What Matters Most In The Christian Life? Series

What Matters Most in the Christian Life?

The Book of Romans

Romans 14:10-23

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared November 26, 2021)

(Revised Mar. 23, 2023 to add Scriptures on the Judgment Seat of Christ)

BACKGROUND:

*Remember that Romans 12 marked a big shift in Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. In chapters 1-11, Paul spelled out the truth about our terrible sinfulness and our desperate need for God's salvation. Paul made it clear that salvation can only come by God's grace through faith in our crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ. This is the heart of the good news about Jesus. He died on the cross for all of our sins. But three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead, and now He will give eternal life to everyone who receives Him as Lord and Savior.

*But how are we supposed to live this new life we have as Christians? That's what Paul began to discuss in Romans 12. Today's Scripture gives us some more essential instructions. Let's begin by reading Romans 14:10-23.

MESSAGE:

*What matters the most in life? It's easy to forget. A dad named Glenn Adsett got a unique wake-up call on this truth. Glenn and his wife were missionaries in China when the Communists took over in the late 1940s. Glenn, his wife and their two children were placed under house arrest while they waited to hear what the Communists were going to do with them.

*Then the soldiers came one day and said, "You can return to America." They went into a wild celebration, but it was cut short when the soldier gruffly said, "You can take only 200 pounds with you!"

*The family started rushing around. They had been in China for many years. How can you limit the possessions of a lifetime to 200 pounds? They got the scales and began to argue about what to take. All four of them had their own ideas about what was most important: A typewriter, a vase, some keepsakes they treasured.

*Finally, they got it down to 200 pounds on the dot. The soldier asked, "Ready to go?" -- "Yes!" they replied. Then the soldier asked, "Did you weigh the children?" Suddenly the typewriter, the vase, and the keepsakes all became trash. They were garbage compared to the children! Glenn and his wife were strongly reminded of what matters most in life. And that's what God's Word is talking about here. (1)

1. FIRST: WE MUST REMEMBER THAT JESUS IS OUR JUDGE.

*We see this truth in vs. 10-12. There Paul began with a question and said:

10. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

11. For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.''

12. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

*Paul had already given a strong warning against judging our brothers. We saw it back up in vs. 3-4, where Paul said:

3. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.

4. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

*Now in vs. 10-12, Paul reinforced his warning by pointing us to the real Judge, and our obligation before Him. Again in vs. 10 Paul said, "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

*God's Word makes this truth clear in at least three places. For example, in 2 Corinthians 5:8-10, Paul tells Christians:

8. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

9. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2)

*Christians: "We must all 'stand' or 'appear' before the judgment seat of Christ." Paul was not talking about lost people here. He was talking about saved people. But we must understand that the judgment seat of Christ is not a judgment for our sins.

*All of our sins have been washed away by the saving blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid it all! He paid the full price for our sins when He died on the cross. Many Scriptures confirm this truth. John 3:18 says, "He who believes in Him is not condemned." John 3:36 says, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life." Colossians 2:13-14 also tells Christians: "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."