MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS

Introduction

What a week. What a year. I want to start by congratulating two classes of graduates tonight. First of all, where is the Kenneth Copeland Bible College class of 2024? Well done. Most of you. Some of you have a new revelation of what hard work looks like. Some of you have a revelation of the mercy of God and Dr. Erby.

I also want to congratulate another group of graduates. I want to invite everyone who completed the Bridge Leadership Class to come up to the front. I believe there are a few of you who’ve been asked to share brief testimonies, so we’ll start with that.

***LEADERSHIP CLASS TESTIMONIES***

We’re also going to pray for every single person who finished this class, so let’s have you all line up here at the front.

***PRAY FOR LEADERSHIP CLASS GRADUATES***

If you’re interested in taking the class for the first time (or the second time or the third time), we will be announcing dates for our next class over the summer, so stay tuned for that.

We are moving forward in our study of Romans, and the end is very near. We’re starting Romans 14 tonight, and I anticipate we’ll be finishing this study in the next several weeks. We’re going to start a short series within a series tonight as we cover the end of Paul’s letter to the Church at Rome.

Romans 14 picks up where Romans 13 finished, but we’re going to really focus our attention over the next few weeks on one of the themes emphasized in these last few chapters. The title of our series is “People Problems,” and tonight’s message is called “Mind Your Own Business.”

Has anyone ever had a people problem? We’re going to spend the next few weeks talking about how to deal with people of all kinds, especially the ones with whom we have nothing in common.

Let’s go ahead and read the first section of Romans 14 and dive right into these first few verses.

Scripture

Romans 14:1–13 (NLT)

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

10 So why do you condemn another believer*? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say,

“ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bend to me,

and every tongue will declare allegiance praise to God.*’ ”

12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

Tonight, I want to give you four key takeaways from this passage that you can apply to your life today that will help you with some of your people problems.

When I Was Your Age (Romans 14:1)

As we see people grow in their faith, it’s important that we are aware of and sensitive to their processes and progress. Those who are overcoming addictions and habits might need to be stricter in the way they approach having a relationship with God. For instance, I often tell new believers to spend fifteen minutes at the beginning of every day reading the Bible and praying. I also tell them that they should be at church every time the doors are open. It’s a good practice for anyone, but I believe it’s vital for someone who’s just committed to walking with God. As you grow in your relationship with Him, the Holy Spirit may give you different instructions that are best for you. Personally, my most productive time reading the Word is at night. I read it differently now than I did as a young believer, though. For those of you who are more seasoned and mature (at least in your own minds), it’s important that we don’t flaunt our liberties in a way that causes others to miss the point. We have to be conscious of the problems that we can cause for people as much as we are conscious of the problems that others can cause for us. Young people and new believers of all ages often leave churches because of this. We have to be aware and led by the Spirit in how we guide and encourage those who are growing in their faith. Help them create faith projects based on where they are right now, not where you are right now.

2. You Do You (Romans 14:1-3)

Let’s talk about what this does and doesn’t mean. Paul is using the example of food, because it’s very relevant to the Roman Church. There are Jews and Gentiles living together under this new banner of Christianity, but they had very different ways of living for Jesus. The Jews abstained from eating certain things. The Gentiles…didn’t. They were on opposite ends of the cultural spectrum in a lot of ways, so it was important that Paul told them to basically back off and let them follow their own individual convictions. There were also some Jews who decided they wanted to live the Gentile way. There were some Gentiles who wanted to live like the Jews. Paul told them, and the Holy Spirit is telling us, to live by our own convictions and to stop holding others to our own personal standards.

What this isn’t saying is that we can pick and choose which parts of the Bible we want to observe. There are certain behaviors that are clearly outlined in Scripture as being unacceptable. There are certain behaviors that the law of the United States of America say are unacceptable. This passage is not an excuse to do whatever you want to do and blame it on the Holy Spirit.

There might be things that God is asking you to do in addition to what the Bible tells us to do. If God tells you to wake up at 6:00 every morning and go on a prayer walk, you should do it. You shouldn’t make everyone else go with you, though.

Maybe the Lord told you to stop listening to secular music. Great. Obey the Lord, but don’t start judging anyone else’s choices. Maybe you’ve chosen to not watch television based on a conviction you have. That’s great. I commend you. You can’t condemn someone else based on a conviction they don’t have, though.

Again, there are standards. If you’re taking an honest look at your choices and saying you don’t have a conviction about certain behaviors, you need to evaluate a couple of things. First of all, have you given the Holy Spirit access to that part of your life? Can He convict you even if He wants to? Secondly, have you turned down the voice of the Holy Spirit by turning up the noise of the world so loudly that even His loudest screams are falling on deaf ears? “I don’t have a conviction about that,” you might say. “Maybe you should,” says your pastor.

3. Don’t Trip (Romans 14:13)

We’re going to talk about personal responsibility here in a minute, but I want to work backwards here for a minute. Loving one another means setting each other up to succeed. While you’re not responsible for someone else’s actions, you’re held accountable for yours that lead to someone else’s mistakes. Is it love? It’s like flaunting your cheesecake in front of someone fasting from desserts. It’s cruel. Maybe you have a friend struggling with forgiveness. It’s your sin if your words lead that friend to continue in bitterness. Sometimes even sharing information can be a hindrance to someone struggling with win. It’s why we have to be led by the Holy Spirit in which aspects of our testimonies we share. If the details lead people to bad places in their thought lives, it’s best that they’re kept vague. Doing this is walking in love. It’s being considerate. It’s being aware. We have to be so thoughtful and intentional in our relationships that we are covering one another in love and not tripping one another on our paths toward holiness.

4. God Keeps Receipts (Romans 14:12)

You are responsible for your own choices. Let me say that again. You are responsible for your own choices. That means you should spend a lot of your time focused on those, and little to no time focused on the choices of others. You’re going to give an account to God for your choices, not someone else’s. With that in mind, doesn’t it make the most sense to keep track of your own life better than another person’s? You can’t use someone else’s convictions as an excuse for your actions. No one made you do it. Not me. Not your best friend. Not the devil. Stop giving someone else the credit and blame. Own your mess. The only way to get free is to take responsibility for your actions and invite the Holy Spirit to transform your life. There will always be someone to blame. There will always be a bad guy in your story. The hard truth that we have to accept is that sometimes we’re the bad guy in our own stories. While the devil is our sworn enemy, he has no authority to make your choices for you. God has never accepted the excuse that someone else made someone do something they shouldn’t have.

Genesis 3:17 (NLT)

17 And to the man he said,

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree

whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,

the ground is cursed because of you.

All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.

If you have the Word and you have the Holy Spirit, you don’t have an excuse.

That doesn’t mean there’s not forgiveness on the other side of your repentance. It just means that half-truths will set you half-free. The only way to walk in the freedom that God has made available to you is for you to own your issues and allow Him to change you. It might be embarrassing. It might really hurt your pride. Good. There’s no grace for you in pride, just opposition to God.

James 4:6 (ESV)

6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

If you think you’re keeping your issues a secret, you need to refer to this verse. You have to give an account of your life to God, and He knows your every thought, word, and action. You’re not hiding anything from Him, so it’s best to own all of it. When you do, the process of becoming who He’s called you to be can really begin.

Invitation to Response

If you’re here tonight and you need to begin that process, I want to invite you this altar. It’s an act of faith that makes it known to God that you’re not afraid of the opinions of people. You just want Him. You just want His way. Altars are where things are brought to die. If you need to murder the habit, assassinate the addiction, and annihilate the stronghold, I want you to join me here tonight. We’re going to receive His freedom and make the choice to start walking in His ways. Receive His forgiveness and start a new life. When you give an account for your life, I believe the fresh start you choose tonight will result in that account being one of faithfulness to God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Don’t wait; come down now!