STICK WITH ACCEPTANCE

Transcription

1 SESSION 14 STICK WITH ACCEPTANCE 166 Session 14

2 GET INTO THE STUDY The Point Strong relationships are not hindered by differences of opinion. The Bible Meets Life Some people feel like they can have nothing to do with a person who believes differently. At the other end are those who say we must not only accept any differences, but we must endorse those differences, as if it s OK to have that opposing view. We need to recapture what it means to accept another person, and the Book of Romans gives us practical direction on how we do this, especially within the body of Christ. The Passage Romans 14:1-4,13-19 The Setting The church at Rome was composed of both Jewish and Gentile believers. In part because the emperor Claudius earlier had expelled Jews from Rome, the two groups had developed distinct cultural ways of expressing their faith. Their differences led to tensions within the church and threatened the unity of the body. Paul stressed that their common received righteousness from Christ called on them to accept one another and their differences. 10 minutes GUIDE: Direct the group to look at the picture (see p. 166; Personal Study Guide [PSG], p. 166). DISCUSS: Question #1 (PSG, p. 166): How do you decide what s not worth arguing about? GUIDE: Direct attention to The Bible Meets Life (PSG, p. 167). Review the bullet points that describe a perfect world. Affirm the author s statement that many of us spend way too much time trying to convince others we are right. Often our relationships suffer because of such behavior. GUIDE: Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 167): Strong relationships are not hindered by differences of opinion. SAY: As believers, we can accept one another without walking in lock step on every issue. The church in Rome needed to hear this too. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF MAY

3 THE POINT Strong relationships are not hindered by differences of opinion. STUDY THE BIBLE Romans 14: minutes GUIDE: Call attention to your glue bottle display. Hold up a bottle, and remind the group of what they have studied so far in this unit on making relationships stick. (OPTION: Review titles using the contents page [p. 3; PSG, p. 3]): (ENHANCEMENT: Pack Item 1: Like Glue ) GUIDE: Refocus on today s session by asking volunteers to name some of their favorite foods. (OPTION: IN ADVANCE, display various fruits, vegetables, and canned goods.) Acknowledge how disappointing it would be for Christians to fight over such non-essential matters. But that is exactly what was happening in the church at Rome. Romans 14:1-4 1 Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don t argue about doubtful issues. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, but one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to criticize another s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able to make him stand. Acceptance means we can accept a person whose opinions differ from ours. Verse 1: Paul directed his opening exhortation to mature believers. These Christians needed to take the initiative to accept believers whom Paul referred to as weak in faith. These weaker members likely were Christians with a background in Judaism; they struggled with the issue of how to apply the doctrine of righteousness by faith in their daily lives. Paul encouraged mature Christians to avoid getting into arguments with their fellow church members over doubtful issues. For Paul, this referred to secondary and tertiary doctrines and practices that more than anything reflected church members diverse backgrounds and traditions before they became followers of Christ. Pastors and theologians often refer to these doubtful issues as gray areas. Paul s plea certainly does not apply to such moral issues as sexual purity or integrity in relationships. He had just issued a ringing call to believers to live according to the highest standard (13:8-14). In gray areas, however, believers READ: Invite a volunteer to read Romans 14: Session 14

4 are to accept anyone who is a person of faith, no matter how weak. The verb accept means receive or welcome. This is an imperative, a command believers cannot ignore. The apostle s writings elsewhere make clear that Paul wasn t referring here to disagreements over central tenets of the gospel (compare Gal. 3:1-5). He understood, however, that Christians might hold significantly different opinions about secondary matters. On the other hand, he didn t propose that all opinions were equally valid and valuable. Some opinions reflected a weaker faith. To accept those who are weak in faith over doubtful issues means to affirm they are Christians and to welcome opportunities of fellowship with them. The opposite of accepting is shunning, and Paul recognized there could be situations that called for disassociation (see 1 Cor. 5:9-11). Part of being spiritually mature was discerning what were doubtful issues and not allowing those issues to be divisive. Verse 2: The apostle went on to describe a doubtful issue scenario in verses 2-3. Judaism made distinctions between clean and unclean foods. Paul affirmed that spiritually mature Christians believed they could eat anything that is, any and all of God s bounty, including meat (compare Acts 10:13-16). Other believers, however, had scruples concerning some foods and chose to eat only vegetables. Their scruples might have been related to concerns over eating meat that had been used in pagan temple rituals before being sold in the market (see 1 Cor. 10:25-28). In any case, Paul acknowledged that their scruples were faith-related, although an evidence of weak faith. Verse 3: While Paul acknowledged the two perspectives about a proper Christian diet judging one to be a more mature view his greater concern was the potential in the situation for truly improper behavior. The temptation was for Christians who enjoyed all kinds of foods to look down on those who restricted their diet. Similarly, those who restricted their diet were tempted to harshly criticize those who ate anything! It s worth noting that the stronger believer s temptation concerns an unholy attitude of the heart (see Prov. 16:18; 1 John 2:16); the weaker believer s danger was having an unbridled tongue (see Prov. 13:3; Jas. 3:2). Both needed to realize that if God has accepted them in salvation, they were to respect one another too. GUIDE: Use information in The Setting (p. 167) to help the group understand the background for the conflict among the Roman Christians. SUMMARIZE: Paul later referred to these two groups as the weaker and the stronger (Rom. 15:1). The stronger were not perfect, but more spiritually mature. They understood that eating meat or only vegetables did not point to disobedience or a lack of love and commitment to Christ. The weaker included Christians who observed certain deeply ingrained rules and practices. Some from pagan backgrounds believed the food sold in public markets had been tainted by idol worship, making it unacceptable to eat. Both groups were guilty of a critical spirit. Paul told them to accept one another. Note that the Bible doesn t use the word accept as meaning to condone sin. Instead, it s a desire to stay close, even when both parties see things differently. 169

5 THE POINT Strong relationships are not hindered by differences of opinion. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 170): What current issues provide opportunities for Christians to treat one another with patience and understanding? GUIDE: Stress that Paul was not talking about black-andwhite sin but about disputable matters those things about which Scripture is silent. God is the Lord and Judge over people in such matters. We are not. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 170): What collateral damage occurs when we criticize others? (Alternate: Why is it so tempting to pick apart the opinions of others?) TRANSITION: Not only are we to accept those whose opinions differ from ours in non-essential matters, but in placing their needs above our own, we also are to do nothing that will cause them to stumble. Verse 4: In verse 4, Paul illustrated the total lack of grounds one believer has to be critical of another believer s sincere religious practices. He drew from the world of master-slave relationships, a widespread and accepted part of life in Paul s day. The term household slave referred to a slave who served in the home and often was considered a member of the household. Such a servant had only one master to whom he was accountable. No one else had the authority to judge that servant s acceptability. Likewise, we as Christians are accountable to our own Lord no matter what our backgrounds before coming to faith in Christ. Therefore, we must guard diligently against the temptation to criticize other Christians whose beliefs and practices regarding secondary matters differ from ours. We have no grounds to openly question their salvation over such issues. God alone is the One who is able to accept or reject someone from His household of faith. If God has accepted a person, that person will stand justified in the end. Romans 14: Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother s way. 14 (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.) 15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat. 170 Session 14

6 Acceptance means we do nothing to cause the other person to stumble. Verse 13: Paul called on mature Christians to lead the way in building church unity by refraining from petty criticism of weaker church members. His reminder that believers should no longer criticize one another summarizes verses The apostle had used criticize in verses 3,4,10 to show what believers must not do. By referring to us, Paul counted himself among those who understood and appreciated the gospel s liberating power. Yet he also understood that salvation in Christ set him free to look out not only for his own interests, but also to look out for the interests of others (Phil. 2:4). Thus Paul challenged the mature to decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of weaker Christians. These two terms mean much the same thing. Originally, the first term applied to any kind of physical barrier; the second referred to a trap of some sort. In the New Testament, both terms referred to a moral or spiritual obstacle, something that would hinder another s movement. The apostle had in mind avoiding any actions that might lead other Christians into sin. No mature believer would choose to put personal preferences about food restrictions over the spiritual health of another believer. We should always choose Christian love over self-interest. Verse 14: Paul was talking about food alone when he wrote nothing is unclean in itself and thus forbidden. By extension, other matters the gray areas were included as clean and thus acceptable, just as the apostle taught elsewhere (1 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:15). This teaching, however, should never be extended to include activities the New Testament describes as immoral. Examples include adultery, stealing, and murder, as noted in Romans 13:9. These actions are always sinful and thus forbidden. Sin is not a matter of personal opinion. Paul wanted the Christians in Rome to know that he had been persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Yet for Paul, the greater issue at stake wasn t what the mature thought about clean and unclean regulations or even what his own view of food was. The greater issue was helping those Christians who sincerely believed the clean and unclean regulations were still valid for believers. In other words, the greater issue for the mature believer was caring as much for another believer s STUDY THE BIBLE Romans 14:13-15 READ: Invite a volunteer to read Romans 14: GUIDE: Call attention to verse 14. Clarify that Paul was talking only about food when he wrote nothing is unclean in itself. By extension, other non-essential matters were included as clean and thus acceptable, just as Paul taught elsewhere (1 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:15). Emphasize this should never be applied to sinful activities (adultery, stealing, murder, etc. See Rom. 13:9.) SAY: Sin is never a matter of opinion. 10 minutes SUMMARIZE: As hard as we try not to, many of us may fall into a self-centered way of thinking and justify our behavior by thinking that those who don t like it can just get over it. This mentality does not build healthy relationships and reveals a callous attitude toward our fellow believers. 171

7 THE POINT Strong relationships are not hindered by differences of opinion. Emphasize the impact senior adults can make on younger believers when we willingly make adjustments in our behavior for the benefit of others. We who are stronger should move toward those who are weak. When we do so, we model spiritual maturity, not compromise. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 172): How do you balance enjoying your freedom and avoiding stumbling blocks? (Alternate: When have you encountered a stumbling block?) TRANSITION: Emphasize that in previous sessions the group has learned about the priority of putting others needs above our own. Stress that we should not stop at simply seeking not to offend, but we should actively do what we can to build up others. conscience to be clear as for one s own. One challenge today s believers face is to remember Christianity is not individualistic. We live in relationship in relationship with God and in relationship with one another. Verse 15: Paul clearly emphasized the importance of striving for peaceful relationships among believers. Mature Christians put the law of love above the law of liberty in situations where their exercise of freedom might hurt or destroy a weaker Christian. We might ask how a believer could actually be hurt by the dietary freedoms of mature church members. Also, what did Paul mean by the term destroy? Some commentators suggest a kind of serious but temporary emotional harm. Indeed, the Greek word rendered hurt literally means to cause painful, sorrowful, bitter feelings. The word rendered destroy also can be translated ruin. Thus the potential danger to the weaker Christian went beyond mere bad feelings. Joy could be dimmed, peace could be ruined, and spiritual growth could be damaged. Paul reminded his readers that Christ died for weaker Christians too. In light of Christ s redeeming sacrifice, how could mature Christians risk destroying the spiritual growth of another believer over something as inconsequential as what they ate? Romans 14: Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. 172 Session 14

8 Acceptance means we do that which builds up the other person. Verse 16: Paul previously had encouraged the Christians in Rome to strive toward building an honorable reputation not only with those inside the church but also with those outside (see Rom. 12:17-18). In other letters, he urged Christians to shine like stars in the world (Phil. 2:15), and he required that church leaders have a good reputation among outsiders (1 Tim. 3:7). Clearly Paul taught that church members needed to take seriously the impact their conduct could have on their reputations as well as on the church s reputation in the community (see 1 Cor. 5:1-3). The phrase your good could refer either to a believer s commendable lifestyle in general or more specifically to the kinds of activities that stronger Christians considered acceptable but that weaker church members criticized. Whatever the case, Paul urged mature Christians to guard their reputations by giving due consideration to how others were impacted by their conduct. Enjoying some good aspect of Christian freedom in a public setting might be desirable, but if our actions cause weaker Christians (or perhaps unbelievers as well) to criticize our lifestyle, we need to be concerned. Verse 17: Thus Paul went on to challenge mature believers to transcend their legitimate Christian privileges, such as the freedom of eating certain foods, in favor of pursuing eternal values. Kingdom values do not include eating and drinking (what is merely external). To focus on the external or to argue about such issues is to miss the point of the gospel. Christ came to transform us from the inside out. When we are concerned about helping others become more Christlike, then we truly love them. Paul summarized three kingdom qualities briefly. These are possible only because the Holy Spirit is active in the lives of those in the kingdom. Righteousness refers to a right relationship with God. Romans 1 11 is all about how God gives sinful persons a right standing with Him by faith. Such righteousness then becomes evident in right living. Peace refers primarily to honorable relationships with other people, although peace with God is not excluded. Christ alone makes peace possible (Rom. 5:1; 12:18). Romans focuses on how peaceful relationships are worked out among believers. STUDY THE BIBLE Romans 14: minutes READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses SUMMARIZE: In referencing verse 16, note that Paul urged mature Christians to guard their reputations and to consider how others were impacted by their conduct. Enjoying some good aspect of Christian freedom in a public setting might be desirable, but if our actions cause weaker Christians (or perhaps unbelievers) to criticize our lifestyle, we need to be concerned. GUIDE: If you chose the option of setting up a food display (see p. 168), call attention to the display as you point to the opening paragraph of this section on PSG page 173: The most important things in life are not meats and vegetables! Though we must eat to live, we do not live to eat. 173

9 THE POINT Strong relationships are not hindered by differences of opinion. GUIDE: Emphasize in verse 17 that God s purpose for us as we live in His kingdom way of life is not to be overly concerned about non-essential matters. The priority is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. READ: Lead the group to read verse 19 together. SUMMARIZE: Stress the importance of majoring on what matters most, not on what matters least. We are called to stick with it, and to serve the people God has placed around us. As we seek to build up one another, we keep the focus on Christ and not ourselves. Scripture compels us to do our part to preserve relationships. DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 175): How does serving Christ in this way change how we approach disagreements? (Alternate: What does pursuing peace look like in our church?) Joy embraces both the present and the future experience of knowing Christ personally. Peter wrote, Though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Pet. 1:8-9). Why Paul singled out these three kingdom values to the exclusion of qualities such as faith and love is difficult to say. Perhaps in this context he chose these three as representative of all the Spirit-empowered characteristics of Christian life. Perhaps, too, these qualities contrast vividly against the ugly marks of disunity and strife that result when Christians engage in conflict over secondary matters. We need to be reminded of Jesus command that His followers seek God s kingdom as our priority in life (see Matt. 6:33). Verse 18: It was not enough, Paul taught, for Christians to be self-assured that their eating habits were acceptable. He wanted mature Christians to be guided by greater spiritual discernment. By carefully guarding their conduct willingly foregoing activities that would draw criticism from weaker Christians the mature would in fact be serving Christ, would be acceptable to God, and would build their good reputation in the community. The phrase acceptable to God refers to pleasing God, not to earning salvation. God is delighted when He sees His children put priority on His kingdom and its concerns. Verse 19: Continuing to build his case for believers choosing the path of spiritual maturity, Paul urged his readers to pursue two important lifestyle qualities. The word rendered pursue also is the verb Paul used in Philippians 3:14 to describe his efforts to press on toward the goal of God s heavenly call on his life. It doesn t refer to pursuing salvation through human effort but rather to striving to live out one s salvation in Christ in every possible way. One way to intentionally live out salvation in Christ is to pursue what promotes peace. Again, Paul wasn t referring here to the pursuit of peace with God; peace with God came as one of the benefits of faith in Christ (see Rom. 5:1). Rather, Paul was exhorting mature Christians to diligently strive for attitudes and actions that would result in church unity (see 174 Session 14

10 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/BRITISH MUSEUM Eph. 4:3). By striving for unity, mature Christians would help their weaker brothers and sisters in Christ grow in the faith too. Likewise, a second way to intentionally live out salvation in Christ is to pursue what builds up other Christians. Paul used the word rendered builds up (the Greek term literally means house-building ) in 2 Corinthians 12:19, where he assured the believers in Corinth that his every effort on their behalf was done for the express purpose of strengthening their faith and life as a church (see also Eph. 4:12). Thus the apostle urged the mature believers in Rome to lead the way in pursuing the goal of a unified, growing congregation. Statuette of woman grinding grain in a bowl. The following excerpt is from the article, Rituals, Regulations, and Eating (Win ), which can be purchased at biblicalillustrator. Radically different are western dining practices today and that of strict, practicing Jews of second temple Judaism in the New Testament era. The most explicit instances of conflict over such matters in the New Testament are in the Gospels, as Pharisaic investigators from the Sanhedrin shadowed a new and uncredentialed rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth. As Jesus gained notoriety, His inquisitors focused often on His avoidance of the extreme, ritualistic regulations that took away the intimacy and human warmth of shared meals. The Pharisees replaced this intimacy and warmth with cold and empty public performances. Read Paul s Understanding of the Law in the Spring 2015 issue. Purchase previous articles, Jewish and Gentile Believers in Rome (Fall 2011), and Is Eating Meat Prohibited? (Sum. 1987), at www. lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator. Look for Bundles: Bible Studies for Life. Subscribe to Biblical Illustrator at or call DO: Invite volunteers to share their responses to the activity, No Stumbling Blocks (PSG, p. 175). SHARING THE GOOD NEWS We talk a lot about accepting Jesus as our Savior. But don t lose sight of the fact that salvation begins with Jesus accepting us! Making Jesus the Lord of our lives is our grateful response to His acceptance of us. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more about becoming a Christian. See the article, Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All, on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ. Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ. 175

11 THE POINT Strong relationships are not hindered by differences of opinion. LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes DO: Emphasize The Point: Strong relationships are not hindered by differences of opinion. GUIDE: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 176; see text to the right). Review the application options, and encourage each group member to consider which one God is leading them to adopt this week. Wrap It Up GUIDE: Invite group members to consider how important their relationships are. Look again at Ben Mandrell s statement in the activity on PSG page 175: Our personal relationships should trump our personal freedoms. The strong should move toward the weak. LIVE IT OUT What will you do this week to maintain strong relationships in spite of differences of opinion? Consider these application activities. Which is God laying on your heart as something you could do to foster strong relationships? > > Evaluate your opinion. Consider a conviction you have that some other fellow church members do not share. Ask a mature Christian friend to help you evaluate whether your conviction is essential or whether Christians are free to disagree on the matter while maintaining healthy relationships. > > Let go. Ask God to show you anything you may have done or are doing that may be causing a less mature believer to stumble. Whatever it may be, choose to give it up in order to respect and serve the other person. If necessary, apologize to the person for placing a stumbling block in his or her path. > > Help to build unity. Identify an issue in your church that is threatening relationships among church members. Invite three or four members of your Bible study group to meet with your pastor to explore ways senior adults could help to overcome dissension and promote unity. Your relationships are more important than your opinions on non-essential matters. Love Christ by loving the other person more than loving your rights or opinions. PRAY: Father, you have given us to one another. Strengthen us to always seek the best for one another and to not let non-essential matters hinder our relationships. Amen. 176 Session 14

12 My Thoughts My Group's Prayer Requests Additional suggestions for specific groups (women, men, boomers, and singles) are available at BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog. And for free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife. For All It's Worth The Christian message doesn t base value on human achievement. Value is firmly established through God s grace: creation and the cross. This fundamentally changes the way we address others. Honor isn t simply reserved for those in positions of power or fame. Honor isn t given to a person because of some great achievement. Honor is given because the Lord commands us to give honor. To continue reading For All It s Worth from HomeLife magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles, and enter the article title in the search bar. Or use your smartphone to access the article directly by scanning the QR code. 177