Healthy Living in a Sick World (Part 11)

Welcome to leading the way. This is the Bible teaching ministry Dr. Michael Lisa and he's the author of the brand-new book, saving Christianity as a teaching trend in many churches that emphasizes grace over law numbers, grace and law are biblical sound in order to appease the conscience of our out-of-control culture grace to give permission for a life full of sin under the assumption that grace, forgiveness is freely available today by looking at the pages of first Corinthians will see how this teaching is dangerous. Listen with me now is Dr. Michael Yousef outlines the points of today's message from the words of Paul healthy living in a sick world first Richard chapter 8 figure 3 reasons as to why we are not free to act and behave as we want to three reasons, he tells them first. That knowledge alone is not right. Then he said secondly, not everyone has the same knowledge and finally he says one thing the Contras of another because of carelessness is a sin.

Please remember that leading the way is listener supported lying on God's provision through God's people to continue serving right here in this area and all around the world. You can learn more about Dr. Michael yourself and leading the way by calling 866626435 sex by visiting LTW.orc right now. Listen with me to Dr. Michael, yourself, and is a life-changing series called healthy living world in the 21st century church in the West, most people fall into one of the two extremes.

Sadly, there are few who are balanced legalism. On the one hand that focuses on issues that are not necessary for salvation. On the other hand, the other extreme of those on this and by the way, the vast majority of evangelicals today is license under the guise of grace is really cheap grayish license to immorality and justify it on the cheap grace we have little balance between legalism and license the legalist on the one hand things will not make it to heaven unless they keep certain rules unless I keep certain regulations on the other extremes we have the blatant flaunting of the freedom into promiscuous notes. Now you must understand that liberty and freedom are at the very core of the Christian faith.

Can I get an amen. In John chapter 8 verse 31 and 32 is what Jesus said if you hold onto my teaching, you really are my disciples, and then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you up. Second Corinthians 317, Paul said that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom and liberty.

Galatians chapter 5 verse one is for freedom that Christ has set you free. But freedom and liberty does not does not does not does not does not mean that we have an unbridled license to sin. That's not what freedom is freedom in Christ, never, never, never means freedom to sin but here the apostle Paul is saying more than that, he is saying even in the gray areas where we have freedom we are not totally free, even in areas that are really up to the individual believer to handle when a totally free one because it might cause others to stumble, it might cause others to sin, it may cause others to fall. This is not legalism more people say this is a list of do's and don'ts and you must follow them but if you don't follow this list you not saved now in the million dollars missing from your spiritual temperature is not measured by keeping a man made rules.

You are to live a Spirit filled life, not the rule bound life the buzzword among the liberal evangelicals today is this ambiguity ambiguity just be ambiguous so we don't know we not really sure that I don't care how many people are hindered from coming to the true faith in Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter to them who gets confused.

It doesn't matter who departs from the faith. It doesn't matter who is led into sin because of their example "a" fraying out free and I'm free but the freedom that Christ gives us his freedom not to sin than you say that with freedom not to send. That's a freedom. The Bible talks about before we came to him we were slaves to sin. Now he sets us free. In fact, in first Richard chapter 8 he gives us three reasons as to why we are not free to act and behave as we want to three reasons look at them with me please. He tells them first. That knowledge alone is not complete. Look at verses 1 to 3 then he said secondly, not everyone has the same knowledge. This is verses 4 to 7 and finally he says one thing the Contras of another because of carelessness is a sin. Let's look at this is saying, knowledge is not enough was at me is a problem. There is not a single person in this room who got worried sick value on last week or last month.

At any point or worried sick.after church. You gonna go and eat food that was offered to idols right you're probably saying one in the world is this what is this food offered to idols. I'm glad you asked. The principal business when it comes to issues that are not specifically forbidden in the word of God, how you are to exercise your freedom matters. All of my years in ministry. All of my life, literally. I have heard believers, Christians and churches argue about drinking alcohol, or about what kind of movies to go dog go to movies at all.

I heard believers argue about the music style in the church list limit. There are churches that are split over the music. I have seen people spread over dress code, dress style, the list goes on and on and not people split over and didn't want to get into a fight over some silly things that are not forbidden in the Bible, but let me first of all give you a context because you understand the principle until you understand the context.

The historic cultural context until you understand what is Paul saying to them, you understand how to apply to us in the Greco-Roman culture where the Corinthians were living.

It was filled with polytheism, polytheism, polymers, many fears God.

Many guards there were believing in many guards. I mean they had a God for every day of the week they had a God for every month of the year they had a God for every need. They had a God for every circumstance. They were up to their eyeballs in God's but to not only polytheistic, they were polo Dominic was that mean they believed in many demons demons they believe these demons. These evil spirits are just too many to number.

There had a demon for fire they had the demon for water. They had a demon for the air that a demon for food and I believe that all of these demons are really working hard in order to possess them. But how are these demons possess people is what they believed that these demons first of all they get into the meat is overheating made the Lord. He possessed with demons and you eat it and you become possessed an amazing the terror that they lived in this and this is the fastest way a demon spirit can possess you is when they get in the food and this is how the entire culture. The Roman culture which was influenced by Hellenistic Greek culture living. So what is this man-made solution you take this meet the offer to one of the gods of the goddesses first that what you really strike two birds with one stone.

You basically please the God make them happy about this offering. Get them off your back. And secondly, the gods, to whom you offering this meet ahead of time there with Clinton's the meat from the demonic forces see how Satan had been bound, the insured, the Christian believer go along to get along or just eat and don't worry about it or should they cut themselves off from the society altogether. This was a dilemma is genuine dilemma for the believers and currently understand that when you read the Scripture you understand these people were not just friendless about it.

This is important issue.

Some sensitive Christians refused to eat meat that offer title they wanted nothing to do with it. Why because it brought back to them that terrible memories of the former pagan life before Christ above all, they did not want anyone to think that they have reverted back to their previous life before Christ.

On the other hand, there were some Christians who could not understand what the hoopla is all about meat is made to fill these gods are nothing that I really gods at all, and then another evil spirits. They the ones to whom Paul is writing because his writing, to whom he called mature believers. Paul is writing to those Christians who are grounded in the truth. His writing to believers whose conscience is clear about these issues that are not forbidden in the Scripture. These are gray areas and here Paul deals to the mature Christians who have no qualms of conscience about those gray areas is writing and is appealing to them.

These pleading with them. What is he saying do not let your never to say to be your focus. You should be more concerned about those who are less mature in the face. Do not focus on flaunt your freedom at the price of one thing the conscious of others. Let your love for the weaker Christian overrides your rights if you truly love the weaker Christian, then you will not use your liberty to crush them even in these things that are not forbidden in the Scripture that are left to the individual discretion. Do not use your freedom as a club to beat others over the head. Do not go out of your way to offend them. Don't go out of your way to confuse them.

Don't go out of your way to cause them to stumble, don't go out of your way to have those who are weak in the faith fall. Don't let your knowledge of the truth make you feel superior to them, but is saying more than that. Listen carefully. He saying your knowledge of the truth regarding pagan gods is good but is incomplete. You might be mature in knowledge, but you also should be mature in love.

Your doctor than the solid, but there is a crack in your love, your mind is sound, but there is something wrong with your heart, you will get an a for knowledge but to get a D for love. Don't miss with the great apostle is saying he is not. He is not.

He is not minimizing or belittling knowledge.

In fact many times in the epistles you hear praying for the day may increase the knowledge of my increasing knowledge, but he is saying that knowledge must be tempered with love knowledge is vitally important but do not use it negatively.

In fact, the Lord himself bemoans the fact that his people are dying for lack of knowledge. As he says through the prophet Hosea. This is gullible. 60% of Americans do not know what the holy Trinity is 66% could not tell you who preached the sermon on the Mount, 79% is nearly 80% of the population were unable to name a single Old Testament prophet beloved. That's the culture we live in.

In fact, the vast number of college students thought that the epistles are the wives of the apostles knowledge that idols were not real knowledge that food offered to idols was not contaminated with evil spirits. All of that is wonderful.

All of that knowledge is right. All of that knowledge is good, but knowledge and itself can be turned inward on itself flaunting liberty in Christ can make knowledge offend the weaker brother or sister whom arrived at Bella's Christian believer is the one who balances knowledge with love, can I get an amen Paul said knowledge puffs love humbles verse three. It is impossible to know God and not love him and God knows those who love him, and he knows them by name and he calls him by name. So knowledge alone is incomplete. Secondly he says verses 4 to 7.

Not everyone has the same knowledge. I think this is a fact, you already know there's not everybody has the same knowledge. Paul agrees with the mature Christians with the mature believers for the believers. That is only one true God, and this one true God revealed himself fully in Jesus Christ. All the gods all religious systems all the following are false and fake and they're not the truth. Only one truth is the one who said I am the way the truth and the life I knew that to the mature believer in Corinth, Paul said that you are on the right track. You have the right belief. You have the right concept you have comprehended the truth. Now carry that right knowledge over and make it into right relationship verse four. Not all Christians have the same knowledge.

Why, because there all different stages of walks a lot different stages of walks some people been walking with Christ for many many years of or just new ones. So we all have different knowledge. Believers are not within the Christian community there such thing as late bloomers that had kids you understand and talk about some leg movements. Some of them get it right away, even though the act of eating is neither morally nor spiritually wrong yet, it becomes wrong. When I deliberately and carelessly lifted violate the weaker conscious of another believer furtively. Finally, wounding the conscious of another believer week believer is a sin assessing verse eight. Neither eating or not eating these types of meats will commit us to God. Second affect my relationship with God is your eatery donate doing things that are not forbidden in the word of God is not significant has no significance in our relationship with the Lord.

Mark chapter 7 verse 15 Jesus said it is not what you eat that defiles you at what comes out of your mind. Acts chapter 10 when the Lord showed Peter a vision of unclean food and by Jewish standards or just on clinic resonated down for bed. What God allowed. If the immature Christian or are we Christians sees a mature Christian doing something that they, the Bible, but they the weaker ones think is wrong, it could wound their conscience of the believers conscious is weak is because that brother sister just weak in the faith, and therefore the mature Christians mature because he or she is a strong in the faith, and therefore they should have better judgment and that is why the strong has a responsibility not to offend the week of the other way around. The Milpitas the strong has a responsibility not to fund the week and that my beloved friends requires sacrifice. Sacrifice I'm going to tell you this is a conclude two-story. There was a family who loved hiking the father, particularly with take the family to hiking trips in one day they arrived into the picnic place and he said to the family said you were here unpacked the lunch get it ready.

I'm going to get up that steep one.

I'm gonna go on my own. I'm going to check it out and will come back very soon and so he goes up, and halfway through his climb he heard a voice that literally ammunition terrified him paralyzed him and the voice said daddy take the SafePath I'm following you was a little boy what you think the father would do all keep on coming. So you're free to do that will do whatever you free your free come on come on come up if you want, no not on your life.

Why, because the knowledgeable father is also a loving father done split those two done split and knowledgeable father is also a loving father.

He turned around and immediately picked up his boy in which back beloved being free in Christ is not sufficient to allow you to do things that may be harmless to you but devastating to others. Think about this with me think about this with everyone that I'm following you mommy I'm following you Bible teacher, I'm following you translator I'm following you pastor I'm following you, Holy Spirit of God, you probably have taken your own words recorded in the Scripture and apply them to thousand ways to 2000 different people.

Whichever way or the Holy Spirit of God, you have applied that word to each of us. Please allow that application that implication that conviction be borrowed so deep into our minds and hearts and will so that we begin to live just with knowledge but allow this knowledge to be tempered with love for father son and Holy Spirit triune God. We pray in Jesus name.

This is leading the way with pastor and author of the new book, saving Christianity Dr. Michael you sent. If you'd like to learn more about what it means to live for Christ is help you. Just click over to LTW.Ord/Jesus also price.

Father God in the name of the precious son Jesus your son, we come to you, trusting you believing you that even though you have not promised to keep us from the valley of shadow of death, but you promised that you walk in it with us so we thank you for that. Father I pray for every trembling heart upright that the peace of God that passes understanding, will feel the hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Father I pray that we would not waste this crisis by just waiting for it to be over, but that we learn what you have for us in the crisis so that we might grow in Christ and regrowing the knowledge of Christ.

Father, help us to reach out to the lost and to remind them that our God is a God of power line and that he is a God in control and that he will use whatever crisis are we ran to bring glory to himself, and bless his children. Father, thank you that our eyes on Jesus because we know this is not our eternal home and we heading home upright as we travel in sergeants in this life that we would walk with you, trusting you work for you within our eyes are our eternal home helpers to focus on you in these difficult days for we writers in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen this program is furnished by leading the way with Dr. Michael you sent