Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• We are in a practical section of Romans:
• Gifts
• How to behave as Christians
• How to deal with our enemies
• How to act as citizens
• The call to love one another
• Chapter 14:
• Instructions for the church
• Disputes
• How to act over secondary issues
• There was a dispute over food (v2)
• The Jews had difficulty eating meet
• Paul is dealing with this subject
• He brings out big theological truths
• We ultimately answer to God
• There was a dispute over days (v5)
• No need to keep festivals
• Each is to be convinced in your own mind
• If your conscience is clear, each is glorifying God
• The weak and strong believer
• The strong can eat all things
• The weak is restricting himself
• The weak believer is to be encouraged
• The strong believer is to receive them
• The weak are not to judge the strong
• Paul's big concern is for unity in the Church (v19)
• Pursue peace
• Please and edify your neighbour - 15:2
• Be like minded
• Questions of conscience and how to relate to others in matters that are non moral
• We are not to categorise people
• It was not all the Jews that could not eat unclean meat
• Romans 14 - cf 1 Cor 8
• Nothing is unclean if it is sanctified by God
• Paul as a Jew could eat meat
• Application:
• Not to put people into camps/categories 
• There will likely be a difference of opinions/views in the Church - the Church 'makeup' has changed
• Examples
• Ares of central doctrine and central morality cannot change - 13:9
• Overview:
• (Three ways in which we ought to act in areas of difference)
• Receive your brother
• Watch your own attitudes
• Be convinced in your own mind
• Reasons to Act in this way

Receive your brother

• v1
• In the church you will find babes, people of different background and stage in their Christian faith
• Do you embrace Christians as a child of God?
• 15:7
• You do not change your position before God
• Do not flaunt your liberty
• Exercise your liberty with care
• Examples

Watch your own attitudes

• Avoid superiority (v3)
• The strong believer must not look down and judge his brother
• Examples
• Do not despise your brother
• The weak believer must not condemn the strong
• Examples
• Do not judge and despise your brother
• Quote: "In things essential - unity, in things different - liberty, in all things - charity/love"

Be convinced in your own mind

• Example of the Sabbath day
• Example of the Passover Feast
• Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind
• We cannot sit on the fence
• We should hold our position
• (Even in secondary issues)
• Does what I believe violate Scripture?
• Does my conscience bear witness?
• Do not be condemned if you doubt - v23
• Example of clothing
• The weak cannot hold the strong to ransom
• Be careful not to cause offense
• Example of musical instruments
• Example of the Lords day
• Areas of Christian conscience

Reasons to act in this way

• God has received (us and) the weak believer (v3)
• We must receive him
• What he is doing - he is doing to the Lord
• Example of Ukraine Christians
• v6
• Remember that our brother is answerable to the Lord alone (v7-8)
• Christ is the Lord and master of His people (v9-12)

Closing Remarks