Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20010218.htm

1 CORINTHIANS: MINISTERING TO BELIEVERS WITH DEEP PAGAN BACKGROUNDS
Part XIX: Adjusting To Life In God's Spiritual Fish Bowl
(1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1)
  1. Introduction
    1. Before a person believes in Christ, his natural concern is for that of his own welfare and happiness.
    2. However, once one believes in Christ, he no longer is slated to live unto his own interests: rather, a believer is put into a spiritual "fish bowl" existence by God in which he is to live as a witness for the claims of Jesus Christ, Acts 1:8 with Romans 14:8. This fact changes how one is to approach his purpose for living, and should modify his outlook and behavior as follows:
  2. Adjusting To Life In God's Spiritual Fish Bowl, 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1.
    1. In principle, the believer must limit the use of his great liberties in Christ when the exercise of those liberties hinders the discipling process of other spiritually weaker people around him, 1 Corinthians 10:23.
    2. Hence, believers must value the spiritual welfare of others as greater than his own liberties, 1 Cor. 10:24.
    3. Paul applied this principle to the issue of eating meat offered to idols that is sold in the market, 10:25-31:
      1. When alone, the believer is at liberty to enjoy all his liberties regarding eating such meat, 10:25-26.
        1. He is free to express his liberties to the full when alone, meaning he may eat the food, 1 Cor. 10:25.
        2. He can do so because Christ, his Lord, is God of the entire universe, and gives him liberty to eat such meat that is part of that universe under His jurisdiction, 1 Corinthians 10:26.
      2. However, when in the presence of certain believers, the Christian should modify his use of liberty:
        1. If meat is set before him, and no one else complains, the believer should eat it, 1 Cor. 10:27.
        2. However, if a fellow Christian thinks it is sin against Christ for him to eat of the meat as it had once been offered to idols, the mature believer is to abstain from the meat for his sake, 1 Cor. 10:28.
        3. Caution: we must make sure that our abstinence is for the other brother's conscience and not due to false legalistic rules on our own part! Otherwise we sin in legalism, cf. 10:28-29; Gal. 2:11-14.
        4. In summary, God is to be honored in whatever we do or do not do around such believers, 10:31.
    4. Next, Paul applied this principle to all discipling efforts, showing believers live in a fish bowl on earth:
      1. The believer must be ready to limit his expression of Christian liberty in witnessing to unsaved Jews, 1 Cor. 10:32a with 33c. In Timothy's case, it meant submitting to circumcision which is not required of a Gentile believer (Acts 15:1-29), but was a wise move for work among unsaved Jews, Acts 16:1-3.
      2. The believer must be ready to limit his expression of Christian liberty in witnessing to Gentile unbelievers, 1 Cor. 10:32b with 33c.
      3. The believer must be ready to limit his expression of Christian liberty in relating to believers of various issues of conscience, 1 Cor. 10:32c. This all causes him to follow the pattern of his Lord Jesus Christ Who did not please Himself, but died on the cross for the needs of the lost, 1 Cor. 11:1; Romans 15:1.
Lesson: We Christians live in a "fish bowl" all of the time, for God's calling of us to be His witnesses in the world causes us to affect unsaved and saved people around us all the time as to their discipleship. As such, we must be willing to curb the expression of our Christian liberties for the sake of others.

Illustrations: (1) Though we do not believe the King James Version is "inspired" of God, for only the autograph manuscripts of Scripture in the original languages bear that quality, I nevertheless use the King James Version in preaching from the pulpit as it is the most ACCEPTED version among all Christian groups in Evangelical circles! (2) Conversely, though the King James Version is the most ACCEPTED version for all consciences, it is the LEAST UNDERSTOOD for NEW CONVERTS: hence, we use the New International Version for our pew Bible! (3) However, since the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts in which Scripture was written sometimes are nearly impossible to translate word-for-word into English due to the nature of human language distinctions, I will produce my own translation for Sunday School class times for purposes of clarifying the nuances of insight the Holy Spirit supplied found only in the original. (4) Yet, in recommending a Bible for one who wants to grow in his faith, I will urge another to buy a good study Bible for their enlightenment on pertinent issues!