TITLE: NO TRIPPING ALLOWED
SCRIPTURE: I CORINTHIANS 8:1-13 / ROMANS 14:1-12
Autumn is approaching and begins in just 12 days. With this change of seasons it also means there will be lots of football games on television. College football season has already begun, therefore; at least occasional reference to football will probably make its way in my sermons. Would you agree with me that one of the objectives of football is to knock the other guy down. It is a rough contact sport and how you Tackle and knock your opponent down is fundamental to the game. In this process, however; TRIPPING IS NOT ALLOWED. If a player on the offensive line blows his assignment and his opponent gets around him and about to Sack the Quarterback - as the offensive player on the front line attempts to avoid their Quarterback from being sacked they are not allowed to STICK OUT A LEG AND TRIP THE DEFENSIVE PLAYER UP. If he does, and the referee sees it, they would be assessed a 15-yard penalty.
My focus this morning is this simple thought -- IF TRIPPING IS NOT ALLOWED IN FOOTBALL, a game where people are supposed to be knocking each other down, it CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN CHURCH, a place where people should be helping and holding one another other up. Some of you are thinking, "What in the world are you talking about, Pastor? I don't see anyone tripping people in church.” Well….I know there was that one time that person tripped over my leg in the foyer, I keep telling everyone it was an accident."
• On a serious note, today we are not talking about physically tripping someone
• This morning our focus will be placed upon Spiritually Tripping another person
• Or as Paul says - Being a Stumbling Block to another Christian
Our text, read this morning, we find Paul as he addresses a problem which was very specific to the Church at Corinth. We find the Lord reminding us of some things which are very important for us and our church even today. Paul’s main point is we are to accept one another and not judge or look with contempt on those who differ with us over non-essential matters. He was talking both to weaker and stronger believers. The weaker believers were not weak in the sense of not being able to resist temptation. That kind of weakness is sin.
• Rather, they were weak in that they were hung up with scruples about things the Bible does not command
• They were caught up with the Jewish law that was fulfilled in Christ and thus no longer in effect
• ST. MATTHEW 5:17 “THINK NOT THAT I AM COME TO DESTROY THE LAW, OR THE PROPHETS: I AM NOT COME TO DESTROY, BUT TO FULFILL”
Paul turns mostly to the stronger believers. He was concerned they would flaunt their LIBERTY IN CHIRST to the detriment of weaker believers, who may be influenced to violate their consciences. Paul tells the stronger believers that LOVE FOR THE BROTHERS SHOULD TRUMP THEIR USE OF LIBERTY. Those that are strong in the Lord have a tremendous responsibility. ROMANS 15:1 “WE THEN THAT ARE STRONG OUGHT TO BEAR THE INFIRMITIES OF THE WEAK, AND NOT TO PLEASE OURSELVES.”
• There is an underlying tenant to Christianity that many professed Christians seem to overlook, leading to a weak church and misdirected members
• It has to do with the obligation of the stronger members toward the weaker ones
The reality is SOME CHRISTIANS ARE WEAK IN FAITH WHILE OTHERS ARE STRONGER. Those who are stronger in their faith must be careful not to put stumbling blocks in the way of their weaker brothers and sisters. We have the tendency to want to identify as “Weak” Christians when we have been in Church 20-30-40-50-60 years talking about I’M NOT THERE YET! It’s just like driving our automobiles. When we set out to go to Walmart and leave home at some point we are going to get there, we are going to arrive. I know that is simplistic, but so is our growing in God’s grace. It is not as complicated as we try to make it.
• On our job we are expected over time to become Proficient at our assigned tasks
• On our job we are expected to grow over time and advance in responsibilities and pay
• In military we don’t stay a Private for 20 year career or LT for 20 year career
• Become proficient more knowledgeable and Progress through the Ranks
• We are expected to become good on our jobs and advance to Supervise or Team Leader
• Christianity is the only place we can get away with not Growing or saying I’m not there yet
• Christianity is the only place where not growing is acceptable
We find in I PETER 2:2 “AS NEWBORN BABES, DESIRE THE SINCERE MILK OF THE WORD, THAT YE MAY GROW THEREBY.”
• Even a baby makes the transition from Milk to Meat
• They go from Milk to Soft Baby Food – they don’t stay there on the Milk all their lives
• After while they want to eat whatever it is on your plate too
• As Christians we must also go through normal Spiritual Maturation
• All too often we stay on the Milk much too long
• We become Spiritually Malnutritioned and never able to Grow
Paul in our initial text addresses a concern CENTERED ON FOOD SACRIFICED TO IDOLS. He is responding to the question: IS IT WRONG TO EAT SUCH FOOD? In the pagan culture people would bring food offerings, meat and other products, to a temple and place them beside a statue of one of the Greek or Roman deities. In Corinth these included –
• APHRODITE - the goddess of Love
• ASCLEPIUS - the god of Healing
• APOLLO - the Chief Roman god
Now, everyone knew these stone or wood figures were not going to consume the food -- ELIJAH PROVED THAT ON MOUNT CARMEL WITH THE 450 PROPHETS OF BAAL -- so this food was considered acceptable to use it for other purposes.
• Often the temple priests would take the offerings home and cook them for supper
• Sometimes people met at one of these pagan temples and would end up using the offerings they had brought for kind of a potluck picnic
• Usually there was more food left than the priests could possibly use
• So they would bring it to the market where it was sold to folks who were grocery shopping
The question that came up in the church was this: WHAT IF A CHRISTIAN EATS SOME OF THIS FOOD THAT HAS BEEN SACRIFICED TO A PAGAN IDOL?
• Does partaking of that stuff constitute participation in idol worship?
• Is it a sin to eat a steak which had once been offered to Aphrodite?
Paul gives a two-part answer to those questions. First, he says NO, there is nothing inherently wrong with eating this food. The main reason is because these PAGAN DEITIES DON’T REALLY EXIST.
• We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one
• For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live
• There is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live
• Aphrodite or Apollo can't contaminate a piece of meat, because they are not real
• There is only one God
• The God of the Bible
• The Triune God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• Christians have nothing to fear from any idols
Some Christians from pagan backgrounds were once again going back and EATING AT THE PAGAN TEMPLE RESTAURANTS.
• But they now understood that meat was meat
• They knew that the pagan gods were false gods
• They knew that God was the only true God
There were some newer believers apparently who took acceptation with such. Weaker Believers were starting to Stumble because of this, they could not understand how Christians could eat meat and a meal that had been sacrificed to Idols. The stronger believers simply responded -- VS. 1 “….WE ALL HAVE KNOWLEDGE….” They were in essence saying, “Just Think This Thing Through and We Will All Draw The Same Conclusion.”
• That statement was true but egotistical
• They felt superior in their knowledge
• They had an accurate understanding of food and false gods and the true God
• But they apparently had a serious deficiency
Look with me again at what Paul says in VS 1. “KNOWLEDGE PUFFETH UP, BUT CHARITY EDIFIETH.”
• The Corinthian Christians had knowledge, but they did not have Love
• They were solid in Doctrine
• But they were weak in Love
• They did not understand the necessity of love - a love that builds up
• Oftentimes we proclaim in the Church we love one another
• We state we love everybody
• But our love is weak if it is not the type of Love that builds each other up
• Someone started a conversation a few weeks ago by saying “I know I Should not say this but..”
• I cut them off and said “Then Don’t say it then”
• We have to love one another enough to Build Each Other Up!
• Paul was saying in this text – No Tripping Allowed
A MATURE CHRISTIAN WILL BE MATURE IN TWO AREAS: KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE. He will be mature THEOLOGICALLY and also RELATIONALLY. He has a growing understanding of Bible doctrine, and at the same time, has a growing ability to relate those doctrines to himself and to others. The mature Christian knows love is the medium through which biblical truth is communicated. Paul said in EPHESIANS 4:15 “BUT SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE, MAY GROW UP INTO HIM IN ALL THINGS, WHICH IS THE HEAD; EVEN CHRIST.”
NEVERTHELESS, WHAT WOULD BE WRONG IS WHEN EATING BECOMES A STUMBLING BLOCK TO OTHERS. Some Christians ate in the pagan temple restaurants with the understanding that eating such food was fine. They no longer associated eating the food with any pagan gods. But, Paul was concerned that other Christians, perhaps still new to the faith, and not yet properly taught might think that it is NOT okay to eat food that they believed were sacrificed to idols, and thus had some magical, mystical power or influence. “And so,” Paul warned in VS. 11 “AND THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE SHALL THE WEAK BROTHER PERISH, FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED?”
Paul was saying there is nothing wrong with the food that has been offered to idols. But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and SINCE THEIR CONSCIENCE IS WEAK, IT IS DEFILED.
• This is not a big deal because food does not bring us near to God
• We sometimes forget that
• We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do
• Spiritual health or vitality, how good of a Christian someone is, doesn't depend on whether or not they choose to eat the food that may have been given to an idol
• That is not the problem
• But there is a problem which concerns Paul very much -- Tripping up another Christian
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a STUMBLING BLOCK TO THE WEAK. How could we trip someone up? For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. Someone who doesn't realize that the food given to idols is harmless when they see you are participating may Trip this weaker believer up. Paul says don’t do it in front of them! No Tripping Allowed.
Now we know how to deal with food which has been sacrificed to pagan idols. But, WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US TODAY? There are two main implications. We need to make sure we are not tripping someone and causing them to stumble. Because we ought to love everyone, from other believers to those who have little use for Christianity, I think it is true that WE SHOULD NEVER ACT IN A WAY THAT WOULD TRIP UP ANYONE SPIRITUALLY. Our special responsibility, though, is to make sure we are not leading a Christian brother or sister in this congregation to sin. What are some ways that could happen? Well, it probably is not going to be by serving a steak previously sacrificed to an idol. There would be FDA regulations against that anyway. But let's look at ways we might trip up someone.
The most obvious would be how do we feel about DRINKING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES? Some say we abstain and Christians should not drink at all. Others say as Christians we can drink alcoholic beverages as long as we don’t drink to get drunk. Who is right and who is wrong? It is not an issue of right and wrong.
• Do it at home or with those Christians that would not stumble by you having a drink
• Don’t argue the fact with other believers if they disagree
• What you do at home is on you
• Having wine with your dinner at a restaurant is your business
• It is between you and the Lord
• We have a position in our Church Covenant we adhere
• The Covenant says - No Tripping Allowed
Remember, SOMETIMES IT IS OK TO MAKE OTHER CHRISTIANS UNHAPPY. Today we are talking about things which do spiritual harm to another Christian, not about things which they merely don't like. Many times there are things that go on in the Church that make me unhappy, but don’t necessarily shake my faith or trust in the Lord.
• We need to be willing to give up some things for the sake of others
• As we saw before, Paul was willing to give up his rights, limit his own freedom, and deny himself pleasure, in order to make sure he didn't trip up one of his Christian brothers or sisters
• God calls us to do the same thing
• Be a little uncomfortable to ensure the comfortability of weaker saints
• PHILIPPIANS 2:4-5 “LOOK NOT EVERY MAN ON HIS OWN THINGS, BUT EVERY MAN ALSO ON THE THINGS OF OTHERS. LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS”
• We must remember ROMANS 5:8 “BUT GOD COMMENDENT HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DID FOR US”
I know what some are thinking this morning -- Wait a minute, Apostle Paul. If someone has a weak conscience, that is not my fault. It is his/her problem. I should not have to give up my right to do something just because someone else can't handle a particular situation. According to our text, however, that is exactly what we are expected to do. Why? Because the spiritual welfare of a brother or sister in Christ is more important than any right we might want to exercise.
• We don’t have the right to grow angry with our Brother and Sister
• We don’t have the right to be mad about this or that
• Not if we are Saved and in the Lord
• We don’t have the right to have an issue with someone else personality
• What makes us thing our Personality is so wonderful?
• Stopped by to tell you this morning – No Tripping Allowed
Our main focus should not be on our liberty or our rights, but on loving our brother. Love gladly yields its rights when it is necessary to keep a weaker brother from stumbling. But while the overall principle is fairly clear, the difficulty is in the details. We can’t stay SPRITIUALLY IMMATURE for too long because then we expect our fellow Christian to BARE THEIR LOAD AND OURS TOO! It is time we Stop Tripping One Another in the Church. Paul addressed this in HEBREWS 5:12-13 “FOR WHEN FOR THE TIME YE OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS, YE HAVE NED THAT ONE TEACH YOU AGAIN WHICH BE THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE ORACLES OF GOD; AND ARE BECOME SUCH AS HAVE NEED OF MILK, AND NOT OF STRONG MEAT. FOR EVERY ONE THAT USETH MILK IS UNSKILLFUL IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: FOR HE IS A BABE.”
• Paul told the Church No Tripping Allowed
• Paul told the Church you all have been saved a long time but still act like you need Milk
• Paul told the Church you ought to be the teachers by now, but I still have to teach you
• Paul told the Church, you are not growing because you are still Tripping Each Other up
We find in II PETER 3:18 “BUT GROW IN GRACE, AND IN THE KNOWLEDE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST…”
• That indicates a process. It takes time
• It’s not instantaneous
• 9th grade algebra
• The formula for distance. Anybody remember?
o r x t = d
o Rate x Time = Distance
• That formula means that if I’m going 5 miles per hour, it will take me 1000 hours to cover 5000 miles
• That formula means that if I’m going 50 miles per hour, it will take me 100 hours to cover 5000 miles
• That formula means that if I’m going 500 miles per hour, it will take me 10 hours to cover 5000 miles
• There are some Christians that have known Christ for 50 years
• By now they should be mature
• But they are poking along at 1 mile per hour
• Or some of them have stalled out
• Not going anywhere
• Just sitting there, causing a traffic jam behind them
• You know what happens when we are in a Traffic Jam
• We grow Frustrated
• We grow Impatient
• We begin to Cuss, I mean….
• We have to Grow in our Christian Journey
• Grow to the Point we begin to realize – No Tripping Allowed
THERE IS NO SHORTCUT TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
• There’s no instant pill I could give you that today you could take and tomorrow you’re going to be spiritually mature
• It takes time
• It takes an intentional pursuit
• It won’t come automatically or quickly
• People try a lot of shortcuts
• Some people look for an emotional experience — “If I just get this `certain experience’, then all my problems will be solved and I will be a mature Christian”
• Other people say, “If I just go to this seminar…. If I just read this book… If I just listen to this tape…”
• Other people say, “If I just keep a certain set of rules, then I could be all God wants me to be”
• But the Bible says, no
• It’s a continual process
• You have to learn to be mature
As I run toward a Close this morning -- If you have a NEW CAR, one of the first things you do is—
• Read the instruction manual
• Find out how often the tires need to be checked, rotated
• Find out how often the oil needs to be changed
• Find out how often it needs to be serviced
• Find out how fast you should drive it for the first 500 miles
• If you fail to do this, you can ruin the engine and wreck the car
--Someone has said the Bible stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
--God cares enough about us that he didn’t just plunk us down here on the earth and say, “Do the best you can! Hope you figure it all out! Good luck!”
--He gave us an owner’s manual
--It tells us everything we need to know about Him, about us, and about life
--But it doesn’t do us a bit of good unless we read it!
--Read God’s instruction manual!
--The Bible is like a FLASHLIGHT for a Camper -- Without it you’ll stumble and get hurt, or wander and get lost
--The Bible is NOT like a SOFTWARE LICENSE – You can’t scroll to the bottom and hit “I Agree”
--The Bible is like a MIRROR – It shows us the reflection of who we really are
--The Bible is like an APP – We should Download it into our Hearts
--The Bible is like a MAP – Should be used to Lead, Guide, Direct our Lives
--The Bible is like a SEED – Only able to fully grow when Planted on Good Ground
--The Word Have I Hid In My Heart That I Might Not Sin Against Thee
--And if I am not Sinning Against Thee Lord - then I am not Sinning Against Thee
-- No Tripping Allowed
