A Message by Pastor Michael Palmer

Given to Green Ridge Baptist Church

November 15, 2009

 

THE STRONG AND THE WEAK:

ACCEPT EACH OTHER – SERVE THE LORD

Romans 14: 1-12

 

The believers in the church in Rome come from Jew and Gentile background.  The Jews came from practicing Mosaic Law (ceremonial and dietary).  The Gentiles came from a pagan background in which there were rituals associated with false gods, and they felt repulsed by anything remotely connected to such evils.  The eating of meat that had been offered to a pagan deity and then sold in the marketplace was especially troubling to some.

 

The issue is our freedom in Christ and our motive; i.e. having a clear conscience in serving Him.  With “the strong”, “ they are often faced with the temptation to push their freedom in Christ to the limits, to live on the outer edge of moral propriety, to see how far they can go without actually committing a sin.  Those who are weak are tempted in the opposite way.  They are afraid of committing some religious offense that they surround themselves with self-imposed restrictions.

 

The liberated believer is tempted to look upon his legalistic brother as being too rigid and restricted to be of any use to the Lord.  The legalist, on the other hand, is tempted to think of his liberated brother as being too free-wheeling and undisciplined to serve Christ effectively.  This is the root of the disunity.”

 

I.                 WE ARE COMMANDED TO RECEIVE ONE WHO IS WEAK IN THE FAITH

 

·        All believers should accept one another without “passing judgment on disputable matters”.

·        The weak and the strong must not look down on each other because of their sincere differences over disputable, non-doctrinal areas.

·        The passage is not saying we should accept sin and obvious transgression of scriptural practice for the believer.

·        The passing of judgment or lack of wholehearted acceptance and love in the Lord causes man problems in the church and thwarts the gospel effort.

·        We all need to be reminded that our daily walk with Jesus Christ is one of grace.  (His work, His power, His presence, etc.)

·        Read 1Cor. 10:12:  “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”!  See also Gal. 6:1

 

 

II.             FOUR REASONS WHY ALL BELIEVERS (BOTH STRONG AND WEAK) SHOULD RECEIVE OTHER BELIEVERS

 

1.    God receives them! (vs. 1-3)

2.    The Lord sustains each believer (vs. 4)

3.    The Lord is sovereign to each believer (vs. 5-9)

·        The motive for both groups should be the same – “to please the Lord”

·        All of us were “bought with a price”!

4.    The Lord alone will judge each believer (vs.10-12).

·        See 1 Cor. 3:13-15

 

III.         THE KEY TO THIS PROPER ATTITUDE IS TO GET THE LORDSHIP ISSUE SETTLED! (vs. 7,8,9)

 

·        I have enough on my own plate in the area of complete and total obedience that I do not need to be judging another on a disputable matter.

·        If I (we) yield to Christ or Lord, we will have His brokenness and love for All the brethren.  We may respectfully disagree with one about a disputable matter, but we will not break fellowship with them.  We will still seek to accomplish God’s mission together.

 

IV.           WHERE THERE IS THE COMMON LORDSHIP OF CHRIST, THERE IS HUMILITY, GRACE, AND THE GREAT POWER OF GOD.

 

V.               IT ALL BEGINS WITH ONE’S ADMITTING THEIR SIN AND TURNING TO JESUS IN COMPLETE SURRENDER

 

·        Trusting Him to take your sins upon Himself

·        Trusting that His death was for you!

·        Trusting that He did rise from the dead to give you life

·        Trusting Him to forgive and cleanse you!

·        Trusting Him to guide you all the way into eternity!

 

Let’s love Jesus, love one another, and let’s grow together under the authority of His Word and His love.