Building others up
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 9 viewsWe are better together and we must build each other up
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Romans 16:17-18
Better together last week. If we have one person pulling against the direction we believe God is calling us to go, then we will struggle to carry out what he has called us to do. It gets even more difficult when two people or a group of people get together and pull against the direction we are trying to go.
What happens when the two people start to move in the same direction that God is calling us to do? We will see God do more than we could ever dream or imagine. We are better together. We are better when we are all moving in the same direction.
Paul writing to Jewish and Gentile Christians in Romans 16...
17 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause dissensions and obstacles contrary to the doctrine you have learned. Avoid them,
18 for such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
Dissensions: Discord that splits a group
Obstacles: cause of sin ⇔ trap n. — any cause that results in (or is intended for) a person sinning; whether by preventing righteous action or by promoting sinful behavior.
Avoid them who do this. Those who do this do not serve the Lord Christ but their own appetites.
cause of sin ⇔ trap n. — any cause that results in (or is intended for) a person sinning; whether by preventing righteous action or by promoting sinful behavior.
Check our spirit over and over we must check out spirit. What is our motive. Is our motive selfishness? If we are seeking to serve our self then we no longer are serving Christ.
I want us to see this warning here in
17 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause dissensions and obstacles contrary to the doctrine you have learned. Avoid them,
18 for such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
-18
Then I want us to work back a little here. Turn to
As you are turning let me set up the text.
Paul is writing to Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians.
For many this morning when you here the words Jews and Gentiles you do not think of much.
With Tuesday coming of this week and I was to say Democrats and Republicans or Conservatives and liberals. You immediately sense the tension of those words right.
You sense the division, but when I say Jews and Gentiles you don’t sense the division.
The word Gentile means those outside of God’s covenant or promise.
Jews are God’s chosen people and through Abraham they received the covenant or promise.
Imagine being labeled as a Jew or Gentile. If you are Jew than you are a part of God’s covenant or promise but if you are labeled a Gentile then you are out of the promise of God.
When I read Paul’s words here in Romans, I think wow I can’t imagine the criticism that he had to of faced from both sides. I can’t imagine how divisive his words were at times.
To illustrate this division I brought a few props with me.
Start with oil...
Add Water...
Oil and water do not mix
Stir with a knife
They still do not mix. When I think about the Jews and Gentiles they simply do not mix. These two do not go together.
So we are starting to understand that Jews and Gentiles did not mix and we will see what Paul wrote to them so what does any of that have to do with us.
When you think of a local church body, there are a lot of backgrounds that are in this room this morning. Let’s be honest for a moment some of your backgrounds do not mix. Some of the things of the past don’t mix with the person and their past that is sitting across the aisle from you.
We as a church have many diverse backgrounds that are present but I would say this that we are not as diverse as I wish we could be. I wish more cultures felt comfortable to worship with us.
If our backgrounds are diverse, then how are we to interact with each other.
As we read this passage of scripture remember the diversity of the Jews and Gentiles and then apply this to our setting here.
1 Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about doubtful issues.
2 One person believes he may eat anything, but one who is weak eats only vegetables.
3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does, because God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to criticize another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.
Romans 14:1-
1. Accept anyone who is weak in faith
2. Don’t argue about doubtful issues
He unpacks this...
Food: One person believes he can eat anything, but one who is weak only eats vegetables.
One who eats must not look down on the who does not eat and vice versa
Household slave: The Lord is the standard
Day: One person considers one day to be above another day (Jewish holidays) the other person considers every day to be the same.
6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9 Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.
Romans 14:6-
It would be easy for some to read this text and say see the scripture says do not judge people so leave me alone and let me live how I want.
Notice it says
Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.
It is the Lord Jesus that is the common denominator that draws the Jew and the Gentile together. He says if you eat you do it to honor the Lord and if you do not eat you do it to honor the Lord.
Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God.
The thing in your life must line up with God’s word and then as it lines up with God’s word do you do it so that you can give thanks to God.
Romans
8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9 Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.
We live, we live for the Lord and we die, we die for the Lord.
Notice the thing that draws them together is the Lord. Think to the diversity of backgrounds that exist in this room. It is not our backgrounds that draw us together and it is not the love of children that draw us together.
Again, it is very important for us to be clear on what draws us together is this. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
Back to the illustration
Christ rules over both the dead and the living.
10 But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God.
11 For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God.
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Romans 14:
13 Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way.
14 (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean. )
15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat.
Romans 14:13-
Stop criticizing one another
Decide not to put a stumbling block.
Stumbling block: cause sin ⇔ stumbling n. — any cause that results in a person sinning; whether by preventing righteous action or by promoting sinful behavior.
cause sin ⇔ stumbling n. — any cause that results in a person sinning; whether by preventing righteous action or by promoting sinful behavior.
To decide means that you make up your mind to never put a stumbling block in your Christian brother or sisters way. Making up your mind requires a choice. It requires action that you will never put a stumbling block in their way.
15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat.
Romans 14:15
If you set a stumbling block for your brother then you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy that one Christ died for and for them it was on food but for us it could be the diversity of backgrounds or the words we say.
Romans 14:16-
16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Righteousness: a status of legal rectitude that satisfies the moral requirements of God’s character.
Peace: harmonious relations and freedom from disputes; especially during the absence of war.
righteousness (state) n. — a status of legal rectitude that satisfies the moral requirements of God’s character.Peace:
Peace:
Joy: the emotion of great happiness and pleasure.
peace n. — harmonious relations and freedom from disputes; especially during the absence of war.Joy:
Joy:
Where do these come from?
joy (emotion) n. — the emotion of great happiness and pleasure.
1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:
Romans 14:19-
19 So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.
20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats.
21 It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.
22 Do you have a conviction? Keep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed.
23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from a conviction, and everything that is not from a conviction is sin.
Promote: This is an action
Peace: Harmoniously living
Builds up: What builds up one another
1 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves.
2 Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
Romans 15:1-
Please his neighbor for who’s good? His good. Many times we seek to please our neighbor for our own good and not the good of the neighbor.
Not to please ourselves
One of our favorite resources is this book Toxic Charity. This book gives us the framework that we use here at Bridge of Faith to strive to ensure that how we help is for the good of those we are helping and not just to please our own good.
3 For even the Messiah did not please Himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.
4 For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.
5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement allow you to live in harmony with one another, according to the command of Christ Jesus,
6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.
7 Therefore accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God.
Who is our Standard?
Jesus and scripture says Our Messiah did not please himself. That’s our standard.
Endurance: the power to withstand hardship
Encouragement: The act of giving relief or comfort in affliction
of the scriptures. The scriptures bring the relief from the hardship.
We must be in scriptures.
God of endurance and encouragement grant you agreement with one another, according to Christ Jesus.
Why should we agree with one another?
So that you may glorify the and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.
Accept one another, Just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the Glory of God
Finish the Illustration...