← Archive1 Corinthians1 Corinthians - “All Minds Clear?” (1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1)DateFebruary 15, 2026Speaker—Text1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1Passages in this sermon1 Corinthians 101:36Psalms 246:08Philippians 211:17John 1517:26TranscriptClick any line to jump there.0:00Today, all over the world, we are gathering. In large groups and small. In different places and different languages. In buildings and schools. Empty spaces and open fields. In our homes and on our phones.0:29Some come together in freedom, while others have to meet in secret. Some will sing the old hymns, while others are singing something new. We'll all learn different things from the same Bible. We worship the same God in different ways. We are the church. The body of Christ.0:58Different pieces, molded together by the hand of God. Today, all over the world, we are gathering as one. Okay, welcome to the church that gathers here locally at Bethel.1:13My name is Josh, one of your pastors. And today, I get to bring the word of God with you. If you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, turn them or click them to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10.1:43We will begin in verse 23 today. And as we find the word, let me remind us why we do what we do. We gather here as people of God because of the gospel. Jesus in our place. His perfect life lived because we could not live that life. His righteousness exchanged for our sin by faith. And his triumphant resurrection anchors our hope with the promise that if two or more are gathered here today in his name, which is pretty good odds for us.2:08He is with us. That God says he will meet with us today if we center our hearts upon him. And I pray that we do. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. As we begin, I want you to reflect on this question.2:37All minds clear? If you've ever been in a praise or prayer gathering with us at this church, you have probably heard Pastor James Beecham say that. At the end of the prayer gathering. Now he says it differently than I. All minds clear? That's not merely an invitation or a formal benediction. That's an invitation to put down the clutter of our lives and commune with the holy God.3:07And every time you say that. I've not prepped him on this, by the way. Every time you say that, it arrests my attention. Because I ask myself, is that possible? In a world of push notifications. In a world where someone's phone will go off today in the next 30 minutes. Guarantee it. In a world where algorithms vie for our attention.3:34And everything is designed to ask more and more and more of you and I. Has Pastor James lost his mind? Is it even possible to have a clear mind in today's world? Here's what Pastor James knows that I wish we would all have. To have a life centered on Jesus Christ and him alone is to have a guilt-free conscience.4:05All minds clear is not a reminder that you'll not have worries. Because you will. It's not to say that the winds will not come and the rains will not drench you. Because they will. But it's a reminder that in Christ, we can have a clear mind and clear heart.4:31So that's where we begin today. Is your conscience clear before a holy God? Or have you come in today with a lot of clutter in your life? The gospel invitation is you don't have to leave the same way you entered. And by God's grace, we can leave here with a clear mind. Clear of distraction that pulls your heart in a thousand directions.4:59Clear of guilt that haunts your past. Clear of shame that whispers you are beyond grace. Clear of self-justification that hides instead of repents. Is your mind clear? That's today's message. Having a clear mind in Christ. Let's read the word together today.5:28Beginning in verse 23 of chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians. Paul says this. Everything is permissible. But not everything is beneficial. All things are permissible, but not everything builds up. No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person. Then he says, eat everything that is sold in the meat market.5:59Without raising questions for the sake of conscience. Since the earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, says Psalm 24. If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you. Without raising questions for the sake of your conscience. But if someone says to you, well, this food is from a sacrifice.6:25Do not eat it. Out of consideration for the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. I do not mean for the sake of your conscience, but the other person's. For why is my freedom judged by another person's conscience? If I partake with thanksgiving, why am I criticized? Because of something for which I give thanks. So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.6:54Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God. Just as I also try to please everyone and everything. Not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many so that they may be saved. Then verse 1 of chapter 11. Paul says, imitate me as I also imitate Christ.7:23Let's pray. Father, the flowers will wither and the grass fades. But your word endures forever. And Father, in this sacred moment, may your word do beautiful gospel work in us.7:49Meet with us, Father. This is our heart and our petition. I ask in Jesus' holy name. Amen. And amen. How can you have a mind that is clear? Paul gives us three ways to do so.8:17In the first, he begins right here in 23. He says, everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial for the other person. And then he says in verse 24 and 25, he said, look out for the other person. Look out for one another. So the first way that we have a clear mind is that we simply live circumspectly. We live circumspectly.8:47Which means to look out, which means to look out, to be aware. We have one teenager and one soon-to-be in our house. And recently, one of the individuals to not be named, who might be here today in this audience, was making a sandwich. And he found, he had the, he, this person has no gender. And this anonymous person had the refrigerator open.9:17The bread is eye level. They found the cheese, which is bottom right. They found the meat, which was bottom right. But they could not find the bread, which was eye level. So they asked, where's the bread? And I said, it's eye level. And it's a reminder to me, how often do I walk around asking God, God, what do you want from me?9:46And the spirit says, pastor, it's eye level. Walking circumspectly means to have wide eyes for those that are around you. This is not a teenager dilemma. We also have teenage spirituality where we struggle to see things that are right in front of our face.10:11And guilt-free living begins not by demanding our rights, but in directing our lives for the good of other people. The world tells you, live me first. And the gospel says, but no kingdom-minded people live for the good of the other person. Paul would say in a couple more chapters, love is patient.10:40It's kind. It does not boast. It does not envy. He would then say, love is not self-seeking. Love is circumspect. So you want to live with a clear mind? Live in a way where you let other people go first. That you walk with wide eyes for the glory of God and you tell someone else, I am willing to suffer for your sake. I am willing to open the door that you might go first.11:11I am willing to live for the good of the other person. Philippians 2 reminds us that we should have the same attitude as Christ Jesus, who being in the image, in the essence, God, did not consider equality to be grasped. Here's the pointed reminder for us. Church, if Jesus did not live a me first life and he had every right to, what gives us the right to live me first?11:31You want a clear mind for the gospel? Live circumspectfully where you look out for the other person. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was in prison at this time, suffering under Hitler's rule under the Third Reich. Just a quick history lesson. Bonhoeffer was a pastor who left Germany and was in England under the safety in World War II.12:01And his conscience would not leave him alone. The spirit was welling up within him and said, Pastor, what gives you the right to find safety when your people are suffering in Germany? So he goes back. He's in jail writing what you're about to hear. And this is what Bonhoeffer says. He says, the church is the church only when it exists for others.12:27Jesus is the man for others. Self-centered living leaves casualties in its wake. How often do I hear stories of people that said, I have not been at church in 20, 30, 40 years. And I said, well, what would cause that? And they would say to me, I was hurt by someone else.12:55May the only offense that we give be the offense of the gospel. What does it look like to have a clear mind? Live with wide eyes for other people. One church father warned this of his congregation. He says, the idolater lives to please himself. That's rough, isn't it? Many of us would say it's not bad to be me first, but it's bad to be an idolater.13:26Well, me first living is idolatry. Oh, that we would have guilt-free living. And that begins when the question shifts from what do I want to what builds others up? Are you living circumspectly? We could go home on that, by the way. But Paul presses in even more.13:54He begins in in verse 25 of describing a life that lives with gospel agency, gospel conscience. Actually, four times or more, he uses the word conscience. So the first way to have a clear mind is to live circumspectly. The second way is to live with conscientiousness. And I've chosen that word specifically. So, after calling believers to seek the good of others, the Corinthians naturally pressed the question further.14:20Okay, so how far do we have to go? If I am to live my life where I watch out for the good of Austin, then how far do I have to push that? That's a great question. I actually appreciate the question. How sacrificial does me first antithetical living have to go?14:47And Paul says, well, I'll give you a very real scenario. Because in the church in Corinth, they struggled with idolatry and food given to idols. That was everywhere. So much so that almost every food in Corinth was sacrificed to an idol at some point. They would go to the grocery store and they would pick out their bologna and their salami and their meats.15:13And chances were, it was all sacrificed to an idol at one point. Just something that they dealt with. And Paul is addressing that. And he says, for a matter of consciousness, let's assume a very real situation that your neighbor, who doesn't know Jesus, invites you over and they give you bologna. Fried bologna, because I know you have very cultured tastes. Not cold bologna.15:43That's what pagans eat. Jesus people eat fried bologna. And if they cook that, don't ask questions. Just suck it up. Eat. But if, so the first is a real situation. The second if is now here, subjective. He said, if they tell you where it came from, then do not eat. And the church in Corinth would have understood this deeply because this was the fabric of their life.16:12So how do we live a conscientious world view? Through the passage, Paul keeps driving us to this word consciousness. It's in verse 25. It's in verse 27. It's in verse 28. It's in verse 29. And it's in verse 29 again. Being conscious is not necessarily moral agency here.16:38He's not saying you ask what is right and wrong. He's saying be aware. It's almost, in medical terminology, there's a difference between having local anesthesia where they remove a splinter in your finger. You're conscious. That's conscientiousness, right? You're awake. But not being conscious is general anesthesia where they take out your appendix. You don't want to be aware for that.17:07And so this church is asking, should we be aware fully or not? What does God want from us? And what Paul uses here, this word is conscientiousness. It's not right from wrong, but being aware. It's very much what Jesus said in John 15. That if I remain in you, abide in you, and you abide in me, you will bear much fruit.17:30What does it look like to have a clear mind in Christ? It's to abide in Christ fully. And why is that vastly important for the Christ follower? Because some of us wear our lives out in fear and worry. God, am I making the right decision?17:59Is this right or is this wrong? Tell me what to do at all times. And Paul says, that's not the best way to live. Gospel living, if the Holy Spirit is in you, which is what the Bible says, Paul says, just be aware. Abide in the Spirit and God will show you. It's okay to eat baloney. If your conscience is clear, it might not be good for your taste buds,18:27but it's okay for your soul. Are you living and abiding in Christ? And church, if we're honest, it's sometimes difficult to tell in our lives what has and what has not been sacrificed to idols. And that's why the Word wants us to know that all things, everything in life is created by God18:53and its fullness therein. It's interesting that Paul uses this verse found in Psalm 24. Because some rabbis would use this verse to command their adherents to say, you have to bless your meal before you eat it. And if you do not bless it, then you are living in specific transgression against God19:24because it says in Psalm 24 that all is created by God and all is for the glory of the Lord and the fullness of the earth. So if you do not bless your food, then you are living in sin. It would be like us jokingly say, well, if you ate before the blessing, those bites are cursed. And we live that way sometimes, don't we?19:54We live sometimes asking God, are you blessing this or are you not? A clear conscience is not built on fear, suspicion, or religious anxiety. It is formed by abiding in Christ and trusting that all belongs to the Lord. Are you abiding? Are you living with conscientiousness in your life? And Paul draws a vital distinction here in this passage. He said, participating in idol worship is always sinful.20:24He said, there are some things in your life that are non-negotiables that you cannot do as a Christian. But some things, he said, do not go to the temple. If your friend invites you to the temple to worship a pagan God with them, you cannot go under obligation to your commitment to Jesus Christ. That is essential. But there are other things that are adiaphora, which are non-essentials. And this is where most of our internal battles come.20:53I would argue, this is where most of your church conflict comes from. Not in the essentials of faith, but from the non-essentials. Hey, what songs do we sing? We don't ask that to say, well, which song glorifies Christ the most? No, we're asking that question to say, which instruments do I prefer that we get to use the most? It just so happens that your pastor's a drummer. We will always have drums because that's an essential of my faith.21:23But most of the spiritual dilemmas we have in our life are non-essentials. Most of the spiritual turmoil that you have in your life is about baloney, not about gospels. Import. And I just want to encourage you today, if that's your struggle, if you are waiting on pins and needles, asking every time you eat, God, should I have cheese with this sandwich?21:51Paul says, but pastor, if you simply live with conscientiousness, if you abide in Christ, he will direct your path. Because fear-based living is not God's desire for your life. Guilt-free gospel living keeps the main things the main things, and the plain things the plain things. And Paul says, when a non-believer identifies the pagan food,22:18then love of your neighbor takes over. He says, don't eat. Not for the sake of your conscience, but for the sake of theirs. Because you don't want that person to think that hypocrisy is okay in the Christian faith. And you also don't want them to think that sin is okay. Living with conscientiousness is not saying to the world,22:46we're going to ignore your sin. Living with conscientiousness says that I'm going to prioritize what is right and holy so that you who did not know Jesus Christ can see what is right and holy. So what things are you eating today in your life that you struggle with? But at the end of the day, it's a non-essential of faith. Eat, if you eat with a clear mind and a clear conscience, it is okay.23:15And if it is not okay for the believer, the Holy Spirit will let you know. That is his job. And he does a really good job at his job. Live with spiritual conscientiousness. And then Paul gives a third and final reminder how we live with a clear mind. He says in verse 31, he says,23:41whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also try to please everyone and everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that I may be saved. And this is probably the saddest paragraph division in Scripture.24:08Because verse 1 of chapter 11 belongs with chapter 10. It should actually be verse 34. But unfortunately, it's verse 1. But it belongs with this division. It says, imitate me as I imitate Christ. The third way we live with a clear mind is just to live the Christian life.24:37To live the Christian life. I studied, I spent years of study for that, to share with that. What's a way to live guilt-free before Christ? It's to live the Christian life. The word Christian means little Christ or Christ-like. What may have begun, by the way, the word Christian began as an insult. Began as an outsider term for those who follow the narrow path. What began as an insult or a slight has now become, for the Christian, a badge of courage.25:07Like, you live differently from us, you Christian. And then the church said, yeah, we sort of do. Thank you for that insult. We will receive that. Because we will imitate Christ. Because he alone is worth it. How do we live? Whether we eat or drink or do everything for the glory of God.25:36Many of you right now are asking me and asking scripture, okay, pastor, I'm going to live with conscientiousness. I'm going to live circumspectly. I'm going to live the Christian life. I'm going to live, pastor James, with an all clear mind. So give me a test that I can pass. There's not one.26:05You failed the test. We just live like Christ. Most of us live with this worry. Can I eat this? Can I say this? Can I do this? Why is my freedom living? Why am I being judged? But when we ask those questions, guess who is at the center of those questions? Me. What if we ask better questions?26:34And said, what can I do for the glory of God? If I eat this, will I glorify God? If I drink this, will I glorify God? If I do this, if I say this, if I post this, if I give this, if I withhold this, am I glorifying God when I do this?27:00That gets us to the center of Christian living. Paul says, whatever you do, just do it for the glory of God. This word glory means, it's kabod. It's the weightiness of God. It's I want to feel the weight of God's gaze upon me, his glory, when I do what I'm going to do. One of the church fathers, John Chrysostom, said to his church, he said,27:28let all things which you undertake and accomplish have this root and foundation, that they tend to the glory of God. That's the Christian life, that we live in light of his glorious redemption. To live for God's glory is to magnify him by a heart that trusts him fully and obeys him joyfully.27:52Jesus says, if you love me, you will do what I say. That's the Christian life. How do we abide in Christ? Love him and do what he says. Imitate him that the world might imitate us and see the love of Christ. Living Christianly. And God's glory is not abstract.28:20It has very specific, real implications. Look in verse 33. Why do we do this? Why should we live with a clean mind and a clear heart? Well, Paul says, I live this way for the benefit of many so that they might be saved. We sit at a neighbor's table and eat their fried pagan bologna.28:44Not because we like bologna. Or for you who are cultured bologna. We do that because we love them. And we want them to see a Jesus who loves them more than we could. When's the last time you said, Father, I will give up my preference so that my neighbor would know the love of Jesus?29:14When's the last time you said to God, God, I'll give and I'll go in a way that someone else might know you. God, I will suffer. So that someone who is far from you will love you more. God, I'll give up my seat so that someone who doesn't have a seat at the table might dine at the banquet of Jesus Christ.29:42Why do we live for the glory of God? So that they may be saved. The Christian life is not about you or me. It is about Christ so that those who don't know Christ might come to know Christ. Which is why Paul ends this way.30:12He says, imitate me as I imitate the Lord. You see, the Christian life is not about lawless autonomy. But it's not about obeying rules either. This guilt-free living, clear of mind living is about imitating a person. A person named Jesus. And if all you do today is pray to the Father and say, I want to live like your son.30:40Help me do so. Help me abide in Christ. If that is all you do, that prayer will change your life. May we live Christianly. The Christian life is not about being, about mastering loopholes. It's about mirroring Jesus Christ. Our decisions, our liberties, our limitations are all brought under this one question.31:07Does this reflect the self-giving sacrifice that I see in Jesus? Is that your life? Can you say that you live in a way that mirrors the image of Christ? Freedom finds its boundaries in the example of Jesus. And church, if your life looks like Christ, you'll never go wrong.31:34If my life looks like Jesus, I don't have to worry about what I eat. I can eat bologna and swig, Coca-Cola classic, until the Lord comes home. If Jesus is at the center. Because life is more than what you eat or drink. It is about glorifying the Lord and Him alone.32:03So let's go back to the original question. Are all minds clear today in this place? Are all minds clear? Not clear because life is easy. Not clear because we've mastered rules. Not clear because you've earned freedom. Are you clear because you belong to Christ? Are you clear because today you say,32:32His righteousness is my righteousness. His redemption is my redemption. And I am walking the narrow road in the likeness of Jesus Christ through His word. Not because I have to. This is not lawless autonomy. And it is not white knuckle religiosity. No, but today it's about whatever I eat or drink.32:58I'm doing for the glory of God. The gospel gives what the world can never give. There's nothing that you will find in life that gives you a guilt-free life and a clean conscience. You can't buy it. You can't earn it. You can't work for it. Guilt-free living requires a new heart. A new heart that is not anchored in self but is rooted in the gospel and God's glory.33:28Church, Jesus lived the life we could not live. He bore our sin and guilt on the cross. He rose in victory so broken sinners could walk in true freedom. That's why we have the gospel. And when Christ becomes the center, the fog lifts. Your guilt fades. Your mind grows clear. And as Paul says, the gospel is not so that you will admire Christ.33:58The gospel is given so that you will imitate him. Do you have a clear mind today? If not, would you come to Christ? If you are trying to manage your conscience instead of being made new, would you lay down that effort? And would you say, Jesus, I'm tired.34:27I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired today. I will give you my life. I'm tired of having guilt and shame keep me up at night. I'm tired of letting pride cause me to hide in the shadows. God, I'm tired of coming to church, but I leave here unchanged. What's wrong with me? The gospel is, Josh, you can't make your heart new, but Jesus can.34:57Would you give him your dead heart and let him make your heart new by faith? The Bible says, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. And in that calling, it is a reminder. I am calling to God and I'm saying no to myself. Repentance is saying, God, I hate my sin and I love you. I believe Jesus died on the cross. I believe that his blood was shed to cleanse me. And I will follow you no matter the cost.35:27The gospel says no to me first living and yes to cross-shaped living. Would you run to Christ? And if you have done that, we have a baptism service here next week where we celebrate those who have given their life to Christ. It is not too late for you. Join us that we can celebrate your redemption.35:55And if you are a Christ follower today and you still struggle with guilty flesh, confess your sins. Quit trying to nitpick every decision. Is this right or is this wrong? And abide in Christ. Live the Christian life. Live with conscientiousness. Live with circumspectful living. And let God do a beautiful work in your life today.36:24Why do we think that we have to do what only the Holy Spirit can do? Paul would say to us, church at Corinth, church at Bethel, why do you let pagan baloney keep you up at night? Why do you let the non-essentials weigh you down? Abide in Christ and watch his freedom take root in your life.36:52Father, we love you.← Previous in 1 Corinthians1 Corinthians – Sex, Singleness, and the Glory of God (1 Corinthians 7:1-10)Next in 1 Corinthians →1 Corinthians – His Broken Body for Broken People (1 Corinthians 11:2-6)More sermons on 1 Corinthians →
