2. Everything for the Glory of God
1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1
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3. The end of a long discussion…
Finally coming to the end of a discussion about food and idolatry which began in chapter 8
8:1 – “About food sacrificed to idols…”
But, how did we get back to idolatry?
This whole section sort of feels disconnected

4. The Bigger Picture
It’s all held together by the reality of who God is!
Paul is trying to get the Corinthians to live in way which is consistent with the reality of the God they claim to know.
“Knowing” isn’t enough
It isn’t really “knowing” unless the pattern of our lives conforms to our knowledge.
Knowledge of God must transform how we view all of life—how we live

5. Fundamental Characteristics of God
God is ONE
God is CREATOR
God is REDEEMER
God is the beginning and end of all of life.

6. The thrust of the passage
Flee from Idolatry…flee towards the glory of God
Aka. bring all of life into fellowship with Christ

7. Bringing all things into fellowship with Christ “Do everything for the Glory of God”
Bring our undivided selves into fellowship with God
Bring all of creation into fellowship with God
Bring others into fellowship with God

8. 1. Bring our undivided selves to him
Verse 14: “Flee from idolatry!”
The example of the Lord’s Table
Paul shows how idolatry is fundamentally inconsistent with Christian worship
Worship creates fellowship (NIV: participation)
Idolatry is participation with demons
To participate in idolatry is to break fellowship with the ONE true God.

9. Idol worship is not irrelevant…
It’s not about the idol—it is “no god”
Rather, idolatry is a condition of the human heart
Whenever we take something created and use it to glorify anything other than God, we commit idolatry
Wood and stone idols may not be an issue, but the demonic powers certainly are
Flee with all our might from giving glory to anything other than God

10. 2. Bring all creation (all things) into fellowship with God “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it”
The meat belongs to God, Idols cannot change that (v. 26)
Eating the meat isn’t idolatry
The question shouldn’t be, “Has this meat been sacrificed to idols?” but, “How can I eat this meat to the glory of God?”
Answer: Bring it to God with thankfulness and blessing and eat it with enjoyment!

11. Relax… We don’t need to run an “idolatry test” on everything
Because it is all God’s, anyway!

12. 3. Bring others to fellowship with God “Not all things build up”
We bear a responsibility for one another
We are “our brother’s keeper” (Genesis 4)
Make every effort to draw others into fellowship with God
Our goal is not to bring others to where we are, but to bring them into fellowship with Christ