1 Corinthians 8:1-13: Law will always push out love… if you let it. / Jeff Struecker

Big Idea: Law will always push out love… if you let it.1 Corinthians 8:1-13I. Wisdom without love only hurts people.1 Corinthians 8:1-3Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. But if anyone loves God, he is known by him.II. There’s no greater sacrifice than the one that set you free. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6About eating food sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”—yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from him, and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him.III. Let love set the limits of your liberty!  1 Corinthians 8:7-13However, not everyone has this knowledge. Some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not bring us close to God. We are not worse off if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? So the weak person, the brother or sister for whom Christ died, is ruined by your knowledge. Now when you sin like this against brothers and sisters and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother or sister to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother or sister to fall.Next Steps: Believe: I surrender my life to King Jesus today.Become: I will build up someone’s faith this week.Be Sent: I will serve someone far from Jesus this week.Discussion Questions: What does it look like in your life to give up your freedom to serve someone?Has there been a time when serving others brought you joy?Besides Jesus, who do you know who sacrifices to serve others?What fear holds most people back from serving others?How has your faith influenced your view of freedom?What is one thing you will do this week to serve someone far from Jesus this week?Surrender your freedom to the Holy Spirit this week.