The Unity of the Chruch and the members in it. Part 1.
Notes
Transcript
The chruch is made up of all kinds of individual people.
We are all different, we all like different things, and we all respond differently to situations.
If we were all the same we would just be a one-sided one view chruch.
That is what makes churches so glorious is that we are all different and we are all unique but we serve the same God, and His Son.
We often expect other christian to look the same as us, but they don’t.
What chapter 14 looks at and what Paul is telling the Romans is that we are to look at each believer through one thing and one thing only: the blood of Christ.
God Receives Them (vv 1-3)
God Receives Them (vv 1-3)
One of the reasons this needed to be covered in the book of Romans is that the chruch in Rome had both Jewish converts that had spent their whole life in the synagogue being taught what they can and cannot eat, that which was clean and that which was unclean.
This system goes back even to the days of Noah: Gen 7:2-3
2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.
Even back during the days of the flood God was preparing for these restrictions to be lifted because had this not been the case He would not have told Noah to bring on the animals that were at that time considered unclean.
Here the person that eats all things is referring to someone who has a stronger understanding of their faith than someone who is new and still adheres to the old ways of the dietary laws.
We are to support each other where we are not where we think each other is suppose to be.
We have enough to worry about without worrying what is on the dinner table of the other church members.
The Lord Sustains Each Believer (v4)
The Lord Sustains Each Believer (v4)
We are not to pass judgement on those who do things differently than us.
Some people are a little bit rock and roll while others are a little bit country.
As long as the Gospel is right and everything is in line with what scripture says then it is ok, nothing is going to reach everyone.
No matter how strong or weak we are all of our strength comes from the Lord.
Everything that we have inside us that is good and right comes from God, because in and of ourselves we are but filthy rags.
Jesus gives us this promise that He will sustain us and protect us from all things. John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
We must not judge others because we ourselves have the same source of power that they do.
The Lord is Sovereign to Each Believer (vv 5-9)
The Lord is Sovereign to Each Believer (vv 5-9)
Whether we see ourselves as strong or weak a sincere believer feels free or not free to do certain things out of the same motive: to please his Lord.
This is referring to the different feast and days of remembrance that the Jews had during this time.
After their conversion some Jews continued to follow them and some did not, some remembered them but only as a family tradition because it is what they had done their whole life.
Whether they followed them or not is not the point it is the fact that it is ok because they are still honoring the Lord when they do.
The Lord Alone Will Judge Each Believer (vv 10-12)
The Lord Alone Will Judge Each Believer (vv 10-12)
The work of Christians is to serve the Lord, not to usurp His Lordship by self-righteously judging fellow believers.
Our concern, rather, should be for being judged ourselves by the Lord.
Our responsibility is not to judge, to despise, to criticize, or in any way to belittle our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We will not be called on by our Lord to give an account of the sins and shortcomings of others, but rather each one of us shall give account of himself to God.