Title: Don't Worship Idols (Sunday sermon on June 24, 2007)
Contents
Bible: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. June 10, 2007 Sunday Sermon
Title: Don't Worship Idols.
I believe that our God will give us grace today.
What is idolatry? We humans do not worship God
Find an object of worship, bow down to it, and bless it.
talking about action.
And to pray for good for something like this
If not, if there is something in our hearts that we like more than God,
And if you fall into the temptations of the world and like it more and follow it,
This too is idolatry.
According to 1 Corinthians 3:16, our bodies are filled with the Spirit of God.
It is called the dwelling temple.
But the Spirit of God does not dwell, and the fornication and lusts and luxury of the world
If self-interest is full, this is also spiritual.
That is idolatry.
Therefore, in our faith life, we always
In the body or outside the body, in any way, in spirit or in flesh,
You will have to look for elements of idolatry.
This is what the people of ancient Israel did in the wilderness.
They were tempted by “Moabite” women. So the god of Moab
who bowed down to Baal and placed it on the altar to idols.
ate the sacrifices.
Everyone! Do you know what happened after that?
Because of this, the terrible wrath of God came upon us.
The plague killed 24,000 people at once.
Everyone! What our God hates the most is idolatry.
God considers these the most detestable.
Therefore, whether spiritual or carnal, we
You will have to cut off elements of idolatry.
At the time when this text that we read together today was written,
In Corinth, whether public or private, when people meet
It is said that they always held meetings mainly at the shrine.
And each time he made sacrifices to the idols of the temple
It was customary to give.
So if anyone doesn't attend these meetings,
he is socially isolated,
As a result, their livelihoods were often threatened.
And most of the meat sold in markets and shops at that time was
They were already sacrificed to idols.
In other words, the priests working in the temple of Corinth fell to their share.
They made a profit by selling meat for sacrifice.
So, is the meat sold in the market clean or not?
It could not be ascertained whether it had already been used as a sacrifice to an idol.
So many people have doubts, and some people don't care,
He said that he had nothing to do with it and bought it without asking.
The problem is that the people around you who see these things are put to the test.
No, if you are a saint, you have to be a little different in your life and set an example for others.
How can a believer eat something sacrificed to an idol?
I criticized it very much.
I am sending a lesson to the saints. And these words speak to us today as well.
It is the word of God that is always given together.
That is, do not abuse the freedom granted to them too much,
And he tells us to always have the virtue of self-control.
The world doesn't exist alone.
Because we have our beloved family and church members around us.
Before we say or do anything at any time, we must first examine the environment around us.
You will have to look around and look at the situation of your neighbours.
There were various classes of believers within the Corinthian church.
There were some first-time believers and some long-time believers.
Also, each position was different according to social status and class.
So, each with little knowledge that they know
They quarreled with each other and caused controversy.
So the church was noisy.
Here, today's text says:
In verse 1, it says that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up...
Then, what is true knowledge that today's text is talking about?
In other words, it means that we humans know God and know the world.
It's very, very weak.
And even if there is something else I know, is this really correct knowledge?
Or it is not even possible to know whether it is wrong knowledge.
Therefore, having a proud heart just because you know a little
That's just ridiculous indeed.
Paradoxically, the pursuit of true knowledge begins with recognizing one's ignorance.
It will be the beginning. So what is true knowledge?
You have to start from the position where you always want to learn with a humble attitude.
It is 2 Ex 1:5-7. For this reason, ye work harder to strengthen
To virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6) to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience, perseverance
7) Supply godliness with brotherly kindness, and brotherly kindness with love.
Everyone! Korea, like never before, is between different religions.
The problem of conflict is not widely revealed.
This is indeed close to a miracle.
However, there was a dispute between the family over the issue of just one sacrifice and funeral.
The width of the conflict that arises is more serious than you think.
It cannot be denied.
For many years, with a background of Confucian culture,
As a function for the unity of the family, our people have always
So-called family rituals such as ancestor worship have played a role.
But now, this sacrificial issue is causing conflicts between families.
It is also undeniable that it is the main cause.
But everyone! If you look at the form of this ritual, it is somewhere in the Gucheon (久喘).
I summon the spirits of my dead ancestors who I think will wander,
It is to prepare food for him and make a sacrifice.
And he prays for all his descendants to prosper.
They say they don't pray, but later on, most people who bow down
Best wishes to your ancestors. This is how we worship our ancestors.
But everyone! We need to know this.
Something? If you do, you can make a sacrifice in this world,
There is nothing more foolish and dangerous than worshiping idols.
Everyone! The first thing in the Ten Commandments is this
This is the reason for the handling.
Exodus 20:3-6. You shall have no other gods before me.
4) Do not make for yourself a carved image, or anything that is in the heavens above.
You shall not make any likeness of anything that is on the earth under the
5) Do not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God are jealous.
God, I will pay for the sins of those who hate me,
to the third and fourth generations,
6) For those who love me and keep my commandments
He gives grace to a thousand generations
Habakkuk 2:18-20. The engraved idol is given to the sculptor
What profit is it? A molten idol is a false teacher.
What profit is it that the maker trusts in this unspeakable idol?
19) To those who say to trees, wake up, and to stones that cannot speak
Woe to you, see if it will teach you a lesson
It is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no life in it.
20) But the LORD is in his temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
Everyone! This idolatry, if we take it negatively,
It is bowing down to some visible form,
However, if you look at this from an active point of view,
It means life.
There is a saying, “If you can’t see it, it’s far from the heart”, right?
Is that so? Humans through their own form
I'm trying to get the will in my heart.
And I hope you can keep and grow your faith
There are people who look forward to it.
But everyone! As time passes, purpose and meaning disappear.
All that remains is the shape (object).
And in the end it is itself like God
You will find what is holding you back.
In fact, the people of Israel were exactly the same as this erroneous form.
I lived a life of faith. They believed that the ark was their power to protect them.
They did not keep the law, but they believed in the Torah.
Proud to be a people.
He has no interest in worshiping God, and the tabernacle
What they thought of only as their own refuge is an example of that.
We also believe, but these
It is easy to make mistakes.
Let's think a little more about rituals.
Everyone! Please keep this in mind. Just because you don't perform a ritual
It is not disrespectful to deceased ancestors.
Rather, we believers
Let your children hear the words your parents left behind while you were alive.
In keeping with that tradition, how can we be kind to each other?
How to live your life serving God
that is being taught.
Everyone! I hope you will be more filial when your parents are still alive.
After you die, no matter how good food you prepare and bow down,
It doesn't make any sense.
Some people treat their parents indifferently while they are still alive,
After death, there are people who perform ancestral rites with great sincerity.
And he prays for his ancestors.
This is really stupid.
The reason people who do not have faith insist on offering sacrifices is the gospel and eternal life.
Because he doesn't believe, even after his death, someone
I also want you to think of your existence like this.
Psalm 121:1-2. I lift my eyes to the mountains
where will my help come from
2) My help is heaven and earth
each other to the LORD who made them. <Amen>.