The Weak And The Strong - [Romans 14:1-15:7]

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Well, I'm glad to be here this evening And I'm gonna just before we get started you go ahead and turn your
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Bibles to Romans chapter 14 While you're turning there. I want to say this and We have been in many churches
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I've been on in lots of churches on numerous continents and Churches all over the world and of course as we're here in the
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States for this year traveling around and And I got to say you guys are one of the most friendly churches we have been at and to your credit and Not just me and Karen, but our kids as well.
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We have been genuinely welcomed people have come up and and shown genuine interest not just in us and our well -being but also in the ministry and I want to commend you for that because Believe it or not.
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We've been in churches where I've been the you know I'm the missionary and everybody knows we're gonna be there and I'm preaching on Sunday morning and no one
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Greets us either before or after the message It's it's kind of hard to believe but I want to say this most churches are not not that bad but most churches are not friendly and Take it from me you are
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Now, I don't know if pastor Mike last year said make sure I mean last week said, you know Make sure they're gonna be here.
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So be nice to him. I don't think he did that but No, I mean really we have felt very welcomed here and we appreciate it
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It's nice. It's very nice living on the road to go someplace where You can tell that the people genuinely care for you.
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And so I want to I want to thank you for that All right Romans 14 we're gonna look tonight at Romans chapter 14 verse 1 through chapter 15 verse 7
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Okay. Now that's if you want to count that up. That's 30 verses now you're
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I know that this is one of those churches where you're used to you know, 30 sermons in one verse, but tonight it's 30 verses in one sermon, so it's gonna be a little different But it's one complete unit and I want to give you the the flow and get you the main point
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I teach in seminary teach exposition of the book of Romans and I've preached through it a couple times and I just love it.
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And this is a great passage. I want to encourage you tonight with the content of this passage and You know, it's tough when you're the guy who's just it's a hit -and -run, you know, you're visiting
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I'm leaving tomorrow, you know Have a nice life. I'll see you in another five years kind of thing But it's tough because it's a lot easier to get into a passage when you're preaching verse -by -verse expositionally because you can set it up for the next weekend and You can dig in deep and you can continue on particular themes like unity this morning
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Which by the way our passage tonight fits very well with the sermon this morning unity is a is driving force behind this passage
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But it's a little different especially, you know, you don't want to be just sort of smarmy, you know
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Schmoozy like hey, love you. Glad we were here in West Boylston Massachusetts it's been great
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See you in a few years, you know, I mean you don't want to come off as that guy which now
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I hope I don't but but no, really, it's I want to encourage you tonight and Like I said,
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I'm leaving tomorrow so if there's a little bit of a you know sting in the sermon you can talk to pastor
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Mike about it later, but Now I'm not gonna read the whole passage before we start
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We'll just read it as we go through it and we're just gonna kind of roll like a ball through the middle of this passage
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I don't have a pithy six -point outline like pastor Mike did this morning But I will show you as we go along.
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I'll divide it up into the sections that are here according to topic in this passage And as I say,
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I hope it's a I hope it is a blessing to you So let's pray before we begin Father I thank you for this evening
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Lord, and I just ask you you'd watch over Well pastor Steve and pastor Mike father they're both tired and not feeling well this evening and Lord so many people it's it's been a
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It's been a long week for the folks in this church father. I ask you encourage them strengthen them
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Father and Lord. I also ask you that tonight you would make it a blessing for your people Father and that you would be glorified in all things in Jesus name.
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We pray Amen All right, I have a title this evening and actually
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I've got each section titled and Since I'm the visiting preacher
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I get to say the things that future preachers really want to say but they don't say every week because they're coming back
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But since I'm not I've got like two titles for each section one Sort of the proper nice way to say it in church
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And then the way that you really want to say it that kind of you know sticks people in the ribs a little bit So tonight's passage is titled the weak and the strong or a
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Warning to those who think they're right Romans 14 1 through 15 7 now, let me get you up to speed here in the book of Romans the book of Romans is
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Can be easily divided into two main sections? Chapters 1 through 12 are theological and in that section
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Paul is defending the gospel against the Only real legitimate and it may be legitimate.
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It's not the way to put it the only real substantive Theological objections to the gospel
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That's the way the first 12 chapters are laid out. They are very doctrinal very precise
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Very in -depth as it should be with the gospel with salvation the doctrine of salvation and those chapters are very narrow Okay, because there's one way of salvation
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It's the the book of Romans has been called the gospel of Paul, and I think that's a good subtitle for it
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So when Paul lays out the gospel in a very technical theological way very doctrinal way
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Defending it against Accusations as to why the gospel is not right or why it's not true or why that's not the way
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God is doing it He gets into depth and he's very precise as to why yes This is
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God's way of salvation. And so it's a very narrow as it should be. It's a very narrow very precise section
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Now when you come to Romans chapters 12 through 16 as Paul often does in his letter
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Letters, it's like since here is the truth then therefore this is how you should live if this is what
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God says and You need to believe this if you believe this then these this way is how people live
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Who believe what God says and that's what we have here in Romans 12 13 14 15 and 16 and Romans 12 and 13 is
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Also Very narrow very precise because there is a narrow gate and there is a narrow way
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There are things that believers are supposed to do and things that believers are not supposed to do there is
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Righteousness there is holiness. There is a Separatedness from the world for God's people and that makes sense as well.
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It should be that way We're supposed to be different from everybody else We need to put off sin and put on righteousness in all areas of life
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And that's just the way it is for a believer. There are certain things just don't get to do and So God is also very precise here in chapters 12 and 13 as to how you're supposed to live
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If you believe the gospel But when he comes to chapter 14 things change and that's not the way it is
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Chapter 14 is different altogether in Chapter 14.
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There is no narrowness in chapter 14 instead we are urged toward broadness and affirmation and freedom in all things that a child of God can be free in and It's for the purpose of unity
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Here we're encouraged to follow God by faith not by sight and to leave our own cultural personal
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New England church preferences and instead
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Follow God in faith in Freedom as far as he'll let us go
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We're to leave our comfortable church habits and beliefs and dare instead to live freely by faith now
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It's a good thing Paul wrote this because Paul enjoyed his personal freedom in Christ to the fullest
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In fact, a lot of people found fault with him because of this He was free from un -christian inhibitions and cultural taboos
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He was free from outward norms and standards and he was free from that kind of Spiritual bondage living by a list of do's and don'ts free from human perspective and conviction
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About life Paul easily conformed to Jewish ways when he was with Jews and He easily conformed to Gentile ways when he was with Gentiles He was dedicated to God and his gospel and seeing the salvation of people
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So little things like quirky convictions and cultural scruples and church culture didn't bother him a bit
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But he knew very well that other Christians in Their minds and their hearts were not as free as he was
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Many even doubted his freedom and even that he had such freedom and some even disagreed with that outright and his response was always one of gentle charity and patience toward other believers misguided personal preferences
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But the fact of the matter is and this is a major point of the passage.
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The fact of the matter is this we all Rely heavily
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Heavily on personal preference and culture To one degree or another on different things
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We are all in different areas The weak and the strong and it is also true and this is thing to the extent
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That you rely on anything else, but God and his word to keep you on track
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To the extent that you rely on anything else But God and his word to keep you on track with God to that extent.
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You are not walking in faith relying on the crutch of culture and preference and just the way it's always been done and That's just the way
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Christians live because I mean look That's just the way it is around here and a
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Christian's faith may be weak and immature in many respects But they must still be warmly welcomed into the fellowship and we must not challenge people to debates in Areas of lives where their own conscience is not yet as free as it could be or as it should be
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This this passage is not a win -win and in fact I want to say this as you see as we go through this passage.
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God does not find fault with the weak in faith
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God does not hear say they're wrong and He doesn't praise the strong in faith about how right they are
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That's not at all what this passage is about Not even close Everybody needs time to grow in many areas of life this is about unity
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Because the true church is made up of the weak and the strong and it will always be that way
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But it's also clear from this passage that the strong are those who have been able to Grasp the significance of salvation for daily living
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That it is for freedom that Christ set us free and that in faith they can follow
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God anywhere and Do anything that he requires of them the weak are those who because of their weak faith
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Are not able to follow Christ as far as they could in all things
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So that's what we're gonna look at tonight the weak and the strong so notice here Chapter 14 verse 1.
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This is the first section is just the first verse This is the title is unity through acceptance or You ain't from around here
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But that's okay Now listen, I know I'm from California. I'm a
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California native. Okay, so all right. I know I'm weird All right, that's just the way it is. You're New Englanders.
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I lived up here I'm glad pastor Mike said it this morning, you know nine years here the longest 30 years of my life
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But yeah, it's a you're a different breed of cat up here. All right, but you know what?
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That's okay Look at this chapter 14 verse 1 as for the one who is weak in faith
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Welcome him But do not quarrel over opinions. Now one thing
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I want to say also To sort of set up the the way this passage passage is structured Most of this passage is talking to the strong about the weak
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Okay sometimes here the weak are directly addressed but most of the passage is talking to the strong about the weak and We'll see that at the end and the reason being is because the strong are the people who can do something about it
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Anyway These things, you know as for the one who was weak in faith welcome him, but do not quarrel over opinions
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Okay, these are the things that split churches. Okay. Now when I was here five years ago
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Okay, the podium was over there Right. I hope we didn't I hope you didn't lose anybody in the switch here
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Okay, I mean that sounds kind of funny, but you know what people argue over these things I don't know. Did you paint the walls?
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You know, this was blue, you know I mean, that's like, you know, well, I wouldn't have picked that blue. I mean, you know, it's kind of silly but people
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Leave churches over these things churches split over personal preferences all the time
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Because they quarrel over stuff like that and Paul is saying here do not do that do not do that It's ridiculous and fruitless and it just divides the church now as I said, this is to the strong no doubt though the weak read this and hear this
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But they don't think this applies to them folks the weak don't think they're weak
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Okay guys nobody thinks Romans 14 applies to them.
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That's why My subtitle is a warning to those who think they're right
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Nobody thinks they're the weaker brother. We always think we're right the weak though don't know it and Don't think they're weak
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But the strong in faith know what is being said here Know who this applies to and are careful lest they fall
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They're aware of their own weakness and so they can take it to heart and because they're aware of their own personal weaknesses
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No, just like Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12 10 when I am weak, then I am strong because they know that they can rely on Christ But the weak in faith now also here
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I want to make sure you understand this folks the weakened in faith are not people who have weak faith they can be very firm in their faith in Christ and Secure in who they are in Christ Weakness here is not one of depth or conviction
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Weakness here is one of extent Okay, it's how far can
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I go with God? It's you know, I don't know. Let's say God's boundaries are out here.
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Okay, whatever that might be You know sin is not. Okay. It's never Sin is not relative and we'll get to that later on the passage, but let's say these are
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God's boundaries. Okay The weak in faith are those that say you know what? No really God's boundaries are like right here is
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That their faith will only let them go so far with God when God says no, but you can actually go this far so this is one of extent not one of conviction or depth and Here The weakened faith
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I can say are people who cannot follow God everywhere in faith It cannot sustain them in certain kinds of conduct that are permissible for God's children
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The weakened faith don't understand that personal preferences in salvation are irrelevant tradition
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Is irrelevant? Culture is Irrelevant and but it needs to be said though throughout the centuries
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There have been those that have been weak in faith, but have done great things for God that have been completely 100 % sold out for God and given their all for the
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Lord and God has used those people greatly That's one of the reasons why God doesn't find fault with them in this passage
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But it has to be clearly understood who they are so Paul warns here that the weakened faith cannot be argued out of their convictions.
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It just doesn't work Instead they must grow out of them. They must be loved out of them as we'll see later on the passage they must be preferred out of them and encouraged out of them
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But that does not excuse Any misguided or unbiblical convictions or behavior it is also clear from this passage as we go through it folks
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God is squarely on the side of the strong squarely on the side of the strong So he says first of all, you know, welcome the one who is weak in faith and don't fight with him
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Don't quarrel over him. Don't get an argument, you know Don't pull out the Bible and show him the 20 verses as to why he's wrong in his position
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Okay So When that comes up, obviously I have a question.
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What do you mean by weak faith? We'll look here at verses 2 3 and 5. These are just examples of weak faith
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They're they're just two examples that that Paul brings up Examples of weak faith or Here's the the pithy little title examples of weak faith or no barbecue especially on Sunday notice here
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Versus Starting in verse 2 one person believes he may eat anything Well, the weak person eats only vegetables verse 3 let not the one who eats
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Despise the one who abstains and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats for God has welcomed him
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Let me just give you a quick little historical situation and what he's talking about Back then okay.
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Pagans were offering sacrifices at the temple of Aphrodite or Apollo or wherever it was Okay, and what would happen is this goat or lamb or cow or Chicken or whatever it was that they were sacrifice.
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It wasn't a chicken, but you know, okay, whatever it was They would sacrifice it The pagan priest would keep some of it
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They'd burn some of it on an altar and what was left over they would sell out the backside of the temple
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Okay, all right now as you might imagine some Christians had a problem with this
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Okay, not only because personally because maybe a month ago they were offering sacrifices at that temple
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All right, but also think about this guys Here is something used in a demonic satanic ritual to a false
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God and So you can understand. I mean, it's like this.
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It's like, you know Pastor Mike, you know, I don't know. It's I'd you know, I've been out of the
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US for a number of years Okay, we have witch doctors in South Africa. Okay, and they sacrifice chickens and goats and other things
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Okay, so I don't know. Let's say you got a witch doctor here in West Boylston just down the street You know, I don't know voodoo or something going on.
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All right, and some some voodoo priest sacrifices like five chickens in His Satanic demonic voodoo ritual right down the street
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Okay, and one day pastor Mike is driving by and sees chickens for sale You know a bucket chicken says wow, what a great deal and he buys it brings it to the next church barbecue
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Okay, and cooks them up and you're sitting there chowin. Well, this is pretty good chicken. Where'd you get? Oh, man, I bought it from the voodoo priest down the street.
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You know, he used it in a satanic ritual man Wasn't it a great deal, you know? What You're kidding me
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Really? That's what we're talking about here Okay, it's that bad and you know what
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Paul is saying Eat it It's okay, or don't eat it if your faith won't take you that far.
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So he says one can eat anything The other person eats only vegetables Because folks some people forget it's not what goes into a person that defiles them but what comes out because What's a?
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What's a pagan demonic priest? He's nothing. What's their false idol?
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He's nothing Chickens just a chicken Meat sacrifice the idols just meat
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So notice here in verse 3 also that both the strong and the weak are warned look at verse 3 Let not the one who eats that's the strong Despise the one who abstains this obviously just the strong and that's the problem with the strong because you know what they look
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What what's your problem? You know, I mean, isn't it obvious is this is okay biblically.
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Oh, why do you got a problem with this? That's that's a temptation to sin for the strong To look down on the weak and then look at here the anniversary let not the one who abstains
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Pass Judgment on the one who eats folks and I can tell you from experience
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The people who are doing the most judging in the church are the weak ones because oh, can you believe you know?
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What music that one listens to can you believe the way they dress on Sunday morning?
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Can you believe those people ate that meat sacrifice to idols? Well, you know,
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I'm more holy than that look at that That's what the weak do and often
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Unfortunately, the weak can be the greater troublemakers in church Well notice here the next
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The next example of weak faith, which is Mowing the lawn and washing the car on Sunday Okay, notice here verse 5 one person esteems one day as better than another
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While another esteems all days alike Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind you guys in the early church.
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This was a problem because the Jews used to the Sabbath Okay, it was it was a big deal your average pagan
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They had their holy days too, but it wasn't every single day. I mean it wasn't every single week
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Okay, and so some like, you know, they'd get saved and they were just grew up pagan and you know So what's what's the
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Sabbath to them? Nothing what's so special about Sunday?
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Nothing, you know what but what's so special about any other day of the week nothing
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But you know what they are special because they're all to be dedicated to the Lord We're supposed to live righteously every day and We do need to gather together as a group
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But you know what? It's not like we get extra points with God because it happens to be on Sunday They're all to be holy to the
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Lord and treated as such But you know what also just understands there's nothing wrong with Sunday either There's nothing wrong with just mowing the lawn and washing the car on Saturday at all anyway verses 2 and 3 and 5 have to do with personal preferences and Convictions and they're just examples that usually result in a loss of unity in the church
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Folks people leave churches over these things People get wound up pretty tight over these things
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But it shouldn't be this way and it shouldn't cause us to break fellowship with one another and that's the whole point of this passage welcome one another so After saying welcome one another and here's a couple examples of why people don't get along Here in verses in chapter 14 verses 4 and verses 6 through 13
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It shows how we are supposed to relate to one another so the title of this section is relating to one another or I like this one relating to one another or You're not the
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Holy Spirit Look here in verse 4. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?
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It is before his own master that he stands or falls and He will be upheld for the
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Lord is Able to make him stand folks. This verse is aimed directly at the weaker brother
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Because the strong who can go this far with God in faith Don't find fault with the limited freedom
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Other than just the concept that it's limited, but they don't find fault with the limited freedom of the weaker brother They're okay.
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If that's all you want to do fine, you know, just stop right there. Okay, whatever doesn't bother me This verse is aimed at the weaker brother and it also implies here folks that these strong are not answerable to the weak
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Paul is saying here. None of us is the Holy Spirit nor the Word of God We don't set the boundaries for one another we are not each other's master and Since this is true, then why do you judge another for his or her boundaries?
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Since you didn't set them and they're not responsible to you It is
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God's verdict that counts now and again as I said though before in saying this that this is
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Freedom in everything that a believer can be free and remember verse I mean chapters 12 and 13 come before chapter 14
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Where there are things you just can't do if you're a Christian All right, we're not talking about sin, you know sin is not relative all these kind, you know that it's
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Within the boundaries within the lane that God has given us to run is what we're talking about here
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Sin is always sin. It's never okay. God's Word is always the final say on everything
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There's no fudge in any of that. No, no freedom. No, no movement. No shifting boundaries with God Well, anyway, look here verse 6
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This shows then how to stand before your own master As it talks here in verse 4 how to be fully convinced in your own mind notice here
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Verse 6 the one who observes the day this would be the weaker brother. Okay Look what he does here
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Observes it in honor of the Lord The one who eats this would be the stronger brother eating the meat sacrifice to idols look what he does
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Eats in honor of the Lord Since he gives thanks to God while the one who abstains that's doesn't eat the meat
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Look what he does abstains in honor of the Lord and Gives thanks to God folks.
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It's like this You know what both in the same situation the one does something and one doesn't both the weak and the strong Believe they are honoring
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God and you know what God says here. They both are Both are honoring
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God in what they're doing Even though they're doing something completely opposite Both are fine before God and neither is condemned before God the weak and sin
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Folks, I mean, sorry back up. Not that we can say the weak in faith are Not in sin the strong in faith
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Exercising their freedom are not in sin It's not the issue here
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The strong are thankful for their freedom and they honor the Lord accordingly The weak are thankful what they believe
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God's boundaries are and they honor God for those boundaries Whether they're actually his boundaries or not
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It's like this. Okay again, like sort of our illustration here. Let's say God says you can go this far
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Okay But the weak in faith only go this far, but let me ask you something doesn't
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God permit that far, right? So in sticking to that that small section, they're still doing what
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God wants them to do That's why there's there's no fault in them. There's there's
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God doesn't find any wrong with them just going this far Because what they are doing is still within God's boundary each is serving
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God folks There is no merit in Your narrow view and folks there is no merit in your broad view.
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That's what God is saying here This is why we must welcome one another someone's personal preference or conviction is not
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The issue the issue here is honoring the Lord in faith Whether your faith is weak or whether your faith is strong that in that faith that you have
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You live in that and honor God in that but the weak are still weak
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And that is not how God wants us to live folks. It is not okay to stay weak
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God loves you just the way you are But you know what he didn't save you to keep you just the way you are
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He saved you to conform you to the image of his Son God wants you to grow and be strong Ephesians 6 10 be strong in the
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Lord and in the strength of his might 2nd Timothy 2 1 be strengthened by the grace of That is in Christ Jesus So that's where God wants us all to move to more
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Christ likeness and everything we do notice here look here verse 7 This is again, you know under the the heading of how we're to relate to one another for none of us lives to himself
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That's no selfish pigs in church None of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself if we live we live to the
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Lord And if we die we die to the Lord and also he's saying, you know living and dying in and that's like everything in between That encompasses everything to do with life here is the idea he's drawing, you know the big picture
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So then whether we live or whether we die We are the Lord's and for to it is
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For it is to this end that Christ died and lived again that he might be Lord of both the dead and living
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It's basically like this give you the idea here. Like, you know, how we relate to one another you remember those Those bracelets and those, you know
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Christian trinkets and stuff the the WW, you know JD, you know, what would Jesus do?
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Okay. No, there's nothing wrong with that. I never bought one. I was close a couple times, you know,
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I looked at it That's kind of cool. But you know what the thing is, oh That's not the hard question.
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Are you ready for this? I can answer that for you. What would Jesus do? He'd do the right thing. Whoo. That was that was difficult, wasn't it? Okay. Yeah, the hard question is
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Will you do what Jesus would do? that's the hard question and And basically here though that's the idea
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We all need to remember that both the strong and the weak are trying to do what
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Jesus would do Okay, that's their intention. They're trying to do what
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Jesus would do which guys is exactly what we're supposed to do right
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God is not condemning the strong or the weak here. He is simply showing here how they need to relate to one another
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The weak or the strong doesn't matter who you are if you insist on Others being like you, you know what you're doing.
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You are taking the Lordship of Christ in their life You're saying instead of what would
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Jesus do? You know, what would you know Steve the you know
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Seminary professor missionary almost high do you know? Whatever what does that got to do with anything?
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My opinion doesn't count. It's God's that counts We may have narrow convictions or we may enjoy our
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Liberty But we don't get to try and play God or the Holy Spirit in somebody else's life. It's like this to the weak
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Okay, stop being offended get over it stop being offended
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God is that other person's master God's not offended. You don't need to be and besides listen if you're worried about sin in somebody else's life
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God even if he is also offended at what's going on. Believe me. He's a lot more offended than you and He's the one that can do something about it.
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But also the strong are not off the hook here to the strong You need to stop not caring what other people think or how they feel the strong need to stop not caring about the weak conscience and weak faith of Others and instead be like God and be patient with them and care for them and love them
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The idea here I say is is while we're on this earth We're not to live for ourselves for our narrow view or for our broad view, but for God, whatever
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God would have us do So notice here verse 10 continues on so why do you pass judgment on your brother?
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That would be the weak or why do you despise your brother? That would be the strong for we will all stand before the judgment seat of each other and church preference and church culture
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Right, that's the way it is every Sunday, right? The judgment seat of the way we do it around here doesn't say that For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God For it is written as I live says the
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Lord every knee shall bow to me Not culture and every tongue shall confess to God verse 12.
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So then each of us will give an account of himself to God Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer you weak
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But rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother you strong God knows our heart and will judge us all accordingly you know as I said
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Christians we all read this passage and we all think I Hope that other person in that chair over there is really listening to this because they really need it and oh
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So and so isn't here tonight But I'll make sure they get the copy of this message and tell them how great it is
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Oh, you got to listen to this Everybody thinks this passage applies to somebody else
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That's not what God is saying here. God is saying that either being weak or strong folks get this is not itself the problem
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It's how we're relating and interacting because we are either weak or strong That's the problem, but it must be said also as I've said
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God wants his people to be strong not weak and The reason is this folks the strong have greater scope
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The strong have a greater Opportunity for ministry the strong can eat food or abstain from it
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They can treat any day as special or they can treat every day alike the strong folks
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Like Paul can be all things to all men so that they may win some
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The strong are the ones who can change their practice and adapt
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For the sake of unity which means
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The weight of this passage Falls on the strong the weight of this passage though It's talking mostly talking to the strong about the weak the weight of this fast passage
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Falls on the shoulder of the strong to maintain the unity in the church
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But also I need to say this and this though is a leadership thing Understand this this especially falls on the leadership.
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Is that the weak? Must never be allowed to dictate according to their weakness
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Because when that happens to it in a church you just end up with a weak church a low -level low functioning church, but that is really a wisdom and a leadership thing to know when
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Maybe we need to help the weak out here and conform a little bit and encourage them on a little bit But then this can't go on forever because God wants us to grow in maturity in Christ likeness
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And so there comes a time when we got to say, okay, look, you know, it's just time to to get on board here It's time to put it aside put aside your weakness and your burden and move on with God, but remember 14 verse 1 you just don't get to go up and dump on people and argue them out of their position or their convictions
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So it takes a lot of wisdom there a lot of understanding it takes first of all a great relationship
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Where you've got that ability But the weak must never be allowed to dictate according to their weakness well
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Verse 14 this which is the next section just as one verse it shows how far you can go folks
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This shows how free you can be look here in verse 14. This is the clean and the unclean or okay, here's the the the secondary title, it's the clean and the unclean or Don't be more holy than God Look at this.
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I Know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is
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Unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean
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Titus 1 15 says to the pure all things are pure folks
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Most Christians have a more narrow view of their freedom than God does and Also, it needs to be said here this verse is stated very emphatically in Greek It says no thing is
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Unclean in itself. I know here we go. This is a great place for a list, right?
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Let's just take this one. I mean God provides us with a couple here. No particular kind of food
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No particular day of the week Maybe I should stop now because I know
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I'm gonna say something next that somebody's not gonna like well even later on this passage We shall see no particular kind of drink kind of music dot dot dot you fill in the blanks from here on out because I want to be able to finish this sermon and Not be drug off the podium no thing is unclean in itself and Folks this verse also shows that in principle in principle the strong are right freedom is right what causes problems here are
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Misguided convictions and conscience and then trying to project those and force those on the rest of the church
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Defilement is located in people's minds not in material objects Now as I said though now to those of you who think that right here that this just wow
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I just heard that I could do whatever I want and it's okay. No remember as I said Romans 12 Romans 13 read those first Okay, there's a lot you can't do.
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All right sin is out period forever Not an option. It doesn't mean that everything in life is a matter of subjective opinion and personal preference
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Okay, as we've we've covered that already this passage is not also it's also not discussing
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What is technically right or wrong for a Christian? This passage is talking about behavior and beliefs that are within biblical boundaries
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But within these biblical boundaries, there's different convictions Some are weak some are strong and the point here is as long as there's no sin okay, just Welcome and accept one another and and don't make it an issue.
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So this next section Here remember though this passage being directed at the strong this next section
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Especially shows that chapter 14 verses 15 through 21. It shows how much you should restrain your freedom this is
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The title is self -denial just like Christ or you are free to not be free
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Look here verses 15 through 20 It shows what's at stake for if your brother is grieved by what you eat
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That's you strong. Look at this. Then you are no longer walking in love
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By what you eat do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good
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Be spoken of as evil for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of Righteousness and peace and joy in the
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Holy Spirit Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men So then look here in verse 19, let us pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding
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Not do not for the sake of food Destroy the work of God folks you strong You're really not supposed to pursue your freedom first You're supposed to pursue what makes for peace and the building up of the body
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This is motivation for the strong to voluntarily Curb their freedom.
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I like what Martin Luther said here Listen to this great quote. He goes a
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Christian is a most free Lord of all and subject to none and then he followed it up with this next one a
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Christian is a most dutiful servant of all subject to all and Did a great job of just capturing the whole idea there so far
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Paul has asserted and taken the side of clearly Christian freedom and what he does here now is he shows when and how that freedom must be sometimes
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Voluntarily limited for the sake of love and unity in the family and think about it guys.
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Here we go Okay now You know before you you know after the sermon, you know run out of here saying whoo -hoo, you know
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Yeah, I can you know, I can always do that thing that I thought you know, I wasn't sure about right All right before you do that.
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You have to consider this Are you really gonna let
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You know, let's say food mowing the lawn on Sunday What you drink?
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What you eat? your music Whatever your own personal preferences.
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Are you really going to let those? Destroy the unity and the love and the fellowship of the church
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You gotta think that because if you're willing to then you really don't care about anybody else here folks the week are not argued or scorned or forced or pressured or shamed out of their weakness just the few things we've talked about so far in the passage folks, they are loved and preferred and encouraged and supported out of their weakness and You can't do that.
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If you don't have a relationship with them and think about it
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Let's say you got some big Bible brain and you can quote the 50 verses that shows them where they're wrong and you bruise their
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Conscience and you you throw them into an area of doubt where is it? Okay, maybe it's not or whatever I mean what think about it?
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What have you won? What have you won? You know, I mean, okay
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So now you can have a beer and watch the baseball game and not feel guilty about it But meanwhile, you've steamrolled somebody in church
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What have you won? What is all of that compared to what's been lost?
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The weak believer has been destroyed and he now sins because he goes against his conscience because I well maybe it's okay
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Maybe you know, you know before his faith sustained him just fine within his narrow boundaries now
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He's like out here in an area of doubt, which is sin. He's like, oh no, you know, am I in my honor God? But they say it's okay, but it's not you know, no.
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Okay, you've thrown him into a state of turmoil and And love is gone from the church and unity is destroyed are you really gonna sacrifice love and unity for the sake of food or drink or some other personal preference and Freedom can get a bad name when it runs over the week.
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Look here at the end of verse 20 and verse 21 He says yes, everything is indeed clean
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But look at this, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats
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It is good not to eat meat and look here or drink wine. So I told you we'd get to that one or Do anything that causes your brother to stumble?
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That's the good thing and this is really a positive way to state what's been said back there in verse 14 now
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And also you need to understand your folks. This is an encouragement not a command For the strong to limit their freedom.
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This is an optional thing for the strong Because if it was a command there would be no freedom
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This is an encouragement for the strong to limit their freedom for the sake of others in the church now notice here in verses 22 and 23 goes off into this because you talk about you know bruising another person's conscience and and Making another stumble.
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That's what he talks about here in verses 22 and 23. This here is then how to avoid that condemnation and doubt this is what verses 22 and 23 about or it's not just how to avoid condemnation and doubt or the title for personal use only
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Now do you guys know what personal convictions are you know what they are? They're personal that's what they are
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Okay, meaning you all right, not the rest of us Look here verse 22 the faith that you have now in context
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That's a strong faith that can follow God all kinds of places or a weak faith that that limits your freedom
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So whatever you have the faith that you have look at this Keep between yourself and God Okay If you have a list that you think
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Myself and other people should follow do yourself and the rest of us a favor and throw it away the faith that you have
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Keep between yourself and God Don't force your personal convictions on somebody else
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Look here verse 22 blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on Himself for what he approves
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This is like I talked about just a minute ago When the weak in faith are sort of pushed or shamed or or goaded out of their position by the strong Then they step off into allergies and wow
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Is it okay to eat these chickens that the pastor, you know bought from the voodoo lady down the street?
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Gee, I don't know but he says it's okay. I I think I should probably avoid that. You know what at that point
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The person is sinning because they're not living by faith anymore. They're doubting if your approval of something
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Causes you or somebody else to stumble then you're rightly judged for that Notice here verse 23, but whoever has doubts is condemned defeats.
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That's exactly what we're just talking about Because the eating is not from faith Remember, this is about faith weak faith strong faith
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Because look here the end of verse 23 for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin
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Because doubt is sin Because doubt is sin whatever thought or action does not spring from an inner
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Understanding and conviction of what God wants you to do. Like I said, whether it's you know to the max or Whether it's just this little section.
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That's why there's nothing wrong with a little section or the big section The issue is here. Are you walking in faith?
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How far will your faith support you in life? Don't go.
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I guess it's like this It's something practical here Like if now if now in this this message if this message brings up some some questions in your own mind
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About things you do or don't do Okay, here it is. I'll tell you exactly where you need to stop.
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Okay, whatever it is. Let's say it's you know, I Don't know mowing the lawn on Sunday.
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Okay, let's just pick that one all right as soon as in your own mind and heart
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Genuinely ask yourself, you know, gee, I'm not sure if that would be okay with God or not stop right there and don't do it
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Don't don't sweat it about well gee it might not be in the week or it might be in this day No, forget that. Don't worry about that Okay, God remember here is not finding fault with you if you're weak or strong so don't don't worry about that What God is saying here is don't go beyond don't bruise your own conscience
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Don't go beyond where God has you right now So if you're wondering about what's okay, and what's not, okay
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As soon as you start to say, you know, I'm I'm really not not so sure about this for me
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Anyway, then don't do it Because you know what you're not sinning if you don't do it, it's okay
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God doesn't find fault with you. If you draw your boundaries a little narrower than he does
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That's where you stop the way to avoid this personal condemnation is to make sure that your beliefs and convictions really are truly biblical and Once you're convinced of that go for it
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Don't sweat it except if it's gonna cause somebody else to stumble then just back off a little bit We all need to examine what we believe and why we believe it
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We're all sure we're right now
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In chapter 15 verses 1 through 7 here it is God this is the section.
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This is the end of the section 14 1 through 15 7 here is
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How to tell who's weak and who's strong? Okay now just understand this
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I don't want any now, you know weak strong faith cops in the church. Okay running around, you know You I'm not so sure about you.
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You know, that's not what this is about. Okay, this section is about anyway, here it is how to tell the weak and the strong or Now look up here because you got to see this because it's
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I don't want you to hear this word wrong Carrying not caring for someone but like carrying something.
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Okay Here it is how to tell the weak and weak from the strong or Carrying like Christ.
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Okay. Look here Chapter 15 verse 1 We who are strong Have an obligation to bear with the failings of the week and not please ourselves
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Let each of us please his neighbor for is good to build him up for Christ did not please himself, but as it is written
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The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures
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We might have hope People the strong carry
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Because I mean just to follow the illustration here by definition strong people can carry weak people can't
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Be like Christ and Carry the weakness of the weak which by this by the way, look back here
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This is the English Standard Version, which was what pastor Mike preaches from now, right? I like it
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Sometimes this is an airball. This is a total whiff. This is a this is a I mean you talk about getting it wrong the
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ESV Chapter 15 verse 1 got it wrong Look here how many of you we who have or we who are strong have an obligation to bear with see that little word with Okay exit out
01:00:02
Scratch it out Clip it out of your Bible. It does not belong there.
01:00:07
It is not in the Greek Listen to the difference if you have the new American Standard Listen to the difference
01:00:14
We who are strong ought to bear the weakness of those without strength
01:00:20
Literally in the Greek listen to this is a great way to state it We the strong are to carry the weakness of the weak
01:00:32
There is a world of difference between that and the ESV verse 1 It's like this, you know what you go back to work tomorrow or whatever it is
01:00:41
You do during the week and I guarantee you this week You're gonna run into somebody that you just probably you know rather not be around, you know, they bug you you don't like them
01:00:49
They don't like you, you know that kind of thing All right, and you know what you do, you know, like a like a good believer or whatever, you know
01:00:55
You're not gonna chew them out. You're not gonna be rude to him, but you're just gonna sort of put up with them, right? You know, I got whatever, you know, it's you know, you're gonna be civil to him
01:01:04
Okay, that doesn't take any maturity and folks if you do that in church if you just put up with me
01:01:13
There's no maturity in that there's no unity in that there's no love in that There's no growth in that there's no ministering to one another in that and that's not what the
01:01:23
Greek says there is a huge difference between putting up with someone's faults and failures and weaknesses and Coming alongside of them and Bearing those faults failures and weaknesses with them
01:01:46
Let me give you I guess it's like this. I give you a picture according to this You have a believer here who understands that Christ has freed us from all these cultural personal preferences from all burdens like that that is for freedom that Christ set us free and That we don't have to carry these things around We don't have to be constrained by what everybody else thinks or just the way that it's always been done here or any of that stuff
01:02:19
But here's another believer over here who who lives under the weight of these burdens who's got a a very narrow view of freedom in Christ and is and is caught up and Worried about so many things whether they're doing the right thing or whether does not all the time.
01:02:36
Is this okay? Is this not okay and their consciences bruised when they see other people doing things that maybe they think that's maybe not right according to what
01:02:46
God says here The strong doesn't get to go up and say, you know, hey,
01:02:53
I noticed, you know, you you're you're constraining yourself in this situation Well, you know the
01:02:58
Bible says this and the Bible says that and and here's what you're supposed to do And here's what you're not supposed to do and it's okay to do this and you know, they'll you know, you've been instructed
01:03:06
Therefore you've been sanctified, you know, I slapped you upside the head with the ten verses and so, you know Be warmed and filled and you know, so you'll be doing better next week, right?
01:03:14
Or shamed or looked down upon or scorned or all that other kind of garbage that goes on in church what
01:03:22
God says the strong get to see the weak and Come alongside of him and say you know what?
01:03:32
I see this troubles you. I see this is a big concern of yours
01:03:40
I see you're worried about the condition of the holiness in our church and What some people do?
01:03:50
You know what? Let me walk with you for a while and carry that burden for you.
01:04:00
Let me restrain my freedom For the sake of walking in love and unity with a brother and I will
01:04:12
Carry that burden with you because then in that relationship we can start to talk about it and We'll get around to it eventually
01:04:32
Folks nobody wants to do that because I want to exercise my freedom.
01:04:39
I Don't want to have to Voluntarily weigh myself down with unbiblical convictions
01:04:51
But for the sake of love and unity, that's exactly what we must do you know in every age it's been easy for the strong to find reasons why they should take a little notice of the weak and Sort of run over them, you know and leave bodies in their wake
01:05:07
And just a hey, you know, you know suck it up get over it deal with it the strong often see it as unfair that I have to to Restrain myself and take my plug myself back to a place where God says
01:05:27
I don't have to be there But by definition it's the strong who have as I said greater scope
01:05:39
The strong are the ones with the ability to modify their behavior
01:05:45
The strong are the ones who are able to be all things to all people and The strong need to realize that their strength is given partly for the very reason of helping the weak
01:06:02
And now I also want to tell you about this too, here's here's another like clue into what goes on in church, okay
01:06:11
Okay, it is evidence of a weak faith if You're getting everybody else or other people to conform to your list
01:06:22
You see the weak think that they've won that they've proven They're the righteous ones because here's what you can't do, you know, you can't go to movies you can't do this
01:06:33
You can't do that. You can't mow the lawn on Sunday. And you know The weak think that if I can get people to understand my personal convictions that you know
01:06:42
It's the really the biblical model that I am right and they also restrain themselves and conform
01:06:51
To my limitations that proves I'm right got news for you folks God says no that proves you're the weak one because the strong for the sake of the weak
01:07:05
Conform to the weak it is evidence of weakness if you're trying to get people to live according to your list not evidence of victory and of righteousness
01:07:27
The strong must respect and love the weak and strive for their good and through that The weak will grow out of their irrational slavery to culture and preference and Come to true freedom in Christ, and they too will be strong and notice here verses 5 6 & 7 chapter 15 there a closing prayer to this may the
01:07:51
God of Endurance and encouragement folks remember this is to the strong and believe me the strong feels like man
01:07:58
I do this is a long haul the God of endurance and encouragement
01:08:04
Grant you to live in such harmony with one another In accord with Christ Jesus folks.
01:08:12
That is a great summary to everything pastor Mike said this morning That is I was I was hoping he would like finish with his verse because that's exactly what he was talking about Notice here verse 6 that together you may with one voice
01:08:25
Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ notice here verse 7 therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you that's that's the same thing as chapter 14 verse 1.
01:08:38
That's why this is one section Basically be like Christ in this and whoever you are you must live in harmony with everybody else.
01:08:51
I Difficult message, you know like this. I say everybody. Hey, look at my face
01:08:57
Okay, get a good look at me Because whether you see me the next five years or not, you better get used to it because you're gonna see it for a long
01:09:03
Time in eternity. All right, so let's just start getting along now It's a whole lot easier folks, we don't all have to think exactly alike and believe exactly alike
01:09:19
Okay We don't all have to wear ties on Sunday morning Okay, I did
01:09:25
I can win in New England, you know live like a New Englander All right
01:09:30
Notice I don't have it on I got clearance though tonight Steve Cooley said it was okay. I did after a tie
01:09:38
We don't all have to do with things exactly alike, but you know what we do all have to get along you have to But the weak must not judge the strong and the strong must not despise the weak
01:09:54
But instead love and prefer them out of their weakness and Folks it is right here
01:10:03
That you are tested by God Whatever your convictions are
01:10:12
Are you right? Are you so sure? Can you the strong freely and?
01:10:25
joyfully and with love Give up the freedom, you know is yours in Christ.
01:10:34
Can you do that? Can you the weak stop being offended and stop judging others by your own?
01:10:46
convictions and Preferences, can you do that and really to all of us?
01:10:57
It's like I said to every everybody thinks they're right Can we all? Take what we clutch so tightly to that's not
01:11:09
God and his word and And pry it out of our hands and give it up to God and Continue on in faith this passage is about unity
01:11:29
Welcome one another and Also, like I said folks. We're all weak and strong at different things and The person that you carry today may have to carry you tomorrow because We are all the weak and the strong and convinced.
01:11:54
We're right Let's pray father
01:12:00
I thank you for your truth Lord. I I ask you that you would help us all and I know you do father, but I ask you specifically you help us really to conform to Christ in all things to follow
01:12:17
You in faith To dare to follow you in faith as far as you would lead us and father really
01:12:26
I mean meet sacrifice to idols or these different things. We talked about tonight. They're just small things for Lord.
01:12:35
I ask you that you would strengthen all our faith all of us and Lord we ask these things in the name of your son in Jesus name.