(1 Corinthians 8:1–11:1)

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to prioritize God’s mission above our personal preferences.

In chapter 8, we see an example of how, when making choices, we must not only consider what is morally permissible, but also what is spiritually beneficial to those within our sphere of influence.

While chapter 8 focuses on the way our choices influence fellow believers, chapter 9 focuses on the way our choices either help or hinder our ability to gain a hearing with unbelievers for the gospel. The setting aside of certain God-given rights resulted in greater hardship for Paul, but he was willing to “endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.”

Concern for the advance of the gospel is more important than our personal preferences. As we think about the culture of a church as a whole, we must regularly seek to replace phrases like, “This is the way we’ve always done it”, with questions like, “Is this the most strategic way of doing things in the context in which God has us today?”

Finally, in chapter 10, we see that concern for the glory of God calls us to sacrifice for the good of our neighbors as Christ sacrificed for us. May we see that sacrificing our comforts, preferences, and traditions for the good of others is not a sacrifice of our joy, but is in fact the very path to joy.

Let my people go, that they may serve me. (Exod 9:13)

(See follow-up article here.)