A Fathers Firm Conviction

The Anchor in the Gale (Nautical/Historical)

Focus: Highlights the theme of staying grounded amidst the chaos of life.

"In the golden age of sailing ships, captains dreaded 'lee shores'—coastal areas where fierce winds would blow a ship directly toward shallow rocks. If a storm caught a vessel near the coast, the crew couldn't sail away from the danger. Their only hope of survival was to drop the ship’s primary anchor, often called the 'sheet anchor.'

That anchor wasn't decorative. It was massive, heavy iron designed to bite deep into the ocean floor. As long as that anchor held, the ship could ride out the terrifying gale without being smashed to pieces on the reef.

Church, our families are facing a gale-force wind from the culture around us. If you don't have something biting deep into bedrock truth, your life—and the lives of those you lead—will slowly drift toward the rocks. A lot of men are trying to anchor their families to their own intelligence, their bank accounts, or political trends. But those anchors drag. Today, we're looking at Romans 14 to discover the ultimate 'sheet anchor' for a Christian: a father's firm conviction."

This passage shows us Five Firm Convictions of the Believer

I. Vs. 1-6 My Mind is Firm- Fully Persuaded

Take Verses 1-4 as a complete Statement then Focus on Verse 5 and 6

Those who are weak are mentored by those with the knowledge of the Word of God Vs. 1-4

1 Corinthians 9:22 LSB

22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

Romans 15:7 LSB

7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Don’t argue, instruct through the word of God

In Kindness, show the passage and ask, what does this say to you, then lead to correct understanding by asking them to consider

Concerning Judgement in Verse 4

James 4:12 LSB

12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you who judge your neighbor?

(Slide)

Romans 3. Among the Weak and the Strong (14:1–15:13)

What is wrong for me translates easily into what is wrong for everyone. But the fact that God has received them ought to temper one’s tendency to criticize. Since God has found room for them in the fellowship, any attempt on our part to exclude them will fail to meet with God’s approval. - Robert Mounce

Fully persuaded-means to be convinced; to be assured in your own mind

Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind

Means literally he is filled to the brim-

Heart, mind, will, and the total personality

As Believers we should only do those things

which we can give ourselves to fully and without reserve

Romans 4:21 LSB

21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to do.

One reason the Church is weakened today is a lack of enthusiasm

A Man was asked to teach a Small Group Bible Study

he said, “Oh, if you can’t find anyone else, I’ll do it”

The don’t take it brother, if that is the way that you feel

It would be better for the study to have no teacher

than to have a disinterested, unenthusiastic teacher

Questionable things

If you are unsure whether something is right or wrong

Then it is most likely wrong for you

The passage says to let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind

Not to have to wonder whether he should or not

James 1:7–8 LSB

7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:26–27 LSB

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious while not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

II. Vss. 7-8 My Position is Firm- I am the Lords

For none of us liveth to himself

That is none of us believers

Others might believe they live for themselves

But the believer knows who he lives for

2 Corinthians 5:15 LSB

15 And He died for all, so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

And no man dieth to himself

Every man dies

At least for the believer the body dies

Philippians 1:21 LSB

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 ESV

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

We must remember that life and death are the Lords

To master

But the Choice is given to us to Chose Life!

Deuteronomy 30:19 ESV

19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,

Be firm in the fact that you are a believer

we belong to the Lord Jesus the Christ

by the gift of the Father to Him,

by His own purchase,

and the power of His grace,

making us to be willing to give up

Our lives for Him

III. Vss. 9-12 My Responsibility is Firm-Accountable to my God

God is Lord of All!

(No Slide)

Romans 3. Among the Weak and the Strong (14:1–15:13)

The purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection was “that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” His lordship is universal. - Mounce

Each Individual shall give an account of their life to God

therefore the account must be given to Christ by every one

Each our own and no one can do it for you

of all you thoughts, words, and deeds,

which will be all brought into judgment;

and of your time and talents,

how they have been spent and used;

and of all his gifts of nature, providence,

and grace, how they have been exercised

for the glory of God, and the good of others

Matthew 12:36 LSB

36 “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.

Ephesians 2:10 NASB95

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

William Barclay (Slide)

Romans 3. Among the Weak and the Strong (14:1–15:13)

“We stand before God in the awful loneliness of our own souls; to him we can take nothing but the character which in life we have been building up.” - William Barclay

IV. Vss. 13-17 My Understanding is Firm-It is not about me

(No Slide)

Romans 3. Among the Weak and the Strong (14:1–15:13)

Paul’s instruction is clear: Do not allow your own freedom of conscience to destroy your brother or sister for whom Christ died.

Philippians 2:3 LSB

3 doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves,

(No Slide)

Romans 3. Among the Weak and the Strong (14:1–15:13)

Stronger Christians are not to encourage misunderstanding by allowing what they consider to be permissible to be an occasion for slanderous talk (v. 16).

After all, the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteous living.

Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 256–257.

V. Vss. 18-23 My Resolve is Firm-The servant of Christ

(No Slide)

Romans 3. Among the Weak and the Strong (14:1–15:13)

While freedom is a right, it is not a guide for conduct. Love serves that purpose. Rights are to be laid aside in the interest of love.

John 13:35 LSB

35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We Must Serve Christ Alone

Luke 16:13 LSB

13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

(No Slide)

Romans 3. Among the Weak and the Strong (14:1–15:13)

The final clause of v. 23 (“Everything that does not come from faith is sin”) is applicable on a much wider scale than the immediate context. Whatever is done without the conviction that God has approved it is by definition sin.

Conclusion: The Anchor of a Father's Conviction

Church, we live in a world that is constantly shifting.

Society tells us to be fluid, to compromise, and to live for ourselves.

But Romans 14 calls us to a different standard. It calls us to the life of a believer who stands on bedrock—anchored by five firm convictions.

Think about the legacy we are leaving.

When our children, our families, and this community look at us, what do they see?

Do they see a double-minded person, unstable and blown about by every wind of culture?

Or do they see a life filled to the brim with the truth of God?

Look back at the steps we’ve walked through today:

Our minds must be firm.

We cannot live in the gray areas of hesitation or half-hearted service.

If we are going to teach, if we are going to serve, if we are going to live—we must be fully persuaded, filled with holy enthusiasm for the promises of God.

Our position is firm.

We do not belong to ourselves. We have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. In life or in death, we are the Lord's.

Our responsibility is firm.

There is an "awful loneliness," as Barclay put it, to the reality that we will each stand before the judgment seat of God.

No one can give an account for you. Every careless word, every wasted talent, and every hidden thought will be laid bare before the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Our understanding is firm.

The Christian life was never meant to be a solo act of demanding our own rights. It is not about us.

It is about laying down our freedom so that a weaker brother or sister doesn't stumble.

Our resolve is firm.

We serve one Master. And the ultimate rule of our conduct is love.

If you cannot do something out of a deep, faithful conviction that God approves it, the Bible is clear: it is sin.

Call to Action: Choose Life, Choose the Master

Men, fathers, believers—the challenge before us today is to stop wandering in the fog of complacency and step onto the solid ground of conviction.

God has set before us life and death, blessing and cursing. Today, we must choose life.

I want to call you to action in three distinct ways before you leave this sanctuary:

1. Clear Up the Questionable Things

Is there an area in your life right now where you are not "fully persuaded"? Are you engaging in habits, media, or behaviors where you have to wonder, "Is this right or wrong?" If you are unsure if God approves it, drop it today. Do not deceive your own heart. Bring your mind into total captivity to the Word of God and live with uncompromised, enthusiastic devotion.

2. Shift Your Focus from "My Rights" to "My Brother"

Look at how you treat the body of Christ. Have you been arguing over non-essentials? Have you been critical of the weak instead of mentoring them in kindness? This week, intentionally lay down your preferences for the sake of unity. Show the world we are His disciples by the way we love one another.

3. Prepare for the Accounting

Live this week with the judgment seat of Christ in view. Do not waste the time, the talents, or the grace He has given you. Build a character that stands the test of eternity. If you have been living for yourself, surrender that territory back to the Lord Jesus right now.