Okay, we are continuing there in Isaiah. We're up to Isaiah 46 and where I want to take the sermon from, the sermon title from tonight is there in verse number 8.
Which says, remember this and show yourselves men. Title of the sermon tonight is show yourselves men.
And the women might be, but I want to show myself a woman. You can show yourself a strong woman too, okay, if you follow the directions that we see laid out here in this chapter now.
It's not a very long chapter as you can see. Like sometimes the book of Isaiah can be quite lengthy chapters. This one's a very short one.
There's not a lot of new material like as far as, like it's very similar to the sermon in Isaiah 45 or the writings of Isaiah 45.
Once again God is comparing himself as the only God, the mighty God in comparison to the false gods which is why we began with two false gods, Bel and Nebu there in verse number 1.
And the idols that were worshipped and again even though there was a godly king over Judah at this time, King Hezekiah, the nation was still following after the false gods, the gods that have learned from other nations.
And so again when we look at the book of Isaiah we need to remember that the primary audience are the Jews of Judah before they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians.
And again as you've walked through this chapter by chapter with me, God sometimes is all over the place historically from the end times to the return of the captivity, looking back in history sometimes.
But as we read this and as we're reminded about our great God compared to idols, obviously I want to give God due diligence in exalting him as the one true God.
And then what I'm going to do, because it's not a very long chapter, I'm going to use this chapter as a springboard to get on another topic about food sacrificed unto idols.
Because one of the common questions I get as a pastor is, pastor should we eat food offered unto idols?
And so I want to kind of use this chapter as a springboard for that because like I said the chapter itself isn't that lengthy and it is a little bit repetitive to what we've heard last time in Isaiah 45.
But if we start doing verse number one, Isaiah 45 verse number one,
And so this speaks to the fact that to carry or parade around these idols, the Jews at this time they would take in maybe oxen, different types of beasts, different types of animals.
They would have to carry these idols on their, you know, like maybe on a wagon or something like that, right?
And parade around the street. It's very similar to what you see in Roman Catholic churches where you've got this big statue of Mary and then you've got the priest kind of carrying Mary around and displaying her.
And so that is a burden, right? That is a burden upon the people carrying these idols and these idols are a burden to these weary beasts.
These beasts are like getting tired, you know, carrying around these false gods.
But when it says Baal, you know, that's short for Baal or it's a variation of Baal or Beelzebub, you know.
There's the same god, the same false god, the devil, you know.
Baal boweth down, Nebu, another false god, Stupef. So both of these gods are kind of like bowing or lowering themselves.
Now obviously we're talking about a physical idol like a piece of wood or a gold or silver image,
but this is kind of speaking of the fact that even the idols, even these false gods, bow themselves to God.
Like the one true God is kind of the imagery, right? Like it's going from literal where it's weary upon the beast,
but also figurative that these idols will one day, these false gods, also have to bow themselves down to the real true God of the Bible.
That's why it says in verse number two, they stoop. They bow down together.
So as the cattle gets weary and tired and maybe kind of like bows down a little bit from tired,
it's like the idols are kind of bowing down. Like they're all bowing down together.
It says they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
So again, the captivity of this day is the coming captivity of Babylon.
So when Babylon comes in and takes the Jews into captivity, not only do they take the people,
but they're taking the beasts, they're taking the animals, they're taking the best things that were there in Judah,
and they're also carrying away some of these idols.
We're going to see later on, the reason the Babylonians take these idols away,
we're going to see later is because these idols are covered with gold and silver.
They're made from precious metals, and so it's valuable.
And so the Babylonians are like, well, this is precious. This is valuable.
They take that for themselves into captivity as well.
And so the thought there is, of course, if you want to be delivered from captivity,
if you don't want to go into Babylon, relying on these idols, relying on these false gods,
aren't going to help you because they're going into captivity with you as well.
And then verse number three,
Harken unto me.
So listen to me, God says, O house of Jacob, and all the remnants of the house of Israel,
which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb, and even to your old age I am he.
God, again, speaks of himself as a true God.
He is the one who, again, symbolically gave birth to them.
Of course, God doesn't have a womb.
God's a man, according to just the illustration.
God's made them a nation. God's brought them into the land.
God's been with them the whole way through from a young age even to their old age.
From the time they came out of Egypt, or the tomb of Israel,
they became a nation to the time even to this day of Isaiah, God has always been with them.
And it says, verse number four, and even to your old age I am he, and even to all hairs will I carry you.
I have made, and I will bear, even I will carry you, sorry, and I will carry, and will deliver you.
All right, so, they're going into captivity, into Babylon, all right,
with their beasts of burden carrying these idols, with their precious gold and silver idols of false gods,
and then God says, well, I'm going to be the one that delivers you back out of that captivity, right?
Like, you're going with these heavy beasts, but I'm the one that's going to take you out of there
because he is the one true God.
And, of course, you know, as we get older, we need to remember that our Lord God that saved us all those years ago
is the same God that needs to carry us.
That's the whole point when we're singing that hymn.
Remind you, it doesn't matter what our age is. It doesn't matter how old we get.
It doesn't matter how long we've been saved. I've been saved since I was four years old.
I've been saved for almost 40 years, and I still need God.
Like, I need God as much as someone who's just been recently saved needs God.
I need God as much as somebody who is unsaved. They need their Savior, right?
We need God every day of our lives.
You know, without the Lord God, I don't know what I'd be doing with my life.
What would I be doing with my life? Like, what would be the purpose of life?
What would I be building toward? What would be my goals and desires if I didn't have the Lord God?
Would I even know what is right and wrong? Would I even know how to be a good husband?
Would I even know how to raise my kids? I don't know.
I mean, somehow the world does it, but, you know, God's just demonstrating to us
that we will never get to a point, as we mature and get older and more knowledgeable
and more experienced, that we get to a point where we say, God, I've got it covered.
It's all good now, God. You've carried me for 40 years. I'm good now.
No, no, I need God till the day I die.
And even the day I die, I'm going to be with God. I need Him anyway.
In eternity, you know, in that spiritual life, I need my Lord God.
So, His promise in, again, where He's prophesying here, it hasn't happened yet,
but, hey, you know, as the nation continues to follow after these false gods,
they're going to go into captivity, but then God says,
I'm going to deliver you out of that captivity.
And then verse number five,
To whom will you liken me?
Again, comparing, right? Like, what? Bel? Nebu?
Like, who are you going to compare me to, right?
That's why I brought those names up.
And make me equal and compare me that we may be like, that we may be like.
You know, what I take out of this is, you know, our God,
He tells us who is in His Word. We know our Lord God through the Bible, right?
And we know that our God is one God in three persons,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
And, you know, as much as we...
I believe that by faith it's not a complicated doctrine to me.
One God in three persons, okay?
That's not complicated to me whatsoever when I take it by faith.
But what we sometimes do is we try to simplify God.
Well, God is like an egg.
You know, you've got the shell, and you've got the whites, and you've got the yolk.
It's one egg, but it's like three parts of an egg.
Or God is like, you know, a human being.
Like, we've got a body, we've got a soul, and we've got a spirit.
It's all Kevin, but it's all different Kevins, like different parts of Kevin, right?
If this body were to die and my soul goes to be with God in heaven,
you'd say, well, Kevin is buried here in the grave,
but Kevin is also there with the Lord God in heaven.
And so we use these illustrations on the earth, right?
God is like the sun.
You've got the star in the sky, and you've got the heat,
and you've got the light, and there's three elements there.
God is like water.
You've got the liquid, you know, the solar ice, and you've got the gas, right, the steam, right?
And so, huh?
Yeah, like, whatever illustration you try to use, it's not comparable to God.
I'm just letting you know, right?
There are things in the world, we get ideas, we get concepts,
but there is nothing, there is no God, there is no object that can be compared to God.
There's nothing like him.
We only know him not by looking at an egg and going with a shell.
We know him by opening the Word and learning what he says about himself.
Verse number six.
They, that's the people that make idols, lavish gold out of the bag,
they weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith,
and he maketh at a god, they fall down, yea, they worship.
They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him.
Again, I just think of the Roman Catholics here.
And set him in his place, and his standeth, from his place shall he not remove.
All right, so you put an idol in the corner there,
God's like, he's never going to move from that corner.
He can't, he can't walk to you.
He can't come to you and comfort you or anything like that, right?
It says, yea, one shall cry unto him,
Idol, Bell, or Nebu, deliver us from the Babylonians.
They cry, they pray unto these false gods, yet can he not answer.
False gods cannot answer your prayers. Idols cannot answer your prayers.
I told you about my wife when she was a Roman Catholic.
She was praying to all the idols.
She said, I'm not getting my prayers answered.
Well, she just read the Bible, she'll understand why.
Because that's not God, those idols are not God, okay?
It says, no, save him out of his trouble.
So if you get taken by the Babylonians, who's going to save you from your trouble?
Not the idols, not Nebu, not Bell, all right?
Now, we're looking at the 46th chapter of Isaiah.
So what is the 46th book of the Bible, Brother Tim?
First Corinthians.
First Corinthians, great.
Can you please keep your finger there and come with me to First Corinthians.
And so Isaiah 46 is all about false idols.
It's all about false gods like that.
One of the main and New Testament books that teaches us about idols compared to God is First Corinthians.
Interestingly, okay?
So come with me to First Corinthians chapter 12.
First Corinthians chapter 12.
So remember these false gods, when you cry unto them, they cannot answer.
Well, in First Corinthians 12, in verse number 2, it says,
Ye know that ye were Gentiles.
Say, well, hold on, that's the Corinthian church.
They're not just were Gentiles, they are Gentiles.
Yeah, but hereby they were Gentiles is that they had the religion of the Gentiles before they were saved.
Like Gentiles in the faith, if you want to consider that, right?
You know that ye were Gentiles, carried away, look at this, unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
Now we use the word dumb to be like, you're dumb, you're stupid, right?
But the word dumb means one that cannot speak.
So that's the same teaching is there in Isaiah 46, right?
You cry, you pray to these idols, these idols are dumb, they don't have mouths, they can't speak, they can't answer your prayers.
And what we see there in First Corinthians is that this is the religions of all the world, right?
If it's not the Lord God, I don't know, I mean, I just thank God that I was saved at such a young age.
I don't know about the rest of you guys that were saved later in life, some of you guys.
I just don't know, how do you do life?
Like, how do you live life without God? I don't know, I can't relate to it.
Like, who do you pray to?
Who do you speak to? Who do you go to for help?
Anyway, because whatever you went to besides the God of the Bible, it was dumb.
It could not answer your prayers, it could not help you in a time of trouble.
I want you to keep a finger there in First Corinthians.
We are going to come back to that book a few times.
And come back with me to Isaiah 46.
Now, verse number 8 is where we get the title from the sermon now.
It says this in verse number 8, remember this and show yourselves men.
Bring it again to mind, all ye transgressors.
Now, God is telling us how we can be manly, alright.
Now, women, you can apply this, don't worry about it, okay.
But when we think about society and people think about what makes a man a man.
I mean, some of the qualities that they will say I agree with.
I think it's important that men are leaders.
I believe that it's important that men make decisions.
I believe that husbands must be the head of his wife and lead about his family.
But you know, society has another idea of men.
They might think of men in a physical sense, being very, you know, muscular or something like that.
Very strong or of this nature or maybe very outspoken, very strongly opinionated or something like that.
That's what it means to be a man.
What does God say? He says show yourselves men, remember this.
It says like, verse 8, remember this, so remember what?
That these idols can't deliver you.
That these idols can't answer you.
That these idols can't help you.
That if you follow these idols, all they're going to do is send you into Babylon captivity.
He goes, hey, remember this, show yourselves men.
So what is he telling them to do?
He's telling the Israelites or Jews, come back to me.
Come and serve me, come and make me your God.
Like I am.
You see, God has a different idea of what it means to be manly.
And the Bible says that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the inward.
God looks at the heart, doesn't he?
And you know what, one of the, you know, if you feel, I don't know, feel a little lesser of a man,
one of the great things about being a man in the eyes of God is simply being a believer on Jesus Christ.
Having the God of the Bible as your God and not being tossed around, am I in the right faith?
Am I, is this the right religion? Is this the right holy book that I should be reading?
Like those kinds of people, yeah, that's not manliness in the eyes of God.
You know, showing yourself to be a man is, you know, aligning yourself with the God of the Bible.
And understand that these false religions, these false idols, these false gods are nothing compared to God.
They cannot help, they cannot answer.
That's what it means to be a man. Show yourself man. Bring it to mind, all you transgressors.
You're speaking to the people following these idols.
Look, be a man. Give up the stupid idols and come and put yourself back under his leading, under God's leading.
Now there's a passage in the Bible that is very similar to verse 8.
Does anyone know what I'm referring to in the New Testament?
Quit yourself. Yeah, quit yourself. Where's it going?
Yeah, quit your like man. Where is that found? Which book? Anyone know?
1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians, yeah. Well done.
Come with me to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 16. 1 Corinthians 16. 1 Corinthians 16.
What else does it mean to be manly, at least in the eyes of God?
1 Corinthians 16, verse number 13. 1 Corinthians 16, verse number 13. God says,
Watch ye stand fast in the faith. Quit you like men. Be strong.
Now when it says be strong, there's nothing wrong with being physically strong as men.
Nothing wrong with that. But when God is saying be strong, he's speaking about what he just spoke about.
Stand fast in the faith. Don't be movable. This is what God's word says.
This is what I believe. This is what I have to do. This is what God commands.
I'm going to stand strong with what God's word says.
Man, when you do that, watch ye to be watchful.
Understand that society, understand that, you know, the world will try to turn your minds contrary to God's ways.
And when you find yourself being influenced, you know, people are saying,
You know, the homosexuals, they're nice people.
But then you read about the homosexuals in the Bible and they're just these vile, wicked, horrible people.
You say, No, I'm going to go with what God's word says and I'm not going to hang around those sodomites.
I'm going to stand strong. I'm going to quit myself like a man. I'm going to show myself like a man.
When you do that, you know, it's not like what manliness is inside of the world. It's how God sees it.
And if we just say, God, and look, I'm not perfect. You know that, right?
I've got weaknesses. I've got sin in my life and I struggle and when I look at the Bible, man,
I come very short of the God standards here.
I try my best and try to be a good example as a pastor, but even I'm still a human being.
I mean, I'm not fallible. I'm not fallible. I'm infallible. No, I am.
I am fallible is what I am. See, that's how fallible I am. I can't even get that right.
And I, whoa, you know, yeah, you're right, Lord. Amen. I come short of that.
One of the things I always recommend to people when they struggle with the scriptures.
I used to say, I don't get it anymore because I've said it enough behind the pulpit that I don't get it anymore.
Like almost never now. I used to get a lot of questions where people are struggling with sin
or they're struggling with God's standards and they've messed up in life. Like we all have, right?
We all have. But then it's good to say when you've messed up and you know you're not up to God's standards
or maybe someone wanted to be a pastor and they realize, man, I can no longer be a pastor
because of something that they've done. They're disqualified from that position.
They can't be qualified for whatever reasons is to say, well, Lord, it looks like I'm never going to measure up
to what your word says. I mean, that's why I need Jesus because Jesus was the one that measured up.
But you know what? When I don't measure up to your standard, I have to recognize that I'm wrong and you're right.
And I like God will be so merciful to you even when you mess up.
When you're able to just acknowledge God, your word is true and I messed up.
Many times, especially in the early years of the past, I'd get people contacting me.
Pastor, I messed up here. I'm doing this. Can you kind of make me feel better?
Like can you kind of, like that's not the words they're saying, but it's what they're saying.
Can you kind of make me feel like I'm doing the right thing even though I'm doing the wrong thing?
Can you kind of justify my bad decisions and tell me that God just understands? It's all good.
You know? No. I mean, if we try to justify our sinful actions and say God's okay with it,
do you think God's going to be merciful to you? God's not going to be merciful.
You're saying, thus saith the Lord, he's okay with my sin. He's okay with my failings.
No, he's not. He wants us to live holy lives and when we mess up, we don't say, well, God, you understand.
You say, God, actually, I'm a sinner. You understand that I'm a sinner is where you understand, Lord.
You know, you're right. You're right, God. I'm not going to try to twist your words and justify my actions.
I'm going to recognize that my actions are wrong. I'm going to humble myself against this great God that I serve
and, Lord, just be merciful to me. Be soft with me, Lord, with the way you chastise me.
I'm getting a bit off track there, but I don't even know why I'm saying that.
Anyway, maybe it's for somebody out there to hear. Okay. I ask you to turn then 1 Corinthians 16.
Keep your finger there and come back with me to Isaiah 46.
Come back with me to Isaiah 46 and verse number 9.
So, ladies, this is for you too, right, because none of you are perfect.
I don't think any of you are perfect, you know, and maybe sometimes, you know, like the Bible says,
it's easier for the woman to be deceived than a man. You know, this is why Eve was deceived
and she gave the fruit for her husband Adam to eat of it and Adam was in the wrong too,
but it's Eve that was deceived according to the Bible. That's why we don't have women preachers
because women are more easily deceived and just be careful, ladies, you know, especially out in the world,
you're much more easier to be influenced by an ungodly world.
But you know what, show yourselves to be men. Show yourselves to be strong, okay.
Show yourselves to be women, strong women of good character by lining up with what God's word says.
But verse number 9.
So God has said this the last few chapters. How many times has he said this now?
Like, if you've been following the book of Isaiah so many times, there is nothing compared to God.
Man, I'm so thankful that the God I serve is the God of the Bible. I'm just, I got the right God, you know.
Praise God for the God who's given me his word. Like, he's given me all this information.
I can't believe, like, this isn't, like, really when you think about it, it's not that big of a book.
Like, probably the most, the most read books, I don't know if it's still the case,
but the most read books were the Harry Potter books, you know, witchcraft and all that.
And how many books are there? It's like probably, you probably can probably get all the Harry Potter books
drawn here, right? And like, wow, so much to read, but this is all it is, and this gives us all the wisdom
we ever need in life. I mean, what a privilege, what a God, what a wonderful God that I have.
And it's here, black and white, and it's in my own language, I've got it in the English language here,
in the King James Bible, what an honour that he's given us these perfect and preserved words.
But I want to compare something else here in 1 Corinthians.
Come back with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, 1 Corinthians chapter 8.
I'm trying to show you the same things I found in 1 Corinthians as well as in Isaiah 46.
Like I said, I'm going to use this as a springboard to get some other teachings that comes from 1 Corinthians,
specifically about eating meat or eating food that's being offered unto idols.
But in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse number 4, it says here in 1 Corinthians 8, 4,
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols,
we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
So same teaching in the New Testament, same teaching in the Old Testament.
And then verse number 5, For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth,
as they be gods many and lords many, so those are like the false gods, right?
The bells and the niboos and all this stuff, right?
Verse number 6, But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things,
and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
So again, 1 Corinthians is making a clear point there,
when it comes to food that has been sacrificed or offered unto idols,
God just reminds us that an idol is nothing, all right?
And again, this is a question I get brought up a lot.
Pastor, what happens if this food's been offered to an idol?
Let's start off by saying an idol is nothing. It's nothing.
There is one God, okay? There is one God, and these idols are nothing.
I just want to whet your appetite there as we keep going on to this topic,
but I want to just show you again the similarity with Isaiah 46 and 1 Corinthians 8.
Keep your finger there in 1 Corinthians and come with me back to Isaiah 46.
And verse number 10, Isaiah 46 and verse number 10,
God says about himself declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,
my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure.
So God says about himself, he knows the end, or he's declared the end from the beginning.
Like from the very beginning, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
At that moment, he already knew what the end will be.
He already knows what the end times are all about.
He knows about the new heavens and the new earth.
As far as God is all knowing, God has it all, right?
He knows it all.
He says also, and what is declaring?
We're showing the Jews here that they're going to be taken into captivity
and they're going to come out of captivity.
Like God's already declaring future events to come.
Then he says these words, my counsel shall stand.
I love that as well. My counsel shall stand.
Because I have different conversations and sometimes with my mum,
we'll talk about things that I preach here behind the pulpit
and I preach God's word and my mum sometimes says,
boy I wish these people have heard about it
because people don't follow what you've read there in the Bible.
They think it's old-fashioned.
Man, I mean, these are the words of God from the very beginning
and they're still relevant and applicable today.
Nothing changes.
What was wrong at the beginning is still wrong today.
What is sinful, you know, when God laid out the law, it's still sinful today.
God's paths of righteousness, his good counsel is still sound counsel today.
It doesn't matter if we leave in 2024,
it doesn't matter if yesterday it was President Harris or President Trump,
regardless of who is the most powerful person on the earth,
God's counsel never changes, it always stands.
And that gives me a lot of confidence in life.
That I know whatever I do, as long as I'm just following God's word,
it's going to work out best for me and my family.
It doesn't matter how society changes.
It doesn't matter what society says is right and wrong.
It doesn't matter what new laws are passed through the government system.
If I just do what God says, his counsel will always stand.
Verse 11, he says, calling a ravenous bird from the east.
Now, what is this ravenous bird from the east?
Well, he says this, the man.
Oh, the bird is a man, okay.
The man that executeth my counsel,
so someone's going to execute his counsel from afar, from a far country,
yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass,
I have purposed it, I will also do it.
I need you to combine last week's sermon from Isaiah 45,
which is what we just read in verse 11.
Who is this ravenous bird from the east?
Who is the man that will execute his counsel?
Yes?
No.
Cyrus.
Because God is telling them, they go into captivity because they're false gods,
Bel and Nebu.
Then God says, I'm going to deliver you, remember?
And now he's telling them how he's going to deliver them.
He's going to bring that ravenous bird,
the man that executed my counsel,
so it's God the one that's delivering them out of captivity,
and of course he uses King Cyrus to be that man,
to let the Jews return back and rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem.
Alright, verse number 12.
Harken unto me, ye stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness.
I will bring my righteousness, it shall not be far off,
and my salvation shall not tarry,
and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
Now verse number 13 can be understood in two ways.
It can be that while they're in captivity in Babylon,
because they're going in in their wicked state,
that they're going to come out in righteousness, and they are.
It's a new generation that comes and desires to worship God once again,
and the salvation that is spoken about here
might very well be salvation out of captivity,
deliverance out of captivity, if you want to put it that way.
But I do believe we can also apply this to the salvation of our soul,
because what he says in verse number 13, I will bring near my righteousness.
You know, we're not saved by our righteousness, are we?
We're saved by his righteousness.
And so if you can come with me to 1 Corinthians again,
1 Corinthians chapter 1, 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse number 29,
1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse number 29,
1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse number 29.
This is why salvation is not by our righteousness,
because in verse number 29 says that no flesh should glory in his presence.
Look at all the good I've done for you, God.
I've cast out devils. I've prophesied in your name.
I've done many wonderful works.
Glory in righteousness. Look at my righteousness, right?
What does God say to those people?
Depart from me. I never knew you, ye that work iniquity.
All right?
Salvation is not our righteousness, okay?
That's why God says I have to bring near my righteousness.
And if you continue then in verse number 30,
it says there in 1 Corinthians 1.30,
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness.
There it is. Our righteousness is Jesus, okay?
Our wisdom is Jesus and sanctification and redemption,
that according as it is written,
He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
This is why that if you get one of our church members
and you ask a church member,
Brother Daniel, can you come up here
and bring a testimony of how you got saved?
I don't know all the details, but I guarantee he'll say,
I put my faith in Jesus. He did all the work for me.
It's his righteousness. It's his keeping the law.
And all I had to do was put my simple faith and trust on him.
All glory goes to Christ.
But what does a false gospel bring?
Well, I used to be.
I used to be a drunkard and praise God,
I've given up the alcohol.
I used to live with my girlfriend
and now I walked away from that life
and whatever it is and look what I've done.
Look at me. Look what I've achieved.
I've heard testimonies like this
and it's almost like you have to choose.
Is it a testimony glory in itself
or is it a testimony that glorifies Christ?
And salvation, the true gospel, only glorifies Christ.
It glorifies man zero.
There is nothing that we can bring to the table
but to trust what Christ has done for us.
Now, I told you I want to use this as a springboard
to talk about food sacrificed unto idols.
So come with me to 1 Corinthians 8, please.
1 Corinthians 8.
And I'll be honest,
I believe my position is correct,
which I'll tell you what my position is,
but I'll be honest, I've never heard good preaching on this topic.
Never.
Like, what do people do?
Because even in these, like today,
if you go out to the shops, just go out here.
Just go out and order yourself some food here at Fairfield.
A lot of the places are going to be halal certified, right?
And a lot of just go to wharves
and sometimes even your drinks are halal certified or whatever.
So what about these situations in the past,
should we eat and drink of these things?
You know, for something to be halal certified,
essentially, what do you call the Muslims, the leaders?
The imam.
They have to come into the organization
that produces the food or the drinks, whatever,
and they look around and they go,
okay, yeah, this meets the Islamic standards,
there's nothing ungodly for them,
there's nothing wrong here,
and then what they do is they kind of just bless,
they kind of pray in the name of Allah,
and they bless,
and now it's officially halal certified.
So then, you know,
the business hasn't really changed their practices.
They're just doing what they're doing, right?
It's not like, okay, let's make sure
we satisfy the Muslims or Islam, right?
They're just doing what they're doing,
and then their produce comes to the marketplace,
and then we come along,
and we're hungry, we're going to eat,
and oh, what do I do, pasta?
Those are the kind of questions that I kind of get, okay?
And if you have,
you might say, I'm not the answer pastor, I know.
You're either going to say,
yes, you can eat food offered
unto sacrifice unto idols,
or you can say no, it's clearly no,
you cannot eat food offered unto idols.
And if that's your answer,
you're both wrong, okay?
The answer is both are correct,
is actually the answer, okay?
Now what I want to show you here
is 1 Corinthians 8 and verse number 1.
Look at 1 Corinthians 8 and verse number 1.
So Paul is addressing this issue.
He says,
now as touching things offered unto idols,
we know that we have all knowledge.
Knowledge puffeth up,
but charity edifyeth.
This is a very famous phrase.
Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifyeth.
But it's actually in the context
of whether we should touch
or eat food offered unto idols.
Why is he saying that?
Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifyeth.
He says the answer is not
one that is built on knowledge.
It's not like
yes or no.
And let me tell you why.
The answer is actually built upon charity.
Okay, charity is our love.
Charity is our love
to others, you know?
The care that we have to another person.
This is how we assess
this topic about eating
food that was sacrificed
or offered unto idols.
That's why it says in verse number 2,
if any man think that he knoweth anything,
pastor, you cannot!
He knoweth
nothing, as he
ought to know.
But if any man love God, the same
is known of him.
Paul is saying the answer
is actually love.
That's not saying knowledge is irrelevant.
Like knowledge is important. We need knowledge.
I'm going to pass on some knowledge
to you guys tonight.
But the decision of whether
you're going to eat something offered unto idols or not
is actually built upon charity. Love.
Okay?
Drop down to verse number 7.
Howbeit, there is not in every
man that knowledge. Look at this.
For some with conscience
of the idol
unto this hour, eat
it as a thing offered unto an idol.
And their conscience
being weak
is defiled.
You see, the decision
whether you're going to eat food that's been
sacrificed unto idols is a conscience
issue.
When someone says, oh, I'm going to
eat of this and this was offered to an idol,
ah, ah,
I'll eat it anyway.
His conscience is
defiled.
Okay? Let's continue.
Verse number 8. But meat
commendeth us not to God.
So you guys, like, what we eat
doesn't, we don't get brownie points
with God based on what we eat.
Okay? For neither
if we eat are we the better.
Neither if we eat not
are we the worse.
So if you eat that food sacrificed unto idols
or you don't, makes no
difference to God.
This is a conscience thing
within ourselves. Okay?
Then he says this in verse number 13.
I don't have time to go through this whole chapter obviously, but
just trying to get the key points here. Verse number 13.
Drop down to verse number 13. Paul says this.
Wherefore, if meat
make my brother to offend,
I will eat no
flesh while the world standeth
lest I make my brother
to offend.
So if he goes out with his brother
in the Lord and like there's been
food that's been offered unto idols
and, you know, Paul goes into the shop
and it says halal certified.
He says, you know what, if my brother
gets offended by me eating this
I'm not going to eat it.
You see how it's built on
charity? It's
how I view my brother
who's with me. Because my
brother who's weaker in the faith
will get offended if I eat this food
that's halal certified or
offered to idols, whatever it is, whatever
I view you or however you want to describe that.
Paul is not saying
it's right or wrong.
He goes, in God's eyes you're not better, you're not worse
whether you eat or you don't eat
of that meat.
Now, he starts
the topic in 1 Corinthians 8.
He ends the topic
in chapter 10.
In your own time, do your own reading.
You can read chapters 8, 9
and 10, but the reason I'm not
spending a lot of time is because Paul
starts changing topics and goes on a bit of a
rabbit trail, but then he eventually gets back to the topic
about food offered unto idols.
So come with me to 1 Corinthians 10 now.
1 Corinthians 10 where he starts to
make the final points
about this topic. In 1 Corinthians
10 and verse number 23.
I want you to think about
obviously this sermon is about
Isaiah 46.
And what we learnt in Isaiah 46 is these idols
are nothing.
I really want you to think about that. These idols are nothing.
So like if you were to eat
of food offered unto idols, are you going to be
possessed by a devil or something?
They're nothing.
But 1 Corinthians 10, 23.
Paul continues the
same teaching. I know it's several chapters later
but it's the same topic.
He says, all things are
lawful for me.
But all things are not expedient.
All things are lawful
for me, but all things
edify not.
And again he's going to
talk about food offered
unto idols. He goes, look
I can eat of it. It's lawful for me.
But it's not profitable.
It doesn't edify.
It may not edify other
people if I eat of it.
Then this is in verse number 24.
Let no man seek his own
but every man
another's wealth.
So again it's that principle.
It's not really about me, it's about others.
Charity, love,
how I deal with others, my brother
who might be weaker in the faith.
Then he says,
verse number 25.
He says, whatsoever is
sowed in the shambles.
The shambles is like the marketplace.
Whatsoever is sowed in the shambles
that eat
asking no question
for conscience sake.
So if you go to the shop
and you just buy
some random sausages
maybe you have Halal certified on the stick or whatever
because don't even ask.
Don't worry about it.
You bought it, just eat it.
Don't ask for your
conscience sake. This is why.
Verse number 26.
For the earth is the Lord's
and the fullness thereof.
So just eat it because it's the Lord's.
The sausages
were made by God's
animals that he's got on the earth.
So don't even ask. Don't even wonder.
Pastor, do you think I can eat this food?
Stop asking.
Just take and eat
and shut up.
For conscience sake.
I'm not making
this up, that's what it says.
But I'm telling you
I've not really heard any good teaching on this.
Anyway.
Then he says this. He gives another idea.
Actually
let me teach something further here.
Sometimes I get sort of questions
and many times people want me
to give them this black and white answer.
But a lot of times
the only things that are clearly
sins in the Bible is what God
calls transgression of the law.
If God gives the law
the first five books is known as the law of
Moses. If you
transgress what God says in those
passages, that's a sin.
But there are some issues that are
really conscience based.
If it defiles your conscience
you're committing sin.
Someone can do something the same as me
and someone might
be offended by that action.
The Bible speaks of that individual being
of the weaker faith.
Conscience is something that people
have a hard time grasping I realise
because we want knowledge.
But knowledge puffes up.
We need a charity. We need to understand
that it's more than just knowledge.
So I've had
questions like
pasta, I've got my wardrobe
I've got like a design
I don't know what designs are
like different brands
and I found out that the designer
is a faggot.
I found out that the designer is a sodomite.
What do I do pasta? Do I get rid
of my clothes? Do I just burn it all?
You take
the principle here right? Whatever you buy at the shambles
just eat it.
Just put it on.
Why do you have to figure out who made it?
Why is that important to you?
Just for conscience sake
you went to the shop, you put it on
it looks nice on you, it fits well
why do we need to figure out
whether this was created by an independent Baptist
or some sodomite? There's no need.
Just put it on
and forget about it.
Or someone might watch a TV show
or I don't know
did you see this TV show? Ha ha ha funny
whatever someone comes up
did you know the actor there is a sodomite?
Why did you have to tell me that?
Just for my conscience sake
I just enjoy this
maybe I shouldn't have seen the show but
now you've defiled my conscience right?
Because you've made me ask the questions
like God is saying
there's things you just don't need to worry about.
And many
times, many questions I get as a
pastor are just very conscience based.
And I have to tell
I usually have to say to someone
does it bother your conscience?
Yes or no?
Well if it bothers your conscience don't do it.
Or, no it doesn't bother my conscience pastor.
All things are lawful then.
But not all things
are expedient.
Not all things are profitable.
You know?
I mean there's a lot of things. I like watching
soccer. I've expressed that to you.
It's lawful I can watch soccer.
But pastor there might be a beer
commercial in the half time show
yeah you know I'm not watching
it for the beer commercial or whatever it is right?
But I recognise that it's not
expedient. I recognise it's not profitable.
I'm not going to be like alright guys at church
we're cancelling Wednesday night service
because the socceroos are playing in the World Cup
or something like that. We're going to watch them on the big screen.
It's not profitable. There's no eternal
rewards. But it's not
sinful is it? It's not wrong.
But
you know what if I cancelled
Thursday night service and said well we're going to watch the socceroos
that would bother my conscience.
Because Thursday night I've got it locked in for
blessed up at the church to come and preach God's word here.
That would be a problem with my conscience so I wouldn't do that.
You see?
A lot of questions are conscience
based and when it comes to this topic of meat
sacrifice to idols it's a conscience
based issue.
Alright so if I'm hanging out with brother
so and so and you know we walk in
to get some kebab somewhere and brother
so and so says yeah but pastor it's halal
though you know. It was blessed
by Allah. I don't like this.
I was like why do you have to
why do you have to ask the question? But
but charity right
not knowledge. Charity I love my brother I don't
want to offend him. You're right brother let's
go maccas them.
Let's go somewhere where you know we're not going to
have to worry and ask this question.
Maybe maccas is halal I don't know. Who knows?
Why? Why do we need to know them?
That's the point. That's the point. Why ask the question?
I hope this is making sense to you.
Now let's continue verse number 27.
Verse number 27 says if any of them that believe
not
bid you to a feast
so if you get invited by an unbeliever
to a meal
a feast a celebration
and ye be disposed to go
you say yeah okay I'll go
whatsoever is set before
you eat
asking no question
for conscience
sake.
So let's say your next door neighbor is a Hindu
pretend. He says hey
you know neighbor come over I always wanted
to have you over I want to get to know you.
You're like okay yeah why not I'll go maybe I
can start building a friendship I'll be able to give him the gospel
potentially I don't know whatever might be in your heart
you're disposed to go
and who knows maybe he prayed to
what are the Hindu gods?
Vishnu. Maybe while he was in the kitchen
he was praying to Vishnu or something right?
But you know you don't know like he just brings
a plate to the table
he goes enjoy it neighbor and you're like
man yoo hoo don't ask any
questions. Who did you pray to
in the kitchen when you prepared this?
He goes no just eat it.
Right?
Maybe he was prayed to some Hindu god
or something who knows? Just eat it.
But
in verse 28
if any man say unto you this is offered
in sacrifice unto idols.
Right? You know what?
We're celebrating Vishnu
we're celebrating some false god today
neighbor that's why I had you over
we're celebrating my gods
right?
In this situation.
It says here
eat not
see verse 28 eat not
now don't eat it for your sake
no for his sake
that showed it
and for conscience sake
for the earth is the lord's
and the fullest thereof
so go and say look
there's nothing wrong with the food in of itself
idols are nothing
but for the other person who said hey
this is to my false god
I can't eat of it man
cause
I'm a Christian
I don't want to celebrate your god
sorry man thank you for having me over
but my god is Jesus Christ
you know?
In that and maybe
I don't know what situation might develop
hey can I actually
pray to Jesus?
Can I thank my god for this food?
Can I tell you about Christ?
Maybe they'll open those doors who knows?
But in that scenario if it's about some celebration
over silver you don't know and it's really to celebrate
some of their false gods
he says don't eat of it
for them for their sake
and then he continues there
verse 29 conscience
I say not by none
but of the other
see again that charity that love
it's for others
for why is my liberty
judged of another man's
conscience
he says I've got the liberty to eat that food
to idols
I can do it if I want I mean all things are
lawful to me
verse
30 for if I be a
grace of a power taker
why am I evil
spoken of for that for which
I give thanks
whether therefore you eat or drink
or whatsoever you do
do all to the glory
of god
so if they glorify some other god don't eat of it
so no I want to eat
to the glory of my god
the god of the bible
then he says in verse 32 give none offense
neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles
nor to the church of god
even as I please all men
in all things
not seeking my own prophets
but the prophet of many
that they may be
saved
so Paul is like the reason I'm
conscience
conscience of their conscience
that doesn't work you know what I'm saying
I don't want to offend
others because I'm trying to get them
saved
so it's charity the answer
to can we eat foods and sacrifice
unto idols well yes
because everything's the Lord's
but don't ask
just take it and eat it
just buy that Nike
shirt who cares who designed it just put it on
if it fits you well
forget who
the actors who cares
we know that Hollywood
is accessible of
filthy
all kinds of I don't know
give me some words
filthy whores
filthy whores there you go
we don't need
to dig in and ask
every question
it's been offered to you just eat of it
just give glory to God
you don't get bratty points with God
whether you refuse or eat it
but when it comes to the conscience of others
and I've used this example before
there's a shop here in Smithfield
Candelori's restaurant
love it
and one day I went on a date with my wife
and they offered me
one of my favourite meals is spaghetti bolognese
such a good spaghetti bolognese
I'm like Christina this is such a good spaghetti
and she tries it and she goes
I think it's made from red wine
so the sauce
so I was like okay so we took the menu
sure enough it's a red wine
you know bolognese sauce
but look obviously it's been cooked
it's not alcoholic when it's been offered to me
I'm not going to get drunk eating that
you know spaghetti bolognese
right
so if I went to Candelori's again
I'd probably get the same
spaghetti bolognese
but I'm probably not going to do that with a church member
like if I just went on my own
or with my wife I'd be like yeah whatever
I don't care all things are lawful for me I'm not going to get drunk
on this right
but I'd be concerned if I go with a church member
and they're like pastor what are you ordering
oh the spaghetti bolognese
it's red wine and then their conscience is like
isn't wine it's an alcoholic bad
isn't that wrong sinful
and my pastor's eating the spaghetti
made from the red wine
I'm offended by this
this is not good
I obviously would refuse to eat that spaghetti bolognese
not for my conscience sake
but for the conscience of others
and a lot of these
questions that I get and I want you to start
thinking about this yourselves when you start asking me questions
you say why is it that
I don't have this black and white answer
to this question
quite often it's based on conscience
and
a lot of the answers that I'm going to give you is
does it bother your conscience
sometimes people come up to me and say
pastor is this right or wrong
and I say I believe it's wrong
and this is why I believe it's wrong
I can see what you're saying but I'm still going to do it anyway
it's like yeah but you wouldn't have asked me
if it didn't bother your conscience to begin with
like
if your conscience was clear
and you're like
God's okay with it my conscience is clear
you would not have come and asked me
most times people come and ask me a question
because there's a problem with their conscience
and it depends who they're going to speak to
as long as they're going to get
no don't eat meat
sacrifice unto idols or yes eat meat
it's not a yes or no answer it's a conscience
answer
and you need to understand that many times
these little issues that pop up in our lives
are built around these
conscience based issues
one of the churches in the book of Revelation
I'll end up soon now
you've got the I don't know which church it was
but it had the prophet Jezebel in the church
and she was teaching
the men in the church to commit adultery
or fornication
and she was teaching them to eat meat
sacrifice unto idols
so some people take that view and say well see
you can never eat meat sacrifice unto idols
but she's actually teaching them to do that
like I'm not teaching you alright guys
go out there to the Buddhist temple
and go and grab the food that's been offered
to Buddha and eat of it
I'm just saying whatever food's been presented
whatever you get don't ask
for conscience sake just eat
it belongs to the Lord
obviously what Jezebel was doing in the book of Revelation
is telling them hey
we can give glory to our God but we can also
give glory to other gods as we come and eat
of other foods
obviously wrong
that is the point that you do not eat
food that is sacrificed unto idols
anyway brethren
title for the sermon tonight was show yourselves
men
and sometimes even these conscience based
questions you need to show yourself men
you need to show yourself strong
in the faith remember it's the one that is
weak in the faith that has
their conscience defiled
so we need to strengthen our faith
we want to be stronger and mature
and grow in the Lord
and not be afraid of the idols and false gods
because truly they are nothing
brethren we serve the God of the universe
we serve the God who created all things
we serve the God who owns every animal
every piece of food
every soul in the shambles
it all belongs to God
for conscience sake don't even ask
just eat it and enjoy it