All sorts of backgrounds. Look around.

Religious / Denominational. Ask around.

Cultural. Preferences. Yes, even in our church, no less in Rome, these differences in understanding will cause tensions.

How do we respond to these? Welcoming them. UNITY.

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

Romans 14:1 (ESV) As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

• Welcome him. – Be welcoming. Theme of the rest of the chapter is on this verse.
• Weak in faith? What does that mean?
• This has do to with where our consciences are. Our formation. Not a ladder, think of it as a journey from all directions. Variance in origin, variance in terrain along the paths as well.
• Opinions. One of the key words not to miss in framing what Paul is teaching us in this chapter. Blatant sin isn’t what’s here.
• Sin is to be eradicated, judged, and feared. Opinions, Convictions of conscience, are to be held (v5) and with an open hand of fellowship.
• Welcoming – (embrace them.) Not just let them join, but the thought means to bring them close.

Romans 14:2–3 (ESV) 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

• Example #1 : What food is permissible to the believer.
• Mark 7:18–19 (ESV) 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
• 1 Timothy 4:1–5 (ESV) Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
• So the strong are right, but that’s not the point.
• Jews/Gentiles. Very different journeys.
• Jews, restrictions on clean and unclean foods.
• What you ate, how you cooked it, what you wore, when you rested, etc.
• Eat only vegetables? Neither Jew nor Gentile were forbidden from eating meat. (Jesus, Fish, Lamb?)
• Vegetables could have been offered to idols just as much as the meat would have been.
• Gentiles, pagan sacrifices, idols, drunken orgies.
• Imagine you lived your whole life being taught that eating pork is damnable and then your new Gentile friend at church invites you over for barbeque.
• Or imagine your weekly routine was to sacrifice to an idol, drink a bunch of wine, take part in an orgy, and now, your new Jewish brother invites you over to a Passover meal, handing you a glass of wine?
• You can imagine why some wouldn’t eat any meat, and why some would abstain from any form of drinking.
• Paul’s conclusion later -> Romans 14:21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.
• The differences in the individual’s journey are a potential recipe for Conflict. Judging each other.
• 1 Corinthians 8:1–7 (ESV) Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. 4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
• Hallal food. Cape Town, Muslim population. Kosher Section. Messianic Christians.
• Romans 14:2–3 - Let NOT – the one (strong) who eats despise. Let NOT – the one who doesn’t (weak) pass judgement.
• What would church be like without this? Despising and judging. Yay.
• Why welcome them? Reason #1 to welcome the brother?
• God has accepted him. Is that good enough for you?
• If God hasn’t made this a point of breaking fellowship, should we?
• UNITY.
• 1 Corinthians 1:10 (ESV) 10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
• 2 Corinthians 13:11–14 (ESV) 11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
• 1 Peter 3:8 (ESV) 8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
• Philippians 2:2–3 (ESV) 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Romans 14:4 (ESV) 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

• Who are you to judge a servant of another?
• He/She doesn’t work for you.
• We’re ALL already going to be judged by our Master.
• 2 Corinthians 5:14–16 (ESV) 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
• We no longer look at each other in the natural. Anyone.
• Reason #2 to unite, the Lord is able to make them stand.
• Note: There are some types of disagreements that make fellowship more challenging.
• If we have a Baptist and a Pentecostal for instance.
• Praying for the sick and they live. I pray for the sick and they’ve died.
• Paul says to remember that it’s his/her own Master who is able to make them stand.
• 1 Corinthians 4:1–5 (ESV) This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
• Both the legalist and the brother with a freer conscience are able to be useful to the Lord.
• Not equally as free in his liberties. Freedom of conscience only comes with revelation.
• Take hope Christian! The Lord is able to make you stand.
• Jude 24 (ESV) 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

Romans 14:5 (ESV) 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

• Opinions round two.
• Each day. Sabbath.
• Colossians 2:16–23 (ESV) 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
• Galatians 2:11–14 (ESV) 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
• Even Barnabas got caught up in this.
• Galatians 4:9–11 (ESV) 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
• Seventh Day Adventures.
• The point is not to avoid having an opinion at all, (each be fully convinced in his own mind)

Romans 14:6–9 (ESV) 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

• It’s about intention. Conscience.
• None of us live to ourselves. None of us die without consequence.
• We are a community.
• Living for the Lord.
• The motive for each? Both the strong, and the weak, are doing this unto the Lord.
• This is why we don’t want to push someone into a freedom they do not really believe they have, it trains them to go against their conscience. That’s not safe.
• Get in the habit of that and when God wants to speak to your conscience, you won’t listen, or worse, you won’t even hear Him.
• V8 shows the strongest of differences between Christians possible.
• Living and dead. That covers the broadest spectrum of differences. Both are unto the Lord.

Romans 14:10–12 (ESV) 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

• Who are you to judge a servant of another? Why do you pass judgement – on your brother?
• Each of us will give an account.
• Matthew 12:36–37 (ESV) 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

2 Corinthians 5:9–10 (ESV) 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

• It’s the strong that need to be the accommodating ones. It’s the strong that are needing to be willing to surrender some of their liberties on behalf of another.
• Lovingly helping them along. Seeking above all the unity across our diversity.

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

Romans 14:13–15 (ESV) 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

Romans 14:16–18 (ESV) 16 (Therefore) So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

• 1 Corinthians 8:8–13 (ESV)8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
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Romans 14:19–23 (ESV) 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.