WWUTT 224 Pursue What Makes for Peace?

WWUTT Podcast

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July 7, 2016

00:00: So, when it comes to our opinions and expressing those opinions, what we should most be concerned about is not our opinions, but what makes for peace and mutual up -building in the body of Christ when we understand the text.
00:24: You are listening to When We Understand The Text, an online Bible ministry committed to teaching sound doctrine and exposing the faulty.
00:32: Find videos and more at our website www .wwutt .com. Now here's our host,
00:37: Pastor Gabe Hughes. Thank you, Becky. And hello, everybody. We're in Romans Chapter 14 again today. If you want to open up your
00:43: Bibles and join with me there. Another shooting had occurred last night. So just a couple of days ago, we had the shooting of Alton Sterling.
00:53: And then last night, a St. Paul man died after being shot by police in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.
00:59: The aftermath of which was recorded in a video that was shared on Facebook in which the man's girlfriend, this fellow who was
01:07: Philando Castile, his girlfriend says the police shot him for no apparent reason, no reason at all.
01:14: We don't see the beginning of the video. We just see the aftermath of the video. But it's very brutal, very difficult to watch these videos.
01:20: And I don't encourage you to if you can't handle that kind of a thing. I mean, it's R -rated material, very graphic.
01:27: So what you're hearing people saying about the videos is most likely accurate. Now, anytime these things happen, a person is sure quick fire to respond with their opinion.
01:39: Here's what I think occurred. And here's how I think that you should respond to this. But I don't think it is necessary for us to come to immediate judgments in that way.
01:47: We're going to have them. You know, like I said earlier this week, you are constantly making judgments because you are a thinking person.
01:54: So you're already going to be formulating in your mind what you think happened and what your opinion of that is the moment that you see it.
02:01: But is it absolutely necessary for you to express your opinion about it right now?
02:07: I think that we make grave errors when we think that I need to let everybody know what
02:12: I think about this at the moment. Have you slowed down? Have you prayed about it yet?
02:18: Have you meditated on what it is that you've observed or even meditated on what you see other people saying before you yourself chime in with what with what your opinion is?
02:29: I don't think that we're very quick to go to the Lord in prayer on these things. I think we're very quick to have our opinions known, in which case it's all about us and our hearts may not be as caring about the situation as we would like to think they are.
02:43: So let us come to the Lord and pray over over situations like this, whether it was the shooting a couple of days ago or the shooting that had occurred last night yesterday in Minnesota.
02:54: These are image bearers of God. The men who were killed were image bearers of God.
03:00: So it's tragic. Anytime we see something like this happen, anytime somebody dies, there should always be a mourning in our hearts, understanding that we live in a fallen world that has been subjected to futility by him who subjected it because of our sin.
03:18: Death happens because of sin. A person is killed because of sin.
03:23: Whether that was justified or unjustified, death occurs in our world because of sin.
03:30: And so we need to go to the Lord in prayer and we need to mourn in our hearts for the tragedy that we see happening all around us.
03:36: We live in a very interesting media age in which these things boom, they're right in front of your face almost the moment that they happen.
03:43: In this case, it was because I think what didn't she live record it on Facebook or something like that.
03:49: And so it's almost like it demands immediate response. You don't have to you don't have to respond right away with your opinion.
03:57: But I think our immediate response should be to mourn and pray to God and ask for his justice to be done.
04:05: His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now, we're talking about opinions here, as we have been discussing through Romans chapter 14 specifically regarding tertiary matters, particular disagreements, theological disagreements that might occur within a body of believers.
04:26: So we're going to get back to studying this here if you have your Bible open to Romans 14. But let's pray first. Typically, I'm praying at the at the end of these episodes.
04:33: But let's pray now as we come into the text. Our great God and Father, we thank you so much for the salvation that has been given to us through Jesus Christ, our
04:42: Lord. The death that occurs in this world all around us as a result of sin, and that is exactly what each and every one of us deserves to die, to be subject to the wrath of God, to be eternally separated from you.
04:56: But you gave us your son that through Christ, by faith in Christ, we would have right standing with God.
05:04: We have eternal life with God. We have a relationship with you, not because of any work that we have done, but because of the work that Christ has done.
05:11: We know that Jesus is coming back to usher in his peaceful kingdom. And God, we long for that.
05:17: Let it be within our hearts and minds to desire that kingdom to come now and end all of this injustice and violence that happens in the world around us.
05:27: Habakkuk cried out, God, how long are you going to let this violence happen? And you responded to him.
05:34: Watch and see, for I'm about to do something in the nations that you would not have known, even if I told you what it was going to be.
05:43: So, Lord, let our faith and our trust be entirely in you. And let things like this, when we see these kinds of things happening in our culture, it causes us to run to you, to desire your justice more than anything else.
05:59: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, we pray for the families of these men who were killed.
06:05: We also pray for the police officers and the families of those officers who have to consider what it is that has happened and the part that they played in that, whether justified or not.
06:17: This is something that sticks with a person. They too, the police officers also are image bearers of God.
06:24: So let us not forget their hearts in this matter as well. Season our speech with salt so we know how to answer each person and help us to be patient and loving and gracious with one another.
06:36: And we pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. All right. Let's come back to Romans chapter 14.
06:41: I'm going to start in verse 13 and go to the end of the chapter because we'll go ahead and finish off the chapter today. Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
06:54: I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean.
07:01: For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love by what you eat.
07:08: Do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good 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
07:20: Holy spirit. Whoever thus serves God is acceptable to God and approved by men.
07:26: So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.
07:34: Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
07:40: It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble the faith that you have.
07:47: Keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.
07:54: But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats because the eating is not from faith for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
08:04: So let us go back to where we left off in verse 15 for if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love by what you eat.
08:13: Do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So again, as I mentioned yesterday and the day before reporting others needs ahead of our own when it comes to expressing our opinions, think of what this means for your brother before you think of what it means for yourself.
08:26: I need to let everybody know what I think. No, you don't. You probably need to slow down and calm down first.
08:33: Think about how this is going to affect others, how this can be edifying to someone else rather than how this elevates you or or makes everybody think that your conscience is so good.
08:46: And so that's why they need to listen to your opinion. Pray first. Ask that the words that you speak are going to be edifying to someone else.
08:56: So as we're talking about food in particular, that's the theological issue that Paul is talking about, whether something is good to eat or whether we should abstain from certain foods.
09:05: Paul is saying, I'm convinced that everything is clean, but if a brother thinks it to be unclean,
09:12: I'm not going to sacrifice my relationship with my brother or or his standing with God in his pursuit of righteousness, eating the thing that I think is fine if it's going to cause my brother to stumble.
09:23: And we're going to talk about this some more as we keep going here. So verse 16. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
09:30: And this is very similar to what Paul said to the Thessalonians, which was a passage that we read earlier this week.
09:36: I'm sorry, not Thessalonians. Colossians, Colossians almost said Second Colossians right there.
09:42: Colossians chapter two, verse 16. Therefore, let not let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a
09:51: Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Don't let anyone speak ill of you about these things.
09:59: OK, and one of the the letters that I'm going to respond to tomorrow, you know, as we take questions from listeners in our
10:07: Friday broadcast, one of the ones that I'm going to answer tomorrow actually has to do with this subject, particularly pertaining to the
10:13: Sabbath. So we've got another question tomorrow to answer about that. So continuing on here, verse 17 for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the
10:25: Holy Spirit. So so our eating certain foods or our abstaining from certain foods, that's not practice for the kingdom of God.
10:34: Like we're not rehearsing anything for how the eternal kingdom of God is going to be for if the kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but it is a matter of righteousness and peace and joy in the
10:47: Holy Spirit. And you think about enjoying those things in God now, and then we enjoy them, enjoy them eternally and perfectly in God's eternal kingdom.
10:56: The righteousness that we enjoy of God now will be eternally righteous and even more perfect in God's heavenly kingdom, peace and joy in the
11:07: Holy Spirit. Think of these things as being something that lasts forever. We get tastes of them now here on earth, but in God's eternal kingdom, they just go on and on and on.
11:16: And we enjoy them forever with our Lord God. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
11:24: So whether you are giving glory to God through eating or you're giving glory to God through abstaining from certain foods, the one who eats, eats in honor of the
11:33: Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God, which we read previously in verse six.
11:42: So same sort of a thing here. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. This is a matter of serving
11:48: God, not serving men and certainly not glorifying in yourself.
11:53: It's glorifying in God. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
12:00: That's where we should be focused upon is how we can encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ, making peace with one another, not causing division over opinions and different positions on tertiary matters.
12:14: Okay, let's keep going into verse 20. Do not for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.
12:20: Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
12:26: Very similar to something that Paul said to the Corinthians. We read this in first Corinthians chapter eight.
12:32: Now concerning food offered to idols. We know that all of us possess knowledge.
12:37: This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Okay, so knowledge opinions puff up, but love builds up.
12:47: If anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
12:54: Therefore, as the eating of food offered to idols as to the eating of food offered, I know. Okay, so giving a little bit of background here, apparently questions have come to Paul from the
13:03: Corinthians. He's writing to the Corinthians for several different reasons. I'm just going to, for the sake of time, I'm just going to focus on this.
13:09: There are questions that have come to Paul from the Corinthians that he did not get to answer with them when he was there.
13:15: So now he's responding to them in this letter. And one of those questions pertains to eating food that has been offered to idols.
13:22: Is it all right to eat that food or not? So that's what Paul is responding to here again. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that an idol has no real existence and that there is no
13:34: God but one. For although there may be so -called gods in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is one
13:44: God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist and one
13:49: Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
13:54: However, not all possess this knowledge, but some through former association with idols eat food as really offered to an idol and their conscience being weak is defiled.
14:07: So in the meat markets in Corinth, a lot of the times when you're going to meat market and you're going to go buy some meat, you're buying food that had first been offered to an idol before it was made available in a marketplace and very, very difficult to find any food that had not first been offered to an idol.
14:24: So then the Corinthians, those who were Christians that are looking at their old way when they used to follow after false gods and they see this food that's been offered to an idol, is it wrong then for me to eat that food because it had been offered to a false god?
14:39: So again, Paul is saying here that because of their former association with idols, when they eat the food that has been offered to an idol, their conscience being weak is defiled.
14:52: They think that they're still doing something that is in their former way of life. And so therefore eating that food that had been offered to an idol, they believe that they have sinned.
15:01: Well, if they believe that they've sinned, they've sinned. Whether or not the word of God says that eating that food is fine in their conscience, they believe that they've done something against God.
15:12: Okay, so keep that in mind as we keep going here. Verse eight, food will not commend us to God.
15:17: We are no worse off if we do not eat and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
15:27: So for those of you who believe it's okay to eat this food and you're not defiling your conscience, be aware that you still could eat and cause your brother to stumble if he believes that by eating it, it is sin.
15:38: So that's what Paul is warning against here. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged if his conscience is weak to eat food offered to idols?
15:51: And so by your knowledge, this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
16:01: Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat lest I make my brother stumble.
16:09: Now, this is not something that we have to be concerned about in our culture necessarily. I think there are some ways that this still applies.
16:18: Let me give you an example of this. A few years ago, Oreo made a six layer cookie, which sounds absolutely yummy, except when you consider that all six of those layers, the icing layers in the middle were the six colors of the rainbow that are displayed in the in the gay pride flag.
16:38: So there were Christians that were concerned about buying that Oreo because they were afraid that they would be participating in something that was that was supporting gay marriage.
16:49: And maybe they were in some respect, because you would be giving money to Oreo to to Nabisco, who would then be giving money to gay rights causes.
16:57: So, I mean, you could still follow the chain of money that way, I suppose. But but honestly,
17:02: I was like, fantastic. A six layer Oreo didn't really matter to me that there were six rainbow colors.
17:08: So for some people, their conscience would be defiled by eating an Oreo that was promoting gay marriage.
17:14: And to others, it was just food. And so it didn't matter one way or the other whether they ate or whether they abstain.
17:20: But for me, I would rather not participate if it meant that I was going to cause a brother or sister to stumble, no matter how appetizing a six layer
17:28: Oreo might have seemed. I was not going to go to the store and buy a package if somebody was going to observe me doing that, and therefore their conscience would be defiled.
17:37: So we put others needs ahead of our own. Let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
17:43: So let's go back to Romans chapter 14 here. And again, verse 21, it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
17:54: Now, we're talking about food here, but again, you can apply this to anything, any tertiary matter or particular issue or something like that.
18:00: You know, a lot of times having a having a presence online, like whether this is through the podcast like this or what videos or through my blog or the
18:10: Facebook page or any of these other kinds of things, there are people that expect me to offer my opinion on something in particular.
18:17: Most opinions that I offer really are. I think about how this pertains to my own church congregation before I think of how this needs to relate to the world at large, because I am a pastor of a local church and my responsibility first is to shepherding that flock before it's offering my opinion to the entire world to consider those things.
18:37: So whether you're reading my blog or anything else, I'm first thinking about the people in my congregation before I'm thinking about everybody else observing what it is that I am saying.
18:46: And so this is one of the ways where as a discipline, I'm able to keep my thoughts in check to the purpose in which
18:52: I am offering them not to elevate myself, but to provide edification for somebody else.
18:58: And so there are plenty of times and in plenty of matters where I withhold my opinion because I don't think that it would be edifying.
19:04: And there are other times when my flesh totally gets away from me and I'm saying things that I probably shouldn't say or without thinking about them first.
19:11: But for the most part, I try to let it be that I'm going to offer this when I know it is going to be beneficial to somebody else.
19:18: But if I have not yet fully made up my mind, I'm not just going to start speaking off the cuff and just spewing off things just because I think somebody needs to hear what
19:26: I'm thinking right now, which is, I mean, that's our multimedia or our social media age for you right there.
19:33: So then in verse 22, the faith that you have keep between yourself and God. There you go.
19:38: That kind of sums up what I just said. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.
19:45: The faith that you have, the level of maturity that you have in your growth with God, this is between you and God.
19:52: And I think also of Micah 6, 8, what does the Lord require of you, oh man, but that you do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your
20:00: God. Walk humbly with God. Your faith and where you are in your sanctification, in your progress, in your maturity with the
20:08: Lord, this is between you and God. It's not something that you need to flaunt or let everybody see how you are as a spiritually mature, immature person.
20:17: But rather, there are certain things that need to be kept between you and the Lord. And so let that be in your progression of faith that it is something that first of all, you think of as being between you and God before you are flaunting it before anybody else.
20:31: Verse 23, but whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith.
20:38: For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. And this is a passage that I have used in communicating with my congregation, how anybody who is not in Christ is always in sin.
20:51: And it does not matter if you observe them doing kind things for somebody else, they are still sinners.
20:58: And even that act of kindness that they do for somebody else is sin because it's not done in faith.
21:05: They believe that the good works that they are doing for other people are justifying themselves and are and are their own kind of righteousness.
21:15: And so when they stand before the judgment seat of Christ, they'll be able to say, well, look at all these good things that I did for somebody else.
21:21: But then God is going to show them all of the injustices that they did in the breaking of God's law and how the good deeds that they did don't even hold a candle to all of the unrighteousness that they did in their entire lives, which we read about that when we were going through Romans chapter two.
21:37: And so it is it is anything that does not proceed from faith is sin. No matter how good the deed might be that somebody else is doing, at least in the eyes of the world, it is coming from a heart that is far from God.
21:50: Not that we should discourage somebody from doing nice things for other people because, well, it doesn't mean anything anyway.
21:55: What you're doing is sin. But rather, this is all the more important for us to preach the gospel to this world because it is the gospel that saves, not good works.
22:05: It is the work of Christ by which we are justified, not any good deed that we do for any other person.
22:12: So this world needs the gospel spoken into every single situation, whether the situation that we are observing is good or bad in the eyes of the world.
22:20: It is the gospel of Christ that is the power of salvation for all who believe.
22:26: Let's close in prayer. And then and then I'll talk to you tomorrow as we answer some letters and emails on the
22:33: Friday broadcast. Our great God, we thank you so much for the things that we've read here in Romans chapter 14. And I just pray that we're all the more challenged to consider others needs ahead of our own, that we're thinking about their thoughts and their heart before we're thinking about, you know, the need to express ourselves or to have everybody look at us because of this opinion or this righteousness that I have.
22:54: A righteousness that we have does not come from us. It comes from you. It comes from Christ. So let us give
22:59: God the glory in all things. Let us consider others needs ahead of our own. Let us think about what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding before we think about expressing our own opinions.
23:11: And God, once again, coming back to this desire to have your kingdom come and all of this horrible filth and waste and sin that we see all around us.
23:21: We desire to see these things brought to an end by him who conquers all Jesus Christ, our