 Okay, we'll pray and get started. We thank you Lord. We thank you. We thank you for this privilege of calling you our Father. We thank you for this privilege, Lord, that we can come and draw near to you, Father God. We thank you that you're always available for each and every one of us, Father God. You're never busy, always available, Lord. Thank you. We thank you, Lord, that your years are always open to our Christ. Father, we thank you that you never sleep nor slumber, God. Master, we thank you that you are mindful of us. And so, Lord, this morning, Lord, we turn in awe of you. Lord, we turn our gaze upon you, turn our focus on you. And Lord, we just say, God, that you are awesome, you are wonderful. Lord, you are beautiful, God, and Lord, worthy of all the worship, worthy of all the glory, worthy of all the honor. And yes, Lord, we are so privileged, Lord, to be able to call you our Father, to draw near to you. And we thank you that you've made a way for us to come to your throne, to come to your throne, Lord. And we thank you that we can receive grace and mercy every time we come. Lord, we just pray right now that you would pour out your grace and mercy upon us, Lord. Lord, pour out your grace upon us, Lord. Yes, Father God, that we may grow in the grace of God. Father, we pray that we may be strong in your grace. Yes, Lord, that we may have a deep understanding, firm understanding of your grace. And also, Lord, we ask that we would be empowered by your grace, enabled by your grace, Lord, to do the things that you've called us to do, Father God. We thank you. We thank you, Master. Your grace enables us. Let's just thank the Lord for the grace of God. His grace enables us, meaning empowers us to do what He's called us to do. So we can be greatly encouraged because His grace is available for us today. The grace of God, the mercy of God, the peace of God, the love of God, everything that the Holy Spirit brings into our lives, brings into our spirit. So let's just thank the Lord and receive what He's pouring into our hearts, pouring into our lives. Oh, we bless your name, Lord. We thank you for the strength. We thank you for the refreshing. God, we thank you for everything that you're doing, Lord, and continuing to do in our lives. We thank you. We come at this time. We come at this day into your mighty hands. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen, amen. Okay. So first Corinthians, we are almost nearing the end, right? Or maybe we are halfway there. Three fourths, 16 chapters. So we are in chapter, we've finished halfway through, right? We've finished chapter nine and we are getting into chapter 10. So, you know, very interesting. Chapter eight, we studied about in the last session, we looked at what Paul talks about, you know, food offered to idols. And then chapter nine, he's giving evidence for his apostleship in response to the questions or in response to the kind of attitude that the Corinthian church or people, you know, a few individuals, if not all, the kind of thing they had about Paul. And in response to that, he gives some evidences of his apostleship and we see that all the evidence or the things that he is, the reasons that he's placing before them is actually about service, about servanthood, about sacrifice, greater sacrifice for the cause of Christ. And, you know, so, which is really amazing, he's saying, this is what I do as an apostle. This is what I do as an apostle, you know, and I have the necessity or woe unto me if I do not preach the gospel, right? So, he is, and then he says, you know, I become all things to all men, to the Jew, to the Gentile, to the ones without the law, but yet not without law unto Christ, right? Because that, you know, I walk in purity and holiness and as laid out by God, as the Lord would lead me, you know, not in sin, not in rebellion or anything, but, you know, as the Lord leads me and with law towards God, but I become relevant to all men. And so, we saw all that in the last class. So, today we look at chapter 10 and we'll see, you know, what he is talking about. Again, like, you know, what we refer to chapter 8 and chapter 10, he talks about, again, idolatry and comes back to, you know, food offered to idols and brings a complete picture or a complete solution to what he was referring to, okay? So, let's look at that. So, if you have your notes, we're looking at chapter 10, right? Okay, let's, this is page 80 in your notes, sorry, 81. Okay, so let's read through some of the verses, maybe the first 13 verses. Okay, moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea. All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ. But with most of them, not well pleased for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now, these things became our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted and do not become idolaters as some, some of them, as were some of them. As it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Nor let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did and in one day, 23,000 fell. Nor let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed by serpents. Nor complain as some of them also complained and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now, all these things happened to them as examples and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. But God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. But with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. So, chapter 10. So, before we, the first 13 verses talk about the children of Israel and they were in the wilderness out of Egypt and what all they went through. And he talks about at least five things and he's saying that this is what they did. This is what they did wrong. And all these five things, whatever has happened, these can be examples for us. These were written, these are recorded as examples and for our admonition, for our correction. And so that we can be careful. He says, therefore, let him who thinks he stands, take heed, be careful lest he fall. And then he ends that. So let's look at that. So before we go into that, when we look at chapter eight, he talked about idol worship. He talked about the fact that an idol is nothing and the food also is nothing. But you avoid eating. If somebody sees you eating the food in the temple, if they see you doing that and for the sake of the one who is weak, for the sake of the weaker brother, for the sake of the one who is probably new to faith, not mature, for the sake of them, do not eat. And he makes that statement that I do not want to make them stumble. If my eating, if my action will make the brother stumble, then I will never again eat meat. That's what he says. So here he's talking about a few things before going into the idol worship. So he's talking about from the history, from what happened to the people of his children Israel, after in from their exodus from Egypt to the promised land and what happened in the interim period. So the children of Israel, they had some amazing experiences. They were led by the pillar of cloud. God actually led them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. And they went through the Red Sea, just so miraculous and they saw the deliverance. They saw miraculous and supernatural as they traveled. They saw water come out of that rock and where there was no water and then squints their thirst. When they were hungry, there was manna which came from heaven and they ate that and they were filled and quails and which the Lord sent them. And so, you know, all this happened. So it says in verse four that, let's actually read, you know, it says from verse one, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea. Meaning, you know, the Red Sea, the cloud and all were baptized into Moses. So in a way, they were, you know, whatever Moses experienced, they all experienced. They all ate the same spiritual drink and drank the same spiritual drink from the rock that followed them and that rock was Christ. So, you know, here's a very important revelation about the pre-existence of the Lord Jesus, right? So about the fact that the Lord is or the Lord was present because John talks about in the beginning was the Word and everything was created through the Word. So pre-existence of Christ, this verse again shows us that. And also, you know, the fact that there were some Old Testament types, Old Testament, you know, types and shadows, which point to Christ, which point to the pre-existence of Christ. Okay, so as they travel, they experienced several things, they experienced the good, they experienced the supernatural and yet they went after certain things. Okay, so it says that, you know, verse six onwards, he gives certain examples. Okay, so let's look at that. And he says, you know, these were our examples, you know, it's recorded so that we can learn from them. It's recorded so that we can be corrected through this. So the first thing that we see is verse six, that we should not lust after evil things as they also lust it. Okay, so, you know, if you follow in your notes, there's Exodus 32 verses one and one to eight. So let's probably look at that, Exodus 32, when people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain. The people gathered together, Aaron said, come, make us gods and that shall go before us for us, for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt. We don't know what has become of him. And Aaron said to them, break off the golden earrings, which are the years of your wife, your sons and your daughters and bring them to me. So all the people broke off the golden earrings, brought them, which are the years, they brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, he fashioned it with an engraving tool and mailed them more than half. Then they said to him, this is your God, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt. So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar and made a proclamation and said, tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. Then they rose early on the next day, offered bound offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Now, the very phrase here is what Paul refers to in verse seven, right? He says the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. The things that they were craving, Psalm 105 talks about some of their cravings. And also, verse 34, I think, you know, talks about, sorry, this is about the golden calf. If we look at, and this is the second point, I'm sorry, I was just referring to the second point, idolatry. So idolatry is one of the things we see that something that is replacing God in their lives. We see that they make and then they go after it and they worship it. In a moment, in an instant, they forget who their God is, who brought them out of Egypt, they forget. And it happened at a time when there was a delay in hearing from God. You know, like as we read now, sorry, verses one to eight, we see that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain. Okay, so there was a delay in hearing from God. Moses had gone saying, okay, to receive from God, to hear from God, that he would come and instruct the people, further instructions, what they need to do and so on. But he comes down and when people saw that there was a delay, then they decide to create a substitute for God. So there's a lesson for us as well, you know, in seasons when we don't hear, in times when we don't hear clearly or when there's no instruction, you know, we don't make an idol of something, okay, and create something and in place of God, in place of his instruction, right, there's a lesson for us. And so that's about idolatry, okay. Then also the lust for other things, you know, verse six talks about how they lusted after. And numbers 11 talks that they said they complained and they craving for, you know, for meat. And they said, you know, in Egypt, in the place where there were slaves, where they were in bondage, they said, you know, we had fish, we had all these wonderful vegetables to eat and here in the wilderness, we don't have any meat. Okay, the fact is that they were being fed, they had enough, it's not like they were starving. But in despite God's provision, they were craving, they were lusting after and they were reminded of the things that they had when they were in bondage, right, and they lusted after that. So the thing is, there's, you know, nothing wrong with fish, nothing wrong with, you know, the vegetables and everything. But the fact is that they were craving, that they were, you know, lusting after it in a, in a manner that was not normal, right, and complaining and so on. So the lusting after evil things, Paul writes verse six, verse eight, we see, No, let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did. So he's referring to sexual immorality and, and, and again, a warning here, you know, like he wants in chapter nine, the previous chapter says flee sexual immorality, right, and he also talks about how he brings his life under subjection. He brings his life under, he disciplines his body, he brings it less after preaching that he himself should become disqualified. So he brings his life, he disciplines himself, right. And so the thing is to watch out and not commit or not give in to sexual immorality, again, a warning. The fourth one we see is verse nine, where, yeah, verse nine, No, let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed by serpents, okay, tempt Christ as some of them did. So we, let's go to Exodus 17 and, okay, Exodus 17 and verses one to seven. Okay. Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the wilderness of sin, according to the commandment of the Lord and camped in Refidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore, the people contended with Moses and said, give us water that we may drink. So Moses said to them, why do you contend with me and why do you tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water and the people complained against Moses and said, why is it that you have brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? So Moses cried out to the Lord saying, what should I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said, go on before the people, take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also, take in your hand your rod, which you struck the river and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb and you shall strike the rock and water will come out of it. And the people may drink and Moses did so in the sight of the Lord. But Moses tells the people, you know, why do you tempt the Lord? Why do you, you know, why do you test him? Why do you tempt him? If you look at verse, sorry, chapter 21, OK, Numbers chapter 21 and verse four. Let's just go there. OK, now here, Numbers 21 and verse five. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, again, the same thing, the same thoughts, why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water and our soul loads is worthless bread. OK, so whatever God provided for them, saying, you know, our soul loads is, you know, we are not satisfied with it, with it. And then so the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore, the people came to Moses and said, we have sinned and we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people. And then, you know, we know how they made a bronze serpent and whoever looked at it could, you know, was saved, right, was could live. But the thing is this, that when we, you know, yes, it is true that there will be difficult times. Yes, it's true that, you know, in those difficult times, it's it's, you know, we feel low. We don't feel, you know, we there is a there is a temptation to to not trust God. There is a temptation to not hold on to the promises, right? There is a temptation, but in those times we need to remember what the Lord has done. We need to look back at the journey, look back at what the Lord has done. Look back at all those testimonies and not really question God, you know, and we can definitely ask questions. We can ask questions like the Psalmist did, you know, why Lord, why are these things happening? We can definitely reason with him. But the fact is, you know, we are not not to question or challenge his position as God, right? You know, are you really God? You know, are you really, you know, doing the things that you're saying that you said that you will do and things like that? So so here we see, you know, we are not to tempt or we are not to test God, you know, the Amplified Bible says we are not to, you know, this attempt to tempt Christ as testing his patience, questioning his purpose and exploiting his goodness, right? The whatever the people did in complaining and testing. So they were testing his patience, questioning his purposes and also exploiting his goodness, because they said, you know, hey, you fed us, but then we are we are not happy, right? You've given us enough and more of this of this food, but, you know, we don't find it, you know, our soul loads the taste of it, this bread. They call it the worthless bread. So so this is what they did, right? So tempting Christ. So Paul quotes that refers to that instance. And he says, let us not tempt Christ as some of them did. And because of which they face the consequences of that. So let us not do that. Then verse 10, he talks about the fact that many of them complained, many of them murmured against him, right? So chapter 10, verse 10. Can this not complain as some of them also complained and were destroyed by the destroyer. So when we look at complaining, saying, what's wrong in complaining? You know, something is not right. Something is not going according to plan. And I don't make a big noise about it. But the fact is, you know, just because, you know, some things are not right around us, you know, let's not complain and murmur about God. OK, that is the thing, right? Complaining and murmuring about God. What is God doing? I don't know, you know, I wonder why he is, you know, allowing these things on the earth, you know, complaining and murmuring against God. So, so, so Paul lists these things, these five things. What are those five things again? You know, lust for other things, lust for evil things, idolatry. Secondly, thirdly, you know, sexual immorality or sexual impurity. Fourth, the warning about tempting Christ. And the fifth thing is complaining and murmuring. So you think, avoid these things. These things were written before for our example and admonition among whom the ends of the ages have come. Saying, therefore, let him who thinks he stands, take he be careful. OK, so if you look at these five verses, these really these five things prevented the people, some of the people from getting into or reaching their destiny. They were destroyed. It stopped them, prevented them from reaching their destiny. OK, so Paul is saying, you know, don't be corrected, don't give in to these things. Let it be an example for us. OK, then. Verse 13, no temptation has overtaken you, except such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will allow you to be who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. But with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. OK, so that word there for temptation, it also refers to testing time or a trial or, you know, some difficult time, adversity, affliction, trouble. And it could also refer to an inducement to sin and an invitation, an enticement to sin, right? So based on the context from what he has said, based on the context, we see that it is, you know, either it can be a difficult time, a testing time, or, you know, what we face as an inducement and an invitation to sin. OK, but we know that God doesn't tempt us or test us. But he's saying here that God is faithful when you face those moments, when you face these, you know, either difficulties, adversities, or, you know, this temptation because of what's happening around because of the evil one, right? Or even because of we placing ourselves in that place, right? Are we making ourselves vulnerable? Says that God is faithful in what ways he faithful, right? Firstly, that that he knows our limits. And he also places a way out. What is the way out of that temptation? What is that way out of that difficult period? So he places solutions, answers, right? He plays, in other words, a way out of that, you know, how can I come out of this and how can I exit this situation? And he places that because he is faithful. OK, says God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it. And that word there, that way of escape, meaning a way out, or it could also refer to bringing to an end. That way of escape, you know, that way of escape. That phrase there in the Greek, it means a way out or an exit or an end. OK, bringing it to a close, right? So the thing is that, you know, when we're faced with temptation, you know, we see that God is placed a way out. We take that exit, we come out of it. Or, you know, till that ends, you stand firm. Like you endure it and it's a difficult time. If it's a difficult season, you know, run through the exit or resist till the end. OK, don't give in, right? So verse 14, again, he starts to talk about idolatry. OK, and he talks about, he brings in another aspect of idolatry, which is fellowship. OK, Koinonia, about idolatry, idol worship. Now he's talking about, you know, what happens in worship of idols and because of which, you know, there is a fellowship, there is a partnership. So he explains that by comparing that with the Lord's table, by comparing that with communion, the bread and the wine that is, you know, representing the death burial and resurrection of the Lord, representing the cross and what did and what happens when we actually take part in that. So he's comparing that with worship of idols. OK, so he's saying, therefore, my beloved brethren flee from idolatry. OK, so flee from worship of idols, free from, you know, an association with, you know, any kind of any form of idolatry. OK, verse 15, I speak as to wise men, judge for yourselves. You know, he's appealing to their intellect. So he's saying, you know, I speak as to wise men. You are intelligent people. You understand what I'm saying. So I speak as to wise men. Judge for yourselves. Verse 16, if the cup of communion which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body, for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh. Are not those who eat of the sacrifices? Partakers of the altar. What am I saying then that an idol is anything? Or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things with the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to gods, not to God. And I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? So he's saying, you know, therefore, you know, all these things happened. You know, one of the things was idol worship, right? Because Moses was delayed from coming from the mountain and reaching them. So they made an idol and they said, you know, well, this is the God who led us out of Egypt. So and along with that, he also, excuse me, he also lists down all these other things, the four other things that block their destiny in God and because of which their lives were destroyed. So he says, therefore, my beloved, leave from idolatry. Okay, run away, don't associate, don't get involved. And he's going to explain another aspect of idolatry. Okay, so he's talking about communion. Okay, the cup of blessing, he's calling it a cup of blessing. You know, and so that also gives us some insight. The fact that when we drink of the cup, it is the cup of blessing, right? Why is it a cup of blessing? Because it's referring to the cross and what the Lord did for us on the cross. And, you know, the thing that we receive because of the cross, things that we receive because of the cross, forgiveness and deliverance and healing that we receive because of the cross, salvation because of the cross. So the blood that was shed, it's the cup that we're drinking. It's representing that. It symbolically represents that. And I think the cup that we drink, it's a cup of blessing. You know, you speak of blessing. He says, you know, the cup of blessing which we bless, right? You thank the Lord, you acknowledge that all that God has done, all that the Lord has done on the cross and we drink it. And it's, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? So you use that word, koinonia, communion meaning close fellowship. Okay, fellowship or we are sharing, we are partnering and coming to a place of oneness. So we are sharing meaning we are receiving, right? We are receiving the benefits. We're coming in fellowship with what was done on the cross. So it's a wonderful picture, right? Of what was done on the cross, the blood that was shed on the cross. And we are coming into fellowship. We are sharing or we are receiving the benefits of that, the victory of that. We are receiving into our lives. We are coming into fellowship. Same way with the bread. So you're saying, you know, that bread that we break, which we break, is it not the communion or the fellowship, the partnership, the sharing of the body of Christ? You know, he, he was nailed on the cross and, and what did he carry on the cross? And what happened as a result of that, we are coming to a fellowship, sharing communion partnership with that. Okay, so in that, when we take communion, we are actually, this is what is happening. We are, we are actually over and over again, we are proclaiming, declaring, and we are, we are coming in communion. Something, it is a physical act. It's a simple thing of eating and drinking, but it has spiritual significance. But there is something, there is something that's happening in the spiritual realm that is affecting us, you know, in our body, in our minds, in our spirit. We are being edified. The works of the enemy are canceled, broken, because we are coming in communion with what was done for us on the cross. I'm over and over again. So it's very powerful. That's why it is powerful. It is not about, because these are earthly elements, the bread and the, and the great Jews that we use, or whatever Jews we are using to drink. It is symbolic. But when we proclaim, in faith, when we declare this is what happened on the cross and this is what he carried, then something spiritual, something of great spiritual significance happens and that is supernatural. That is, that is breaking the work of the enemy, cleansing us and so on. So there is a communion that's happening. Okay. So we are actually coming to a place of saying, we are one body. We are the body of Christ. We are one body. We are one. Right. That is what you proclaim, right? Saying that part of the body of Christ and you're thanking the Lord and saying, Lord, I thank you. That is why we call it communion. We are one in Christ. We are one, you know, we're part of that spiritual body of Christ. We are connected with all believers in this special body, which is what one Corinthians 12 talks about. Whoever believes he is placed, he is baptized into the body of Christ. You know, spiritually, we are one members of the body of Christ. So that is also something that we are proclaiming. We are attesting, right? This is what is happening. And so that is one thing, communion. When we partake, we are, you know, that is fellowship, that oneness, that we have on one with God, one with God's people in the spirit. The other thing also is saying that, you know, when, when verse 18, right? It says, observe Israel after the flesh, you know, in the natural. When observe, when you observe, when you see what happened, the kind of worship that happened in Israel, that the one who partook of the altar, either be the priest in the tabernacle or, you know, the worship or the sacrifice that was made. The one who partakes of the altar are actually those who are taking part in the worship. One act of worship is to take part or eat of what is offered in the altar. Right? So that is, you know, that means that you are worshiping. You are coming to a place of, you know, acknowledging and worshiping. So it's an act of worship. So he talks about that. Verse 18. Verse 19, what am I saying then? So all this is there. You're coming to a place of oneness. You're coming to a place of communion when we partake of the bread and partake of the drink from the cup, communion. That's the picture. Even in Israel, you know, Israel, when people offered at the altar it was an act of worship. So they were, you know, they were worshiping, acknowledging and because of which they would offer on the altar and also partake of what was at the altar as an act of worship. Now verse 19. What am I saying then? That an idol is anything or what is offered to idol is anything. Am I saying that it's, you know, idol is something very significant or, you know, that object is significant or the food that is offered is that significant, right? He's talking about chapter eight, referring again to chapter eight. I've already, you know, he's already shared that it is not. Okay. Rather verse 20. Now this is the important thing. Rather that the things with the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to spirits or they sacrifice to demons, the spirits behind. Okay. And not to God. And I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. Okay. The same way when we take part in communion, we actually fellowship with God. We are receiving something from God. There's a spiritual transfer that's happening. Spiritual communion that's happening. Impartation that's happening. Even though it's a physical act. So he's saying, you know, it's the same way. I do not want you to have fellowship with demons, right? Because when they offer, when they're doing this at an act of worship, they're offering to demons, they're offering to spirits. So I don't want you to have fellowship, that same partnership, that same oneness, that spiritual oneness. Don't open your life for the influence, for coming to a place of oneness with the demons or the evil spirits. Okay. Now verse 21. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and it gives us some more insight. What was it? You know, in Corinth, they would have what was typically called the table of, you know, and they would invite people, the table of, let's say, some deity, XYZ, the table of Aphrodite, or table of, you are invited for the table of things. So what was that? It was actually a worship of that particular idol. And it would, it would involve eating and drinking. It would involve food offered to idols. And he's talking about the worship ceremony, which is called the table of, you know, so and so, right? Table of, like we say, the table of the Lord is called the table of deity, right? And invitations would be sent and people would get together and have this and it will always, you know, and most likely to end in like a sexual immorality, which is also again considered an act of worship and so on. A lot of immoral things would happen at the end of it, right? Now he's referring to that and he's saying that I do not want you to, you know, you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and be part of that as well. You cannot drink the cup of demons. You cannot be, you know, you cannot drink or partake of the Lord's table and be part of that. So he's talking about the entire experience, the entire, you know, the whole worship thing that he's saying that don't be part of that. Don't open yourself for that. And don't, because I do not want you to have fellowship or, you know, any kind of oneness with the spirits. Okay. So that is something that he's very, very clear and he's saying, you know, or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy or are we stronger than he? You know, by doing this, you're actually, you know, provoking the Lord, right? Because we know that, you know, there is, there's only one, you know, he is God. And by doing this, it's again becoming an idol, right? You are taking part in this, taking part in, in this whole, you know, you know, this worship on this table of demons, taking part of the food that is offered there. And you're placing yourself in a very vulnerable position, opening. You know, this is what communion is. It's fellowship is oneness. You're acknowledging. And so the similar thing you're actually doing here. So don't do it. Okay. So that is the reason, you know, again, we need to understand. That's the reason why he's saying don't do it. Okay. That is the table of demons that entire, you know, that, that worship that's happening, the food that is being offered. And, you know, at the end of it, you partaking of that the whole thing. So you're saying, I, you cannot partake of the table of demons. Right. Then let's read verses 23 onwards. All things are lawful for me. And not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. So let no one seek his own, but each one, the others will be. Okay. So this is something, you know, this saying that now it, all things are lawful for me. Okay. So he knows that the truth of the idol, the truth of food, everything, you know, it's, I'm strong and all things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. Okay. So just because something is okay. Okay. Or culturally. Okay. Traditionally. Okay. We need to ask the question. Is it helpful? Does it edify? Okay. So that's what he's saying. Right. All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful. But not all things are edify. Okay. So ask yourself the question. Is it helpful? Does it edify? Edify means does it build up? Right. Is spiritually does it build me up? Is it helpful? Ask that question. It could be okay for the majority. Most of the people might not find anything wrong with it. But is it helpful? Is it edify? Ask the question. And verse 24, let no one seek his own. But each one, the other's well-being. Seek the well-being of the other person. And the context is again, you know, with regard to this food, idols and being part of it, you seek the other person's well-being. Which is what he says in chapter eight also. Okay. So we'll take a quick break. And then when we come back, we'll continue. Right. Okay.