True
Humility
Romans
14:1-9
Pastor Scott
Jonas
9/17/17
We’ve spent
the last three weeks in Romans. Romans
12 was about true community, living in genuine love as the people of God. Romans 13 was about true citizenship, not
just respecting our leaders but loving them as Christ does. Today Romans 14, True Humility, gracefully
accepting our brothers and sisters even when we think their opinion is wrong.
I heard
somewhere recently that that there are many opinions to avoid on a first
date. You don’t want create division
from the get go. Of course you want to
stay away from religion and politics, but you also want to avoid talking about
your favorite movies. We take it personally
when people hate the films we love. For
example, my trinity of favorite movies are Braveheart, Raiders of the Lost Ark
and the Matrix. I’m looking at your
faces right now to see if you approve or disapprove and taking note. I’ll try not to take your reaction
personally.
It’s silly
really. We know in minds that taste in
movies is unique to the individual.
Everyone has their preferences.
Some like chic flics and some like documentaries and so forth. Yet, we embrace a movie as if it is more than
a preference. We allow it to somehow
become a part of who we are. I’m more
than a fan of Raiders of the Lost Ark, I’m an apologist. I’ll defend it against those who attack
Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford and Stephen Spielberg. I’ve worn a leather jacket and carried a whip
for Halloween. I’ve virtually beat up a
nazi in Lego Indiana Jones. Just the
other day on twitter I clicked on a video entitled Raiders. It was a bull dog running around a corner in
slow motion, behind it was a large dodge ball chasing it. Da da da da, da da da. My devotion to a movie is silly.
In Romans
14, Paul is talking about people’s devotion to small issues. Verse 1
“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to
quarrel over opinions. “
Paul just talked about fulfilling the law through love. Love those outside the church, those who have
authority over you as a citizen. Now
Paul goes back to inside the church family.
We have those amongst us who are stronger and weaker in the faith. Whether you perceive that the person next to
you is more mature or less mature in Christ you should welcome them as a fellow
believer. One of the worst things you
can do is be so devoted to a small issue that you judge your brother based on
it, making him believe that he is lesser than you.
We all have
our little tests, something that we hold close to our heart and judge other
people through.
Comedian Emo Phillips describes this phenomenon through a
joke,
Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said,
"Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said,
"God loves you. Do you believe in God?"
He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian
or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too!
Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said,
"Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said,
"Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said,
"Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative
Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"
He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said,
"Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern
Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative
Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"
Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of
1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of
1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region
Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.
The man’s
first test was Christ. But he kept
testing until he found a difference between them. That minor silly differences he made
grotesquely bigger than it was. It’s
funny because it is ridiculous for such a minor difference to determine life or
death, part of the family or cut off.
Paul says One person believes he may eat
anything, while the weak person eats only vegtables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who
abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgement on the one who eats,
for God has welcomed him.
In the first century, the church was
wrestling with the old testament dietary laws.
The apostles were clear in their teaching that it was not necessary for
salvation to eat kosher. The only thing
necessary for salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. But when you’ve been eating a certain way
your whole life it is hard to give it up.
Some did. They wanted the world
to know that Christ freed them from the dietary laws. Through Jesus everything was clean to
eat. But others just couldn’t change
their eating habits, even if it meant appearing like a certain diet was the
law. It was easy for both of them to
feel superior to the other even though neither diet made you more Christian.
We must avoid this kind of testing of
others inside the church. It can be done
with anything that is not required by Christ.
A lot of our traditions should not be used as tests for Faith. Do you prefer organ or contemporary? Are you in favor of having a school or not a
school? Have you been to Pastor’s Bible
study or do you go to breakfast? Do you
know biblical greek or don’t you? Can
you speak in toungues or not? Do you
prefer this? What is your opinion on that? None of these things should ever be a test of
faith. Who are we to make a fellow
believer feel like an unbeliever? If I
ever do that to you through one of my sermons, I have failed. And I hope you would forgive me.
What if Jesus had treated people this
way? What if his mission was not to save
the world but to offer his opinions? The
devil offers bread to him as he is starving and rather than saying “Man shall not live by bread alone” he said
“I prefer bagels.” What if Jesus was at
the wedding at cana and he stood up and said, “I really prefer that wedding
venue on the other side of the village.”
What if Jesus went into the temple and instead of throwing out the
greedy money changers he said, “I really prefer a different color of drapery in
the Holy of Holies. It’s a bit dated.
What if Jesus preferred not dying over the cross.. It’s ridiculous and unthinkable.
Therefore we should never allow our opinions
take take away from the Gospel of Jesus.
They pale in comparison. The only
opinion that matters is God’s. What does
He think of this person? If that person
has received the holy Spirit then they are perfect in His Eyes. Doesn’t matter your opion. Doesn’t matter their opinion. What matters is what Christ says and he says
that that baptized person is just as forgiven as you.
You are either in God’s family or you
are not. There are no inner levels of
the faith. It is possible to educate
someone. To pass on wisdom without
making them feel lesser than you. We are
all equally brothers and sisters in Christ.
That is not my opinion. That is
God’s word.