. You may be familiar with some of these stories in the Old Testament, don't grumble as some of them did, and were destroyed by the angel of death. You see them falling in the wilderness and that, Jake, that Caleb and Joshua, they were able to come through these things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us see that second term of warning to those of us who live at the end of the age into the age is just the Church Age, when you see that in the scriptures. Don't get alarmed if we have been in the Church Age, the end of the age since the first century, since Jesus came the first time. If you think you're standing strong, this is such a good example. And I remember I would try to repeat this to myself and I was a young man, because I don't know if you were a young man like I was where you just thought you could take on the world. You thought you knew it all you knew better than your parents, you knew better than your teachers, you better than just about everyone. And so you thought you were strong in the scriptures are saying here. Listen, if you think you're standing strong, be careful not to what, what is the old accent, we always say it's biblical pride cometh for what? The Fall, right? And so be careful not to fall, why the temptations in your life are no different from what others experience that's so important. Because we often think that no, if you had to live with him, if you had to live with her, if you had to be with my boss, and this toxicity that I experienced, or if you had to go to this community or be a part of these people, I mean, you don't know and you're not you don't know what it's like to go through what I'm going through, someone in history has gone through something similar. The temptations in your life are no different than what God or what others experience and what does it say there who's faithful God and God is faithful, we'll go to the next slide there. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you're attempting, he will show you a way out so that you can endure this is so important. And again, these are verses I remember reading as a young man and just holding on to them and saying, God won't fail me, he won't fail me, people around me may fail me, people may disappoint me, I may be scared, I may be hurt, but God won't fail me. And then you get here and you actually have a promise that anytime we're tempted, and we've all been in multiple situations, you might have been tempted multiple times this week with a host of things, not just sexual immorality, but some opportunity for maybe financial or whatever it was, or to say a word that was unkind to your boss or your spouse or whatever. And all of a sudden, we realize that yes, a test comes for all of us every day, maybe every every week for sure. There's always a way out. I think about this in terms of Joseph, and how he fleed sexual immorality, that term has already been used in First Corinthians six, it's gonna be used again, that idea of move quickly away from things that tempt you and me, let's not hang out there. That's not going to be good for us remember that story of Joseph and Potter for his wife when she wants to go to bed with him and he flees from her. Same things going on here. When we talk about idol worship. In a minute. There's always a way when you and I think we can't stand or we can endure, God always creates a way. There's always a way of escape. There's always a way that we can get out of temptation. God does not tempt anyone, he does test us at times. Right? We know Satan and his demons, they tempt us. And we don't want to fail the tests. And even if we do, God gives us other opportunities. First point I wants to see this morning is that warnings are real. Did you see that in the verse verses this couple of times where these things these stories ever how horrendous they sound? 23,000 people died one day because of sexual morality. And people died in the wilderness and God led them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness. It's like, well, but why did that occur? It has consequences for their actions. And the scriptures are always calling us out calling us for it to say don't be like that. Those are written to warn you and me. And then we are given an opportunity to walk in the truth walk in the way that God has for us. So first point wants to see this morning is that warnings are real. Let's continue on in the passage, and already said that that word flee would come up again. We've already seen it earlier in Corinthians about sexual immorality. Now we turn a corner and says about idols. We've already talked about food offered to idols, he's going to bring that up again. So my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols, that seems reasonable. You are reasonable people decide for yourself if what I am saying is true. Now, we would know that that that idol worship is bad. It was bad for Old Testament Jewish people. It's bad for Christians and believers. It's part of the 10 commandments. It's the second one IHey, the first one is, you know the Lord your God, he is one. The second one is make no idols before me. And so we have this idea here is you understand this is reasonable, decide for yourself if what I'm saying is true. When we bless the cup at the Lord's table, aren't we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren't we sharing in the body of Christ? And though we are many we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body? Think about the people of Israel, weren't they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar? What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance or that idols are real?No, they're not real Gods at all. I'm saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God next, slow down what in the world is going on here, Pastor, we went from talking about God and maybe some good things. And we got some more warnings going on here. We went real quick, right? Hard turn for a lot of us to demons. What's going on here? Well think about what we do at the Lord's Supper, we all try to come together, whether we kneel together, whether we take it in our own chairs, or whatever. And we all try to break from one piece of unleavened bread or one loaf if we want to celebrate it in a New Covenant sense, the new heavens and new earth will all break bread with Christ forever and ever. So what's going on here? It's saying, well, that's real. That's worship, we know that that's how we are connecting with Christ and one another. But if you find yourself partaking of food offered to idols, this is what you're participating in. We don't want you to participate with demons, you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons to you cannot eat at the Lord's table and at the table of demons to what, Dare we rouse the Lord's jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is? So what is kind of going on here? Now, this is the same thing that you and I sort of think about, we can go there pretty easily, if you and I go out to eat afterwards, and we go to a steak place. So maybe you're doing pretty good this week, or this month. So you can afford to go to a steak place right after church on Sunday, and you gave to the church first, of course, you know, but, but you can afford to go and it's gonna be about $35 A piece and whoever you got around the table about eating some steak plus tip and drink insides and all the rest, but you're gonna sit there and you're gonna have a steak now, you didn't ask where it came from, it was just brought to you at your favorite place, whether it was Logan's or Outback or Texas Roadhouse, or wherever it is you like to go. But if someone comes out, I am telling you if if you find out because the chef, or the waiter, or the waitress says, Hey, listen, before you enjoy this steak, I want you to know that we did a ritual back in the back. And we were we cut the blood towards the demons. We had a little we had a little ceremony. And so don't don't you worry, I think it's okay, but just know that before you eat the steak, that that was sacrifice, to bail or to demons or to demonic activity, I just want you to know, okay, by the power of God, you just put that sacred on back say I'm good, right? That's what he's saying here. Now, if it was done, and you didn't have any knowledge of that, well, you're not you're not held accountable to that, right. We don't always know how our food comes to us. He's saying though, but if you know, if you know that it came to you by unrighteous means by by sacrificing first to an idol, you need to push that back, you need to stay away from that. It's very similar to the wisdom that he had called us to earlier. As far as like food offered to idols. We're doing all of this so that we don't cause our brothers and sisters to stumbled so that we can all move towards love. And that'll become clear if it's not already in further passages. But it wants to see the second point this morning as it relates to idols. He's warning us about idols that some of you are saying, pass, I don't think I'm in danger. Yeah, I had some ancestors who maybe were part of Native American tribes and I think they worshiped at idols or totem poles, maybe had some aunts or uncles somewhere, you know, from Chihuahua or Bladez. And I think some of them maybe had some idols, you know, and an altar. But you know, we don't do that in our home. We're out here on the horizon, or on the east of the Far East. We're good, okay, we don't put that up in our manuals anymore. Well, here's the warning about idols. What you and I may not realize is that idols have everything to do with the heart. It often is manifested in an actual being or things that we put up, right we know it's not real, like a wooden idol, or stone idol or something we fashioned out of our hands, or someone else fashioned out of their hands. But that's not the issue. The issue is the heart and how we view things and put things before God. So I want us to see this as far as how we can identify and understand idols, modern day understanding of idols hear in 2024 for many of us, and again, I know that some of y'all may have even come from ancestors and backgrounds that put these up in their homes, but many of us maybe did not. And even still, whether youdid or didn't? What is an idol? And how do idols manifest themselves in our life, mostly in a secular sort of 2024 Western world? An idol is anything that you and I will send to get, or sin if we don't get it. So what do you mean by that? So, think about anything that you want so bad, whatever it is, and it can be a good thing, right? A relationship, a promotion, certain car or house or whatever. You want it so bad, that you're willing to bend the rules, you're willing, you're willing to go against God's moral law, your own conscience, and what everybody knows is right and wrong to get it. Or if you don't get it, you're gonna grumble and complain and pout, because why you didn't get your way. This isn't clear. Let's go to the next slide. I think this will become abundantly clear. Now, this isn't meant to be too discouraging. But I think it's helpful for us to understand the heart. When the Bible talks about the heart. That's the central thing in our lives. We understand our heart pumps, but pumps blood throughout our entire body, biblically, and spiritually, the heart is how things Enter, and then they pervade our whole body. Jesus talked about this, that when you and I are mad at someone, and we say an unkind word to them, Where's that coming from? That has nothing to do with what we ate? Stomach is for food, good, fine. But he's saying that where does this come from? These words, these thoughts, who we are, it comes from our heart central to who we are. The bad news is that all of us because we're born in sin, and because we're born wandering, that we in our hearts, we have a factory of idols, and we have opportunity all the time, whether you're in this room, or you walk out in the community, to what to be envious of another person's house, or car or spouse, or to do what to say, Okay, I need love and because you're not giving me the love that I deserve, I'm gonna let you have it. Right. That's what it that's how we know an idol exists and what an idol is. So you think about all of us have some right now I sort of, before I got up, I sort of filtered I kind of know what my two or three are right now. Because I know that when I don't get my way in that area, there's hell to pay, right? I mean, somebody's gonna hear about it. And that's how we know that something's an idol. Because if, if we don't get it, we'll send to get it. And if we don't get it, we'll, we'll we'll sin because we haven't got it. So it can be respect, these things are good. Money's used in a world system. I'm not against money, God's not against money. But he talks a lot about it to say that that's where your heart is that your treasure is there, your heart will be also loves not bad, some bad to want a spouse or significant other or to date or to, you know, want somebody to respect you. But what do we do and we don't get our way in the workforce? How are we going about in pursuing our careers? Are we doing that with integrity? Are we doing it the way everyone else does it? Whether it's right or wrong? Sex isn't a bad thing. God talks a lot about that. We've talked about that because it's in the Bible. But what are you doing to say, Okay, I deserve this, I need this. So I'm gonna go out and get it. However I can. Or we talked about this house and family family can be an idol. Can you believe that? Where you don't prioritize with your family worship of God, that it's really an end in and of itself, or it's a means in and of itself. And God is saying whatever your idols are, and I can't I think I gave you a good way to sort of identify two or three in your heart in your life right now. He's saying, Be careful, he's warning you and me about idols to say why it's second on the 10 commandments for a reason. It will trip you and I up and it will not lead to where we think it will lead to how we conduct ourselves. Great question. I think he gets to that into the third part of the passage today.All right, sohe says starting in verse 23, of the same chapter, chapter 10. I say I'm allowed to do anything, but not everything is good for you and me. I'm allowed to do anything but not everything is beneficial. Now, we all still do this today. I'm free. I'm free to watch I want to watch your day to one a day or to do what I want to do or to say what I want to say. Yeah, but is it all beneficial? Is it all good? Don't be concerned about your own good but for the good of others now wait a second. No, no, no, no, no, no, it's about me and what I want right now this is me time. I've done that. No, no, no, listen, I'm not saying be a doormat to people. I'm saying what Jesus is saying, which is Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. What's the second commandment that Jesus gave remember these two commandments really all of them come under that what is it it's love your neighbor as yourselfto the degree that you're concerned that you're clothed and fed and taking care of your to do that for others because Christians are people who do not only seek out their own good but what the good of others so you may eat any meat that issold in the marketplace without raising questions of contents. So that's what I'm trying to say when you and I go out to eat. We don't need to, because don't do this should be real weird. Don't go to the person at our back and be like, hey, was this meat sacrificed to Satan back there in the back? Don't do that. Okay? He's saying you don't have to. You don't have to question all that. But now if you find out it was right, first point remains, you push back, okay? For the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. So however your meat, fruit and vegetables came to you, unless you know it came from Shady means you're good to just take them. If someone who isn't a believer ask youfor home, as your home for dinner, except the invitation if you want to write. We talked about this last. Well, two weeks ago when I was talking about the type of homes that I find myself in, in my family and in the El Paso area, eat whatever is offered you without raising questions of conscience, it's just good, you know, being a good person at the table. But suppose someone tells you this meats offered tonight don't eat it out of consideration for the contents of the one he told you, it might not be a matter of conscience for you. But it is for the other person, right? We've all run into this test. So now as we talked about this in terms of alcohol, you know, is alcohol good or bad. And Christians have kind of been all over the page on all that for the last 100 years or so since prohibition. But the deal is our aim is love. We know drunkenness is bad. But what about just having a drink in public there? Probably all that. Those are good questions to ask. But he's given us some good wisdom principles to how to think through that. For Why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? They thought about that. And Corinthians, we think about that, too. I'm not gonna, I'm gonna limit myself. If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it. Why should I be condemned for eating it? He's saying, Listen, there's, there's a, there's a way, there's a way to think about all of this. So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. And that's really kind of the culmination, you may have memorized that verse before chapter 10, you can really memorize two verses in chapter 1010 13, and 1031. And they'll really help you out even in your walk this week, that 1013, we've already went over that this idea that God won't tempt you beyond what you and I can handle. And even if he does, he provides a way of escape. First Corinthians 1031. So whether you eat drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God, these are good, like verses that you and I can write down and put it in our pockets, or put it on our phones and have them pop up throughout the week so that we can be reminded about what it is we're supposed to be about. He said, Well, how do I do that? Well, again, it's like, there is a way and you know, this, when you sit down to have a meal, or even if you're by yourself, and you had cereal and orange juice like I did this morning, you're gonna say, God, thank you for this, thank you that there was a fridge. And that was there, and I was able to pull it out. And thank you that I had a cup and not to drink all the carton. And I think I was able to pour it and you gave me the strength to do that. Thank you for this cereal, that's just enough. And I was able to cut some strawberries and put it on top. And thank you that was able to eat this. And thank you for, you know, my digestive system working right and all that. And thank you for the strength to be able to get up and give God's word to God's people today. So you see where I'm going that were just I didn't say I thought through all of those. But I thought through a few of them. And I'm thinking through them now and praising God for him. Now, that's how we eat and drink to the glory of God. Same way you do when you're thankful at a meal. That's why we pray. I know, even at a very basic level, many of us pray before our meal. So we know at a minimum we know we talked to God and thanked him at least once today for what he's done. Don't give offense to Jews or Gentiles, or the Church of God, right? Because we're all together. I to try to please everyone and everything I do. I don't just do what is best for me, right? We've already seen this principle, I do what is best for others so that they may be served or saved. So you saw this before this whole idea that Paul is giving up his rights and you and I he gives us a great model for this. That's why I remember distinctly when I was 20 years old and I spent a lot of time over in Europe and I had to go to not had to I chose to go to pubs in Scotland and England, I would always make sure that there was at least a beer at the table even if I just sipped it because they would think I was crazy if I was in a pub and I wanted to have a conversation with another man and I didn't at least have a beer in front of me even if I didn't know what to do with it. Okay, at least had it there Right? Because why that was loving to them I didn't even like it right? But that's that's a way to serve. Now another sense I've been in the deep south at times, where to even have one publicly could get you fired from your church shop so that you shouldn't I'm saying those are two different scenarios. And I don't care either way. Bring the beer to the table. Don't bring the beer the table. I don't care. I'm just trying to make my angle and my means is to love and care more about someone else to try to love them instead of what I may want or not want. Lisa third and final point this morning. You and I are to use our freedom for loveWe oftentimes what we're told by the world is use your freedom to express you and your identity. And again, nobody's asking you to like stifle yourself if it's if it's honest before God about in your God honoring and who you are and what you want to do, nobody's asking you to be a doormat. But what God is asking unite to do is to consider others more than ourselves. And he's really asking us to lean into the second commandment, if you think and say you really love God, you and I will know that's true by our what, by our fruit by our lives. And so when we think about our freedom, I'm free to watch that I'm free to play that I'm free to go there. I'm free to spend my money on this. Yes, that may all be true. But keep in mind, we've already talked about of making sure before God, you don't have that as an idol in your life. Just ask the Lord, how bad do you want this car? Are you willing to send to get it? Or send if you don't? And can you drive it and, and drink this drink? Or eat this food to the glory of God? And have you thought about that you're using your freedom? For what for love not so that you can say, Hey, look at me or not, so that you can spend your money on that before you've you know, given to the church or given to others, but that you really after you've sort of gone through those sort of things. After you've asked the hard questions of yourself and of your heart, you say, No, I really do think I just want this vehicle for love, I need to get from point A to point B, it's a decent ride. So then you're free to buy it, you probably should buy it if it's just a decent ride a good, reliable vehicle to get from point A to point B and you need one. That's good. You're trying to love maybe yourself and your family by by providing you maybe because you have a job that or whatever, we could go through the whole lineup, food, whatever it is, whatever it is, we're thinking about right now. Go through and ask yourself, Okay, can I honor God with this purchase? Or with this way of thinking with this lifestyle? Okay, next, is it an idle? If it is, it still may not mean you can do that you shouldn't have it like family is good, good to have family. But where is that in place of God? And then ask yourself, Okay, whatever I feel like I'm free to do. Am I filtering this through the means of love?First Corinthians 1031 says this, and this is rule leave with a challenge. And we're gonna have a fun song here at the end. So please don't leave. First Corinthians 1031 says, so whether you eat or drink whatever you and I do, let's find a way to do it for the glory of God. Let's pray. Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank you that you care for us. We thank You that You give us means and abilities to worship you. We've already worked with you this morning. We want to continue to worship You. We thank You for Your Word. We thank you how you never leave us nor forsake us. We thank you for these warnings. But I pray right now for those in the room that need to be shaken, shaken out of their sin. I pray for those who need to be encouraged, who are faint hearted and I pray for all of us that we may find ways to glorify you and whatever you have for us today, this week, and all the days of our life. What is this in Christ's name and for His glory? Amen.Hallelujah. That was awesome message. Amen.

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