Romans 14 - part 2
If you have your Bibles, go with me. Again, this morning to Romans chapter 14. We going to pick up, where we left off last week on this aspect of how we are to treat one another. In the work of the Lord. God's got people all over the world, ministering for him, people all over the world, sharing the gospel message. We don't all share the gospel, message the same. We don't all presented the same way. There are different people there. Different gift, different Ministries. Didn't get the different talents that God gives each and every one of us. So we need to be aware that just because somebody does not agree with me or just because I do not agree with someone else. Doesn't mean that they're not a believer. We have all kinds of denominations in our own country that we got to be concerned with and then deal with here's the key. It's scripture is from the word of God. Unless you believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, you will all perish. That's it. You can't believe it's not just a head knowledge. It's deeper than that because the world believe that they believe. When in Jesus, when there's trials and tribulations. But do you believe that he is the savior of the world? Have you put your faith in your trust in him? Are you seeking a relationship with him today? So how do we treat one another? We talked last week about not arguing over our differences? It's easy to argue over differences. We can argue over the simplest things in life. Can we not? I've heard people argue over, going to McDonald's, are going to Taco Bell and I can't believe you eat there will done if you don't like it, don't eat there. Pretty simple. Am I right? Are a strong swimmer loves Taco Bell. He also loves hot sauce. I don't mind eating at Taco Bell, but I don't care so much for the hot sauce, the older you get, the more that stuff bothers you I found out.
It's like well, do you know what? They put in their hamburger? My wife and I ate at Cracker Barrel last night. You know what, I had Cracker Barrel last night for my wife. It took me back to when I was probably 6th grade 7th grade. First time I ever had it. Wooden something when the Staple in our house, but I went to a, a, a dinner of football sponsored in the Lions Club. I played on the football team. For the Lions Club. They had the Lions of Kiwanis, and rotary all the different clubs are sponsored a peewee football team. I was on the Lions Club, the Lions Club sponsor to dinner for the first time ever that I can remember. I had country fried steak.
I saw that on the menu last night. Guess what? I'm having? Country fried steak. I worked it off yesterday afternoon. So I was allowed. We were here tripping ice. You saw he might as well that Facebook post and ignored it. Thank you very much. I yelled for some help. I got some. At least a bronze and Rich Brian showed up in elise's sets. Her clock. Her Apple. Watch. Is it? What are you doing? All, this is my exercise time. I'm going to see how much exercise we get in here. Okay, so we're chipping ice for chipping, ice for chipping ice. We get all done chipping ice and time to go home. And I said hey, how many calories did we burn?
344 bad. I don't keep up with that stuff. 340 calories. I'm thinking I might have burned a few more than that. Anyway, so now we write make up for that Cal. We just burn. Don't, we do things that way a lot. I'm going to burn this up, so I can have this over here. No one followed me that night. Like, ice cream. Who doesn't like ice cream? Anybody. You don't like ice cream. You love it. I didn't see it or not. I said, who doesn't love like you don't love it cuz you don't can't eat that much. That's why it's a sore loser right there for the 49ers fan.
I love you too, brother. See, that's what we can disagree and we can still love each. Other can't help it and he's rooting for the wrong team.
Differences caused a lot of problems. Have you noticed that? Have you noticed that in life? Somebody does not agree with you and suck that. I shared this couple weeks whether whether you're a Chevy's fan or a four-door Dodge van or whatever kind of fan you are box fan. You can be anything if you don't agree with somebody. Big deal. If they want to drive a Ford and you want to drive a Chevy, I drive cheap not Jeep cheap. So it's a big difference. I write, whatever I can afford when it's time to get a car and we drive them into the ground. The last car. We had our our 05 Camry had 260,000 Mi on it. Bonaparte Russian apart underneath. So I put it on the side of the road in an hour. It's sold 900 bucks in my pocket. I see that car running up and down, Route, 40 still. I'm like, what in the world was I thinking Dear, I'm driving my truck and not getting good gas mileage in that thing was good for 40 miles a gallon. I'm wishing I still had it rusted out or not. But the point is, we don't always agree on things and that's okay. We don't have to always agree on things, but we have to agree on is who Jesus. Is what we have to agree on is what he's done. If we want to have a home in heaven with him. Look up vs. 5 vs 6 in Roman chapter 14. One person sees one day above another, another seems every day. I like let your staying fully love you to be fully convinced in his own mind. He will observe the day observed to the Lord and He will does not observe the day. I'll let me start that verse 6 all over here observes a day, observes it to the Lord. In he who does not observe the day to the Lord. He does not observe it. He who eats eats to the Lord for he gives God. Thanks, and he who does not eat to the Lord. He does not eat and give God. Thanks. Are you thankful for what God does? Are you thankful for what he's giving you are, you thankful for the way that he was provided for you each and every day? God is good. He gives us hope he gives us joy. He gives us peace and what he wants for us is to be able to to work together as a body of Believers to get the cause that he has in store for us to do not my calls. Not your caused his cause you won't join his cause is he has caused is for you to know Christ as Lord and Savior, his concerts. Were you to know him till you can have a home Eternal in heaven? How do we do that? By the way, I act, by the way, I dress. By the way, I live. No. Yesterday morning. I walked into schagaval. I had on my work clothes and on an old raggedy hat that I wear, when I when I know I'm going to be sweating like crazy cuz I don't want to destroy my other hat that I had on my own Bottle. Barn boot oil money. Why? Because last time I went hunting, I was out in the mud and they're all muddy from that, still caked-on. Then you watch him up. No, I didn't watch him off. That's why they're born boots. I don't have a barn but their barn boots had on some old work clothes. I can I walk in and check about the guy looks at me. You look like a homeless man.
Okay. What's that mean? I look like a homeless man. He knew who I was, but you look like a homeless man. I've never seen this side of you before.
Is that good? Or is that bad? I don't know. But what I want people to see in me now is not the homeless man. I want them to see the man that has a home Eternal in heaven, and I've got that about you. We only had to Believers in the early service. Truly turn to Believers because I gave an ultimatum. I said, listen to if you're a Believer today, you're going to walk out of here with one of these poinsettias.
Do people walked out with poinsettias? You need to pray for the early service pray that they come to a knowledge of faith in Jesus Christ, cuz I'm going to save them today. If you're a believer that you're going to walk out of here with a poinsettia. We like for him to go take him home, please. I know the excuse. Why we got cats. We got dog. Anyway, if you don't have a cat you don't have a dog, whatever. Parakeet, take them with you, please. They're yours there free. Otherwise, you're going to find one of them. Might have a $100 plan it in it.
Might be already gone. I don't know, but that's a chance. You'll take right now. They're yours. Please take him. Give him some. Love some Tendercare. It will help him to grow. I'm tired of water in them. Lisa's Tire picking up leaves from Christmas is over. We're onto Valentine's Day. Are you ready for that? Who's your Valentine? No, don't look at your husband. Do look at your wife. Boyfriend. Girlfriend. God, look at God, because through him, we can do all things through him. We know how to act, we know how to relate, we know how to live. If we follow his guys in his Direction, This is why I shared with people a few weeks back. Read the book of Deuteronomy. It sort of sums up the Old Testament, the book of Deuteronomy juices. Hey, if you do this, you'll be blessed. If you don't do this, you won't be blessed in the reason you're not weak being blessed, because you're not following my commands. You want to know why as a nation? We are not, we are not being blessed the way we should be because we are not following God's command as a nation. Now. I can be following God's commands to the nth degree. And yet somebody else may not be, does that just affect them or does affect that affects all of us. When we do not obey the Lord, when we don't do what he's calling us, who it doesn't just affect the one. Disobey. It affects all of his wife. That's what the body of Christ is all about. The body of Christ works together. The body of Christ ministers want another, when one month part hurts the other parts come together to build it up to help keylent. It's amazing how God created. This body is amazing. The illustrations we get from this body for the church, before ministering one to another God wants us to grow. He wants us to be blessed. He wants us to go forward, and we need to get our eyes off of ourselves and on the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we get our eyes on the Lord, Jesus Christ, we begin to see you this world as he sees it. Jump down with me to vs. 7 vs 3 vs 9 Romans 14:7 for none of us lives to himself and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord. And if we die, we die to the wards will therefore, whether we live or die. We are the Lords. Who do you belong to? The Lord. If you're a child of God today, you are a member of God's family. You belong to him. We're all created in His image, male and female created, he them, although the world. We live in today, tries to tell us that's not true anymore. There's hundreds of genders out there. But God's word says, listen, he created US male and female. This is true. He created us in His image, but look around. We're all different. Looking are we not? We all have different aspects. Some of this, not everybody can be as beautiful as me. He is handsome as me. Right. I'm just look in the mirror. Some of you God bless with money others good looks.
Okay, you know. That's a joke, right? Anyway. God, blesses us. And just because I don't get the blessing, somebody else gets, I shouldn't be upset. I should be excited for them when somebody rejoices do, what Rejoice with them. When somebody cries knew what crime was not fake about this fake stuff that we get in the world today, or sorry. I'm loaded up.
No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry for the heartache. I'm sorry for what you're going through and when somebody gets much, you're being blessed. Man is is tough to see those things in today's society. Right. Go to the gas station, you pump gas into your car, diesel, whatever you get. Do you feel blessed afterwards? You look at that. Number, the numbers going out, the dollar amount higher and higher and higher all the time. Right. What's a blessing is? But I can go and I can pay for that. I got the money in the bank, to be able to pay for that gas. Let me to Lori and I went to Cracker Barrel. Last night. We had a gift card. Somebody gave us a gift card. So we we went to Cracker but we had to go to to Clifton Park animation. Hey, let's go home, and we're all done. I use that gift card. I don't know why it's how much is on the. I don't know what the value of the gift card and give it to the lady and She brings it up and does her thing, and she tells me the amount that I owe after she rang rang up the the gift card. I'm thinking in my head. Well, that's almost a full amount. Why, why why why do I owe you that? Because there's $2.17 on that gift cards. My first thought was, what Cheapskate gave me that. That I really will know we used it before and that's what was left on it, right? What Cheapskate didn't give the waitress an extra $2.17.
So what are you do? Well. You pull out some cash and you pay for the rest blessed. Yes. We are in the midst of trials and tribulations. Are we blessed? Yes, we are. God has given us so much and as a body of Christ, as we look around, see the gifts and talents and abilities right here in this room, this morning. Just think how blessed the body of Christ is. But yet if you hear this morning, you don't know Christ as your lord and savior missing out on some of that. Yes, you can get the Overflow from some of it. But me, and you're, you're missing out on some of that blessing. Because. What does he say? Again, over 74, number slips to himself. None of us, who dies to himself, or if we live, we live to the Lord. And if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die. We are the Lords. Verse 84. If we live, we live to the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die. We are the Lords first name for this in Christ died and Rose and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But how do you judge your brother? Why do you judge your brother? Why do you show contempt for your brother for? We shall all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ for it is written. As I lived as a lord. Every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall confess to God. Listen, every one of us Believers and non-believers alike will stand before God someday and give account of Our Lives before. God. Give me a count of other people's lives. Not say that God will guide, you know, it in my life. Here's here's what I did wrong. But man, that Frank parent guy. He's, he's far worse than I am and it's true. We know that, right.
No, God knows. Say hello. We're not here dealing with Frank parent. Yo, his last name p, you'll come up later in the alphabet. Mccaskill would deal with you right now LMAO. Yes. Okay, and we're dealing with you. You're standing before me. Let me tell you what you've done cuz he knows. He knows, God is all-knowing. God watches over us. He cares about us. He knows the things in her life that we try to maybe hide from other people, but we can't hide from him. Whether we live or we die, we live or die for him because we are his every knee shall bow. Every tongue will confess. Each one of us verse 12 will give account of himself to God. They're 4 verse 13 says, what does not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this not to put a stumbling block or caused the fall in our brothers way.
Yesterday, I look like a homeless man. What I was told. Was that a stumbling block to somebody know they weren't upset that I look like that. They're just making a comment at the way. I was dressed. They understood there was work to be done for the day, just a little friendly banter back and forth, because you know what? I want them to see in me. I want them to see the Light of Christ in me. And I think people do maybe, not everybody, I come around because you might not know who I am and then they look at me as a homeless man. Look at me as just a regular joke, but listen when we know Christ is our Lord and savior that light needs to shine forth and others need to be looking at us ahead. I want. I want what you have. And all we need to share with them is a love of Jesus for God. So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's it. It's nothing else. Nothing else added to it. Nothing else taken away from it. It's just believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and knowing knowing that he loves us knowing that he cares for us knowing that he has a plan. Look down a verse 10, through verse 12. Why do you judge your brother? Why do you look at that? We're all going to stand before God for swelled. So then teach us each of us, so they need to give account of himself. The God, are you guilty of judging other people their actions, yet? We can see what they're doing. Don't do that. God's the judge all week and need to be ignorant about things. But we need to judge ourselves. First and foremost is my life. What it needs to be because maybe those same people are judging me. Bible says, we will be judged with the same manner that we judge other people. And most of us don't want to be judged that way. I don't want to be judged the way that I judge people sometimes.
I think I'm wise enough sometimes, when I judge people to keep it to myself. Because the moment we open our mouths, people don't know how foolish we are. Right. I may see something. I don't like that. Maybe nothing wrong with it. Just maybe I don't like it. Cranberry sauce, I don't like that, right? People love it, pees. I don't like that. People love it. You know what? I like. Country fried steak and ice cream. I didn't have ice cream last night because by the time we got done with a country fried steak in the baked baked to Apples. We were full. So, we went home. We went home and I got in a cookie jar.
No bake cookies. My wife made that they're all gone. She'll be looking for some today. There's none left there. All gone. I had to make up for all those calories. I had worked off, don't want to fade away to nothing. I want some substance in my life and people can see me coming at that homeless man, or as that lighter Jesus, when I walk in. Before them. We're all going to stand before God. We're all going to give account.
Here's what we need to realize. Ready for this, buckle your seatbelt. You're not going to make it not all. Believers are mature. Can I say it again? Not all believers are mature. Not even those who think they're mature Armature. There are some people in the MacAskill clan that are not mature. I'm looking at a young man by the name of Harrison. He's not mature yet. But hopefully one day he'll get. There there. There's another young man by the by the name of Dawson. He's not mature yet, but hopefully he'll get there. I can go on up to last the list Karin and in the rest of the clan, they're not all mature, but eventually as we get older we get a little more mature and it's not about my way. It's about God's way. Lord, how would you have me to react to this? Is one portion of scripture that we can look at where we see Jesus getting angry. His righteous. Indignation when he walked into the temple. He saw the money changers. There that were ripping off the worshippers making money off of selling the turtle on selling. Thanks for the sacrifice. He got angry at them cuz he knew where their heart was. He knew their heart wasn't right. What do we see him do it? He tipped over their tables. He said he got a whipping. Chase them out of the Temple. Righteous indignation, he had a reason. A reason to do that. Why? Because of the way that they were treating other believers. The difference between Jesus and us as we can't see people's hearts. Maybe they're just immature. We can't see people's hearts. You know what Jesus can do. He knows our hearts right now. We can't even see our own hearts. He tells us that part a man's heart who can know, it only God. So we need to make sure that we are right before God and I will forever preach this when I have this relationship right with God. This relationship going to be right with other people, me to you. It doesn't matter what you give back to me. That's between you and God, but when my relationship is right with God, then my relationship for me to others around will be right. Will some people not like it. Of course, some people won't like it. That's why Christianity has been beaten down for 2,000 years. But I survived. The word of God will go forth. The word of God will continue on. He talks about accountability and verses. 10 through verse 12. He talks about ambition and verse 13. Let's not judge one another, he says anymore, but rather resolve this not to put a stumbling block or cause the fault in our brother's way. I know. And I'm convinced by the Lord Jesus verse 14 says that there is nothing unclean of itself, but they him who considers anything to be unclean to him and his unclean. What do you say to him that knoweth? Not to do something. Don't do it. When in doubt, don't do it? Don't make a big deal about it. Fasting, and praying. When's the last time you did that, when the last time you fasted and you praise, what's the purpose of that? Well, some people are well. I need to lose some weight. So I'm going to fast and pray that's not really what it's about. Is having a right relationship with God. Making sure that you're on the right path. Lord. I I'm withdrawing myself from certain things that might be important to me on a daily basis. I'm going to Harbor myself in in this whole away from that stuff so that I can get a right relationship with you. I told him watching, if you ever see it on television, that alone shows people go out in the wilderness for days and days, and days, right? And I'm thinking maybe nice to try for a couple of days. See what I did there. Couple of days. These people are two, three, four weeks in trying to get the 90 days. If I'm a man being away from people for 90 days. Every now and then sounds like a great idea. Until you're away from him for two or three days and you wish you were with him a man. Am I the only one that feels that way or you ever felt like or go hide from all these people for 90 days?
But guess who showed up? The devil. The devil trying to tempt him, trying to draw him away. And every time, the devil tried to tempt him. What did he do? He shared scripture with him, all your out here, for 40 days, fasting and prayer, your must be hungry. Turn those stones into bread, man. Shall not live by bread alone. But by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Let me take you up on on this Pinnacle and look at, I'll give you everything that's out there if you just Bow Down and Worship me. Nope. It doesn't matter what you had, Thou shalt not tempt, the Lord. Thy God. I'm not going to throw my self off at this Temple. All of this is my father's. He owns at all. Every time Satan tempts us, we need to go to the word of God. Every time things don't happen the way they should and we're getting angry with the body of Christ. Go to the word of God. Why? Because he guides us. He directs us. It's his word. Don't go to what you think. It says see. That's what we do. We we think sometimes we know what the word of God says, and we don't have a clue. I might have mentioned this last week. I've hung on the small group pastors. Facebook thing. A10. I've seen nobody. But a bunch of complainers on the small group has been told as is pastors a bunch of complainers pastors.
I don't want to be one of them. I don't want to be that complainer. They're complaining about the church members. They're complaining about this and that you're talking about that in the church. I'm thinking. But you're part of the church. Are we perfect? Anybody here, perfect.
none of us are we're all Sinners saved by grace. If we know Christ is our Lord and savior. Where work in progress? Remember that song, I think it, I think, years ago up here with a group of kids. He's still working on me.
Right. He still working on me to make me want to try to be. Took him just a week to make the moon and the stars are some of the earth, Jupiter to Mars. How long in patient. He must be a man? He's still working on me. You still working on us? We've not arrived yet. We will not arrive until we get to have it. And then we See what Perfection truly is. We strive to be what he wants us to be. Continue on here as we read on in Romans chapter 14. Their Swift. And he says that if your brother is green because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food, the one of whom Christ died. Destroying people with food so damn ridiculous, isn't it? You got a McDonald's. You don't go to McDonald's or Taco Bell. You don't go to. Why does that matter to you? You don't either don't eat there. You don't want to eat at Cracker Barrel to need to Cracker Barrel. You want to go to Delmonico's Delmonico's eat wherever you want to eat. But whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord. Cuz if you're a child of God, he's going with you.
416. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil.
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit for he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. For he who serves Christ in these things? Is acceptable unto God.
First and foremost. I don't need the approval of man. If I don't have the approval of God. But once I had the approval of God, then when this is, right. This is right. And you want to say I can't help how you feel towards me? All I can be aware of and control of is how I treat you.
Years ago. Somebody told me, they felt like the spleen of the body. Is it? I don't know what the spleen does and don't know if it's good for anyting, but that's how I feel. I feel like I'm the spleen in the body of Christ. So what do you feel like today? What part of the body do you look at yourself as? I mean the tonsils we know we get them taken out when they get infections are gone and years ago that they would do that. They take the appendix out when you had other issues and they had to go with me to take your appendix out while ratoff good for nothing. If those things were good for nothing, God wouldn't have given them to us. Am I right? Do they cost from sure? They cause problems? But God's Got A Plan, he's got a purpose. He's put you together. He's put me together. We don't all look alike. And we may not all had the same great features. Like I said, this morning, Mike bills, got seven, fingers, and 7 toes. I need 10. You need for it. Did you know that? You going to be looking that want you? Yummy looking help them count when he's as Treasurer when he's got to count the money and help him figure that out. I mean, anything under 10 / 10. I got to really work hard at that.
Can you imagine having 7 and 7:14 right there? Automatic?
We joke about the lady but listen, God has created us all different. But he's given us the same. Hope, hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he has given us. This passage again for Hughes or Christ in these things is acceptable to God. In a food by men. Are you acceptable to God? Are you more concerned about it? Being accepted by God or you're more concerned about being approved by men?
We like that approval of man. We like to get the Pats on the back and those kind of things. But more important. We need to be approved by God in the first 19 letters. Therefore, therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things which one may edify another.
I called Chris Brown up here in the early service. Norm come here. I'm going to call Norma Wright and Chris Brown is hiding chicken. Right here. Alright, so ready for this. I'm going to punch you in the nose. Is that okay? Should I buy?
You love him. It's not going to hurt me. Well, it might my hand but it will.
Is he a part of the body of Christ? So if I punch him home, I punching. Myself, right, husbands and wives, you ready? For this one. You can plain about your spouse, put your really complaining about Mcfaul's, not hear yourself. Yourself, because the two of you been having become one in Christ. Right? And I hear it all the time.
Blah, blah, blah, and I'm saying shut up.
Right, but as a body of Christ, if I hurt him, I'm hurting me. If I heard him. I'm hurting you, right? Stub your toe. You know what? I mean? It doesn't just affect the toe. I know that's getting old but it doesn't just affect the toilet. Affects the whole body. I kicked something the other day with a pair of shoes on that. I really didn't think about when I kicked it. It was frozen in the ground. A piece of wood, trying to get a loose. I kicked it. My big toe still hurts. Right. Does your big toe heart? And I was just the way I walk. All right, you making fun of me. You're making fun of me. You're making fun of you. All right. What point is we are brothers in Christ. We are We Are Family. I got all my people with me. I know that's not the words, right? Sisters, but I couldn't sing that with Norm up here.
How do we, how do you treat those around you? It begins right here. How do I treat myself? When God has made me who I am, and I strive to serve him, when we're striving to serve him. We're going to bless those around 6 Norm, being a part.
Lord knows, I pick on him all the time. Chris went ahead cuz I picked on him earlier. He's a chicken. He's sneaking back in. Now. He's back in here. Chris come up here. Just kidding.
Do you love Jesus? Do you love? The body of Christ. We love everything about the body of Christ. Right? We may look at our own bodies and you know. I got to get some of that hair out of my ears. This week is going to be growing. Right? You get older. It happens, ladies, right? Right. You just start looking at that, talk about the husband just started. Looking at your ears. Hear that there's hair there. That happens. I got to remove this. I got to take care of that.
Nothing wrong with taking care of ourselves and being the best we can. But if I'm trying to make myself look better than Norm, if I'm trying to make myself look better than Chris then what am I doing? We need to take care of the body of Christ. And when we build one, another up who gets a defied Christ does. But so, doesn't the ones we build up when we tear one. Another down who gets torn down Christ us, but so, don't the ones we tear down.
You know, what keeps us together. I shared this with the new service love. Tell me how to write a song about that, right? Maybe they did. Shall I sing it again?
Right. Do you want to love me? Do you want to hate? We're in the world? I hate. How's that doing us? Let's love as Christ, loved and then we'll have the piece that he wants to have. Father. We thank you. Thank you, for your goodness, your mercy and your love. Thank you for the way that you provide. And yes, Father, we know we need to be building up. We need to be rooted in truth and faith in you, but building up the body of Christ to strengthen those around us. Those of us who are older than the faith, need to be encouraging, those who are younger in the face, because someday down the road, those younger than the faith will need to be taking our positions, in our places, and taking the word of God out into the world of God. So others can hear another spin. No, You know, the heart, you know, the lies, you know what, you never want to see or help us to lay aside, the business of Our Lives, a business of each and every day. To put you first and in doing. So you will honor and you will bless according to your name. Blessed. Be the name of the Lord.