Romans 14
Judging God’s Servants
We have all felt inadequate to do the things our Master has for us to do
Every one of us needs encouragement to do the mighty exploits
Every one of us needs daily encouragement
Or, we might give up in some way and sin Hebrews 3:13
The Lord’s servant is not just the pastor
It is every person who has faith in God
So honor all God’s servants by encouraging them
In doing so you will be honoring the Master
Paul asked the question, “Who are you to judge God’s servant?”
Judging God’s Servants
Romans 14:1 & 2 is speaking to those who are
or believe they are stronger in the faith.
All of us can think of ourselves as stronger,
or somehow better than others.
It is easy to do.
You and I are in conversations all the time
where others are talked about.
Behind the back of others,
we say things that bring out
negative emotions about others.
We say things that are not praising
others and lifting them up.
It all seems innocent and can make us feel
a little better about ourselves because we are
able to see their weaknesses or perceived weaknesses.
Imagine one of these conversations where
you are in a small group of friends
and you are talking about an
employee or maybe a neighbor.
After the sharing of the other person’s weaknesses,
you find out the person you have been talking about
is the son or daughter of one who has been silently listening.
This is the point of Romans 14:4…
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.
I think sometimes we realize what we
have said and feel we need to redeem ourselves
by saying we should pray for that person.
The fact is, when we are talking about another believer…
We are talking about one of God’s
servants, one of God’s children.
It does not seem to matter what a child does…
A mother or father will get very mad
if you are spreading the story.
Jesus gives us an example of how
much He cares for one of His own
when He tells the story of the 100 sheep.
For some reason one of the sheep
doesn’t feel they belong.
Maybe they don’t feel included.
Or, they feel they are not good
enough to be a part of the flock.
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
Matthew 18:12-14
I don’t know how large your church is
or the small group you are a part of…
But in a group of 100 there will be
people who might rub you the wrong way.
In a church of 100, there are people
you would miss if they missed one Sunday…
But there are many you might not miss for weeks.
We should remember how much God loves
each person, no matter what we think of them.
We don’t have to talk about others
to make them feel unwanted.
All we have to do is not recognize them.
A lack of a smile as they pass by,
no greeting with what seems to be
meaningless words like…
“How are you doing?”, or “God Bless you”
God’s servants, God’s children, are all highly valued,
enough that He would leave
the 99 to find the 1 who went astray
The saddest part of Jesus’ story is…
“And if he finds it”
How many people are not in church today
because they feel like outsiders.
They feel rejected.
I know we are talking about people with lame excuses.
Maybe that is why Paul takes the focus
of those who think they are strong
to include everyone in Romans 14:3…
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.
No one has the right to look down on someone else.
No one has the right to condemn another.
Why?
Because each person, whether mature
or weak in faith, is the Lord’s servant.
So, what is the opposite scenario?
When I was in my 20’s,
a pastor would greet me with…
“How are you doing you mighty man of God?”
He called lots of people
mighty men or women of God.
But that did not matter…
I felt special even if I was discouraged.
His encouragement of speaking things
that are not as though they were…
Empowered me to become stronger in my faith
and a better servant of the Lord.
As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations."
He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Romans 4:17
Can you give life like God does?
God who gives life to the dead and calls
things that are not as though they were.
Speak to others, and about others, in
such a way they feel loved and approved.
If you put a person on a platform of honor…
They will want to lift up to that honor.
And do more than they would have
done without your encouragement.
We have all felt inadequate to do the
things our Master has for us to do.
Every one of us needs encouragement
to do the mighty exploits.
Every one of us needs daily encouragement…
Or, we might give up in some way and sin.
Hebrews 3:13
The Lord’s servant is not just the pastor…
It is every person who has faith in God.
So honor all God’s servants by encouraging them.
In doing so you will be honoring the Master.
Paul asked the question…
“Who are you to Judge God’s servant?”
Scripture Reading
Romans 14:3-4 NIV
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.
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