VANTAGE POINT: ROMANS

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1 INTRODUCTION: Chapter 8 describes the life of grace no condemnation, no separation from God s love and life in the Spirit Chapter 12 describes the work of grace transformation and a life governed by love Tonight as we look at Chapter 14, we are going to apply grace to personal holiness If I am free to live as I want (whom the Son sets free is free indeed), then why should I care what you think about my actions? Paul answers that in regards to governmental authorities by saying we care, not simply because we don t want to get into trouble with civil authorities, but as a matter of conscience. In Chapter 14, Paul is going to go one step further and apply this to personal relationships loving others is a matter of conscience Thus Paul extends this way of love to personal holiness Romans 14:1 (NKJV) 14 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. Paul says receive (to welcome in) one who is weak in the faith In Romans 12:3, Paul tells us that God gives everyone a measure of faith But here Paul is speaking of someone who is weak in the faith Having little faith is not the same as being weak in the faith What does Paul mean weak in the faith? Being weak in the faith refers to those who do not fully understand that salvation is by faith alone In their understanding, in order to be acceptable to God you can t just have faith, you have to add something to your faith It s faith plus something else That is the basis of religious legalism it s faith plus the law What do you do with someone who is legalistic? Welcome them in They do not have the strength of faith to respect other people s commitments when they differ from their own Paul says receive them don t dispute with them over doubtful things In other words, I m not to judge them for being legalistic and I m not to get into debates based on one person s opinion over another

2 In Paul s day, the Jews believed the Gentiles should remain kosher and observe the holy days But the law wasn t given to the Gentiles, it was only given to the Jews Thus it was really a matter of opinion it made sense, it seemed right There are those who say you shouldn t watch TV You should pray instead I m sure we could all use a little more prayer But it s a matter of opinion the Bible doesn t address it I believe where the Bible is silent, we must be silent Romans 14:2 4 (NKJV) 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 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. Vs 2 basically calls vegetarians weak in the faith! The issue Paul is addressing is meat offered to idols and the kashrut (the laws concerning clean and unclean animals and ritual sacrifices) If you were unsure if the meat was offered to idols or not, the solution was to eat vegetables only Now, if my brother is weak in his faith and believes by eating meat offered to idols he will become unacceptable to God then I as the stronger brother must defer to him I m not his judge. He is God s servant, God is his judge and God is the one who will work in his life Romans 14:5 (NKJV) 5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. The Jews believed the Sabbath was holy, the Gentiles worshipped on Sunday the first day of the week because of the Resurrection In Judaism, there were fast days in the Torah that were extremely important to the religious Jews The romans had days that were considered lucky or unlucky days to be born based on the Roman pantheon

3 The Hellenistic Jews practiced special times of vegetarianism as part of their religious rituals the Greek Orthodox continue this practice today During Paul s time there was an ongoing debate between the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai (two major rabbinical schools) over the difference between regular weekdays and religious holy days. Paul is saying, whatever you believe make sure you act on your convictions Romans 14:6 8 (NKJV) 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord s. Now Paul introduces a new standard The standard is no longer the law, the standard is the Lord Paul makes an incredible statement For none of us lives or dies to himself I m not here for me I m here for the Lord because I belong to the Lord Now this brings up an interesting issue for our current culture The first century Stoics sought to choose the time and manner of their own death and Paul is saying this is wrong God is One who directs my life (how I live) and my death (how I die) according to His purpose and His glory Thus to live to the Lord is the live a life where my goal and purpose is to do God s will and to die to the Lord is to be fully conscious of my devotion to the Lord even in death Psalm 100 the Psalmist declares Psalm 100:1 3 (NKJV) 1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. I am not my own, I ve been bought with a price I am under the Lord s command

4 Grace liberates me from the tyranny of sin and death and now I am free to serve the living God Romans 14:9 (NKJV) 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. The word Lord is Kyrieuo and it means to dominate or to rule and reign over completely When I accept the Lordship of Jesus in my life, He completely rules over my decisions, my plans, my attitudes, my actions He is Lord Thus Paul asks Romans 14:10 11 (NKJV) 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. Now this scripture is often used in speaking against the enemies of God But Paul uses it in addressing the way believers treat other believers Believers who hold other believers in contempt they are going to bow their knee to God Romans 14:12 13 (NKJV) 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother s way. Jesus said Matthew 12:36 37 (NKJV) 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 16:27 (NKJV) 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

5 2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ the word judgment is the Greek word BEMA It is the judgment reserved for believers where we will be rewarded for our faithfulness to the Lord Did we serve the Lord out of faith or did we serve the Lord out of personal ambition and our deeds will be judged as wood, hay or stubble, silver or gold only that which is silver or gold will remain Our rewards include five crowns the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, the crown of life, the incorruptible crown or the crown of rejoicing. Paul is referring to this BEMA seat judgment when he says we will all give account to God for the way we judge our brother So Paul says don t cause your brother to fall or to stumble (sin) by judging them because they are weak in the faith Romans 14:14 15 (NKJV) 14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Paul is instituting a new law the Law of Love Paul comes out the gate saying I have not problems eating anything I don t think there is any kind of food that is unclean But if your Jewish friend is convinced that something is unclean don t stumble him by offering him something that he believes is unclean Now how does this action stumble him? By causing him to become upset because you are putting him in a position where he feels obligated to you as a friend and obligated to God out of obedience to the law Paul says that s unloving you re just thinking of yourself Romans 14:16 17 (NKJV) 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Paul puts the responsibility of love on each believer

6 I can eat anything, it s good, nothing wrong with it, but when I am unloving by flaunting it in front of people who can t I will be spoken of as evil Besides the Kingdom of God is not about food and drink It s about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit Listen it s not about you or me It s about the Kingdom and there are more important things to focus on Romans 14:18 (NKJV) 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. When you fight for your personal freedoms you might be acceptable to God, but you ll have trouble with men When you focus on the things of the Kingdom righteousness, peace and joy God likes it and people like it too Romans 14:19 (NKJV) 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. This is what we are to pursue the things which make for peace in relationships and the things that edify or build each other up Remember in Romans 12:18 Paul says if it is possible, as far as it depends on you live at peace with all men We are to pursue peace, but Paul recognized it wasn t always possible Sometimes your best efforts will not stop the actions or decisions of others Same thing with building up one another Sometimes your best efforts to encourage, build up, strengthen, mentor others will not result in spiritual maturity But even if there is a total breakdown, I continue to be intentional about having peace in relationships and building up others in their faith Romans 14:20 (NKJV) 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.

7 Again, Paul is saying don t destroy the work of God out of selfishness The issue isn t food, the issue is the offense that is caused by my desire to do something that will offend you Paul goes on to say if I do it, knowing that it will offend you then it is evil It s not evil to eat food, but your intent to do something knowing that it will offend me is evil Romans 14:21 (NKJV) 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Paul now extends this to drinking alcohol or doing anything that weakens, offends or causes your brother to sin It s not good I shouldn t do it Again, it s all good but if it weakens, offends or stumbles your brother it s not worth doing Because I counsel people who deal with addictions, I ve chosen to stay away from alcohol I ve seen how it destroys families and kills people Additionally, alcohol doesn t edify or build up someone in their faith in fact, it tears them down or weakens them Thus, out of love I don t partake I don t have a problem with someone who does There s no judgment on my part but it is a decision I ve made for my life in order to be a blessing to others Romans 14:22 (NKJV) 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. There are those who are able to drink a glass of wine at dinner and they see nothing wrong with it that s great, keep it to yourself Don t flaunt it, post it on Facebook just keep it private Romans 14:23 (NKJV) 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

8 Paul now gives us a new standard for sin Sin is not based on what I do, it s based on what I believe If my action is born out of unbelief, it s sin If my action is born out of faith, it s obedience Thus faith becomes the thing that God is going to judge man by Not obedience to the law, but faith There s a lot of good things that are going to be judged as sin because they did not come from faith, they came from unbelief Romans 15:1 3 (NKJV) 15 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me. We who are strong in the faith put up with the weaknesses of those who are weak in the faith Don t just do what you want to do but consider the weak Paul even says please your neighbor which means be a blessing to your neighbor Look for ways to benefit your neighbor with a view of building them up in their faith Sometimes the best thing you can do to encourage someone s faith is to serve them in practical ways to be a blessing Paul demonstrates that Jesus Himself gave His life for us and His faithful love is a model for us to follow. Since Jesus died to save all of mankind in it s diversity, we should accept the diverse convictions that people hold in the Body of Christ Romans 15:4 (NKJV) 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. The Rabbis would say Instruction through God s word builds up those who receive it: the whole of the Law is also for the purpose of promoting peace. Those who wish to edify their brethren and build them up in love are themselves built up by

9 God s word, which teaches them to love their fellow man, since the Torah guides a man into the paths of righteousness. This is why we study the scriptures not to get into the scriptures, but that the scriptures would get into us and that we would be built up together in love. Romans 15:5 6 (NKJV) 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amos said how can two walk together unless they are agreed There are a variety of churches, a variety of ways that God is worshipped Some more active than others, some more mystical, some more quiet But the beautiful thing about the Body of Christ is unity does not mean uniformity and thus I can be myself and worship the way that suits me I don t have to feel the pressure to be like another group I can enjoy worshipping with other believers who are like minded with me that with one mind and one mouth we glorify God together I am at Calvary Chapel because I prefer verse by verse teaching through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation There s nothing wrong with churches that bounce around through the scriptures or that teach topically I just prefer verse by verse because over time I get the whole counsel of God concerning various topics and I cover every topic in the amount that God wanted to address it in His Word When a preacher bounces around the Bible or teaches topically they tend to only cover the books or the topics that are their pet peeves. I prefer worship that is intelligent thus I don t really enjoy worshipping at churches where the people are groaning and saying the same words over and over again for 10 minutes Spontaneously singing songs that no one else can join in on... I don t enjoy that it feels like performance to me I prefer a church that is led by and dependent on the Spirit I don t like being part of programs and efforts that try and make something happen I ve been involved in those things and they just wear you out

10 I prefer a church that is centered on the grace and love of God I m amazed at how many Calvary Chapels have left the grace and love of God for legalism and works based righteousness Pastor Chuck was known for his teachings on grace and the supremacy of God s love I also prefer a church that is led by men There are denominations that ordain women (mostly Pentecostal churches like Foursquare or Hillsong). Calvary Chapel follows Paul s teaching to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2 that restricts women from teaching or exercising authority over men It doesn t mean women can t lead ministries or use their unique giftings under the covering of pastoral authority We had a female worship leader over Thursday nights so I have no problem with female leadership But there is a difference between male leadership and female leadership and I prefer it when the men lead the church I m praying for our men to rise up and lead These are all known as Calvary Chapel Distinctives we have the book available on our book rack at church pick one up We don t criticize those who are different than us they are our brothers in the Body of Christ and we love them But we also don t have to accommodate everyone that comes in and wants us to be like their last church our desire is to be like minded about loving Jesus, loving His word, preaching the gospel and building family with one another.