In the Lord’s Prayer we pray ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ Jesus tells us to pray for God’s will to be done on earth. Does that mean that God wants whole nations to become Christian? There have been times in history when a nation or a whole community has been so affected by the gospel that that community has been transformed by the Christian message.

Round about 300AD King Tiridates of Armenia became a Christian, and he set out with a Gregory the Illuminator to convert his subjects to Christianity. Armenia lays historic claim to be the first nation to become Christian. It was not long after that Constantine the Roman emperor became a Christian; soon Christianity became the most influential religion in Rome.

The emperor Julian tried very hard to turn Rome back to the pagan religions, he but he failed because it was obvious to the citizens how society had changed for the better under the influence of Christianity. Julian was known as Julian the Apostate, because he had been bought up a Christian. A Christian had saved his life on one occasion, but on the other hand when he was younger a supposedly Christian emperor had massacred his whole family; which is probably what turned him against the faith.

Which really highlights the problem of when you try to talk about a nation as being Christian. Not everyone who takes the name of Christian lives by the teachings of Jesus. On occasions those who claim to be Christian have committed terrible atrocities. For example, Henry the VII thought of himself as a Christian. He accepted the title of head of the Church of England and yet had his wives as well as Sir Thomas Moore and others executed.

We really have to be tentative about calling nations ‘Christian’ nations. Yes, there are examples where the gospel has transformed communities and indeed nations. We are very privileged to live as we do in England. On many occasions Christianity has had a transforming effect on this land of ours. About 600ad a rather reluctant Saint Augustine came to Kent and brought the gospel and established the church at Canterbury and the faith became widely accepted by the population.

About the same time there was the influence of St Columba and the Celtic monks that spread the gospel across the north of England. In the 1500’s William Tyndale worked and died to translate the bible into English and for almost 500 years now, the England has been exposed to and influenced by the word of God.

That influence is responsible for many of the blessings and privileges that people now take for granted in our society today; blessings such as freedom of speech, an honest and fair system of justice, care for the sick, the elderly and the less well off. The gospel still has the power to continue to transform societies. Yet we should beware of taking the blessings of the gospel for granted. We must learn the lessons that history teaches us. This is what Paul is saying to the Christians at Corinth.

He has reminded them of another community, which had been blessed with God’s salvation; the people of Israel and the story in Exodus of the way God had rescued them from slavery, protected and provided for them.

The tragedy of Israel had been that in spite of all that God had done for them; they had slipped into the same pagan worship and immorality as the nations that surrounded them. Instead of being transformed into a distinct chosen people living in covenant relationship with God; through ingratitude and lack of faith they had lost out on God’s blessing for them. The whole generation that experienced the Exodus never entered the promised land.

The danger that God’s people always face is that instead of being a transforming influence on their community, they become corrupted by the society in which they live. And especially so when there is a tendency to spiritual pride present. That’s why Paul says to them in verse 12 ‘if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.’

The Corinthians were still very young in the faith and some of them were quite blasé about their behaviour. They were quite naïve in their attitude to the surrounding pagan culture. Some were dining in pagan temples on the view that pagan god’s don’t exist, so there was no harm or danger to fear from frequenting such venues.

In the passage that Ray has read for us there are three principals Paul teaches that we will think about:

Firstly: Beware of the temptations of idolatry. Paul reminds us that God is always faithful. He will always provide us with a way out of temptation, although that way may be more in the nature of a retreat than a victory. Jesus tells us to pray lead us not into temptation. The problem for some of us is that we don’t need anyone to lead us into temptation; we walk right into it. This was what was happening in Corinth, some of them were walking right into temptation by going to feast at the pagan temples.

Paul says to them ‘flee idolatry’. Although pagans God’s are non-existent, there are demonic powers at work in pagan worship. Immorality, drunkenness, cruelty were all part of the pagan culture and Paul says keep away from it, or you may wake up next morning regretting what you’ve done, you may have brought disgrace upon your-self and on the church. I am sure that Christians need to be discerning as to what types or entertainment establishment they visit, here in Southend as much as anywhere..

There are physical and moral dangers to steer clear of. Our streets are generally safe, but if you are around after midnight and in the company of people who have consumed a considerable amount of alcohol, then the dangers you face seriously increase. If you want proof of that turn up at accident and emergency at the hospital in the early hours. That’s not to say that Good Christian folk shouldn’t be out there to keep order or to help minister Christ’s love and compassion, but that is different to being out their looking for entertainment or happiness. Don’t walk into temptation; escape it.

Secondly: Be quite clear about whom you belong to. Here Paul reminds the Corinthians that as Christians we have a distinct feast that we share in. We eat the bread and drink the wine at the Lord’s Supper. It is not just an ordinary meal. In doing it, we identify ourselves with Jesus; as his friends and his followers. Sharing in that meal also identifies us with all other Christians. We are part of the body of Christ. Sharing in communion sets us apart distinctly as Christians and gives us a unity which Jesus prayed that we should have in order to witness to the world.

Then Paul uses another example. He reminds the Corinthians, some of who come from a Jewish background about the Jewish sacrificial customs. In some instances when meat was offered in sacrifice the Priest would participate in eating the meat along with those who had offered the sacrifice. By doing that they declared their religious allegiance, that’s what Paul means when he talks about ‘participating in the altar’. For the Jews, taking part in the feasts of Passover and Pentecost showed that they belonged to the people of God. 

On the other hand going to a pagan feasts associates you with pagan beliefs. Now under Roman religious ideas it was widely thought that the more God’s you worshipped the better. There was a common view that the Roman Empire had become so large and powerful because the Romans worshipped all the god’s; so all the god’s helped Rome.

The true God on the other hand is a God who forbids trifling with such false ideas. You shall have no other god’s before me. You shall not make idols or bow down and serve them. God is a jealous God. I don’t know if you have a problem with that, but it’s what the bible teaches. We sometimes associate jealousy with envy, and that sort of jealousy is wrong, it’s wrong to be jealous of what rightly belongs to someone else. On the other hand it is quite right and proper to be jealous over what legitimately belongs to me.

Whereas it might be right and appropriate on occasions to willingly give to others things that belong to me, it is out of order for others to help themselves to my possessions. If someone tries to take your car or your handbag you can rightly be jealous of what belongs to you. In the same way, as Christians we belong to God. Christ died for us, we have given ourselves to him in repentance, faith and baptism. So God is rightly jealous over us. He has a right to our love and loyalty.

Beware of temptation. Be clear whom you belong to.

Thirdly, consider what effect your actions will have on others. Paul is repeating what he has said earlier. In all his actions, he is governed by his desire to influence and win other for the kingdom of God. He reminds people of the freedoms they have in Christ. They don’t have to concern themselves about whether the meat they buy has been offered in sacrifice. They don’t have worry if one of their pagan neighbours invites them round for a meal, the food will be fine if they have thanked God for it. There is no need to worry what your weaker brother thinks on that score.

But there is a need to be sensitive to how others perceive your actions. For instance what if you are eating at your pagan neighbours house, your neighbour knows you are a Christian, and when you come to the main course the neighbour says to you, ‘this beef was offered in sacrifice at the temple of Sarapis’? In this case Paul says, it may be best not to eat any. Not because there is anything wrong or dangerous about the meat. You should consider what action would best help your host understand about your faith because that man and his family are people for whom Christ died. Eating that meat could make him think you believe there is nothing wrong with worshipping all the pagan God’s along with Christ. The most important thing is that we live and act not to gratify ourselves, but to bring glory to God.

In doing that we follow the example of Jesus. When as Gods people we do that together, then there will be a transforming effect on the society in which we live.

Amen.

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