1 Corinthians Chapter 8 Verse 1

• Look, knowledge is good! It gives structure, it creates boundaries of logic and understanding.  But knowledge alone can be a destructive and deceptive force.  (Nobody in here likes a “know-it-all!”) Think of it like this.  A balloon…can be huge!  A big thing, a large structure…but inside of it is basically nothing!  The same is a Christian who equates their spiritual maturity to their knowledge.  Good structure, good logic, even understanding…but nothing on the inside.  Pop that knowledge and they have nothing to give…except a startling explosion! 
• Look, Paul sets knowledge alone in opposition to love saying that love edifies. Edification means literally to build something.  To restore, to repair, to establish, to promote!  And so, if knowledge alone is in opposition to that then knowledge alone tears away, causes the NEED for repair and restoration and rather than encourages, knowledge-without-love, knowledge in a higher place than love…discourages!
• The mark of maturity in a Christian is not what you know…the mark of maturity in a Christian is a heart like the Lord’s. To what degree do you see things as God sees things?  How much do you care for the Lord, the things of the Lord and the folks that the Lord loves.  How much do you build others up around you…this is maturity.  Not doing these things but BEING this way.  Just naturally this is you…that is maturity.  One of the things on this earth that you cannot fake…
• But folks have it twisted. Especially and dangerously folks that know the scriptures and yet have not submitted their hearts to the Lord and therefore don’t have a heart like His.  You see this love is   This is love like God’s love.  This is love that only comes from putting God in the first-place position of your heart.  That is true maturity in the faith.  But boy have I had so many interactions with folks that know the Word, know the scriptures, have the truth and yet there is this coldness about them (even pastors).  And most of the time they think they are mature!  They are most certainly NOT!  Is this you?  Big ole’ balloon…lots of logic and understanding but beneath that shine of the stretched balloon wall there’s really no love on the inside?  Is that you? 
• I like what Courson calls Christians like that. Spoiled brats!  HA!  Because really there are two types or reasons for immaturity in your faith.  One is you’re just young…growing up in the things of the Lord but the other is you’re just a spoiled brat!  HA!  Synonyms for spoiled brat include crybaby, egotist, narcissist, self-centered person and princess!  (What did the princess say waiting for her photos at Walgreens?  Someday my prints will come!  NO!  Actually I love Cinderella…that movie is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life!  HA!)  
• You say, no I have love…let me tell you what love looks like…building others…not their fault anymore…its yours. Taking responsibility.  NO more deflection of correction but receiving of correction.  Laying down you for them.  THAT is maturity in the Lord because that looks JUST like Jesus!
• Let me just say on the subject of correction…Proverbs 12:1 says, “He who hates correction is stupid.” Stupid is the opposite of mature.  It is so important for you and for me to receive correction from those that are mature in the Lord.  Not just theological knowledge or discipline of doctrine but folks that walk in agape…building others up…builder of people, restorer of people…you do not belong in leadership over people if you do not repair  But if you have that leadership in your life, listen and receive their direction.  Why?
• What if you went to mechanic because your car was all kinds of messed up and they take a look and come to you and say, “Yea it’s your catalytic converter. It’s all clogged up and letting nothing through so your engine is choking.”  And then you respond, “What about your car!  Your car isn’t perfect!”  Um, we’re not talking about my car…or you respond, “Nope, it’s gas I get from that busted old gas station…it’s their fault.”  Um, no, this is YOUR car and YOUR problem.  You see it’s ridiculous.  You don’t go to an expert and then reject their direction…unless you think yourself the expert.  You see…and then you’re puffed up.  Paul covers this in verse 2…

1 Corinthians Chapter 8 Verse 2

• There is absolutely no help for you whatsoever in the Lord or in the world until you do two things…first, recognize that YOU’RE the one that needs to be repaired and second, stop your deflections to protect your precious ego and receive correction without answering back. Until then, you’re absolutely confined to immaturity and you will hurt people rather than repair them.  You will break down the people around you rather than build them up.  You will discourage rather than encourage.  You need to repent and you need to give your heart to God!  Agape isn’t possible and maturity isn’t possible until you do that.
• But man, maturity is where it’s at! Paul is about to equate maturity to freedom.  So that we might USE this world rather than get used by it!  Maturity…knowledge with love is like a water balloon!  And everyone is thirsty!  Throw some of that at them!  HA!!  What’s it all start with anyway…why are folks stuck in immaturity…verse 3…

1 Corinthians Chapter 8 Verse 3

• The tragic truth behind a terrible tongue or an uptight theologian is this…there’s a love issue between you and God. You love what He’s done.  You love what He can do for you.  You love the idea of the hero Savior.  But you don’t love Him as you ought to and that is definitely due to you just not knowing Him like He knows you.  Look, if you did, you’d want to serve Him.  You’d respond with your heart to Him.  And then when you did…you’d build His kingdom…because loving God edifies, restores His kingdom.  That’s the tragic truth behind cold Christians…and you have to have quite the desire to serve God to receive that and make a change.  Which is why many do not change.  Knowledge is easier. 
• With that in mind…turning attention to answer a question posed to him by the church there in Corinth regarding meat in the marketplace…

1 Corinthians Chapter 8 Verses 4 - 6

• Sacrifices offered to idols (pagan/false gods) would generally be divided into three parts. The first part would be burnt at the altar.  The second part would be given to the worshipper to take home.  And the third part would go to the priest and the temple.  The temple would most often sell the meat at a discounted rate in the marketplace.  They might have even had a drive-thru or something…McDiana’s or Juno Juice or Chick-fil-Aries (closed on Sunday)…HA!  Without a doubt, there was plenty of this meat to go around.
• So, the question was, can we buy it? Can we eat it?  Paul’s answer.  Zeus isn’t real anyway!  There is no Diana, Neptune, Apollo or Aries.  There is only One God and therefore meat is meat but…

1 Corinthians Chapter 8 Verses 7 – 11

• Notice this…this is interesting. We have freedom in the Lord.  Freedom to eat what we want, to worship on whatever day we want, to wear whatever style we like…we can pierce our foreheads if we so desire!  In fact, I have my appointment for later today!  HA!  It’s the person who is weaker in their understanding that has issues with these meaningless  And so, there are churches that allow no makeup or dictate no instruments during worship and so on…the principle here is simple and it is staggering, the up-tight are the immature.  We have freedom in the Lord.  Our consciousness is towards God, not idols.
• But the Godly limitation to Christian liberty is at the point where one of the two commandments of the New Covenant are violated. Now, we must discern between honest convictions and religious trips laid on folks by others.  If someone has an honest conviction then no matter how odd…I should not try to talk them out of it but rather encourage them not to defile their conscience.  I don’t want to in any way drive someone further away from the Lord by telling them to do something that is wrong for them to do…even though I know that in truth, it’s nothing. 

1 Corinthians Chapter 8 Verses 12 – 13

• Look at the commitment of Paul to others. Eating meat is fine.  Whether above the knee or   HA!  But if my liberty causes any stumble at all…that is NOT the heart of Jesus Christ.  That is not the mind and mission of God.  This is love.  This is walking in love because love seeks to build up and that’s it.
• I could do a lot of things I don’t do because I don’t want to be an offense to a weaker brother and risk destroying his relationship with God because of my liberty in Christ. Yes, you have rights.  Yes, you have liberty, but you first and we first have love for the Lord and that love SHOULD produce in us a desire, deep seeded and DNA embedded desire to see others in a close relationship with God and so we don’t insist on our rights and liberties as the world does but rather we choose to yield in order that God may receive the glory…the opportunity with that person.
• Therefore, the law that governs you and governs me is greater and stronger than any of the ten commandments fully loaded…we are governed, Christians ought to be governed, by the law of love and the law of righteousness.
• Paul says I will never again eat meat if that’s the case. Why is the church today so filled with Christians that will walk in the flesh and justify it as leadership or holiness or authority or equity or justice rather than deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus?  Because immaturity is common.  And the love of God is not.  Never again.  Why not just say this about that which is in you that harms others…NEVER AGAIN? 
• Never again will I walk the streets of heaven…never again will I drink in of the perfection of eternity…never again will I sit on My throne without wounds…until I have laid Myself down for them. The words of our Lord.  Your Lord.  Tell me again you follow?