This sermon explores acceptance, faith, judgment, and our belonging to the Lord, emphasizing Christ as our King in life and death.
Good morning, beloved family of God. It's a joy to be here with you today, in the presence of our Lord, to share a message from His Word. We are gathered here, not as strangers or acquaintances, but as brothers and sisters in Christ, bound together by a love that surpasses understanding.
Before we begin, let's take a moment to reflect on a quote from one of the great men of faith, Charles Spurgeon, who once said, "Visit many good books, but live in the Bible." How true that is! While we can glean wisdom from many sources, it is the Bible that is our ultimate guide, our true north, our heart's home. It is in the pages of this holy book that we find the words of life, the promises of God, and the story of our redemption.
Today, we turn our hearts and minds to the book of Romans, specifically chapter 14, verses 1-9. Let's read this together: "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living."
What a powerful passage! It speaks of acceptance, faith, judgment, and most importantly, it reminds us that we belong to the Lord, in life and in death.
The passage we've just read from Romans 14 is rich with meaning, and there's a lot to unpack. It's a reminder that we are all servants of the same Master, and that Master is Christ. He is the one who has the ultimate authority over our lives. He is the one we answer to, the one we live for, and the one we die for.
In the ancient world, a king was not just a ruler, but a protector, a provider, and a guide. He was responsible for the well-being of his people, and his people, in turn, were loyal to him. They trusted him to lead them, to make wise decisions on their behalf, and to defend them from their enemies.
When we think of Christ as our King, we can see these same roles. But there's more to it than that. When we say that Christ is our King, we’re saying that He's the ultimate authority. He's the one who has the final say. He's the one who sets the standards, who determines what's right and what's wrong.
This means that our lives are not our own. We belong to Christ, and we live for Him. We don't get to make our own rules or set our own standards. That's Christ's job, as our King.
It also means that we're not in this alone. We're part of a kingdom, a community of believers who are all serving the same King. We're all in this together, and we're all accountable to the same authority.
And finally, it means that we have a purpose. We're not just aimlessly wandering through life, trying to figure things out on our own. We're part of a grand plan, a divine purpose that's been set in motion by our King. We have a role to play, a part to contribute.
The first thing that stands out in this passage is the call to accept those whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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