1
00:00:00,010 --> 00:00:02,110
If you would please turn to 1 Corinthians

2
00:00:02,110 --> 00:00:03,030
chapter 8.

3
00:00:12,890 --> 00:00:15,230
I was going to read the entire chapter

4
00:00:15,230 --> 00:00:19,290
and we'll see if we can condense that

5
00:00:19,290 --> 00:00:19,950
a little bit.

6
00:00:20,610 --> 00:00:22,630
1 Corinthians chapter 8.

7
00:00:23,250 --> 00:00:27,150
Now as touching things offered unto idols we

8
00:00:27,150 --> 00:00:28,690
know that we all have knowledge.

9
00:00:29,870 --> 00:00:33,630
Knowledge puffs up but charity or love edifies.

10
00:00:34,810 --> 00:00:36,870
And if any man think that he knoweth

11
00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:38,270
anything he knoweth nothing.

12
00:00:38,550 --> 00:00:42,050
Yet as he ought to know but if

13
00:00:42,050 --> 00:00:43,970
any man knoweth of God the same is

14
00:00:43,970 --> 00:00:45,130
known of him.

15
00:00:46,030 --> 00:00:48,790
As concerning therefore the eating of those things

16
00:00:48,790 --> 00:00:52,470
that are offered in sacrifice unto idols we

17
00:00:52,470 --> 00:00:54,410
know that an idol is nothing in the

18
00:00:54,410 --> 00:00:57,290
world and that there is none other God

19
00:00:57,290 --> 00:00:58,090
but one.

20
00:00:59,310 --> 00:01:01,710
Now going down to verse 7.

21
00:01:01,710 --> 00:01:04,790
10 Howbeit there is not in every man

22
00:01:04,790 --> 00:01:08,530
that knowledge for some with conscience or custom

23
00:01:08,530 --> 00:01:11,550
of the idol unto this hour eat it

24
00:01:11,550 --> 00:01:14,610
as a thing offered unto an idol and

25
00:01:14,610 --> 00:01:16,850
their conscience is defiled.

26
00:01:18,110 --> 00:01:20,550
Verse 10 or verse 9.

27
00:01:20,650 --> 00:01:24,010
Take heed lest by any means this liberty

28
00:01:24,010 --> 00:01:28,070
of yours become a stumbling block unto them

29
00:01:28,070 --> 00:01:28,790
that are weak.

30
00:01:29,670 --> 00:01:32,090
Or if any man see thee which hath

31
00:01:32,090 --> 00:01:34,930
knowledge sit and meet at the idol's temple

32
00:01:35,510 --> 00:01:37,490
shall not the conscience of him which is

33
00:01:37,490 --> 00:01:41,070
weak be emboldened or built up to eat

34
00:01:41,070 --> 00:01:44,230
those things which are offered unto idols and

35
00:01:44,230 --> 00:01:46,790
through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish

36
00:01:46,790 --> 00:01:49,050
for whom Christ died.

37
00:01:50,210 --> 00:01:52,150
But when you sin so against the brethren

38
00:01:52,150 --> 00:01:55,390
and wound their weak conscience you sin against

39
00:01:55,390 --> 00:01:55,990
Christ.

40
00:01:57,110 --> 00:02:00,350
Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend

41
00:02:00,350 --> 00:02:03,790
or stumble I will eat no flesh while

42
00:02:03,790 --> 00:02:06,830
the world standeth lest I make my brother

43
00:02:06,830 --> 00:02:08,289
to stumble.

44
00:02:09,050 --> 00:02:10,470
We'll stop with that.

45
00:02:12,970 --> 00:02:14,550
I'd like to say at the beginning of

46
00:02:14,550 --> 00:02:16,910
course that to study the epistle of Paul

47
00:02:16,910 --> 00:02:20,730
to the Corinthians it's very helpful and important

48
00:02:20,730 --> 00:02:23,350
I believe to learn how to divide it

49
00:02:23,350 --> 00:02:24,510
into its sections.

50
00:02:25,310 --> 00:02:27,570
I'll just say at this point that I

51
00:02:27,570 --> 00:02:29,450
take it that there's a section of teaching

52
00:02:29,450 --> 00:02:33,010
that Paul is giving commencing in chapter 8

53
00:02:33,010 --> 00:02:35,930
that goes on until chapter 11 and verse

54
00:02:35,930 --> 00:02:36,350
1.

55
00:02:37,290 --> 00:02:39,350
It's a it's a section that has to

56
00:02:39,350 --> 00:02:43,210
do with a question of whether my conduct

57
00:02:43,210 --> 00:02:45,890
is really not only according to the will

58
00:02:45,890 --> 00:02:47,930
of God but is it going to be

59
00:02:47,930 --> 00:02:51,810
beneficial or harmful to my brother and with

60
00:02:51,810 --> 00:02:52,730
whom I have fellowship.

61
00:02:53,830 --> 00:02:57,030
One thing about Paul's teaching is that his

62
00:02:57,030 --> 00:03:02,270
teaching is very it's very shall I say

63
00:03:02,270 --> 00:03:02,570
orderly.

64
00:03:03,910 --> 00:03:06,910
He taught the truth very orderly and you

65
00:03:06,910 --> 00:03:09,390
see that in the epistle to the Corinthian

66
00:03:09,390 --> 00:03:12,530
believers where he begins in a certain fashion

67
00:03:12,530 --> 00:03:16,470
and he develops his argument gradually until he

68
00:03:16,470 --> 00:03:17,510
reaches the conclusion.

69
00:03:18,570 --> 00:03:19,990
And when it came to this issue of

70
00:03:19,990 --> 00:03:23,130
eating food that was offered to idols you'll

71
00:03:23,130 --> 00:03:25,330
find that he begins almost on one side

72
00:03:25,330 --> 00:03:27,230
of the question and he ends up on

73
00:03:27,230 --> 00:03:28,430
the other side of the question.

74
00:03:29,130 --> 00:03:30,890
And he does that because he wants to

75
00:03:30,890 --> 00:03:34,470
defend something that was very important and he

76
00:03:34,470 --> 00:03:36,890
wants to defend something else that was even

77
00:03:36,890 --> 00:03:37,830
more important.

78
00:03:38,530 --> 00:03:41,570
So his teaching was very orderly.

79
00:03:42,570 --> 00:03:45,710
It's also a teaching that was very definitely

80
00:03:45,710 --> 00:03:48,330
progressively instructive.

81
00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:50,770
In other words moving from one point to

82
00:03:50,770 --> 00:03:53,630
the other and building until the final conclusion

83
00:03:53,630 --> 00:03:54,350
is reached.

84
00:03:55,270 --> 00:03:56,930
I think that you'd find that in this

85
00:03:56,930 --> 00:03:58,750
section where you first of all read in

86
00:03:58,750 --> 00:04:01,790
verses one through six that he's defending the

87
00:04:01,790 --> 00:04:04,230
liberty of those that felt that it was

88
00:04:04,230 --> 00:04:07,170
perfectly acceptable to eat food that had been

89
00:04:07,170 --> 00:04:07,950
offered to idols.

90
00:04:08,930 --> 00:04:11,010
He says we all know that an idol

91
00:04:11,010 --> 00:04:11,610
is nothing.

92
00:04:12,570 --> 00:04:14,270
So in that sense if you read the

93
00:04:14,270 --> 00:04:17,610
context of these first seven or six verses

94
00:04:17,610 --> 00:04:20,410
you find that he is defending those because

95
00:04:20,410 --> 00:04:22,390
he says we know that an idol is

96
00:04:22,390 --> 00:04:25,110
really nothing and whether you eat food offered

97
00:04:25,110 --> 00:04:27,370
an idol it's not really that important.

98
00:04:28,110 --> 00:04:30,630
But then he changes his point of view

99
00:04:30,630 --> 00:04:33,350
and he's not defending the liberty but he's

100
00:04:33,350 --> 00:04:37,810
also reminding them of the restrictions of the

101
00:04:37,810 --> 00:04:38,150
liberty.

102
00:04:38,890 --> 00:04:41,950
He says you have liberty yes but not

103
00:04:41,950 --> 00:04:43,570
liberty that's unrestrained.

104
00:04:44,170 --> 00:04:46,150
You don't have liberty to do whatever you

105
00:04:46,150 --> 00:04:47,990
want to do if you think it's all

106
00:04:47,990 --> 00:04:51,450
right because you have to consider the other

107
00:04:51,450 --> 00:04:53,570
believers in your assembly.

108
00:04:54,090 --> 00:04:56,910
You can't just do whatever you want as

109
00:04:56,910 --> 00:04:59,230
if you're a man or a person living

110
00:04:59,230 --> 00:05:01,470
on an island and there's no one else

111
00:05:01,470 --> 00:05:01,910
around.

112
00:05:02,350 --> 00:05:04,170
If that were the case you do whatever

113
00:05:04,170 --> 00:05:06,790
you feel is right between yourself and God.

114
00:05:07,350 --> 00:05:09,030
But he says you've been brought into a

115
00:05:09,030 --> 00:05:09,410
fellowship.

116
00:05:09,990 --> 00:05:12,050
You've been brought into a relationship with other

117
00:05:12,050 --> 00:05:16,030
believers and you simply cannot conduct yourself that

118
00:05:16,030 --> 00:05:19,550
way because you may by your actions have

119
00:05:19,550 --> 00:05:23,510
a harmful impact and cause disaster in the

120
00:05:23,510 --> 00:05:24,650
life of another believer.

121
00:05:25,410 --> 00:05:27,830
Now he develops that very nicely because he

122
00:05:27,830 --> 00:05:30,710
takes both sides of the argument in chapter

123
00:05:30,710 --> 00:05:31,130
eight.

124
00:05:31,230 --> 00:05:32,430
That's what I take it to be.

125
00:05:33,450 --> 00:05:36,070
But in chapter nine I notice another thing

126
00:05:36,070 --> 00:05:38,570
about Paul's teaching and that is he didn't

127
00:05:38,570 --> 00:05:41,450
teach anything that he didn't practice personally.

128
00:05:41,450 --> 00:05:44,510
He comes into chapter nine he says I'll

129
00:05:44,510 --> 00:05:45,410
give you an example.

130
00:05:46,190 --> 00:05:47,930
He says there are things that the apostles

131
00:05:47,930 --> 00:05:49,330
do that I don't do.

132
00:05:50,070 --> 00:05:53,230
They're perfectly right to do them and they're

133
00:05:53,230 --> 00:05:54,850
not violating the will of God if they

134
00:05:54,850 --> 00:05:56,350
have a wife and they take the wife

135
00:05:56,350 --> 00:05:59,390
with her with them or if they're involved

136
00:05:59,390 --> 00:06:01,970
in other activities that's perfectly legitimate.

137
00:06:02,590 --> 00:06:04,250
But he says I don't do those things

138
00:06:04,250 --> 00:06:06,510
and I do it for a reason because

139
00:06:06,510 --> 00:06:08,810
I don't want to hinder the gospel in

140
00:06:08,810 --> 00:06:09,370
any way.

141
00:06:10,050 --> 00:06:12,770
He tells the Corinthian believers also I could

142
00:06:12,770 --> 00:06:14,690
be like them and I could receive fellowship

143
00:06:14,690 --> 00:06:15,270
from you.

144
00:06:15,830 --> 00:06:18,150
I could receive money to help support me

145
00:06:18,150 --> 00:06:20,390
but I don't do that because I don't

146
00:06:20,390 --> 00:06:22,830
want to hinder in any way the gospel

147
00:06:22,830 --> 00:06:24,450
that I'm seeking to preach to you.

148
00:06:25,270 --> 00:06:26,890
And so he takes himself and he could

149
00:06:26,890 --> 00:06:29,790
he could properly use his own life and

150
00:06:29,790 --> 00:06:32,370
his behavior as an example of them to

151
00:06:32,370 --> 00:06:35,270
reinforce the principle that he's seeking to teach

152
00:06:35,270 --> 00:06:35,590
them.

153
00:06:36,290 --> 00:06:38,530
That only tells us brother that if you

154
00:06:38,530 --> 00:06:41,550
stand before God's people and seek to teach

155
00:06:41,550 --> 00:06:44,650
them anything make sure your life is consistent

156
00:06:44,650 --> 00:06:46,510
with what you're trying to teach.

157
00:06:47,290 --> 00:06:49,730
Otherwise those who know you will realize that

158
00:06:49,730 --> 00:06:52,230
it doesn't have any weight at all.

159
00:06:52,830 --> 00:06:54,110
It won't have any impact.

160
00:06:55,030 --> 00:06:59,250
A man's life should sustain and demonstrate what

161
00:06:59,250 --> 00:07:00,930
he seeks to teach to others.

162
00:07:01,590 --> 00:07:04,010
We're always told to practice what we preach

163
00:07:04,570 --> 00:07:07,130
and that's where it definitely applies in each

164
00:07:07,130 --> 00:07:07,990
one of our lives.

165
00:07:09,450 --> 00:07:11,690
But he says I can show you an

166
00:07:11,690 --> 00:07:12,190
example.

167
00:07:12,630 --> 00:07:14,690
He says I don't do these things because

168
00:07:14,690 --> 00:07:17,990
lest when I preach to others I become

169
00:07:17,990 --> 00:07:20,050
disallowed, disqualified.

170
00:07:21,050 --> 00:07:23,170
And so he says I restrain my liberties.

171
00:07:24,250 --> 00:07:26,650
In chapter 10 he comes to the example

172
00:07:26,650 --> 00:07:27,730
of the children of Israel.

173
00:07:28,190 --> 00:07:30,070
And he says they had liberties too.

174
00:07:30,830 --> 00:07:32,690
They were brought into the sphere of great

175
00:07:32,690 --> 00:07:33,330
blessings.

176
00:07:33,330 --> 00:07:36,070
And he enumerates the blessings they had received.

177
00:07:37,030 --> 00:07:39,070
And all those things that God had given

178
00:07:39,070 --> 00:07:39,590
to them.

179
00:07:40,230 --> 00:07:41,690
But he says the sad thing is they

180
00:07:41,690 --> 00:07:44,870
were not responsive to those privileges.

181
00:07:45,650 --> 00:07:48,590
They had privileges but they failed to act

182
00:07:48,590 --> 00:07:49,690
in accordance with them.

183
00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:56,600
These medications you take when you get older

184
00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:58,900
they sure dry up your mouth I can

185
00:07:58,900 --> 00:07:59,480
tell you that.

186
00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:04,920
But then he comes into chapter 10 and

187
00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,740
he concludes his argument by saying I want

188
00:08:07,740 --> 00:08:10,360
to go beyond what's offered to idols to

189
00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:11,320
what's behind it.

190
00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:12,540
What about an idol?

191
00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:14,380
What about the idol itself?

192
00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:15,680
What's behind the idol?

193
00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,740
You have food and you can say that's

194
00:08:18,740 --> 00:08:19,440
innocuous.

195
00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:21,600
Should be no reason why I can't eat

196
00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:21,940
that.

197
00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:24,280
But then you have to think about what

198
00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:25,140
is it connected with?

199
00:08:25,340 --> 00:08:27,240
It's connected with the idol's temple and the

200
00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:27,500
idol.

201
00:08:28,060 --> 00:08:29,520
Well now what's the idol connected with?

202
00:08:29,740 --> 00:08:30,840
It's connected with a demon.

203
00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,600
So he says you trace it back to

204
00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,679
its origin and you have to realize the

205
00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:38,280
fact it's not permissible.

206
00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,900
And the conclusion of chapter 8 is I

207
00:08:41,900 --> 00:08:44,100
don't do those things because I don't want

208
00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:47,100
to ruin the life and the testimony of

209
00:08:47,100 --> 00:08:47,780
another believer.

210
00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:51,700
That's something that we always have to keep

211
00:08:51,700 --> 00:08:52,260
in mind.

212
00:08:52,820 --> 00:08:54,740
We always have to be aware of the

213
00:08:54,740 --> 00:08:58,800
fact my life in some measure what I

214
00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,960
do, what I think, what I say, the

215
00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,380
places I go to, the things that I'm

216
00:09:04,380 --> 00:09:06,860
involved in, they may hurt or they will

217
00:09:06,860 --> 00:09:08,560
help another child of God.

218
00:09:09,340 --> 00:09:12,320
And we should always have the concern according

219
00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,100
to the will of God that we seek

220
00:09:14,100 --> 00:09:15,440
to edify one another.

221
00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,060
That by our life and by our testimony

222
00:09:18,060 --> 00:09:19,880
we build up the assembly.

223
00:09:20,380 --> 00:09:24,360
We strengthen the believers and we reinforce principles

224
00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:27,180
and practices in their life to be a

225
00:09:27,180 --> 00:09:28,680
help and to preserve them.

226
00:09:30,580 --> 00:09:32,000
They say there are two sides to it.

227
00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,700
You have liberty but you're not living on

228
00:09:35,700 --> 00:09:36,180
an island.

229
00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:37,900
You have to restrain your liberty.

230
00:09:38,900 --> 00:09:40,660
I think the same subject is in his

231
00:09:40,660 --> 00:09:42,560
mind when he reads, when he writes to

232
00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:45,960
the Roman assembly in Romans chapter 14.

233
00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,440
There were those who had the custom of

234
00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:50,540
doing certain things they thought that was perfectly

235
00:09:50,540 --> 00:09:51,140
acceptable.

236
00:09:53,300 --> 00:09:55,020
But he says there's the other side of

237
00:09:55,020 --> 00:09:56,760
it as well because there are brethren that

238
00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:58,580
are going to be stumbled and they're going

239
00:09:58,580 --> 00:10:00,660
to be hindered because you think you can

240
00:10:00,660 --> 00:10:02,940
eat food and all these other things that

241
00:10:02,940 --> 00:10:03,860
they were connected with.

242
00:10:04,380 --> 00:10:06,000
So he's making it very clear.

243
00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:08,240
And one thing I want to conclude in

244
00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,740
this conference gathering is that you and I

245
00:10:10,740 --> 00:10:12,620
have been brought by the grace of God

246
00:10:12,620 --> 00:10:14,860
into a fellowship with other believers.

247
00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:17,980
It's the unity of the spirit that has

248
00:10:17,980 --> 00:10:20,100
been formed in the bond of peace.

249
00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,740
So the essence is to seek to maintain

250
00:10:23,740 --> 00:10:25,560
peace with my brethren.

251
00:10:26,540 --> 00:10:28,860
The essence of it all is to guard

252
00:10:28,860 --> 00:10:29,560
the unity.

253
00:10:30,340 --> 00:10:32,600
It's not our producing the unity.

254
00:10:33,140 --> 00:10:34,480
It's already been produced.

255
00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,340
And it's based on the oneness of what

256
00:10:37,340 --> 00:10:37,960
is developed.

257
00:10:38,260 --> 00:10:39,820
Our brother spoke on that yesterday.

258
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,980
But we're challenged, we're commanded, actually it's a

259
00:10:45,980 --> 00:10:49,300
mandate to guard the unity of the spirit

260
00:10:49,300 --> 00:10:50,460
of the bond of peace.

261
00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:52,940
Now you can't guard the unity of the

262
00:10:52,940 --> 00:10:53,800
body of Christ.

263
00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,560
But you can guard the unity of the

264
00:10:56,560 --> 00:10:57,240
local assembly.

265
00:10:58,260 --> 00:11:01,320
We don't have a responsibility toward the body

266
00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:01,840
of Christ.

267
00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:03,820
That's the Lord's responsibility entirely.

268
00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,740
But you and I have a responsibility toward

269
00:11:06,740 --> 00:11:07,500
fellow believers.

270
00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,120
If you can't conduct yourself in a way

271
00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,100
in a local assembly that would be beneficial

272
00:11:13,100 --> 00:11:16,460
to the conduct, the testimony, and the principles

273
00:11:16,460 --> 00:11:19,220
of that assembly, you'd be better off not

274
00:11:19,220 --> 00:11:19,940
to be there.

275
00:11:21,860 --> 00:11:23,720
We love to have every believer in the

276
00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:24,000
assembly.

277
00:11:24,740 --> 00:11:27,780
But some are not willing to be in

278
00:11:27,780 --> 00:11:31,860
subjection to the authority that is vested by

279
00:11:31,860 --> 00:11:32,900
God in that assembly.

280
00:11:34,740 --> 00:11:37,120
So that you have this experience, and I

281
00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:38,920
think we have to consciously be aware of

282
00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:39,200
that.

283
00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,780
And I want to take up a few

284
00:11:41,780 --> 00:11:43,340
examples before I sit down.

285
00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:45,200
And there's coming, I don't have any notes.

286
00:11:45,680 --> 00:11:46,820
So this is all coming out of my

287
00:11:46,820 --> 00:11:47,120
head.

288
00:11:47,580 --> 00:11:49,020
I hope it's by the spirit of God.

289
00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:52,380
But there's an issue that's coming up among

290
00:11:52,380 --> 00:11:54,880
us and as believers in this state, as

291
00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:55,960
well as in the Midwest.

292
00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:58,600
Is it all right to engage in social

293
00:11:58,600 --> 00:11:59,100
drinking?

294
00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:02,400
Now maybe I'm getting into deep water.

295
00:12:04,660 --> 00:12:05,660
I can swim.

296
00:12:08,260 --> 00:12:09,780
And there are those who would say, it's

297
00:12:09,780 --> 00:12:13,420
perfectly all right for us to drink alcoholic

298
00:12:13,420 --> 00:12:15,220
beverages now and then.

299
00:12:16,100 --> 00:12:17,260
Well, yes, it is.

300
00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,080
It's not absolutely forbidden.

301
00:12:21,180 --> 00:12:23,300
Or you say, well, in the word of

302
00:12:23,300 --> 00:12:24,500
God, they drank wine.

303
00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:27,000
Well, you can research a little bit.

304
00:12:27,340 --> 00:12:28,900
I don't think they ever drank wine that

305
00:12:28,900 --> 00:12:29,660
was not diluted.

306
00:12:30,660 --> 00:12:33,640
According to what I understand, that wine in

307
00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:35,640
the scripture was always diluted with water.

308
00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:40,940
But nevertheless, the word of God never condones

309
00:12:40,940 --> 00:12:44,120
it in a sense of encouraging it, except

310
00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:45,220
on rare occasions.

311
00:12:46,300 --> 00:12:47,900
But you say, well, I think that's all

312
00:12:47,900 --> 00:12:50,640
right because it's practiced in the scripture and

313
00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:52,740
I can control it and I don't have

314
00:12:52,740 --> 00:12:53,660
any problem with it.

315
00:12:54,220 --> 00:12:55,300
I'm not going to get drunk.

316
00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:57,120
I'm not going to do the things that

317
00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,400
are vile in the sight of God so

318
00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,320
far as my conduct is concerned.

319
00:13:03,140 --> 00:13:04,600
Maybe you're not troubled with that.

320
00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:07,360
I'll say that there was a time when

321
00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:08,720
I was a younger believer.

322
00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:12,380
I'm being honest about it.

323
00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:13,900
I thought it was all right, too.

324
00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:17,220
I couldn't see anything wrong with it.

325
00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,240
It's really interesting how smart you are when

326
00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,860
you're young and how dumb you get when

327
00:13:23,860 --> 00:13:24,400
you get older.

328
00:13:26,620 --> 00:13:28,480
I used to think that about my dad.

329
00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:31,180
He got smarter the older I got.

330
00:13:32,340 --> 00:13:33,720
Well, that's only a sidelight.

331
00:13:35,140 --> 00:13:36,880
The question is not what it will do

332
00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:37,840
to you necessarily.

333
00:13:38,420 --> 00:13:40,000
The question is, what is it going to

334
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:40,760
do to the assembly?

335
00:13:41,780 --> 00:13:42,980
What is it going to do to the

336
00:13:42,980 --> 00:13:47,040
testimony of that assembly that you're identified with?

337
00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:49,520
What is it going to do to other

338
00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:49,980
believers?

339
00:13:51,540 --> 00:13:53,140
You know, there are some believers and they're

340
00:13:53,140 --> 00:13:54,020
alcoholics.

341
00:13:54,620 --> 00:13:57,620
Even after they're free from drinking, they haven't

342
00:13:57,620 --> 00:14:01,900
drunken or drank or whatever that is.

343
00:14:01,900 --> 00:14:05,280
They haven't indulged for 15 or 20 years.

344
00:14:05,620 --> 00:14:08,840
They are still alcoholics and they still have

345
00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,520
the potential to go back into that.

346
00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,160
And the teaching of this passage is that

347
00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,020
if you engage in that, there's a danger

348
00:14:18,020 --> 00:14:19,600
you're going to cause them to fall.

349
00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:21,900
You're going to ruin their life and testimony.

350
00:14:22,620 --> 00:14:24,280
You're going to cause them to have a

351
00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:29,600
disaster and even end up away from the

352
00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:29,940
assembly.

353
00:14:30,740 --> 00:14:32,660
So it's not what it's going to do

354
00:14:32,660 --> 00:14:33,140
to you.

355
00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:35,020
It's what is it going to do to

356
00:14:35,020 --> 00:14:35,400
others?

357
00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,980
And maybe to yourself, it's not very commendable

358
00:14:39,980 --> 00:14:40,240
either.

359
00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,120
You could take other examples perhaps that you

360
00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:49,340
say, well, you know, there are some movie

361
00:14:49,340 --> 00:14:52,060
pictures that they show.

362
00:14:53,460 --> 00:14:55,600
Well, maybe not even in theaters anymore.

363
00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,380
They're declining in popularity.

364
00:14:57,380 --> 00:15:00,920
I can see them on YouTube or Netflix

365
00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:02,160
or what are they called?

366
00:15:02,220 --> 00:15:03,280
I don't know what all those things are.

367
00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:05,760
But you say, I just watch those things

368
00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:06,400
now and then.

369
00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,140
Well, you can ask yourself, first of all,

370
00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,100
dear brother and sister, is it beneficial to

371
00:15:13,100 --> 00:15:13,760
you spiritually?

372
00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:18,040
Is it really enhancing your spiritual life?

373
00:15:18,660 --> 00:15:19,940
You know, there are things that the flesh

374
00:15:19,940 --> 00:15:24,320
desires to see and really enjoys watching and

375
00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:25,200
engaging in.

376
00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:29,080
And maybe you say they're neutral.

377
00:15:30,180 --> 00:15:31,500
But I can tell you this, they're taking

378
00:15:31,500 --> 00:15:32,920
you away from the things of God.

379
00:15:34,100 --> 00:15:36,160
It's one of the things which snatches a

380
00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,280
seed away, like our brother's been speaking, or

381
00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,160
strangles a seed or prevents it from growing.

382
00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:49,340
But then suppose you're inviting another brother over

383
00:15:49,340 --> 00:15:51,800
or another person over to your house and

384
00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:53,720
they find out in some way that that's

385
00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:55,180
what you're engaged in and they're watching you.

386
00:15:55,180 --> 00:15:56,480
There was a time when they were addicted

387
00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:59,640
to movies and all the things that have

388
00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:02,720
to do with the entertainment world that we

389
00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:03,240
live in.

390
00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,200
You think it's going to be beneficial to

391
00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:06,500
them.

392
00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:09,880
It may be something that would cause them

393
00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:13,640
to say, well, that brother, he's so spiritual.

394
00:16:14,020 --> 00:16:15,680
He seems to be doing so well.

395
00:16:15,740 --> 00:16:16,960
He takes part in the assembly.

396
00:16:17,100 --> 00:16:19,660
That sister, she exhibits such a godly life.

397
00:16:20,380 --> 00:16:21,920
And so it must be all right for

398
00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:22,340
me too.

399
00:16:23,140 --> 00:16:24,520
There was a time when they were very

400
00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,860
troubled by it, but you're leading them back

401
00:16:26,860 --> 00:16:29,640
into a condition which may be a ruin

402
00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:30,720
to them spiritually.

403
00:16:31,020 --> 00:16:32,700
That's what the apostle Paul was saying.

404
00:16:33,060 --> 00:16:35,120
Don't let this liberty of yours be a

405
00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:36,000
stumbling block.

406
00:16:36,660 --> 00:16:39,280
A stumbling block in this sense is that

407
00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:40,960
which is going to cause the person to

408
00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:42,600
trip up in their pathway.

409
00:16:43,500 --> 00:16:47,620
It's a trigger that is like a trap

410
00:16:47,620 --> 00:16:50,040
and it's going to trap them and they're

411
00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:51,980
going to stop making progress spiritually.

412
00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:56,700
And without you intending to do so, perhaps,

413
00:16:57,500 --> 00:16:59,660
you ruin the life and testimony of another

414
00:16:59,660 --> 00:17:00,080
believer.

415
00:17:01,140 --> 00:17:03,000
The same could be involved in many other

416
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:03,520
activities.

417
00:17:03,940 --> 00:17:05,760
I'm not actually going in all the examples,

418
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,579
brethren and sisters, because I'd always leave one

419
00:17:08,579 --> 00:17:10,859
out and I don't want to do that.

420
00:17:11,420 --> 00:17:14,020
But just think about your life, your behavior,

421
00:17:14,220 --> 00:17:16,859
your conduct, not only what you do in

422
00:17:16,859 --> 00:17:19,040
your home, perhaps, but also what you do

423
00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,839
in public, especially, and ask yourself, if I,

424
00:17:23,579 --> 00:17:26,079
if others realize what I'm doing, first of

425
00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:28,460
all, am I going to help the assembly?

426
00:17:28,620 --> 00:17:30,080
Am I going to build up the testimony?

427
00:17:31,260 --> 00:17:32,760
Am I going to make others in a

428
00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:37,080
surrounding environment realize that we who profess the

429
00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:41,460
lordship of Christ are actually practicing it, carrying

430
00:17:41,460 --> 00:17:42,240
it out in life?

431
00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,800
Or we just say so and are not

432
00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:47,940
willing to subject our life to the will

433
00:17:47,940 --> 00:17:48,440
of God.

434
00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:51,520
And the great desire of a heart should

435
00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:53,540
be more than anything else, not what I

436
00:17:53,540 --> 00:17:56,200
want, not what my flesh enjoys, not what

437
00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:58,640
I think will thrill my soul, not what

438
00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:01,760
will be a moment of pleasure in my

439
00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:02,080
life.

440
00:18:03,140 --> 00:18:04,680
What is the will of God for me?

441
00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:07,300
Is that really God's will?

442
00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:10,260
Well, you say God will let me do

443
00:18:10,260 --> 00:18:11,900
it, and perhaps He will.

444
00:18:13,340 --> 00:18:14,700
But is it really what He wants you

445
00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:15,020
to do?

446
00:18:15,550 --> 00:18:18,600
I believe there's a difference between what God

447
00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:21,760
permits and what God directs.

448
00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,220
And our desire shouldn't be to do whatever

449
00:18:24,220 --> 00:18:25,580
God will allow me to do.

450
00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,700
You know, God allowed the Israelites to refuse

451
00:18:30,700 --> 00:18:31,700
to go into the land.

452
00:18:33,980 --> 00:18:36,040
God allowed them to turn away and wander

453
00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,740
in the wilderness for 38 years until they

454
00:18:38,740 --> 00:18:39,400
had all died.

455
00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:40,980
They were over 20 years old.

456
00:18:41,780 --> 00:18:43,980
That's not what God really desired for them.

457
00:18:44,940 --> 00:18:47,840
And sometimes I wonder how many believers have

458
00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:49,100
come right up to the edge of the

459
00:18:49,100 --> 00:18:51,520
land where all the bounty of it and

460
00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,580
all the blessings of it are before them

461
00:18:53,580 --> 00:18:55,180
and they can see the evidence of it.

462
00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,540
They turn away and they wander in the

463
00:18:57,540 --> 00:18:58,980
wilderness the rest of their life.

464
00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,760
I just say this, brethren, because I'm exercised

465
00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,820
about it, that there may be things creeping

466
00:19:05,820 --> 00:19:07,140
into our lives today.

467
00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:09,920
I don't know what everybody does in their

468
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:10,180
life.

469
00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:10,920
I'm not interested.

470
00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:13,540
I have enough problems with myself.

471
00:19:13,980 --> 00:19:17,680
But I'll say this, that the world always

472
00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,960
seeks to intrude its tentacles into the lives

473
00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:21,800
of God's people.

474
00:19:22,620 --> 00:19:24,700
They're not always great big things.

475
00:19:24,860 --> 00:19:26,040
They're oftentimes very little.

476
00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:28,260
And they get into your life, they get

477
00:19:28,260 --> 00:19:30,800
into my life, and they result in bringing

478
00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,400
ruin, perhaps not just to you or to

479
00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:34,780
me, but to somebody else.

480
00:19:35,700 --> 00:19:40,920
We should appreciate and nurture the unity and

481
00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,520
the fellowship that we enjoy with God's people.

482
00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,000
I don't agree with everybody.

483
00:19:47,260 --> 00:19:48,860
I know there are believers that do things

484
00:19:48,860 --> 00:19:52,440
that I just say I don't like them.

485
00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:54,720
Simple enough.

486
00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:01,660
But I have a responsibility by life and

487
00:20:01,660 --> 00:20:04,940
practice to seek to exemplify what God desires

488
00:20:04,940 --> 00:20:05,480
for them.

489
00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:08,180
And we desire with all of our heart

490
00:20:08,180 --> 00:20:12,120
that God will build up and strengthen, reinforce

491
00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:15,880
the truths that we believe are so important.

492
00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:18,940
That the changes that the world and the

493
00:20:18,940 --> 00:20:21,320
flesh would seek to bring into God's assembly

494
00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:25,800
might be resisted on an individual level, first

495
00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,900
of all, and then as well into corporate

496
00:20:28,900 --> 00:20:29,540
gathering.