Rom 14-Taboo or not Taboo-5

| Taboo or Not Taboo – Part 5 – Christian Liberty In Christian Community! Romans 14:12-23

August 10, 2008(New Living Translation) 12 Each of us will give a personal account to God. 13So 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.14I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. 17For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 19So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.20Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. 22You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 23But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.PRAY Scripture Memory: Let us aim for harmony in the church & try to build each other up. – Romans 14:19 (NLT) Intro:This morning we are doing the final part of a five part series entitled “Taboo or NOT Taboo.” We have looked the larger issue of the need to discern between the essentials of the faith and disputable issues. We pointed out how we need to learn how to agree to disagree agreeably rather than be so disagreeable. J Then over the past three weeks we have looked at the difference between Weak faith and Strong Faith (particularly in this context), Sabbath Principles in the New Covenant, and the difference between Calling Sin  “Sin” and standing in judgment over each other.This morning we are going to explore the principles of Christian Liberty in the context of Christian Community.As we mentioned previously, in this passage Paul is addressing the problem of divisions within the body of Christ over disputable life-style issues. Another way of saying this is: How are, or should, MY freedoms in Christ be affected by the convictions of others?Gray areas, Christian liberties… Many churches are held hostage by SPIRITUAL terrorists who hold the church back in the name of being OFFENDED or claiming to be WEAKER BROTHERS.v     If a vegetarian joins our church, should we forbid all meat at a church dinner?v     If one person finds our chairs offensive because we are too worldly minded and tied to comfort, should we replace them more Spartan ones?v     If a new member feels it is wrong to sing with instrumental accompaniment, should we go to a capella?v     Should we allow others to tyrannize us in the name of their being offended? 1. Christian Liberty & Freedom2. The Law of Love 1. Christian Liberty & FreedomAs believers in Christ, we walk the tightrope of liberty. On either side of us lie two extremes—legalism and license. The first one threatens to place us under a strict, narrow set of rules and regulations. The second urges us toward the bondage of self-centeredness.” (Chuck Swindoll)This section is primarily addressed to those who are strong in the faith & have freedom in disputable matters. Faith results in freedom. The stronger the faith, the greater the freedom. The weaker the faith, the smaller the freedom. It is important to notice that Paul says that both groups have faith.The tension, here, is between liberty and licentiousness, between legalism and antinomianismThe liberty that comes with mature faith1 Cor. 6:12 (NIV) - “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Cor. 10:23 (NIV) – “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. (NCV) “We are allowed to do all things,” but not all things are good for us to do. “We are allowed to do all things,” but not all things help others grow stronger.“Everything is permissible”—but……not everything is beneficial (NCV good for us to do). …I will not be mastered by anything.Two key questions:Is this beneficial or helpful (to God and/or to others)?Am I truly free to say “no” to this? Rom. 14:22b (NCV) – Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right.Rom. 14:14 (NCV) – I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat.Rom. 14:17 (NCV) – The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.Truly, as we grow in faith and in our understanding of the grace that is ours in Jesus Christ, we become more and more “free.” Our problem, at times, is in understanding what true freedom looks like.v   The freedom from selfv   Freedom to do what is right 2. The Law of LoveGalatians 5:13-14 (NIV) – 13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (v. 15 )(1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) – Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.)It is said that when the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1750s, Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet, was told to anchor outside Quebec. He was given orders to wait for the British land forces to arrive, then support them when they attacked the city. Phipps’ navy arrived early. As the admiral waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints that adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral, so he commanded his men to shoot at them with the ships’ cannons. No one knows how many rounds were fired or how many statues were knocked out, but when the land forces arrived and the signal was given to attack, the admiral was of no help. He had used up all his ammunition shooting at the “saints.” (Daily Bread) Unfortunately, the same could be said for many Christians today. When God calls on them to do something great for Him they have nothing left to give for they have used up their ammunition shooting at the saints.An issue of National Geographic included a photograph of the fossil remains of two saber-tooth tigers locked in combat. To quote the article: “One had bitten deep into the leg bone of the other, a thrust that trapped both in a common fate.” The cause of the death of the two cats is as clear as the cause of the extinction of their species. They could not survive because they were too busy fighting each other and the same can be said of the church today. As the apostle Paul put it: If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other (Galatians 5:15 NIV).Satan is a master at using controversial issues to distract the church from her true mission in the world. A former police officer tells of the tactics of a group of thieves: “They enter the store as a group. One or two separate themselves from the group, and the others start a loud commotion in another section of the store. This grabs the attention of the clerks and customers. As all eyes are turned to the disturbance, the accomplices fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, leaving before anyone suspects. Hours -- sometimes even days -- later, the victimized merchant realizes things are missing and calls the police. Too late.” Tom McHaffie How often this strategy is used by the Evil One! We are seduced into paying attention to the distractions, while our churches are ransacked. In this case we have lost not our merchandise, but our mission. And a church without a mission will soon be out of commission.What is good becomes bad if it leads to disharmony and does not build up the church. In Romans 12:18 – “If it is possible as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” |   | He says, “if it is possible” because he knows that it is not always possible to please people. You know the old saying: “You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” Well it is also true of pleasing people -- “You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” But the point is you need to do your part -- the part that “depends on you.” In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn’t a technology problem like radar malfunction -- or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late (Closer Walk, December, 1991). If we continue on our present course, we will share in their fate. This is the transcript of the ACTUAL radio conversation of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995. Radio conversation released by the Chief of Naval Operations.Canadians:  Please divert your course 15 degrees the South to avoid a collision.Americans:  Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees the North to avoid a collision.Canadians:  Negative.  You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.Americans:  This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.Canadians:  No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.Americans: This is the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, the second largest ship in the United States' Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers and numerous support vessels. I demand that you change your course 15 degrees north, I say again, that's one five degrees north, or counter-measures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship.Canadians:  This is a lighthouse.  Your call. Rom. 13:8-10 (NIV) – 8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.John 13:34-35 (NIV) – 34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”1 John 3:18 (NIV) – Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.1 John 4:19 (NIV) – We love because he first loved us.1 Corinthians 8:1 (NIV) – Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.1 Cor. 9:19 (NIV) – Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. Phil. 2:3-5 – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ JesusWhen we refuse to use our freedom to pursue love, the whole church is significantly weakened; we become a kind of demolition team
If this goes on to long, soon the entire group who refuses to pursue love will totally destroy a Church.
What is more important in life food or God? Obviously God, so if food, or any other “liberty”, is causing problems, don’t eat the food!Conclusion:☞     Be considerate ☞     Be convinced ☞     Be consistent  ☞     Be considerate (v. 21)(NLT) It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.☞     Be convinced (v. 22a)(NASB) The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God.☞     Be consistent (v. 22b-23)(NLT) Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 23But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. Voluntarily surrendering our “rights” for the sake of our brethren, for the sake of the Bride of Christ – The question: WHY do we do that?Wrong reason: so that they will think better of meRight reason: so that my freedom won’t cause others to follow my example, even though they would be in sin if they did… at least until they can do it in FAITH… As Time allows:Some are stronger in faith than others and those who are stronger in faith must be careful about exercising their freedoms in the presence of those who don’t have such freedom. The danger is that those who are weak in the faith may be tempted to participate in the freedoms of those strong in the faith when they themselves do not have that faith. This is dangerous because if anyone believes something to be wrong then it is wrong for them even if it is not something God’s word forbids. You see, it is a sin to violate your conscience. You must be, as Paul says, “fully convinced.” Because everything that does not come from faith is sin (v. 23). So if the exercise of your freedom causes a fellow believer to violate their conscience and sin you have “destroyed your brother for whom Christ died.” Paul includes himself in the group who are strong in the faith and have the freedom to eat anything, but he says that it is better to voluntarily restrict one’s freedom than to cause others to stumble by exercising it. In 1 Corinthians 8:13 he puts it this way: If what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. Paul is saying here that we should not insist on doing things our way. Insisting on doing things my way is the world’s way, not the Christian’s way. Paul holds up Jesus Christ as the ultimate example of someone who, rather than pleasing Himself, gave up His personal preferences for the good of mankind. To conclude on a more positive note: During World War II, Hitler commanded all religious groups to unite to that he could control them. Among the Brethren assemblies, half complied and half refused. Those who went along with the order had a much easier time. Those who did not, faced harsh persecution. In almost every family of those who resisted, someone died in a concentration camp. When the war was over, feelings of bitterness ran deep between the groups and there was much tension. Finally they decided that the situation had to be healed. Leaders from each group met at a quiet retreat. For several days, each person spent time in prayer, examining his own heart in the light of Christ’s commands. Then they came together. Francis Schaeffer, who told of the incident, asked a friend who was there, “What did you do then?” “We were just one,” he replied. As they confessed their hostility and bitterness to God and yielded to His control, the Holy Spirit created a spirit of unity among them. Love filled their hearts and dissolved their hatred. When love prevails among believers, especially in times of strong disagreement, it presents to the world as indisputable mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ Our Daily Bread, October 4, 1992. When love does not prevail among believers, especially in times of strong disagreement, it presents to the world -- well, you know what it presents to the world. The real question is: What will Hope Church present to the world? A Truth to Remember: In Jesus Christ we are free from the bondage that comes from our fallen nature. We are free to do what is right and good.A Challenge to Consider:Am I willing to set aside my freedom, or my preference for the sake of my brother or sister in Christ, out of love for my Lord and for His people?One thing I heard this morning was… |