Romans (Session 22) Chapter 14

well we're in session 22 of 24. so we're getting near the end we're in chapter 14 of the epistle to the romans and trying to just get a summary thing here we'll just call it christian maturity as you may recall the first eight chapters are doctrinal about sin salvation and sanctification and uh the next four chapter three chapters were dispensational the past present and future of israel and so we're now in the third major section what some people might call the practical session first one was doctrinal or the faith section the second session was the dispensational one might call it hope this would be called love it's sort of the this third session answers the so what question so what does it got to do with us huh so we're in that one and we're last time we went through chapter 13. we're now moving into chapter 14 which for lack of another thing i'll try to summarize my calling christian maturity very interesting couple of verses right up front in romans 14 him that is weak in the faith receive ye but not to doubtful disputations for one believeth that he may eat all things another who is weak eateth herbs don't miss what he's saying here he's talking about two people one strong and one's weak in the faith one of these only eats herbs he's a vegetarian okay who's the weaker in the faith vegetarian see the one that is following self-imposed rules is the weaker in the faith is it people miss that the person that is strong in the faith understands he has a liberty he shouldn't use that liberty to to to ill ends but he has liberty in christ this is going to come up throughout here this basic idea and people may miss that otherwise receive you means present tense middle imperative keep on taking to yourselves but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions if you get the idea so yes he's weaker but don't you're not there to dispute that you're not there to change his his his perceptions notice the ones weak is the one that's burdened with external rules we're free of those let not him that eateth despise him that he is not let not him which he is not judge him that eateth for god hath received him so whether you you're dealing with some kosher non-kosher or whatever don't don't let that god will receive it either way now this could also be alluding to here the the to ensure not eating meat offered idols this is particularly in the corinthian letter a big issue because the meat that you'd buy at the market had been offered before a pagan idol and if that doesn't bother you eat it if it bothers you don't eat it because if it bothers you and you eat it oh you're sinning you'll see a little tricky who art thou that judges another man's servant to his own master he standeth or falleth yeah he shall be holding up for god is able to make him stand the servant here is not the dullo's term the usual term for slave it's orchiders it's really one who's in the same house it's a domestic servant a different sense here and so you know don't judge another man's servant that's not your job i'm reminded of mahatma gandhi they asked him what was the biggest obstacle to christianity in india he says christians the behavior christians the judgmental and okay self-righteous pride is a stumbling block to many of us all of us one man esteemeth one day above another another esteem with everyday alike let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind think about that some make a big thing of certain holidays others don't it's up to you don't judge well now wait a minute what about sabbath days yeah we'll get to that one what about other holy days and it's going to come up in verse 14 and 22 before through again and again what about the sabbath day you know we've got a big thing going on especially with the christians who get enamored with the messianics you discover you start discovering some of the jewishness of the bible it's because it really is exciting there's a lot of discoveries to be made and from that you get caught up in some of this and you get confronted with any well we're supposed to be keeping the sabbath day well we're not under the law doesn't have anything to do with the law oh really now by the way let me just before i start mention something anyone that thinks this is a simple issue hasn't studied it the more you study it the more complicated it gets the sabbath is an israeli thing is it really it was ordained long before there was in israel remember the sabbath day to keep it holy that's in the ten commandments it isn't instituted the tenth commandments is reminding you there the sabbath shows up in exodus 16 when the manna was coming down they gathered man out of six days but not the seventh because that was sabbath that's exodus 16. the law wasn't given until exodus 20. whoops that's interesting let's back up a second how many of each animal did noah take to the ark two but let's hear it again seven of the seven of the clean and two of the unclean right how many knew that good question is how did noah know how did noah know what was clean and unclean that's exodus let's say genesis chapter 6 and 7. apparently clean unclean were established in eden they're codified in leviticus you know centuries later okay see the sabbath day was ordained in eden in genesis chapter 2 not exodus 20 genesis 2 the seventh day was hallowed in the creation week that's pretty early okay see we've lost sight of what the sabbath is all about god wanted a day that was for their or our benefit sabbath's for us not him we were to honor him on it yes it by the way was the seventh day of the week sunday is not the seventh day of the week sunday is the first day of the week sabbath is well we we honor sabbath on sunday that's contradicting it sabbath means seventh day but what about the new testament that's all that's all that jewish stuff that's fine jesus custom was to attend the synagogue on the sabbath he honored the sabbath well he was jewish okay he taught the authority in the old testament law all through there his emphasis was not on the external observance of the law but on the spontaneous performance of the will of god which underlay the law fair enough there were six conflicts he defended his disciples for plucking grain on the sabbath day by alluding to the time when david as men were fleeing for their lives and ate the showbread of the tabernacle that's back you know back there in the old testament you remind us critics that the priests of the temple profaned the sabbath and were held guiltless in matthew 12. he referred to circumcising a male on the sabbath day these are all violations aren't they he expressed anger over those at capernaum who showed more concern for punctual observance on sabbath than for a human being who was deprived of his hand remember when he did the healings nelson rebuked the ruler of the synagogue who became indignant when he healed a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for 18 years he healed my sabbath and he was upset why the main point is he's asserting his lordship over the sabbath the sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath that's his point jesus is lord of the sabbath so that's the christian's excuse to be disconnected from the law okay what about the christian are they supposed to are christians supposed to keep the ten commandments that's a good question we could have a rousing debate here that we grew all night long we started on that one here openly paul makes it clear that we are not bound by the law that was what romans 7 was all about we just went through all that jesus primarily preached on the sabbath day but not always seven times he heals on the sabbath to make the point that sabbath was made for man these are the seven ones we'd have to go through each one of these but there were seven healings on the sabbath well jesus always healed on the sabbath no he didn't he he also healed on a non-sabbath day in mark 1 and maybe elsewhere it was not god's intent to prevent us from doing good on the sabbath day that part's pretty obvious okay he relegated sabbath to the ceremonial law jesus used the example of david and his men invading the temple as an example when they were fleeing for their lives well we keep the sabbath day on sunday no no no no no sundays first day sabbath seventh day and can you show me that in the scripture show me in the scripture where uh the the the sabbath was changed to the first day of the week the early the claim is that the early christians worshipped on the first day of week in honor of the resurrection no problem with that okay fine well they mentioned in acts 16 you know on the first day of the week let everyone lay by him in store read the rest of the verse so it wouldn't be a collection when i'm with you the first day week because when he was there they worshipped on saturday he didn't want all that going on saturday the next day people that use that verse to defend it is end up sunday's the first day a week not the seventh now there are all kinds of views on this you can spend a lot of library time on all the different views throughout history on this issue none of these things are worthy of dividing fellowship over because we're not under the law in the first place the law was a yoke of bondage from which the christian had been set free as the main theme of galatians the whole book of galatians hammers that paul made no distinction between moral and ceremonial law it was all part of the old covenant which was done away in christ ii corinthians 3 and other places those ordinances were nailed to the cross in colossians 2 the handwriting ordinance that was against us paid in full was stamped across them in effect the sabbath festivals are declared to be only a shadow of what is to come there is by the way so you uh we'll we'll pick this up next chapter where paul says whatsoever things are written before time were written for our learning so that we through the patients come from the scriptures might have hope one of the great joys you'll have in your bible studies is to discover the wonderful lessons that are behind each of each of the jewish festivals in the old testament the seven feasts of moses much to learn there much to learn about the sabbath and what it really means and what it really celebrates to observe the days months and seasons and years is to be slaves to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits there's a difference between understanding enjoying and even celebrating in contrast to being under the law there's a big big difference don't put yourself back in bondage as the main preachment of all the observance of days is a characteristic of the man who's weak of the faith that's paul's point in those first six verses of romans 14. it the people who are rigorous in keeping all those things have a less of a faith than the person that's free in christ that sounds backwards but that's that's that's the whole point six he that regardeth the day regardeth it unto the lord and he that regardeth not the day to the lord he does not regard it he that is it is the lord for he giveth god thanks he that eateth or not to the lord eateth not and giveth god thanks you don't need kosher food fine you're a jew and eat pork great can the jew eat a ham sandwich that's up to him if it is important for us to worship on saturday paul would have told us so he was a pharisee he never tells us to do that doesn't mean we can't enjoy shabbat with our friends we enjoy a shabbat service in spokane is our our weekly thing we're never around enough on weekends to be a reliable church member anyway so we do our little thing with some jewish friends that it's a wonderful time a wonderful time but we're not under the law ourselves let no man therefore judge you and meet this is colossians we're switching to let no man judge therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of any holy day or of the new moon or of the sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of christ precious verses so whatever else we learn about the sabbath don't let it become an onerous burden that's not the point that's not what it's about the sabbath day itself is a prophetic idiom that is amplified in hebrews chapter four and that's that's a whole study in its own right because christ is our sabbath it's intended to teach some lessons about entering into god's rest and that's a whole issue of christian maturity that gets capstone in hebrews chapter four interesting thing about prophecy though let's stand back and know what's going to happen because the christian worlds used to work for worship on sunday did you know that in the temple in the millennium it's closed on sunday it's only open on shabbat and the new moon ezekiel 46 and following the gate to the inner court is closed six days opened on the sabbath and on the day of the new moon this is the millennium christ has set up his kingdom and i got a surprise for you it's jewish okay there are memorial there's also going to be sacrifices wow the animal rights people come unglued that's if any of them get raptured anyway sorry i shouldn't do that that would be silly sabbas will continue as a basis for worship in the millennium is the real point isaiah 66 the nations will come up to worship in jerusalem on sabbath and on the feast of tabernacles the sabbath is an intrinsic part of the creation especially of man that's the point and the more you can understand about the creation if you feel drawn to acknowledge and remember the sabbath day praise god but you're still not under the law and people say well chuck what do you do i'm have liberty in christ i can do what i like what nan and i do from friday sundown to saturday sundown is shabbat and what we attempt to do is set that time aside not with any we we we try to do this when you study the word of god there's other things i feel like studying i put postponed to do those another day that's that's study the word of god we meditate and pray and we depart from whatever our normal routines are that's what we do from friday night to sunday night we've resolved to do that whatever we do do we do together we may go to a movie may go biking whatever it is we do together the third rule is the important one there are no other rules that's the way we deal with it yes we try to honor the sabbath day as we and we can we don't none of the law it's not an obligation in the sense of a legal requirement but we tend to set it it's it's a it's a it's a time that god has set aside and if he has an appointment are you going to keep it that's sort of the attitude you know so okay romans 7 14 verse 7 for none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live or we live unto the lord and whether we die we die into the lord whether we live therefore or die we are the lords all things belong to the lord and is sanctioned by him and the scripture's full of those admonitions and a believer's individual accountability to the lord in every area and experience of life is paramount every christian in both life and death is seen by the lord and is accountable to him not to other christians we need to remember that so whether we never die we belong to him to this ant christ both died and rose and revived that he might be lord both of the dead and the living see these verses paul states that theological basis for his exhortation for christians to desist from and resist judging one another because dead or alive your christ one of the reasons for the lord's redemptive death and resurrection is to be lord of both the dead and the living why dost thou judge thy brother why doest thou said it not thy brother for we shall all stand before what oh we notice first of all that we there paul is including himself didn't say you guys we jew and gentile he's jewish great and the gentiles but okay we together shall stand before what the judgment seat of christ oh what is that all about are we going to be judged as christians yes we are but i thought we got to heaven automatically because we're justified you absolutely right this happens in heaven this is not on the earth this isn't heaven it's the first thing that happens after the harpazo after the rapture the judgment seat of christ really second corinthians 5 10 says the same thing we must all appear before the judgment seat of christ that everyone may receive the things done in this body according to that according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad that's what it's all about this isn't whether you're saved you're saved understand the fact that you're there you're saved but there's still a judgment going on as to okay how'd you do the word judgment seat is a bema seat and somewhere somehow someone started teaching and everybody else picked up on it that the bema seed isn't is an is an athlete's podium where the rewards are given out well that's true the olympic game kind of thing you know bronze silver gold whatever that's a bema seed but that don't be misled by that kind of teaching because pilate judged christ on a bema seat herod when he was simply worms and all that next well was on a bema seed galio who was going to sentence paul he chose not to but still that was a bema see festus in his trial sentencing paul was on a bemidji the bema seed is a judgment seed don't let anyone tell you well that's really something else judgment seat of christ is a bemacy now admittedly the thought is the right flavor because at the bema seat rewards are handed out in this case and so it's described in first corinthians three very important passage it's got nothing to do with salvation that's what we're going to try to get across here paul says now he that planteth and he that watereth are one every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor so it's all about rewards okay for we are laborers together with god ye are god's husbandry year god's building according to the grace of god which is given unto me and as a wise master builder i have laid the foundation and another bill if thereon but let every man take heed how he built it thereon okay what's the foundation well no other foundation can be laid that that which is laid which is christ jesus so far so good now if amen build upon this foundation and there's two groups here gold silver precious stones or wood hay stubble every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it for it shall be revealed by fire the fire shall try every man's work not the man the man's work try every man's work of what sort it is now there's two kinds of things here three things that are non-flammable gold silver precious stones and three things that are flammable wood hay stubble you're putting the fire if all you guys would he's trouble you're in trouble you won't have anything left you've got some gold silver stuff they'll survive oh that oh got it they're they're none of you got them they're refined you know that's that's cool okay if any man's work abide which he hath built thereon he shall receive a reward that's what this is all about if any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so it's by fire and like like a refugee in other words like you've just been left your houses burned down you got nothing left that's sort of the idea you're not burned but your works your reputation your your whatever you that's it i make the statement i may not be correct but i make the statement that most people who get to heaven are going to be disappointed what do you mean we'll be all glad we're there make no mistake of that we're glad we refer that to the alternative for sure but that's not we've all been taught that we're all going to reign with christ we're all going to have all this good stuff wait a minute no no that's our inheritance that's available to us if we inherited it entering heaven isn't the same as inheriting this is where it's analogous to the reading of the will what did we get man you got two of those you got three of those oh you didn't get any oh wow whatever you know this is where there's five crowns mentioned that's where they be giving out this is where some are going to be very very faith proven wow they're very faithful they're really up at the head of the line it's my suspicion i don't know that this is true it's my suspicion that this is where the bride is chosen i think the subset that's really faithful are the subset of the body that would be considered the bride i don't think everybody's in the bride not just my opinion for a number of reasons but let's not make that the big deal here the issue here is rewards not salvation gold silver precious stones that's the right foundation reward wood hey stubble burned up suffers lost but you're still saved paul makes a very strange remark in one of his other letters paul says i therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight i not as one that beat at the air he loves these athletic analogies i run with determination in other words i fight not as well it just beats the air but i keep my body and bring it into subjection why does he do all this get this lest that by any means when i have preached to others i myself should be a castaway what on earth is he talking about paul as you talk about losing a salvation of course not he wrote romans 8 he knows about eternal security he knows he can't lose his salvation but he is he lives his life in paranoia his all through his letters he is fighting the fight only one can win the race all those things all those idioms he's fearful of being a castaway what's he afraid of what's paul here's paul for crying out loud what's he afraid of losing his inheritance he knows that inheritance in the old testament could be lost he knows that inherence in the new testament can be lost christ talks a lot about that john himself says similar things in his first letter and now little children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming why would we be ashamed for lack of faithful conduct huh not be ashamed before him is coming inheritance we don't talk much about that jesus achieved his inheritance by perseverance and by suffering hebrews 2 philippians 2 his companions the term in the greek is metacoi partakers we'll inherit the same way we're going to reign with christ if so be remember romans 16 now romans 8 verse 16 we'll reign with christ if so be that we suffer with him 17 and if children then heirs and heirs of god and joint heirs with christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together if so be not certain are you going to be glorified with christ hebrews 6 we desire that every one of you to show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end that ye be not slothful but followers of them that who through faith and patience inherit the promises you're saved but whether you inherit all that could be coming to you as a function of how faithful what this all adds up to behavior matters whatever you did before justified doesn't matter but when you're justified what you've done in christ not in your own strength but entirely by him will count anything else won't that's the net of it have you seen the articles in the recent papers about mother teresa now i don't know if they're legitimate or not because i haven't studied them that well but they apparently reveal someone who's revered for her works and yet do you discover apparently they weren't based on faith in fact it's a strange strange drama that unplays therefore that through faith and faith what you do in christ is what counts hebrews 3 14 key verse we are made partakers of christ the word is meticoid in the greek if we hold we're made partakers of christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end persevere count perseverance accounts perseverance accounts one of the great tragedies in the christian body are the people who have been major leaders long careers that crash and burn near the end have an affair or this or that that undo so much still saved i'm sure and yet boy what inheritances they may have forfeited by failing to pursu finishing well is the name of the game medicoy those who share in companions comments partners in a work officer dignitary if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end that's the game gang pray about it be serious i remember when i was the rand corporation uh they had the guys were talking about how you get serious about certain government programs one of the first thing you do you have a chart on x have some statistic about 10 steps you have a chart and i have some statistics on x find out who's in support of x was again all these but the final the tenth step was be serious about x well that's really what we should be doing too inheritance claire and the male a reward for a life of faithfulness that's the goal four times it appears in the book of hebrews the inheritance rights of the first firstborn can be lost it's amazing how many firstborn forfeited reuben forfeited well you can't you can you go right down through the list that's going to be forfeited because of disobedience as the case of esau is the classic one and it's only obtained by persevering faith in patients huh are at least two two kinds of inheritance the portions that you cannot lose you cannot lose your salvation you cannot lose your salvation i think we talked about that you can't you can't one can take my father's hand or my hand right there's two hands john 10 right if you can lose your salvation you've got a new name for god that's what our martin might point out butterfingers now you're here in his hands you'll always be a son the prodigal son lost his inheritance but never lost a sunship important point but he wasn't necessarily a joint heir first born status being an heir is unconditional being a joint heir is conditioned upon perseverance that's the point are we all going to be joined heirs with christ sure if we suffer with him if saved you are guaranteed entry into heaven justification is a free gift of god nothing we did turn it but entry is not ownership difference between entry in heaven and your role once you get there there can be two kinds of people in the king in the kingdom of heaven subjects and sovereigns interesting verse 11 is written as i live saith the lord every knee shall bow to me in every tongue shall confess to god and paul affirmed all this by quoting here isaiah 45 23 pertain to everyone standing before christ and confessing him as lord echoing philippians 2 so then every one of us shall give account of himself to god oh boy we have an appointment let me give you the good news every day that jesus tarries is another day you have to cram for the final it's another day you have to try to improve your report card each believer's life of service will be under review some loss will be experienced but he will be rewarded for what he has endured let us not therefore judge one another anymore but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way now stumbling block uh the whole idea of passing he's trying to hear about passing judgment on your brethren a crinoman it's a judging one another stop judging each other a christian should judge himself and his actions so that he doesn't do these two things putting a stumbling block in front of somebody else something a person trips over wife and i occasionally have a glass of wine at dinner but usually not in a restaurant only in privacy why because it might be somebody that might stumble see or an occasion to fall another word trapped trap we we we could you know inadvertently uh cause a brother to fall i know and i'm persuaded by the lord jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself really this is a pharisee talking about coach non-kosher food interesting there's nothing unclean of itself but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean to him it is unclean i'm doing my christian my jewish christian friend a disservice if i if he ate some non-kosher food if he didn't catch him i'd help him catch it can he eat it here he could but he doesn't think he can okay then let's stay kosher get the picture pretty straightforward no food is unclean of itself but if thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walketh thou not charitably destroy not him with thy meat for whom christ died he's not the media the guy that he died he christ died for him so don't destroy him with your diet whatever you're eating in christian the in christian love one ought to forego his liberty in christ to avoid being a spiritual hindrance to a spiritual brother so if if you have a brother that is i'll use the kosher thing example that wants to do kosher food then don't don't sit down with them and have a ham sandwich you know how about wine with meals but i think i touched on that if a christian persists exercising liberty so his brother is distressed grieve hurt whatever paul clue that exercise of liberty is no longer acting in love if you don't think a christian should have a glass of wine at dinner and i have i'm sitting with you at lunch and have a glass of wine i'm not acting in a loving way toward my brother i may have that liberty in christ but it's inappropriate for me to do that and cause him to stumble let not then your good be evil spoken of for the kingdom of god is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy ghost for he that in these things serveth christ is acceptable to god and approved of men let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another straightforward stuff for me destroy not the work of god all things indeed are pure but is evil for that man who eateth with a fence somebody thinks that's bad stuff then we shouldn't be eating shellfish okay i won't eat any shellfish right now with you i'll may do it when you're not around depaul food and one's personal convictions about it were not so important as a spiritual health of a fellow christian and the work of god so no diet is that important therefore it is wrong to insist on one's personal freedom in christ concerning food all food is clean no food is unclean fundamentally it is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine or anything whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak one living under self-imposed rules is the weaker recognize all the way through here you won't get that you won't follow you realize the person that's got the self-imposed rules is the weaker in faith because paul is acknowledging the freedom we have in christ freedom isn't licensed though all things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for me but not all things edify hostile faith this is sounds like james talking here has to have have it to himself before god happens he that condemneth not himself in the thing which he allows us you're doing something that's bothering you bothering you don't do it it's sort of like the one of the rules they're typically associated with covert operations if you have a doubt there is no doubt verse 21 says that it is good neither to eat flesh nor drink wine or anything whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or made weak see the one living under the self-imposed rules is the weaker in the faith paul says in in corinthians all things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for me but all things edify not hostile faith heaven to the self before god happy is he that condemneth not himself and the thing which he alloweth if you've got a doubt about something then there is no doubt stop it it's not the thing it's you that's the problem don't allow yourself to do something you think is wrong whatever you believe about these things in other words the faith you have do you keep between yourself and god don't impose your views on somebody else because that's a christian must not insist on influencing a believer with tighter scruples to change his ways you've got somebody that really watches his diet look don't don't change his mind let him be there it's not up to you that's it that's between him and god he that doubteth his damned if he eat because he is not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin whatever is not of faith is sin but a christian who has doubts is condemned if he eats stands condemned at least if a christian eats food or does anything he has doubts in his own mind as to whether it's right or wrong before god that's one who's weak in the faith his action does not spring from his faith or trust in god is therefore wrong it's a key concept here paul's generalizing here everything that does not come out of his faith is sin doesn't come out of your faith it's sin he that doubt this damn defeat because he is not a faithful whatsoever is not a faith to sin the principle is when in doubt don't simple the strong christian we'll talk more about that in the next chapter is wrong if he causes a weak brother to sin by doing something while doubting so if he's having doubts don't don't discourage him don't re-teach him just you know leave it a weak brother who goes against what he doubts also sins therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth and not to him and his sin oh boy you see something that's the opportunity to do good if you don't avail yourself of that that also is a sin according to this now we're in james now very typical uh excitation coming out of the lord's brother sins of omission he's dealing with here what's the key to all of this it's not the rules are you walking moment by moment by the spirit of god is the real issue and what you do now put in your notes go back and review the first seven chapters of romans it deals with all of these things that's where the foundation for all of this was laid so in your next session read romans 15. it'll deal with the unity in the body and the unity in his word there's some fabulous springboards in the next chapter let's stand for a closing word of prayer

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Length: 40min 10sec (2410 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 15 2020