NOTE:
This is a manuscript, and not a transcript of this message. The actual presentation of the message differed from the manuscript through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is possible, and even likely that there is material in this manuscript that was not included in the live presentation and that there was additional material in the live presentation that is not included in this manuscript.
ENGAGE
In the Tucson metropolitan area, there are several places that hold large groups of people who some would consider to be the very best Christians because of the things they don’t do. They don’t drink or smoke or cuss or watch R-rated movies or sleazy TV shows. They don’t buy lottery tickets or go the casino or go dancing at the local night club. Here is a picture of one of those gathering places.
[Show photo of a cemetery.]
The people there don’t do any of those things because they are dead. But even if they were alive and didn’t engage in any of those practices, not only would that not necessarily make them a good Christian, it wouldn’t insure that they were Christians at all. And yet, how often do we determine the maturity of a disciple of Jesus based on those kinds of measures?
We’re in a section of Romans where Paul is contrasting the “weak” and the “strong” disciples of Jesus. For us, the term “weaker” brother might actually cause us to think of disciples of Jesus who are “weak” because they have a hard time keeping some of the rules we often associate with being a Christian. But as Ryan helped us understand last week, Paul is actually using that term to refer to immature disciples of Jesus who still view Christianity as a religion with a bunch of rules to be followed rather than a relationship that is intended to give us a great deal of liberty and freedom.
And as Ryan pointed out last week, these matters of opinion or personal conviction, should not divide us. Sometimes you will see these issues referred to as “disputable matters” because they are not addressed directly in the Bible, although there are Biblical principles that do provide at least some guidance in these areas.
Last week, in the first half of Romans 14, we discovered that…
Christian love is manifested through
how we accept the weaker brother
Rather than passing judgment on or despising our fellow disciples who might be immature in their faith and therefore still hold on to some of the rules that they think make them a good Christian, we are to accept and receive them the same way God has accepted us through Jesus.
TENSION
Today, as we look at the second half of Romans 14, we’re going to deal with another side of the same coin. In this section Paul is going to address those disciples who are more mature in their faith and who therefore have a better handle on the liberty and freedom that we have in Jesus. And just as we saw last week in the first part of the chapter, the instructions that Paul gives here have implications for all of us, whether we are a weaker disciple whose faith is still defined by a lot of rules or we are a stronger, more mature, disciple who lives out our faith more as a relationship.
TRUTH
[Read Romans 14:13-23]
The main point this morning is so simple that I’ve been able to capture it in just three words:
Love eclipses liberty
Would you say that out loud with me?
Originally I had worded this “Love trumps liberty”, which I actually think has a better ring to it, but I didn’t want to be accused of being too political this morning. But I think this is still simple enough that all of us can remember it. Applying it may be a little more difficult, however.
If you are a disciple of Jesus, then you do have great freedom and liberty in your life. But just because you have it, doesn’t always mean you have to exercise it. Sometimes the best way to demonstrate that we are a strong Christian is to voluntarily limit the use of our liberty out of love for another.
Mary and I regularly work out at a local gym and I’ve observed that there are three different types of strong people there. First there are those who are strong and they want everyone else to know just how strong they are. They tend to gather a group of people around them, especially when they are lifting a lot of weight. They flex their muscles. They scream and groan and drop their weights loudly at the end of their set just to make sure everyone is looking.
Then there are the people who are just as strong, but they just quietly go about their workout without doing anything to draw attention to themselves and then go home.
Finally, there are those who are not nearly as strong as they think they are. These are the ones who are lifting way more weight than they should be which requires them to use poor form and eventually they hurt themselves. But they will always brag about how much weight they just lifted.
I think Christians tend to fall into three similar groups. There are the strong Christians who constantly let everyone know just how strong they are. But the problem is that they are rarely willing to forgo exercising that strength out of love for another.
Then there are the Christians who are strong, but they are comfortable enough that they don’t have to let everyone else know about it. And they are humble enough to refrain from exercising that strength if it would harm someone else.
Finally, there are those Christians who are not nearly as strong as they think they are. And because of that, they almost always end up hurting themselves and others in the exercise of their liberty.
Before we go any further, I want to remind all of us one more time, that Paul is writing here about non-moral matters that are not directly addressed in the Bible. He is not talking about judging your brother regarding sin or serious doctrinal error, which we are commanded to do in Scripture.
Paul specifically focuses here on the matter of eating or not eating certain foods. And for Paul, a former Pharisee, to argue that Jewish disciples of Jesus were free from the Old Testament dietary laws, was extremely radical. In our culture, dietary laws are no longer a major point of contention among disciple of Jesus. But there are certainly many other issues where genuine Christians are going to have differing convictions based on their understanding of the Bible.
And that list tends to change as culture changes. As I was studying this week, I read some older commentaries and sermons and it was interesting to see what kinds of things were considered to be “disputable matters” even just 25 or 30 years ago – things like hair length or dancing or playing cards or whether Christians should go to movies or watch TV or even which Bible translation to use. Today the list is certainly different. But the principle that Paul lays out for us here is still just as applicable today as when he wrote it nearly 2,000 years ago.
Paul begins this section with the general principle in verse 13 and then he expands on that in the rest of the passage. He uses an interesting play on words in that verse as the word translated “decide” is actually the same word translated “pass judgment” earlier in the sentence. So we could paraphrase that verse something like this:
“Don’t judge your brother; rather, judge yourself so that you don’t put a stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”
Or, to put it another way that is more consistent with our main idea:
Decide ahead of time that out of love for your brother you won’t ever exercise your liberty in a way that would be a stumbling block or obstacle for him.
APPLICATION
So how do we do that practically? I’m going to share with you five questions that you should ask when you face these kinds of matters. I think these questions will help us to apply not only today’s passage, but also the passage that Ryan preached on last week.
5 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN I’M FACED WITH A “DISPUTABLE MATTER”
1. What does the Bible say about this?
In verse 14, Paul writes “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus” about the matter of dietary laws. In other words, Paul had taken the time to make sure he understood Jesus’ view on this issue. Although Paul was a Jew and a Pharisee who had meticulously observed the Old Testament dietary laws up until He had an encounter with Jesus, he was willing to change his convictions based on his examination of what God had revealed to him.
We don’t know exactly how God did that. He was likely aware of the words of Jesus in Mark 7 where He had declared all foods to be clean. Perhaps it was revealed directly while he was in Arabia for three years preparing for ministry. Maybe it was as he discussed with Peter the vision Peter had where God revealed to him that there were no longer any unclean foods. But however he came to that conclusion, we know that it was based on what he had received from God.
Today, our primary source for discerning the heart of God an any matter is the Bible. So obviously the first thing I want to make sure of is that this really is a “disputable matter” and not a moral matter that is addressed directly in the Bible. Marrying an unbeliever, or committing adultery, or stealing, or gossiping and a whole list of other attitudes and actions are never disputable matters because they are clearly addressed in the Bible.
Once I determine this issue really is one of those “grey areas” that is not specifically covered in the Bible, I need to look for Biblical principles that might help me decide if this is something I should do.
Let me illustrate. Let’s say I’m thinking about smoking marijuana. That is not addressed specifically in the Bible. But I do know that the Bible teaches that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore I am to take care of it. And I also know, as we saw a few weeks ago, that I am to submit to the governing authorities. And at least right now in the state of Arizona, it is illegal to smoke marijuana unless you go get a medical marijuana from your doctor. So I’d argue you don’t even need to ask the last four questions, You have your answer.
2. Would it cause someone else to stumble?
So let’s say I’ve answered the first question and I’m convinced that what I want to do does not violate the Scriptures and therefore I have the liberty engage in that activity.
This next question really gets to the heart of this passage. It is so important that Paul addresses it three times. We’ve already talked about the overall command in verse 13. Then in verse 20 he writes that “…it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble…” And then in verse 21, he writes that “It is good not to…do anything that cause your brother to stumble.”
Paul is not teaching here that the entire church is to be limited by the conscience of the weakest in the body. If we were to carry this idea to that extreme no one could ever exercise the liberty they have in Jesus. But what he is saying here is that out of love for the other person, we are to limit the exercise of our liberty when we are in the presence of a weaker brother or sister.
That means that there are some things that might be perfectly permissible for me to do in private or in the midst of a group of fellow disciples who also view that as acceptable to God. But when I am in the presence of a brother or sister who has different convictions, I must choose to let love eclipse liberty and refrain from exercising my liberty in that situation.
Again, let me illustrate. Let’s suppose that you have personally determined that it is OK to smoke cigarettes. So you do that in the privacy of your own home. But because you know that others might not share that same view, you refrain from smoking when you go to church, or to someone else’s home. In fact, in order to apply this principle, you might choose not to smoke in your own home when other people visit.
Love gladly yields it rights when it keeps a weaker brother or sister from stumbling.
3. Will this matter 1,000 years from now?
In verse 17 Paul makes it clear that the main reason we are not to cause a brother to stumble is that the kingdom of God is not built on temporary things like eating and drinking. Our priority is not to be about our right to eat or drink or do what we want because all those things will pass away. They won’t matter 1,000 seconds from now, alone 1,000 years from now.
On the other hand, the things that do have a lasting impact in the kingdom of God are those things which produce righteousness, peace and joy. So if I pursue my “rights” in a way which disregards my weaker brother or sister, then that which was once good actually becomes evil because it keeps the other person from developing those traits, which will last and impact the kingdom of God for eternity.
While we’re on this question, we need to address the last part of verse 15, where Paul writes:
By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.
It is important for us to understand that Paul is not in any way claiming that we can cause someone to stumble in a way that they could lose their salvation. But if we choose to do something that gives us temporary pleasure or satisfaction that results in robbing another disciple of righteousness, peace and joy, we can contribute to some kind of spiritual disaster in the life of the other person. Maybe that person leaves the church or quits participating in some ministry or loses their joy in Jesus. And that will matter 1,000 years from now.
4. How will this affect my witness?
While Paul is primarily focused here on maintaining unity within the body of Christ, we see in verses 18 and 19 that when we allow love to eclipse liberty, it also impacts our witness to the outside world. When we yield our rights for the good of our brothers and sisters, not only it that acceptable to God, Paul writes that it is also “approved by men.” The idea there is that when those outside the church observe us treating each other with that kind of love, it makes Jesus and His church attractive.
Let me give you a hypothetical situation to illustrate. Let’s suppose that your unbelieving neighbor invites you and someone else from the church over for dinner. And with your dinner, your host offers you a glass of wine. You have determined that would be perfectly fine since the Bible does not prohibit drinking wine, although it clearly does prohibit drunkenness. But you know that your Christian brother has a different conviction and for him drinking a glass of wine would be a sin. What do you do? Do you please your host? Or do you please your brother in Christ?
The answer is you love your brother by letting love eclipse liberty. So you choose not to have that glass of wine. And while you certainly risk offending your unbelieving neighbor, I would argue that your demonstrated love for your Christian brother might very well give a profound testimony of how the love of Jesus impacts His disciples. I’m not naïve enough to claim that will always be the case, but the general principle here is that my witness for Jesus will be enhanced when I let love eclipse liberty.
5. Do I have doubts?
If, after I ask and answer all these questions, I still have doubts about whether I should do something, then I just shouldn’t do it. “If in doubt, throw it out!”
Paul expresses this idea in the last two verses of this chapter. When he writes that the faith that we have is to be kept between us and God, he is clearly not suggesting that we don’t share our faith with others. What He is saying is that when it comes to these disputable matters, we ought to have these matters clearly settled in our minds and our spirits. We need to be 100% sure that our convictions are in line with who God is and with His purposes, plans and ways. And if there is even a shred of doubt about whether or decision is correct, then it does not proceed from faith and therefore if we engage in that activity, it is sin for us.
INSPIRATION
Far too often, the church has been divided over the kinds of “disputable matters” we have talked about the last two weeks. And that division can arise from two different mistakes that we are prone to make.
On one hand, we can make the mistake of thinking that everyone ought to have the same convictions I have and when that happens, I will have a tendency to look down on those with different convictions. And as we saw last week, the antidote to that kind of thinking is this:
Christian love is manifested through
how we accept the weaker brother
That means that rather than passing judgment on my brothers and sisters in Christ, I will accept them the same way Jesus has accepted me – with much grace.
The second mistake we can make is to exercise our liberty in Christ in a way that might cause a brother or sister in Christ to violate his or her convictions. And as we’ve seen this morning, the antidote to that kind of thinking is to make sure that in our lives…
Love eclipses liberty
That means that even though I may have the freedom to engage in some activity or behavior, out of love I will never do that in a way that causes a fellow disciple to stumble.
As we close, let me share with you an example from my own life that I hope will help illustrate these ideas that we’ve been talking about these last two weeks.
When Mary and I first had kids, we developed a conviction that having anything at all to do with Halloween was wrong. We based our decision to a large degree on what we learned about some of the pagan roots of the holiday and many of the practices associated with it. And perhaps some of you have come to that same conclusion. So for us, to participate or allow our kids to participate in Halloween would have violated our conscience and been a sin. So on Halloween night we did not allow our kids to go trick or treating and we did not pass out candy to the kids in our neighborhood who were.
Even today, I think under the circumstances that was the right thing to do for us since we would have sinned had we violated our convictions. However, where I really fell short in applying Romans 14 is that I expected every other Christian to have the same convictions we had. And at times, I was pretty vocal about that and I looked down upon those who, at least in my opinion, just weren’t mature enough to arrive at the same conclusion.
Then five years ago at this time of year I ran across this Facebook post from Christian singer Natalie Grant:
I've had many people over the years ask me if I "celebrate" Halloween. I don't celebrate evil. Or darkness. Or witches, ghosts and goblins. But I DO celebrate kids. And princesses. And fairies. And candy. Lots and lots of candy. And neighbors. And community. As children of the Light, why in the world would we hide in our houses on what is considered a "dark" day? And what other day of the year does your entire neighborhood show up at your doorstep? What good does it do to make sure all of the lights are out, trying to make a "stand" for righteousness while the neighbors turn and walk away? No - as a Jesus follower I will open my door wide, greet everyone with a smile and hand out the best candy possible. You don't have to agree with me. That's totally ok. We still both belong to Christ. Oh, and I forgot one other thing I celebrate...freedom in Christ WITHOUT the yoke of legalism. Let the candy collecting begin.
PS - read Romans 14
That post not only convicted me about how I had viewed other Christians who observed Halloween for the past 30 years of my life, but it also got me to reconsider my own convictions. So, for the last 4 or 5 years, Mary and I have sat out in our front yard and handed out some really good candy to the neighborhood kids. OK, I’ll admit we do hold back some of our favorites and only give those out at the very end if we need to.
But here is the thing. I’m not offended one bit if your convictions about Halloween are different than mine. I’ve been there myself. With grace, I will accept you regardless of your personal convictions about Halloween. And out of love, I will not exercise the liberty I have in Jesus to go ahead and participate in Halloween in any way that might cause you to violate your convictions or be a stumbling block or obstacle to you as you exercise your convictions. If you are convinced that you shouldn’t participate in Halloween, I’m not going to invite you over to hand out candy with me or insist that you do that on your own. And my prayer is that you would treat me likewise.
ACTION
Genuine worship always requires our response to what God has revealed. And because the things we have learned the last two weeks are so practical and so crucial to maintaining unity with our church family, I want to challenge all of us to respond to those messages in a very concrete and practical way.
So in just a moment, we will give you an opportunity to respond to God. On the back of your sermon outline I’ve provided you with some suggestions about how you might want to do that. But certainly there are other ways that God might lead you to respond today.
We’ll begin our response time with a time to give back to God out of the material resources that He has entrusted to us. In the Bible, we are given a number of reasons that we are to give. One of the reasons is so that we can do what we talked about earlier and invest in what will matter 1,000 years from now, the kingdom of God.
After the offering, as the music continues to play, we invite you to do two things:
• Make a decision. That might be anything from deciding to commit your life to Jesus for the first time, to joining our church, to some specific application that you need to make in response to today’s message. We encourage you to write that down and share it with someone who can help you keep that commitment.
• Pray. If you would like someone to pray with you or for you, our Elders and some of our wives will be available in the front and back. Or you can pray on your own, either at your seat, or by coming to the front.
