Everyday GraceConvictions and Compassion

Word Association

Word Association"Weaker Brother…"

Word Association"Weaker Brother…"

3 Passages…never deals With alcohol

So you're talking to a religious guy

And wine comes upAnd they go off on you!

Why?

1/20th of Church History

(WCTU) Christian TemperanceAlong with Progressives

Still not an issue amongChristians in Israel

Weaker Brother Bigger Issue…

Grace in Debatable Issues

Jesus wants to set you freeFrom arguing and condemning

Over Debatable Issues

Debatable issues ceaseTo be worthy of debate

When Christ is the focusAnd our King is honored

Did Jesus offend peopleOver debatable issues?

…a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him

Sabbath Law +Extra rules= Debatable

He can wait…But he doesn't!

And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”

And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do

good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent

And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored

And the religious leadersClapped loudly, shouting

"Amen!"

And praised God For the healing…

The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with

the Herodians against him, how to destroy him

- Mark 3:3-6

Legalists always care moreAbout the rules than the

People the rules supposedly protect..because the rulesAre their righteousness

Jesus goes out of his wayTo offend the Religious People

On Debatable Issues

Luke 13: Woman with a disability

John 5:Pool of Bethesda, paralyzed"Take up your mat and walk"

Jesus offended the PhariseesOn debatable issues

- Hanging with sinners- Not fasting when he should

- Washing hands- Disciples with grain

Debatable issues:

Jesus never gave an inchTo Legalists because he cameTo set captives free

Yet we're also calledTo walk in love

"Weaker Brother:"There were demonic rituals

- Animals sacrificed- Wine used in the ceremonies- Meat and wine later sold

Those who were matureKnew that meat is just meat

Wine is just wine

Immature believers wereSuperstitious and scared

Add to that:

One church for everyoneTo be part of and find a place in

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual

immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to

quarrel over opinions

Quarrel= Takes 2 People

One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables

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

Weak in faith= needs to growDon't pass judgment

One who eats= knows the truthDon't "count as nothing"

Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?

Abstainer: Don't compareAnd count yourself better

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

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

Colossians 2:Therefore do not let anyone

judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a

religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day

These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ- vs. 16-17The Cross changes everything

Scripture: Convictional LivingOn Debatable Issues

Even while teaching freedomFrom human rules & traditions

"You wanna keep a Sabbath?Have at it.

But know that it's not a Basis for righteousness-

Yours. Or anyone else's"

Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind

Know the truth: It's debatable Not right or wrong

Pray through and decideWhat God wants for you

Grace: Christ alone is Our righteousness

"But they'll take advantageAnd sin!"

Yep!

The rules "are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh"- Colossians 2:23

You can't stop a heartThat wants to sin

And grace won't muzzleThe freedom that Christ gives

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

Debatable issues ceaseTo be worthy of debate

When Christ is the focusAnd our King is honored

Can I glorify God in this?

…whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God- 1 Cor. 10:31

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.

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. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living

It's all JesusThat's our focus

Not the ChristianWith whom we disagree

On issues of freedom

The desire to make everyoneJust like us

Comes from self-righteousnessTradition and fear

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…

…for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another

any longer…

- God will do that- Even God isn't doing it yet

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

…stumbling block or hindrance…

"Go ahead and do it"

"You can't have that freedomBecause it bugs me"

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself…

Taking this moment to teach Truth to the Weaker Brother

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

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

Weaker Brother

Young in the faithUntaught (or poorly taught)

Unable to grasp freedom

Professional Weaker Brother

Exporting ConvictionsRefuses instruction

Steals freedom to feel righteous

Legalism:Exporting Convictions andJudging others "unrighteous"To feel better thanIn areas the Bible Doesn't specifically address

Don't give in to a LegalistHe enjoys stealing freedom

He needs a rebuke

Don't cause a Weaker BrotherTo stumble

He wants to serve Jesus

He needs to be taught

What Jesus did with the Religious Leaders

Was for the sake of settingThe People free to follow GodRather than man-made rules

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

So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking

but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

Warning sign:

When I get my joy from thinking I'm more spiritual because I do/do not participate in…A debatable issue

Warning sign:

When I get think I'm more righteous because

I do or do not participate in…A debatable issue

Warning sign:

When I only have peaceWith those who agree with me On certain debatable issues

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking

but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

Test: Do I have to have it?Then I don't have freedomTo have it

The only thing I should Have to have is Jesus

Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God

(Peace and mutual upbuilding)

Both sides: Abstaining and Participating

Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats

Everything is indeed clean

Paul just taught truthEven as he calls for love

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that

causes your brother to stumble

(Weaker brother)

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

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

"If you doubt…don't"

Here's how Everyday Grace works

I am set free from judging youFor doing something I thinkIs wrong for me to do

Here's how Everyday Grace works

I am set free from looking downOn you for not having the same

Freedoms I do

Because I'm called toLove and Look out for

Debatable issues ceaseTo be worthy of debate

When Christ is the focusAnd our King is honored

As a ChurchLots of churches around us

Weaker brother Needs to be taught and set free

To develop Convictions

We are a ChurchFor those hurt by and Turned off to Church

We embrace freedomWhile teaching truth

We deal withProfessional Weaker Brothers

Much more thanWeaker BrothersOn Debatable matters

Debatable issues ceaseTo be worthy of debate

When Christ is the focusAnd our King is honored

Questions, CommentsDisagreements

Pray

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Saturday, June 6

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