EXPOSITORY SERMON: ROMANS 14:1 - 15:7

1. Civil wars and family feuds in the Old Testament.

2. Division within the church in the New Testament.
a. The Corinthians were divided over church leadership and some were even suing each other.
b. The Galatians were "devouring" one another.
d. Two women in conflict were splitting the Philippian church.

3. Ps. 133:1 - "Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."

B. The diverse backgrounds of the believers led to many of these problems.

1. The Jews - raised in a strict legalistic way.

2. The Gentiles - unfamiliar with diets and days.

3. The division at Rome followed these lines. Some were holding matters of opinion as if they were matters of the spirit.

C. In this lesson we will see how believers can disagree on the nonessential matters of opinion and still maintain unity in the church.


II. DISCUSSION

A. Receive One Another (14:1-12) - Paul begins and ends (15:7) our lesson text with this admonition. It is important to distinguish the "strong" from the "weak" in this passage. The weak were condemning the strong and the strong were despising the weak. Paul gives four reasons why we should welcome one another.

1. God has received us (1-3)
a. The requirements for Christian fellowship are set up by God, not by man. We have no right to set man-made restrictions.
b. Remember the criticism Peter received for taking the gospel to the Gentiles? When he saw Cornelius and his household receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he knew he had done the right thing. Later, Peter displayed his own weakness in this area (Gal. 2:11-13).
c. Since God has received both the spiritually strong and the spiritually weak, we are obligated to receive one another.

2. God sustains His own (4)
a. No one has the right to interfere with the Master/Servant relationship between God and believer.
b. Our success in God's eyes does not depend on the opinions of other Christians. If we are busy doing the Lord's work, we will not have time to be judging and condemning others.

3. Jesus Christ is Lord (5-9)
a. We can pray, advise and admonish one another, but we cannot take the place of God.
b. If one eats meat, he gives thanks for it, if one abstains, he gives thanks for other sustenance. The question is, "Why am I doing this?" Is it for the Lord or because of my own prejudices or whims?
c. Some of the practices of the local church are traditional, not necessarily commanded by the scripture. Weak Christians refuse to allow Jesus to be Lord in these matters. John 21:15-25 is a good illustration of Christ's attitude on this point. It is better to approach the Lord in prayer, than our brother with criticism.

4. Jesus Christ is Judge (10-12)
a. 1 Cor. 3:10-15 gives us a picture of Christ on the judgment seat. Our works will be tested by Christ. If they are acceptable, they will endure the test, if not they will be destroyed.
b. How do we prepare for this judgment? Through faith and obedience. By judging our own lives, instead of judging others.

B. Edify One Another (13-23) - Paul does not want to leave the impression that the strong should leave the weak alone and let them remain weak. We must help each other in brotherly love. How?

1. Christians affect each other (13-15)
a. We can cause each other to stumble, grieve each other, even destroy each other.
b. When speaking to the Corinthians under similar circumstances, Paul stressed the importance of love coupled with knowledge.
c. The strong must always ask themselves this question," How will my actions affect my brother?" If it trips, grieves or destroys him, your liberty was not worth his soul, or yours !

2. Christians must have priorities (16-18) - These priorities must be of a spiritual nature. Arguing over song books, carpet color, Bible study subjects, or whether the Lord's Supper should be served before or after the sermon, is rating the externals ahead of the eternals. Some spend more time majoring in the minor, than they do in the fruitful works of righteousness.

3. Christians must help each other grow (19-21)
a. All believers have room to grow. While the strong need to grow in love, the weak need to grow in knowledge.
b. Growth is a requirement (use example of a child maturing).
c. Protect and encourage the young.
d. To gear all lessons from the pulpit and the classrooms to only the "babes in Christ" will hinder their growth, as well as the growth of the stronger Christians.

4. Christians must not force their opinions on others. (22,23)
a. We cannot make areas of honest disagreement, a test of fellowship.
b. We cannot violate our own personal convictions, even if they are immature. Violation of conscience is sin.
c. We strengthen our conscience through knowledge, but all knowledge must be balanced with love.

C. Please One Another (15:1-7)

1. True Christian love is not selfish, but seeks to share and make others happy. It will encourage the weak as they grow, not just endure the weak while they fail to grow.

2. Our spiritual maturity can be gauged by our discernment. Are we willing to give up our rights to help others? We must make sacrifices for the younger Christians, just as we would for our physical children.

3. There are two sources recommended by Paul to help us live to please others: the Word (4) and prayer (5,6). These avenues provide the encouragement and patience that we need to raise each other up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.


III. CONCLUSION

A. Spiritual unity can come only from God, through His Son, by the Word.

B. As a church we must be putting the Word and prayer first.

1. When we do not, the work suffers. (Acts 6:1-7)

2. When we do, the result is glory to God (7).

C. God will not be glorified if disunity and disagreement abound. He will actually be robbed of glory.

D. Receive, edify, and please one another, all to the glory of God.