RIGHT VERSUS WRONG
How Can We Know?
1 Corinthians 6:9-20
INTRODUCTION:
My job, as your pastor, is to shepherd this flock.
In that I have to do many of the same things a real shepherd of real sheep would do.
He GUIDES them… to water, food, and safety
He PROTECTS them from outside dangers, and from themselves.
He PROVIDES them with many things they need to be healthy
As your pastor, I do the same.
I know that you are very busy with jobs, school, family, taking care of your home, caring for loved ones, and many other things.
I know you don’t have several hours a day to spend digging into the Word and finding the nuggets of gold to help you understand the depths of God’s Word.
I know you don’t possess the library of biblical commentaries and study books to really do a thorough background study of the text in Greek or Hebrew.
It is kind of like the sheep who do not have the ability to study the terrain and vegetation to know the best places to graze, but the shepherd does and it is his job to provide them the best grazing so they can grow.
It is my job to spend hours in the word, studying multiple sources and passages to get the best understanding of scripture so I can lead you to the best understanding and the ability to put it into practice in your life.
Today, my sermon is an attempt to take spiritual truth and break it down so you can understand and apply it to your life.
A few years ago, I walked into the residence of a church attendee who had some friends over and they were drinking beer. The natural question that came out of it was, "Is it a sin to drink beer?"
This is not a sermon on drinking beer... God did not point me to that subject or any passage about the subject.
It is not a sermon about drinking beer, unless the Holy Spirit chooses to use it to convict you of it… I don’t want to get in the way of the Spirit and what He chooses to say to anyone.
But, this is not a sermon about drinking alcohol… it is a sermon about RIGHT VERSUS WRONG....
It is intended to answer the question, “How can we know if something is PERMIISSIBLE... permitted, OK with the church and with the God?"
ESPECIALLY… if we don't seem to have a clear "Thou shalt" or "thou shalt not" verse.
Most of the lifestyle choices we have to make on a daily basis, are not regulated by specific commands of Scripture.
We are constantly called upon to exercise our judgment in these matters.
How can we be sure that we are making the right decisions.... in these "gray" areas?
Allow me to begin by making one BROAD, general statement of fact: In order for you to exercise judgment, (in the grey areas)YOU MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THE SCRIPTURE SAYS.
To truly understand the GREY you must be knowledgeable about the BLACK AND WHITE
The more you know about the black and white… what God’s word does say… the less grey area there will be.
And you don't have to wait till you are a bible scholar to understand what the scripture says about any subject.
Go to the book store and purchase a Topical Bible..... Scriptures are arranged by topic or subject.
You can get on online at biblestudytools.com
You just choose any subject from the alphabetical list and it will give you every scripture that applies to that subject.
I would prefer for you to get a hard copy, so you can underline and write notes in it.
Sit down with your Nave's, your bible, a highlighter, a pen and some paper. .. Search the scriptures with the help of Nave’s.... and you will be able to make a good judgment on the Issue.
First question is always… WHAT DOES GOD SAY?
What is black and white about this issue?
For drinking alcohol
You can study Naves references and what you will come up with black and white are these (and others like them)
1 Timothy 5:23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
Prov. 20:1 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Prov 21:17 He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.
23:20 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, 21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. 31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! 32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things.
Galatians 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Eph 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
So, what we know black and white is… It is a sin to get drunk!!!
HOWEVER
Even if you do a thorough study, sometimes there is no specific command...
What should you do in those cases?
Ask yourself these questions...
1. IS IT BENEFICIAL, in any way, to my walk with Christ
Jesus? v12a
Let's just take drinking alcohol as an example... can you think of any possible way in which it could be beneficial to your walk with Christ.
Will it help you to be more clearly headed in understanding the Word?
Will it cause others to respect you as a Christian?
Will it strengthen your resolve to do what is good and right in God's eyes?
Will it make you stronger against temptation?
Will it bring you closer to Christ?
Will it make you think more of others than yourself?
Many will stand up and say, "Jesus drank wine."
TRUE
It was not a bad witness then ... and He did not get drunk.
The issue is not Jesus, He did not need to improve his relationship with God ...
and remember... Jesus was God in the flesh..... YOU AIN'T
Some would say, "There is no scripture that says I can't.”
TRUE
But the focus of the Christian's life is not what he can get away with but rather what is beneficial, helpful.
Paul taught us this in 1 Corinthians 6: 12, "Many things are permissible to me"
Translation-- There are millions of options available to me about whom God has given no clear, specific prohibition ... I am free to pick and choose from among them.
HOWEVER, NOT EVERYTHING IS BENEFICIAL
Translation --But not all of those options are going to be helpful in taking me to where I want to be.
If you are going to drive to Washington D.C...... all roads are permissible to you, but not all are beneficial.
If you just want to kill time and sight see, don't have any particular destination in mind ...
then all roads are permissible.
But listen Christian
WE HAVE A DESTINATION
WE HAVE A PLACE WE WANT TO GO = CHRIST -LIKE-NESS Godliness righteousness.
For your non-Christian friends.... All roads are permissible and one is as good as another...
because they don't have any goal.
For you ... All roads are permissible BUT NOT ALL ARE BENEFICIAL.
Can you think of other activities that do not pass this test? ... they are permissible but are not beneficial?
Can you think of a time recently when you participated in something that was permissible ... but was not beneficial?
2. WILL IT MASTER ME????? y.12b
Here we have two pictures…
One is a very small girl walking a very large Rottweiler dog
Girl 25 pounds ---- dog 110 pounds
The other is a very muscular man walking a pathetically small dog
Man 210 pounds ---- dog 5 pounds
Now let’s imagine these two dogs both see a cat and decide to chase it
Which owner will get mastered by their dog?
Listen... I KNOW CHRISTIANS WHO ARE BEING MASTERED AND MAN-HANDLED LIKE THAT... BUT BY HABITS AND ACTIVITIES, AND RELATIONSHIPS AGAINST WHICH THERE IS NO SPECIFIC COMMANDMENT.
It did not start out that way.... in the beginning you had control, it was fun, and it was safe.
It was like a new born puppy on the other end of the leash and with one tug you could sling him into next week.
But it did not stay that way ... you kept on dabbling with it, giving in to the urge, FEEDING THE DOG.
And the puppy became a full grown Rottweiler, and now he's in control, he takes you places you don't want to go.
Can you think of some activities that can master a person?
Can you think of some activities that need to guard against becoming a master over you?
Can you think of some activities that have mastery over you right now?
3. Could it hurt SOMEONE ELSE'S WALK with God?
10:24, 8:9-13
Life is not just about you, and YOUR life is not just about you.
God expects us to LOVE OUR BROTHER, and will call us account for how we did
Whether we considered him and his needs and his walk with God.
Paul said, there are things which are perfectly permissible {like eating meat offered to idols.}
But there are those who view such things as Un-Christian, and to see me doing those things will offend their sense of right and wrong, and in the process it will cause my witness to be tarnished.
May be the very thing that causes the lost to reject your witness.
May cause young Christian to live life of sin
May cause another Christian to walk in wrong direction
((Motorcycle rider with coat on backwards… died before we could get his head turned around))
There are activities that might not offend your conscience.... they may be perfectly permissible to you, and may not in any way master you.
But they fail this test.... the test of offending another's conscience, tarnishing your witness.
What does the scripture say? Read it in 1 Cor. 8:9-13
1. It is a sin against your brother
2. It is a sin against God
3. DON'T DO IT! ! ! ! For their sake
4. Does it bring Honor and Glory to God? 10:31
GLORY = the honor that comes from a good opinion.
The way that we bring honor or glory to the name of Christ or the Father is by living such a life, performing such deeds that it causes others to praise God or to give God praise.
How can we know if our actions fall in this category?
This one is real easy to figure out. ..
If Jesus was walking beside you and saw you go in there, or heard you say that, or watched you do that. .... What expression do you think he would have on his face???
((Like man picked up preacher... two hours late to work, "I picked up the preacher and those mules didn't understand a word I said. "))
OR. .. If the members of the church heard the preacher went there, or said that, or did that. ..... Where would I be working next week???
LITERALLY... If other people know about it. .. will it cause them to be so impressed that they will give praise and honor to God.
Or will it cause them to despise the church .
Or will it cause them to doubt Christianity .
Or will it cause them to mock the very idea of God?????
What brings honor and glory to God?????
OBEDIENCE!!!!!!
Let's recap ....
How can I know if it is right or wrong?
1. Is there a clear specific commandment?
2. Is it BENEFICIAL in any way to my Walk with God?
3. Could it master me?
4. Could it diminish someone else's walk with God?
5. Will it bring honor and Glory to God?
