Gray Areas Part 1 Series

Text: Romans 14:1-12

Title: Weak & Strong Believers Pt. 1 The Gray Areas

Romans 14:1-18 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. 2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. 7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

I. Accept One Another

a. The “strong” should accept the “weak

b. The “weak” should not condemn the “Strong”

c. Both the “weak” and the “strong” are accepted by God

II. Honor Your Own Conscience

a. Make an intentional decision

b. Always honor the Lord

c. We will all be accountable to God

Every year we used to do a big missions emphasis week here at church. We would highlight our different missionaries and their work. Well over the next two weeks we will have kind of a mini version of a mission’s emphasis. We will be presenting information about our different missionaries and their areas of ministry. We will start next week with an update on the youth mission trip to the Navajo reservation. The following week we will hear from our very own missionary to the Hispanic community here in Woodland,

Alex Garcia. Alex has been the pastor of the Hispanic church here for the past 4 years. He will tell us a little bit about his ministry and then preach a sermon for us. So please don’t miss the next couple of weeks.

In the Christian life, morality is usually divided up into three categories, black, white, and gray areas. There are some things that are just plain wrong, they are always wrong, they are wrong for everyone.

Then there are some things that are just plain right. They are always right, they are right for everyone.

Then there’s that pesky gray area of life. Those are the things that are right for some people, but wrong for others. They are the things that some Christians consider sinful, while other Christians have no problem with. They are the things that the Bible doesn’t specifically deal with, so we are left to draw our own conclusions.

Most of the passages of the Bible that we study have to do with clear black and white areas of morality. Like last week Paul instructed us to avoid carousing and drunkenness and sexual immorality and strife. These things are always wrong. The passage also talked about the importance of always showing love. That’s always the right thing to do. Very black and white.

Well in chapter 14 and part of 15 Paul turns his attention to address those gray areas of life- The stuff in the middle- The things that can be sinful to some, but not necessarily to all.

Before we dig in, let’s take a little test. I’m going to list some different things up there on the screen and we will need to determine if it is a black and white issue, or if it is one of those gray areas.

- Going to the movies

- Watching TV

- Playing cards

- Smoking- Pipe? Cigars?

- Getting drunk

- Drinking alcohol

- Celebrating Halloween

- Listening to Rock and Roll music