Be in that relationship with God where you have his peace. Not only the peace of God, the peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. If you take your Bible, please, and turn with me to the book of 1 Corinthians, where we have been studying for recent months. We are today in the middle of chapter 10. In fact, we're going to conclude that chapter in our study today. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. The apostle begins this chapter with
a history lesson. He warns us not to follow the example of ancient Israel, who through unbelief and fleshly indulgence were set aside by God in his purposes. It's not that God is entirely finished with them, but God did discipline them. They were disapproved or disqualified or cast away. Chapter 9, verse 27 speaks about that possibility for us as well. We are not to follow the example of Israel in that respect. We are warned that
we would rather... Follow the example of the Apostle Paul and of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is our lesson for today. Beginning with verse 14, we will read 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men, judge you what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread
and one body. For we are all partakers of that one bread. That verse might better be read this way. For there is one loaf. And we are many, yet one body. For we are all partakers of that one loaf. Behold Israel after the flesh, are not they who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then, that the idol is anything, or that that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they
sacrifice to demons, and not to God. And I would not that ye should have fellowship with demons. We cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. We cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. Do we provoke the Lord of jealousy? Are we stronger than he? All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek
his own, but every man another's good. Whatever is sold in the market, not eat, asking no question for conscience' sake, for the earth is the Lord's, and the fairness thereof. If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and you be disposed to go, whatever is said before you, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake. But if any man say to you, This is offered in sacrifice unto others, eat not for his sake, but share it, and for conscience' sake, for the earth is
the Lord's, and the firmest thereof. Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other. For why is not liberty judged by another man's conscience? For if I by grace be partaker, why am I even spoken of, for that which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Greeks, nor to the church of God, even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but
the profit of many, that they may be saved. Be ye followers of me. Even as I also am of Christ. What an amazing statement for any person to make. Be a follower of me. The reason that Paul could say that is because of what he says in the last part of that verse. Even as I also am of Christ. Paul was not boasting here, but he was confident. that his lifestyle and his attitudes were worth emulating. He was saying, I have patterned my life after Jesus Christ. He is in heaven. You
can't see him. But you can see me. So imitate or mimic me. We're going to mimic the apostle and thus imitate Jesus Christ himself. For Paul was after Christ's example. But how should we live? Well, he tells us in our text today, there are four responsibilities to perform if we would imitate the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Paul's example. The first responsibility is found in verses 14 through 22. It is the responsibility to flee idolatry. Now why would Paul make such
a statement? For after all, in chapter 8, he's already told us that idols are nothing. So what if one goes to an idol's temple, or even participates in the feast, the sacrificial feast in an idol's temple? The idol is nothing. And now which is offered to an idol is nothing, it's just meat. Why then does Paul say free idolatry? Well, to understand why Paul says this, it's helpful to understand a little bit about Corinth. You see, Corinth had a long history of pagan idolatry.
Even in the first century, there was a restored temple of Apollo that was used for worship. I said a restored temple in the first century. because it was built almost 600 years before that, and had been worshipped, had been used for worship during those centuries. Not only was there a temple of Apollo, by the way, and seven of the columns of that magnificent temple are still to be seen today in ancient Corinth.
It remains there. But not only was there that temple, but there was also another sanctuary in which was a colossal statue. of the so -called god Apollo. On the north side of the hill, nearby the city, was a shrine to Athena. Near the temple to Apollo was a shrine and a fountain dedicated to the god Poseidon, who in mythology is the god of the sea, which is very important to this commercial center of Corinth with its two seaports.
Let me read you further, with some liberty, remarks by W. Harold Merrick, professor of New Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary. It helps get a background on the idolatry of ancient Corinth. He says, Other remains of the Roman period found in the Corinthian excavations include those of the temple Aphrodite, a pantheon, or a temple of all the gods, a temple of Heracles, and a
temple of Hermes, messenger of the gods. Besides these, there were the temple of Octavia, the deified sister of the emperor Augustus, and the temple of Jupiter, or Zeus. Some distance from the marketplace to the north was the temple of Asclepius, the god of healing, to whom the likenesses of the diseased parts of the body were offered by those who were afflicted with these illnesses.
On the top of the Acra court, which is a large, rocky pinnacle behind the ancient city of Corinth, was the famous temple of Aphrodite, or Venus, in whose service were 1 ,000 prostitute slave priestesses. On the Aquicorn's north slopes facing the city were other temples, such as that in honor of the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis. On the Aquicorn's north slopes was the temple of the goddess Demeter, that had been in use
from 600 BC. This structure contained a number of dining rooms, which may account for Paul's warning about not being a stumbling block. by eating in an idol's temple. With such idolatry and other pagan practices dominating the life and culture of Corinth, no wonder Paul was so concerned for Christians not to be reckless in exercising their freedom to eat meat served in the butcher shops after it had been offered to some idol and consecrated in pagan worship in
the city. That's the remarks of Dr. Moore. Perhaps that gives you an understanding of why Paul found it necessary to say to those Christians, flee idolatry. Because idolatry was woven into a very open mood for everything in the city of Corinth. Now Paul explains why this is so important. In fact, he says, I speak to you as wise men. Now you discern what I'm saying. Verse 16. The cup of blessing which we bless. There can be the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks.
Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? That phrase, the cup of thanksgiving, was a technical term in that day for the third cup of the Jewish Passover feast. It was that cup that Jesus used to establish the new ordinance. Of the Lord's Supper. And Paul says. This cup of thanksgiving. Which we bless. Or for which we give thanks. The cup of communion. Is it not participation. With the blood of Christ. And he says. The blood which we break. Is it not the communion. Or the
fellowship. In the body of Christ. He says. There is one life. Jesus said. I am the bread of life. Paul says there is one loaf. He says there we are many. We are all made one body because we have all eaten of that one loaf, Jesus Christ. He's saying here that by participating in our faith in Jesus Christ, we participate in Christ's work of salvation. And when we observe the ordinance of communion, partake of the cup and the blood, we are symbolizing that essential unity that
belongs to us as believers in Jesus Christ. We are a part of one another, says Paul, because of that blood and that body of Christ. And now he goes on to talk about Israel after the flesh, the Jews of the Old Testament. He says, What does he mean? Well, when the ancient Jews brought their sacrifice to the altar, on occasion they were given back part of that sacrifice to use for their family. What he's saying here is that as they brought that sacrifice to the altar,
they identified with that altar. The sacrifice was for their sins, and they even took back part of the sacrifice to eat on occasion the sin of the sacrifices. And so there was an identity between offerer and the altar for the service
the sacrifice was performed. Now Paul is saying, don't you know that when you go to an idol's temple, and you eat a feast in an idol's temple, but you are identifying yourself with those idols, you who have been united to Jesus Christ, you are identifying, associating yourselves with a false religion. But as we said before, Paul has already said, idols are nothing. And he quotes himself here. He says in verse 19, What am I saying then? That the idol is something? Or that
which is offered to an idol is something? Already he said they weren't. But he says in verse 20, The things that the Gentiles, the pagans, sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. And I would not that you should have fellowship with demons. So what is Paul's real reason for commanding that they flee from their association with idolatry?
It is that when they go to the temple of one of these gods and participate in the worship, the reminder of feasts, the meals, they are identifying themselves not only with a false religious system, but with demons. What are demons? Are they real? Well, they certainly are very real. Around us there is another dimension of reality that we cannot experience with our five senses. It is the spirit realm. It is the realm both of holy angels and their activity and of demons. fallen
spirits who follow Satan, their master. Satan and those demons desire worship for themselves. To gain the worship of men, they often use idols. You may visit a missionary in Papua New Guinea, for example. And who may take you to a village where there's a great deal of animism or worship of idols? You may be surprised to find out that there's a great deal of spiritual power connected with that idolatry. Why is that so? Because the idols can see and speak and act? Of course not.
They're nothing. Why then is there spiritual power there? Because demons used the idols to gain worship for themselves. They have done this through history, and they still do it today. Behind the facade of idol worship is a whole realm of reality in the spirit world, and demons used those idols to gain devotion and worship. That's why Paul is so concerned that the believers
forsake idolatry. He says, don't you know that in the worship of an idol you are not really worshiping the idol, you are worshiping demons? You are fellowshipping with them, joining yourselves, identifying yourselves with them. He says, you cannot do that. You can't participate at the table of the Lord in the table of demons. You can't take the cup of the Lord on the cup of demons. Therefore, flee idolatry. How can this apply to us today? There is some idolatry, even
in our own society. There is one way we can apply it in this sense. The Bible makes it clear that idolatry is not just the worship of a piece of wood or stone. Idolatry can be an attitude. So that greed for things is idolatry. That is covetousness. Things can become idols. Relationships can become idols. Anything that will take my devotion to the Lord can become an idol to me. In fact, is an idol to me. What Paul is saying by the application to us is that we need to be careful of anything.
but would be perceived as compromising the uniqueness of Christ's saving work. There are some foreign organizations, philanthropic organizations, or even some religious associations that believers can belong to. The danger in belonging to some of them is that by identifying ourselves with those groups, We are compromising the uniqueness of Christ's finished work for salvation. We are associating ourselves with a false religious system built about man's goodness and man's good
works. What Paul is commanding here is separation from false religion. Through anything that appears to compromise the finished work of Christ for your sins, stay away from it. Don't associate with it. Separation. That's what he means by the application for us. I think we can also say that anything that would rob God of our devotion and love is also idolatry. A relationship with a girlfriend or a girlfriend can become idolatry. Promotion in the corporation. can become idolatry.
The material things we possess can become idols to us if they begin to rob God of our love and our devotion. We are commanded to love God above everything. And if there is something that comes into our life to siphon off, something about love that should be devoted to God. That is idolatry. And we're commanded to flee from it, get away from it. And so there's an application for us in these verses. Oh, my friend, let nothing rob you of the devotion that belongs to Jesus Christ
the Lord. If we're going to follow the example of the Lord Jesus and of Paul, it begins there. It doesn't stop there. The second responsibility that we have is found in verses 23 to 30. We can convince this whole paragraph into two words. Edify others. Build up others. Paul is again dealing with that gray area of activities and involvements. And we talked about this several
weeks ago in 1 Corinthians chapter 8. There are some things about which the Bible does not give a clear right or wrong, yes or no. In that middle area, that gray area, the doubtful area, where the Bible does not say right or wrong, we have some principles to apply. We are at liberty to be involved in those things which the Bible does not deny. But where we have liberty, there are some principles that may limit our liberty. Paracels, for example, verse 23. All things are lawful
for me. Now remember, he's not talking about sinful things. But apart from that, he says, I have liberty. All things are lawful for me. But all things are not expedient. In other words, not everything brings an advantage to me. It doesn't profit me. It doesn't help me in my walk with God. You see, Paul was of such determination that his whole life would be with the glory of God. But he didn't want anything in his life that would not help him in that direction. And
so he said, now I'm free to do things. But if it doesn't bring advantage to me in my walk with God, I don't want it. Let's go in principle. And then he says, all things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify. That is, they don't build up others. So Paul was not just concerned about his own spiritual walk, he was concerned about his brother. He said, I don't want to do anything, though I may be afraid to do it, but it will cause my brother to stumble. I am concerned
that he'd be built up. Are you concerned about that? That you're gone? So you may be afraid to do some things in your own conscience. But what about the guy who lives next door to you? There's a guy down the hall who has a weak of conscience. Are you concerned that that other person may stumble over you? I could be. Paul says if we make our brother to sin, we are actually sinning against Christ because Christ is in him. It's very, very serious to make another person
stumble. So we would be concerned about the other person. But we would be built up and edified as well as ourselves. In fact, Paul goes on to say, Let me give you an example of this. But personally, for example, an honest example, I personally am not offended by attendance at some movies. There are some movies that I could go to see and I personally would not be offended in doing so. But I know that there are some people in our fellowship We are offended by movies.
We have a weaker conscience in that matter than I may have. Therefore, out of concern for my brothers, I do not attend movies. Have I in the past? Yes. I am ministering here now in a different group of people. Their consciences are different. And I have to limit my liberty according to that. Do I regret that? Am I angry because my freedom is limited by somebody else? Not at all. I shouldn't be. Because my concern should be for the building up of my brother. For his good, his welfare.
You ever consider that when you get involved in things? Now, we have a lot of college students who attend here. Most of them are downstairs right now, but there are some in here. So let me say this to those of you who may be under the authority of a college. When you go to a college, you agree to obey a certain set of rules,
standards of living, activity. Now, even though you may have liberty of conscience beyond what the standards are, and it's not an offense to you to do some things that the college says are normal, The point is that because you've gone to the college and agreed to live there and be a student there, you have an obligation to God to limit your activity to what the college says. That's your obligation to feel God, not just
your institution. But in a general sense, we have great liberty in Jesus Christ in these gray areas that we're talking about. Without liberty, there's no liberty. We're limited out of love and concern for others, that they may be unified. So, if I'm going to imitate Paul, and to live like Jesus Christ, I must be concerned for others, not them. So do you. Now there's a third responsibility that's given to us in our text, and that's in
verse 30. Verse 31, excuse me. Therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Now this is one of those umbrella kind of things. If you flee idolatry, you glorify God. And if you edify others, you glorify God. But I want to separate this because it's such an important concept. God has created me and redeemed me to bring glory to himself. And that's why he has created and redeemed you as well. That's why God created the universe back at the
beginning to glorify himself. And he allowed sin to come in. Why? Only God knows the answer to that. But it was according to his wisdom and his sovereign purpose to allow sin to enter the picture. But the result of all of that is God is further glorified because his nature, his mercy, his forgiveness, his grace, his love, is seen in all of its beauty because of it. God
allows things to happen to glorify himself. At the end, of time and the beginning of eternity again, God is going to create a new heaven and new earth. And the centerpiece of the new heaven and new earth is the new Jerusalem. Read about it in Revelation 21 and 22. As you try to construct that city in your mind, there's one thought that comes through loud and clear. Everything about the new Jerusalem that God is going to create is constructed to reflect and to magnify the
glory of God. Now there's something missing in the New Jerusalem, in the New Heaven and New Earth. What is it? Well, in fact, there are a number of things missing. But there's no sun there. And why is that? Because Jesus Christ is the light of the New Jerusalem itself. And from this room, the radiant glow that will be light for that whole magnificent city. And it will go out from there to God's new heaven and new earth. Everything about that whole city is
constructed to reflect God's glory. And God's new creation in you, that's his purpose too. God desires to reflect his glory in your attitudes. God wants to reflect his glory in the way you speak. And the difference in your life from the average person you go to school with or you work with or you live with in your neighborhood. Paul says, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you drink, in everything, glorify God. Advance his work and his purpose. Enhance his reputation
in the world. By the way you speak and live. Glorify God. If you're not going to imitate Jesus Christ and follow the example of Paul, you have to fulfill responsibility number three. Glorify God in everything you do. Be good. Only with the enabling of the Holy Spirit and dwelling in so we will be fulfilled. Then there's a fourth
responsibility. Verses 32 and 33. Paul says, Give no offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Greeks, nor to the church of God, even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit. Paul is not saying here that he is a man -pleaser. He conveys that elsewhere. For example, in the first chapter of Galatians. He says that we seek to please men when we cannot
please God. That's our motive. Paul is not saying he's a man -pleaser, but he's saying that insofar as is possible, he seeks to keep his life from being a stumbling block. He does not want... Himself to stand in the way of someone else being saved. The fifth responsibility is to win men. That's what Paul wanted. He desired to see people come to Jesus Christ and be saved. He mentions three groups. The Jews, the Greeks, and the Gentiles in the church of God. Everybody here today fits
into one of those three categories. The Jews refers to those natural descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And maybe even in our midst today we have someone who is Jewish by descent. We're spoken of here. Who have been all the Gentiles or the Greeks? Well, those are the people who are non -Jewish. And we are still lost in sin. Then he speaks of the church of God as a third, completely separate division of mankind. Because in the church, there's neither Jew nor Gentile.
There's neither slave nor free person. We are all just one in Christ. All of the natural distinctions and prejudices are gone. We are one. We are the called out of God in this world. Paul says, put your degree that I'm talking about. I don't want to do any things. Why? Well, he tells us there in the last verse in this chapter. He says, I seek the profit of many that they may be saved. There are those who try to tell us that the word saved is an old -fashioned word, and we should
not use it anymore. But I want you to know the word saved is a Bible word, and it does communicate today as much as any other generation. If one needs to be saved, it means that he's lost. If he needs to be rescued, it means that he's in trouble. In our world today, there are a lot of people who need to be saved or rescued because they're lost in trouble. Paul was concerned about people like that. Are we? Do we care? Paul said, I don't want anything in my life to be a burial
from others coming to Jesus Christ. He said, I seek to please them that they may be saved. Are you concerned that we could be saved? I'll give you a very practical way to apply your answer. You'll get a card about a day in which you could commit yourself to be a part of an evangelistic outreach next Saturday. I know that there are some people who cannot because of other importance and previously made obligations be a part of
that. I want you to know this is one way in which you can fulfill your responsibility, as I will mine, to win men to Jesus Christ by being a part of something like Operation Andrew. What is our motivation in doing it? That people may be saved. God forbid if we have any other move higher than that one. But men may be saved and bring glory to God. That's why we're going out. And I hope that you will fill out that card. I'm going to ask you to do that. If you will make that commitment
to us, I asked you to do it before. And I will be collecting the brief you just to leave it there in the pew in the ushers and get it after the service. If you are willing to join with us in winning men, and women and boys and girls to Jesus Christ, the one way we can do that is operationally. Sign up on that card, leave it there in the queue, and be with us next Saturday morning as we go to work. You see, it's easy for us to sit in church on Sunday and say, Oh,
yes, God, help me free from my doctrine. Oh, yes, Lord, I need to edify others. Yes, I need to glorify you in my life, and I need to end it. What you need is less gratitude and more footsteps during the job done in all of your days, including winning men and women to Jesus Christ. That's why I'm presenting this commitment to you at this point in the service today because it's a fitting application for what Paul says
here. If we're going to imitate Jesus Christ, we need to be concerned about people, that they be saved. Think of how many times Jesus went out of his way to deal with someone who was hungry spiritually and seeking for him. Time and time again. It will cost you something to be involved in that society. It may cost you some time. Anything
that's worth our costs. If we're going to follow the example of Jesus Christ, it involves going out of our way and doing what's necessary, but we're going to be presented with the gospel message. Thus Paul concludes by saying, Be ye followers, imitators of me. Flee from idolatry. Edify others. Glorify God. Every one of you. All of you, even as I also communicate Christ. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray You will zero in the applications
of this message to our hearts. You will not allow us to escape the point that you're trying to make to each of us this day. And I pray that you will raise up from this congregation those who have committed themselves to win men to Operation Andrew. I pray that you will... produce in our hearts the greatest motive of all to glorify you in all that we do. Teach us to limit our own freedom that we may edify and build others and to flee from anything that would rob you
of our hearts' love and devotion. May we live like Jesus and imitate him. We pray this in his name. Amen. Closing our service, we're going to sing together a hymn. It is 384, I Will Be Like Jesus. It expresses something of the thrust of the message this morning. As we sing this hymn, it's an opportunity for you to respond that the Spirit of God has been dealing with some specific area of your life. It may be that you today are still lost in sin and on your way
to a Christless eternity. I would beg you today, in the name of Jesus Christ, to repent of your sin and to trust Him and be saved. We have people who can answer questions about that and show you what it means. Will you come forward as we sing so that we can reduce you and get you out by yourselves? Get that spiritual need in your
life forward today. If you're here today as a Christian who needs to get some things straightened up in your life because frankly you're not imitating Jesus Christ, you're imitating the lost by the way that you live. today you, by a public commitment, would say, I am making a return. I am repenting. I am changing my mind. I am going to go from now on in the faith of Jesus Christ. Whatever the Spirit of God has said to you, we encourage you now to make that a public statement of your
decision. Let's stand and praise as we sing together. Thank you.