Reconciling the Weak and the Strong
Grace and Peace: Welcome One Another As Christ Welcomed You • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction:
This year our theme is, “Sanctified: Purified for a Purpose”
- we are exploring the purpose for which we were saved
- it’s more than just going to heaven
We are saved to bring glory to God through our unity.
- But unity is challenging because we are different
So, here’s our question for this morning?
Can Christians be different without being divided?
Can Christians be different without being divided?
Can we come from different backgrounds?
Can we have different traditions?
Can we think differently?
Biblical Text:
Review:
We are studying Romans from the end of the letter to the beginning.
Jewish Christians had been expelled for 5 years from Rome. They were just beginning to come back.
Paul says this primarily to the Gentile Christians…
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
“weak in faith”
We were watching ET the other night
ET made the kids and their bikes fly
I noticed the kids kept pedaling
As if pedaling in the air would really do any good
That’s how some of the Jewish Christians were in their faith
Jesus has picked them up by grace
But they felt like they needed to continue their customs and practices
They felt like if they stopped, they wouldn’t be part of God’s people
“welcome”
Receive
Accept
“not to quarrel over opinions”
a position they hold
judgement they reached after careful consideration
a conclusion they hold
These “opinions” are NOT fundamental truths of the Gospel, but they are deeply held religious scruples.
There are genuine heresies
But there are a lot of things that are not heresies
2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
The strong (Predominately Gentiles) - DESPISE
treat with contempt
look down on
We think people who are more strict than us are silly, ridiculous, “extra”
The weak (Predominately Jews) - JUDGE
condemn
We think people who aren’t as strict as us are sinful, wicked, irreligious
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Who are you…who am I…who are we?
to pass judgment on God’s servant
because they don’t live up to our standard
because they don’t follow our rules
Before his own master - This is such a liberating statement
If a person is living by faith in the Lord
if he is doing what he’s doing to the glory of Christ
Christ will make him stand
This ASSUMES faith in Christ, that someone is a disciple/Christian
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
You could say they are doing OPPOSITE things
observing / eating / esteeming
abstaining
You could say they are doing the SAME thing
honoring the Lord
giving thanks
Our communion cups may look different than they did 10 years ago (or than they did in the first century), but we are doing the same thing, honoring the Lord
Different Christians may have different customs, traditions, convictions…
But they can all serve the same purpose
If we are genuinely doing it to honor the Lord
Skip down to verse 14…
14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
Even though Paul is a Jew, his faith in Christ is STRONG
he knows no meat is unclean
If Jewish Christians coming home
see their Gentile brothers and sisters
eating food they consider “unclean”
they may give up the way of Christ altogether
Do not…
destroy the one for whom Christ died
let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil
put a stumbling block in someone’s way
Freedom FROM versus freedom FOR
Free from the Law
But not free to do whatever you want
Especially not hurt your brother or sister in Christ
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Paul very seldom uses “kingdom” language
Only time in Romans
God’s rule and reign
It’s not about self-indulgence, but about…
righteousness (justice and covenant faithfulness)
peace
joy
What to pursue…
peace
mutual upbuilding
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Keep between yourself and God
It is often not enough to have CONVICTIONS,
we want to CONVINCE others to adopt our convictions
we want our convictions to become everyone’s convictions
Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin
if you do something because your friend is doing it
(something you believe is probably wrong)
not out of loyalty to Jesus
it is a sin
1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
“strong” - only time he has called them “strong”
“dunatoi” - strong / powerful
political power
influence
prominence
privilege
“those without strength” (adunatoi)
powerless
marginalized
Those who were living a life of Torah observance were definitely powerless in Roman society.
timeout to ponder a question…
In our culture today, what puts a person in a position of power, strength, or influence?
In our culture today, what puts a person in a position of power, strength, or influence?
It’s not BAD or WRONG to have power / strength / influence
However, we do need to recognize it when we have it
What determines power today?
Wealth
Education
Ethnicity (Nationality, Language, Culture, Heritage)
Gender
Age
Physical Ability and Appearance
Mental and Emotional Health
Sometimes we really take health (physical and mental) for granted
Read the passage again…
1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
Christ did not please himself
He used his power to bear with our weaknesses
we need to follow his example
If we have power, we need to use it to bear with
frailties
sensitivities
weaknesses
failings
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Live in..
harmony/peace/same mind with one another
with one voice glorifying God
in accord with Christ Jesus
only this is fitting for people who wear his name
for people who call themselves his followers
7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
welcome - “receive in(to) one’s home or circle of acquaintances” (BDAG)
Do for others what Jesus has done for you
He leveraged his power for you
He allowed your reproaches to fall on him
He didn’t condemn you, despise you, or mock you
He loved you and welcomed you
He SACRIFICED everything for you!
Application:
Make sacrifices to make others feel welcome.
Make sacrifices to make others feel welcome.
This is how Jesus welcomed us.
He sacrificed everything to bring us into his family
We have to follow his example
You may have to sacrifice…
Your comfort
Your freedoms
Your power
Your privilege
Your wealth
Your time
Student center story
When I lived in Wyoming, there was a family who worshiped with us, but thought it was wrong to eat in the church building.
- Our building had a kitchen
- But when we had meals, we would eat at the student center on the college campus
- For the sake of that one family
They had scruples the congregation didn’t share, but we shared a love for the Lord and a love for each other…so we made it work.
The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking
It’s a matter of RIGHTEOUSNESS
It’s a matter of PEACE
It’s a matter of (shared) JOY
Invitation:
Jesus loves you and welcomes you
no matter where you’ve been
no matter what you’ve done
you are welcome in his family
as long as you surrender to him in faith
