I was a guest at a wedding a couple of weeks ago at the Botanical Gardens here in town. It was a little buggy, but a very sweet and well done ceremony. At the close of the service, the pastor prayed a very touching prayer for the couple and ended his prayer saying. “we ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ – Amen.”
A little girl, about four years old, immediately turned to her daddy and exclaimed” “Daddy, that man said a naughty word” I was laughing and heart broken at the same time. What has the world come to when the only thing a child knows about the name of Jesus Christ is that it is used as an expletive.
I thought about this incident for a while. It was hard to get it out of my mind, I thought - "How have I, living my life, everyday, how have I contributed to the dishonor of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ?"
This morning Paul addresses this issue: Does my everyday life glorify Jesus Christ – and if it does not, then my everyday life dishonors Jesus Christ. That’s a powerful thought. My life is not neutral, it has an effect either way. Glory or dishonor.
Our key verse this morning clearly is verse 31. 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
We read in Psalm 29:1-2
Psa. 29:1 Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The word glory speaks of something that is worthy of exaltation and we see from this psalm that the Lord is due this glory. Our lives should be an exaltation to the Lord. See praise is worship, which of course is directed toward God as how I live my life, those things seen in public and those things no one ever sees…..
How do we know if our life is giving glory to God? I think we need to start with our convictions. Joshua writes …
Josh. 14:7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions,
Remember last week we spoke of the over two million people who left Egypt. Only two made it into the promise land. One of those two was Joshua. Remember this was because God was displeased with the rest even though they lived in a time of God’s complete presence and favor, so many failed. But not Joshua – clearly a life worthy of study, Joshua was a man of conviction – his character pleased God.
How are convictions formed? A little bit of culture. A little of knowledge. A little bit of our personal fears. But additionally, as Christians, we have been convicted by the Holy Spirit. Well, we should be….Through the reading of Scripture and its reflection; Through coming through hard times; Through seeing the mighty blessings of God upon us; Through hearing the Spirit speak to us in the depths of our soul.
Some might say by our convictions come from our conscience, which I think is true to a point, but there we need to be very careful. We saw earlier in this series Paul telling us. Our conscience lies to us. f I am basing my convictions on my conscience, I may be living an outright lie...That’s frightening.
When I was in college, I worked with a man, Richard, who had a dream about being a film maker. He pursued it at every chance, taking every opportunity to get experience by working on a movie set, including working on many sets of pornographic films in San Francisco. His conscience told him that this was perfectly acceptable. This influenced his convictions in life. But his conscience lied to him. And ours will lie to us as well. Our conscience is not reliable, but the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures are. They give us convictions of holiness, but convictions in themselves are not holiness. Convictions can lead to a holy life, but holding a conviction is not holiness in itself.
Convictions help us living an appropriate and God glorifying life.
1. Truth telling – honesty
2. self control
3. humility – living a life against personal pride
4. gossip inappropriate talk
5. Sexual purity
6. pure thought life
7. strong work ethic
8. materialism
9. credit and financial practice}
10. Astrology – occult practice
11. political
Our Scripture this morning speaks of conviction formation. 1Cor. 10:23 “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.
Another way to say it: Anything goes because of God’s wonderful generosity but some things are not helpful. Note: We look at this in English and conclude the following: Anything goes for me, but is not good for me. But that is not what it says, looking at the Greek grammar – it says in essence this: Everything is allowable for me, But is not good for others.
Paul is not speaking about being self centered, having convictions for your own good, but for the good of others. When it says, not everything is constructive, it literally means build up. There are things we can do that are ok, but they will tear others down?
College Downhill Skiing.
Go to Lake Tahoe Area. Ski all day – drive home. We were pretty hungry after a day of skiing and as College students – pretty broke. At the nearby casinos eight dollars would buy us all we could eat. It was great – it was just a restaurant, but getting to the restaurant was like walking through a maze. It seemed we passed through every part of the Casino. Sometimes we would go skiing with friends who had gambling difficulties. Then we wouldn’t even talk about going there to eat. So we wouldn’t tear down our brother. Now some might think it wrong to eat at a casino, but Paul says we are free to eat.
Some might say: We don’t have to be dissect and scrutinize everything. We don’t have to do a detailed spiritual test about every detail in life. This is pretty true, but we don’t just want to get by – we want to live well, and it is not only that we want to live well, but we want others to lives well also.
24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
Paul gives us a gauge to measure it by given in verse 13. Two fold – is it beneficial? Is itConstructive?
Before we look at those let me note this: We see Paul saying to put people first, for a purpose.
33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
This is not having people run my life. This is not being walked on. This is not about making others happy. This is not even speaking of grabbing favor of others, so they think well of us. No don’t misunderstand. This is about the good of others, that good is so that they may be saved.
Gal. 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
To clarify what he means Paul gives an example from everyday Corinthian life.
We see this in verses 28 –30
He is showing us that this is a matter of common sense. So use these common sense guidelines: Is It Beneficial? Is It Constructive?
When invited to someone’s house for dinner – use common sense. Eat whatever is placed in front of you. But doesn’t he seem a little confusing when he then says - 28 But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it,
It is quite simple: this is a matter of not sending mixed messages about who we serve. Is it Beneficial? Think about this in the spiritual sense. Does this action I am taking produce spiritual benefits for the person I am with?
Many times things are not clearly defined as right or wrong. Paul acknowledges this. But if I think – will this produce spiritual benefits? Many times we build our lives around things that are not wrong, but have no spiritual value.
Is it Constructive? As I mentioned earlier – Paul describes building up another. I think will what I’m doing build this person up. Because if it is not, I am not being neutral, but I am hindering them turning to Christ or maturing in Christ.
Remember again verse 24
24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
Paul is speaking of the humble unselfish life.
Pancakes.
A mother was making pancakes for her two sons one cold morning and the children began to fight. I get the first pancake…no I’m older I get the first pancake (I experienced this as a child). The mother always trying to teach Christian values saw an opportunity for a moral lesson
she said, if Jesus was sitting here this morning he would say let my brother have the first pancake the older brother turned to the younger brother and said, Frankie – you be Jesus this morning.
But this is much more than a moral lesson on being selfless. It is living a life that shows our number one priority. The salvation and Christian maturity of others. All other things are less. All others things fall by the wayside.
I think it comes down to this. What everyday thing am I not willing to give up to bring another to Christ? What thing in my everyday way of doing things am I not willing to give up to help another mature in Christ?
That is the choice between having our life give glory to God,or have a life that dishonors God.
