Gospel Applied: A Gospel shaped Church – Unity

So, we're reading from Romans chapter 14, verses 1 to 12, and that's on page 1140 in the Red Bible.

Romans 14:1–12

So, except him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.

One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not,

and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.

Who are you to judge someone else's servant?

To his own master he stands or falls, and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One man considers one day more sacred than another.

Another man considers every day alike.

Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

He who regards one day as special does so to the Lord.

He who eats meat eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God, and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone.

If we live, we live to the Lord.

If we die, we die to the Lord.

So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life, so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

You then, why do you judge your brother?

Or why do you look down on your brother?

For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.

It is written,

As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me, every tongue will confess to God.

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Thank you, Kate.

So keep your Bibles open there at Romans 14.

We've been looking over the last few weeks at what it means to apply the gospel to our lives.

As we often say, the gospel, the good news about Jesus, is not just for people who are unbelievers,

but it is also for those who are believers.

And when the gospel changes us and transforms us, it turns us into people, as we've been seeing, into people of love.

But this week we will see that it also causes unity.

Well, let's pray together and ask for God's help to us all.

Father, we thank you so much for the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you for the wonderful truths that Jesus died for our sins.

That he rose again from the grave, defeating death, giving forgiveness and a rich welcome into his family to all who will trust him.

Father, we ask that you would continue to shape us and transform us by the gospel.

We pray that it will be understood with our minds, but that it will begin to work out in our life,

causing us to love one another deeply,

and that it will create and build an inseparable bond between one another.

We ask this for your sake, for we long that Jesus be made known.

We pray this in his name. Amen.

Well, on the 6th of June, 1944, almost 70 years ago to this day,

British and American troops joined together in a united effort and landed on the beaches of Normandy.

Together as one joint force on what became known as D-Day,

they made their attack, which led to the winning of the Second World War.

On their own, it just simply wouldn't have been possible.

It took two sides united in one mission.

Now, the church is also on a mission.

That is pretty much what Romans is all about.

The mission is this, to announce the gospel,

the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ to all peoples in all places.

And if that mission is to be accomplished, the church must be united.

The people must join together as one force and go into the world together.

But the problem is, the unity of the church is always under threat.

In fact, the church was in danger of dividing.

They were having their own particular D-Day.

First, look at verse 1.

He says,

Except him whose faith is weak,

without passing judgment on disputable matters.

So instead of joining together,

they were actually dividing over what we might call secondary matters,

or non-gospel issues.

You see, the church was made up of two main groups.

On the one side, there were Jewish people from a religious background.

And on the other side, there were people from a Gentile,

a non-religious background.

And both sets of people, both groups of people,

had all come to faith in Jesus Christ.

They were all part of the church.

But, both these groups had a different opinion about non-gospel issues.

There was an argument over disputable matters.

So what were these disputes all about?

Well, we're going to look at them briefly.

Firstly, first,

they were dividing over what you could eat and could not eat.

So look at verse 2.

One man's faith allows him to eat everything,

but another man whose faith is weak,

eats only vegetables.

Now we'll come back to that in a minute.

Second,

they were dividing about certain days in the diary.

So verse 5.

One man considers one day more sacred than another.

Another man considers every day alike.

Now we might think that absolutely crazy.

Who's going to divide about whether you have vegetables

or whether you have pork?

What's the big issue?

Well, we've got to remember here the context

and the culture of the church.

You see, those from a Jewish and a religious background

had been taught all through their childhood

and all through their lives,

according to the Old Testament law,

that food and festivals were really important.

It was part of your cultural identity

and it was also part of your belief system.

So if you ate certain kinds of food like pork sausages,

well then you would be considered unclean before God.

And if you didn't observe special days like the Sabbath,

then you would be considered unacceptable to God.

So while they had all come to faith in Christ,

they understood that God accepts people

not on the basis of what we do,

but simply on the basis of what Christ has done.

They knew that,

but yet with all their background

and all the teaching and their culture all around them,

it was just really hard to shake off

what you believed and practiced all your life.

Yes, they knew the gospel was true,

but it was taking time for the gospel

to get right deep down into their lives

and begin to change

what had been the pattern of their life for so long.

Some of you here

might come from a particular religious background

and your religious tradition taught you

that you couldn't drink alcohol

or that you couldn't play games on a Sunday.

But now that you've come to faith in Jesus Christ,

you know that those things don't save you,

but still it's hard to shake off

what has been the pattern and practice for so long.

So we had those of a religious background on one side

and then we had the Jews or the Gentiles

who had no religious tradition.

And when they came to faith

and when they became part of the church,

they really couldn't get these Jewish people at all.

What were they going on about food and festivals

and why you can't eat this

and how you must only eat that

and this day was more important than this day?

What was the big deal?

Now some of you might come from a background

that is a little bit more liberal than traditional.

So having your tea and coffee during the worship service

is no big deal.

Why do people get upset about that?

What's all the fuss about?

It's not about tea and coffee,

it's about faith in Jesus.

So in this context, as in every church,

there are always arguments over secondary matters.

And the result was obvious.

Verse 10

You then,

why do you judge your brother or sister?

Or why do you look down

on your brother or sister?

You see, the two groups were beginning to divide.

One side was judging the other

for not following certain practices

and the other side was beginning to look down on the others

because they did follow them.

And instead of loving each other,

which was chapter 12 and 13,

that was what that was all about,

they were beginning to be critical

and condemning one another.

Instead of joining in the force together

and being part of the one mission together

and going and telling the good news

to all people in all places,

it was all about internal struggles

and they were beginning to fall out

over differences of opinion.

Now as I look out on this church,

and I see myself very much as part of this church,

there's people from all kinds of backgrounds.

There's different nationalities represented here.

We come from different cultures.

We have different religious and family traditions.

But yet, because of our faith in Jesus Christ,

we have been united together as one people,

one family.

But it doesn't take me to tell you this,

that we don't actually always agree, do we?

Yes, we agree on primary matters,

like salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

That's a big theme in Romans.

That was central.

That was not to be changed.

Yes, we agree on the authority of Scripture,

but we disagree on all sorts of secondary issues,

or as it says in verse 1,

disputable matters.

So let me throw out a few,

stir a little bit of argument amongst us.

Should we have our own building,

or should we continue to rent?

Can we celebrate the Lord's Supper in our home groups,

or should it only be on a Sunday morning?

Is it okay if I use the message

as my translation of the Bible,

or should it be the ESV?

Do I have to believe in a literal six-day creation?

Or can I believe that the days represent a period of time,

perhaps millions of years?

And what about spiritual gifts?

Have they ceased,

or do they continue?

And what about membership?

And what about baptism?

And what about how we structure the church?

And what about music?

And what about the songs we sing?

And I'm sure you have a lot more to add to the list.

You see, the point is,

we can all have a different opinion.

But we must be very careful

that disputable matters do not end in division.

In fact, we must work very hard to keep our unity.

unity.

And there are three ways by which we can do this.

Because what we want is unity around the gospel,

around the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, here's the first thing that we must hold dear and not lose.

First, we accept each other because we have been accepted by God.

So, look at verse 1 again.

Accept him whose face is weak without passing judgment on disputable matters.

You see, the reality is within the life of the church.

We're going to meet fellow believers who don't always agree with us.

Ralph and me are both elders.

We agree on an awful lot, but there's some things we don't agree on.

But rather than judge and fall out with each other,

we accept one another.

And we should all accept one another, especially,

again, look at verse 1.

Accept him whose face is weak.

Now, that does not mean their faith in Christ is in question,

and we're wondering, are they really a Christian or not?

No, they have faith in Christ.

They are most truly God's child.

But what it means is the outworking of their faith

is still in its infancy.

It's still growing.

They are still working out how the gospel relates to these disputable matters.

And they're still applying it and still working it through.

So, we must give room to that.

So, accept those whose face is weak.

So, verse 3,

The man who eats everything

must not look down on him who does not.

And remember, this is specifically a Jewish Gentile context.

It's not really about vegetarianism today.

So, verse 3,

The man who eats everything

must not look down on him who does not.

And the man who does not eat everything

must not condemn.

The man who does,

for God has accepted him.

There's the reason why we accept.

Because God has accepted him.

And to accept someone means,

we don't just put up with them and go,

You know, they've just got peculiar views.

God bless them.

Hmm?

No, it means you give them a rich welcome

into the family of the church,

because that's how God has treated you.

God has welcomed us into his family.

He has taken us and accepted us

on the basis of our faith in Christ alone,

not on our opinion of disputable matters.

So, who am I and who are you

to reject those who God has accepted?

You see, we don't actually get to decide

who we welcome.

We don't stand at the door with a little clipboard

and we have all our little list of opinions

and go,

Sorry, what's your opinion there on creation?

What's your view on the tea and coffee issue?

Hmm?

And give a little tix or an x on the box

and, well, if they all line up with you,

then you'll talk to them.

Now, we don't get to decide who to welcome.

God decides who he welcomes.

If God has accepted somebody by grace,

then we welcome them in grace.

We need to be so careful

that we don't accept people on the basis

that they hold the same opinion as me.

No, at the end of verse 3,

we accept each other

because God has accepted us both.

So that's the first thing we hold dear.

Second,

live to please the Lord

because we are all under his lordship.

Live to please the Lord

because we're under his lordship.

Verse 4.

Who are you?

Or who am I?

To judge someone else's servant.

You see,

we can all take on that kind of role

that we act as if,

well, I'm the Lord

and you're my servant.

In other words,

you're answerable to me

and I judge you

on the basis of whether you agree

with my views.

And if you don't share my opinion,

I don't want to do anything to do with you.

But look what it says

at the rest of verse 4.

To his own master he stands or fall.

That is,

we don't stand before each other.

We stand before the Lord.

And he will stand.

The Christian will stand.

Why?

Because the Lord

is able to make him stand.

You see,

we're not lords over each other.

Rather,

we are all under

the lordship of Christ.

Verse 5.

One man considers

one day more sacred than another.

Another man considers,

well,

every day alike.

Each one

should be carefully convinced

in their own mind.

You see,

if my opinion

is that Sunday

is the same as any other day

of the week,

and your opinion is

that Sunday should be kept

really special,

then I should not impose

or force

my view

on you.

Similarly,

if you think that Sunday

is more special,

and it should be different

to every other day

of the week,

well,

then I shouldn't change

my opinion

just to please you

and to kind of fit

into your little group.

The point is

we are not to impose

our views on others

and we don't change

our views

to please others.

Instead,

look at the end

of verse 5,

each one should be

carefully convinced

in his own mind.

that means

we've got to do

a little bit of weighing up

and a little bit

of thinking through.

We must do

what is right

as far as we can discern

before the Lord.

Verse 7,

for none of us

lives to himself alone,

as in we're not

answerable to ourselves,

and none of us

dies to himself alone.

If we live,

we live to the Lord.

And if we die,

we die to the Lord.

In other words,

we will be living

with him.

So whether we live

or die,

we belong to the Lord.

It's so clear

through these verses here

that it's the Lord

who is our master.

When we become Christians,

we come under

his lordship.

We belong to him.

He is our master.

We are his servants.

So our desire

is to obey the Lord,

not each other.

And our aim

is to please the Lord,

not one another.

And we do that

as we engage

with the Lord's word,

with God's word itself.

We read it.

We discern it.

We pray over it.

And we are answerable

to him.

Verse 9,

For this very reason,

Christ died

and returned to life

so that he might be

the Lord

of both the dead

and the living.

You see,

what really counts,

and we can have

our discussions

and our talks

with each other,

but what really counts

is not what I think.

It's not what you think,

but what God thinks.

And what God has said

in his word.

This is our authority.

We come under his lordship.

We must seek to obey

the Lord who died for us.

And we seek to please the Lord

who was raised to life

for us.

So we accept each other

because God has accepted us.

We live to please the Lord

because we are all

under his lordship.

And then the third one.

We don't judge each other

because we will all face

the judgment of God.

Look at verse 10.

You then.

So he's addressing

both groups of people

within the church,

the different sides

of the argument.

You then.

Why do you judge

your brother?

Or you over there.

Why do you look down

on your sister?

Well, for we will all stand

before the judgment seat

of God.

I think this is a wonderful,

this is a great leveller,

isn't it,

for the church.

I am not your judge

and you're not my judge.

Instead,

we are all going to be

judged by God.

Sadly,

many Christians sit

in God's place

and they act

as judge and jury.

They sit like Simon Cowell

on Britain's Got Talent

ready to press

that big red button.

Beep.

Get them out of the church.

We don't want them

in here.

They don't have

the same opinion as me

over some disputable matter.

Well, if that's you,

let me make it very clear

that you are not the judge

and neither am I.

God is.

Verse 11.

As it is written,

as surely as I live,

says the Lord,

every knee will bow

before me

and every tongue

will confess

to God.

You see,

it doesn't matter

what I think

or what you think

or even what I think

about myself.

What matters

is what God thinks.

And in everything

that I do,

I obey him

and in everything

I say,

I seek to please him

because,

verse 12,

so then each of us

will give an account

of himself to God.

You see,

I am not your judge

and God is the judge

and I'm going to have

to give an account

to him

and you're going

to have to give

an account to him.

Just think about it

for a minute.

If I was your judge,

you would stand

no chance.

You just wouldn't

get in

because I am

far too critical.

You don't match up

to all my opinions

and views.

You just wouldn't

get in.

But if God

is your judge,

then you have

great confidence

because

he is full

of grace.

We come before God

not because

I have this view

or because

I have this opinion.

We stand

free before God

because we are

trusting in Christ,

the one who

died for us,

the one who

gave his life

for us,

the one who

lived his life

perfectly for us.

who has forgiven

us and accepted

us and welcomed

us into his family.

So let us

not play judge

and jury,

but let us

make sure

that you

and I

are ready

to meet

our judge

with confidence

that we are

right with

the Lord,

that we

are accepting

those around

one another

because God

has accepted

them,

and that

we are

living to

please the

Lord because

I am living

under his

lordship.

The church

has been

called to a

mission.

It's a

wonderful mission.

We'll get to it

in a couple of

weeks,

but the mission

is simply this,

that we are to

announce the

gospel,

the good news

of the Lord

Jesus Christ

to all people

in all places.

But if the

church is

divided,

the message

will never

go anywhere.

But if that

mission is to

be accomplished,

the church

must be

united.

So let us

together as

the church

family join

forces.

Let us

continue as

we seek to

do,

work at it

together,

and apply the

gospel of grace

to one another

and to our

lives,

so that we

continue as

one people,

united together

in Christ,

reaching the

community and

reaching the

world with

the gospel.

Let's pray

that it does.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Let's just

take a moment

to reflect.

Is there a

fellow believer

that you

judge

because they

don't hold

to your

view?

Have you

a habit

of looking

down on

someone

because they

don't share

your opinion?

Father,

would you

please forgive

me?

will you

forgive us

for the

times we

become

critical

and

condemning?

Thank you

that you

have accepted

us

because of

your grace

and on

the basis

of our

faith in

Jesus Christ,

the perfect

one.

God,

thank you

that you

have welcomed

us into

your family,

forgiven us

and given

us the

right to

become your

children.

Thank you

that you

have brought

us in

together,

the variety

of people

that are

here from

different

backgrounds

and cultures

and nationalities,

yet united

through our

faith in

Christ.

How wonderful,

how amazing

that is.

Father,

please,

by your

Holy Spirit,

help us

to get

rid of

every

critical

and

condemning

spirit

that we

have

and

accept

one

another

as you

have

accepted

us.

we pray

that

together

we will

be

those

who

are

united

in

reaching

the

community

and the

world

with the

gospel.

Help us

to do

that well.

Help us

to encourage

one another.

and we

thank you

so much

for the

unity

of this

church,

for the

family

of this

church,

for the

support

and the

encouragement.

Thank you

so much

for each

other.

In

Jesus'

name we

pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.