Amen. So we're up to Romans chapter 14 and it's pretty much if you go through
the book of Romans and you weren't just sort of separating chapters you would
see that pretty much from Romans 12 one which said I beseech you therefore
brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice
holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service that kind of over
those last couple of chapters Paul's just been given instruction on exactly
how to do that okay so he makes that statement at the beginning of chapter 12
which is a bit of a gear change in the book of Romans from chapter 11 when we
talked about you know Israel etc and then there's just there's just been
instruction instruction we looked at last week you know how how to you know
obey government you know as long as it doesn't go against you know God's law
and all the many other things obeying those authorities in our life and and
we're now going to continue with some with some other advice on how to live
right how to live as a church etc where verse 1 he says in chapter 14 where you
are him that is weak in the faith receive ye but not to doubtful
disputations and I want to also go to the Lord in the word of prayer before we
get started properly so father thank you thank you for this great chapter of the
Bible it's not necessarily what people would call an exciting chapter or or you
know it doesn't have maybe some of the stuff that people want to listen to more
but it's an important chapter and it really helps us to understand how we
should behave amongst each other it's talk about brothers and sisters in
Christ and how we can how we can deal with each other and Lord help me to
preach this accurately now clearly help people to listen to what you've got to
say to to actually be switched on to what the word of God saying to them and
help them to also apply for their lives please fill me with your spirit help
help me to just preach clearly and boldly in Jesus name and for all of this
amen so as a church as a church we should be welcoming to both the newly
saved babe in Christ as much as a visitor from another church shouldn't we
yeah we shouldn't be our world from another church you know roll out the red
carpet and then somebody's literally just got saved yeah yeah yeah just sit
over here looks like they stick it out yeah we should be just as welcoming
shouldn't we to all now we should be as welcoming as well by the way to the once
a month to the once a six-month as we are to the three to thrive yeah yeah we
should be we should be just as welcoming it shouldn't start to just form a clique
of those that are in the most regular and everyone else it's like yeah
whatever are that they don't even turn out what sort of Christian are they yeah
we should be just as welcoming shouldn't we now there are those that are weak in
the faith okay there are those that are weak in the faith and they're as welcome
here as as anyone else but we don't then want to dispute do we debate argue with
those that are weak in the faith so now there are of course a caveat here is
there are those that are sent to churches like this sadly to cause trouble
okay and there are those though that are also just weak Christians who just want
to dispute unimportant things okay that happens you get those people and here
Paul I believe is telling us not to receive people to then row with them and
there are those that do just come into churches to row about things like food
choices etc okay but but there are also those in churches Christians mature
Christians even even sometimes who would happily row and argue with a weak
Christian yeah happily row and argue with someone weak in the faith so it
does go both ways here okay yeah you know you shouldn't be coming to church
to try and debate things try and get in our arguments of ours but obviously when
people come in like that we don't really want to be feeding that either doing now
go over to Romans chapter 16 just to show you what this isn't talking about
so Romans chapter 16 and from verse 17 he tells us who to mark and avoid and
like I say this isn't talking about weak you know saved Christians who are just
weak in the faith but Romans 16 17 to 18 says now I beseech you rather than mark
them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have
learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but
their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the
simple so these are deceivers division and offense which is injury wrong grief
causes here in Romans 14 know he's saying to receive those that are a bit
weak a bit new to faith but not if they're here to row okay because there
are some that if they're coming in and they're just causing dispute and
division well if that's what their goal is here then we're not here to receive
those sorts of people he says in verse 2 for one believeth that he may eat all
things another who is weak eateth herbs that's
vegetables let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not let not him
which eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him so again
talking about saved people here yeah so you've got person number one who
believes he may eat all things and then you've got person number two who is a
vegan and there are a couple of great truths in these verses aren't there
truth number one is that you may eat all things okay you may eat all things
hear that Old Testament dietary law pushes out there you may eat all things
yeah the Bible clearly says that doesn't it you may eat all things and and these
people do rear their head man and now and then don't they I know they have in
other churches you know churches which are friends with with our church you do
get these people am I right in thinking I don't really look into them too much
the Hebrew roots guys do they believe this stuff anyone know they believe that
do they go to the Old Testament dietary laws or have they not gone that far I
know there are people out there and there are people that come I mean there
have been people in church that started shouting out in the middle of services
about this sort of thing haven't there about you can't eat pork and they seem
to have such a bee in their body about what someone does and doesn't eat very
strange isn't it but he said you may eat all things now you might say well brother
Ian isn't this talking about meaty eaters and vegans well it said all
things yeah and verse 14 makes that clear if you just jump forward for a
second it says I know and I'm persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing
unclean of itself but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean to him
it is unclean so if you decide it's unclean that it is but if it's unclean
of itself but sorry but it isn't unclean of itself anymore yeah so a famous one
is pork isn't it so a famous one is pork you have to
turn the Leviticus 11 7 said and the swine though he divide the hoof and be
clover footed yet he cheweth not the cut he is unclean to you okay because he's
not a grazing animal but according to verse 14 is it now automatically unclean
no no but if you decide then it is that it is and it is to you yeah you decide
that you decide no but put wolf to you it's unclean then yeah okay and verse
3 of Romans 14 said that the one that believes he may eat all things has been
received by God though yeah so turn it so God is not saying no this guy's
wicked Turner Hebrews chapter 9 well you turn I'm gonna read Colossians 2 16
which says let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect
of and holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath days now you've probably
seen those guys out there they go oh you're quoting the Old Testament but you
eat shellfish do you yeah quoting the Old Testament do you keep the feasts you
know why aren't you worshipping on the Sabbath they like to come out with as
well you heard these people out there yeah well because we're not to be
judged in these things are we they're a shadow of things to come right but Paul
didn't say let no man judge you in sodomy did he he didn't say let no man
judge you in incest or bestiality I'm sorry to be crude but but basically this
is what these people are trying to say you dare to go to the Old Testament oh
well if you eat pork then how did well that's not what Paul's talking about
here is he Hebrews 9 6 to 10 yeah where you are he's just been comparing the
first and second tabernacles to the first and second covenants yeah look at
verse 6 Hebrews 9 6 says now when these things were thus ordained the priests
went always into the first tabernacle accomplishing the service of God but
into the second went the high priests alone once every year not without blood
which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people the Holy Ghost is
signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while
as the first tabernacle was yet standing so whilst the first tabernacle
representing the old covenant was standing the new covenant wasn't yet
revealed yeah verse 9 which was a figure for the time then present in which were
offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service
perfect as pertaining to the conscience which stood only in meats and drinks and
divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of
reformation pretty clear isn't it reformation being the New Testament in
Jesus Christ's blood yeah so all of the laws and the rules with the food the
sacrifices the drink offerings the washing rules the ordinances which are
the rituals were until the New Testament but that's got nothing to do with God's
moral law has it it's absolutely not it clearly didn't say anything about the
moral law there did it okay so these these morons that like to say well if
you're you're daring to talk about some Old Testament laws because for the New
Testament to repeat every single moral law of the Old Testament it would be a
big New Testament wouldn't it it'd be a much bigger and there's no need to
because he said you know Jesus Christ made it clear that he'd come to fulfill
the law didn't they yeah he hadn't come to do away with the law and look it's
still there yeah God still wants us to live right God still God doesn't change
yeah he's the same yesterday and today isn't he and forever God God doesn't
change he's not oh well yeah that's in the Old Testament now but and it's clear
as day that there's a clear list of things which have been put away but
that's not talking about all of those wicked wicked sins that he clearly maps
out in the Old Testament and nothing's changed is it nothing's changed with
that now go back to Romans 14 do you know what it does mean though it does
mean that we may eat all things because first Timothy 4 and 4 to 5 well you're
turning back there says for every creature of God is good and nothing to
be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving for it is sanctified by
the Word of God and prayer give thanks pray for your food and along with what
the Word of God is clearly saying here it's sanctified isn't it yeah you don't
have to refuse anything okay you don't have to refuse anything now is that
saying that eating a pork only diet is a sensible idea probably not probably
wouldn't be sensible I do believe that when you look at a lot of the Old
Testament laws there are some good reasons for those yeah that's a good
reasons for those is it saying that eating an animal that died of itself is
a good idea probably not yeah is it saying that eating roadkill that might
have been hit because it was diseased and or something else is a good idea no
probably not but look there are there is a lot of wisdom in those dietary laws as
with some of those washings stuff example after touching dead animals dead
bodies good idea to wash yeah to clean okay illness etc but you're not no
longer bound by them and it's up to you okay it's up to you you make that
decision I think there's some good guidelines and I think there's some good
stuff to study there and learn about things that and I mean from from what I
hear that it was only probably in much more recent history that some of Western
medicine stopped all having a communal basin to wash their hands in after
doing all sorts which was only then when they started using running water that
a lot of the you know serious infections and other things started massively
reducing in hospitals if only they just read the Word of God yeah so there's a
lot of wisdom a lot of guidance we can get from the Word of God but you're no
longer bound by them are you you're no longer bound by them he said here in
verse 2 where we are for one believer that he may eat all things another who
is weak eateth herbs let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and
let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth for God has received him so
point number one was you may you may eat all things point number two vegans
are weak okay vegans are weak now you're sitting there going by the way you're
despising him that eateth not no I'm just stating biblical truth here the
biblical truth is another who is weak eateth herbs okay which are vegetables I
love vegans I'm not despise them I do absolutely love vegans because it's more
meat for us strong men yeah okay I love them I've got no problem with vegans
because you know there's just plenty more meat to go around but what sort of
strength are we talking about here then what sort of strength are we talking
about just faith isn't it well I would actually say both yeah I would say both
I've known some vegan men before in my time and they were weak they were weak
yeah they just I'm sorry that's the truth sorry say again okay so there we
have so we have someone here that doesn't eat meat now unfortunately the
Bible clearly states the truth here that they are weak now they are weak in faith
and they are weak physically as well I've seen that I've experienced that the
Bible I think is talking about both type of weaknesses here and I'll explain that
to you because what happens with these with the people that don't eat meat is
you've got a really difficult job of trying to get a full amino acid profile
in what you eat okay from the protein so what happens is it becomes basically in
a full-time job so I've met there are sportsmen out there that vegans and
everyone loves to use them as an example ago look at this sportsman look what an
amazing vegan they are okay an amazing look they're still doing this they're
still doing that but you know what they're their meal time their meal prep
is a full-time job it's a fault there's no just like oh yeah I have this it's
it has to be so strict to combine the right vegan proteins together to get
that it is very very difficult to do and every vegan I've ever met when I'm
talking about men here around gyms and things of people that a lot of the time
or pretty much every time they always have a physical weakness okay now
there's also a faith problem too though as God clearly commands us to eat meat
okay God clearly commands us to eat meat in Genesis 9 3 you could turn there if
you like Noah's just killed and kicked sorry killed and cooked one of each of
the clean animals as sacrifices to God okay he's just killed and cooked him
straight away showing us well yep killing animals although we already saw
that earlier with with the sacrifice of Abel but he makes it clear he does
every one yeah every one of the clean animals he does one of God said every
moving thing in Genesis 9 3 every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you
even as the green herb have I given you all things okay now the Bible is clear
about that and from the pulpit I'm gonna preach the truth about that okay because
this is the pillar and ground of the truth so whether or not it offends
someone from the pulpit we preach it okay but with that in mind we don't have
we don't need to debate that with the newly saved Christian do we okay with
the newly saved vegan or they're not so newly saved Christian who is maybe blown
about with every window doctoring because there are people that maybe
haven't just got newly saved but maybe haven't read their Bible haven't seen
the literal tons of animal sacrifices and eating of meat that we see Jesus
Christ you know eating fish and other things look maybe they haven't read that
maybe they're not aware of that but what we want to do is make sure that we're
not then the one having those doubtful disputations we preach it if someone
wants to still be a vegan then they can be a vegan I don't need to convince them
not to be you guys don't need to convince someone that comes into the
church not to be and we've got a great example here of someone that's coming to
the church that is a vegan and we don't have to offer the service go and start
showing them different verses from the Bible to convince them not to be okay if
they want to be a vegan they could be a vegan yeah that's up to them but this
also goes for many other subjects doesn't it okay not just veganism so
for example don't be pushing other fad diets on people in the church yeah you
want to come into this church great you want to come in as a vegan great yeah
you start pushing and promoting and trying to get in rows and everything
else then we don't want to receive you and that's the same with everything else
so as well you want to prove to people why whatever your latest fad diet
something they have to do and you start pushing and everything else well then
you're just you're causing doubtful disputations no nothing wrong with
someone wants to ask you what you're doing sure nothing wrong with sharing
what you maybe eat that's fine but it shouldn't start becoming rows and
debates and everything else yeah and that would go with other things as well
how about you your personal parenting choices for example okay look there's
some biblical parenting which includes chastisement and includes love yeah and
bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord yeah there is
that yeah but there are many things that aren't there are many things that are
your personal decision that then a lot of the time you'll get people in churches
that then want to try and push that on the rest of the church okay that's wrong
that's wrong and you're just going to cause doubtful disputations you're going
to cause problems from that now he says in verse 4 who are thou that judges
another man's servant to his own master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be
holden up for God is able to make him stand okay so we're not talking about
righteous judgment here about sin we're talking about non-sin issues yeah just
to make that clear God knows whether what you're doing is with a clear
conscience toward God okay if you're doing it and it's just out of innocent
you know clear conscience toward God then no problem verse 5 says one man
esteemeth one day above another another esteem with every day I like let every
man be fully persuaded in his own mind okay now that goes for various holy days
doesn't it Christmas Christmas Eve different cultures someone to celebrate
Christmas Eve someone to celebrate Christmas something the whole thing's an
absolute pagan disgrace and I want to celebrate it at all that's up to you
yeah if you're come if you're convicted if you if you had do it with a clear
conscience toward God then great but if you're like I'm not celebrating Christmas
because I'm going out on the booze with my mates then no that's not a clear
conscience toward God is it what about Easter some people want to celebrate
Easter yeah they believe yeah I want to celebrate Easter I want to think about
the Lord despite all the bunnies and eggs yeah other people think this is
just some sort of pagan fertility ritual I don't want any part of it okay as long
as you're doing it with a clear conscience and you're persuaded in your
own mind it's not a problem because there's not a thou shalt of thou shalt
not there is there okay it's not it's not a clear sin issue what about
birthdays as well some people think that they're wicked that you should only
celebrate the day you got saved other people want to celebrate birthdays yeah
okay again if it's as long as it's you're persuaded fully persuaded in your
own mind it's not a problem it's up to you as long as you don't feel like
you're going against God yeah okay so verse 6 then says he that regardeth the
day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord
he does not regard it he that eateth eateth to the Lord free giveth God
thanks and he that eateth not the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks now
here's how I interpret this myself and I hope that it's not a private
interpretation but this is what I believe if if you're persuaded in your
mind that you're in the will of God then it's all good but we're not talking
about excusing obvious sin okay this is not again this is not talking about
excusing obvious sin so for example something I was thinking about some
parents make a big deal about birthdays don't they yeah nothing wrong with that
you want to make a big deal about a birthday great yeah you want to you know
make it this big day and big celebrations and everything else you
know I'm not going to preach about that or anything else other parents it's
maybe a card and if they're lucky they get a gift yeah and it just is another
normal day okay and there's probably somewhere in between those two ends of
the scale as well now if the big celebrator yeah is you know trying to
show love to that child because God tells him to do that keep things fair
you know and they've already done some big celebrations for the other kids
maybe you know celebrate that gift of God then that's all good isn't it yeah
what's wrong with that nothing wrong with that but if they're trying to to
beat the next-door neighbors party they're trying to beat whoever else it
is who had a birthday for their kid and I'm gonna I'm gonna go one up on them
yeah no they're out of the will of God they're not doing it towards God are
they yeah and then the oh yeah happy birthday there's a card somewhere
parent yeah might feel that spoiling is a problem yeah maybe they think that I
don't I don't I don't want to have a sport brat of a child maybe they feel
that I can't celebrate in a big way for every child I've got a big family or
maybe there's other reasons yeah that they decide in their mind that it's not
a good thing to make a big deal out of the birthday but if it's because they're
too focused on their own distractions and it's really because of some sort of
sin that they want to partake in instead then again it's they're not doing it in
the Lord are they so and you could apply that to reasons for celebrating
Christmas and all these other things can't you okay so again if you're fully
persuaded in your own mind and you're doing it with a clear conscience towards
God no problem with that and and also with food couldn't you so some people
don't eat things because of intolerances dislikes things like that nothing wrong
with that some don't eat because they read the beginning of Genesis and
haven't got to chapter 9 yet let alone the masses of slaughters in the next
books yeah but if it's to God then it's all good you've got a clear conscience
you feel that it's to God then that's up to you yeah 1st Corinthians 10 31 you
don't turn it says whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all
to the glory of God now is it is another point on that I want someone knows the
truth rejects it and says well I know better I'm not interested what the Word
of God says makes it a false doctrine that's not to the Lord is it okay that's
not to the Lord once you know clearly what the Word of God says and you're
you're just making it your own your own version of God your own version of what
you think he wants you to do even though the Bible says something else that
becomes false doctrine territory then yeah okay so verse 7 says for none of
us liveth to himself and no man doth to himself for whether we live we live unto
the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or
die we are the Lord's because he purchased us with his blood didn't he he
purchased you with his blood don't forget that you're saved yeah you're
you're forgiven of all your sins past present and future that's because the
Lord purchased you with his blood and look yeah none of it's it's not a you
know some sort of swapping process where you've got to do certain things go to
heaven of course not but you know what he purchased you so maybe you want to
start acting like he owns you yeah okay verse 9 says for to this end Christ both
died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living okay
so you have to turn there again but John 5 22 says for the father judgeth no man
but have committed all judgment unto the Son so he's Lord both of the dead and
living Jesus Christ is Lord of all isn't he okay and Jesus Christ is gonna
it's gonna basically well he is judging all men by the gospel as well isn't he
now let's have a look at this because he says in verse 10 but why does that judge
thy brother or why does I say and not thy brother for we shall all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ for it is written as I live saith the Lord
every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God said every
one of us shall give account of himself to God so a few points to talk about in
these few verses here firstly this isn't talking about a church judging sin okay
turn over to 1st Corinthians 5 and we're not going to go through the list but
Paul's just given a list that results in being kicked out of the church yeah sin
has to be judged clearly he then says in verse 12 of 1st Corinthians 5 for what
have I to do to judge them also that are without do not ye judge them that
are within but what but them that are without God judges therefore put away
from among yourselves that wicked person so he's saying to judge those in the
church isn't he that's what he's saying there judge those in the church God
judges those outside the church therefore kick them out that's what he's
saying isn't he and it's not just serious in here that we're told to judge
turn over to the next chapter where he's talking about legal disputes so chapter
6 1st Corinthians 6 and from verse 1 says dare any of you having a matter
against another go to law before the unjust and not before the Saints do you
not know that the Saints shall judge the world and if the world should be judged
by you are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters know ye not that we
shall judge angels and how much more things that pertain to this life if then
you have judgment of things pertaining to this life set them to judge who are
least esteemed in the church I speak to your shame is it so that there is not a
wise man among you know not one that shall be able to judge between his
brethren so clearly exhorting them to judge disputes and legal matters like I
know like if someone went into your car in the car park but denied fault you'd
hopefully deal with it instead of calling the police yeah you'd hopefully
bring it to the church let the church deal with it we're not going to be
calling the police about every issue and every other thing we should be able to
judge these small matters shouldn't we yeah it's not talking about serious
crime because we can't legally punish that can we okay that's not what it's
talking about now here back in Romans 14 it's not talking about that sort of
judgment and the reason I say that is because as probably most people are
aware here there's a false version of Christianity out there and I always used
to laugh with the parrot impression charge not charge not yeah and there are
a lot of judge not parrot Christians out there aren't there yeah and they seem to
miss the rest of that passage where it's clearly showing that it's talking about
hypocritical judgment but instead they just like to go judge not judge not
which is probably the most widely quoted verse in Christianity now isn't
it but that's not what the Bible is talking about is it because you have to
judge things in life you have to judge sin in life a church is commanded to
judge that and we have to judge that in every every day in life you're judging
things aren't you I mean you judge the speed of the car coming towards you
before you you cross the road don't judge judge not whack yes it's
ridiculous isn't it absolutely ridiculous but but these guys are
ridiculous aren't they so just zombies walking around going judge not judge not
okay I mean aren't you a guy that actually got a tattoo on his arm going
only God will judge me yeah I was unsaved at the time I said why did you
get that you know well you know only God will judge me so what are you talking
about yeah everyone's gonna judge you every day of your life everyone's gonna
judge relevant stupid tattoo on your arm yeah because it is ridiculous and the
fact he wasn't even saved anyway but he is right God will judge him as well God
well it's just not only God okay so okay but like I said back in Romans 14 here
it's talk of judging their own personal decisions on food and drink special days
etc yeah because people love to judge others food isn't it so it's sort of a
favorite pastime for many don't they just love to observe and judge and watch
as men as well as many other non sin issues yeah people love doing that they
love to judge a non sin issue and we can all get lured into that a little bit and
look at you know brother so-and-so does that or sister so-and-so and everything
else and you know it but it's not sin and we shouldn't be doing that should we
verse 10 says but why does our judge thy brother for why does our set at naught
thy brother for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ for
it is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every
tongue shall confess to God so then every one of us shall give account of
himself to God so what's the judgment seat of Christ then does that mean we're
all going to be judged for our sins of course it doesn't nothing to a sin
Psalm 103 verse 12 says as far as the east is from the west so far he removed
our transgressions from us yeah turn back to Romans 5 just for a quick
reminder on the overall clear as day teachings of this book because look
sometimes because of all the false doctrine or sometimes because of the
flesh or every other reason people will grab a verse won't they or grab
something about the judgment seat and they just trying to find something to
kind of justify works salvation or something else to try and marry it up
well Romans 5 and verse 1 says therefore being justified by faith we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith
into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God we
justified by faith we have peace with God our access is by faith faith in the
shed blood faith in the death barrel resurrection of Jesus Christ yeah verse
9 jump for the verse 9 much more than being now justified by his blood we
shall be saved from wrath through him so we are now now present tense justified
by his blood we shall be saved from wrath yeah verse 10 says for if when we
were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being
reconciled we shall be saved by his life because we are reconciled we shall be
saved by his life yeah verse 11 says and not only so but we also join God
through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement have
now received already happened the atonement which is reconciliation after
enmity notice the present and the future is the present and the futures okay your
present tense saved your future tense getting saved okay there's no there's no
process there's no you know it's done it's dusted okay okay so if we're saved
from wrath yeah what's the judgment see to Christ in Romans 14 10 says talking
about then so turn of 1st Corinthians chapter 3 which I think is just a nice
clear explanation of it we saw in verse 10 which said for we shall all stand
before the judgment seem to Christ verse 12 said every one of us shall give
account of himself to God yeah okay so this is talking about the rewards that
we are due to receive in heaven see people often confuse the rewards that
we are due to receive once in heaven with heaven itself yeah okay heaven
isn't a reward heaven isn't a reward it's a free gift yeah that's why Ephesians
straight 9 clearly said for my grace you saved through faith and that not of
yourselves it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast okay it
is a gift going to heaven is a gift you cannot earn it it's not a reward for
being good enough it's not a reward because you were clever enough to put
your faith in Jesus Christ no it's a gift okay it's a gift but you do need to
put your faith in Christ to receive that gift now 1st Corinthians 3 and we're
going to look from verse 8 Paul's talking about himself and Apollos
planting the seed the Word of God getting people saved discipling them and
he says in verse 8 now he that planted then he that waltereth are one and every
man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor if this was
referring to heaven it would contradict tons of verses including what I've just
read yeah okay verse 9 says for we are laborers together with God ye are God's
husbandry ye are God's building according to the grace of God which is
given unto me as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation another builder
thereon but let every man take heed how he buildeth there upon Paul said to take
care of how you build upon the foundation yeah verse 11 for other
foundation can no man lay then lad is laid which is Jesus Christ yes we own
rewards for getting people saved but he's specifically here talking about
building upon that foundation yeah yes that can apply to our own personal
building how we grow and serve the Lord yeah obviously but also how we encourage
or discourage brothers and sisters in Christ too doesn't it so look at it this
way you can get X amount of people saved in your lifetime yeah you got so winning
regularly you you you just have a good consistent Christian life I don't know
what the number is yeah for many people for many areas it's going to be
different but say you know say let's go a thousand people saved yeah and I'm not
trying to work anything out here okay that wasn't a mathematical decision that
was a stab in the gut stab in the dark yeah you can encourage build up though
and maybe even disciple ten soul winners and that number is theoretically
multiplied ten times isn't it so you've gone from a thousand to ten thousand
salvation's as as a result of your actions yeah your behavior but if you're
the reason that people leave church get discouraged then you're offsetting all
the work that you did yeah okay that's a good way of looking at it isn't it he
said now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones
would taste double so you can do great things for God that last fraternity yeah
gold silver precious stones obviously getting people saved but also building
up soul winners serving the church in all the many ways because the church is
then sending out more soul winners isn't it strengthening those that that are
here yes strengthening those giving them what they need to then be able to be
sent out that's why the lady cleaning the church is earning eternal rewards
yeah that's why the guy that just gives some help around the church that's why
the people that just want to help that just want to be a blessing to a church
are also only with eternal rewards for that because of the knock-on effect yeah
because this church if it was just an absolute cesspit and just nothing was
getting done it wasn't getting clean nothing then we would start to have
people not wanting to come here yeah and then that's people that aren't then
getting built up by the Word of God here in this church and getting sent out yeah
and let's be honest sadly the alternatives out there are pretty grim
aren't they okay so verse 13 every man's work shall be made manifest for the day
shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and a fire shall try
every man's work of what sort it is if any man's work abide which is built
there there upon he shall receive a reward if any man's work shall be burned
he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so is by fire so
there are things that won't earn eternal rewards they still work yeah when you
when you do just just you know you go to work all these things the things you do
at home and everything else you're not necessarily earning eternal rewards
they will be burned up with everything else that is temporal okay they can be
burned up but when you're doing things which have eternal value yeah what a
great things and you're going to earn those eternal awards in heaven and we
could go to many other verses on that I'm going to labor the point I think
most people understand that point that there are many rewards to be earned in
heaven okay and you're going to get those at the judgment seat of Christ so
go back to to Romans 14 where it says but why does our judge thy brother or
why does I said it not thy brother for we shall all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ for it is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall
bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God so then every one of us shall
give account of himself to God now Paul's saying that all of that stuff
isn't important basically yeah and you could end up causing your brother to
fall away look set at naught thy brother okay not lose their salvation but you
could end up with someone out of church backslid and whatever else and basically
cause them to lose out on many potential rewards that's what I think he's saying
here now you're not going to get punished for that well not not in
eternity but do you want that to happen over arguing minor things do you want to
be the reason over having to debate having to win that argument about whose
parenting technique is best or having to have that debate an argument about you
know which diet and meats and all this sort of stuff is it really worth it when
we should love our brother we should love our sister shouldn't we we should
want those you know us you know the brethren we should want them to go on to
those rewards as well we don't want to set them at naught do we getting holier
than now about whether or not they wash their hands before eating yeah you know
etc and you know what I'm talking about they're just all that stuff it's not
important is it okay do you want to be the reason there that someone just
starts to feel more and more just disenchanted with church they're just
constantly rowing debating etc with whoever it is and they end up dropping
out doing less and less for God and that's because you should have just
followed what what Paul said it's not important it doesn't matter yeah verse
13 says let us not therefore judge one another anymore but judge this rather
that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way
okay clearly clearly that's not talking about sin there okay it's in the context
of the passage you can't take that verse out and go judge not judge not yeah
that's what this passage is about is being the cause of fellow believers
losing out on the blessings that come from serving God okay verse 14 says I
know and I'm persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself
but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean to him it is unclean so there's
nothing officially unclean anymore and Paul knows Paul knows that doesn't he
okay Paul knows that but if a weak Christian thinks something is and to him
it is okay that person thinks it's unclean well to them then it's unclean
verse 15 but if thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not
charitably destroy not in with thy meat for whom Christ died don't then get out
the pork scratchings in front of the guy that thinks that pork's bad yeah okay
not only is it pork you're eating fat as well and you just see to get them they
don't do that yeah it's like there's someone in here that we know that they
just got a few hang-ups they still don't understand that they're a bit weak in
the faith you know I don't just start you know just chatting to them once
you're stuffing pork scratchings in your face and wiping off the crumbs and
everything else yeah let not then your good be evil spoken of because we don't
want to offend each other do I hope everyone here think I don't want to
offend each other yeah I want to preach sin from this pulpit but but believe me
believe it or not it's not that I want to offend people yeah I just want to do
what God wants me to do and the same same in a church we should all be the
same shouldn't we yeah okay let not then your good be evil spoken of for the
kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the
Holy Ghost and we could sometimes do remembering that sometimes couldn't we
yeah look yeah there's yeah it can be a battle yeah it can be a war but look we
want that we want that righteousness peace and joy and basically send a meat
and drink isn't important is it compare that stuff it's not important and
ultimately if it's not a sin issue it's not important anyway righteousness is
important yeah a part of righteousness is following what the Word of God says
and Word of God says don't start getting any stupid debates and rows about silly
things that it doesn't really matter yeah they want to do things that way let
them do things that way as long as it's not sin okay you're being unrighteous
then you're the problem as is peace and joy yeah it's important we want peace in
this church don't we as much as possible unless when it comes to important things
unless it comes to things of doctrine things of sin things of issues like that
we want peace in this church yeah and joy we want to have joy and look it's
not a very joyful place if you're just constantly sitting in church listening
to people try and dig you out about the way you do things little comments little
digs little comments about you know the way you parent or that person does this
or you know what you're eating or look that's not a joyful place then is it
okay and it's not important none that stuff's important yeah if someone asks
you they want to know why you do it this way or how you could do that I want some
advice great yeah but don't just spend your life at church trying to prove that
your ways the best way when it's clearly not coming from the Word of God
yeah okay verse where are we then verse 18 for he that in these things serveth
Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men if you're serving Christ and
righteousness peace of joy both God and your brothers and sisters are happy
that's a good thing isn't it verse 19 let us therefore follow off the things
which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another now turn
the first Thessalonians 5 because this is a consistent teaching to have peace
and want to edify each other and again some people can get confused maybe you
know they watch the hard preaching and stuff and think that that's how they
need to behave with each other in a church or you know they think that
everyone just needs rebuking the whole time and sometimes you know people do
need a rebuking in love but we want to have peace and we want to edify each
other Paul said to the Thessalonians in first Thessalonians chapter 5 from verse
8 he said but let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of
faith and love and friend helmet the hope of salvation for God have not
appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ good
reminder again there who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should
live together with him wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one
another even as also you do okay so that's something we should be doing in
church comforting each other when we need comfort edifying one another when
we need edification yeah and we all need edification and we beseech you brethren
to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish
you now these are the workers in a church the leadership and as we go on in
the church we'll end up with other people in leadership positions as well
beneath beneath the the pastor and right now I'm beneath the pastor and the
pastor's pastor Thompson to admonish here is warned of a fault reproved okay
verse 13 says and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake a
bit peace among yourselves okay and look the main point obviously is for peace
among yourselves but that also comes from a steaming the leadership very
highly in love and he's saying to esteem them for all that they do now if you're
sitting there going brother you say that we need to esteem you and your family
pastor Thompson is family very highly in love you know you got a nerve preaching
that well no that's what God is saying yeah that's what God's saying here and
it's through the Apostle Paul but it's God yeah which means that it's not just
to benefit the leadership who's it going to ultimately benefit you yeah and look
there are many verses that say the same and it's such a clear simple teaching in
the Bible isn't it but it's amazing that throughout churches you will see the
complete opposite it's really odd and this isn't for me this is for future
churches in the future this is for yourselves ultimately this is for for
when we when we have other leadership positions in the church and that might
put someone else's nose out of joint and they might be like you know why did that
person become the deacon or whatever it is that we end up doing yeah but it's
like just to steam them highly in love yeah you've got to get out that that
strife that grief that all that stuff because it just affects you and then you
don't have the peace among yourselves in the church then you start getting the
factions going of people that ultimately have a problem with the
leadership yeah and that's not people aren't going to be happy with that he
then said there to be at peace among yourselves now does that mean just let
everything go though don't correct people is it is that what it says put up
with the sin and leaven well he said he said there now exhort you brethren warn
them that are unruly comfort the feeble-minded support the weak be
patient toward all men so it's an important thing here is having peace
among yourselves at the church will mean sometimes it's not just the leadership
but you need to warn the unruly as well warn them to just to just fall in and
just be right with the church yeah to just get right because otherwise
otherwise there's no peace among ourselves is there yeah he said now we
exhort you brother and warn them that are unruly he's talking plural they
didn't say now exhort you leader he said brethren warn them that are unruly
comfort the feeble-minded support the weak be patient toward all men because
we don't want our church destroyed doing yeah we don't want a church destroyed
but we do want to comfort support and be patient to each other don't we because
these things make for peace and edification okay and that will take
sometimes men in this church stepping up as well yeah and sometimes they're going
to be unruly people that need to be warned yeah and you can do that
politely you can do that privately and just say to them look there's a rule
here yeah you're clearly just disobeying a clear rule of the church blatantly in
people's faces why warn them there'll be people that will just be doing bizarre
things it you know full well is a clear rule of the choice clear something is
no warning come to me warning yeah and we you know we're gonna need that as his
church gets bigger and bigger because I can't see it all okay I can't see I
can't see it all right now we've got 80 something people in here today yeah I
can't be everywhere I can't see it all and when it's clearly things that got
you need to do that because that ultimately will then create a peaceful
church in the long run and sometimes it takes a bit of discomfort doesn't it to
end up with somewhere that's peaceful in the long run yeah okay so we're gonna
need that and and look that's gonna need to happen as we go on eventually we will
in the future have other leadership positions in the church and you need to
make sure that that look you know them which labor among you and are over you
in the Lord and the monastery and esteem they're very highly in love for their
work sake and we should be doing that ultimately for a pastor as well shouldn't
we yeah shouldn't we doing that for our for our past this for a pastor you
should be doing that to myself as well look you got no idea about this job I'm
gonna like I said I won't get my little violin out you've got no idea yeah no
idea and it's you know I'm not saying people don't but I'm saying that our
pastor so he has a lot of churches he could have just not even bothered with
us yeah he just wants to see Church one he doesn't want to see people in the
same position that they were in when they've praised God pastor Jimenez took
a chance on them yeah and look he doesn't have to do it I don't have to do
this job my family don't have to do this job okay and and it will be the same
when we have more people in the future yeah and look you know what a little bit
of that a little bit of but a bit of a steaming very highly in love will help
then create peace in the church peace amongst everyone else here when they're
just like just get but just get behind it because if not why are you even here
if you come to church and you're sitting there and in your mind right now whether
you're watching online you're sitting here and you're just thinking yeah but I
really I really just don't like you you know why are you here why are you in
church in the house of God because ultimately you're just gonna destroy or
at least do massive harm to the church so if you are there's two options either
you're completely out of God's will and he's good you're gonna you're gonna have
problems yeah you're gonna have problems with God and you're gonna have problems
with me anyway as well or number two you've come into the church to cause
problems and either way you bang out a lot either way you're back in trouble so
if I were you I would just get right yeah and I'm not saying no people look
there are there are no I'm saying there are there are going to be people here
like that they're going to be people here sitting here who have an axe to
grind you have a problem you have a bug to bear and it just sort yourselves out
yeah or like I said or you become the problem now it's because ultimately we
want the church to thrive we want peace in the church verse 19 says let us
therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith
one may edify another for meat destroy not the word of work of God all things
indeed a pure but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense right back
to where we were sorry that so it's all about the intention isn't it whether or
not the non sinful act is to cause hurt or upset yeah verse 21 it is good neither
to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor anything whereby thy brother stumbless
or is offended or is made weak okay now you could look at this verse and go wait
a second so is wine okay if it's not causing your brother to stumble get
offended or made weak is that what it's saying well it depends what kind of wine
you're talking about okay because wine in the King James Bible can be either
fermented or unfermented no matter what the heretics and the and the wine I was
want to say regardless of how much the boozers and our keys mock that okay
that's why the Bible says well that's why it talks about new wine found in the
cluster of grapes yeah and I've gone through this many times I'm not going to
go fully into it but it also talks about a wine is a mocha and a diss and
whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise yeah it is this kind of wine that
Proverbs 31 for says it is not for kings olemio it is not for kings to
drink wine nor for princes strong drink yet the wine eyes would have us believe
that the King of Kings the Lord of Lords was necking this sort of wine that's
what they honestly believe they honestly sit there and go no such I mean I can't
believe some of the stuff I've seen we see no such thing as unfermented wine
no it automatically fermented yeah so basically when Jesus you know turned up
and turned the water into wine it was actually a booze up yeah Jesus was just
and when they called him you know a wine bibber you know and and the glutton
that actually yeah that's because Jesus is just necking alcoholic wine yeah it
says it is not for kings olemio and is not not for kings to drink wine not for
princes strong drink so is anyone trying to suggest that Jesus Christ is not the
king he's a king yeah so there's a problem there isn't there because
that's contradicting itself now what it's not talking about here is a sort of
wine which is mentioned in Genesis sorry it is talking about sort of wine
mentioned in Genesis 40 11 where the chief butler describes his prophetic
dream and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand and I took the grapes and press them
into Pharaoh's cup and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand okay what's that
talking about freshly squeezed juice isn't it and yes that dream was
fulfilled in the same chapter so where verse 21 says it is good neither to eat
flesh nor to drink wine or anything whereby thy brother stumblethor as
offender is made weak you sit there and go but how would your brother stumble by
grape juice brother in this is ridiculous now and again the mocking
starts coming out the scouring you know poor poor you know sheltered man that
you are no you've got to take off your 20th century nation of alcoholics
glasses yeah take them off and read it for what it says there and and and what
the Bible says about that now notice we've just saw Pharaoh's cup yeah the
freshly squeezed grape juice is clearly a luxury drunk by Pharaoh isn't it it's
a luxury there is it not this is Pharaoh the king of Egypt having it freshly
squeezed into his cup what would be the comparative today due to mass farming
not well she's grape juice okay not whatever not not the grape juice drink
out there which is usually a lot of sugar and other things and not much
grape juice know that the I would say the comparison would be like one of
those bizarre cleansing juice drinks that can go for up to like hundreds of
pounds yeah that would probably be your comparison just like the freshest and
I'm sure that was their best grapes off the best vine and everything else well
and by the way for those who go isn't it all the same no it's not that's why we
have we have the world over people that care about where their alcoholic wine
comes from ie what the vineyard is what the they seem to think they can taste
that although I'm sure they wouldn't even bother if it didn't have alcohol
yeah but they seem to think that don't know and they talk about where you know
what barrel it was and everything else and all this stuff well look maybe
glugging yeah the most you know the purest nicest freshest expensive because
yet to keep it unfermented would have would have been a bit of a process yeah
maybe glugging that in front of someone on a normal income would offend them
wouldn't it yeah maybe that would have offended them don't you think you're
just necking back like the if I was just sitting here just necking the most
expensive drinks and other people were just like I can't even afford that they
that might offend them you could have someone with with maybe weight and
addiction problems who's put two and two together and realize that glugging high
sugar high fructose drinks is actually a problem for them okay well if again they
might be a sort of person that as soon as you open up a bottle of juice ages
down the whole thing okay that might offend them then that might be a problem
for them if we're just laying out the juice up there and our version nowadays
it'd be if we're just laying out the coca-cola and the phantoms and
everything else it might be put people have a problem with that yeah that might
offend them yeah you get once it doesn't have to be alcohol to offend what if
brother what if brother Dan was was just a deranged coffee addict yeah he just it
was sorry brother Dan but it was just morning through till night you know the
strongest stuff he was getting ten shots in one cup and everything else he just
and then he tried to go cold turkey and he was I'm giving up the coffee I can't
do this anymore and and then I'm like hey brother Dan you know he comes around
to see me and I'm like hey brother Dan just just wait a second I'm just having
a nice freshly ground coffee here yeah yeah I'm like just putting in my
espresso machine brother Dan you know you all right aren't you you know
because it's not alcoholic no he's gonna get offended by that isn't he that might
cause him to stumble that might cause him to offend that might be a problem
for him that's what it's talking about here okay it is good neither to eat
flesh nor to drink wine nor anything whereby thy brother stumbless or is
offended or is made weak okay and that's just on the list with the food as well
yeah no the food was an alcoholic either no the food wasn't sinful either okay
it's just a list of thing and and again if you're sitting here and you're
thinking what what you know what are you talking about what is alcohol a problem
yes alcohol is a problem yes if anyone sitting here and cannot see the problem
that alcohol is caused for for not only this whole society pretty much and the
world over then you live in a dream world you live and look if you want to
justify it you want to find a way to you know find in the thousands of
words in this Bible you know ways of trying to justify taking verses and look
good luck to you yeah but why on earth would you want to justify that wicked
wicked thing yeah why do you want to be drunk oh no no I just want a buzz why
do you want a buzz what is a buzz not sober what is a what does the Bible say
be sober yeah it's pretty clear isn't it okay it's pretty obvious and and again
it's just people that want to justify their sin but the point is to think
about others that's what the point of this passage is yeah the point is to
think about others have a care for others and look even if it's where
they're confused and they think something is sinful when it isn't okay
verse 22 says has thou faith have it to thyself before God happy is he that
condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth and he that doubteth
is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of
faith is sin so if you still believe that pork is sinful don't eat it yeah if
you believe that meat is still sinful don't eat it yeah because you're eating
something that you're then doubting and if you're doubting it and and I would
say with that there's a good rule for that as well saying this to someone
earlier that I mean it was yesterday that that that goes for everything that
isn't a clear black and white in the Bible yeah if you're if you're unsure
I'm not quite sure or or at least you haven't seen the clear black and white
in the Bible maybe just avoid it it's a good idea avoid it until you're a
hundred percent sure if you're doubting avoid it and a lot of the time you'll
find there are things if you look back because we're all over the years I'm
sure everyone here is kind of been coming to conclusions about things and
cutting out parts of their life and things their life that that they've
since been convicted are actually sinful and I bet if you look back and
think about it you think there's a slight uneasy feeling and I was a bit
unsure about that and sometimes people will be a bit unsure not quite sure what
the Bible says maybe googling what does the Bible say about this or something
silly like that yeah instead of just reading through your Bible more often
yeah but look if I bet if you look back you'll you'll think of those times of
think yeah I kind of knew I kind of knew before I cut it out I had a
feeling on you yeah and if you have that about something the same thing would
just be to cut it out and then work out whether that's right or not yeah okay
cuz really look you know you know you don't want to play around with these
things to you and a lot of sin will wreck your life yeah we talked about
alcohol wrecks lives the world over it continues to do so it will continue to
do so and that's the same with many many other sins yeah on that let's pray
father thank you thank you for you know that great chapter of the Bible which
just helps us to to think of others help helps us to be sympathetic it's
sympathetic to others beliefs to others needs and when I talk about beliefs I'm
not talking about you know damnable heresy false doctrine false gods I'm
just talking about their own personal convictions on things in life and help
us to to not want to row and debate and everything else yes we want to preach
the Word of God clearly we want to preach what the Bible says clearly but
we don't need to be getting in rows with people don't need to be forcing our
own personal choices on to other people please help us not to do that as a
church please help us to just to be an effective church the church that wants
to have peace with each other just peace in doing the right thing to be behind
the the church behind the leadership of the church to be just behind the clear
doctrine the church teachers and to be behind the rules of the church so I'm
just to be be the sort of church members that that just make for peace in the
church help us to all be those sorts of people help us to to want to to want to
encourage others to be like that as well and help us to just be a good tight-knit
group of people that are just wanted to serve you wanting to do things the best
way we can in this church and we pray that you help us to to go go out this
week and have a good week to to try and make some soul winning in the week to
hopefully turn up for the Wednesday evening service as well and and and also
to be able to return that next week for another day in your house in Jesus name
and for all of this Amen