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

Well, I'm glad to be here this evening. And I'm gonna just before we get started you go ahead and turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 14 While you're turning there. I want to say this and We have been in many churches 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 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.

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.

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 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. 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.

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. 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.

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. Okay. Now that's if you want to count that up. That's 30 verses now I you're 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 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.

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 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, which by the way our passage tonight fits very well with the sermon this morning.

Unity is a is driving force behind this passage. But it's a little different especially, you know, you don't want to be just sort of smarmy, you know. Schmoozy like hey, love you. Glad we were here in West Boylston Massachusetts it's been great.

See ya in a few years, you know, I mean you don't want to come off as that guy which now I hope I don't but uh, but no really it's I want to encourage you tonight and Like I said, I'm leaving tomorrow.

So if there's a little bit of a you know, sting in the sermon. You can talk to pastor Mike about it later but Now I'm not gonna read the whole passage before we start. 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 I don't have a pithy six-point outline like pastor Mike did this morning.

But I will show you as we go along. I'll divide it up into the sections that are here. And according to topic in this passage and as I say, 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 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 It's been a long week for the folks in this church father.

I ask you encourage them strengthen them 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. We pray Amen.

The Weak and the Strong: A Warning to Those Who Think They're Right

All right. I have a title this evening and actually I've got each section titled and Since I'm the visiting preacher 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.

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. 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 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 can be easily divided into two main sections chapters 1 through 12 are theological and in that section Paul is defending the gospel against the Only real legitimate and it may be legitimate.

It's not the way to put it the only real substantive theological Objections to the gospel. That's the way the first 12 chapters are laid out. They are very doctrinal very precise. 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. It's the the book of Romans has been called the gospel of Paul, and I think that's a good subtitle for it. So when Paul lays out the gospel in a very technical theological way very doctrinal way.

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 God is doing it. He gets into depth and he's very precise as to why yes. This is God's way of salvation.

And so it's a very narrow as it should be. It's a very narrow very precise section. Now when you come to Romans chapters 12 through 16 as Paul often does in his letter Letters, it's like since here is the truth then therefore this is how you should live if this is what God says and You need to believe this if you believe this then these this way is how people live.

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 also Very narrow very precise because there is a narrow gate and there is a narrow way. There are things that believers are supposed to do and things that believers are not supposed to do.

There is righteousness there is holiness there is a Separatedness from the world for God's people and That makes sense as well. 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. 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 If you believe the gospel.

But when he comes to chapter 14 things change and that's not the way it is. Chapter 14 is different altogether in Chapter 14 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.

Here we're encouraged to follow God by faith not by sight and to leave our own cultural personal New England church preferences and instead Follow God in faith in freedom as Far as he'll let us go we're to leave our comfortable church habits and Beliefs and dare instead to live freely by faith now.

It's a good thing Paul wrote this because Paul enjoyed his personal freedom in Christ to the fullest. In fact, a lot of people found fault with him because of this he was free from unchristian inhibitions and Cultural taboos, 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.

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.

So little things like quirky convictions and cultural scruples and church culture didn't bother him a bit. But he knew very well that other Christians in Their minds and their hearts were not as free as he was.

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 but the fact of the matter is and This is a major point of the passage.

The fact of the matter is this we all Rely heavily Heavily on personal preference and culture To one degree or another on different things. We are all in different areas the weak and the strong and it is also true and this is thing to the extent that You rely on anything else, but God and his word to keep you on track To the extent that you rely on anything else.

But God and his word to keep you on track with God to that extent 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 Christians live because I mean look That's just the way it is around here and a 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.

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 God does not find fault with the weak in faith. God does not hear say they're wrong and He doesn't praise the strong in faith about how right they are.

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. Because the true church is made up of the weak and the strong and it will always be that way.

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 that it is for freedom that Christ set us free and that in faith they can follow God anywhere and And do anything that he requires of them.

The weak are those who because of their weak faith Are not able to follow Christ as far as they could in all things. So that's what we're gonna look at tonight the weak and the strong so notice here Chapter 14 verse 1.

Unity Through Acceptance

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. But that's okay. Now listen, I know I'm from California. I'm a California native.

Okay, so all right. I know I'm weird. All right. That's just the way it is. You're New Englanders. 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.

But yeah, it's a you're a different breed of cat up here. All right, but you know what? That's okay. Look at this chapter 14 verse 1 as for the one who is weak in faith. Welcome him. But do not quarrel over opinions now one thing 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.

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 anyway.

These things, you know as for the one who was weak in faith welcome him, but do not quarrel over opinions. Okay, these are the things that split churches. Okay. Now when I was here five years ago. Okay, the podium was over there.

Right. I hope we didn't. I hope you didn't lose anybody in the switch here. 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, 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 Leave churches over these things churches split over personal preferences all the time. 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. But they don't think this applies to them folks the weak don't think they're weak.

Okay guys nobody thinks Romans 14 applies to them. That's why my subtitle is a warning to those who think they're right. 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.

But the strong in faith know what is being said here. Know who this applies to and are careful lest they fall. 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.

No, just like Paul said in second Corinthians 1210 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 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. Weakness here is one of extent. Okay, it's how far can I go with God? It's you know, I don't know. Let's say God's boundaries are out here. Okay, whatever that might be, you know sin is not okay.

It's never relative. Sin is not relative and we'll get to that later on the passage. But let's say these are God's boundaries. Okay? The weakened faith are those that say you know what no really God's boundaries are like right here is.

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 like I 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. The weakened faith don't understand that personal preferences in salvation are irrelevant. Tradition is irrelevant.

Culture is Irrelevant and. But it needs to be said though throughout the centuries there have been those that have been weakened faith. But have done great things for God that have been completely 100 sold out for God and given their all for the 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. 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.

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. 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. 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.

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. Okay. So When that comes up, obviously I have a question.

What do you mean by weak faith? We'll look here at verses 2 3 and 5. These are just examples of weak faith. 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.

Verses. 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. Despise the one who abstains and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats for God has welcomed him.

Let me just give you a quick little historical situation or what he's talking about. Back then. Okay. 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.

It wasn't a chicken, but you know, okay, whatever it was. They would sacrifice it. The pagan priest would keep some of it. They'd burn some of it on an altar and what was left over they would sell out the backside of the temple.

Okay, all right now as you might imagine some Christians had a problem with this. Okay, not only because personally because maybe a month ago they were offering sacrifices at that temple. All right, but also think about this guys.

Here is something used in a demonic satanic ritual to a false God and. So you can understand. I mean, it's like this. 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 US for a number of years.

Okay, we have witch doctors in South Africa. Okay, and they sacrifice chickens and goats and other things. 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. All right, and some some voodoo priest sacrifices like five chickens in His Satanic demonic voodoo ritual right down the street. 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. 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. You know, he used it in a satanic ritual man. Wasn't it a great deal, you know? What. You're kidding me. Really? That's what we're talking about here.

Okay, it's that bad and you know what Paul is saying. Eat it. It's okay, or don't eat it if your faith won't take you that far. 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? What's a pagan? Demonic priest he's nothing. What's their false idol? He's nothing. Chickens just a chicken. Meat sacrifice styles just meat. 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 addressed the strong and that's the problem with the strong because you know what they look at.

What's your problem? You know, I mean, isn't it obvious is this is okay biblically. 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.

Pass judgment on the one who eats folks. And I can tell you from experience. The people who are doing the most judging in the church are the weak ones because oh, can you believe you know? What music that one listens to can you believe the way they dress on sunday morning?

Can you believe those people ate that meat sacrifice to idols? Well, you know, you know i'm more holy than that. Look at that. That's what the weak do and often unfortunately the weak can be the greater troublemakers in church.

Well notice here the next the next example of weak faith which is Mowing the lawn and washing the car on sunday. Okay, notice here verse five one person esteems one day as better than another. While another esteems all days alike.

Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind you guys in the early church. This was a problem because the jews used to the sabbath. Okay. It was it was a big deal. Your average pagan they had their holy days too, but it wasn't every single day.

I mean it wasn't every single week. Okay, and so some like, you know, they get saved and they were just grew up pagan and you know. So what's what's the sabbath to them? Nothing. What's so special? About sunday.

Nothing. You know what but what's so special about any other day of the week. Nothing. 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, 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 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 two and three and five have to do with personal preferences. And convictions and they're just examples.

That usually result In a loss of unity in the church. Folks people leave churches over these things. People get wound up pretty tight over these things. 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. 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 holy spirit. Look here in verse 4 who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld for the lord. Is able to make him stand folks.

This verse is aimed directly at the weaker brother. Because the strong who can go this far with god in faith. Don't find fault with the limited freedom. 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 like, okay, 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.

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?

Since you didn't set them and they're not responsible to you. It is god's verdict that counts now and as I said though before in saying this the this is Freedom in everything that a believer can be free and remember verse I mean chapters 12 and 13 come before chapter 14.

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 within the boundaries within the lane that god has given us to run.

Is what we're talking about here sin is always sin. It's never okay. God's word is always the final say on everything. 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. 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 Verse 6 the one who observes the day.

This would be the weaker brother. Okay. Look what he does here. Observes it in honor of the lord. The one who eats this would be the stronger brother eating the meat sacrificed to idols. Look what he does.

Eats in honor of the lord. Since he gives thanks to god while the one who abstains that doesn't eat the meat. Look what he does. Abstains in honor of the lord. And gives thanks to god folks. 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 god and you know what god says here. They both are. Both are honoring 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 in sin. Folks, I mean, sorry back up not the weak in sin the weak in faith.

Are not in sin. The strong in faith exercising their freedom are not in sin. That's not the issue here. The strong are thankful for their freedom and they honor the lord accordingly the weak are thankful what they believe god's boundaries are.

And they honor god for those boundaries. Whether they're actually his boundaries or not. It's like this. Okay again like sort of our illustration here. Let's say god says you can go this far. Okay. But the weak in faith only go this far.

But let me ask you something doesn't god permit that far, right? So in sticking to that that small section, they're still doing what god wants them to do. That's why there's there's no fault in them. There there's 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 god folks. There is no merit In your narrow view and folks there is no merit In your broad view, that's what god is saying here.

This is why we must welcome one another someone's personal preference. Or conviction is not 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.

You live in that and honor god in that. But the weak are still weak and that is not how god wants us to live folks. It is not okay to stay weak. 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.

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 lord and in the strength of his might. 2nd. Timothy 2 1 be strengthened by the grace.

That is in christ jesus. So that's where god wants us all to move to more christ likeness in 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.

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 lord. And if we die, we die to the lord and also he's saying, you know living and dying 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 so then whether we live or whether we die we are the lords and for to it is.

For it is to this end that christ died and lived again that he might be lord of both the dead and living. It's basically like this give the idea here. Like, you know, how we relate to one another you remember those, uh,.

Those bracelets and those, you know christian trinkets and stuff the the ww, you know, jd, you know, what would jesus do? Okay. No, there's nothing wrong with that. I never bought one. I was close a couple times, you know, he looked at it.

That's kind of cool. But you know what the thing is though. That's not the hard question. Are you ready for this? I can answer that for you. What would jesus do he do the right thing? Oh, that was that was difficult, wasn't it?

Okay. Yeah, the hard question is Will you do what jesus would do? That's the hard question. And basically here though, that's the idea we all need to remember that both the strong and the weak are trying.

To do what jesus would do. Okay, that's their intention. They're trying to do what jesus would do. Which guys is exactly what we're supposed to do? Right. God is not condemning the strong or the weak here.

He is simply showing here How they need to relate to one another. 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. You are taking the lordship of christ in their life.

You're saying instead of what would jesus do? You know, what would you know steve the you know, seminary professor missionary almost high do you know? Whatever. What does that got to do with anything?

My opinion doesn't count. It's god's that counts. We may have narrow convictions or we may enjoy our 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.

Okay, stop being offended get over it stop being offended. 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 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. 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. The idea here like I said 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 god would have us do. So notice here verse 10 continues on so why do you pass judgment on your brother 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. Right, that's the way it is every sunday, right?

The judgment seat of the way we do it around here. It doesn't say that. For we will all stand before the judgment seat of god. For it is written as I live says the lord every knee shall bow to me. Not culture and every tongue shall confess to god verse 12 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. 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 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 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. Oh, you got to listen to this. Everybody thinks this passage applies to somebody else. 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. 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 god wants his people to be strong not weak.

And the reason is this folks the strong have greater scope. The strong have a greater opportunity for ministry. The strong can eat food or abstain from it. They can treat any day as special or they can treat every day alike the strong folks.

Like paul can be all things to all men. So that they may win some. The strong are the ones who can change their practice and adapt. For the sake of unity, which means. 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 falls on the shoulder of the strong. To maintain the unity in the church. But also I need to say this and this though is a leadership thing.