The difference between us #2
this is a serious message today about something that could become a serious problem.
The comeback 2020.
Last week we read about it. We’re going to read about it again. A food fight that erupted in the Bible that threaten the split apart a church.
Romans (ESV) 14:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 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. 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.
Let’s understand that these people weren’t throwing French fries or grapes at each other – the real travesty was that they were throwing belittling attitudes, and judgment, and heated debates, and name-calling, and arrogance at each other and it was actually leading to the destruction of some people’s faith. They left the fellowship. Relationships were broken. Family split. Some would never return.
Let me let you in on a little secret about this food fight that they were having. Much of the meat that was being eaten came from pagan temples and the animals that the meat came from had been offered as sacrifices to idols. And so those with a tender conscience and a streak of passion wouldn’t eat the meat - it made them feel like they were participating in something that was wrong.
Maybe it’s sort of like how I feel if I were to spend money on tickets to see Elton John or Taylor Swift. Frankly, I don’t want my money going to support the lifestyles that these people have and the causes that they support.
On the other side of this issue with a more pragmatic and mature Christians who understood that the meat wasn’t infested with demons and that eating it wasn’t going to fill their body with some satanic presence. So they ate it.
And a food fight started.
And one side said the other side weren’t true followers of Jesus.
And the other side made fun of the immaturity and ignorance of their lack of knowledge.
And the other side retaliated with harsh judgment.
And the other side simply laughed and ignored them.
And both sides claimed that Jesus was on their side.
And do you know what the weird thing was? Jesus was on both of their sides. The eaters in the non-eaters were both God’s people.
The history of God’s people and the church are littered with these kinds of food fights. If you know nothing about the Church of God then let me tell you about a Church of God food fight that happened way, way back. It wasn’t food but it was about neckties. That’s right. Ties. One group said that ties were worldly in just a sign that you have aligned yourself with popular culture and you were prideful. And the other side said that ties are just another article of clothing that come and go with the fashions.
And they quoted Scriptures.
And they butted heads.
And they both said they were right.
And then they divided.
And they both said that they were the true church of God.
And now we see that the no necktie crowd were probably the smarter ones especially on 90° days.
Before Paul had written Romans 14 he had already faced this same kind of food fight and wrote these words in 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 8:1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
Paul might be saying here that these food fights that we have are really not a knowledge problem, they are a love problem. It’s right in verse 2; If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. What should you know? You should know love. You should know how to build up.
In other words, we all have knowledge, we all think we know what’s right, we all have the facts on our side, we think we have Jesus in our corner, BUT Paul is arguing that your knowledge is simply puffing you up, it is making us arrogant, it is dividing us. Part of our problem today is that we weapon eyes our knowledge and opinions and preferences.
While my superior knowledge puffs me up the mission Jesus left us with was to build others up by our love.
Knowledge exalts me.
Love exalt someone else.
Knowledge makes me look good.
Love makes you look good.
A few chapters later Paul would say this…
1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Yeah, you can speak in angel languages. Yeah, you get the kind of faith that can make a mountain move. Yeah, you have Bible insights nobody else has. Yeah, you’re driving around a pinto and wearing jeans you bought from Cosco. He got it all going on but you won’t even look in my direction. I can’t hear one thing you’re saying because I know you don’t love me.
Why am I talking about this? I’ll tell you why. Because in a few weeks we are going to re-inhabit this building and working to discover that life is changed.
- We’re going to find out that not everybody is processing Covid 19 like you are. And you may have a tendency to dismiss them. And that’s not love.
- You’re going to find that this fear and panic that has captured our nation has captured the hearts of good brothers and sisters and that they have changed. And they’re not going to want to touch you. And they may have a mask on that hides their expressions. They may not even look you in the eye. They may sit far away from you. No handshakes. No hugs. It won’t feel like family. And some people will be missing for a long time.
- You’re going to find that is not just social distancing but there’s going to be some emotional distancing. You may have a tendency to make fun of some of those people.
You see, Covid 19 has gotten into all of our blood streams one way or another – and we all think were right about it. And there is a devil standing at the doorway who wants you to get into a food fight and get that food fight to erupt between all of God’s people.
And here’s what’s wrong with that… John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Because Jesus created the most unique thing in the world - nothing like it had ever existed before - he called it “the church.” If you read enough of Paul in the New Testament you will come to realize that one of the most amazing things that God did was to create a church where all people,
of all colors,
of all backgrounds,
from all over the world,
of all incomes,
of all cultures,
of all sexes,
of all languages,
all intellects,
would be one family, one body, one unit, because we all got in the same way - through faith in Christ, and we would be so deeply committed to each other that nothing could tear us apart.
When we are in a family several things happen… We belong to something…
- We have a family name - or an identity.
- We are known - we have a community.
- We are accepted.
- We are valued.
- We have a place.
- We have a role and a responsibility.
- We have a set of common core values - we think alike.
- We have the same common purpose.
Everybody is looking for this family, this place to belong to in life.
So let me take you to one more Scripture where it is modeled for us how we are supposed to love each other and do this thing called “church” we all come back together.
Eph. 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
When Paul writes this he is actually addressing another Bible food fight except this one was between the super conservative and traditional Jewish people who started following Jesus and the wild and free rock and rolling Gentiles who also started following Jesus. And he tells them both…
You have a God sized calling and so live a worthy life of that calling. Or we could say, “live the kind of life that carries the weight of your calling. Love a weighty life.”
And then he defines a weighty life…
2 Always be humble… Humility is not thinking less of yourself it’s just thinking about yourself less and thinking of others more. Humility means that you don’t have to be the loudest voice in the room. Pride always tries to figure out how I can leverage you for my advantage and humility tries to figure out how I can leverage me for your advantage. That’s a different kind of life and we need a lot of that we get back together.
2 Always be humble and gentle… Gentleness means that I could hurt you but I won’t, in fact, I can help you and I will. Being gentle means that I have power in leverage and advantages but I never use it in a forceful way - I’m not about ultimatums, abuse and hurt but I’m about using my advantages for you. That’s a weighty life and we need a lot of that when we get back together.
Be patient with each other… Patience is essentially responding in a positive way to a negative situation. We are all going to see some things and some people and we would like to throw our opinion out. Being patient is the choice to control your emotions and your mouth instead of allowing your emotions and your mouth to control you. That makes for a weighty life and were going to need a lot of that when we get back together.
making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love… This is a uniquely Christian and godly thing to do because we live in a family, the family of God, where we need to practice a kind of love that says, “just because you’re not where I think you ought to be doesn’t mean that I’m quitting on you or leaving you. I’m not going to quit on you because I love you like Jesus loves you and he doesn’t quit on you.” Part of loving someone is allowing my life to be complicated for their sake.
This is a weighty kind of life that were going to need a lot of when we get back together.
3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace… When our kids used to fight we would sit on the stairs and tell of that they couldn’t get up until they worked out their problems. Now my son has a different method; he takes a T-shirt and makes both kids where the same shirt together until they work out their problems.
Maybe we should make adults do that.
Remember were talking about the family of God and what to do and we are tempted to get into a food fight. The Scripture is clear here; make EVERY effort to unite AND even go to the length of finding yourself to others with peace.
Why such an effort? Because it is way easier to sit across the room and call each other names.
In this passage ends with a flourish…
4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.
We are in the same family.
We have the same Holy Spirit.
We have the same hope for the future.
We’ve all had the same baptism.
We share the same faith.
We all recognize Jesus as the one.
And God is in us.
And God is living through us.
We have way more things that tie us together and separate us. But it is the devils goal and intention to use something like Covid 19 and the politics that surround it to create a wedge between us.
WE ARE HERE TO COMPLETE EACHOTHER, NOT COMPLETE AGAINST EACHOTHER.
When I belong somewhere it means I have made an intentional commitment to that person or to that group.
Here is my commitment to the church and I dare you to make it yours as well…
1. This is where I belong, these are my people, my spiritual family. And I will love them. Stop was
2. This is the body where I will serve, the people who will depend on me and I on them.
3. I see myself not as a member or attender, but I see myself as an owner who has responsibilities in this family.
4. I give my best right here, to these people, to this vision, using my talents, releasing my passion with excellence.
There is nothing like the church. There is no other assembly of black, white, Asian, yellow, rich, poor, middle class, young, old, east, west, liberal, conservative, sophisticated, hillbilly, men, women, the “got it together,” and the “never get it together” who loves each other like in the church.
