"Saints Both Weak And Strong" Romans Pt. 20 Series

T.S. – The church of Christ is to be a place of healing a place filled with love and compassion not a place that abuses others in the Body. So as part of the church I need to ask some questions to you today in light of Romans 14. How well are doing in serving your brothers and sisters in Christ?

I. How are you using the freedom you have in Christ? (Romans 14:19)

a. What are you doing with your freedom – flaunting it in the face of others?

i. Are you injuring others in their faith walk with God by your radical freedoms of expression?

ii. Are you using the freedom you found in Christ righteously or selfishly?

iii. Yes, you are free in Christ and in this nation but what are you doing with your freedom – reference the Time magazine this week.

1. Their article on “The Case for National Service!”

a. They state, “Millions of Americans want to help their community, their country, their world. Here’s a plan to put those ideals into action” (Sept. 10, 2007)

b. Scripture addresses for us the danger in abusing the freedoms that the Lord has given us.

i. 2 Cor. 3:17: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

1. Where there is freedom God id there in the midst of it! He is watching!

ii. 1 Peter 2:16: “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”

1. We are warned not to use our freedom to cover up evil but live like a servant of God.

iii. James 2:12: “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.”

1. We need to know that we will be judged by the law that gave us freedom and how we used that freedom in our lives.

iv. I Cor. 8:9: “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”

1. We are warned not to be a stumbling block to others by how we use our freedom!

v. Galatians 5:13: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature rather, serve one another in love.”

1. We are called to be free – but use that freedom tapered by love for good and not for the indulgence of the sinful nature.

vi. Romans 14:16-21: 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

1. We are warned in our text not do the “Stumbling Block Act of Disgrace.”

a. Because if you do then you are abusing the freedom that God has blessed you with and you will be judged for the abuse of your freedom.

c. Observation: I look at American Christianity today and I have to ask the question: “Is the church using the freedom they have in Christ as a license to do what ever they want?”