Jump Start # 1511

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

  Last week, my wife and I spent a week in California. We got connected with a group that volunteers to put flowers on the floats for the Rose Parade. It has always been my wife’s dream to go to the Rose Parade. We watch it every year on TV. So this was a once in a life time, dream come true for us. We were up close with about ten floats and actually worked on four of them. Sticking flowers on a float seems pretty simple and fun but we soon found out that it often meant getting up before five in the morning and working all day. Some of our volunteers worked all through the night. Every surface must be covered with something natural. That means gluing beans, rice, or seeds to the surface. The professional designers tell the volunteers what to do. Some floats, like the City of L.A., that I worked on, had trees that had to be wrapped in long green leaves. There was one occasion, when I was standing on a little space with my left foot, my right foot was dangling in air, my left hand was against the side of the float and I was reaching behind one of those trees with a long green leaf to wrap the back side of it. The leaf was covered with glue. My hand was covered with glue. Whatever I touched pulled off things that had already been put on. Gluing isn’t my favorite thing to do. I discovered something at that moment. Standing on one foot, braced by one hand, with the other hand holding a long gluey leaf, my nose itched. Not a good time for that. The thought came to me, why are we putting these things on the back side of this tree? No one would see it. We were present when the judges came by. I watched them. None of the judges climbed up on the float to see if the back side of things were decorated. It was so hard doing this, that I wanted to just leave it. The professional decorators would have none of that. Every inch, and every spot had to be covered. Even those spots that no one would ever see. Details. Those folks really do sweat the small stuff.

That brings us to our verse today. The Corinthian church, much like the Roman church, was inside out about what to do concerning eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. The church was torn on this. On one side, idols were fake. They were nothing. So eating meats was not condoning a false practice. But on the other side, buying and eating things dedicated in a false religion seems like you are going along with it. In the Roman church, this became a point of judging and pointing fingers at each other. Paul told them to stop that. Here in the Corinthian church, Paul gave some practical ways to deal with this subject. Eat, and don’t ask questions. If told that it came from idols, don’t eat it.

Paul sums up these thoughts with our verse. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. I like that. Give it your best. Put God before all things. Sweat the small stuff. Go out of your way to do things right. There are many applications to this, especially in our worship.

For the preacher, chase those rabbits in your study. You may never use those things you research but chase them down. Look at maps when reading about those O.T. battles and travels. Understand customs, look up words and how they were used, find the answers to your questions as you read. Study and study and learn and know what you are talking about. There will be a depth that you may not reach in the sermon, but you certainly reach it in you study and research.

For those who participate in worship, sweat the details. The song leader needs to run through his songs before he stands up to sing. This means he must have his selection made and be ready before he enters the church building. Giving God the glory kills the attitude of just “winging it.” For those who will be leading the church in prayer, give some thought to what you are going to say. Put your all into it.

But our verse isn’t limited to just worship. In fact, the context doesn’t involve worship at all. So, give God your glory in all that you do. When talking with others, make it the best. This will help you from talking about others in ways that is not kind nor productive. In hospitality, make your home warm and welcoming to others. If invited, bring a gift to show your appreciation or write a thank you card afterwards. Live with prayer on your lips. Live with hope in your heart. Live with joy and thanksgiving. You are blessed. You are forgiven. You are Heaven bound. Don’t brag. Don’t be offensive. Don’t draw attention to you. Don’t live as if you are the center of the universe. Give glory to God. Instead of just saying, “Isn’t this a nice day,” say, “Isn’t this a great day the Lord has made.” Include the Lord in your conversation. Be thoughtful of others. That’s the point here to the Corinthians. Don’t use your rights to hurt someone else. Don’t offend someone else. Paul said a couple of chapters earlier, still on this same subject, that if eating meats offended another Christian, he would never eat meats again. He put his fellow Christian above his right and choice to eat meats. He gave God the glory.

I have heard some say in a very mean manner, “you are sitting in my seat.” That rude tone certainly isn’t bringing glory to anyone. First, there are no assigned seats in church. This isn’t a ballgame. Second, when a person says this, they come across bossy and very unfriendly. Third, sit somewhere else. Most places have plenty of seating in the front. It’s a great place to sit. Take a chill-pill, take a deep breath, you won’t pass out if you have to sit somewhere else. Thoughtless statements like these are the very reasons some never come back. This fuels the feelings that the church is cold and unfriendly. Give God the glory, even when it comes to finding a place to sit in the church house.

To give God the glory, one must be thoughtful of God and mindful of others. Giving God the glory means doing the little things that no one may notice, but it’s the right thing to do. Give God the glory.

Give God the glory, even when you have sticky fingers and are standing on one foot.

Roger