April 18, 2021 - How Shall I Live... with other believers

So our ministry Spotlight we want to look at what's going on in the life of the church where God is working what he is doing through the people here as so let this be an encouragement to you guys and as much as it is for me cuz I get to to see a kind of firsthand so not first time being there, but you'll find out. Why do Amy what Ministry are you doing on Thursday? So it's a moms group that I lead. It's called free to feed and it's actually not a church live Ministry. I would say that God is kind of turned it into a Ministry. Anyways, you want me to give like the story of how it started and all that. So my husband Jeff and I when we moved down here 3 years ago now. I was pregnant with my son Hayden we moved back from Colorado and I wanted to make some friends I'd grown up here. But all of my friends from youth group here and everything and kind of the way or we are just in different seasons of life in so I got on Facebook and I started looking for moms groups and got in touch with a mom who led free to feed down in St. George. She started at like eight years ago. Her name is Aditi. I'm she's also Christian and she said there's nothing up in Cedar. Do you want to start something? And I was like, well, I guess so I started free to feed up here and we just started doing weekly walks and then it kind of turned into more weekly events will do moms night out and things like that and then we started meeting at Red Hills when it would get cold outside so we could still have a chance to be together. But you know, it's too cold to play out in the snow. So so yeah, how many moms do you have in your group?

It varies I would say.

No, 20 20 to 30 mom's but they don't come every week. It's just you know, it's a pain sometimes we'll have up to like 10 moms and 20 kids screaming and running around downstairs On Any Given Monday, and then there'll be three moms. And if you could we do me at the park in the summer time and it usually is bigger than that, but it's been really awesome that red hoses allowed us to meet here because it opens the doors to that conversation. Cuz a lot of moms are moved. A lot of families are moving down here right now until they be like who goes to this church and so then I get to start talking to them about Red Hills. And so many of them is coming to visit and several Little Couple actually just come consistently now because of it and how how God been moving in a way to give you opportunity for presenting the gospel and not only presenting the gospel but living a lie That reflects the gospel as well. So that's amazing to hear that just being here has helped open up the door to having conversation and having response. So what else have you seen God been doing? What can we pray for you guys for in the ministry and Outreach and how can we help as a church body to help that grow in to help meet the needs that you guys have? First and foremost I pray for all the families that are coming a lot of moms that come to church here are part of the moms group. So it's awesome to have just this little Christian Community inside out where we can all make friendships and no holidays about the Lord. But like I said, there's a lot of families moving to Cedar City right now and a lot of them don't know the Lord and just praying that we would be that like them and having some volunteers would be nice to not saying like people from Red help me to volunteer but more mom volunteers just to take on weekly events. Like it's just it's hard for me to do something everyday of the week. Not like we have to but it would be nice to have a couple different options. Cuz a lot of Mom's work and evenings are hard for me. A lot of moms are likely do you do anything in the evenings? And right now we're not so having someone to Maybe we'd a walk in the evening or something. Like that would be really nice. So if this interests you please talk to Amy afterward and your guys's next event is going to be April 27th Saturday. And then we're going to do a paint night. Don't go to bed step up. You got to be watching my kids. So the 24th paint night is everyone at the mom welcome to come join you guys and $20 for the kids were going to be painting, you know, my steps were the thing and then during the week when you guys me on Thursdays, like I said, we're going to start meeting at the park now cuz it's nice and the kids can run a little more wild. But yeah, we meet at 10 a.m. Thursdays either downstairs if it's cold outside or at the small park on Enoch in Mid Valley Road. I'm over there. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for sharing. Really appreciate it. How amazing God is using Amy? Thank you Auntie Fee for being faithful and obedience to the Lord if you guys would just look around and look at all of the kids that we have here. And this is I mean, this is only a partial of what we have normally but there's so many kids with in our midst that God has blessed us with how can we as a family helped raise these kids one way that we're going to today is this week is going to be family Sunday. We are going to have the kids stay in worship with us today. I promise we want to change the focus a little bit just feel comfortable. Don't feel like you have to keep your end of your kid under control because I've got kids and I know that is very hard to put a lot of stress on the moms. And because the guys want to just sit and listen, sometimes that's me actually, but it puts a lot of stress on the moms to try to keep their child under control, especially the the younger ones and so just just feel comfortable. We're we're a family we're accepting. Please be patience to you other people at to the rest of the archers family if it gets noisy and is bothering you go help them. They hate your kids.

Let's work together and showing this younger generation what it's like to Worship the Lord together what it's like to pray with one another to sing and praise to read his word and just to be able to help grow the Next Generation in the church. And so we're going to be gone through I promise. We're I'm going to try to keep it short because I do know I can get a little bit long as I'm going to try to keep it short so that we can keep keep them in here without having to leave but if the kids would come up here, please all the kids see Nyla. Come on guys Nevaeh Hayden. Aubrey, that's U2 That's you too Aubrey.

Just come sit on it. Come on upstairs real quick. I will be right back. Kay Aubrey I said that's you.

okay, we're going to do a little activity k Can one of you guys just one take this crossed up by themselves? Let's see come pick it up, man. You got it. You got to pick the whole thing up. Pick it all the way up off the ground. Almost. Come on, dude. Give me some give me some. All right. Now everyone come take a side come take a side right here. Everyone comes with the prize, Hayden.

Come over here.

I'm right here. I'll pick it up. Well, so now all of your picking it up.

Good job, guys, you can't you can set it down to feel really careful. Don't smash me too. Now, how much is your was that? Was it easier picking up with everyone? Yes, it was. Was it easy? Alright, so this is just an example. Thank you guys. Thanks.

So this is going to lead us into where we are at today and Romans 14 and we're going to be looking at the weak brother and the strong brother in the face. So as we see she was a strong brother over there picking up that Cross by himself, but when everyone got together they were able to pick it up with ease and it was amazing. So before we get into the word will be in Romans Chapter 14 verse 1 and we'll go through 15 verse 7, but before we get into the into the word, let's pray God. We thank you. We thank you for the kids that you have in our mess. We thank you for the brothers and sisters that you have brought here today. We ask God that you would bless this time your glass the time in your words. Holy spirit that you give us wisdom insight and understanding to your word hold me back or anything that I can say that goes that contradicts your word, but just speak through me. I pray that you prepare our hearts to receive your word and that you're just move within us into name. I ask these things Jesus. Amen.

All rights Romans chapter 14 looking at verse 1 through 12 first, okay.

Ask for the one who is weak in faith. Welcome him, but do not quarrel over opinions one person believes. He may eat anything while the weak person eats only vegetables, but not the one who eats despise the one who abstains let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats forgot his welcome to who are you to pass judgment on the Servants of another it is before his own master that he stands or Falls and he'll be upheld but the Lord is able to make him stand one person is seems one day as better than another while another esteems all days of Life. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind the one who observe the day observed it in honor of the Lord the one who eats eats in the honor of the Lord since he gives thanks to God while the one who abstains if stains in the honor of the Lord and give thanks to God for none of us lives to himself and none of us died to himself for if we live we live to the Lord. And if we die, we die to the Lord. So then whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lords for to this in Christ died and lived again, but he might be the Lord both of the dead and the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or you why do you despise your brother for we all stand before the judgement seat of God for his written as I live says the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God so that each of us will give an account of himself to God.

So looking at these first versus we're going to go through a little review of what we've already gone through and Romans. Remember, this was a letter written to the people in Rome the Believers in Rome. How did the Believers get to Rome Peters? Remember a Pentecost back in Acts chapter 2 Peter gives his message Souza's are saved and they take back the gospel to where they live in the surrounding areas. So these Jewish. They were originally Jewish. They go back to Rome and they present the gospel to both Jew and Gentile. So this this church is thriving is growing under the emperor Nero. If you know anything about the emperor Nero, he was a bad bad dude, probably even worse than then I ate off Hitler as history tells us for the church was thriving because they had a love for the Lord. There was these little church Gatherings and they were going and sending out disciples sending out leaders to start other churches. They were presenting the gospel with power with confidence. And the church grew even under the emperor Nero, then we have remember how Paul is riding because there has been no I have to stall a doctrine that was given to the Romans. There is nobody to go and say this is what we learn from Jesus. So no Apostle had been to Rome yet yet when she's so that's why Paul was riding and when he writes the wrong to the Romans, she says to them. I'm going to give he's laying out this field this theological doctrine of what is the Christian faith is like and remember that's why we are going over we're getting kind of broad view of what the Christian doctrine is. We can get a lot deeper when we could spend years in this and in this one book. So first, he starts off with the gospel the power of the Gospel how it declare the man righteous and then he moves on into the next chapter in Chapter 2 and 3 that no one is righteous. There's no one righteous. No, not one every one of the sinner everyone is contrary to who God is everyone is supposed to God there is not one person who can earn his way to Jesus. And then he moves on and he says that righteousness comes by faith. We are declared righteous because of what Jesus and the words that Jesus had died on the cross and the resurrection. If you put your faith in him, then you are declared righteous. And he gives the example of Abraham and he gives the example of how Abraham was declared righteous by his faith. And then he goes on at remember we went into what was the difference between legalism and faith. Then we went over what the law was and faith. Then Paul goes on in the latter chapters and verses and chapter 6 know it wasn't 6. Anyway, he goes on to say that we need to live Sanctified live. We need to be set apart for the purpose of God. Then we went over that God was Sovereign no matter if you were Jew or gentle Gentile or gentle, but that's God is Sovereign over all and that your choice to still do matter. Even though he had predestined us for the work that he has called us too and he has saved us. your worth is what you do still matters, but God is still Sovereign Over All and then Lauren a couple weeks ago had presented that we need to trust in one thing. That's God's word. You guys went back into Genesis and how how the word of God is reliable. Last week we went over the spiritual giftings and how we are all gifted in certain ways and how we can use that to affect Believers out affect Believers within the church and affect the people outside of these walls. And that leads right into where we're at today because now it is dealing with the brothers and sisters not outside. But inside it is dealing with the church. He says the first 12 verse is why we split it up is because this first part Paula saying receive one another. Receive one another he he goes on and says do the things you do do in these are the things you don't do but this is what the overall picture of 1 through 12 is is received one another why verses 1 through 3 show us that God has received us. And the first verse he is saying he is addressing the strong Christian and he saying welcome the week brother in.

He is saying the strong is the one who has the the Liberty the freedom and Christ and he understands the spiritual truth. That's who the mature Christian is that he's heard about the week. Christian is the one who is bound himself by these laws these Traditions these legalistic mindsets as we saw it is One person keeping these holy days and the other people there's this there's the contentions going on. There's a there's this divide people are eating people aren't eating the song brothers are eating meat while the week brothers are eating vegetables that the week brothers are observing the holy days in the the strong Brothers aren't so there's something going on. As you can tell I'm a strong brother cuz I eat and I get some. I guess I got, but when I said we're going over this man. Not I don't have a problem with you in anything as you could tell. But that's not necessarily the case. That was the issue that was going on then. Because the sum of the Gentiles in the church, they didn't want to eat the meat because it had been worshiped or its sacrifice these pagan gods and so they were saying it's unclean is unclean. We know the Jewish tradition the truth the Jewish tradition was they couldn't eat meat because got it called it. Unclean. What did what did God say and ask to Peter when he lays down the she says don't call anything unclean that I made clean. all things were declared clean But he's saying there's an issue that is deeper root issue. One person is weak in the face because they're buying themselves from the Liberty like that. Jesus is set him free from and the other one understanding his freedom. Is going and eating so it's causing The Strife within the church and causing the separation the Paul's addressing this and he's saying he's saying to them receive them welcome them. This is something that should separate you guys.

This is a lot like the Christian church today. We see this all over this is why we have denominations. This is why we have other religions. This is why we have the Lutheran Church the Catholic Church. The Pentecostals. The Baptist is why we have the four squares. That's why we've got Mormons we could go on and on is because there is this we tend to move to our own liking our own Traditions. What we think is right before God and it causes a division with amongst believers. It's causing us to say I don't agree with these people. So I'm going to go find some more people for like minded like me and I'm going to feel more comfortable here. Say that's not the case. God has created us all difference. We're all original. We are created by God. We created His Image. There's this thing going on called the equality act. Everyone should be the same or culture has changed this equality to being stained equality means that we are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ. We're not the same. We should we should take The uniqueness that God has created us with and it said that equal.

We're not no one's the same. We tend to go with say minded like people.

For an example I will get into this later but I think Saint Augustine said it backed the said it best. He says the essentials Unity the nonessentials Liberty in all things charity. And everybody there are strong and weak believers. The strong understand the spiritual truth and they practice it the week. They have not grown to that level of maturity yet. They still think sometimes we have an opposite. We think the strong Christians are the ones who sets all these laws and traditions and regulations. And if they follow those those are the strong Christians, but Paula saying the opposite say they don't understand this Freedom that Christ has given us.

So we see and versed for inverse I want so. Later on in here in this study. I don't want you guys right now to think that we just leave each other alone, you know based on our differences and stuff. We're going to understand why and there should be some Essentials. That we understand and that we we do divided over. Because these are the essential doctrines of God. These are the things we need to stand by it for everything else shouldn't divide us and we'll get into those later. So we see in verse for God has received both. I'm actually working to get into right now my notes Daiso.

start whether these are the primary doctrines who God is that there is only one God. The Triune God now, there's some secondary terms that can go along with that as well as how you see the Trinity. Yeah, I won't get into those right now. But Jesus was fully man fully God. She died physically Rose physically salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. And one must be born again to enter into eternal life. Now the rest are secondary like the pre-trib we're going to be taken up before the Rapture mid-trib. It's going to be during the tribulation and there were to be taken up the inerrancy of the Bible new Earth creation old Earth creation baptism is essential for salvation communion what the communion looks like if the if Christ was really in that we went into some deep discussion with the Transit Transit station and transubstantiation. I can't even say the words and I don't understand a lot of what goes into but those are the things that shouldn't be dividing the body of Christ. Those are secondary items as long as we are unified in the spirit with the first part II issues on what's going to cause a divide

Where to become a long one another I can go on and on with this list this list. I mean, it's amazing how much division has how much these issues have caused division over the years?

This is where you get religion is when you have to follow and practice these things. I'm not saying that you're not obedient because if the word clearly tells you what you need to be doing you best be being obedient.

But if the word leaves leaves pockets in it and it done is not clear. That's where we can vary on opinion. But I still love you. I still want to come alongside you I still want to grow with you.

So I'm verse for God hold up. His own God is the master we are slaves. Who are we to put ourselves in the Masters position? Who are we to judge the other slaves? God holds we see at the end of verse for god holds that both the weak and the Strong by my boy and like everyone else all the other kids who helped pick up that car got hold that ball.

And it's our job. Love no matter what the difference is on.

I got to hurry up cuz I did promise that I would be done so verses 5 through 9. We see that Jesus is Lord. We see this 8 times that I know Christian has lacked the right to play God and other people's lives, especially when it has to do with other people's conviction that doesn't clearly state in the Bible. Now. Let me shed some light on this because you can go away saying that I can do whatever I want. I can live life. However, I want because I'm free and you can't say anything about it kid. The Bible does Clearly say if you're in sin, I'm to come to you and I am to rebuke you buy what the Bible says. The Bible does Clearly say that the the word is used to teach to build up through and to rebuke the Bible does say that if you are and you're supposed to come along to that brother and present this into him. This is not I'm not talking about judgement of sin. I'm talking about things that are going to cause differences within us not something that's going to tear down a brother and sister with their walk with the Lord. Those are the things that we need to come alongside and say hey, let me help you in this area. So I am not saying that we just leave people to do their own thing.

But when it comes to those issues. And they have their own convictions.

Then we let God deal with them because we see that he is the master supposed to be between him and the believer.

We don't have a place to say otherwise.

If it's going to cause you to look at somebody different because of the secondary issues. Let's talk. So I'm back to verses 5 through 9. This is Lord has found eight times and envies for versus. Unto the Lord to be persuaded or assured in his own mind. This is the issue of dealing with this is between me and God and everything that I am doing. I am doing unto the Lord going back to Colossians. Every action I'm going to take I'm doing it for the Lord. There's the issue of drinking. There's that which we had thought and 1st Corinthians was a problem.

Some of us drink. Is it going to change? Where we view them? Drink wine or have a glass of beer. Is it going to change or he's not really religious anymore? Well if you're not getting drunk.

He's using that spiritual freedom. But as long as it is unto the Lord, I'm doing everything unto the Lord.

There there are still some practices that happened in the church today. I was reading some of these things and I remember I read some books and I was really shocked. I think it changes with the culture that we are in but one thing to Christians thought it was a sin to listen to the radio to Christian radio because Satan was the prince and power of the air so they're like, he's in there radio frequencies. And another one is Bible translations that still goes on. If you don't read this, there's the inerrancy of scripture. There's there's quite a few theater was one of them. I read this book that talked about Believers back in Shakespeare's time. They weren't allowed to go to the theater and it was considered a sin if you are caught in the theater and so a lot of Christians didn't go to the theater because it was free living.

Boy how times have changed and if we were to look back now there was even a divide between Charles Spurgeon and Joshua Parker. I believe his name two of the greatest people and Charles Spurgeon had caught the Joshua Parker in the theater and it caused a divide between them. if there were to look back and think like I let this affect the work of the Lord.

How foolish of me?

How am I on time?

Wedding verses 10 through 12. We see Jesus is the judge. This is talk about the judgement seat. This is talking about 120 us as Believers give account for what we have done in the presence of God. This isn't talking about the Judgment of sin because we have been declared righteous. We have no sin. Jesus is taking our place. So this is staying is based upon on what's in here. What you do if you're not doing it out of the love for one another.

Like in 1st Corinthians 13. You're just too noisy symbol. Everything that you work towards for the work in the ministry of the Lord should be done with the motive of the heart.

And it says that I can't remember exactly what scripture there is it sin, but it talks about how everything is going to be burnt up and it's going to be tested. Going to be tested to see what's really going to stand what the motive really was.

So I want to hurry up. I'm going to I'm just going to jump to a 13 and 23 to the cut on time. We are to edify one another to build each other up. We are to grow with one another we're not supposed to just leave the Christians to do their own thing. We're supposed to grow with one another the stronger supposed to come alongside the week. And this is what it talks about in 13 through 28 and verses 13 and 15. It says that we affect each other. Now 13 and 15. It gives therefore let us not pass judgement on one another any longer but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and I am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But is unclean for anyone who thinks is unclean for if your brother is grieved by what you eat. You are no longer walking in love but you eat you do not destroy by what you eat to do. Not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So we affect one another and this gives the example that we are effective Believer by stumbling them grieving them and destroying them but we also can affect them in a different way. We can affect that by loving and coming alongside them and helping them in the growing with them. Strong Christians, we need a balance of both knowledge and love.

Where empty with all the head knowledge if we're not putting out love.

If we're going to let these little issues divide us and divided the church and divided God's people were foolish.

But we do know we do need to know that we shouldn't be partaking in these things as well if it's going to cause somebody to stumble if I'm a strong Christian and I want to drink a glass of wine and somebody who's thinking of drinking a glass of wine is bad. Don't do it in front of them. Don't cause strive to arise because of it. We're looking for one Focus that we see in verse 17. + 16 + 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of the righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We should be putting these things on the Forefront of our conversation. and our relationship with one another are we hoping grow in righteousness? Are we helping to grow and Christ who has declared us righteous. Are we growing in peace with one another are we growing enjoy with one another in the work that we are doing because we are his servants that we have clearly seen in versus 3. and the Holy Spirit we're unified and the Holy Spirit. We are we are unified in one mind one body one Spirit Christ in the head.

So we need to help each other grow. We must have the that must be a priority.

We must not force our opinions. Is it okay to disagree but I am very open. I can be persuaded. I'm telling you what? A lot. I have grown tremendously by people who have different opinions than me. I like hey that really makes sense.

You can grow by a difference of opinion that should provide you with some grow you. When the Holy Spirit is moving your bouncing things off of one another your iron sharpening iron your your growing in the knowledge of and Grace of Christ.

So the last thing and 15 and chapter 15 looking at verses 1 through 7.

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. But each of us, please his neighbor for his good to build him up for Christ did not please himself but as it is written the reproaches of those to reproach you fell on me. For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of scriptures. We might have hope May the god of endurance and encouragement grants you to live in such harmony with one another no cord with Christ Jesus. That together you may with one voice glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God that last verse sounds familiar. It was the first verse of chapter 14, so go back a couple of 225 and 6, please.

Let's go back to for there's two things that I want to focus on and closing. Paul shares and encouragement with us. He gives us two sources of a spiritual power of how we reach the unity in Christ.

If we're going to please one another we need to partake in these things for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of scriptures. You might have. Right there the word of God we can encourage each other with the word of God. We can give hope through the word of God. We need to be in the word of God together a corporate league as a body and bible studies and small groups. We need to be getting saturated with the knowledge in the wisdom of the Lord. We need to be finding ourselves in the fullness of God's word and basing everything upon this everything else is secondary. If it's not clear and here we have the the difference between openness to difference of opinion. But we should be living our lives in obedience to his word. So his the word of God as a spiritual power. The second thing is prayer and verses 5 and 6. May the god of endurance and encouragement grants you to live in such harmony with one another in the court of Christ. Jesus being one that together. You may raise that you met with one voice glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Are we a healthy Church who prays together who comes together makes it a point? The set time aside during our week to come together with one another and pray for one another and pray for our community to pray for God to grow his kingdom here. To grow his kingdom in this church. Do we come together and lift our voices as one or we moved by the spirit? the pray for one another I still am by myself. I'll have people come sometimes on Sunday mornings.

But what about a prayer night? I know Brandon was praying on Wednesday nights and they got the same point. Nobody was coming.

We need to be in the word together growing sharpening each other and praying and let's lifting our voices why for the glory of God?

The week come alongside the strong the strong come along the week to help grow into the fullness of God to glorify him for the work that he's doing in our life lettuce. Let him move.

Can't stand idle.

So I'm closing it actually end on a better note.

I love you guys. I love you guys a lot. And that's why I want to present this to you guys.

We don't need tradition to get in the way of our relationship with Jesus and to divide us. We need to love one another. How to grow one another disciple one another go back to the things that are right here on our bulletin love God. Love is word love is the opportunity to come before him love others meet the needs of other beasts self-sacrificial look to the example of Jesus who gave up everything gave up his throne gave up his life for each one of us. Look to that example by that's the type of love not looking at our own interest and looking at the interest of others and make disciples grow people.

But don't do it by yourself by the Holy Spirit. Let's cousin play. We thank you guys for your love and kindness. We thank you for your word. I asked if that's you would just continue to move within us throughout our week that you would bring us into I just knowledge and peace and joy, and you got that we can grow in unity with one another. And that's who I we have any issues with one another God. I just pray that you would bring those to our hearts that you may reconcile that relationship. That'll be all for your glory. And your name. I said who sings? Oh Jesus. Amen.

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