And They'll Know We Are Christians By...

Well, I am excited today. Lord willing, this will be my last time filming my message in front of a camera in an empty sanctuary.

Starting next Sunday, June 21st, we will be resuming our worship together in person.

We're going to be having an outdoor service.

And if you haven't got the details or information for that and would like to come, please get in contact.

And I'll be happy to get those details to you.

We're going to be meeting outside, so we'll have lots of space.

We'll be able to keep the required distance.

And we're really looking forward to that.

On the 28th, we'll be back here in the building.

And services will resume here at 11 a.m.

And so I'm excited to get back to worshiping together in person on Sundays.

Today, as we look into God's Word, we're going to continue on the theme that we began on last Sunday of how can we make this transition well.

The province has given us quite a number of guidelines that we must follow in order to resume gatherings for worship.

And we want to make this transition well.

Last Sunday, we looked at how we are to submit to the governing authorities.

God has instituted government.

And it's his desire that we follow the laws, the orders that they have given.

And so we are going to do that to the best of our ability as a church in the weeks ahead.

But this is a significant transition.

And so we want to do this well as a church.

And so this message today is aimed at helping us do that.

Not just understanding what we should do, but mainly to our hearts.

Helping us in our hearts with this transition.

So today's message, in some ways, will be continuing where we left off.

We're going to start reading in Romans chapter 13.

Romans 13 · chapter mention

If you have a Bible, please open it up to Romans chapter 13, verse 8.

Romans 13:8

And before we dig in, let's just pray.

Father in heaven, thank you for your word.

Thank you that you speak to us powerfully through these pages, even today in our generation, in our day and age.

We ask that you would speak to our hearts and give us understanding as we read these words.

And that you would show us how you would have us live in the days ahead as we come back together again as a church.

We ask this in Christ's name.

Amen.

Well, I'm going to start reading in verse 8.

And I encourage you to follow along in your Bible.

These are the words of the Lord.

Let no debt remain outstanding.

Accept the continuing debt to love one another.

For whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

The commandments, you shall not commit adultery.

You shall not murder.

You shall not steal.

You shall not covet.

And whatever other command there may be are summed up in this one command.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Love does no harm to a neighbor.

Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.

And from here, Paul will go on to give some specific instructions about how he longs for the church there in Rome to love one another.

And I'm not going to read the whole of chapter 14 and 15.

But this is the main passage that my message comes from.

If you'd like, I encourage you to pause the video and take some time to just read through chapters 14 and 15.

This is the main text for our passage.

We'll just kind of read portions of it.

But the church in Rome has been arguing.

There has been fighting, disagreements.

We see this in verse 1.

Paul says,

So there's been quarreling.

There's been fighting.

There's been arguing over disputable matters.

Paul goes on to tell us what kind of matters those are.

Matters of eating and drinking.

Some people believe that it's a sin to eat certain foods.

Those foods are unclean.

Others believe that it's not a sin.

We can eat those foods.

They're not unclean.

And there's disagreements over sacred days.

Paul goes on to say here in chapter 14.

Which days are holy and should be set apart and observed carefully in certain ways and which are not.

And out of all of these, there are differences of opinion.

But there has been some attitudes which have arisen that Paul puts his finger on.

In verse 3 he says,

The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not.

And the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does.

So there has been some people treating others who see things differently or do things differently with contempt.

Passing judgment on them.

Looking down on them.

Treating them negatively.

Because of these differences over these disputable matters.

It's an ugly thing.

In verse 10 Paul says,

You then, why do you judge your brother or sister?

Or why do you treat them with contempt?

We may wonder, well, what does this have to do with us and COVID?

We're in a different situation today.

This doesn't directly apply in the same way.

We don't have differences over food and drink and sacred days like the church in Rome did.

But there are some similarities if we go beneath the surface here.

There's a lot of differences of opinion over all of this COVID-19 stuff.

And I think as we gather together as a church, some of those differences may arise.

And we may see, oh, how come we have to be doing this?

Well, we should be doing this.

This is good.

Others may feel that this is not necessary.

You think of even the simple thing of wearing a mask.

Do we need to wear a mask?

Some people feel we should and we do.

Others, not so much.

And so, in a different sense, there's some similarities here.

There are differences of opinion.

And we want to see from the Lord, what does he have to say to us in our day with what we're facing with all this COVID stuff about how to handle differences of opinion?

So, what does Paul say?

Well, first of all, he acknowledges that the differences are there.

He doesn't sweep them under the rug and minimize them.

He acknowledges that they're there.

They're real.

One person's faith, verse 2, allows them to eat anything.

But another whose faith is weak eats only vegetables.

Verse 5, one person considers one day more sacred than another.

Another considers every day alike.

So, these differences are real.

And probably when we get together, we'll see that there are differences in how we think and feel.

I know there's at least a couple people in our church who feel that wearing a mask is not necessary.

And this is all an overreaction.

And there's at least a couple people in our church who feel quite the opposite.

It's really good that we're wearing masks.

We want to do everything we can to protect those in our community who are vulnerable.

So, how should we handle these differences?

Well, the first thing Paul does is remind these people here in the church in Rome just who they are in Christ.

Verse 3,

That person who thinks or does a little differently than you and your family in the midst of all of this COVID stuff,

God has accepted them.

Because of their relationship with Jesus, they are on the same level, the same ground as you are.

In fact, Paul will go on to take up the language of family.

He says in verse 10,

Those people who see it differently than you in these disputable matters,

they're your brother, your sister, their family in the Lord.

Let's not forget that.

From there, Paul goes on to give some instruction.

He says that we should not treat those who see things differently with contempt.

This is verse 3 and verse 10.

We should not judge them.

Verse 13,

We should not pass judgment on them.

Play the judge.

Look down on them.

Because they see things differently than we do.

We shouldn't assume that that person that feels like they should go the extra mile

in doing these guidelines and wearing a mask even in public is a legalist,

is just doing it to appear self-righteous.

We shouldn't assume that that person that feels they don't need to wear a mask in public

is doing it because they're reckless and they're selfish

and they don't care about anyone else.

In fact, Paul encourages the people in the church there

to assume positive intention for their different ways of doing things.

In verse 6,

Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord.

Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord,

for they give thanks to God.

And whoever abstains from eating meat does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

For none of us lives for ourselves alone.

Verse 8,

If we live, we live for the Lord.

And so we may have different ideas about what we should do

and how we should handle this and what your family will do

and how you will manage your kids in the midst of all of this,

especially as we gather again as a church.

But as Christians, Paul is saying,

everything we do, we should be doing for the Lord as unto Him.

And you may decide to do something different than I may decide to do.

And that's okay.

These are disputable matters.

And let's be clear, we're talking about disputable matters.

We're not talking about things that God has made clear,

like we talked about last Sunday.

It is clear that we are to submit to the governing authorities

that He has placed in our lives, Romans 13.1.

And so we will, as a church, follow the guidelines

and the requirements that the government has given us.

But some may wish to go beyond that.

Others may have a different attitude about things that are disputable,

whether we need to wear masks for the whole service,

as opposed to just during the singing.

Paul's encouragement is,

don't pass judgment on one another when it comes to these things.

Don't think that you're better,

that you see it the right way.

They're wrong and, you know,

they're just off.

You've got the superior view here and look down on them.

Don't do that, he says.

In verse 13,

let us stop passing judgment on one another.

And throughout this section,

he reminds them that each of us,

when it comes to these disputable matters,

these things that may be a little bit gray,

we will have to answer to God

for how we conduct ourselves.

And so let Him be the judge.

Don't play the judge

over your brother or your sister

in these kinds of things.

So what is to be the guiding principle

as we seek to gather together again

for this church in Rome

with their particular issues?

Well, it has to do with love.

And Paul will explain that

starting in verse 13.

He says,

Instead, make up your mind

not to put any stumbling block

or obstacle

in the way of a brother

or sister.

He goes on to give

a bit of an example

of what he means by this.

I think mainly to do with the food stuff.

He says,

I'm convinced,

being fully persuaded

in the Lord Jesus,

that nothing is unclean in itself.

But,

if anyone regards something

as unclean,

then for that person,

it is unclean.

If your brother or sister

is distressed,

because of what you eat,

you are no longer acting in love.

He continues on

to flesh this out a little more

in verse 20.

He says,

Do not destroy the work of God

for the sake of food.

All food is clean.

But it is wrong

for a person

to eat anything

that causes someone else

to stumble.

It is better not to eat meat

or drink wine

or to do anything else

that will cause

your brother

or sister

to fall.

Now,

what is Paul talking about here?

Again,

it may be difficult

for us to relate

to the food and drink thing.

We tend not to see

food as,

well,

it is a sin to eat this

and not this.

At least,

not in our culture

or in our church.

But the gist

of what Paul is saying

is that there are times

when we may need

to lay aside

good things,

our rights

or our freedoms

for the sake

of others

and would do it

out of love

for a brother

or sister.

And in this case,

it has to do with

that brother or sister

in this example

having a weak conscience.

For them,

they see that activity

or that partaking

in that thing

as sinful.

And so,

when you,

knowing that it isn't

truly sinful,

come along

and in front of them

just do it,

right in front of them.

It can cause them

to stumble

or cause them

to fall.

And Paul's speaking

of almost harming

that brother or sister

not in a physical sense

but in a spiritual sense.

In 1 Corinthians 8,

1 Corinthians 8:4

verse 4,

Paul goes on

to give another

clear example of this

talking about

food that's been

sacrificed to idols.

And he talks about

how,

you know,

if one brother or sister

sees eating that food

as a sin,

I mean,

that's the false god

I used to worship

and I turned away

from that

when I came

to faith in Christ.

And you,

even,

you have no issues

eating it.

You know that

an idol's nothing,

that it's not a true god,

it's just food.

But you,

you know that

your brother

has an issue with it

but you go

and you eat it

in front of them.

Paul says,

you wound his conscience

and you sin

against Christ.

He says,

you cause them

to stumble

and you should

not do that.

In that case,

he says,

you should

lay aside

your freedom

to eat

this kind

of food

and not eat it.

He says,

if what I eat

causes my brother

to stumble,

if eating meat

causes my brother

to stumble,

I will never

eat meat again.

Now that's an example

of love.

I am a carnivore

through and through

and I love

a good hamburger.

I love

a good

barbecued

piece of chicken.

But there are times

when for love,

out of love

for our brother

or sister

in Christ

or our neighbor,

we must lay aside

good things,

our freedoms,

our rights,

our privileges.

That's what love

does

and that's the principle

that Paul is getting

at here

in Romans chapter 14.

Romans 14 · chapter mention

This is

the solution.

This is the key.

towards peace,

which is what

he's trying to

encourage

and restore

and strengthen

here in the church

in Rome.

He says

in chapter 15,

verse 1,

we who are strong

ought to bear

with the failings

of the weak

and not to please

ourselves.

Each of us

should please

our neighbors

for their good

to build them up.

For even Christ

did not please

himself.

It's easy

with all of this

COVID restrictions

that have

been put on us

in the past

weeks and months

to be thinking

about ourselves

and pleasing

ourselves

and what we

want to do

but are unable

to,

especially as we

come to gather

for worship again.

What we would

like to do,

we would like

to draw close,

we would like

to give hugs,

we would like

to shake hands,

we would like

to sing as

loudly as we

want without

a mask,

we'd like to

hang out in

the building

just like we

did before.

But there are

times when

out of love

for others

who may be

harmed by our

actions or

who are weaker,

we must lay

aside some of

our freedom,

some of our

rights,

some of our

privileges.

And in this

case with the

COVID stuff

that's going

on,

it's not

weakness of

conscience,

but it's

weakness

physically.

Some people

are more

vulnerable to

this virus

that when it

should come

into our

community,

it may take

them out

because they

have underlying

health issues

already.

So that's

why our

province has

given us

these guidelines

and requirements

to follow.

This is the

way of love.

love will

sacrifice

oneself,

lay down

oneself,

one's rights,

freedoms,

privileges,

out of concern

for the other.

Love is

concerned for

the other,

not mainly

for oneself.

I think to

those words

that are

famous in

the passage

on love,

1 Corinthians

13,

love does

not seek

its own

or it is

not self

seeking.

Paul reminds

us that

this is

the very

way that

Jesus

himself

has loved

us.

He says

for even

Christ

did not

please

himself.

He came

into our

world and

he said

not what

I want,

what I

will be

done.

And he

suffered,

he went

to the

cross,

he laid

down his

life for

us,

for his

friends,

love's sake,

because he

loved us.

He gave

up that

which was

rightfully

his.

In his

letter to

the

Corinthians,

Paul says,

though he

was rich,

yet for

our sake,

he became

poor.

He let

go of

that which

was rightfully

his,

his rights,

his privilege,

and he

did it for

love's sake,

for us,

to save

us.

Paul says,

encourages the

church in

Rome and

us to

have that

same mindset

and attitude.

We see

this in

chapter 15

verse 5,

may the

God who

gives

endurance

and

encouragement

give you

the same

attitude of

mind

toward each

other

that Christ

Jesus

had.

We could

think of

those words

in Paul's

letter to

the Philippians.

He says,

do nothing

out of

selfish

ambition,

or vain

conceit.

Rather,

value others

above

yourselves.

Don't

merely look

to your

own

interests,

but look

also to

the

interests

of

others.

Again,

he says

there,

have the

same

mindset

as

Christ

Jesus,

who being

in very

nature

God,

did not

consider

equality

with God

something

to be

used to

his own

advantage.

Rather,

he made

himself

nothing

by taking

the very

nature

of a

servant,

being made

in human

likeness.

And it

goes on

from there.

This is

the way

that Jesus

has loved

us.

And Paul

is saying,

have the

same

attitude

attitude,

of

being

willing,

if

necessary,

to lay

down

your

life

for your

brother,

for your

sister,

for your

neighbor.

And we

have

opportunity

to do

that in

this

COVID

situation.

The virus

is not

here in

Davidson

yet,

but it

may

yet

get

here.

And when

it does,

there are

people who

are weaker

neighbors in

our community,

not necessarily

weakness in

conscience,

but who

have physical

weakness.

I think of

the people

over at

the lodge.

I think of

some of the

people in

the manor.

I think of

many elderly

people living

still in their

own houses

here in

town,

who have

underlying

health issues.

There are

times when

we must

lay aside

our rights,

our freedoms,

our privileges,

for the sake

of love

for others.

And that's

really what

the province

has called

us to do

with all

of this.

And so as

we come

together in

the weeks

ahead,

I hope and

I pray that

that can

be our

mindset.

That we're

not just

doing all

these things

because we

have to.

As we heard

last Sunday,

we're doing

these things

because we

love the

Lord Jesus

and we

want to

honor him

and obey

the government

as he's

asked us

to.

But we're

also doing

these things

out of

love for

one another

and out

of love

for our

neighbors

because we

care about

them.

We will

joyfully

lay down

some of

our freedom,

some of

our privileges.

We will

adhere to

these

restrictions.

At the

end of all

of this,

we can

still meet

together.

We can

still

worship

God.

We can

still sing

despite

these

things

and we

will.

And I

hope that

we can

all do

that together

with joy

in our

hearts

and that

those

watching

will see

us as

an example,

a living,

breathing

example of

the kind

of love

that Jesus

has for

them.

Let's

close with

a word

of prayer.

Lord Jesus,

thank you

for these

words.

we know

that the

church in

Rome was

different.

We know

that we're

in a

different

situation

here today

and we

know that

many other

churches

are in

different

situations

than our

own church

here in

Davidson,

but we

pray and

ask that

you would

work in

our hearts

that by

your spirit

you would

pour your

love into

us and

that it

would overflow

from us

to others.

We don't

want anything

to be a

dampener

on our

joy or

to spoil

our worship

in the

weeks ahead.

And so

we ask

that you

would give

us grace

and help

to accept

what has

been given

for this

time and

to proceed

with care

and with

concern,

with love,

with faith,

and with

white-hot

worship for

you.

You are

our God,

you are

our Savior,

and we

love you.

we pray

these things

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.