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Welcome! 1st-time Guest… Returning guests… All people
What an incredible time last Sunday evening together! Amazing testimonies of what God is doing in our midst!
Want to thank all of you on behalf of Chris’ family, Phill’s family, & my family for the generous way which you appreciate us. It seems weird for me to say this, but want to communicate it - It’s not the easiest job in the world - so we greatly appreciate the opportunity to get away for a few days with our spouses. For those who don’t know, your leadership team decided to send us to a pastor’s conference in Florida early January. It will be a great time to rest, refresh, re-energize, & get poured in to. So thank you so much!
Doesn’t the church look wonderful? Did you notice the change in scenery? Did you notice the decorations? Did you notice that things looked a lot different? Well… First of all THANKS! to the team who did all this. It looks amazing…thanks for investing your time to
In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.
Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.
I 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.
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.
You 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.
But 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.
So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.
For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.
Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud,
and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.
You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as,
“Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?
Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.
These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.
Colossians 2:
If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Tradition can keep us from experiencing a greater blessing - that blessing is discipleship / becoming more like Jesus
Are we focused on tradition for tradition-sake, or the meaning behind or reason for the tradition?
It’s not the day that we should worship, but the one who is Lord of all days.
We should not be governed by a system of taboos, superstitions, or repetition. We should be convinced in our minds that they are right for us. We must not therefore press our convictions upon others. Our convictions are not the standard. Jesus is the standard. Examples:
It’s not Godly to work on the Sabbath
It’s not Godly to consume coffee & donuts in the sanctuary
It’s not Godly to worship a certain way
It’s not Godly to use that Bible translation
It’s not Godly to have or not have certain ministries within the church
New Testament scholar T.R. Glover said, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with might, but remember that someone thinks differently.”
It’s our duty to have our own convictions, but it is an equal duty to allow others to have theirs without regarding them as sinners, outcasts, & just out right wrong.
For 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.
If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.
So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
Don’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.
Christian freedom & Christian love go hand in hand - freedom & love for one another are bound up together