I remember when I first played football at Mulberry High School, quite some time ago. I was so excited. I grew up as a little boy who loved football, and the summer after my eighth-grade year at middle school, I was able to go to football summer camp. Let me tell you, it was brutal. It was 100 degrees, we rarely got a water break, and I weighed about 100 pounds. One of the most difficult parts of the camp was when the players would make two lines and then each player would face off against one-another. The problem for me was that they didn’t match us up by size and strength. Whoever you got was whoever you got. I was just about the smallest guy on the team, and I got clobbered by just about everyone, particularly the varsity starters. It was not a good way to welcome a new player.
In today’s passage, Paul is going to speak to us about how to welcome someone who is weak in their faith. I’m going to go ahead and give you a sneak peek: Paul’s solution is not to clobber the weak person.
Paul is going to talk about those who were still developing in areas of their faith, such as what they ate, what days they celebrated, and more.
Today’s sermon is entitled, “Diets and Days.”
Before we go any further, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.
(prayer)
In Romans, among many other truths, Paul has taught us that we are one in Jesus. We are brought together as God’s adopted children under the banner of the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
It doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, or anything else; if we are in Jesus, then we are one in Jesus.
Paul centers today’s passage on this idea of some of us being weak in our faith and some of us being strong in our faith. However, weak or strong, we are still one. So, we should treat each other as if we are one.
Let’s see what Paul has to say, and let’s learn three responses to the gospel that we should embrace.
First, . . .
I. Don’t worry about disputes.
How many of you know that there are sometimes disputes among Christians?
Well, so many of these disputes can be avoided if we follow the teachings of Paul.
Look at what Paul says in Romans 14:1-12.
1 Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living. 10 But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
So, when it comes to someone who is weak in their faith, we should welcome them. We shouldn’t clobber that person as I was clobbered when I was new to the Mulberry High School football team.
Now, let’s think for a minute about whom Paul may have in mind when he speaks about those who are weak in their faith.
Most scholars think that, more than likely Paul, had certain Jewish converts in mind when he was talking about those who were weak in their faith.
These converts would have been those who converted to Christianity from Judaism, and they were still holding on to certain Jewish practices, such as the observance of certain diets and certain days.
In reality, someone who has a mature understanding of the gospel knows that we have been set free from the legalism of the Jewish law. However, someone who is still weak or new in their faith may not know that yet.
We have certain other misunderstandings of the gospel today, don’t we? Some people may still be weak in their faith, and it’s on both ends of the spectrum.
Some people think that there is only one acceptable English translation of the Bible; it’s because they are weak in their faith. Some think that reading the Bible doesn’t matter at all; it’s because they are weak in their faith.
Some people think that only one type of music or song is acceptable for worship; it’s because they are weak in their faith. Some people think that worship doesn’t matter at all; it’s because they are weak in their faith.
Some people think that we have to worship at certain times of the day, in certain buildings, on certain holidays; it’s because they are weak in their faith. Some people think that the way we worship doesn’t matter at all; it’s because they are weak in their faith.
Some people think that God is concerned with whether or not we use a paper book, or a digital screen, or a piece of animal skin parchment; it’s because they are weak in their faith.
Not everyone has a full understanding of the gospel and all its implications, including you and I. That’s ok . . . we’re all still being sanctified; we are still being made mature and holy.
Because some of us are still weak in certain areas of our understanding of the faith, there will surely be some areas where we disagree.
Paul says in verse 1 how we should handle this: “ . . . don’t argue about disputed matters.”
Listen, church: it’s not worth it to argue about these disputed matters. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.
We need to agree on the important matters. We need to agree on matters such as the fact that Jesus is the only way to the Father, such as loving God and loving others, such as the reality that we are sinners in need of a Savior. We need to agree on those.
However, in these disputed matters, we should have charity and grace towards one another.
Paul gives examples of certain diets and days that were disputed among Christians in his day.
We’ve got our issues that we dispute, don’t we?
A few disputed matters in Christianity that come to mind are the end times, predestination and election, consumption of alcohol, homeschooling, spiritual gifts, methods of healing, speaking in tongues, the role of Israel, the method of baptism, the method of the Lord’s Supper, how women can minister, times to meet for worship, multisite churches, the use of hymnals, special worship services for holidays, the role of deacons, and so much more.
It’s ok to discuss these disagreements but let us not dispute these disagreements to the point that we are in danger of them causing division in our church.
Let’s not argue about these disputes. Instead, let us come together as a diverse people under the rule and reign of Jesus. Let’s not focus on little areas of disagreement; let’s focus on where we agree, that Jesus is Lord of all.
Second, . . .
II. Don’t worry about others.
We’ll not spend as much time here, but I’d like to point out how Paul paints a picture of us not worrying about our apparent need to correct other people.
Look at what Paul says in verse 4: “Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls.”
Also, in verse 10, Paul says, “But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”
Church, whose servants are we? God’s, right? We belong to God.
We are no one’s master. God is the master of all of us. So, we should not try to play the role of judge over other people simply because we want them to do churchy things the way that we do churchy things.
Now, to be clear, we’re not talking about the things that the Bible is very clear about. What we’re talking about are disputed matters.
It’s ok to discuss disputed matters, but we should not argue about disputed matters.
It’s not your job, and it’s not my job to convince other people to agree with us about disputed matters.
Rather, if we go back to last week’s passage, we learn that it’s our job to love others, not to dispute with them.
So, don’t worry about others.
Finally, . . .
III. Do worry about yourself.
Why are we to worry about ourselves?
Well, Paul gives us the answer at the end of verse 8. Look at your Bibles.
Paul says, “ . . . we belong to the Lord.”
Since we belong to the Lord, we should be concerned with the way that we live our lives.
Paul continues in verse 10. He says, “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”
God will judge us for how we have lived the life that He’s called us to live.
He will hold us accountable for how we honor authorities. He will hold us accountable for how we love others. He will hold us accountable for how we concerned ourselves with disputes with our brothers and sisters in Christ. He will hold us accountable for all of our lives.
Paul also says very plainly in verse 12, “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
We don’t need to worry about examining someone else under a microscope to be sure that every nuanced belief they have matches up with our beliefs. However, we do need to be concerned with how we are living the life that God has created us to live and called us to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
We do need to be concerned with how we are living as servants of our master.
Do worry about yourself.
Bottom Line: We should welcome others to join us under the lordship of Jesus.
I believe football teams should welcome new players, show them the ropes, and help them become the best football players they can be.
More so with churches, right? We should welcome new believers, we should love those who are weak in their faith, we should pray for them, and we should gently bring them along as we all pursue Jesus and His ways.
After all, we must realize what is most important. Look at what Paul said in Romans 14:11, “For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.”
We must all focus primarily on bowing before the Lord and giving praise to God in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
We’re not here to dispute lesser matters. We are here to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Challenge yourself to live out this passage in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge #1 – Consider some preferences that you may need to reconsider.
Are there some beliefs that you’ve spent some time arguing over, and you realize, “Wow, I guess that’s not the most important thing in the world?”
Church, if you only knew how many questions I have to answer in our church about things that don’t even matter. If you only knew how many things I complain about that don’t even matter. We’re all crazy!
However, Jesus is making us more like Him, so take time this week and consider some preferences that you may need to reconsider.
Weekly Challenge #2 – Consider someone whom you need to welcome in the faith.
Whom can you welcome in the faith? Who may disagree with you about some things, but you can lock arms with that person and love God, love the church, and love others right along with them?
I love Wednesday night Bible study because we get into discussions, and we often disagree about certain things. My policy is that people have a right to be wrong (just joking; I have a right to be wrong also).
However, we walk out of that fellowship hall on Wednesday nights as brothers and sisters united under the banner of Jesus.
Maybe you need to reach out to someone and show them some love as your brother or sister in Christ. Particularly if they are weak in their faith. You may even find out that you are weak in your faith.
Consider someone you need to welcome in the faith.
(Gospel presentation)
When we were weak in life, God welcomed us into His family. You’ve been invited, have you come?
(closing prayer)
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