Sermon February 1st
“This week our Sermon was from 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
CHOOSE TO LOSE SO THAT OTHERS CAN WIN. When a dad is play-wrestling with his children he does not dominate them or harm them. No, he is more likely to let them win. Why? Love. THE PROBLEM in the Church in Corinth was DIVISION. The occasion was food sacrificed to idols. One of the hallmarks of the Church is UNITY. God created us to have UNITY in DIVERSITY. What does this mean? OUR DIFFERENCES ARE A GIFT TO MAKE US MORE WELL ROUNDED AND SHOULD BE CELEBRATED. INSTEAD WE VIEW THEM AS IRRITANTS AND TRY TO REMOVE THEM. Paul gives us God’s perspective here: KNOWLEDGE PUFFS UP. LOVE BUILDS UP. If you are focused on what you “think you know” you will mistreat others and FEEL JUSTIFIED. BUT… if you focus on love you will treat others well and BE UNIFIED. LOVE FOCUSSES ON PEOPLE. KNOWLEDGE FOCUSSES ON PROBLEMS. CHOOSE PEOPLE OVER PROBLEMS. It isBETTER TO LOVE THAN TO WIN. It is good to be right and to know what is right. Ignorance is not a godly trait. But… better than BEING RIGHT is LIVING RIGHT. Right living means CHOOSE TO LOSE SO THAT OTHERS CAN WIN. This is the Way of Jesus. This is the Way of love. SOMETIMES BEING RIGHT IS WRONG. As Christians we must not only be right but at the right time and in the right way.
Discussion Questions
1. In what ways does the Church sometimes hide behind being right to mistreat others? How have you seen this happen? What areas are we in danger of repeating this mistake in our church today?
2. Truth matters. Jesus never shied away from speaking hard truth but He did it in the right way at the right time. How do you know when to speak truth and when to give grace?
