When Christians Disagree!

SERMON OUTLINE:

• Respect each other’s opinions even if you disagree (14:1-5)

• Accept each other for who we are in Christ (14:6-12)

• Avoid offending one another as much as possible (14:13-23)

• Always seek to please one another (15:1-7)

• Accept all those whom God has accepted (15:8-13)

SERMON BODY:

Quote: American author & humourist Mark Twain used to say:

• “He put a dog and a cat in a cage together as an experiment,

• Just to see if they could get along. They did,

• So, he put in a bird, pig and goat.

• They, too, got along fine after a few adjustments.

• Then he put in a Baptist, Presbyterian, and Catholic.

• Soon there was not a living thing left”.

• Sadly, Bible history and church history bear record to Mark Twain’s observation.

• That so often Christians do not get along with each other,

• And even in the same denomination they can and do fall out!

Ill:

• That should not surprise us,

• Remember, even the twelve disciples argued among themselves.

• And they even did it while Jesus was right there with them!

Ill:

• The apostle Paul had a falling out with Barnabas over John Mark,

• As to whether they should take him on the mission field.

Ill:

• And some of the New Testament churches.

• Broke the heart of the apostle Paul with their disputes and divisions.

• So, sadly Christians do fall out with each other,

• A sign of maturity is to try and heal the relationship,

• Unity is so very, very important,

• That is one reason I read Psalm 133 earlier in the service.

Ill:

• It was the German philosopher Schopenhauer (Sh-up-en-how-er),

• Who compared the human race to a bunch of porcupines?

• Huddling together on a cold winter's night. He said,

"The colder it gets outside, the more we huddle together for warmth; but the closer we get to one another, the more we hurt one another with our sharp quills. And in the lonely night of earth's winter eventually we begin to drift apart and wander out on our own and freeze to death in our loneliness."

• TRANSITION: What is true for the human race,

• Sadly, can at times be said of the people of God (the Church!).

• In theory and in our songs, we want unity, to ‘huddle together,’

• But often we are together we can then hurt each other with our ‘sharp quills’.

• The result, instead of drawing ‘closer together’ we can easily, ‘drift apart’

One of the beautiful things about the body of Christ is its diversity.

• Just look around at the different ages here this morning.

• We may well have different political views,

• Our taste in music, sport and politics will differ.

• Our social or ethnic backgrounds may have been very different,

• And along with the positive things that diversity brings,

• It also brings many challenges.

• In these chapters the Apostle Paul encourages us as believers,

• To accept one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

(1). respect each other’s opinions even if you disagree (14:1-5)

“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 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. 4 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.

5 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.”

BIG IDEA IN THIS SECTION:

• The apostle Paul talks about Christians who are strong and weak.

• Not physically but strong and weak in other ways.

• The weak in the faith are simply those who may have a weak conscience,

• Or perhaps are easily offended.

• We are told to, welcome that type of Christian,

• But not to constantly be quarrelling with them over different opinions.

• The section is about disputable matters,

• Not essentials!

Ill:

• Make one fist and one open hand with your two hands.

• In the closed fist are the essentials of the Christian faith,

• These are the beliefs that you cannot disagree with,

• The traditional, Orthodox beliefs about God Christ and the Bible etc.

• e.g. The trinity.

• e.g. The virgin birth,

• e.g. The sacrificial death of Jesus.