“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
Romans 14 & I Corinthians 8 and a source of much religious division
I. The Berlin Wall
a. The fall of Germany at the conclusion of World War 2 had part of the country fall to the Soviets and part to the Americans.
b. America stripped West Germany of its military capabilities, but upheld their freedom. Communism soon stripped East Germany of all of its ______.
c. As East Germans began migrating to West Berlin, the Soviets decided that they must stop the loss of their work force.
d. A great wall was erected and getting across it became exceedingly difficult.
II. Romans 14 and Matters of Conscience
a. Receive the ______brother in the faith
i. Is this saying that anything goes?
b. But not to disputes over ______things
i. Limits are described immediately after:
ii. Rom 14:2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
c. Rom 14:4 Do not ______
i. Matthew 7:1-6
ii. John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with ______judgment.“
d. Esteeming one day above another
i. Religious observances? No way! Colossians 3:17
ii. Rom 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it to ______
iii. He who eats, eats to ______
e. There are limits to what this could include:
i. Acts 15:23-29
ii. V.28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to ______, from ______, from things ______, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
f. Romans 14:8…whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
i. Rom 14:9…Christ is Lord of both the dead and the living.
ii. It’s not saying that we belong to God whether or not we obey Him.
iii. It’s saying that we should ____ in ______to the Lord to be sure that we will ______in a faithful relation to Him.
iv. Death is the next phase – not the end of the line.
g. Romans 14:10…We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
i. So long as we are ready to answer for our own actions, it’s good?
ii. 11…every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
iii. Obedience is bigger than just answering for self. What is my ______doing?
iv. 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
v. 13 Therefore let us…resolve…not to put a ______or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
vi. Matthew 18:6-9
h. Romans 14:14 There is nothing unclean of itself
i. Obviously some things are inherently ______and ______.
ii. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
i. 12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. ______things are ______for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. NKJV
i. This is saying that OF THE THINGS THAT ______LAWFUL, NOT ALL THINGS ARE EXPEDIENT (HELPFUL).
j. To him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean
i. This is not about us deciding what is ______and ______on our own.
ii. Proverb ___:__ There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
iii. ______10:23 O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
k. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food
i. Your brother is grieved (made to ______) because of something that was lawful for you, but was not expedient…but you did it anyway.
ii. Ignorance? Carelessness? Willful?
iii. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died
iv. Yes, it CAN happen…and it obviously DOES!
l. 18…he who serves Christ in ______is acceptable to God and approved by men
i. Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your ______as yourself.'
ii. Romans 14:19 pursue peace and edify one another – it’s about our ______& effect.
m. 20 Do not destroy the work of God…it is evil for the man who eats with offense
i. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink (oinos) nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
n. 23…whatever is not from faith is sin
i. ______10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
ii. Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, ______, one baptism; NKJV
iii. Faith also involves a clean conscience in conforming to the Word of God, but unequivocally necessitates the ______!
III. I Corinthians 8 and Matters of Faith
a. Remember Acts 15:28-29. We can NOT eat things sacrificed to idols, etc.
IV. When the Wall fell, who had thought it likely the decade before?
a. It DID come down
b. It required tremendous effort and commitment
c. The world ______when the wall was destroyed and unity was achieved
V. Who’s Building Walls of Division?
a. I Corinthians 8:13
b. Romans 14:21
c. Consider these walls of Division:
· “______” halls
· Baby showers & ______receptions at bldg.
· Church sponsored fun Church supported colleges
· Church supported orphanages & nursing homes
· Church playgrounds
· Weddings & funerals at the church building
· Sponsoring church arrangements
· Bake sales car washes
· ______music
d. Is it something I believe I can ______from Scripture?
i. Is it something I have a ______about doing?
ii. Would it cause my brother to ______?
iii. If these are all YES, then Christians ______do them!
e. Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with ______men.
f. Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the ______of faith. NKJV
g. John 17:20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be ______in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. NKJV
h. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same ______and in the same ______. NKJV
i. Romans 14:19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may ______. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of (food).
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
Hear The Gospel (John 5:24; Romans 10:17) Believe the Word of God (John 3:16-18; John 8:24)
Repent Of Your Sins (Luke 13:1-5; Acts 2:38) Confess Jesus as Christ (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:10)
Be Baptized (Acts 22:16; Galatians 3:27) Remain Faithful for Life (John 8:31; Rev. 2:10)
FOR THE ERRING CHILD OF GOD:
Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I John 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)
Greg Madden PO Box 1914 Soldotna, AK 99669-1914 Funny River Rd church of Christ www.frr-churchofchrist-ak.org