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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now come along, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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We'll go ahead and get into
the word here this evening.

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Now, how many of you had a
really, really big lunch and you're

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ready for a nap?

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Oh boy, this is going to be a
tough one.

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Then we are going to be
getting into tonight a very complex

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issue within the church, and
that is the relationship between

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our christian liberty and
freedom and offending other brothers

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and sisters.

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Okay.

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And you would say, well, what?

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What are you talking about?

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As Christians, we have
freedom, we have liberty.

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Let me ask, this is gonna be
more of a teaching session, okay?

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Tonight it's gonna be a little
bit different, so I hope you're okay

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with that.

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It's not gonna be as preachy
as much as it is teaching because

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it's a necessity to teach
through this.

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These are the topics that are
not always brought out in church.

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Sadly enough, these are issues
that sometimes get skipped over when

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we are looking at other more
popular, easier to preach passages.

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But we're in the book of acts.

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You can go ahead and get ahead
of me and get to acts, chapter 15.

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We are right in the middle of
the Jerusalem council.

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Now, I know it's been a couple weeks.

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I know we had the McCluskeys
here last week.

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I know we had a fifth Sunday
before that.

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So it's been two whole Sunday
nights since we've talked about this.

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And so I'm going to catch you
up with what the Jerusalem council

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is and what we can learn from it.

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Okay?

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So this is a topic that we're
gonna be talking about this evening

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that is sometimes glossed over
or it's over emphasized on one side

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or the other.

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As Christians, do we live now
under the law?

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Let me see, yes or no?

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Do we live under the law?

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No.

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We're thankful for that.

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Amen.

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Right?

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Guess what?

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You cannot keep the law.

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None of us can keep the law.

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Now do we throw out the law
and say the law means nothing to

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us?

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No.

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There are things that we can
learn from the heart of God in instituting

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the law, but there is
something called abusing our liberty

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and offending another brother.

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We're going to talk about what
the outcome of that would be within

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the church, specifically
within the Jerusalem council.

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So let me catch you up with this.

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There's this church in Antioch
that had Jews and gentiles as believers.

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And so they were fellowshiping
together, they were worshiping together.

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And ultimately everything was
going smoothly as best it could.

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And then there were some
people that came from Jerusalem.

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That started to tell the
people that everyone there had to

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be under the law of Moses.

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So to be a believer, to be a
Christian, they had to adhere to

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circumcision, which meant this
was the gateway to get into the faith.

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So you had to do that.

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You had to be marked by the
law of Moses to become a Christian.

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And you had to keep the law to
continue to be a Christian, to receive

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the grace of God.

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So they were preaching faith
plus works, faith plus the law.

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And you can go back and look
at that there.

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In the early part of acts 15.

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And certain men which came
down from Judea.

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This is verse one, taught the
brethren and said, except ye be circumcised

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after the manner of Moses, ye
cannot be saved.

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And so there is the issue of salvation.

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Okay?

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So to come into the family of
God, you must be circumcised.

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You must be part of the law of Moses.

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And be under the law of Moses
like they had been for thousands

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of years.

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Okay?

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Then we see later on in verse
five, it says.

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But there rose up a certain
sect of the Pharisees.

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Which believed, saying that it
was needful to circumcise them.

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So to get into the family of
God, you had to follow the law.

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But then it says here, and to
command them to keep the law of Moses.

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And so that speaks to, after
they're saved, to follow the law

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of Moses.

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Or they would not be in God's
good grace.

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And so there was this conflict.

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Because they had heard from
Paul and from Barnabas.

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That it's by faith and faith alone.

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And now they're hearing that
it's faith plus the law.

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So now they have to figure
this out.

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So we have what's called the
Jerusalem Council.

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All these people meet there in
Jerusalem, and now they're going

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to have this council.

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And we see the first person
talking here.

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It's Peter, verse seven.

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And when there had been much
disputing, so there was a lot of

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conversation, there's a conflict.

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Some people believe this.

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Some people believe this.

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They're disputing.

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Then it says here, Peter rose
up and said unto them, men and brethren,

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ye know how that a good while
ago God made choice among us.

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That the gentiles by my mouth
should hear the word of the gospel

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and believe.

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And God which knoweth the
hearts, bear them witness, giving

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them the Holy Ghost even as he
did unto us.

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And so Peter is the first one
that steps up and says, no, God has

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said the gentiles can come in
by faith and faith alone belief.

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That is the standard, just as
it is a standard with us.

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Then he goes on to something
very interesting here.

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He says that this is the same
holy spirit that you have, that the

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Gentiles have.

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And he says, and put no
difference between us and them, purifying

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their hearts by this is verse
nine by faith.

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And so Peter is emphasizing
salvation by faith alone.

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We're going to get to the
importance of that here in a few

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moments.

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But then he says in verse ten
something very interesting now, therefore,

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why tempt ye God to put a yoke
or a burden upon the neck of the

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disciples?

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That's not just the twelve disciples.

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That's the followers of
Christ, which neither our fathers

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nor we were able to bear.

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So Peter's essentially saying this.

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We weren't able to keep the
law to save us.

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Our fathers weren't able to
keep the law to save us.

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Why would we expect the
gentiles now that are accepting Christ

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to keep the same law?

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We can't.

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That's something that God has
not expected from them.

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And so we see that verse
eleven, but we believe that through

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the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we shall be saved even as

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day.

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Peter gives this great
statement here at the Jerusalem council

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about salvation by faith
alone, by God's grace, not by works.

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And so we see what happens
here in verse twelve.

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The multitude kept silent.

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So they're thinking about what
Peter just said and gave audience

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to Barnabas and Paul.

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So they're hearing the
testimonies of these gentiles coming

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to Christ.

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And then it says, verse 13.

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And after they had held their
peace, James answered, saying, men

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and brethren, hearken unto me.

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And so this is where we're
gonna pick up now.

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James is going to add on to
what Peter has said.

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Now who is this James?

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This is not the apostle James.

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The apostle James, as we
already know, has been martyred by

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Herodore.

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So this is not the apostle James.

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This is James, the half
brother of Jesus.

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This is James that wrote, and
most commentators will believe that

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this is James that wrote the
book of James.

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He was at this point in time a
leader in the church at Jerusalem.

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So he holds a lot of weight.

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He holds a lot of authority.

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Now we don't believe that he
holds authority above the word of

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God.

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That's a whole other teaching,
and we don't need to get there right

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now.

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But there is no man that holds
authority over the word of God.

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It's the word of God as our
sole authority in faith and practice.

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So James is just discerning by
the spirit here.

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And ultimately we know that
they don't have the canon of scripture

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completed.

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So James is here, is
explaining this teaching and this

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thought process.

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And so he says, men and
brethren, hearken unto me.

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Simeon hath declared how God
at the first did visit the Gentiles.

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He's talking about Peter here
to take out of them a people for

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his name.

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And to this agree the words of
the prophets as it is written.

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After this, I will return and
will build again the tabernacle of

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David which has fallen down,
and I will build again the ruins

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thereof.

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And I will set it up that the
residue of men might seek after the

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Lord.

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And all the Gentiles upon whom
my name is called, saith the Lord,

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who doeth all these things
known unto God are all of his works

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from the beginning of the world.

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And so essentially what we see
here is he's quoting the prophet,

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saying, this was a prophecy
that is now being fulfilled, that

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God is going to engraft in the
gentiles into the family of Goddesse.

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So he says, hey, this was
already told to us that we don't

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need to be shocked about this.

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So he says, this is God's plan
coming to pass.

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Wherefore my sentence is that
we trouble, not them.

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So what James says, is this
the same thing Peter says, don't

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trouble them with something
more than what God expects from them.

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Don't trouble them with the law.

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If the law is not what saves
us, don't expect them to do something

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to add on to their salvation.

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Now, we need to stop here, and
we need to say this.

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Okay?

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None of us struggle with
keeping the law of Moses.

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I don't think any of you read
through the ten commandments or all

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613 commandments and say,
well, you know what?

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We all need to keep that, or
none of us are saved.

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I don't think we struggle with that.

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But sometimes what we end up
struggling with is things that we've

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been taught by tradition that
we think has to be added to have

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someone completely saved or to
be growing in their faith.

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And so what we see here is
Peter and James.

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And all of scripture tells us
that if we add anything to the gospel,

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if we add anything to our
faith, if we add anything to the

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grace of God, we're adding
something that doesn't need to be

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there.

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That's the yoke of bondage.

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Now you're going to say, where
are you going with this?

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Where I'm going with this is
sometimes we can abuse this liberty.

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We're going to talk about that
here in a few moments because James

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is about to say they're free
to not be under the law of Moses,

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but there are some things that
they need to do.

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You say what?

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He's contradicting himself.

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He just said that they're only
saved by grace through faith.

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But now he's going to give
them some guidelines.

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Well, we're going to talk
about what these guidelines are here

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this evening.

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So he says, verse 19,
wherefore my sentence is that we

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trouble them not, which from
among the gentiles are turned to

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God.

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So don't trouble the gentiles
that have turned to God.

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Don't put a stumbling block in
front of them.

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Don't put a rock of offense in
front of them.

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If they're trying to follow
God, let them follow God.

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Don't give them something that.

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That we think is so important.

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Verse 20.

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But that we write unto them
that they abstain from pollution

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of idols and from fornication
and from things strangled and from

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blood.

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Say, what is he talking about here?

243
00:10:37,818 --> 00:10:41,810
Well, essentially what happens
here is that James, this is, again,

244
00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:46,066
the half brother of Jesus, he
says that there are some things that

245
00:10:46,138 --> 00:10:49,528
we would call them, quote
unquote, rules or guidelines that

246
00:10:49,544 --> 00:10:51,504
the gentile Christians should
live by.

247
00:10:51,672 --> 00:10:54,672
These were not rules that the
Gentiles must follow in order to

248
00:10:54,696 --> 00:10:57,264
be saved or keep being saved.

249
00:10:57,432 --> 00:11:01,264
These were rules that would
build harmony with the jewish people

250
00:11:01,352 --> 00:11:04,872
and the Gentiles, the jewish
Christians and the gentile Christians.

251
00:11:05,016 --> 00:11:09,384
And so if the gentiles were to
eat meat, sacrifice to idols, that

252
00:11:09,432 --> 00:11:10,420
would offend.

253
00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:14,334
If the gentiles ate the meat,
it would offend the Jews.

254
00:11:14,432 --> 00:11:14,882
Right?

255
00:11:14,986 --> 00:11:18,322
And so there was something for
the gentiles to do to not cause an

256
00:11:18,346 --> 00:11:20,434
offense with the Jews.

257
00:11:20,602 --> 00:11:22,618
And so that's what he's
telling them here.

258
00:11:22,794 --> 00:11:25,194
And so, yes, they should
abstain from fornication.

259
00:11:25,322 --> 00:11:28,194
They should abstain from the
pollution of idols.

260
00:11:28,362 --> 00:11:31,714
But then we see this idea of
them eating certain types of things,

261
00:11:31,762 --> 00:11:35,722
like they can't eat this meat
that's strangled meat sacrificed

262
00:11:35,746 --> 00:11:36,630
to idols.

263
00:11:37,370 --> 00:11:40,266
This way of living was a very
pagan way.

264
00:11:40,298 --> 00:11:41,938
And the four rules were
essentially this.

265
00:11:42,034 --> 00:11:44,290
They should abstain from food
polluted from idols.

266
00:11:44,370 --> 00:11:46,386
They should abstain from
sexual immorality.

267
00:11:46,498 --> 00:11:50,098
They should abstain from meat
of strangled animals and of that

268
00:11:50,154 --> 00:11:52,194
blood of those animals to not
eat that blood.

269
00:11:52,362 --> 00:11:55,578
And so the instructions were
not intended to guarantee salvation,

270
00:11:55,754 --> 00:11:58,970
but to promote peace within
the early church.

271
00:11:59,130 --> 00:12:00,834
So I want you to think about
it this way.

272
00:12:00,962 --> 00:12:04,954
Could these individuals
actually eat meat sacrifice to idols?

273
00:12:05,002 --> 00:12:06,346
We're gonna dig into that here
this evening.

274
00:12:06,378 --> 00:12:08,062
We're not gonna finish this
complete message.

275
00:12:08,146 --> 00:12:08,982
This is a two parter.

276
00:12:09,006 --> 00:12:10,206
I can guarantee you that.

277
00:12:10,358 --> 00:12:12,662
But we're gonna see in other
passages of scripture that Paul says,

278
00:12:12,686 --> 00:12:15,198
meat sacrifice to idols in and
of itself isn't evil.

279
00:12:15,334 --> 00:12:15,838
Go ahead.

280
00:12:15,894 --> 00:12:16,566
You can do it.

281
00:12:16,638 --> 00:12:18,254
If it doesn't offend your
conscience, do it.

282
00:12:18,342 --> 00:12:20,078
But then we see somewhat of a
contradiction here.

283
00:12:20,094 --> 00:12:22,410
James says, don't eat meat
sacrifice to idols.

284
00:12:22,710 --> 00:12:23,838
So what is he talking about here?

285
00:12:23,854 --> 00:12:24,974
Well, he's not talking about salvation.

286
00:12:25,022 --> 00:12:26,410
He's not talking about sin.

287
00:12:26,750 --> 00:12:28,758
He's talking about offending
our brother.

288
00:12:28,854 --> 00:12:31,542
He's talking about offending
someone within the church and going

289
00:12:31,606 --> 00:12:32,046
away.

290
00:12:32,158 --> 00:12:37,142
That would be in my purview as
a Christian to live out, but it might

291
00:12:37,166 --> 00:12:38,038
offend my brother.

292
00:12:38,134 --> 00:12:40,470
And so we're going to dig a
little bit deeper into that here

293
00:12:40,590 --> 00:12:41,310
tonight.

294
00:12:41,470 --> 00:12:45,230
And he says here in verse 21,
for Moses of old time hath in every

295
00:12:45,270 --> 00:12:48,390
city them that preached him
being read in the synagogues every

296
00:12:48,430 --> 00:12:49,410
Sabbath day.

297
00:12:50,070 --> 00:12:52,502
And so I want to dig a little
bit deeper into this thought process.

298
00:12:52,566 --> 00:12:55,526
But what I want you to think
about here tonight is the concept

299
00:12:55,558 --> 00:12:56,490
of unity.

300
00:12:56,870 --> 00:12:59,406
Do we as christians, have
freedom to do certain things?

301
00:12:59,478 --> 00:13:01,030
Yes, we do.

302
00:13:01,190 --> 00:13:04,790
Does anything that you do
negate the grace of God in your life?

303
00:13:04,830 --> 00:13:07,710
Can you sin and lose your salvation?

304
00:13:07,870 --> 00:13:08,758
We don't believe that.

305
00:13:08,814 --> 00:13:10,758
I don't believe that we can
sin and lose our salvation.

306
00:13:10,854 --> 00:13:13,170
I believe in the eternal
security of Jesus Christ.

307
00:13:13,630 --> 00:13:17,270
I believe that if we sin, we
are still in his grasp.

308
00:13:17,390 --> 00:13:19,166
We still have eternal destination.

309
00:13:19,318 --> 00:13:22,902
So you have the freedom to
exercise whatever you want in your

310
00:13:22,926 --> 00:13:23,518
life.

311
00:13:23,694 --> 00:13:26,598
But we're gonna look here in a
couple of different passages in the

312
00:13:26,614 --> 00:13:30,536
New Testament about how
there's danger in living out my liberty

313
00:13:30,568 --> 00:13:35,340
completely, fully, and not
caring about others around me.

314
00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,440
And so we're gonna see that
the whole heart of the Jerusalem

315
00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:42,780
council was first to figure
out how individuals can come to Christ.

316
00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,728
Is it by faith, or is it by
faith plus works?

317
00:13:45,824 --> 00:13:49,072
But then the secondary issue
was the unity of the fellowship when

318
00:13:49,096 --> 00:13:52,232
you have two different types
of people, the Jews and the gentiles.

319
00:13:52,376 --> 00:13:54,926
And so I want you to go to a
couple other passages that deal with

320
00:13:55,048 --> 00:13:57,618
eating meat sacrificed to
idols, because that's the big issue

321
00:13:57,674 --> 00:14:01,226
here for the people, whether
or not they were going to eat this

322
00:14:01,258 --> 00:14:04,466
meat or where they weren't,
because if they said they're saved

323
00:14:04,498 --> 00:14:08,618
by faith alone, James just
says, no, you can't do these things.

324
00:14:08,754 --> 00:14:11,698
And so there's an issue here,
and some people would call this a

325
00:14:11,714 --> 00:14:14,082
contradiction, because there's
some passages in the New Testament

326
00:14:14,106 --> 00:14:16,162
that say you can eat meat
sacrifice to idols.

327
00:14:16,226 --> 00:14:18,586
There's other passages in the
New Testament that warn against eating

328
00:14:18,618 --> 00:14:19,834
meat sacrifice to idols.

329
00:14:19,922 --> 00:14:20,522
Oh, there you go.

330
00:14:20,546 --> 00:14:21,330
There's a contradiction.

331
00:14:21,370 --> 00:14:23,120
No, because we're talking
about unity here.

332
00:14:23,210 --> 00:14:26,804
We're talking about the
difference of my freedom in my salvation

333
00:14:26,892 --> 00:14:30,200
and my discernment in how to
deal with other christians.

334
00:14:31,180 --> 00:14:33,276
And then the big issue is the conscience.

335
00:14:33,428 --> 00:14:37,244
The Bible speaks of offending
conscience, and then also the Bible

336
00:14:37,292 --> 00:14:39,876
says about how I can be a
stumbling block to another brother

337
00:14:39,908 --> 00:14:40,476
or sister in Christ.

338
00:14:40,508 --> 00:14:41,988
So first Corinthians, chapter eight.

339
00:14:42,004 --> 00:14:44,116
Let's go over to one
corinthians, chapter eight, because

340
00:14:44,148 --> 00:14:46,684
we're going to dig deep into
this topic this evening.

341
00:14:46,772 --> 00:14:49,128
I don't know how much we're
going to accomplish, but we're gonna

342
00:14:49,144 --> 00:14:50,752
get through as much as we can
here this evening.

343
00:14:50,776 --> 00:14:54,304
So let's think about this idea
of meat sacrifice to idols, because

344
00:14:54,352 --> 00:14:56,056
that's in context what's being
talked about.

345
00:14:56,088 --> 00:14:58,872
But ultimately, we're talking
about the freedom that we have in

346
00:14:58,896 --> 00:14:59,248
Christ.

347
00:14:59,344 --> 00:15:00,728
So, first Corinthians, chapter eight.

348
00:15:00,744 --> 00:15:02,580
And I want you to look at
verse number four.

349
00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,540
Paul addresses food sacrificed
to idols.

350
00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,776
Now, we can all agree,
hopefully tonight, that idolatry

351
00:15:10,808 --> 00:15:14,576
is sin, that idolatry is
wrong, that idolatry is something

352
00:15:14,608 --> 00:15:16,346
that we should not deal with.

353
00:15:16,528 --> 00:15:22,614
Okay, but what if meat is
sacrificed to idols?

354
00:15:22,742 --> 00:15:23,542
What do we do?

355
00:15:23,646 --> 00:15:25,158
Well, Paul deals with that here.

356
00:15:25,294 --> 00:15:27,118
So he's not justifying idolatry.

357
00:15:27,174 --> 00:15:29,886
He's talking about eating meat
sacrifice to idols.

358
00:15:29,998 --> 00:15:32,614
So, verse four, as concerning,
therefore, the eating of those things

359
00:15:32,662 --> 00:15:36,702
which are offered in sacrifice
unto idols, we know that an idol

360
00:15:36,766 --> 00:15:38,530
is nothing in the world.

361
00:15:39,190 --> 00:15:41,428
So what is Paul saying here to
the teaching?

362
00:15:41,534 --> 00:15:44,584
In this teaching, he's saying,
an idol is nothing.

363
00:15:44,712 --> 00:15:46,176
An idol's not real.

364
00:15:46,368 --> 00:15:48,552
An idol is made up of gold or wood.

365
00:15:48,736 --> 00:15:52,140
And so the idol in and of
itself does not corrupt the meat.

366
00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,112
It's the action or the heart
behind it.

367
00:15:55,256 --> 00:15:57,648
It's the worship of that idol
that's a sin.

368
00:15:57,824 --> 00:16:00,424
It's eating that meat and
saying, well, I'm partaking of this

369
00:16:00,472 --> 00:16:02,512
in the spirit of this idolatry.

370
00:16:02,656 --> 00:16:07,340
But he says, in and of itself,
the idol is not a real thing.

371
00:16:08,010 --> 00:16:11,402
And so he says, consider those
eating of the things sacrificed to

372
00:16:11,426 --> 00:16:11,866
idols.

373
00:16:11,938 --> 00:16:14,786
We know that an idol is
nothing in the world and that there

374
00:16:14,818 --> 00:16:17,154
is none other God but one.

375
00:16:17,322 --> 00:16:19,378
So it says these idols are
just nothing.

376
00:16:19,514 --> 00:16:20,750
There's only one God.

377
00:16:21,650 --> 00:16:25,578
For though there be that are
called gods, whether in heaven or

378
00:16:25,594 --> 00:16:29,730
in earth, as there be many
gods many, and lords many, but to

379
00:16:29,770 --> 00:16:33,078
us there is but one God, the
father, of whom all are all things,

380
00:16:33,194 --> 00:16:36,998
and we in him, and one lord
Jesus Christ, by whom all things,

381
00:16:37,054 --> 00:16:38,374
and we by him.

382
00:16:38,502 --> 00:16:41,342
We're gonna go all the way
down here to verse number 13.

383
00:16:41,526 --> 00:16:45,918
HoWBEIt there is not in EveRy
man that knowledge for some with

384
00:16:45,974 --> 00:16:50,566
conscience of the idol unto
this hour eat it as a thing offered

385
00:16:50,598 --> 00:16:51,310
unto an idol.

386
00:16:51,350 --> 00:16:54,262
So he says, there are some
people that eat it with that mindset

387
00:16:54,286 --> 00:16:56,678
of offering it to an idol, and
they are sinning.

388
00:16:56,814 --> 00:16:58,370
Okay, that is wrong.

389
00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:00,440
And so he says so.

390
00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,504
And their conscience, being
weak, is defiled.

391
00:17:03,672 --> 00:17:07,800
So he's talking about someone
who has an understanding of this

392
00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,992
idolatry, and they're eating
it with the understanding that that

393
00:17:11,016 --> 00:17:13,440
idol is in that meat and that
meat is corrupted.

394
00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,816
He says, if they have offended
their conscience, being weak, then

395
00:17:16,848 --> 00:17:17,736
they have sinned.

396
00:17:17,848 --> 00:17:24,478
But MEat commendeth us not to
God, for neither if we eat, are we

397
00:17:24,584 --> 00:17:25,250
the better.

398
00:17:25,370 --> 00:17:27,922
Neither if we eat not, are we
the Worse.

399
00:17:28,066 --> 00:17:31,938
But take heedless any means,
this liberty of yours become a stumbling

400
00:17:31,994 --> 00:17:33,546
block to them that are weak.

401
00:17:33,578 --> 00:17:34,418
And so what does he say here?

402
00:17:34,434 --> 00:17:36,514
He says, it doesn't matter
what you eat.

403
00:17:36,682 --> 00:17:39,258
It doesn't matter what you eat
because meat is meat.

404
00:17:39,394 --> 00:17:44,030
But he says, if there is an
individual who in their conscience

405
00:17:44,690 --> 00:17:46,146
is, this is a sin.

406
00:17:46,258 --> 00:17:47,950
We need to be cautious of that.

407
00:17:48,330 --> 00:17:52,378
We as a person need not be a
stumbling block to somebody else

408
00:17:52,434 --> 00:17:53,436
in our freedom.

409
00:17:53,538 --> 00:17:54,800
We're going to get to that
here in a few moments.

410
00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:58,968
A little bit more, he says,
for if any man see thee which has

411
00:17:59,024 --> 00:18:02,304
knowledge, sit at meat in the
idol's temple, shall not the conscience

412
00:18:02,352 --> 00:18:05,016
of him which is weak be
emboldened to eat those things which

413
00:18:05,048 --> 00:18:06,216
are offered to idols?

414
00:18:06,328 --> 00:18:10,144
And though thy knowledge shall
be the weak, shall the weak brother

415
00:18:10,192 --> 00:18:12,344
perish for whom Christ died?

416
00:18:12,512 --> 00:18:17,752
But when ye sin so against the
brethren and wound their weak conscience,

417
00:18:17,816 --> 00:18:19,180
ye sin against Christ.

418
00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:22,472
So he says, yeah, you could
eat meat sacrifice to idols on your

419
00:18:22,496 --> 00:18:23,728
own, and that's not a sin.

420
00:18:23,824 --> 00:18:27,272
But you take meat sacrifice to
idols, knowing that that person is

421
00:18:27,296 --> 00:18:30,632
offended by that, knowing that
person will lead back into sin and

422
00:18:30,656 --> 00:18:31,376
idolatry.

423
00:18:31,488 --> 00:18:33,920
You have now sinned against
Christ because you sinned against

424
00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:34,700
your brother.

425
00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:36,712
So there's discernment there.

426
00:18:36,816 --> 00:18:38,620
Do you have freedom to eat the meat.

427
00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,512
Yeah, because the meat is one way.

428
00:18:41,536 --> 00:18:42,336
It's the same thing.

429
00:18:42,408 --> 00:18:45,118
Even if you sacrifice to an
idol, it doesn't mean anything.

430
00:18:45,264 --> 00:18:48,962
But if your brother, who has a
background in that pagan worship,

431
00:18:49,066 --> 00:18:51,730
eating that meat might mean
that that's a lifestyle back into

432
00:18:51,770 --> 00:18:52,538
paganism.

433
00:18:52,674 --> 00:18:53,594
That is an offense.

434
00:18:53,642 --> 00:18:56,162
If you push them into that,
oh, come on, eat some meat.

435
00:18:56,186 --> 00:18:57,074
It doesn't matter.

436
00:18:57,202 --> 00:19:00,122
You see, as a christian, we
can exercise our freedom, but when

437
00:19:00,146 --> 00:19:03,858
we're pulling someone into a
lifestyle that they were saved from

438
00:19:03,954 --> 00:19:06,330
and saying, hey, you have the
freedom to do this, this isn't really

439
00:19:06,370 --> 00:19:06,962
a sin.

440
00:19:07,066 --> 00:19:08,930
You're now pulling them into a
place of sin.

441
00:19:08,970 --> 00:19:09,962
You've offended your brother.

442
00:19:10,026 --> 00:19:11,274
Ultimately, you've sinned
against the father.

443
00:19:11,322 --> 00:19:12,458
That's what it says there.

444
00:19:12,634 --> 00:19:13,786
You sinned against Christ.

445
00:19:13,898 --> 00:19:17,186
Wherefore, if meat make my
brother to offend, I will eat no

446
00:19:17,218 --> 00:19:20,258
flesh while the world
standeth, lest I make my brother

447
00:19:20,314 --> 00:19:20,786
to offend.

448
00:19:20,818 --> 00:19:21,994
He says, be cautious.

449
00:19:22,042 --> 00:19:23,146
This is what we talked about
this morning.

450
00:19:23,178 --> 00:19:24,826
Be cautious of your testimony.

451
00:19:25,018 --> 00:19:27,470
I don't want to be a stumbling
block to somebody else.

452
00:19:28,010 --> 00:19:31,266
And so ultimately, we see with
what James is saying in the Jerusalem

453
00:19:31,298 --> 00:19:33,466
council is, hey, gentiles,
don't eat the meat.

454
00:19:33,498 --> 00:19:35,930
Sacrifice to idols, you had
the freedom to do so.

455
00:19:35,970 --> 00:19:39,006
But in the church, you need to
seek after that unity.

456
00:19:39,138 --> 00:19:41,942
You eating meat to that
sacrifice idol is gonna cause your

457
00:19:41,966 --> 00:19:43,254
jewish brother to stumble.

458
00:19:43,382 --> 00:19:44,574
So don't do it.

459
00:19:44,742 --> 00:19:45,850
Keep unity.

460
00:19:46,550 --> 00:19:49,798
So the thing is, is within our
churches in America today, a lot

461
00:19:49,814 --> 00:19:51,934
of times what happens is the
focus is me.

462
00:19:52,062 --> 00:19:53,622
What can I do, pastor?

463
00:19:53,766 --> 00:19:55,450
Am I allowed to do this?

464
00:19:55,750 --> 00:19:56,606
Can I do this?

465
00:19:56,638 --> 00:19:58,118
How much can I do?

466
00:19:58,294 --> 00:20:00,054
Do I have the freedom to do XYz?

467
00:20:00,102 --> 00:20:02,942
I can tell you, as a pastor, I
get that question all the time.

468
00:20:03,046 --> 00:20:06,044
Is it a sin for me to then
fill in the blanken?

469
00:20:06,202 --> 00:20:07,880
Sometimes it's very clearly in scripture.

470
00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:09,976
Yes, this is a sin sometimes
in scripture.

471
00:20:10,008 --> 00:20:13,140
I can tell you, no, the Bible
doesn't say anything about that.

472
00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,800
But I can tell you that that
isn't the biggest question.

473
00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:17,896
The biggest question is me
doing this.

474
00:20:17,928 --> 00:20:20,712
Is this going to offend
another brother and hinder them in

475
00:20:20,736 --> 00:20:23,792
their spiritual walk or hinder
the gospel to be presented?

476
00:20:23,896 --> 00:20:26,088
And so what Paul says here is,
yeah, I could eat the meat.

477
00:20:26,184 --> 00:20:31,112
But verse 13, if meat make my
brother to offend, I will eat no

478
00:20:31,136 --> 00:20:34,390
flesh while the world
standeth, lest I make my brother

479
00:20:34,430 --> 00:20:35,250
to offend.

480
00:20:35,870 --> 00:20:39,030
And so he says, be cautious of
how you deal with others, because

481
00:20:39,070 --> 00:20:41,942
I'd rather have unity than me
just to exercise my freedom.

482
00:20:42,006 --> 00:20:43,438
And so what he's saying, is this.

483
00:20:43,574 --> 00:20:47,478
Having the right to do
something doesn't mean that we should

484
00:20:47,534 --> 00:20:48,370
do something.

485
00:20:48,990 --> 00:20:51,918
Sometimes we have the right as
a christian to have freedom, and

486
00:20:51,934 --> 00:20:54,982
there could be some, what we
would call gray areas, and you might

487
00:20:55,006 --> 00:20:57,798
have the freedom to do that
and do it.

488
00:20:57,934 --> 00:21:00,390
But if it's offending another
brother, then that's where the issue

489
00:21:00,430 --> 00:21:01,256
comes in to.

490
00:21:01,398 --> 00:21:05,220
And so that's the whole idea
of the issue with James speaking

491
00:21:05,260 --> 00:21:09,460
to those former pagans, those
gentiles, to say, hey, be cautious

492
00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:12,948
of how you're dealing with the
other jewish people within your church.

493
00:21:13,124 --> 00:21:15,340
I want you to go to another
passage of scripture, just a couple

494
00:21:15,380 --> 00:21:17,548
pages over in first
corinthians, chapter ten.

495
00:21:17,724 --> 00:21:20,092
First Corinthians, chapter
ten, verse 23.

496
00:21:20,196 --> 00:21:24,868
This is a verse that I think
is a verse that we all need in that

497
00:21:24,924 --> 00:21:26,800
next step in our spiritual maturity.

498
00:21:27,100 --> 00:21:31,236
Okay, let me tell you the
question should not be, can I do

499
00:21:31,268 --> 00:21:33,580
this as a Christian?

500
00:21:33,620 --> 00:21:34,244
You can.

501
00:21:34,372 --> 00:21:35,480
Let me just tell you.

502
00:21:36,060 --> 00:21:39,484
If you sin as a Christian,
there is God's forgiveness.

503
00:21:39,612 --> 00:21:40,948
There is God's grace.

504
00:21:41,124 --> 00:21:44,436
Romans chapter six, though,
says this, why offend God's grace?

505
00:21:44,508 --> 00:21:46,440
Why abuse the grace of God?

506
00:21:46,820 --> 00:21:50,892
And so this verse is a verse I
take a lot of people to because you'll

507
00:21:50,916 --> 00:21:51,956
hear a lot of people say this.

508
00:21:52,028 --> 00:21:53,396
Well, can I do this as a Christian?

509
00:21:53,428 --> 00:21:56,048
Does the Bible explicitly say
that I cannot do this?

510
00:21:56,124 --> 00:21:57,192
I'll tell them no.

511
00:21:57,336 --> 00:21:59,936
But let me read this verse to
you in verse 23 of one corinthians,

512
00:21:59,968 --> 00:22:00,648
chapter ten.

513
00:22:00,744 --> 00:22:04,832
And if we can grasp this, this
can help us in a major way in our

514
00:22:04,856 --> 00:22:05,960
spiritual maturity.

515
00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:08,712
He says all things are lawful
for me.

516
00:22:08,736 --> 00:22:09,888
This is Paul speaking here.

517
00:22:09,904 --> 00:22:12,816
He says all things are lawful,
meaning I'm not bound by the law

518
00:22:12,848 --> 00:22:13,540
anymore.

519
00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,256
I don't have to follow the 613 commandments.

520
00:22:17,368 --> 00:22:19,100
I can eat whatever meat I want.

521
00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:20,248
I can do this.

522
00:22:20,264 --> 00:22:23,144
If the Bible doesn't
explicitly say that it's a sin, I

523
00:22:23,152 --> 00:22:23,512
can do this.

524
00:22:23,536 --> 00:22:25,848
And even if the Bible does say
it's a sin, I had the freedom to

525
00:22:25,864 --> 00:22:26,340
do it.

526
00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,052
Now I have to deal with the consequences.

527
00:22:28,196 --> 00:22:31,628
I can disobey my savior, but I
had the freedom as a Christian, I

528
00:22:31,644 --> 00:22:32,452
can do what I want.

529
00:22:32,476 --> 00:22:33,564
I'm not gonna lose my salvation.

530
00:22:33,612 --> 00:22:38,040
But then he says this, but all
things are not expedient.

531
00:22:38,900 --> 00:22:42,020
That means better, good for
me, beneficial.

532
00:22:42,060 --> 00:22:45,460
Say it this way, I can do all
things as a Christian, but not all

533
00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:48,428
things that I can do are
beneficial to me and to others around

534
00:22:48,484 --> 00:22:49,080
me.

535
00:22:49,740 --> 00:22:52,492
This is huge because that's
not usually our mindset.

536
00:22:52,516 --> 00:22:53,148
Our mindset is this.

537
00:22:53,164 --> 00:22:54,588
Well, I don't care what anyone
thinks about me.

538
00:22:54,604 --> 00:22:55,556
I'm gonna do what I wanna do.

539
00:22:55,588 --> 00:22:56,430
I'm a Christian.

540
00:22:56,580 --> 00:22:57,470
I'm free.

541
00:22:58,290 --> 00:22:59,250
God's not gonna.

542
00:22:59,330 --> 00:23:01,322
God's the only one that can
judge me, right?

543
00:23:01,506 --> 00:23:04,682
Yes, but all things are lawful
for me.

544
00:23:04,706 --> 00:23:07,442
But not all things are expedient.

545
00:23:07,546 --> 00:23:10,786
Not all things are beneficial
for me or for others around me.

546
00:23:10,978 --> 00:23:14,858
All things are lawful for me,
but all things edify not.

547
00:23:14,954 --> 00:23:15,870
Meaning this.

548
00:23:16,490 --> 00:23:19,658
Some things that I do as a
Christian, I can do, and I'm not

549
00:23:19,674 --> 00:23:20,706
gonna lose my salvation.

550
00:23:20,818 --> 00:23:24,542
God's gonna still love me, but
it's not going to be beneficial for

551
00:23:24,566 --> 00:23:27,726
my spiritual growth, and it's
not going to be beneficial to edify

552
00:23:27,798 --> 00:23:29,370
other christians around me.

553
00:23:30,110 --> 00:23:34,126
Think about that for just a
few moments, because this is an area

554
00:23:34,198 --> 00:23:37,526
of the christian life that I
think comes later on in our spiritual

555
00:23:37,558 --> 00:23:38,330
maturity.

556
00:23:39,230 --> 00:23:43,030
So, for example, and I don't
want to go too far into picking out

557
00:23:43,070 --> 00:23:45,382
specific gray area items, but
there might be something that you

558
00:23:45,406 --> 00:23:46,046
say, you know what?

559
00:23:46,118 --> 00:23:47,574
I have no problem doing this.

560
00:23:47,622 --> 00:23:49,062
I have no problem exercising this.

561
00:23:49,086 --> 00:23:51,636
And I can't see anywhere in
scripture that says that this is

562
00:23:51,668 --> 00:23:52,028
wrong.

563
00:23:52,124 --> 00:23:53,880
Okay, fair enough.

564
00:23:54,380 --> 00:23:58,316
But if me doing this, is this
going to help me in my spiritual

565
00:23:58,348 --> 00:24:01,108
growth, or is this going to
hinder me in my spiritual growth?

566
00:24:01,284 --> 00:24:03,080
Well, possibly could hinder me.

567
00:24:03,620 --> 00:24:05,476
Well, then that's something
that I don't need to necessarily

568
00:24:05,508 --> 00:24:06,080
do.

569
00:24:06,620 --> 00:24:08,276
There's another thing in the
spiritual walk.

570
00:24:08,348 --> 00:24:08,732
Okay.

571
00:24:08,796 --> 00:24:11,684
This isn't going to hinder me
at all, but it might hinder someone

572
00:24:11,732 --> 00:24:15,172
that I'm discipling or that
I'm ministering to or that I have

573
00:24:15,196 --> 00:24:17,160
fellowship within the church with.

574
00:24:17,340 --> 00:24:19,336
And so it's not expedient to edify.

575
00:24:19,528 --> 00:24:22,128
And so here's the test that I
would say for you to do within the

576
00:24:22,144 --> 00:24:22,544
church.

577
00:24:22,632 --> 00:24:23,420
Is this.

578
00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:25,840
Can I do this in the word of God?

579
00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:26,976
Is this a sin?

580
00:24:27,168 --> 00:24:28,608
Okay, that's your first step.

581
00:24:28,664 --> 00:24:29,940
What does the Bible say?

582
00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:31,256
The Bible says it's wrong.

583
00:24:31,288 --> 00:24:32,260
Just don't do it.

584
00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,500
The Bible doesn't speak
specifically to this.

585
00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:39,600
Then what you do is you say,
okay, is there a principle there?

586
00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:43,172
Okay, there probably is some
element of a principle there, but

587
00:24:43,196 --> 00:24:47,732
if there isn't an element of
sin or either an element of a principle

588
00:24:47,756 --> 00:24:51,044
in scripture, then we would
say, okay, is this expedient for

589
00:24:51,092 --> 00:24:52,360
my spiritual growth?

590
00:24:52,860 --> 00:24:55,040
Is this going to build me up
in Christ?

591
00:24:56,140 --> 00:24:59,052
And then the next question
that I would ask is this, does it

592
00:24:59,076 --> 00:25:01,800
edify the other believers
around me?

593
00:25:02,260 --> 00:25:06,320
If you check the boxes there,
then do it.

594
00:25:06,780 --> 00:25:07,444
Live it up.

595
00:25:07,492 --> 00:25:09,732
Do what you want to do in that
case you say what?

596
00:25:09,836 --> 00:25:11,500
I've never heard a pastor tell
me to live it up.

597
00:25:11,540 --> 00:25:14,292
Well, if you do all those
checks right there, then God has

598
00:25:14,316 --> 00:25:16,892
given you the go do it.

599
00:25:17,076 --> 00:25:19,440
And a lot of times, people are
like, well, that's not good.

600
00:25:19,860 --> 00:25:20,988
I'm just telling you now.

601
00:25:21,044 --> 00:25:22,412
There's interpretation there.

602
00:25:22,556 --> 00:25:23,148
Okay?

603
00:25:23,244 --> 00:25:25,036
The interpretation would be,
well, you know what?

604
00:25:25,068 --> 00:25:27,308
The Bible says this, but I
don't mean it to say that.

605
00:25:27,404 --> 00:25:28,364
I don't think it says that.

606
00:25:28,412 --> 00:25:29,588
Well, that's where you get
into some issues.

607
00:25:29,644 --> 00:25:29,916
Okay?

608
00:25:29,948 --> 00:25:32,628
Some people might say, well, I
don't think the Bible actually says

609
00:25:32,684 --> 00:25:33,116
this.

610
00:25:33,228 --> 00:25:36,452
Well, you're misinterpreting
scripture, and that's a whole other

611
00:25:36,516 --> 00:25:37,890
conversation for another day.

612
00:25:38,020 --> 00:25:40,390
But what I would tell you is,
check the word of God.

613
00:25:40,470 --> 00:25:43,810
If the Bible says something
about it explicitly, it is sin.

614
00:25:44,230 --> 00:25:46,638
But if there's something that
we would consider to be a gray area,

615
00:25:46,694 --> 00:25:48,806
then you do that check of what
verse 23 says.

616
00:25:48,918 --> 00:25:50,410
Is it expedient?

617
00:25:50,990 --> 00:25:52,330
Is it edifying?

618
00:25:52,950 --> 00:25:54,414
But then go on a little bit
further there.

619
00:25:54,422 --> 00:25:57,950
In verse 24, it says, let no
man seek his own, but every man another's

620
00:25:57,990 --> 00:25:58,518
wealth.

621
00:25:58,654 --> 00:25:59,614
Meaning this.

622
00:25:59,782 --> 00:26:01,086
I shouldn't be thinking about myself.

623
00:26:01,158 --> 00:26:03,470
I should be thinking about
others in these decisions.

624
00:26:03,630 --> 00:26:04,902
Like, that's the big thing.

625
00:26:05,006 --> 00:26:06,158
Cause we're always thinking
about ourselves.

626
00:26:06,214 --> 00:26:07,230
Like, what can I do?

627
00:26:07,310 --> 00:26:08,574
Am I allowed to do this?

628
00:26:08,662 --> 00:26:09,270
Can I.

629
00:26:09,350 --> 00:26:09,782
You know what?

630
00:26:09,806 --> 00:26:10,574
The gentiles.

631
00:26:10,662 --> 00:26:13,614
Okay, fast forward to when
they go back to Antioch, because

632
00:26:13,662 --> 00:26:15,806
Paul and barnabas are gonna
bring the message back to Antioch.

633
00:26:15,878 --> 00:26:18,462
Some of the gentile christians
could be like, well, I can't eat

634
00:26:18,486 --> 00:26:19,926
meat sacrificed to idols.

635
00:26:20,038 --> 00:26:21,574
I can't eat the blood of these animals.

636
00:26:21,622 --> 00:26:21,942
Come on.

637
00:26:21,966 --> 00:26:22,902
I had the freedom to do that.

638
00:26:22,926 --> 00:26:24,890
No, it's thinking about others.

639
00:26:25,350 --> 00:26:27,662
And so that's what it says
there in verse 24.

640
00:26:27,846 --> 00:26:31,380
Let no man seek his own, but
every man another's wealth whatsoever

641
00:26:31,420 --> 00:26:35,444
is sold in the shambles that
eat, asking no questions for conscience

642
00:26:35,492 --> 00:26:35,692
sake.

643
00:26:35,716 --> 00:26:38,320
So it's like, don't overthink
it, okay?

644
00:26:39,140 --> 00:26:41,300
For the earth is the Lord's
and the fullness thereof.

645
00:26:41,340 --> 00:26:45,444
If any man, if any of them
that believe not, bids you to feast

646
00:26:45,572 --> 00:26:48,404
and ye be disposed to go
whatsoever is set before you eat,

647
00:26:48,452 --> 00:26:49,868
asking no questions for
conscience sake.

648
00:26:49,884 --> 00:26:51,356
And so going back to the meat.

649
00:26:51,388 --> 00:26:52,292
Sacrifice to idols.

650
00:26:52,356 --> 00:26:53,828
You go over to a gentile's house.

651
00:26:53,924 --> 00:26:54,756
They have meat there.

652
00:26:54,788 --> 00:26:56,188
Don't ask if it's sacrificed
to idols.

653
00:26:56,204 --> 00:26:57,216
Like, just eat it.

654
00:26:57,388 --> 00:26:57,728
Okay?

655
00:26:57,744 --> 00:26:58,808
That's what he's saying here.

656
00:26:58,944 --> 00:27:02,752
But he says, but if any man
say unto you, this is offered in

657
00:27:02,776 --> 00:27:07,032
sacrifice unto idols, eat not
for his sake that showed it, and

658
00:27:07,056 --> 00:27:08,392
for conscience sake.

659
00:27:08,576 --> 00:27:11,040
For the earth is the Lord's
and the fullness thereof.

660
00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:14,280
Conscience, I say, not thine
own, but of the other.

661
00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:17,936
For why is my liberty judged
of another man's conscience?

662
00:27:18,128 --> 00:27:23,696
For if by grace be a partaker,
why am I evil spoken of?

663
00:27:23,728 --> 00:27:26,640
For that for which I give thanks.

664
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:27,240
Whether.

665
00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,336
And then he goes on to this
classic verse, whether therefore

666
00:27:29,368 --> 00:27:31,272
you eat or drink, or
whatsoever you do, do all the glory

667
00:27:31,296 --> 00:27:34,536
of God, give none offense,
neither to the Jews nor the Gentiles,

668
00:27:34,568 --> 00:27:35,560
nor to the church of God.

669
00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,216
So it goes back to the spirit
of, am I offending another brother

670
00:27:39,248 --> 00:27:39,940
in this?

671
00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:42,340
Am I offending somebody else?

672
00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,448
And he says, hey, if nothing's
mentioned, you have freedom to do

673
00:27:45,464 --> 00:27:45,664
it.

674
00:27:45,712 --> 00:27:48,536
But if something is mentioned,
stop and make a decision, okay?

675
00:27:48,568 --> 00:27:51,140
Now, you know that's going to
offend someone's conscience, so stop.

676
00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:53,368
You don't have the freedom to
go forward.

677
00:27:53,504 --> 00:27:57,432
And so it goes back to that
phrase, having a right to do something,

678
00:27:57,496 --> 00:27:58,552
quote unquote right.

679
00:27:58,656 --> 00:28:01,312
Or having the freedom or
liberty to do something doesn't mean

680
00:28:01,336 --> 00:28:02,184
that we should.

681
00:28:02,352 --> 00:28:04,640
And I want you to think about
this phrase here this evening.

682
00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,020
Liberty is limited by love.

683
00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:09,088
Liberty is limited by love.

684
00:28:09,184 --> 00:28:10,520
Do we have christian liberty?

685
00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:13,820
Yes, but that liberty should
be limited by love.

686
00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,816
If I love my brother in Christ
and I'm discipling him, and I know

687
00:28:17,848 --> 00:28:20,482
that this is going to cause
him to fall back into a pita that

688
00:28:20,506 --> 00:28:24,994
he got saved from, I need to
love him enough and love God enough

689
00:28:25,082 --> 00:28:27,790
to die to my liberty to say,
you know what?

690
00:28:28,330 --> 00:28:29,890
I don't need to do that.

691
00:28:30,050 --> 00:28:33,042
I don't need to do that
specifically in front of him so that

692
00:28:33,066 --> 00:28:35,510
I offend him to go back to
that way of sin.

693
00:28:35,890 --> 00:28:39,938
And so love, in this case, is
trumping our liberty.

694
00:28:40,034 --> 00:28:41,602
You say, don't we have 100% liberty?

695
00:28:41,626 --> 00:28:42,170
We do.

696
00:28:42,290 --> 00:28:45,830
But ultimately, we are to love
our neighbor as we love ourselves.

697
00:28:46,170 --> 00:28:48,106
Isn't that what the Bible
says, to love them?

698
00:28:48,218 --> 00:28:50,930
And so I wouldn't want someone
to offend me.

699
00:28:51,050 --> 00:28:53,666
I wouldn't want someone to
bring me to a place of sin in my

700
00:28:53,698 --> 00:28:54,082
life.

701
00:28:54,186 --> 00:28:58,510
Now, let me pause here, okay,
because I need to clarify something.

702
00:28:58,890 --> 00:29:01,138
This is not talking about
someone doing something that you

703
00:29:01,154 --> 00:29:02,890
don't like, okay?

704
00:29:02,970 --> 00:29:06,290
Because a lot of times we pull
this card out, if someone does something

705
00:29:06,330 --> 00:29:08,230
that isn't our preferential thing.

706
00:29:08,810 --> 00:29:13,300
Well, I don't like that you,
you know, let me use something very

707
00:29:13,340 --> 00:29:13,732
vague.

708
00:29:13,836 --> 00:29:16,092
I don't like that you sit in
this pew up here.

709
00:29:16,116 --> 00:29:16,332
Okay?

710
00:29:16,356 --> 00:29:17,404
That bothers me.

711
00:29:17,492 --> 00:29:17,748
Okay.

712
00:29:17,764 --> 00:29:20,460
Well, they're not sitting in
that pew and offending your conscience.

713
00:29:20,620 --> 00:29:23,036
It's when you offend someone
to a place of sin.

714
00:29:23,148 --> 00:29:23,732
Right?

715
00:29:23,876 --> 00:29:25,972
It's not just doing something
that someone else doesn't like.

716
00:29:25,996 --> 00:29:28,236
And you go, well, you've
offended me, brother, so therefore

717
00:29:28,268 --> 00:29:29,660
I want you to stop doing that.

718
00:29:29,780 --> 00:29:30,116
Okay?

719
00:29:30,148 --> 00:29:33,476
I don't like when you drink
coffee around my presence, so stop

720
00:29:33,508 --> 00:29:34,036
drinking coffee.

721
00:29:34,068 --> 00:29:35,252
Well, it.

722
00:29:35,436 --> 00:29:37,476
How was me drinking coffee
going to lead you to sin?

723
00:29:37,508 --> 00:29:40,996
If you can lay that out for me
and you could explain to me my actions

724
00:29:41,028 --> 00:29:43,372
lead you to a place of sin,
then as a brother, I have to respect

725
00:29:43,436 --> 00:29:44,040
that.

726
00:29:44,340 --> 00:29:46,796
But just because you don't
like what someone's doing, you can't

727
00:29:46,828 --> 00:29:48,908
pull the card of saying, well,
I'm the weaker brother, so don't

728
00:29:48,924 --> 00:29:49,668
do that in front of me.

729
00:29:49,724 --> 00:29:53,188
Well, what sin is this causing
you to fall into what is appealing

730
00:29:53,204 --> 00:29:54,500
to your flesh by what I am doing?

731
00:29:54,540 --> 00:29:57,444
So there's discernment here,
because we can't all walk around

732
00:29:57,492 --> 00:30:00,156
saying, well, I gotta exercise
my preferences on this person.

733
00:30:00,268 --> 00:30:02,900
This is talking about the
issue of sin being a stumbling block

734
00:30:02,940 --> 00:30:03,920
to sin.

735
00:30:04,460 --> 00:30:07,554
And so I want you to think
about that when it comes to exercising

736
00:30:07,602 --> 00:30:08,562
the weaker brother card.

737
00:30:08,586 --> 00:30:08,866
Right?

738
00:30:08,938 --> 00:30:10,338
Well, I'm the weaker brother,
so don't do that.

739
00:30:10,354 --> 00:30:11,818
Well, here's the thing.

740
00:30:11,994 --> 00:30:14,986
Maybe you are the weaker
brother, but the concept must be

741
00:30:15,018 --> 00:30:17,362
that you are going into sin
here and then is it?

742
00:30:17,386 --> 00:30:19,026
And this is how the unity works.

743
00:30:19,138 --> 00:30:21,242
You tell me that this is
offending you.

744
00:30:21,386 --> 00:30:23,866
You tell me that this is
leading to a place of sin, then I

745
00:30:23,898 --> 00:30:24,706
must respect that.

746
00:30:24,738 --> 00:30:25,470
In love.

747
00:30:26,370 --> 00:30:29,426
A passage of scripture that
made me think about this is psalm

748
00:30:29,458 --> 00:30:30,510
133.

749
00:30:30,890 --> 00:30:32,360
Psalm 133.

750
00:30:32,530 --> 00:30:35,964
Verse one is a passage of
scripture that speaks of this unity.

751
00:30:36,132 --> 00:30:40,372
And, folks, let me tell you
that if there is one thing that we

752
00:30:40,396 --> 00:30:43,724
should seek after, obviously
it's the gospel of Jesus Christ.

753
00:30:43,772 --> 00:30:48,440
But when we come to dealing
with other people within the church,

754
00:30:50,340 --> 00:30:51,604
we see the heart of God.

755
00:30:51,652 --> 00:30:54,604
And the heart of God for
fellow brothers and sisters in Christ

756
00:30:54,652 --> 00:30:55,520
is unity.

757
00:30:56,580 --> 00:30:59,440
If we don't have unity, we
have to get to the root of that.

758
00:30:59,970 --> 00:31:04,762
And when we have brothers and
sisters exercising liberty and offending

759
00:31:04,826 --> 00:31:09,110
other brothers and sisters to
sin, we can't be unified in that.

760
00:31:09,530 --> 00:31:13,082
And so I must be willing to
say, I will stop this if this is

761
00:31:13,106 --> 00:31:14,466
causing you to sin.

762
00:31:14,658 --> 00:31:19,482
And so, psalm 133, one, behold
how good and how pleasant it is for

763
00:31:19,506 --> 00:31:21,658
brethren to dwell together in unity.

764
00:31:21,834 --> 00:31:25,990
That is a testimony to say
we're dwelling together in unity.

765
00:31:26,450 --> 00:31:27,642
We don't have time to go there.

766
00:31:27,666 --> 00:31:30,282
But in Jesus high priestly prayer.

767
00:31:30,386 --> 00:31:34,590
In John 17, Jesus prays for
the unity of the church.

768
00:31:34,930 --> 00:31:38,362
We see over and over again in
the book of acts, unity is the heart

769
00:31:38,386 --> 00:31:39,154
of God.

770
00:31:39,322 --> 00:31:41,570
And so we go back to the
Jerusalem council.

771
00:31:41,650 --> 00:31:45,858
Why would James give these
four rules to the Gentiles?

772
00:31:45,914 --> 00:31:47,226
It was for unity.

773
00:31:47,378 --> 00:31:48,962
It wasn't for their salvation.

774
00:31:49,146 --> 00:31:51,840
Because go back to that acts passage.

775
00:31:51,930 --> 00:31:52,640
Okay.

776
00:31:54,340 --> 00:31:57,640
What is being decided in the
Jerusalem Council?

777
00:31:58,700 --> 00:32:00,640
Is it morality?

778
00:32:01,180 --> 00:32:01,920
No.

779
00:32:02,420 --> 00:32:04,460
What's the core issue of the
Jerusalem council?

780
00:32:04,540 --> 00:32:07,044
Salvation and sanctification.

781
00:32:07,132 --> 00:32:07,380
Right.

782
00:32:07,420 --> 00:32:11,516
Salvation, predominantly, do
you have to be under the law of Moses

783
00:32:11,548 --> 00:32:12,244
to be saved?

784
00:32:12,332 --> 00:32:14,956
Okay, so then we see the rules
that he gives.

785
00:32:14,988 --> 00:32:19,730
Those four rules, if you go
back to them, pollution of idols,

786
00:32:20,870 --> 00:32:22,022
fornication.

787
00:32:22,206 --> 00:32:23,878
Now you would say, is
fornication wrong?

788
00:32:23,934 --> 00:32:24,550
It is a sin.

789
00:32:24,590 --> 00:32:26,250
Yes, fornication is wrong.

790
00:32:26,990 --> 00:32:30,290
But do people that have
fornicated, can they get saved?

791
00:32:33,270 --> 00:32:33,718
Yes.

792
00:32:33,774 --> 00:32:34,062
Okay.

793
00:32:34,086 --> 00:32:34,598
Yes.

794
00:32:34,734 --> 00:32:35,846
Sins are forgiven, right?

795
00:32:35,878 --> 00:32:38,878
If you come to Christ in
faith, in repentance, your sins are

796
00:32:38,894 --> 00:32:39,530
forgiven.

797
00:32:40,070 --> 00:32:43,990
And so James is not saying,
well, they have to be people that

798
00:32:44,030 --> 00:32:45,438
don't do these things to get saved.

799
00:32:45,494 --> 00:32:48,398
No, what he's saying is these
are things that you seek after so

800
00:32:48,414 --> 00:32:50,998
that there can be unity in
glorifying God in the way that you

801
00:32:51,014 --> 00:32:52,102
live a righteous life.

802
00:32:52,246 --> 00:32:53,142
Cause he doesn't list here.

803
00:32:53,166 --> 00:32:54,410
Don't lie to each other.

804
00:32:54,830 --> 00:32:55,430
He doesn't.

805
00:32:55,470 --> 00:32:57,790
I mean, we know lines of sin,
but he doesn't list that.

806
00:32:57,910 --> 00:33:01,190
And so he's specifically
talking about things that were pagan

807
00:33:01,350 --> 00:33:04,046
that would have offended the
jewish people to the point where

808
00:33:04,078 --> 00:33:06,130
they would have fallen into
the same path.

809
00:33:06,550 --> 00:33:09,990
And so what we can see here is
that this is a desire for unity within

810
00:33:10,030 --> 00:33:10,438
the church.

811
00:33:10,494 --> 00:33:12,798
Now I want you to see
Galatians chapter five.

812
00:33:12,854 --> 00:33:15,382
Galatians chapter five is
another passage that deals with our

813
00:33:15,406 --> 00:33:16,610
freedom and our liberty.

814
00:33:18,370 --> 00:33:23,630
So our freedom and our liberty
should be celebrated within our faith.

815
00:33:24,410 --> 00:33:25,870
We're not in a cult.

816
00:33:26,850 --> 00:33:30,850
You don't have to keep a list
of hundreds and hundreds of rules.

817
00:33:30,930 --> 00:33:32,154
You can't lose your salvation.

818
00:33:32,202 --> 00:33:35,626
So we have this freedom, and
we should be celebrating that, but

819
00:33:35,658 --> 00:33:39,070
not celebrating to the point
where we exercise our flesh.

820
00:33:39,530 --> 00:33:42,892
So what happens within
churches today, and really throughout

821
00:33:42,916 --> 00:33:47,428
all of history is that when we
emphasize freedom and liberty, it

822
00:33:47,444 --> 00:33:49,180
becomes an occasion to the flesh.

823
00:33:49,300 --> 00:33:52,236
And then we mingle in sin
within the church.

824
00:33:52,348 --> 00:33:55,156
And then we have a church that
looks exactly like the world.

825
00:33:55,268 --> 00:33:56,040
Okay?

826
00:33:56,380 --> 00:33:59,772
Now does every church have to
be a certain way?

827
00:33:59,836 --> 00:34:02,876
No, that's why we had the
freedom to be the type of church

828
00:34:02,908 --> 00:34:04,080
that we're called to be.

829
00:34:04,380 --> 00:34:07,820
But what does Galatians
chapter five, verse 13, say, galatians

830
00:34:07,900 --> 00:34:12,740
513 says, for brethren, ye
have been called unto liberty.

831
00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:14,552
So you're called unto liberty.

832
00:34:14,576 --> 00:34:20,500
As a Christian, only use not
liberty for an occasion to the flesh.

833
00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:24,184
There it is, but by love serve
one another.

834
00:34:24,352 --> 00:34:25,976
So why is liberty given to us?

835
00:34:26,008 --> 00:34:29,096
Not so that we can exercise
our flesh, but so that we can serve

836
00:34:29,128 --> 00:34:32,608
one another, so that we can
have people within our church that

837
00:34:32,624 --> 00:34:35,694
are from different backgrounds
and different cultures and different

838
00:34:35,742 --> 00:34:39,742
preferences and different
mindsets, and we can be unified in

839
00:34:39,766 --> 00:34:41,966
that common purpose of the
gospel of Jesus Christ.

840
00:34:41,998 --> 00:34:44,238
And so we can have freedom and
liberty to be different.

841
00:34:44,414 --> 00:34:47,142
We can have freedom and
liberty to extend ourselves to a

842
00:34:47,166 --> 00:34:49,902
place that maybe not everyone
could go.

843
00:34:50,046 --> 00:34:55,462
So, for example, brother Tom
might be able to minister to someone

844
00:34:55,526 --> 00:34:58,606
because of his freedom and
liberty that I'm not able to minister.

845
00:34:58,678 --> 00:35:00,806
Because maybe we have a
different background, a different

846
00:35:00,878 --> 00:35:03,350
upbringing, you know, maybe
there's someone in the church.

847
00:35:03,390 --> 00:35:05,670
I won't pick an individual out
because I don't want to pick any,

848
00:35:05,750 --> 00:35:06,750
you know, pick on anyone.

849
00:35:06,830 --> 00:35:10,926
But maybe we have someone that
was saved out of a life of really

850
00:35:11,038 --> 00:35:14,622
dark, bad places, and they
knew what it was like to be addicted

851
00:35:14,646 --> 00:35:17,222
to drugs, and they knew what
it was like to be part of really

852
00:35:17,286 --> 00:35:18,238
bad things.

853
00:35:18,374 --> 00:35:25,014
And because God changed them
and saved them, they now can minister

854
00:35:25,062 --> 00:35:25,614
to other people.

855
00:35:25,662 --> 00:35:27,942
And they have freedom to
minister to people that maybe would

856
00:35:27,966 --> 00:35:29,796
never listen to me, okay?

857
00:35:29,868 --> 00:35:32,172
Because I come in, I've been
in a christian home my whole life,

858
00:35:32,196 --> 00:35:34,252
and I grew up in church, and I
go to someone and they're like, yeah,

859
00:35:34,276 --> 00:35:36,052
this guy doesn't know what
he's talking about.

860
00:35:36,076 --> 00:35:37,212
He doesn't know what I've gone through.

861
00:35:37,276 --> 00:35:39,572
Well, maybe this fellow up
here who has gone through all that

862
00:35:39,596 --> 00:35:42,148
struggle can go with his
freedom and liberty and minister

863
00:35:42,204 --> 00:35:44,244
to somebody else and lead them
to Christ.

864
00:35:44,292 --> 00:35:45,572
That's the beauty of our liberty.

865
00:35:45,636 --> 00:35:48,268
And so he says, our liberty is
not there for an occasion of the

866
00:35:48,284 --> 00:35:48,972
flesh.

867
00:35:49,156 --> 00:35:50,572
I can do this.

868
00:35:50,716 --> 00:35:52,508
I had the freedom to do this.

869
00:35:52,644 --> 00:35:54,406
God never says, I can't do this.

870
00:35:54,508 --> 00:35:59,186
Yes, but is it an occasion of
your flesh to exercise your freedom

871
00:35:59,218 --> 00:36:00,042
and your rights?

872
00:36:00,146 --> 00:36:03,430
Or is it to say, I'm gonna
serve one another?

873
00:36:03,770 --> 00:36:06,954
Is it by love and service, or
is it by an occasion of the flesh

874
00:36:07,002 --> 00:36:08,750
that we're exercising our liberty?

875
00:36:09,130 --> 00:36:12,682
So one last passage of
scripture, then we'll circle back

876
00:36:12,746 --> 00:36:13,490
to the book of acts.

877
00:36:13,530 --> 00:36:15,830
I want you to see Romans,
chapter 14 with me.

878
00:36:16,890 --> 00:36:18,350
Romans, chapter 14.

879
00:36:19,210 --> 00:36:22,694
This is what I believe to be
one of the clearest teachings on

880
00:36:22,742 --> 00:36:25,350
this idea of exercising our
christian liberty and not offending

881
00:36:25,390 --> 00:36:28,250
our brothers in Christ and our
sisters in Christ.

882
00:36:30,950 --> 00:36:33,606
Now, you would say, why are
you talking about meat sacrifice

883
00:36:33,638 --> 00:36:34,022
to idols?

884
00:36:34,046 --> 00:36:36,486
Because that's what this
passage is talking about.

885
00:36:36,678 --> 00:36:38,230
But for us, that's not a big issue.

886
00:36:38,270 --> 00:36:41,438
Like, if I go over to your
house, I've been over to many of

887
00:36:41,454 --> 00:36:42,822
your houses or gone out to eat
with you.

888
00:36:42,846 --> 00:36:48,272
I don't go, hey, guys, I need
to know, is this meat sacrifice to

889
00:36:48,376 --> 00:36:49,060
bail?

890
00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:50,232
I don't ask that.

891
00:36:50,256 --> 00:36:50,536
Right?

892
00:36:50,608 --> 00:36:52,352
That's not an issue in our
culture today.

893
00:36:52,456 --> 00:36:53,220
Okay.

894
00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:56,832
I don't think any of you are
sacrificing, you know, going to the

895
00:36:56,856 --> 00:36:58,752
marketplace and buying meat
sacrificed idols.

896
00:36:58,776 --> 00:36:59,656
I don't think that's the case.

897
00:36:59,688 --> 00:37:02,328
If it was cheaper, okay, I can
understand, but I don't think any

898
00:37:02,344 --> 00:37:03,328
of us are doing that.

899
00:37:03,464 --> 00:37:08,208
But there's other things
culturally that might cause us to

900
00:37:08,264 --> 00:37:08,952
stumble.

901
00:37:09,096 --> 00:37:11,136
There's other things
culturally, and it might be different.

902
00:37:11,208 --> 00:37:11,584
Right.

903
00:37:11,672 --> 00:37:13,752
Different age groups,
different backgrounds.

904
00:37:13,856 --> 00:37:16,392
And so what I want us to see
here is, what does it say about this?

905
00:37:16,416 --> 00:37:18,456
He says, him that is weak in
the faith receive.

906
00:37:18,488 --> 00:37:22,836
Yeah, but not to doubtful
disputations, meaning receive those

907
00:37:22,908 --> 00:37:25,940
that are weak in faith, but
don't lead them to a place of doubt.

908
00:37:26,100 --> 00:37:28,680
For one believeth that he may
eat all things.

909
00:37:29,140 --> 00:37:33,476
Another who is weak eateth
herbs, meaning some people might

910
00:37:33,508 --> 00:37:37,360
be convicted to eat anything
they want, and that's okay.

911
00:37:37,740 --> 00:37:39,788
Other people might be
convicted not to eat that meat and

912
00:37:39,804 --> 00:37:40,380
eat something else.

913
00:37:40,420 --> 00:37:41,156
Herbs.

914
00:37:41,348 --> 00:37:44,596
Let not him that eateth
despiseth him that not eateth.

915
00:37:44,628 --> 00:37:47,712
Meaning you shouldn't despise
the person that's different than

916
00:37:47,736 --> 00:37:48,592
you in this.

917
00:37:48,776 --> 00:37:49,620
Okay?

918
00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:52,776
And let not him which eateth
not judge him that eateth.

919
00:37:52,808 --> 00:37:55,528
For God hath received him, so
we're received into the family of

920
00:37:55,544 --> 00:37:55,832
God.

921
00:37:55,896 --> 00:37:59,384
So I can't sit over here and
go, well, that person is exercising

922
00:37:59,432 --> 00:38:01,140
their liberty in a wrong way.

923
00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:02,096
Okay?

924
00:38:02,168 --> 00:38:05,624
If they're exercising their
liberty in the confines of scripture,

925
00:38:05,752 --> 00:38:07,056
we can't sit there and judge them.

926
00:38:07,088 --> 00:38:10,352
Now, if they are sinning out
and out, we can say, clearly that's

927
00:38:10,376 --> 00:38:10,960
a sin.

928
00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:12,248
But he's not talking about that.

929
00:38:12,264 --> 00:38:14,888
He's talking about these, what
we would call gray area things that

930
00:38:14,904 --> 00:38:16,460
meet sacrifice to idols.

931
00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:17,900
Verse four.

932
00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:22,424
Who art thou that judgest
another man's servant to his own

933
00:38:22,472 --> 00:38:22,864
master?

934
00:38:22,912 --> 00:38:24,208
He standeth or falleth.

935
00:38:24,304 --> 00:38:25,416
Yea, he shall be.

936
00:38:25,448 --> 00:38:26,000
Holden up.

937
00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:27,752
For God is able to make him stand.

938
00:38:27,856 --> 00:38:31,360
One man esteemeth one day
above another, and another esteemeth

939
00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:32,000
every day alike.

940
00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,032
Meaning there are some people
that look at one day and go, this

941
00:38:35,056 --> 00:38:37,872
is a holy day, and we need to
honor it.

942
00:38:37,896 --> 00:38:38,976
And we need to do all these things.

943
00:38:39,008 --> 00:38:39,720
And there's other guides.

944
00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:42,240
That's like, every day is just
a day.

945
00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:43,736
It's all God's days, right?

946
00:38:43,808 --> 00:38:45,288
And he says, what does he say here?

947
00:38:45,384 --> 00:38:46,580
What does he say here?

948
00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:51,880
He says, let every man be
fully persuaded in his own mind,

949
00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:54,584
meaning you got to come up
with that conviction on your own.

950
00:38:54,712 --> 00:38:56,712
You got to come up with that
preference on your own.

951
00:38:56,856 --> 00:39:00,456
He that regardeth the day,
regardeth it unto the Lord, meaning

952
00:39:00,488 --> 00:39:02,580
he can use that special day
for the Lord.

953
00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:06,480
And he that regardeth not the
day to the Lord, he doth not regard

954
00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:07,128
it.

955
00:39:07,304 --> 00:39:10,080
He that eateth, eateth to the
Lord, for he giveth thanks.

956
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:11,312
He giveth God thanks.

957
00:39:11,416 --> 00:39:14,744
And he that eateth not to the
Lord, he eateth not and giveth God

958
00:39:14,792 --> 00:39:15,232
thanks.

959
00:39:15,336 --> 00:39:18,256
For none of us liveth to
himself, and no man dieth to himself.

960
00:39:18,368 --> 00:39:20,504
For whether we live, we live
unto the Lord.

961
00:39:20,632 --> 00:39:22,264
Whether we die, we die unto
the Lord.

962
00:39:22,352 --> 00:39:24,632
Whether we live, therefore, or
die, we are the Lord's.

963
00:39:24,656 --> 00:39:25,040
Meaning.

964
00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:27,264
Everything that we do, it's
the Lord's.

965
00:39:27,432 --> 00:39:29,928
For to this end, Christ both
died and rose and revived.

966
00:39:29,984 --> 00:39:32,110
And he might be Lord both of
the living and the dead.

967
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:34,210
But why dost thou judge thy brother?

968
00:39:34,290 --> 00:39:37,110
And why dost thou set at not
thy brother?

969
00:39:37,530 --> 00:39:40,350
For we shall all stand before
the judgment seat of Christ.

970
00:39:41,210 --> 00:39:43,746
For it is written, as I live,
saith the Lord, every knee shall

971
00:39:43,778 --> 00:39:46,650
bow to me, and every tongue
shall confess to God.

972
00:39:46,810 --> 00:39:50,058
So then every one of us shall
give an account of himself to God.

973
00:39:50,234 --> 00:39:53,186
Let us not therefore judge one
another any more.

974
00:39:53,218 --> 00:39:57,226
But judge this rather, that no
man put a stumbling block or an occasion

975
00:39:57,298 --> 00:39:58,586
to fall in his brother's way.

976
00:39:58,618 --> 00:40:01,848
So he says again, the idea is
not to judge someone.

977
00:40:01,904 --> 00:40:06,784
The idea is to not put a place
of stumbling for another brother.

978
00:40:06,912 --> 00:40:08,928
Instead of me sitting there
going, well, I can't believe that

979
00:40:08,944 --> 00:40:09,816
that person does that.

980
00:40:09,888 --> 00:40:13,176
No, I need to look into my own
life to say, it's the classic example,

981
00:40:13,208 --> 00:40:15,280
what Jesus said about the
plank in your own eye, right?

982
00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:17,184
Don't sit there and try to
pick your brother's spec out when

983
00:40:17,192 --> 00:40:18,464
you got a plank in your own eye.

984
00:40:18,552 --> 00:40:21,472
He says, hey, no, don't be a
stumbling block or an occasion to

985
00:40:21,496 --> 00:40:22,792
fall in his brother's way.

986
00:40:22,896 --> 00:40:25,416
I know, and I am persuaded by
the Lord Jesus that there is nothing

987
00:40:25,448 --> 00:40:29,200
unclean of itself, but to him
that esteemeth anything to be unclean

988
00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:30,320
to him, it is unclean.

989
00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:32,552
Meaning if there's someone
who's convicted by this, they're

990
00:40:32,576 --> 00:40:33,256
convicted by that.

991
00:40:33,288 --> 00:40:36,392
Let them be convicted by that
but if thy brother be grieved with

992
00:40:36,416 --> 00:40:40,352
thy meat, now walkest thou not
charitably, meaning if you just flaunt

993
00:40:40,416 --> 00:40:42,848
your liberty in front of them,
you're not living charitably, you're

994
00:40:42,864 --> 00:40:45,360
not living in a kind way,
you're not living in a loving way.

995
00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:47,888
Destroy not him with thy meat,
for whom Christ died.

996
00:40:47,984 --> 00:40:51,200
Let not then your good be evil
spoken of.

997
00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:53,856
For the kingdom of God is not
meat and drink, but righteousness

998
00:40:53,888 --> 00:40:55,690
and peace and the joy of the
Holy Ghost.

999
00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:59,702
For he that is in these things
serveth Christ, is acceptable to

1000
00:40:59,726 --> 00:41:00,862
God and approve to men.

1001
00:41:00,966 --> 00:41:06,598
Let us therefore follow after
the things which make for peace and

1002
00:41:06,614 --> 00:41:09,302
the things wherewith 1 may
edify another.

1003
00:41:09,486 --> 00:41:11,246
Do you see again what's
happening here?

1004
00:41:11,318 --> 00:41:12,870
It's that emphasis on edification.

1005
00:41:12,910 --> 00:41:14,214
It's that emphasis on unity.

1006
00:41:14,262 --> 00:41:15,942
It's that emphasis on peace.

1007
00:41:16,126 --> 00:41:18,462
For me, destroy not the work
of God.

1008
00:41:18,606 --> 00:41:22,326
All things indeed are pure,
but it is evil for that man who eateth

1009
00:41:22,358 --> 00:41:23,094
with offense.

1010
00:41:23,222 --> 00:41:27,734
It is good neither to eat
flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything

1011
00:41:27,822 --> 00:41:31,542
whereby thy brother stumbleth,
or is offended, or is made weak.

1012
00:41:31,646 --> 00:41:32,890
Hast thou faith.

1013
00:41:33,550 --> 00:41:35,014
Have it to thyself before God.

1014
00:41:35,062 --> 00:41:38,718
Happy is he that condemneth
not himself in that thing which he

1015
00:41:38,734 --> 00:41:39,502
alloweth.

1016
00:41:39,646 --> 00:41:42,950
And he that doubteth is damned
if he eat, because he eateth not

1017
00:41:42,990 --> 00:41:43,558
of faith.

1018
00:41:43,614 --> 00:41:46,830
For whosoever or whatsoever is
not of faith is sin.

1019
00:41:46,870 --> 00:41:47,902
So you say.

1020
00:41:47,926 --> 00:41:48,888
That's a lot of.

1021
00:41:48,934 --> 00:41:52,620
I'm not going to be able to
pick apart that whole passage, but

1022
00:41:52,660 --> 00:41:54,040
essentially the thought is this.

1023
00:41:54,580 --> 00:41:57,276
There are going to be people
that have preferences this way.

1024
00:41:57,348 --> 00:41:59,364
They're going to have people
that have preferences this way.

1025
00:41:59,452 --> 00:42:02,620
We need to walk in unity, but
we need to look to the place of not

1026
00:42:02,660 --> 00:42:05,196
allowing the other brother,
the weaker brother, to stumble.

1027
00:42:05,308 --> 00:42:08,772
So if there's something that I
can do in my life, and I feel free

1028
00:42:08,796 --> 00:42:12,660
to do it, okay, you have that freedom.

1029
00:42:12,820 --> 00:42:17,098
But the moment it becomes a
place of division within the church,

1030
00:42:17,194 --> 00:42:19,610
the moment it becomes a
stumbling block for another person

1031
00:42:19,650 --> 00:42:21,842
to sin, then you are sinning.

1032
00:42:21,986 --> 00:42:22,794
Okay?

1033
00:42:22,962 --> 00:42:25,050
So let me give you a real life example.

1034
00:42:25,090 --> 00:42:31,562
We've got a guy named Joe, and
we got a guy named Bill over here,

1035
00:42:31,626 --> 00:42:32,114
okay?

1036
00:42:32,202 --> 00:42:34,554
Joe is coming out of a life of paganism.

1037
00:42:34,722 --> 00:42:36,990
Joe is coming out of a life of idolatry.

1038
00:42:37,290 --> 00:42:38,826
Okay, I'm gonna forget these names.

1039
00:42:38,898 --> 00:42:39,698
Bill is over here.

1040
00:42:39,714 --> 00:42:41,842
And Bill is like, hey, I'm saved.

1041
00:42:41,986 --> 00:42:44,874
And I love eating meat at the
market, and I can get a better deal

1042
00:42:44,922 --> 00:42:46,978
on the meat that was
sacrificed to these idols.

1043
00:42:47,074 --> 00:42:49,602
And Paul even said, this meat
is free.

1044
00:42:49,786 --> 00:42:51,866
This meat is good, we can eat
of it.

1045
00:42:52,018 --> 00:42:53,538
So which one's wrong?

1046
00:42:53,634 --> 00:42:54,434
Well, neither one of them.

1047
00:42:54,482 --> 00:42:55,258
They're both saved.

1048
00:42:55,354 --> 00:42:56,470
They're both okay.

1049
00:42:56,810 --> 00:42:58,602
They're both right.

1050
00:42:58,786 --> 00:43:01,122
This guy over here that got
out of the life of paganism, though,

1051
00:43:01,146 --> 00:43:02,962
he's like, I can't eat that
meat because that's going to take

1052
00:43:02,986 --> 00:43:04,714
me back to a place that I used
to be in.

1053
00:43:04,802 --> 00:43:06,154
And I don't want to get back
to pagan.

1054
00:43:06,202 --> 00:43:07,910
I don't want to get back to idolatry.

1055
00:43:08,250 --> 00:43:08,850
I can't.

1056
00:43:08,890 --> 00:43:09,386
I don't.

1057
00:43:09,458 --> 00:43:10,510
I'm going to abstain.

1058
00:43:11,530 --> 00:43:14,762
Then he looks over at Bill
over here and he says, bill, I can't

1059
00:43:14,786 --> 00:43:16,226
believe that guy, bill over
there is eating that meat.

1060
00:43:16,258 --> 00:43:17,186
Sacrifice to idols.

1061
00:43:17,258 --> 00:43:19,630
He's wrong for judging him and
his freedom.

1062
00:43:19,930 --> 00:43:22,178
But then let's say Bill comes
over to Joe and says, we're in the

1063
00:43:22,194 --> 00:43:22,586
market together.

1064
00:43:22,618 --> 00:43:24,602
And he goes, hey, Joe, I got
some meat over here.

1065
00:43:24,666 --> 00:43:25,946
It's sacrificed to the idol.

1066
00:43:25,978 --> 00:43:26,658
But you know what?

1067
00:43:26,674 --> 00:43:27,562
Come on, you can do it.

1068
00:43:27,586 --> 00:43:28,402
You can do it.

1069
00:43:28,506 --> 00:43:31,426
And he eventually wears that
brother down to the place of saying,

1070
00:43:31,458 --> 00:43:34,410
okay, fine, I'll offend my
conscience and I'll eat the meat.

1071
00:43:34,450 --> 00:43:35,636
Fine, I'll do it.

1072
00:43:35,818 --> 00:43:38,928
And so he's searing his
conscience, and that's not a good

1073
00:43:38,944 --> 00:43:41,192
thing to do, to push that off.

1074
00:43:41,256 --> 00:43:42,480
And so now who's sinned?

1075
00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:45,384
Well, if he eats of the meat,
he's sinned because he's offended

1076
00:43:45,432 --> 00:43:46,260
his conscience.

1077
00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:50,496
And this guy who's persuaded
him to eat the meat has now sinned

1078
00:43:50,528 --> 00:43:51,260
as well.

1079
00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:52,712
You see how that goes?

1080
00:43:52,736 --> 00:43:55,344
So sometimes we can be on
either side, because I've heard of

1081
00:43:55,352 --> 00:43:57,552
a lot of christians saying,
hey, come on, do this.

1082
00:43:57,616 --> 00:43:58,760
There's nothing wrong with that.

1083
00:43:58,800 --> 00:43:59,336
There's nothing.

1084
00:43:59,408 --> 00:44:00,192
You gotta do this.

1085
00:44:00,216 --> 00:44:00,464
Come on.

1086
00:44:00,472 --> 00:44:03,230
To be a good christian, you
gotta exercise your freedom.

1087
00:44:03,310 --> 00:44:03,726
You know what?

1088
00:44:03,758 --> 00:44:04,710
That is wrong.

1089
00:44:04,870 --> 00:44:06,410
Don't offend someone's conscience.

1090
00:44:07,590 --> 00:44:11,838
I know that with my kids,
sometimes I'll say a certain thing

1091
00:44:11,854 --> 00:44:13,126
to them, guys, we can't say that.

1092
00:44:13,158 --> 00:44:14,182
We can't do that.

1093
00:44:14,326 --> 00:44:18,366
And sometimes I might be doing
something, dad, you said that word.

1094
00:44:18,518 --> 00:44:19,342
You said that word.

1095
00:44:19,366 --> 00:44:19,982
You shouldn't say that.

1096
00:44:20,006 --> 00:44:21,062
And I'm not saying bad words.

1097
00:44:21,086 --> 00:44:22,110
I'm saying words that just aren't.

1098
00:44:22,150 --> 00:44:23,294
We don't want our kids to say.

1099
00:44:23,382 --> 00:44:26,470
But sometimes I might say
like, you know, you get it.

1100
00:44:26,590 --> 00:44:28,342
And I don't wanna use any of
those words tonight.

1101
00:44:28,366 --> 00:44:29,444
Cause then they'll catch me on that.

1102
00:44:29,502 --> 00:44:31,080
But you know, stuff like that,
dad, come on.

1103
00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:33,504
And like, as a Christian, I
have the freedom to say those things.

1104
00:44:33,552 --> 00:44:33,712
Right.

1105
00:44:33,736 --> 00:44:34,472
It's not a curse word.

1106
00:44:34,496 --> 00:44:35,312
It's not a bad word.

1107
00:44:35,376 --> 00:44:36,608
Just words that we don't want
to say.

1108
00:44:36,664 --> 00:44:36,952
It's not.

1109
00:44:36,976 --> 00:44:37,880
They're kind of crude.

1110
00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:41,872
And so what happens is, like,
then I'm offending my children by

1111
00:44:41,896 --> 00:44:43,296
saying, oh, you know, I can do it.

1112
00:44:43,368 --> 00:44:44,304
So you go ahead and do it.

1113
00:44:44,312 --> 00:44:44,456
Right.

1114
00:44:44,488 --> 00:44:47,872
I'm teaching them to not
listen to that conscience that God

1115
00:44:47,896 --> 00:44:49,040
has placed on their heart.

1116
00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:52,140
Now, sometimes our conscience
can be a moving target.

1117
00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:54,168
Sometimes we can actually have
a conscience.

1118
00:44:54,224 --> 00:44:56,088
That's more than scripture, right?

1119
00:44:56,184 --> 00:44:56,728
Oh, I can't.

1120
00:44:56,744 --> 00:44:59,520
You know, and that's something
that we deal with in discipleship.

1121
00:44:59,600 --> 00:45:01,880
There's some people that have
a conscience to do anything.

1122
00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:02,168
Right.

1123
00:45:02,224 --> 00:45:02,872
I can't do this.

1124
00:45:02,896 --> 00:45:04,352
I can't say this, I can't do that.

1125
00:45:04,456 --> 00:45:06,832
And the issue is that the
conscience is not the Holy Spirit.

1126
00:45:06,856 --> 00:45:08,432
The Holy Spirit is the guide.

1127
00:45:08,576 --> 00:45:11,664
But ultimately, our conscience
can be seared.

1128
00:45:11,712 --> 00:45:13,856
It can be changed depending on
our culture.

1129
00:45:13,888 --> 00:45:14,992
And so what do we have to do?

1130
00:45:15,016 --> 00:45:18,096
We have to base our conscience
in the word of God and the guidance

1131
00:45:18,128 --> 00:45:19,060
of the spirit.

1132
00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:20,688
And so I'll say all that.

1133
00:45:20,704 --> 00:45:23,288
To say this, we go back to
acts 15, and we'll conclude with

1134
00:45:23,304 --> 00:45:23,860
this.

1135
00:45:24,690 --> 00:45:33,978
We see that James institutes
these rules to allow the gentiles

1136
00:45:34,034 --> 00:45:38,522
to walk in unison with the
Jews, both Christians, so that they

1137
00:45:38,546 --> 00:45:39,870
can have unity.

1138
00:45:40,890 --> 00:45:45,114
And so what we can see here is
that the issue of the Jerusalem council,

1139
00:45:45,202 --> 00:45:48,754
even though we don't deal with
meat sacrifice to idols, we deal

1140
00:45:48,842 --> 00:45:53,266
with issues of is salvation
and sanctification by the law or

1141
00:45:53,298 --> 00:45:55,106
salvation and sanctification
by faith.

1142
00:45:55,218 --> 00:45:57,930
If it's by faith alone, then
does it matter what we do?

1143
00:45:58,050 --> 00:46:00,510
Yes, it still matters what we do.

1144
00:46:00,930 --> 00:46:02,390
It doesn't save us.

1145
00:46:02,890 --> 00:46:06,930
It doesn't keep us saved, but
it does deal with that idea of walking

1146
00:46:06,970 --> 00:46:08,230
in unity together.

1147
00:46:09,330 --> 00:46:13,610
And so there are groups that
declare that you must do this to

1148
00:46:13,650 --> 00:46:14,586
stay saved.

1149
00:46:14,738 --> 00:46:17,642
There's people that declare
that you must do these things to

1150
00:46:17,666 --> 00:46:18,590
get saved.

1151
00:46:19,020 --> 00:46:21,820
But as christians, what we
have to understand is that all of

1152
00:46:21,860 --> 00:46:25,052
these arguments can be solved
if we look at the truth of scripture

1153
00:46:25,196 --> 00:46:30,356
and know that we have liberty
in God's grace, but we limit our

1154
00:46:30,388 --> 00:46:32,280
liberty for the sake of love.

1155
00:46:33,620 --> 00:46:37,020
So are there things that I
could possibly do in my christian

1156
00:46:37,060 --> 00:46:41,484
walk that could offend a
brother, even if I'm not sinning?

1157
00:46:41,532 --> 00:46:42,200
Yes.

1158
00:46:42,780 --> 00:46:45,476
So I need to be cognizant of
that, and I need to love my brother

1159
00:46:45,508 --> 00:46:46,372
enough to say, you know what?

1160
00:46:46,396 --> 00:46:48,876
I'm not going to do that thing
specifically in front of them.

1161
00:46:48,908 --> 00:46:51,556
And as the Bible says, flaunt
my liberty.

1162
00:46:51,668 --> 00:46:56,436
Okay, now this is where a lot
of churches are scared to deal with.

1163
00:46:56,468 --> 00:46:58,708
I'm scared to deal with this
because if I got up here and said

1164
00:46:58,724 --> 00:47:05,636
to you guys, there's rules at
this church, to be a member of Middletown

1165
00:47:05,668 --> 00:47:07,988
Baptist Church, like I
mentioned this morning, you got to

1166
00:47:08,004 --> 00:47:09,140
do this, this, this, and this.

1167
00:47:09,220 --> 00:47:11,538
Well, I've effectively now
become your conscience.

1168
00:47:11,684 --> 00:47:14,510
I've effectively now have
tried to pull away the discernment

1169
00:47:14,550 --> 00:47:16,822
and say, just do whatever I
tell you to do.

1170
00:47:16,926 --> 00:47:19,158
The problem with that is
that's never what the Bible says.

1171
00:47:19,294 --> 00:47:23,038
The Bible says for you, it's
individual soul, liberty.

1172
00:47:23,094 --> 00:47:25,622
All of us have the
responsibility to discern what the

1173
00:47:25,646 --> 00:47:28,214
spirit is calling us to do
accordance to the word of God.

1174
00:47:28,302 --> 00:47:34,770
And so we feed Silas right
now, Silas does not feed himself,

1175
00:47:36,110 --> 00:47:38,970
but Norah and Micah are
feeding themselves.

1176
00:47:39,130 --> 00:47:41,850
Micah doesn't sit down at the
table like Silas and put his bib

1177
00:47:41,890 --> 00:47:45,402
on and get to the table and
just sit there like this and go,

1178
00:47:45,426 --> 00:47:46,990
all right, dad, I'm ready.

1179
00:47:47,330 --> 00:47:48,234
And I go feed.

1180
00:47:48,322 --> 00:47:49,226
That's what Silas does.

1181
00:47:49,258 --> 00:47:52,330
He opens up his mouth and we
put the bottle in or we put the oatmeal

1182
00:47:52,370 --> 00:47:53,350
in or whatever.

1183
00:47:54,130 --> 00:47:58,090
But we would hope that as they
get older, they can feed themselves.

1184
00:47:58,250 --> 00:48:00,434
Now, Micah, I'm not gonna feed
you, okay?

1185
00:48:00,602 --> 00:48:01,370
He's gonna feed.

1186
00:48:01,410 --> 00:48:03,460
I'm gonna cook for him and I'm
gonna prepare it for him.

1187
00:48:03,530 --> 00:48:06,820
But then there's a place where
he becomes 20 and 30.

1188
00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:09,952
Dad, can you come over to my
house and cook me chicken nuggets?

1189
00:48:09,976 --> 00:48:11,984
I'm going to say, no, son,
you're an adult now.

1190
00:48:12,032 --> 00:48:13,128
You're married, you have children.

1191
00:48:13,184 --> 00:48:14,272
You can take care of that yourself.

1192
00:48:14,376 --> 00:48:19,400
Do you see how there is that
not independence, but God dependence

1193
00:48:19,440 --> 00:48:20,664
in the Christian's life as well?

1194
00:48:20,752 --> 00:48:22,816
So a lot of times it's like,
what should I believe?

1195
00:48:22,928 --> 00:48:25,416
I remember I went off to
college, dad, what do I believe about

1196
00:48:25,448 --> 00:48:25,688
this?

1197
00:48:25,744 --> 00:48:27,736
And I remember my dad telling
me, well, what do you believe?

1198
00:48:27,768 --> 00:48:28,200
I don't know.

1199
00:48:28,240 --> 00:48:30,140
I tell you what I believe, but
what do you believe?

1200
00:48:30,440 --> 00:48:31,800
And you need to know that thing.

1201
00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:34,512
And so a lot of times as
christians, we want to be spoon fed

1202
00:48:34,656 --> 00:48:36,140
what's right, what's wrong.

1203
00:48:36,680 --> 00:48:39,592
But the truth is, is there are
going to be some times where we have

1204
00:48:39,616 --> 00:48:44,576
to grow out of that babe stage
and move to that teenager adult stage

1205
00:48:44,608 --> 00:48:45,208
to say, you know what?

1206
00:48:45,224 --> 00:48:48,616
I'm going to get more
dependence on God and not another

1207
00:48:48,688 --> 00:48:51,440
individual because you could
come to me and say, well, pastor,

1208
00:48:51,480 --> 00:48:52,464
should I do this and do that?

1209
00:48:52,512 --> 00:48:55,264
Well, I don't know, in
scripture, it's not a clear statement

1210
00:48:55,312 --> 00:48:55,680
on that.

1211
00:48:55,720 --> 00:48:58,132
So you're going to have to
discern in the spirit and in the

1212
00:48:58,156 --> 00:48:59,760
word how to deal with that.

1213
00:49:00,220 --> 00:49:04,156
So, for example, should I go
and do this?

1214
00:49:04,348 --> 00:49:05,980
Well, did you do those checks?

1215
00:49:06,020 --> 00:49:07,524
What's the word of God say
about this?

1216
00:49:07,612 --> 00:49:10,396
Well, there's nothing that the
word of God says one way or the other.

1217
00:49:10,508 --> 00:49:11,092
Okay.

1218
00:49:11,196 --> 00:49:12,396
Is there a principle in scripture?

1219
00:49:12,428 --> 00:49:14,756
Well, I don't see a principle
in scripture.

1220
00:49:14,868 --> 00:49:19,360
Well, is this beneficial
expedient for your spiritual walk?

1221
00:49:20,380 --> 00:49:21,524
I'm not sure.

1222
00:49:21,692 --> 00:49:24,256
Is this going to help other
christians in their walk?

1223
00:49:24,428 --> 00:49:25,584
Oh, probably not.

1224
00:49:25,672 --> 00:49:27,312
I could see this, this and
this happening.

1225
00:49:27,376 --> 00:49:30,180
Well, there is an issue there,
and then we need to check that now.

1226
00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:32,160
And I'm going to digress here
in a moment.

1227
00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:37,632
But I will say this on the
flip side of this, you can live in

1228
00:49:37,656 --> 00:49:40,632
fear of man and say, well, I
can't do anything that God's calling

1229
00:49:40,656 --> 00:49:42,576
me to do because I know that
someone's going to get upset about

1230
00:49:42,608 --> 00:49:43,064
this.

1231
00:49:43,192 --> 00:49:46,512
You ever tried to please 100,
200 people at once?

1232
00:49:46,696 --> 00:49:47,512
I have.

1233
00:49:47,656 --> 00:49:48,744
Let me tell you how that goes.

1234
00:49:48,792 --> 00:49:49,774
It doesn't go well.

1235
00:49:49,912 --> 00:49:52,834
You could please maybe half,
and if on a really good day, you

1236
00:49:52,842 --> 00:49:55,826
can maybe please about 75%,
but you're never gonna please 100

1237
00:49:55,858 --> 00:49:56,430
people.

1238
00:49:57,170 --> 00:49:58,202
So what do you do?

1239
00:49:58,346 --> 00:49:59,586
We please God.

1240
00:49:59,778 --> 00:50:02,910
And then you do your best to
show love and grace to people.

1241
00:50:03,290 --> 00:50:06,698
Well, you know, as a pastor,
there's things that I could say to

1242
00:50:06,714 --> 00:50:08,370
you, this is not wrong.

1243
00:50:08,530 --> 00:50:10,042
And other people could say,
well, you know what?

1244
00:50:10,066 --> 00:50:11,098
I don't like that they do that.

1245
00:50:11,154 --> 00:50:15,530
Well, is it, remember, is it a
stumbling block to an offense of

1246
00:50:15,570 --> 00:50:17,880
sin or is it something that
you just don't like?

1247
00:50:18,260 --> 00:50:18,908
Right.

1248
00:50:19,044 --> 00:50:21,668
And then, so on the other side
of things, as a christian, I need

1249
00:50:21,684 --> 00:50:23,060
to be cautious that I'm not.

1250
00:50:23,180 --> 00:50:24,180
Remember the judging.

1251
00:50:24,260 --> 00:50:27,572
I'm not judging another person
in their liberty just because I don't

1252
00:50:27,596 --> 00:50:28,640
like what they're doing.

1253
00:50:28,980 --> 00:50:32,124
If it's an offense to sin,
then that's what Matthew eighteen's

1254
00:50:32,172 --> 00:50:32,956
all about.

1255
00:50:33,108 --> 00:50:34,580
Someone sinned against me.

1256
00:50:34,700 --> 00:50:35,332
What do I do?

1257
00:50:35,396 --> 00:50:37,996
I go tell that brother that he
sinned against me, and I clearly

1258
00:50:38,028 --> 00:50:41,426
explain how that was a sin and
how that was an offense to me.

1259
00:50:41,588 --> 00:50:42,134
Okay.

1260
00:50:42,222 --> 00:50:43,582
And so then there's that process.

1261
00:50:43,726 --> 00:50:45,182
And so we could go deeper into this.

1262
00:50:45,206 --> 00:50:46,022
We're gonna stop for tonight.

1263
00:50:46,046 --> 00:50:48,510
We're gonna come back with
part two next week because there's

1264
00:50:48,550 --> 00:50:49,174
more to this.

1265
00:50:49,262 --> 00:50:51,782
Paul and Barnabas are gonna
bring that message back to the church

1266
00:50:51,806 --> 00:50:57,542
in Antioch and we'll decide,
well, we'll look into it this way,

1267
00:50:57,606 --> 00:51:01,022
we'll decide whether or not we
go on to the next struggle, because

1268
00:51:01,086 --> 00:51:04,054
shortly after this, what
happens is that, guess what?

1269
00:51:04,222 --> 00:51:06,230
There's more conflict.

1270
00:51:06,350 --> 00:51:10,406
Paul and Barnabas are two guys
have a conflict.

1271
00:51:10,558 --> 00:51:12,086
So we got to deal with that.

1272
00:51:12,278 --> 00:51:13,190
What do we do?

1273
00:51:13,310 --> 00:51:17,422
Well, the Bible has the
teaching on what to do in conflict,

1274
00:51:17,566 --> 00:51:20,790
and I can't say that, you
know, because a lot of times we exalt

1275
00:51:20,830 --> 00:51:24,030
Paul to a place of almost
sinlessness, right?

1276
00:51:24,070 --> 00:51:25,662
We go, Paul is Paul, and he is.

1277
00:51:25,686 --> 00:51:26,126
He's Paul's.

1278
00:51:26,158 --> 00:51:27,862
Paul's an awesome dude.

1279
00:51:27,966 --> 00:51:30,854
One of the guys that I want to
talk to when I get to heaven, like

1280
00:51:30,902 --> 00:51:34,264
many of the other people
there, but Paul isn't perfect, and

1281
00:51:34,272 --> 00:51:37,832
there's some issues with him
and John, Mark, and Barnabas, and

1282
00:51:37,976 --> 00:51:39,816
even later on, Peter and Paul.

1283
00:51:39,888 --> 00:51:41,504
And, you know, so we're gonna
get into that.

1284
00:51:41,552 --> 00:51:43,752
And I think that's important
to deal with, because when we're

1285
00:51:43,776 --> 00:51:47,940
looking at unity and we're
looking at these nuanced topics of,

1286
00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:49,940
is this gonna offend a brother?

1287
00:51:50,240 --> 00:51:52,552
These are real things that we
gotta talk about, because what's

1288
00:51:52,576 --> 00:51:55,576
gonna eventually happen,
whether we mean to or not, we are

1289
00:51:55,608 --> 00:51:58,696
going to have a conflict with
another brother and sister in Christ.

1290
00:51:58,808 --> 00:52:00,140
It's going to happen.

1291
00:52:00,470 --> 00:52:01,614
So what do we do?

1292
00:52:01,782 --> 00:52:02,462
Well, you know what?

1293
00:52:02,486 --> 00:52:06,766
Historically, people have done
well, let me get back in the old

1294
00:52:06,798 --> 00:52:08,998
days, it was get the phone
book out, but now it's, let me get

1295
00:52:09,014 --> 00:52:10,638
on Google and see where the
closest church is.

1296
00:52:10,694 --> 00:52:11,406
Okay.

1297
00:52:11,558 --> 00:52:14,134
We're going church shopping
because these people have offended

1298
00:52:14,182 --> 00:52:14,366
me.

1299
00:52:14,398 --> 00:52:15,850
That's not the first step.

1300
00:52:16,590 --> 00:52:19,446
Does God call people out of
churches and move them other places?

1301
00:52:19,478 --> 00:52:20,926
For certain reasons, of course.

1302
00:52:21,118 --> 00:52:24,262
But where we have seen an
issue is that there is a plethora

1303
00:52:24,286 --> 00:52:25,496
of churches in the area.

1304
00:52:25,638 --> 00:52:28,348
And when there's a minor
offense that could have been fixed

1305
00:52:28,444 --> 00:52:31,420
and a brother could be gained,
there's, hey, we got to leave.

1306
00:52:31,460 --> 00:52:32,412
We got to run.

1307
00:52:32,596 --> 00:52:36,172
Now, thankfully, at Middletown
Baptist Church, we have a lot of

1308
00:52:36,196 --> 00:52:38,060
faithful people, and I'm
thankful for that.

1309
00:52:38,180 --> 00:52:40,636
There have been people that
have come here for the right reasons.

1310
00:52:40,668 --> 00:52:42,716
There have been people that
have left Middletown Baptist church,

1311
00:52:42,748 --> 00:52:45,652
I believe, for the right
reasons in a good way.

1312
00:52:45,796 --> 00:52:46,564
Maybe they're moving.

1313
00:52:46,612 --> 00:52:48,260
Maybe God's calling their
heart somewhere else.

1314
00:52:48,300 --> 00:52:50,276
Maybe there's issues that can't.

1315
00:52:50,308 --> 00:52:53,014
You know, maybe there's
viewpoints that don't align.

1316
00:52:53,062 --> 00:52:54,886
Okay, now I'm a little biased.

1317
00:52:54,918 --> 00:52:56,510
I think Middletown Baptist
church is awesome.

1318
00:52:56,550 --> 00:52:59,086
I think it's the best church
in town, and I want everyone to come

1319
00:52:59,118 --> 00:53:01,190
here, but that might not be
God's plan.

1320
00:53:01,270 --> 00:53:02,734
That might not be God's plan
for someone.

1321
00:53:02,822 --> 00:53:06,966
Maybe someone else is better
equipped than another body of believers.

1322
00:53:07,078 --> 00:53:10,542
And so we have to be very
cautious about conflict and not running

1323
00:53:10,566 --> 00:53:14,518
from the conflict, but dealing
with it in a very biblical, patient

1324
00:53:14,574 --> 00:53:15,054
way.

1325
00:53:15,182 --> 00:53:18,760
And I think that's what we
talked about this morning, the endurance.

1326
00:53:18,920 --> 00:53:19,968
And that's not easy.

1327
00:53:20,024 --> 00:53:22,944
So I know that that was a
heavy topic this evening.

1328
00:53:23,072 --> 00:53:26,488
I know that's not a topic that
we necessarily get up and cheer about,

1329
00:53:26,584 --> 00:53:29,808
but it's a topic that we have
to deal with because it's something

1330
00:53:29,904 --> 00:53:33,752
that, at least in my years of
the church, doesn't get talked about

1331
00:53:33,776 --> 00:53:34,344
a lot.

1332
00:53:34,472 --> 00:53:34,760
Right.

1333
00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:37,232
We kind of just skim over this
idea of offending a brother.

1334
00:53:37,256 --> 00:53:38,500
And what does that even mean?

1335
00:53:39,360 --> 00:53:43,418
We look at different things
and we say, well, you know what?

1336
00:53:43,434 --> 00:53:45,802
If I don't like it, then it's bad.

1337
00:53:45,906 --> 00:53:47,770
The truth is, though, it's all about.

1338
00:53:47,850 --> 00:53:49,122
It goes back to the.

1339
00:53:49,266 --> 00:53:51,130
It goes back to the greatest commandment.

1340
00:53:51,250 --> 00:53:54,578
What did Jesus say is, the
first greatest commandment is to

1341
00:53:54,594 --> 00:53:56,426
love God with all of our
heart, soul, mind and strength.

1342
00:53:56,498 --> 00:53:57,498
Okay, everything.

1343
00:53:57,674 --> 00:54:00,666
And then he says, the second
is like unto this, love your neighbor

1344
00:54:00,698 --> 00:54:01,510
as yourself.

1345
00:54:02,090 --> 00:54:04,970
All of these issues could be
dealt with if we follow those two

1346
00:54:05,010 --> 00:54:05,790
commandments.

1347
00:54:06,570 --> 00:54:08,714
So it's not about following
the law.

1348
00:54:08,802 --> 00:54:11,450
It's following the greatest
commandment of loving God and loving

1349
00:54:11,490 --> 00:54:11,930
people.

1350
00:54:12,050 --> 00:54:16,498
If we do that and follow the
word, we're gonna be okay.

1351
00:54:16,634 --> 00:54:17,202
We're gonna be okay.

1352
00:54:17,226 --> 00:54:17,834
Are we gonna be perfect?

1353
00:54:17,882 --> 00:54:18,498
No.

1354
00:54:18,674 --> 00:54:20,954
But if you love God, you're
not gonna sin against him.

1355
00:54:21,082 --> 00:54:23,866
If you're really walking in
love, you're not going to want to

1356
00:54:23,898 --> 00:54:24,818
sin against him.

1357
00:54:24,954 --> 00:54:27,938
And if you love other people
like you love yourself, you're not

1358
00:54:27,994 --> 00:54:29,390
going to sin against them.

1359
00:54:29,970 --> 00:54:32,442
You know, when I sin against
other people is when I start thinking

1360
00:54:32,466 --> 00:54:33,354
about myself.

1361
00:54:33,522 --> 00:54:36,442
All those passages of
scripture that said, don't think

1362
00:54:36,466 --> 00:54:36,890
about yourself.

1363
00:54:36,930 --> 00:54:38,586
Think about others, don't
think about your freedom.

1364
00:54:38,618 --> 00:54:40,190
Think about the love that you
have for other people.

1365
00:54:40,290 --> 00:54:42,326
When I sin against other
people is when I start thinking,

1366
00:54:42,358 --> 00:54:44,966
hey, they wronged me, so I'm
gonna do what I want.

1367
00:54:45,038 --> 00:54:47,222
They offended me, so I'm gonna
do what I want.

1368
00:54:47,366 --> 00:54:49,910
They got me frustrated, so I'm
gonna sin against them.

1369
00:54:50,030 --> 00:54:52,366
Instead of thinking about
their well being, I think about my

1370
00:54:52,398 --> 00:54:52,822
well being.

1371
00:54:52,846 --> 00:54:53,686
Well, that's the first step.

1372
00:54:53,718 --> 00:54:56,766
That I'm wrong in church is
not about me.

1373
00:54:56,958 --> 00:54:59,854
I'm gonna give you a
revelatory statement, and we'll be

1374
00:54:59,862 --> 00:55:00,006
done.

1375
00:55:00,038 --> 00:55:00,494
This is it.

1376
00:55:00,542 --> 00:55:02,970
I know I keep saying that but
I gotta say this, okay?

1377
00:55:03,750 --> 00:55:07,480
We are at church, not for ourselves.

1378
00:55:09,380 --> 00:55:10,916
This is not about us.

1379
00:55:11,028 --> 00:55:12,124
This is not about me.

1380
00:55:12,172 --> 00:55:13,148
This is not about you.

1381
00:55:13,204 --> 00:55:15,236
This is not about a ministry.

1382
00:55:15,428 --> 00:55:16,800
This is about Christ.

1383
00:55:17,500 --> 00:55:19,884
Everything that we're doing is
about Jesus, okay?

1384
00:55:19,972 --> 00:55:21,484
We are beneficiaries.

1385
00:55:21,652 --> 00:55:28,228
We are background characters
in the story, okay?

1386
00:55:28,324 --> 00:55:31,172
Sometimes I start to think
that I'm the main character in the

1387
00:55:31,196 --> 00:55:31,760
story.

1388
00:55:32,620 --> 00:55:33,924
I'm the protagonist.

1389
00:55:34,052 --> 00:55:36,684
I'm not the protagonist in the
story of the gospel.

1390
00:55:36,812 --> 00:55:40,220
I'm just a side character
that's there to support the main

1391
00:55:40,260 --> 00:55:41,732
character, and that's Jesus Christ.

1392
00:55:41,876 --> 00:55:44,284
And so when we start thinking
that we're the main character in

1393
00:55:44,292 --> 00:55:47,188
the story, that's when we can
get into a lot of conflict and a

1394
00:55:47,204 --> 00:55:49,400
lot of issues and don't think
about the unity.

1395
00:55:49,900 --> 00:55:55,080
And so what Paul says is this,
and I thank the Lord for this teaching.

1396
00:55:55,380 --> 00:55:56,440
It's like this.

1397
00:55:57,270 --> 00:56:01,798
If I need to die to something
in my life, I will do that for the

1398
00:56:01,814 --> 00:56:02,830
cause of the gospel.

1399
00:56:02,950 --> 00:56:05,806
If I need to remove something
from my life that's a stumbling block

1400
00:56:05,838 --> 00:56:06,518
to another brother.

1401
00:56:06,574 --> 00:56:09,230
I love my brother and I love
Christ, and I love the gospel enough

1402
00:56:09,270 --> 00:56:10,630
to say, I don't need to do that.

1403
00:56:10,750 --> 00:56:12,130
I don't need to do that.

1404
00:56:13,350 --> 00:56:16,222
We've got, and I'd love to
talk to you about this more because

1405
00:56:16,246 --> 00:56:19,334
I've got a lot of examples
about this, but we've got people

1406
00:56:19,382 --> 00:56:20,646
that will say, you know what?

1407
00:56:20,678 --> 00:56:21,766
I can do this.

1408
00:56:21,918 --> 00:56:23,426
I have the freedom to do this.

1409
00:56:23,518 --> 00:56:24,830
Why is this a sin?

1410
00:56:25,770 --> 00:56:29,190
It's not, but how is it beneficial?

1411
00:56:29,490 --> 00:56:33,042
And I go back to that passage
in one corinthians 1023, all things

1412
00:56:33,066 --> 00:56:34,714
are lawful, but not all things
are expedient.

1413
00:56:34,762 --> 00:56:36,350
Not all things are edifying.

1414
00:56:36,770 --> 00:56:41,586
If we just thought about that
edification factor, so much more

1415
00:56:41,618 --> 00:56:43,510
would be changed within our midst.

1416
00:56:43,850 --> 00:56:46,470
So I will end with that here tonight.

1417
00:56:47,090 --> 00:56:49,650
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1418
00:56:49,690 --> 00:56:50,502
podcast.

1419
00:56:50,666 --> 00:56:53,210
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1420
00:56:53,590 --> 00:56:55,862
If you would like to find out
more information about our church

1421
00:56:55,886 --> 00:57:00,182
or this sermon, you can find
us@middletownbaptistchurch.org or

1422
00:57:00,286 --> 00:57:02,450
find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1423
00:57:02,950 --> 00:57:08,158
You can also email me directly@joshmissaroiddletownbaptastchurch.com.

1424
00:57:08,334 --> 00:57:11,838
if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1425
00:57:11,894 --> 00:57:14,890
along for future podcasts and updates.

1426
00:57:15,310 --> 00:57:16,406
Thank you so much.

1427
00:57:16,518 --> 00:57:17,374
God bless.

1428
00:57:17,502 --> 00:57:18,550
Have a wonderful day.