The sermon today left me feeling kind of depressed. It's not really the type of message I enjoy presenting but felt that the text left me little choice. It is interesting that Paul doesn't just set everybody straight at the beginning of the discussion on "meat offered to idols" (8:1) by simply stating in a few bullets:
- Stop going to the idol temples
- Your are free to eat idol meat sold in the market unless someone makes a reference to it being sacrificed to idols
I get the feeling that for Paul it was more important that they learn to love one another and take care of each other than it was for them to get all their moral I's dotted and T's crossed. In other words, he was not trying to form a society that was simply "moral" but one that was Christ like.
Someone did tell me I should work on my illustrations. If I45 runs from Houston to Galveston, and the illustration for avoiding temptation is to take the exits provided, then .... does that mean Galveston is Hell? I'll leave that for you to decide.
4 comments:
I could tell that it wasn't your type of sermon, but as you said, the text left you very little choice.
I find that interesting as well. Paul could have invoked his apostolic authority, but he didn't. He decided that is heart changes, so does life.
That is the hard part, internal change. I think that is why so many people view the NT as a New Revised OT and interpret it the same way. The NT is not just OT Vista, it's a new operating system. It's hard to make that change, I know I continue to struggle with it.
Judging from the amount of "gentleman" clubs dotted along side 45, you might not be too far off...
...but you would have to take one of the exits to get off 45 and go to the clubs. Is it the destination or the journey? Sometimes the journey feels like Hell but hopefully the destination is Heaven.
I10 goes to New Orleans. Maybe that would have worked better for some folks.
I felt I could relate to this sermon well. It reminds me of negotiating with two people that are pretty much both in the wrong and they are both there in front of you. ie: two certain little brothers... one taunts another and then the other hits the taunter. Trying to explain to both at the same time that while the taunter had no right to taunt, the hitter probably should not have retaliated...Many times it is best to take each person and discuss what they can do differently to improve, instead of talking to both at the same time. I can see the exhaustion Paul might have had in writing just one letter to the whole church. If I was around during that time, I might have suggested having two different letters, each tailored for the desired audience. Of course, that would have required more postage.
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