Romans 14
Disputable Matters
Your faith is important because without faith it is impossible to please God
But be careful in the way you carry out your faith around others
If you enter someone’s home who requires your shoes to be taken off at the door
Respect their customs
Don’t pass on judgment, offer disputable matters
Don’t criticize others
Because they exercise their faith in Jesus Christ different then you
Disputable Matters
Romans 14 is addressing believers.
Believers with different back grounds and history.
Much like today.
If you were raised a Catholic…
Your spiritual shape would be effected by rituals
Your order of doing things would come
from prescribed order to keep sacred
and solemn your ceremonies.
Your approach to spiritual things would
look like presentations of honor.
If you were raised Baptist…
Your spiritual shape would be effected by Fundamentals,
a strong adherent to the word
for word translation of the Bible.
You probably have memorized
many Bible verses all from the KJV.
Your approach to spiritual
things would be like an attorney.
If you were raised Pentecostal…
Your spiritual shape would be
effected by teachings of the Holy Spirit.
You look for the power of God.
Your approach to spiritual things
would look like prayer and worship.
I have just pointed out three denominations…
Now think about how many differences
among believers of all denominations.
It is estimated that there are more
than 200 Christian denominations in
the U.S. and a staggering 45,000 globally.
Sadly, there are more church starts
from disputes then healthy church plants.
Paul’s words to the Romans are as important for
the 21st Century as they were to the 1st Century.
Paul in the other chapters of Romans
has addressed matters of sin and righteous things
that separate us from God and bring His wrath.
Chapter 14 and 15 are addressing believers who
have turned to Christ and repented of their sin.
We, as believers, should all agree that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
and He died, was buried, and rose again according to the scriptures.
Anyone who confesses Jesus to be their Lord,
and believes in their heart shall be save from
the final destruction of sin and receive eternal life.
Romans 10:9-10
What are Disputable Matters?
Romans 14:1-4…
Accept 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.
Romans 14:2 says…
What we eat can become a disputable matter.
In my early years, when I discovered Fasting to be
part of the believer’s spiritual life, I took it hard core.
I struggled with other believers who
drank fluids, chewed gum, or partial fasted.
I had to come to realize what I
believed about fasting from food and drink
was based on my faith and shaped by my history.
Over the years as I matured in
my knowledge of God’s Word…
My views on how to fast have changed.
My faith has been constant…
But the way I carry out my faith has been adjusted.
In verses 5 and 6 tell us…
Disputes come over special days.
All of us who are believers hold the
virgin birth as very dear to our faith.
Among, believers there are a variety
of ways believers celebrate that day.
Some hold December 25 as the sacred day
where others chose a day of convenience.
Some don’t celebrate
any day as Jesus’ birthday.
Prayer is something believers do
but we dispute on how to do it.
I know a young lady who took her son
and went to light a candle when she prayed
for my wife concerning some health issues.
Although I do not light candles
when I pray…
I was profoundly touched by her faith and
extra effort to make her pray time special.
Worship is something we dispute about.
We know what Jesus said to the Samaritan
woman who want to know where to worship.
He said…
“God is spirit, and his worshipers
must worship in spirit and in truth."
John 4:24
When the ancient Jews worshiped in the minor keys,
with what sounded like moans.
Or, singing the old hymns,
or with worship leader verses praise band.
I remember when guitars and drums
were not allowed in the church.
Bible version is another thing we dispute about.
Maybe you are a King James only believer.
But if we want to hold to the most
original version of the Bible…
Should we not learn to read Hebrew and Greek.
It is so important we receive
the Word of God and understand it.
A good teacher will use definitions
of words and paraphrase in order
for the students to grasp the
meaning and application of the text.
Jesus, the Good Teacher, did this
and so did the apostles.
Are not the different translations and
paraphrases of the Bible doing the same thing?
We dispute over titles…
Is a spiritual leader a priest, apostle,
prophet, teacher, pastor, evangelist?
We dispute over Baptism.
Baptism is a command
and all believers should be baptized…
But we dispute over how it should be done.
Some say the words spoken
at the time of baptism should be…
I baptize you in the name of Jesus
for this is the way we see
it in the book of Acts.
Others say…
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
for this is what Jesus charged His disciples.
If water baptism is the believer’s identity
with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus…
Does that not give us the picture of both,
Jesus’ command and the example in Acts?
Paul says…
without passing judgment on disputable matters.
One thing that has helped me
with what are disputable matters is
dividing my beliefs into two categories...
What are my convictions
and what are my preferences?
A conviction is something you would die for.
A preference is something I like or choose.
There are few things I would die for,
so our list of convictions will be small.
Whereas preferences are many.
When Sandy and I were dating she
would straighten her natural curly hair.
I preferred the straighten hair,
but I did not let her curly hair stop me from
my commitment of love to marrying her.
Before Sandy and I were married,
she told me she did not want me to have a beard.
In less than a year of marriage,
I grew a beard and have not cut it off in 49 years.
And she still loves me.
I think the beard has grown on her
(I do not mean physical grown on her).
Paul is writing to the Romans.
But his words are so appropriate
to you and I in the 21st century.
We dispute too much over too many things.
Our preferences get in the way of true faith.
If you sing hymns out of your faith, enjoy it…
But don’t put it on others
who love to sing praise songs.
If you enjoy the New International Version of the Bible in faith,
be open to the believer who uses another version.
Allow for you both to compare God’s Word.
If you enjoy praying with your hands up…
Don’t step on the person praying on their knees.
Your faith is important…
Because without faith it is impossible to please God.
But be careful in the way you carry
out your faith around others.
If you enter someone’s home who requires
your shoes to be taken off at the door…
Respect their customs.
Don’t pass on judgment,
offer disputable matters.
Don’t criticize others…
Because they exercise their faith in
Jesus Christ differently then you.
Remember Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 NIV…
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
Scripture Reading
Romans 14:1-8 NIV
14 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 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. 4 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.
5 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. 6 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. 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
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