To Eat or Not to Eat?

Date: 31 August 2025, 9.30 am

Speaker: Ps Luwin Wong  Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 10:23 – 11:1

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TRANSCRIPT

Friends you want to soar in life? Do you wish to take flight and ascend to greater heights? Do you want to elevate, levitate, and soar in life?

If so, the world gives us a strategy, the world teaches us a way.

“If you want to soar in life”, they say, “you must learn to fly.”

FLY. It’s an acronym for First. Love. Yourself.

Learning to fly is a big deal these days.

Motivation+, a motivational app says, “FLY. First Love Yourself. Others will come next.”

We see other pearls of wisdom on social media saying,

“Love yourself first and everything falls into line.” Imagine that.

“Love yourself FIRST. Love yourself MOST.”

A plethora of books have been written on living a life of FLY.

“Love yourself first. Subtitle: Boost your self-esteem in 30 days.”

“First love yourself. Subtitle: “Learn to fly in 7 days. Journey towards self-love.”

“Love yourself first. Subtitle: “How to heal from toxic people, create healthy relationships, and be confident woman.”

Here’s one such article, titled:

“Love yourself first before others. You can’t pour from an empty cup!”

The world operates on the assumption that loving yourself is akin to filling a cup.

There comes a point when you have loved yourself enough, and whatever additional love within you will then spill over into the lives of others, thereby blessing them with your love.

The reality, however, is that loving yourself is like fueling a fire. When you feed a fire, when you chuck wood into a campfire, rather than satiating a fire, you are merely growing its need for more. The more you fuel a fire, it bigger it becomes and the more it demands. Love yourself and you’ll never feel loved enough, you’ll always want more.

That’s why forest fires only end when they have consumed everything in its path.

FLY. First love yourself.

Should it not concern us that “loving yourself” is not an imperative found even once in the entire Scriptures?

And the on the one occasion where it is spoken of, it is spoken of negatively, set it contrast with the ultimate good – loving God.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-4 1 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, l overs of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Those are polar categories of morality – you either a lover of self, or a lover of God.

But wisdom of the world says, If you want to elevate your life, if you wish to soar in life, then learn to fly. First love yourself.

It is a wisdom that God has made foolish with the word of the cross.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:20-25 20 “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 …it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 23 we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men...

We preach Christ crucified. In other words, while the world says, “Learn to Fly!”, we preach “Come and die”. “Come and deny yourself, come and take up your cross, come and follow the Crucified Christ.”

But this call to come and die, does not entail a miserable life, in fact, it is the path to everlasting life, a life of hope and joy.

It was for the joy set before him, that Christ endured the cross.

So this morning, we want to set aside a life of where we FLY, where we first love ourselves; we want to set that aside and pursue instead a life of JOY.

It is also an acronym, standing for: Jesus, first. Others, second, Yourself, last.

This is the example Paul sets for us in our 1 Corinthians, it is the instruction he gives us in our text today, and it is the life we are meant to imitate as disciples.

Let us pray before we begin.

Heavenly Father, by your Holy Spirit, and through the preaching of your word, make us wise in your Son Jesus Christ, as we behold him and follow after him,

In his name we pray, Amen.

Living a life of JOY means making your decisions based on 3 questions. It means you ask 3 questions to decide what to do, even down to what you eat and drink.

Question 1: Does it Edify others?

1 CORINTHIANS 10:23-24 23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

The Corinthians are making the claim that “all things are lawful”, that is, their newfound freedom in Christ liberates them from religious legalism.

Paul does not affirm the statement, he merely quotes it, and he provides a counterpoint to it.

Even if all things are lawful, not all things are helpful, and not all things build up? Not all things edify – that’s the world for build up; a building is called an edifice.

But build up what? Yourself, your self-esteem?

No, Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

Does it edify others? Does it build up your neighbour. That’s question 1.

And Paul offers a couple of scenarios where this may be applied.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:25-27 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

In the first scenario, a Christian finds himself invited to meal hosted by a non-believer. It is understood that meat the non-believer would serve is from the marketplace, and was likely an offered in sacrifice to an idol.

Paul says, go ahead and eat. All meat, ultimate belongs to God. Your neighbour, the non-believer, needs Christians in his life, so accept the invitation and eat with him. Think for him. Use the meal as an opportunity to help him out, to build him up, not least by seeking to share Christ with him.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:28-29a 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29a I do not mean your conscience, but his.

But, if at the meal, there is a fellow Christian, and he points out, “Hey, wait a minute, the meat on the table has been offered in sacrifice to an idol”, then you refrain from the meat dishes. You go vegetarian at the dinner because even though your conscience tells you that it is okay to eat, you act according to the conscience of others, of your neighbour.

You consider the needs of the non-believer, and you consider the conscience of the believer. It doesn’t matter if it’s lawful or within your Christian freedom, before you do something, ask, will it help your neighbour, will it build them up?

For example, are you free, in Christ to not come to not join a CG? Of course, there is no commandment that states that every Christian must gather outside of Sundays, to read the bible together and pray for each other on a regular basis. It’s hard to make a definitive case that CG participation is a biblical requirement.

Okay, so it is “lawful to not join a CG”. But not all things are helpful, not all things build up. So besides asking, “is it lawful?”, we still have to ask, “does it help out, build up?” If everyone exercises their Christian freedom and not attend CG meetings, will the church be build up or not? Without a small group ministry, will be effective in building up the body of Christ in Mt Hermon, by everyone speaking the truth in love to everyone else?

The answer is obvious. It is better to be part of a CG if our aim is to build up others up. If you wish to love others more, if you wish to love others before yourself, then being an active member of a CG is not just something you are free to do, but something you ought to do.

You may say, “Ps Luwin, trust me, it is more helpful to others if someone like me is not in a CG.” That may be so, but then do something about it. Be someone who will build others up by your presence and your words and actions rather than tear people down. Strive to be someone who thinks for others, considers the needs of others, and builds up others.

But Paul raises a possible objection from the Corinthians, they may ask,

1 CORINTHIANS 10:29b - 30 29b For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

In other words, “But between me and God, it’s fine, the meat belongs to him, I give thanks to him before I eat it. My faith is between me and God, why should others be a factor? Why should others be involved in my personal exercise of faith?”

And Paul’s response,

1 CORINTHIANS 10:31-33 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Because you glorify God by edifying your neighbour.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Right, you love God by loving your neighbour. You glorify God by edifying your neighbour. That’s the heart and sum of the biblical commandments.

That’s Paul’s lifestyle

do all to the glory of God.

How?

33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

You glorify God, by seeking the good of others above yourself, and by seeking the salvation of others.

We can rephrase this by saying, We glorify God by being like Christ - not seeking our own advantage, but that of many, and by making disciples - seeking the salvation of others.

And that, my friends, is the mission of Hermon.

To Glorify God by being and making disciples of Christ Jesus.

It’s right there on our website too.

And that’s our second question: Does it Glorify God?

Will our actions or words bring glory to God? The answer is found in whether we are building up others with our deeds and our speech, not with words of flattery or worldly wisdom, but with the word of the cross, that we might save them.

We Glorify God by being and making disciples of Christ Jesus.

So ask, will this act or this word, bring them closer to Jesus or not? Will it help them to see Jesus nor not? Will it help them to know Jesus or not? Does it glorify God by holding forth Christ for the good of our neighbour?

What might it mean practically? Is it lawful for you to spend on luxuries, yes. But will buying luxury goods serve to grow the name and fame of God in the world? Is it not more helpful to give it to missions? Instead of buying an Omega, perhaps donate of OMF (Operation mobilization). Instead of Ray-Ban aviators, perhaps give to Wycliffe translators.

Is it lawful for you to attend church regularly, but not serve actively in any of her ministries perhaps because doing so it more effort than you would like to exert. It is lawful. But how is God glorified? Through our comforts or through our efforts? How do we show the world that God is glorious? It is in our working and serving and loving one another, even when it’s difficult, especially when it is difficult, that the world may witness the glory of God. They will see that we sacrifice ourselves, we carry the cross, not because it’s easy, but because God is worth it.

We make Christ look glorious when we follow him, even when the going gets tough.

Question 3: Does it imitate Christ?

Paul concludes with this exhortation.

1 CORINTHIANS 11:1 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

When Paul puts others before himself, and glorifies God in all that he does, he is imitating Christ. He is being like Christ. As we all should be.

Others before self, that’s what Christ is like.

When Paul wrote to the Philippians, the church was at the brink of division, and he urges them towards unity and humility. And he does this by pointing them to the mind of Christ.

PHILIPPIANS 2:3-5 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

What exactly did Christ do, how did Christ think? What is the mind of Christ?

It is that of self-denial, self-surrender, self-sacrifice, self-lessness, for the sake of others.

PHILIPPIANS 2:6-8 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

In other words, he sought to glorify God by saving others at his personal expense, the expense, the cost, being his very own life.

And what happened as a result?

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name… 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Do you see? Christ ascended to the highest place, Christ was exalted to the highest name, not by loving himself first, but by loving his father and loving neighbour above his own self.

That is the word of the Cross that destroys the wisdom of the world.

You soar, you are raised up in Christ, you seated in the heavenly places, not by flying, but by dying.

Not by First Loving Yourself. But walking the path of JOY.

Putting Jesus first. Others next. And yourself last.

Does it seem foolish. Yes it does. To the world it does. But to us who are being saved, to us who are following Christ, the word of the Cross is power and wisdom.

That’s the third question: “Does it imitate Christ?”

The world sees power as privilege and permission to serve themselves first and others last. To love themselves first and others last.

Christ tells his disciples,

MARK 10:26-28 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

Why?

28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Because that’s what Christ, the King of Kings, and The Lord of Lords did for us.

He gave his life as a ransom for us.

What riches of kindness

He lavished on us

His blood was the payment

His life was the cost

We stood 'neath a debt

We could never afford

But Jesus paid the price. Jesus paid it all. For at the cross,

within the pain and amidst the shame, he thought of us, above all.

So that that is our path, that our task, walk the path of JOY as we imitate our Saviour.

As Jesus makes it clear.

MARK 8:34-35 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

You can choose to live your life, believing that self-love, self-actualisation and self-preservation, are the keys to the good life.

You may have been convinced that the way to soar in life, is to FLY. To first love yourself.

But the God whose foolishness is wiser than the wisdom of men says “no”.

The way to the good life, to eternal life, is found in following Christ, who is our example, our salvation and our wisdom.

Following him is the path of true Joy.

So each step of the way, in every decision we make, whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we ask, “Does it Edify Others?” “Does it Glorify God?” “Does it Imitate Christ?”

For that is the way we live a life of JOY.

Will it be easy? No. Will it be comfortable? No? Will it involve self-sacrifice? Yes.

HEBREWS 12:2 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, and walk the path of JOY, knowing that it leads us, it lifts us up, to the throne of our Father.

Before I close, I want to address those in our midst who not yet come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, or haven’t yet decided to follow him.

Perhaps you think it’s a foolish way to live, to live for someone other than yourself. But the reality is that love compels us to.

If you love your family, you live for them, you put their interests above your own. We know this to be true. We live for those whom we love.

The heart that is turned in on itself, the heart that loves the self more than anyone else, is a heart that is incapable of truly loving. A heart unable to serve the function for which it is was created.

And yet to live a life for others is difficult, and often exceeds our resources, often beyond our abilities to accomplish. Our good intentions are simply not good enough.

So we find ourselves in a conundrum. On the one hand, we find that living for others is the good way to live, the true way to live, and on the other, we realise that it is, quite frankly, beyond us.

But there is hope in Christ. In Christ, we have a human being, like us, knows it is right to live a life of love for others, and has got what it takes to do so, perfectly, consistently, and ultimately – to the point of death.

The Bible says that through faith in him, we can begin to live like him – a life that is good, a life that is true, a life of love and joy.

He will forgive our sins, he will grant us strength along the way, and he will bring us home at the end of day. And we know this to be true, for at the cross, he died for us, he loved us to the end, he thought of us above all.

I invite you, I implore you to know this Jesus, our Saviour and our Lord today.

Reflection Questions: 

1. What immediate difference would it make to your life if you applied these questions to your day-to-day decision making?

   
   

2. What difference would it make to your relationship with Christ and the church if you applied these questions to your use of your time, talent and treasure?

   
   

3. How can you begin to “glorify God by edifying others” today?