Introduction:
How Do I Love Christians That I Disagree With? (Romans 14:1-12):
- I must continually Humble Myself . (Romans 14:1-4)
- By embracing those who are Different Than Me . (Romans 14:1a)
- By avoiding arguments about Non-Essentials . (Romans 14:1b)
2 Timothy 2:14 - Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.
- By refusing to give myself over to Hatred . (Romans 14:2-3)
- By remembering that I am not the Master of Anyone . (Romans 14:4)
- I must not hold them to My Personal Convictions . (Romans 14:5-9)
Colossians 2:16 - Therefore 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 Sabbath.
- I must entrust them to God and Focus on My Own Walk . (Romans 14:10-12)
John 21:22 - Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!"
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
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01:15-01:27
Alright, you can turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 14 Romans chapter 14 as you turn there I just want to get one thing out of the way But many of you may be thinking about what is going on with your leg, right?
01:28-02:15
And some of you already know but I guess I'll tell you the story even though I've told it I don't know how many times at this point But I wish I could say it was something cool like I pushed an old lady out of the way from getting hit by a truck and the truck ran over my foot or I fended off an intruder with my kickboxing skills, but that is not what happened Stilts were brought into the office last week and I tried to get on the stilts and the first attempt great went really well Second attempt. Well, you can see didn't go so well. I actually fractured my fifth metatarsal in my left foot So I'll be in this boot for a little bit and I used to pride myself on not having broken a bone in my entire Life and the Bible says pride goes before a fall. I just never thought that fall would be from stilts So anyway, I hope I'm not too distracting.
02:15-02:20
I maybe won't move as much as I usually do, but hopefully you won't laugh at me too much whenever I do.
02:20-02:22
All right, let's get to the task at hand.
02:23-02:29
You know, I was thinking this past week that disagreements are an unavoidable fact of life, especially in the church.
02:31-02:39
There is a long list of things that we should all agree on if you are a member at Harvest or a believer in this room.
02:40-02:41
God created everything out of nothing.
02:42-02:46
Every single person in this world is sinful and in need of forgiveness.
02:46-02:48
Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior.
02:49-02:51
The Bible is the inspired word of God.
02:52-02:57
And I could go on and on and on with things we must agree on.
02:58-03:03
But there's an even longer list of things that we do not agree on.
03:04-03:08
And this list ranges from important to very unimportant.
03:09-03:14
And if you don't believe me, I'm going to conduct a quick poll to prove it to you.
03:15-03:26
I'm going to bring some hot button issues that rage online, and I'm gonna ask you to participate by raising your hand to show which side of the debate you agree on.
03:27-03:29
And to be clear, you have to participate.
03:30-03:34
You can't ride the fence, otherwise you're gonna totally ruin the point I'm trying to make.
03:34-03:35
You don't wanna do that, do you?
03:36-03:36
All right, good.
03:37-03:44
All right, first up, What is the best way to eat leftover pizza, cold or reheated?
03:45-03:50
I told you we'd really touch on the major issues that we face in 2024.
03:51-03:54
Who believes that right out of the fridge, cold is the best way to eat leftover pizza?
03:55-03:55
All right.
03:56-03:57
Who says reheated?
03:58-04:00
Oh, I don't understand you people at all.
04:00-04:01
Oh man.
04:03-04:05
I already know Pastor Jeff's answer to this next question.
04:05-04:06
Which do you prefer?
04:07-04:09
Pencils or pens?
04:10-04:12
Who's a Pastor Jeff and says pencils?
04:13-04:13
Oh, Jeff.
04:15-04:17
That's not looking too good.
04:21-04:22
You can't change your answer in the middle of it.
04:23-04:24
Who says pens?
04:25-04:28
All right, the vast majority, I'm sorry about that, Jeff.
04:29-04:30
Jeff thinks very different.
04:30-04:31
Jeff, it's okay to disagree.
04:31-04:33
That's the whole point of this sermon we're about to do.
04:36-04:37
All right, how about this next one?
04:37-04:39
should you make your bed every morning?
04:40-04:41
Who makes their bed every morning?
04:43-04:45
Who left that chore behind when they became adults?
04:46-04:47
I'm with all of you freedom fighters.
04:48-04:50
What is the point of making my bed?
04:50-04:51
No one sees it besides my wife and I.
04:52-04:52
I just don't get it.
04:54-04:59
This next one is very timely for the temperature issues that we experience in this building.
05:00-05:03
Very often, we've experienced both sides of the spectrum.
05:04-05:07
What's better, to be too hot or to be too cold?
05:08-05:09
Who says too hot?
05:09-05:10
You'd rather just sweat it out.
05:13-05:16
Who says I'd rather be too cold and put layers on?
05:17-05:20
All right, well, you'll experience both at Harvest Bible Chapel.
05:21-05:21
(congregation laughing)
05:23-05:27
And this next one really is gonna show us who's who in this church.
05:28-05:32
Which is better, cats or dogs?
05:33-05:35
Who's brave enough to say cats?
05:38-05:39
Not many courageous people here today.
05:40-05:43
Who's gonna say the obvious answer and say dogs?
05:43-05:45
All right, good to know.
05:46-05:52
Well, has it become clear that we hold different opinions and disagree on a whole host of issues?
05:53-05:57
Now, obviously these are trivial issues that we can argue about with smiles on our faces.
05:58-06:06
Unity isn't in danger of being broken at harvest over food tastes, temperature preferences, household chores, or preferred pets.
06:07-06:14
But our unity will be tested when it comes to disagreements that are a bit more serious and hit closer to home.
06:15-06:18
What about educational opinions?
06:18-06:25
Is there a moral obligation to homeschool your kids rather than send them to public or private school?
06:26-06:31
Should Christians steer clear of any secular entertainment, all social media at all costs.
06:33-06:35
Alcohol is a big issue that divides Christians.
06:36-06:40
Are Christians free to drink or is it even wrong to drink in moderation?
06:42-06:43
Here's a big one, politics.
06:45-06:48
That word is even heavier after yesterday, isn't it?
06:50-07:00
Are believers biblically mandated to vote and be as involved as possible in the political realm or is there freedom not to be highly engaged on that front.
07:01-07:06
Don't worry, I'm not gonna ask you to raise your hand and conduct a poll with these questions 'cause that would be awkward.
07:07-07:09
These things are uncomfortable to talk about, right?
07:11-07:18
We often do not consider the impact that these kinds of issues can have upon our view of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
07:19-07:27
Without even realizing it, we can allow these differences to stir up anger, pride, and even bitterness in our own hearts.
07:28-07:33
These kinds of disagreements can make love very challenging and very messy at times.
07:34-07:39
It's really hard to love someone that I think is wrong about something.
07:40-07:47
It's even harder to love someone who thinks that I am wrong about something, because I tend to assume that I'm always right.
07:49-07:56
It is way easier to retreat and separate in our own cliques than it is to come together and unite as the body of Christ.
07:58-08:03
We're in the second week of our latest series, Intentional Love, How to Love Difficult People.
08:04-08:18
Dan Thompson kicked off this sermon series last week with a message on loving our neighbor, which includes anyone and everyone that we come into contact with on a daily basis, even those people who frustrate and annoy us.
08:19-08:28
This morning, we're gonna narrow our focus by studying Romans chapter 14, verses one through 12, where Paul answers this vitally important question.
08:29-08:32
How do I love Christians that I disagree with?
08:33-08:37
How do I love Christians that I disagree with?
08:38-08:48
So before we dive into Paul's answer, I'm gonna pray for you, that you'll be faithful and submitting to God's word, and I ask that you pray for me, that I'll be faithful in preaching God's word.
08:48-08:49
Go to the Lord.
08:52-08:56
Father, this passage we're about to study is very challenging and very convicting.
08:58-09:04
I pray that you would do a great work this morning, that this passage would bring us together and unite us rather than push us apart.
09:06-09:11
I thank you that your Holy Spirit is at work and he will preach a much better sermon than I ever could.
09:12-09:14
I pray that he would do the work that only he can.
09:15-09:17
In Jesus' name, amen.
09:19-09:22
So our question for this morning, how do I love Christians that I disagree with?
09:23-09:27
First on your outline, I must continually humble myself.
09:29-09:32
I must continually humble myself.
09:34-09:39
The key to experiencing loving fellowship at Harvest Bible Chapel is mutual humility.
09:40-09:44
I have to humble myself and you have to humble yourself.
09:45-09:46
It is the only way.
09:47-09:53
This means that your ultimate goal cannot be to put yourself first and have your preferences met.
09:53-09:58
Your supreme desire has to be honoring the Lord and blessing other people.
09:59-10:07
On the priority list of your life, God is to come first, others finish second, and you finish dead last.
10:08-10:10
It shouldn't even be a contest for the Christian.
10:11-10:17
And we have to go against the grain to reverse the order that we naturally gravitate to, right?
10:18-10:23
which is me at the front, others far behind, and God at the very back.
10:25-10:29
And at this point you may be thinking, okay, Taylor, I get it, I have to humble myself.
10:29-10:31
What does that even look like?
10:31-10:33
What does it mean to humble myself?
10:34-10:48
Well, I'm so glad you asked because in verses one through four of chapter 14, Paul lays out four specific actions of humility that will promote love and calm the raging storms of disagreement that will flare up in the church.
10:49-10:59
So I must continually humble myself, letter A, by embracing those who are different than me, by embracing those who are different than me.
11:01-11:05
Let's read the very first part of verse one of chapter 14.
11:06-11:14
Paul writes, "As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him." What is Paul talking about here?
11:14-11:15
Who is the weak in faith?
11:16-11:19
He's not talking about someone who doesn't have faith in Christ.
11:19-11:27
He's talking about someone who has faith in Christ, but has a weak grasp of how that faith should play out in their daily lives.
11:28-11:36
This refers to someone who is brand new to the Christian faith, and they're unsure of how they can use their newfound freedom in Jesus.
11:37-11:46
They are sincere, they're passionate, but they don't possess the wisdom that comes from years and years of walking with Christ.
11:47-11:54
As we'll see in a few verses, Paul is specifically zeroing in on two groups of people who were weak in faith back in his day.
11:55-12:02
First up, Jewish believers who were wrestling with letting go of all the rituals and ceremonies of the old covenant.
12:03-12:10
You know, Christ completely fulfilled the ceremonial law of the Old Testament through his death on the cross and through his perfect life.
12:10-12:13
So believers are not expected to keep it any longer.
12:15-12:21
Those sacrifices, those festivals were simply a foreshadowing of all that Christ would accomplish.
12:23-12:31
But those regulations, those rituals were burned into these Jewish believers' brains and it would take time to let these things go.
12:34-12:38
Pastor Jeff preached a bit about the second group that Paul was referring to a few weeks ago.
12:39-12:49
Gentile Christians who came out of a pagan background and refused to eat meat because they were afraid that maybe this meat was sacrificed to a false God at some point.
12:51-13:01
They were worried that this would be dishonoring to the Lord, even though the New Testament is so clear that Christians don't need to concern themselves with the history of their food.
13:02-13:05
But this is a big hurdle for many of these Gentiles to jump over.
13:07-13:12
As you notice in verse one, Paul doesn't say to rebuke the weak in faith.
13:13-13:19
He doesn't tell the strong in faith to grab the weak in faith by the shoulders and shake them to snap out of it and tell them to cut it out.
13:19-13:20
What does he say instead?
13:21-13:22
What does he say to do?
13:24-13:25
To welcome him.
13:27-13:33
In other words, be patient with those who are newer in their faith as God has been patient with you.
13:34-13:38
Extend to them the same grace that has been shown to you.
13:39-13:50
And Paul's command to welcome the weak in faith is an important word for how we should treat anyone and everyone in the body of Christ, even those we disagree with.
13:52-13:55
This welcoming isn't a base level tolerance.
13:56-14:02
It isn't a posture of keeping people at an arm's length, but drawing them in for a loving embrace.
14:02-14:08
It isn't plastering on a fake smile when they're around and then rolling your eyes at them whenever they walk away.
14:09-14:17
You find these people a place in your heart and on your prayer list because you know that they're your brothers and sisters in Christ.
14:19-14:33
You know, you are by no means obligated to be best friends with every single person at Harvest Bible Chapel, but you are biblically commanded to love every single believer as one of your own family members because they are.
14:34-14:34
(audience laughing)
14:35-14:38
I'm gonna share something with you that I'm not very proud of.
14:39-14:47
Sometimes I'll be out and about at the grocery store, Lowe's, Chick-fil-A, and my eyes will come across an acquaintance.
14:48-14:51
Maybe it's a family friend, someone I went to high school with, whatever.
14:52-14:54
I'll think to myself, oh yeah, that's so-and-so.
14:55-14:59
Ah, I don't really feel like talking to them right now.
14:59-15:02
I'll have to catch them up on my life and I'll have to hear about their life.
15:02-15:03
I just don't have time for that right now.
15:04-15:04
Okay, good.
15:04-15:05
They haven't noticed me.
15:05-15:08
I'm just going to sneak away in the opposite direction before they notice me.
15:09-15:14
I then ninja away in the opposite direction to enjoy my solitude, which was much easier before I had this boot on.
15:15-15:17
This hasn't happened yet with the boot on, so we'll see how that goes.
15:18-15:19
But who else has done this?
15:22-15:22
(congregation laughing)
15:24-15:25
All right, I'm going to give you one more chance.
15:25-15:26
I'm in a good mood this morning.
15:26-15:28
Who else has done this?
15:28-15:34
If your hand's not in the air right now, I guess I'll believe you, but I have a really hard time believing you.
15:36-15:44
On a much more serious note, are there any Christians here at Harvest that you actively avoid because they're difficult to love?
15:47-15:54
Are there people that you blatantly ignore due to a difference of opinion or disagreement of some kind?
15:55-16:01
Maybe you steer clear of them when you see them coming, or you jump into their conversation to escape them.
16:02-16:05
Maybe you sit on a totally different side of the auditorium from them.
16:06-16:12
Maybe you specifically didn't join a specific small group because you knew that person would be in it.
16:13-16:19
Maybe you intentionally leave them out of fun fellowships and hangouts, even though you know this person would love to be a part of these times.
16:21-16:24
Let me ask you a question with a very obvious answer.
16:24-16:25
Is that welcoming?
16:26-16:27
Is that loving?
16:27-16:32
That is extremely unwelcoming and unloving.
16:32-16:36
That is the way of the world, not the way of Christ.
16:37-16:43
In the church, we have to deal with our issues like mature grownups and not mopey children.
16:44-16:51
If we cannot love each other at Harvest Bible Chapel, what chance do we have of loving people outside these walls?
16:52-17:01
If we can't accept fellow Christians that we have minor disagreements with, How can we possibly welcome unbelievers to faith in Christ and to join our fellowship?
17:02-17:10
If we can't get this right, we may as well pack it in and go home because our fellowship is meaningless and phony.
17:13-17:18
I must continually humble myself, let her be, by avoiding arguments about non-essentials.
17:20-17:22
By avoiding arguments about non-essentials.
17:24-17:25
(pages rustling)
17:27-17:41
In verse one, after giving the positive command to welcome the weak in faith, Paul gives the negative command to not quarrel over opinions and your copy of God's word may translate opinions as doubtful things or disputable matters.
17:42-17:47
You know, Paul isn't saying that we should never argue, that we should never stand up for what we believe in.
17:48-18:02
He teaches all throughout his letters that true Christians should fight for the purity of the gospel, correct false teaching, lovingly call out sin in the church, hold each other accountable, and stand firm on what God clearly teaches.
18:03-18:11
On the other hand, Paul is saying that we should not get into verbal wrestling matches over things the Bible is not as clear about.
18:13-18:21
Can we agree that Christians are great at majoring in the minors, and making a big deal of things that the Bible does not even focus upon.
18:23-18:27
Paul gives a very similar command in 2 Timothy 2.14.
18:28-18:47
He writes, "Remind them of these things and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers." There is a kind of arguing that is not only unhelpful, that is not only unproductive, but is actively destructive and deadly.
18:48-18:55
An argumentative attitude is contagious, it spreads very easily, and it ruins lives.
18:57-19:02
I've seen Christian friendships broken over the stupidest disagreements over secondary matters of theology.
19:04-19:07
Churches across this country have split over the dumbest reasons.
19:08-19:11
Like we couldn't agree on what color the carpet should be in the sanctuary.
19:12-19:12
Who cares?
19:14-19:17
We couldn't agree what the bulletin board should be used for in the lobby.
19:18-19:19
(congregation laughing)
19:20-19:22
We couldn't agree on what to call the coffee ministry.
19:23-19:25
These aren't even made up examples.
19:25-19:27
These are actual things that happened.
19:28-19:33
Let me ask you, how did those churches get to the point of broken unity?
19:34-19:52
This pot didn't just start immediately boiling, but it started over time steadily as the leadership and the members kept dialing up the temperature with useless argument after stupid debate until one day, the scalding water poured out on everybody in the congregation.
19:54-19:57
Listen to me, the church is not a debate club.
19:57-19:58
The church is not a courtroom.
19:58-20:01
It is not a Facebook comment section.
20:01-20:07
This is not the place to air all of your grievances, bash one another and pick each other's opinions apart.
20:09-20:12
Let me ask you, what is the better use of our time?
20:12-20:22
Debating one another about things that don't really matter or working together to fulfill our God-given mission of making disciples, which supremely matters.
20:23-20:25
Why are you even here?
20:26-20:28
Are you here to get your way?
20:29-20:30
Are you here to win arguments?
20:32-20:38
Are you here to follow the ways of God, build up the church and win lost souls for Christ?
20:40-20:46
I must continually humble myself, let her see, by refusing to give myself over to hatred.
20:48-20:51
By refusing to give myself over to hatred.
20:52-20:55
Let's continue on with verses two through three.
20:56-21:01
Paul writes, "One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.
21:01-21:24
Let the one who eats not despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him." So Paul brings into focus the issue that I mentioned earlier, some Jewish and Gentile Christians refusing to eat meat out of fear that they might break the Old Testament law or commit idolatry.
21:25-21:33
They chose to eat only vegetables while other believers in the same congregation felt the freedom to eat whatever was put before them.
21:34-21:36
And Paul speaks to both sides of the issue.
21:36-21:40
He says, "Hey, don't let this be an opportunity "for division.
21:40-21:43
It will only become an issue if you make it one.
21:43-21:47
Remember, God has welcomed both of you into his family.
21:48-21:50
You are on the same team.
21:52-22:00
And Paul uses very harsh language to describe how damaging it is to look down on fellow believers who hold different opinions than you.
22:01-22:06
He says you are not to despise one another or pass judgment.
22:07-22:12
When you examine the original Greek, It really ratchets up how serious Paul is taking this.
22:13-22:16
Whenever he says despise, this communicates utter hatred.
22:17-22:19
You are viewing someone as a total non-entity.
22:20-22:23
You are superior and they are inferior.
22:23-22:26
They are next to nothing in your estimation.
22:27-22:29
Past judgment has a legal meaning.
22:29-22:34
It refers to charging someone guilty of a serious crime.
22:35-22:39
You are turning a matter of opinion into an unforgivable offense.
22:40-22:45
You are treating their personal preference as a personal attack against you.
22:46-22:52
If left unchecked, these judgmental and prideful feelings will turn into hatred.
22:55-22:57
I know what some of you may be thinking at this point.
22:57-22:58
Come on, Taylor.
22:58-23:00
I think you're taking this a step too far.
23:00-23:02
I certainly don't hate anybody here at Harvest.
23:02-23:05
There's no believers in my life that I hate.
23:05-23:10
I mean, sure, there are some people I extremely dislike and I avoid them at all costs.
23:10-23:11
They stay away from them.
23:11-23:12
That's not a big deal.
23:13-23:14
Huh.
23:15-23:18
That sounds like a nice way of saying you hate certain people, doesn't it?
23:19-23:26
We can be so polite with our hatred in the church and dress it up to make it look respectable when it is anything but.
23:27-23:43
I encourage every single one of you to examine your hearts this morning, to check for those roots of bitterness, to check for the rotten fruit of hatred, because if you don't, you will cause a lot of serious damage not just in your own life, but the lives of so many sitting here.
23:45-23:54
"I must continually humble myself," letter D, "by remembering that I am not the master of anyone." I'm not the master of anyone.
23:59-24:02
Paul comes in hot and asks a strong question in verse four.
24:02-24:09
"Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?" In other words, who do you think you are?
24:09-24:11
What gives you the right?
24:11-24:12
How dare you?
24:14-24:19
Paul is saying we're not qualified on any level to condemn other believers.
24:20-24:21
That is not in our job description.
24:21-24:23
That is not in our wheelhouse.
24:25-24:28
He goes on to explain why in the second half of verse four.
24:28-24:34
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.
24:35-24:41
Paul is saying, hey, you're not anyone's master in the church, that's God's job, not yours.
24:42-24:47
You don't have the authority to reject a person who God himself has accepted.
24:48-24:55
You are completely unable to condemn someone whose sin has been forgiven by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
24:57-25:08
You know, passing this kind of judgment on other believers as ridiculous as going to someone's place of work and trying to give them a yearly review or evaluation.
25:08-25:09
I mean, just imagine it.
25:10-25:16
Imagine I come to your place of work this week and I give you my unfiltered thoughts about how you're doing on the job.
25:17-25:20
Would that affect your standing in the company one bit?
25:21-25:24
Not at all, because you do not work for me.
25:25-25:31
The approval of your boss matters way more than the approval of someone you do not even work for.
25:33-25:39
In a much greater way, God's approval of you matters infinitely more than the approval of mere human beings.
25:40-25:45
In fact, if God approves of you, it doesn't really matter who disapproves of you.
25:46-25:53
My opinion of you does not affect your standing before God, and your opinion of me does not affect my standing before God either.
25:55-25:59
God is not a fickle teenager whose opinions are swayed by the judgments of another.
26:00-26:05
God's up in heaven thinking, ah, you know what, I really loved Taylor until I found out he's wrong in all these different ways.
26:06-26:08
I'm not really sure how I feel about him anymore.
26:09-26:11
In fact, God has no opinions.
26:12-26:16
He simply declares what is true and commands what is right.
26:16-26:25
And if he declares someone holy and righteous in his sight, then nothing and no one can possibly change that firm and fixed reality.
26:27-26:31
We have to get a grip on who we actually are and who we definitely are not.
26:32-26:35
We are not God, we are not the boss, we are not in charge.
26:36-26:39
We are simply fellow slaves of Jesus Christ.
26:40-26:43
So let us choose to humble ourselves before the Lord and one another.
26:46-26:48
So how do I love Christians that I disagree with?
26:49-26:52
Secondly, on your outline, I must not hold them to my personal convictions.
26:54-26:57
I must not hold them to my personal convictions.
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In verse five, Paul goes on to give another case study and personal preference that made love very difficult 2000 years ago and still does so today.
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Let's read verse five.
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One person esteems one day is better than another, while another esteems all days alike.
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Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
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You know, keeping the Sabbath was and still is a big deal for many Jews because it was one of the 10 commandments.
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But it's the only one of the 10 commandments that is not reissued and reinforced from the mouth of Jesus or in the New Testament.
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Now, why is that?
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Because similar to the ceremonial law that we discussed a few moments ago, Jesus is the one the Sabbath pointed to.
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The Sabbath is all about rest.
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And through his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave, Jesus is the present and eternal rest for every single person who places their faith and trust in him alone for salvation.
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But Christians still debate about the Sabbath.
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They still disagree.
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On one side of the issue, people will say, "I'm convicted to keep the Sabbath "and not work at all on Sundays or do any chores." On the other side of the issue, people will say, "You know, I'm gonna go to church on Sunday and worship.
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"I am free to do chores around the house.
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"I'm free to work if I have to." Well, which option is right according to Paul?
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Neither, neither or both are acceptable.
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He says, "Each one should be fully convinced "in his own mind." In other words, come to your own conviction about this issue and stick to it, but don't belittle others who come to a different conviction than you.
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And Paul reinforces this command in Colossians 2.16, "Therefore, 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 Sabbath.
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These are the shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." And Paul's teaching in these passages extends far beyond the Sabbath and touches other matters of opinion as well.
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You know, to attend the seminary that I graduated from several years ago, I had to sign a document that I would not drink a drop of alcohol during my time as a student.
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Even if I was off campus, even if I was an online student in a totally different state.
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I remember receiving this document and being, I shouldn't be bothered by it.
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Now to be clear, I was not bothered because I wanted to go to parties and get drunk.
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Everyone nod your head if you understand, that's not what I'm saying.
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Okay, good, I feel a lot better now.
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I was bothered because I believe that my seminary was binding the conscience of those who believe that drinking is acceptable and mandating a moral command that is not in scripture.
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In my opinion, that part of the contract was legalistic and in sharp opposition to what Paul is talking about in this passage.
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Again, to be clear, I am not having this sermon become a beer commercial where I say we should all get on board with alcohol.
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Maybe you've wrestled with addiction in the past, or you've seen alcoholism destroy people that you care about.
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Maybe you're convicted that the wisest choice is to steer clear of alcohol because it's not worth the risk.
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Maybe you're convicted that you should abstain from alcohol for health reasons or for the sake of your witness.
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That's great.
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That is a great personal conviction, but it is not a good thing to push that personal conviction on other believers and hold them to a standard that is not spelled out in the word of God.
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The Bible is so clear that getting drunk is a sin, that causing other people to stumble with your drinking is a sin.
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The Bible doesn't say that drinking in of itself is inherently sinful.
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So it is unbiblical and unloving to say that you cannot be a strong Christian and drink alcohol at the same time.
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On the flip side, it is not loving to make fun of Christians who don't drink and act like they're boring prudes.
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Drinking is not essential for a fun and full life.
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And if you think otherwise, I encourage you to do some self-reflection because you may have a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
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Let's move on from alcohol and talk about some other examples.
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Maybe you're convicted that you should never watch any movie that is above PG-13 under any circumstances.
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Great personal conviction, but it's not great to say that you cannot be a Christian and watch any R-rated movies.
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Here's another one.
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Maybe you're convinced that homeschooling your kids is the best option for education.
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That is an amazing decision that I fully support.
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Do you know what I don't fully support?
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Is looking down on other Christian parents who don't have the interest or bandwidth to do the same.
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Maybe you're convicted that you should wear your Sunday best to worship.
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Again, great decision, I fully support that.
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But I do not support looking down on fellow believers who don't feel the same.
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Looking down on others who wear jeans or shorts to church.
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What you wear on the outside on Sunday does not actually communicate fully what's happening on the inside.
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You can be dressed to the nines and not have the right attitude.
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You can be dressed like you're about to go to the beach and fully worship the Lord.
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I can go on and on with other examples, but I think you get the point.
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In verses six through nine, Paul gets to the heart of the matter, which is the matter of the heart.
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He writes, "The one who observes the day "observes it in honor of the Lord.
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"The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, "because he gives thanks to God, "while the one who abstains, "abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
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For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.
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For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord.
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So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.
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For to this end, Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and of the living.
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So the core of this issue of personal conviction is the intention of the heart.
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What matters most is your desire to please the Lord him honor. So let's go through the examples I just gave a personal conviction and see if it's possible to honor the Lord with each one. Can you honor the Lord by abstaining from drinking alcohol? This is the participant, yeah participation. Can you still honor the Lord if you drink in moderation and away from those who can stumble in his presence? Can you honor Honor the Lord if you avoid all secular entertainment and social media.
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Can you honor the Lord if you engage entertainment and social media with wisdom and caution?
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Can you honor the Lord if you homeschool your kids?
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Can you honor the Lord if you send your kids to private school?
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Can you honor the Lord if you send your kids to public school?
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Can you honor the Lord if you wear your Sunday best to worship?
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Can you honor the Lord if you wear your everyday clothes, everyday clothes to church?
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Everyone take a deep breath with me.
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Don't you feel so much better?
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I know I do.
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There's so much freedom in the Christian life, but let's not abuse it and take it too far.
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Let's not throw our freedom in other people's faces and flaunt our personal convictions.
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That's not loving.
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On the other hand, there are a lot of restrictions in the Christian life.
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Let's not add expectations onto others that God himself does not command in his word.
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That is the way of the Pharisees and not the way of Christ-like love.
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Finally, how do I love Christians that I disagree with?
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I must entrust them to God and focus on my own walk.
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I must entrust them to God and focus on my own walk.
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So Paul gives one final reason why we should choose the path of love rather than the path of judgment when it comes to preferences and minor disagreements.
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In verses 10 through 12, he writes, "Why do you pass judgment on your brother?
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Or you, why do you despise your brother?
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For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
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For it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God.
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So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
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Paul already taught us that God is the ultimate master, not you or me.
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Now he's teaching us that God is the final judge, not you or me.
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One day I will stand before the judgment seat of God with no one by my side.
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And the same is true for every single one of you.
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You will give an account for your life and I'll have to give an account for my life.
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God will not have me stand beside the judgments.
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He is one of his pastoral advisors.
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He will not call you forward to testify on my behalf or give a PowerPoint presentation of my personal convictions.
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In light of this future reality, let us resist the urge to be judge, jury, and executioner right now.
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in a culture of outrage and canceling people, let us go in the opposite direction.
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When you go online or turn on the news, you just see this desire to constantly knock people down and destroy them.
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That cannot be how we operate in the church.
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We have to be people of unconditional grace and intentional love.
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Let us entrust one another to God and believe that he will do what is right He will do what is good both right now and on that final day.
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You know, one of my favorite parts of any of the gospels is found at the end of John.
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You know, Jesus has arisen from the dead and he's spending time with his disciples before he ascends back to heaven.
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And he takes Peter aside to let him know he will one day be martyred.
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He will die for his faith.
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That's a heavy bit of news to have dropped on you, isn't it?
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While you're standing on the beach.
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And there are a lot of different ways to respond to that kind of revelation.
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And Peter responds by playing the comparison game.
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He immediately points to John and says, "Lord, what about him?
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"What about this guy?
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"What's gonna happen to him?" And Jesus immediately shuts down this line of thinking.
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And he says, "If it is my will to hear a man till I come, "what is that to you?
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"You follow me." In other words, that is none of your business.
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Just do what I have commanded you to do.
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That reminds me of my son, Sam.
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Whenever I give him a compliment and say, "Sam, you're being so good today." He always says, "Oh, is Emmy being bad?" Talking about his sister.
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We're all like, "Sam, you're not being good right now." "Oh, is Emmy being good?" And I always say the same exact thing.
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Don't worry about what your sister is doing.
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Worry about what you're doing.
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But it's so easy to play the comparison game, isn't it?
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To obsess over the lifestyle of another.
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to bash the opinions and choices of others.
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Do you know what's one of the most loving things you can do for other followers of Christ?
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Focusing on your own walk and becoming who the Lord has called you to be.
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Does any answer surprise you?
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It sounds counterintuitive, doesn't it?
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But think about it.
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You cannot truly know the heart and intentions of another.
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You can only know your own.
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You cannot change the mind of anyone else besides yourself.
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You cannot control the actions of anyone in this room besides the one sitting in your own seat.
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The people sitting next to you need to see your godly witness rather than listen to your ungodly critiques.
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They need to witness your burning hot passion for the ministry rather than suffer through your cold hearted complaints.
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The people sitting next to you need your love for the Lord to spill out onto them so that they can become who God has called them to be.
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Please bow your head and close your eyes.
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I encourage you to do some self-reflection for a minute or two.
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Ask yourself, am I truly loving those I disagree with?
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Do I continually choose to humble myself?
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Or do I exalt myself by pushing away those who are different than me?
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By arguing about things that don't really matter?
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By holding on to feelings of anger and bitterness?
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By forgetting my position and putting myself in the place of God?
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Do I stand strong on my personal convictions or I force them on others?
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Do I unhealthily pry into the lives of others?
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Do I focus upon what the Lord has commanded me to do?
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Honestly answer these questions and then repent of what you need to repent of.
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Ask God for his help so that you can intentionally love everyone, even those you have a hard time seeing eye to eye with.
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I'll close this in a final prayer.
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Father, your word is so clear that the greatest and best way for the world to see you as for our love for one another.
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And when we come to you and we admit that we so often fail to love one another, we fail to show others the same grace that you have given to us.
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Lord, I pray for every single person in this room that you would cut us to the heart and reveal the ways that we don't love our brothers and sisters in Christ.
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And you call, that would lead us to seek restoration, to seek peace, to do better from one day to the next.
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The Lord, our natural reaction would be love and grace, not criticism and not judgment.
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For those in this room who do not know you, I pray that you'd convict them that they're in need of salvation and that they can become a part of this family if they simply turn to Jesus Christ by grace, through faith.
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Lord, we thank you for who you are.
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We thank you for all that you do for us.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
Small Group Discussion
Read Romans 14:1-12
What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
What are some issues of opinion/preference that you see Christians arguing about and dividing over?
Why is it so hard to love people that we disagree with?
What does it look like to welcome one another at Harvest Bible Chapel? Is there a time and a place for debating issues or discussing disagreements?
Why is it wrong to hold other Christians to your own personal convictions that are not clearly laid out in Scripture?
Breakout
Pray for one another.