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Romans 14:14-23 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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A very good morning. It's good to see you guys this day.
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If you're wondering, our crowd is sparse this morning, not because people are celebrating St. Patrick's Day,
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let's turn together in our copy of God's Word to Romans chapter 14.
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We're actually going to finish chapter 14 today by looking at verses 13 through 23,
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but by way of reminder, recall how we've gotten to where we've gotten in the simplest way to summarize the first 11 chapters.
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Paul sums it up in chapter 12 verse 1 by saying,
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the mercies of God, which is everything he's presented prior to that,
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I will say that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone forever.
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In light of this, we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.
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Verse 1 of chapter 12, which is this vertical access response to what God has done for us in Christ.
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We're to offer ourselves fully to him, right?
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Vertical access here, and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds,
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which then plays out in the horizontal access of that offering, right?
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That now our lives are to be characterized by love.
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Chapter 12 verse 9, Paul exhorts us to let love be genuine,
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to abhor what is evil, and to cling fast to what is good,
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and therein he summarizes for us godliness.
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To be characterized by this, loving genuinely, right?
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Which he then begins to play out for us throughout the rest of his letter to the Romans.
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So last week we looked at the beginning of chapter 14, verses 1 through 12,
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to see these exhortations he gives,
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to welcome one another,
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to not despise one another,
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and to not pass judgment on one another.
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You can see that in verses 1 through 3 and verse 5.
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About particular things, right?
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He's referring to opinions.
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Notice that there in verse 1, right?
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About opinions.
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Not about doctrinal issues,
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not about things that are clearly taught to us in the Scriptures,
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but about those things that exist in the gray.
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Those issues that are not clearly spoken to in the Scriptures.
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He's exhorting us to welcome each other,
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not despise one another,
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and to not pass judgment on one another about opinions.
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The examples from the text are about eating and drinking,
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and the observance of particular days.
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But of course we can see that that plays itself out in varying ways,
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as our culture is shifting.
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Certainly it does.
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Now the teaching in here is not incredibly complex.
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In fact, I told Wes earlier this week,
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I really just want to get up and read the text to you and say,
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okay.
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How it plays out in our lives, though,
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has a lot of complexity with it.
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Lots of complexity.
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The application of the truths found in chapter 14
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are not going to be easy to walk out together.
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So let's see if we can look at it together,
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wrap our minds around it together,
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so that we're best equipped to do so.
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Let's begin by reading in verse 13.
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Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer,
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but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
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I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself,
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but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.
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For if your brother is grieved by what you eat,
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you are no longer walking in love.
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By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.
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So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
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For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,
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but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
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Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
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So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
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Do not for the sake of food destroy the work of God.
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Everything is indeed clean,
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but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
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It is good not to eat meat or drink wine
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or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
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The faith that you have keep between yourself and God.
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Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.
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But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats,
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because the eating is not from faith.
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For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
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Join me in prayer.
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Father God, we thank you for your holy word.
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We thank you that it was inspired by the Spirit,
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given to men to write,
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that this day we might open it and feast upon it.
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I thank you that it is the sufficient source of guidance for our lives,
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that you have revealed to us in it all things we need to know to live godly before men.
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That where it doesn't speak, we have latitude.
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Where it does, we are certainly called to obey.
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And so I pray this day that you'll help us each
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to apply the truths contained in the last half of chapter 14
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as we exercise liberty amongst one another.
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And I pray this in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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So, we talked again last week about how we're meant to be interacting with our liberty.
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Right?
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I think maybe I gave a fair amount of justification to be liberated.
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In fact, Paul calls the stronger brother,
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the one who practices liberty,
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who recognizes that he's been set free from bondage to periphery things,
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and now has freedom in Christ.
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The weak brother is the one who abstains because he's afraid of what may happen,
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who's still working out his faith in some sense by his work.
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Right?
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I think, though, we're too quick as Christians to stand in camps of the can-dos and the can't-dos.
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We make lists, we make signs, and we beat each other up with them.
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Right?
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And, specifically, Paul begins to address those who are the stronger brethren.
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Those who practice these liberties and how they ought to do so appropriately.
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Now, before we get into the specific exhortation found in verse 13,
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I want to make an overarching observation from the text.
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Notice verse 14.
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Paul says,
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So notice Paul says,
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So the question is,
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how does a clean thing, right, as Paul says,
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everything is clean, everything is permissible,
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become unclean or impermissible?
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How is it that that happens?
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And what we must notice here is that cleanliness and uncleanliness,
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or permissibility or impermissibility,
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is a matter of conscience and motive.
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Verse 14.
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Anyone who thinks it unclean, to them it is, in fact, unclean.
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Verse 22 and verse 23 speak to our conscience before God,
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knowing that we've been given permission by him in the Spirit.
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Let's look at some other texts.
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Titus 1.15.
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Paul writes,
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To the pure, all things are pure.
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But to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure,
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but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
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Mark chapter 7, verse 15.
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There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him,
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but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.
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This is Jesus speaking.
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There's nothing outside of a person by going into him can defile him,
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but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.
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And skip down to verse 18 and 19.
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And he said to them,
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Then are you also without understanding?
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Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,
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since it enters not his heart, but his stomach, and is expelled?
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Right?
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And then Mark adds the commentary,
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Thus he declared all foods clean.
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So notice that what Jesus is saying is it's not those exterior things that ultimately really matter.
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What ultimately matters is our heart.
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And so the question must be asked,
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What do our actions, and in this text here, particularly about our liberty,
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say about our hearts?
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What do they say about our faith?
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Do our actions say that our hearts are resting in God as our portion,
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our sufficiency, our satisfaction, our treasure?
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Or do they say something else entirely?
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I'll give you an example from my own living.
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Many of you may not have noticed this, and that's quite alright,
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but I have tended to dress a little nicer as the years have gone on here when I preach.
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There was a day, if you've been around for a while,
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that I wouldn't have tucked my shirt in,
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would have been collared,
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probably would have had my sleeves rolled up.
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I never wore open-toed shoes, so I kept the shoes on.
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This is not how I like to dress, though.
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And as time has gone on,
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I've felt the conviction that
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if somebody's going to not hear the gospel
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because I'm not wearing a tie,
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how dare I?
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If this was a crowd that I thought required a jacket,
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I would do that too.
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I would stand up here and sweat
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because the gospel is that important to me.
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What do our actions say about where our hearts are?
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What do our actions say about what is ultimately important to us?
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If I were to travel and speak,
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I would take a jacket with me,
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just to be sure I could cover that.
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If a King James-only church ever asked me to come speak there,
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I would probably talk to them about the scriptures,
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but I would do it from a King James-only Bible,
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because I would want them to hear
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the things that I'm saying to them
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because that is what is ultimately important to me.
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My tie also gives me a place to clip my mic,
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which I appreciate.
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Verse 17 of our text says,
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the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking.
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So we get too wrapped up into these periphery things
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and we miss the main point.
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Proverbs 4, 23 says,
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keep your heart with all vigilance,
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for from it flows the springs of life.
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So it's a matter of our heart.
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The clean becomes unclean
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because we have improper motivation.
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Our consciences cannot be clean before God
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because our hearts are not clean before God
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and we must get this part of it right.
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All the judgmentalism,
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all of the unwelcoming attitudes,
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all of those things would just dissipate
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if our hearts were right
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about these unclear issues in the scriptures.
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So here's the exhortation,
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verse 13.
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Therefore,
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therefore,
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retaining back to the previous verses,
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verses 10 through 12,
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it talks about God's ultimate and final judgment.
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So in light of that,
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knowing that God is the final and ultimate judge,
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therefore,
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let us not pass judgment on one another any longer,
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but rather decide never to put a stumbling block
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or hindrance in the way of a brother.
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Now it's important to know here
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that the stumbling block he's referring to
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is not the same way in which Christ
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is referred to the stumbling block for Israel.
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So know that is the case.
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That's not the same thing he's talking about here.
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In fact,
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instead,
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he's talking about,
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the Greek here is
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apolomai.
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Right?
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Excuse me.
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I'm going to back up just a little bit.
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The idea of the stumbling block
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is the idea of tripping over something.
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A hindrance would be something like a fence
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that would have been used in that way.
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Something that would have kept the brother
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from progressing in spiritual nature.
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Right?
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That would prevent their well-being.
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This is what the stumbling block or hindrance is
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that he's referring to.
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We see again in verse 20,
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the last half in verse 21.
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It is wrong for anyone to make another brother stumble
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by what he eats.
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It is good not to eat meat or drink wine
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or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
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1 Corinthians 8-9 says,
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But take care that this right of yours,
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your liberty,
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does not somehow become a stumbling block
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to the weak.
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Right?
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So the exhortation is,
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do not do something
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that causes a weaker brother
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to stumble into sin.
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The weaker brother who has decided
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that their conscience is not clean
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before God for doing something.
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They've decided that they ought not to.
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And yet by the way we practice our liberty,
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we draw them into it.
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We cause them to stumble in that way.
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We cause,
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we weaken their faith
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in that way.
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And Paul gives in the text
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for this exhortation
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at least four reasons
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why we shouldn't.
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Past judgment.
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Why we should decide
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never to put a stumbling block
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or hindrance
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in the way of a brother.
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Firstly,
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because it destroys the one
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for whom Christ died.
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We see this in verse 15.
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Alright?
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And here's our Greek word,
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apollomai.
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Apollomai.
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It means devastation.
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The Greek squalor W.E. Vines explains,
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the idea is not extinction,
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but ruin,
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loss.
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Not of being,
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but of well-being.
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It destroys the well-being,
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the spiritual well-being
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of the weaker brother.
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Matthew 18, 14.
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Jesus says,
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So it is not the will of my Father
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who is in heaven
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that one of these little ones
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should perish.
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That's the parable
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of the lost sheep.
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Right?
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He's not talking about
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those who are not already saved.
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He's talking about
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those who are.
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The sheep.
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And when one goes astray,
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we go and we search it out
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and we bring it back in
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because we don't want it
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to perish.
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Apollomai.
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To not be of good being
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spiritually.
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That's what he's referring to.
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Those of you familiar
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with the Pilgrim's Progress,
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there's a famous character
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in the book
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named Apollyon.
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This is where
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Bunyan got this name for him.
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We understand him
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to be the devil.
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And what does he do
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with Christian?
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He fights with Christian
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to bring him back
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into his kingdom.
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But Christian is secure.
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Christian is secure
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because of what
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the Lord of the kingdom
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he's walking in
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has done for him.
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What Christ has done for him.
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And he's given him
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the tools to fight off
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Apollyon.
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Right?
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That his walk
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would not be devastated.
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It's a fun connection
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for you
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to the other night
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when we read that together.
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That's the Greek word
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that that name Apollyon
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comes from
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in the Pilgrim's Progress.
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So we ought not judge.
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We ought to decide
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not to put a stumbling block
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or a hindrance
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in the way of our brother
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because it destroys
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the one for whom
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Christ died.
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Do you feel the weight
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of that?
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That as you practice
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your liberty
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as you say
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I've been set free
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to do this
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or dress this way
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partake of this thing
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that if you don't do
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so carefully
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you will cause
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your brother
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to be weak.
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You will cause
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your brother
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to strain
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spiritually.
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That is
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antithesis of love.
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Right?
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That's the opposite
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of what we're being called
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to do.
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To walk as children of light.
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To walk in love
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the end of chapter 13.
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It's the opposite of that.
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We ought to be
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seeking each other's
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mutual upbuilding
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as he says later here
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in the chapter.
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The second reason
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is because
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not passing judgment
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not putting the stumbling block
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or hindrance
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in the way of a brother
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is acceptable to God
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and it is approved
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by men.
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It's verse 16
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through 18.
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1 Corinthians 9
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19 says
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For though I am
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free from all
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I have made myself
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a servant to all
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that I might win
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more of them.
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Martin Luther once said
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a Christian man
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is the most free
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Lord of all
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and subject to none.
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And at the same time
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he said
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the next sentence
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a Christian man
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is the most
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dutiful servant of all
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and subject
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to everyone.
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So serving Christ
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in this way
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not passing judgment
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being sure
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that we walk
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carefully
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in our liberty
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it's acceptable to God
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and it's approved
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by men.
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He says to us
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to not let anybody
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call something
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that we find
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clean, good,
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acceptable, evil.
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He's talking about
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generally
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about mankind
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don't let people
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look at you
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and say
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he practices evil.
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Be very careful
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how you walk.
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Something might be
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permissible to you
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but it's not always
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beneficial.
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is it?
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Thirdly
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not passing
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the judgment
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not putting
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stumbling block
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or hindrance
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in the way
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of our brothers
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pursues
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the work
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of God.
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Verse 19
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through the first
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half of 20
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let's read that together
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so then let us
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pursue
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what makes for peace
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and for mutual
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upbuilding
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do not
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for the sake
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of food
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destroy
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the work
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of God.
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We can look
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previously
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in verse 18
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excuse me
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verse 17
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the kingdom of God
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is not a matter
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of eating
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and drinking
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but of righteousness
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and peace
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and joy.
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so it pursues
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the work
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of God
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to live
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in this way
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namely
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it pursues
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righteousness
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and peace
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and joy.
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Ephesians 4
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3 says
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that we are
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to be eager
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to maintain
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the unity
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of the spirit
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in the bond
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of peace.
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1 Corinthians 8
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12 and 13
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reads
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thus
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sinning against
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your brothers
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and wounding
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their conscience
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when it is weak
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you sin
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against
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Christ
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therefore
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if food
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makes my brother
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stumble
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I will never
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eat meat
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lest I make
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my brother
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stumble.
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I mentioned
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this last week
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what was happening
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at this time
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that there were
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some meats
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that the Jews
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found impermissible
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according to
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old Mosaic law
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and for the Gentiles
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meats that were
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offered to idols
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they saw as
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dirty.
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So many of the
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weak brethren
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wouldn't partake
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of these meats.
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In fact
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as we see
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in the beginning
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of verse 14
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some of them
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became vegetarians
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because they so
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wanted to avoid
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these meats
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and Paul here
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says in 1 Corinthians
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that he himself
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would become
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a vegetarian
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in order to be
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sure that he
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didn't put
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a stumbling block
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in the way
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of his brothers.
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Do we orient
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our lives
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like that?
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Everything we do
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seeking the good
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of those
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who are part
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of the family.
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So it pursues
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the work of God
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this building up
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of righteousness
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and peace
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and joy
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it brings
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to earth
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the kingdom
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of heaven.
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Fourthly
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it promotes
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a clean
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conscience
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which leads
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to joy.
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Verse 22
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and 23
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the faith
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that you have
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keep between
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yourself
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and God
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blessed
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or happy
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or joyful
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is the one
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who has no
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reason
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to pass
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judgment
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on himself
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for what
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he approves
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but whoever
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has doubts
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is condemned
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if he eats
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because the
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eating is not
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from faith
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for whatever
20:25
does not
20:26
proceed
20:26
from faith
20:27
is sin.
20:29
So 22a
20:30
the first part
20:31
of that
20:31
is aimed
20:32
at the
20:33
stronger brother.
20:34
The faith
20:35
that you have
20:35
keep it
20:36
between
20:36
yourself
20:36
and God.
20:38
Blessed
20:39
is the one
20:39
who has no
20:40
reason to pass
20:40
judgment
20:41
on himself
20:41
for what
20:41
he approves.
20:43
If you have
20:44
the faith
20:44
to believe
20:45
the gospel
20:46
to the degree
20:46
that you have
20:47
liberty
20:48
and you
20:48
practice it
20:49
or don't
20:50
you can also
20:51
in your liberty
20:52
not do things
20:53
keep that
20:54
between yourself
20:55
and God
20:55
don't make
20:56
issues
20:56
out of
20:57
non-issues.
20:59
We're so
21:00
apt to do
21:01
this
21:01
because we
21:03
will be
21:03
blessed
21:04
we will have
21:04
joy
21:05
if we're
21:06
clean
21:07
we have
21:07
clean
21:07
consciousness
21:08
before God
21:09
for what
21:09
we
21:09
approve.
21:12
The same
21:13
applies
21:13
the joy
21:15
that's at
21:15
stake
21:15
here
21:16
to the
21:16
weaker
21:16
brother.
21:17
Notice
21:18
verse 23
21:18
we get
21:19
this
21:19
segue
21:19
the last
21:20
half
21:20
of 22
21:20
into 23
21:21
23
21:22
says
21:23
but whoever
21:23
has doubts
21:23
is condemned
21:24
if he eats
21:25
because his
21:28
faith doesn't
21:28
permit it.
21:30
He doesn't
21:30
believe that
21:31
what he's
21:32
allowed to
21:33
do
21:33
he's doing.
21:34
Because the
21:35
eating is
21:35
not
21:36
from
21:37
faith
21:37
for
21:38
whatever
21:39
does not
21:39
proceed
21:40
from
21:40
faith
21:40
is
21:42
sin.
21:43
And this
21:44
is often
21:45
used
21:45
the little
21:46
ending
21:46
here
21:46
of
21:46
verse
21:47
23
21:47
to
21:47
recognize
21:48
that what
21:49
is good
21:51
and what
21:51
is bad
21:51
what is
21:52
permissible
21:52
and
21:53
impermissible
21:53
is a matter
21:54
of faith.
21:55
How is it
21:56
that God
21:56
is leading
21:57
us?
21:59
So
21:59
me wearing
22:00
a tie
22:00
because I
22:01
feel that
22:01
God wants
22:02
me to wear
22:02
a tie
22:03
on this
22:03
Sunday
22:04
morning
22:04
proceeds
22:05
from
22:05
faith
22:05
and therefore
22:06
it's good
22:07
for me to
22:08
do this
22:08
very thing.
22:11
If I wore
22:12
this tie
22:12
simply to
22:13
please men
22:14
it wouldn't
22:15
be from
22:15
faith
22:16
and it
22:17
would be
22:17
sin.
22:20
If you
22:21
have decided
22:22
to abstain
22:22
from alcohol
22:23
and yet
22:24
you feel
22:24
this pressure
22:25
to practice
22:25
your liberty
22:26
as some
22:27
people we
22:28
know do
22:28
and therefore
22:29
you drink
22:30
just because
22:31
you just
22:32
want to
22:32
prove
22:32
I'm set
22:33
free in
22:33
Christ
22:34
I'm allowed
22:34
it's okay
22:35
but it
22:36
doesn't
22:37
proceed from
22:37
faith
22:38
from an
22:39
earnest
22:39
searching out
22:40
of God's
22:41
will for
22:41
your life
22:41
sin.
22:44
It's a
22:45
strong
22:45
exhortation
22:46
to the
22:47
weaker
22:47
brother.
22:49
1 Timothy
22:50
1.19
22:50
Paul writes
22:52
we are to
22:52
hold faith
22:53
and a good
22:54
conscience
22:54
by rejecting
22:56
this
22:56
some have
22:57
made
22:57
shipwreck
22:58
of their
22:59
faith.
23:01
We're to
23:02
hold to
23:02
that
23:02
we're to
23:04
search out
23:05
before God
23:06
I so wish
23:08
sometimes
23:08
that the
23:09
Bible just
23:09
had a simple
23:10
to do list
23:11
like the
23:11
appendix A
23:12
right we
23:12
could just
23:13
flip to the
23:14
back and
23:14
there would
23:14
be a
23:14
don't do
23:15
and a
23:15
do list
23:16
that sums
23:17
up for
23:17
us
23:17
everything
23:18
instructed
23:19
to us
23:19
and that
23:20
it goes
23:20
beyond
23:20
even what
23:21
the scriptures
23:21
go beyond
23:22
just so I
23:22
can be
23:22
sure
23:23
right
23:23
tie on
23:24
Sunday
23:25
got it
23:25
right
23:26
no tie
23:27
the rest
23:27
of the
23:27
day
23:27
the rest
23:28
of the
23:28
weeks
23:28
okay
23:29
I'm good
23:29
right
23:30
don't you
23:31
wish we
23:31
could just
23:31
do that
23:32
sometimes
23:32
just have
23:33
a new
23:33
law
23:34
handed down
23:35
to us
23:35
right
23:36
just make
23:36
it a little
23:36
bit simpler
23:37
do you ever
23:37
ask why
23:38
that hasn't
23:39
happened
23:39
for us
23:40
why is it
23:41
that we're
23:41
given very
23:41
specific
23:42
parameters
23:42
about some
23:43
things
23:43
and not
23:44
others
23:45
if treated
23:47
properly
23:48
it draws
23:49
us
23:49
to God
23:50
he wants
23:52
to know
23:53
you
23:54
and to
23:54
be known
23:55
by you
23:55
if I
23:57
had a list
23:57
of rules
23:58
would I
23:58
ever
23:59
implore God
23:59
for his
24:00
will for
24:00
my life
24:01
no I
24:02
had to
24:02
follow the
24:02
list of
24:03
rules
24:03
right
24:04
in that
24:07
way
24:07
our savior
24:08
could have
24:08
been
24:09
a pink
24:10
bunny rabbit
24:11
that comes
24:12
to the earth
24:13
hands us a
24:13
list of
24:13
rules and
24:14
says do
24:14
this
24:15
and you
24:16
will be
24:16
saved
24:17
right
24:18
that's not
24:18
what we've
24:19
been called
24:19
to in
24:20
Christ
24:20
we've been
24:21
called to
24:21
a relationship
24:22
we've been
24:22
called
24:23
brothers
24:23
we are
24:24
his adopted
24:25
children
24:26
now
24:26
right
24:27
and as
24:28
such
24:28
we've been
24:28
given
24:29
latitude
24:29
in some
24:31
things
24:31
we're meant
24:33
to come
24:33
close to
24:34
him
24:34
to know
24:35
how it
24:36
is
24:36
we're meant
24:36
to walk
24:37
out
24:38
our faith
24:38
what is it
24:39
that my
24:40
love
24:40
looks like
24:41
right
24:42
day to
24:43
day
24:44
moment
24:44
by moment
24:45
as I
24:46
said I
24:47
find this
24:47
teaching
24:48
rather
24:48
simple
24:49
I don't
24:50
think there's
24:50
a terrible
24:51
amount of
24:51
complexity to
24:52
it but
24:52
putting it
24:52
into action
24:53
in our
24:53
lives
24:54
can be
24:55
horribly
24:55
complex
24:56
but that
24:58
complexity
24:58
causes us
25:00
to depend
25:00
on him
25:01
for those
25:02
answers
25:02
to recognize
25:03
that we're
25:04
regenerate
25:04
we are new
25:05
creations
25:05
and therefore
25:06
we have the
25:07
spirit of
25:07
God
25:07
abiding in
25:08
us to
25:09
direct
25:09
our every
25:10
step
25:11
what is
25:12
permissible
25:13
what is
25:14
impermissible
25:14
right
25:15
it's a matter
25:16
of
25:16
conscience
25:17
ask
25:19
that God
25:20
would work
25:21
in you
25:21
the proper
25:22
form of
25:23
this love
25:24
that you
25:25
might not
25:26
cast
25:26
judgment
25:27
that you
25:28
might seek
25:29
to not
25:29
put a
25:30
stumbling
25:30
block
25:30
or a
25:31
hindrance
25:31
and walk
25:33
your faith
25:33
out
25:34
see how
25:36
it plays
25:37
out
25:38
so I
25:39
ask again
25:39
what do
25:40
our actions
25:40
say
25:40
about our
25:41
hearts
25:42
particularly
25:44
regarding
25:44
our liberty
25:45
what do
25:46
they say
25:46
about our
25:47
faith
25:47
do our
25:49
actions
25:49
say that
25:50
our hearts
25:50
are resting
25:51
in God
25:51
as our
25:52
portion
25:52
as our
25:53
completion
25:53
right
25:55
our
25:55
sufficiency
25:56
our
25:56
satisfaction
25:57
our
25:58
treasure
25:58
is that
25:58
what our
25:59
actions
25:59
say
25:59
as we
26:00
practice
26:01
liberty
26:01
together
26:01
or does
26:02
it say
26:02
something
26:02
entirely
26:03
different
26:03
does it
26:04
say that
26:04
our
26:04
God
26:05
is now
26:05
our
26:05
liberty
26:06
that we
26:06
have
26:06
in
26:07
Christ
26:07
Hebrews
26:10
3
26:11
12
26:11
through
26:12
14
26:12
says
26:13
take care
26:15
brothers
26:15
lest there
26:16
be in
26:16
any of
26:17
you
26:17
an
26:17
evil
26:18
unbelieving
26:19
heart
26:19
leading you
26:20
to fall
26:21
away
26:21
from the
26:21
living
26:22
God
26:22
but exhort
26:23
one another
26:23
every day
26:24
as long
26:25
as it is
26:25
called
26:25
today
26:26
that none
26:26
of you
26:26
may be
26:27
hardened
26:27
by the
26:28
deceitfulness
26:28
of sin
26:29
for we
26:30
have come
26:30
to share
26:31
in Christ
26:31
if indeed
26:32
we hold
26:33
our original
26:33
confidence
26:34
firm
26:35
to the
26:35
end
26:36
so you
26:38
see that
26:38
we're
26:38
meant to
26:38
work
26:39
together
26:39
on this
26:40
type of
26:40
stuff
26:41
right
26:41
not to
26:42
let
26:42
these
26:43
little
26:43
issues
26:44
the
26:44
non-issues
26:45
that we
26:46
make
26:46
issues
26:46
become
26:47
a dividing
26:47
thing
26:48
amongst
26:48
us
26:49
but to
26:50
exhort
26:50
one another
26:51
to see
26:52
that the
26:52
way we
26:53
live
26:53
matters
26:54
and to
26:54
walk
26:55
these
26:55
things
26:55
out
26:55
not to
26:56
let
26:56
the
26:56
deceitfulness
26:56
of sin
26:57
creep
26:58
in
26:58
even
26:59
as we
26:59
do
26:59
things
27:00
that
27:00
are
27:01
scripturally
27:01
permissible
27:02
but by
27:03
the way
27:03
we do
27:04
them
27:04
have
27:04
become
27:05
impermissible
27:06
we're
27:06
meant to
27:06
press
27:07
each
27:07
other
27:07
into
27:08
the
27:08
truth
27:09
that we
27:10
might
27:11
have
27:11
confidence
27:12
firm
27:13
to the
27:14
end
27:14
let's pray
27:15
together
27:16
turn
27:16
Thank you.