INTRODUCTION:
1. Turn with me in you Bibles to Romans 14:13-23.
2. Last week, we took a look at Romans 14:1-12.
3. We saw, Except anyone who is weak in the faith. V1-12
A. This really is a different statement than we might think.
1. This isn’t necessarily discussing. (That is brand new in the faith
As a baby believer, although it is discussing that as well but
This case he is talking about someone who converted from
A pagan religion that may still believe somethings about that
Other religion that is not true)
2. The word that is used here for weak. (Is to be feeble, to be sick to
Be diseased and maybe to not have much strength)
3. In Romans 14:1 Paul tells us. (To except them but don’t argue
With them over disputed matters, and in Verse 2 we find
That the disputed matters is over food to eat, now this is also
Not arguing over clean food or unclean foods such as pork
Or other unclean food)
4. Look at Numbers 25:1-5. (Here is the truth of what is being
Discussed here, The women of Moab invited Israel to a
Acacia Grove to worship Baal, part of this worship involved
Offering meat to Baal, but it was not just given to Baal but
That ate the meat as they bowed down to Baal, so it was the
Eating the meat and bowing at the same time that was the
Problem)
5. By the time the First Century came around. (These pagan temples
Had refined this into a business and they were selling the
The meat that had been offered to idols in those temple
Meat market to anyone who would buy it, and it was usually
The best cuts of meat)
6. We have actually seen this in our time. (Not so long ago, Halal
Halal meats was starting to be sold in Oregon, and there
Was this huge discussion that started to surface about
Whether we could eat halal meats or not, the discussion
Turned a little paranoid)
a. Halal is an Arabic word meaning “permissible”. (It must have
been slaughtered with the name of Allah spoken over it
there is a list of the ways it needs to be slaughtered)
b. Some people were so freaked over it. (That they were concerned
that they might start mixing this halal meat so they would
defile us)
7. The other aspect that Paul brings up. (Is that some said that we
Shouldn’t eat meat at all, that we were only meant to eat
Vegetables, probably coming from Daniel 1:9-21, we still
Some of these arguments today)
8. Look at 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. (Paul here explains that there is
No other God but Yahweh and so having this knowledge we
Know that the meat that has been sacrificed to idols is
Nothing, but Paul also say that there are weaker ones that
Have come from pagan practices that do not have this
Knowledge and if they see you eating that meat it may defile
Their conscience)
a. Look back at Romans 14:3. (Paul adds here that the one who
eats and the one who doesn’t eat must not judge each other
and the reason for that is we have been accepted by
Yahweh, and who are we to judge another’s house hold
Servant before his own Master, it is up to the Master
To decide if he stands or falls and it is Yahweh who makes
His servants to stand)
9. In these next verses 5-10. (Paul points to the fact that this is
Our relationship with the Master, If we live or die, if we eat
Or don’t eat we do these thing onto the Master, Paul has
Come to know that the Master will make us to learn or to
Mature at the rate that He brings s along)
10. Look at verse 9. (It is summed up here, it was Messiah who
Died for us and He returned to life for us, and the reason?
So He could be Master over the dead and the living)
11. Look at verse 10. (The word judge here is to condemn, now
This word condemn means to decide on a case as if you are
The judge and Paul just explained who is the judge and Paul
Will finish this paragraph with Scripture that says it all, the
Word to despise is to set at nought with someone)
12. Look at that last part of verse 10. (Paul reminds us that we are
All going to stand before Yahweh and be judged, and we
Will stand based on His judgement and He is the only one
Who can make us stand)
13. Look at Isaiah 45:23. (This is one of the passages that Paul
Quotes here, and then in verses 12 once again that each one
Of us will give an accounting, it is interesting that Paul says
Says this several times in these paragraph)
4. I would like for us to take a look at this next section because I think it shows us a little bit different focus.
5. Read Romans 14:13-23, Pray!
I. It is really about our Faith. V13-23
A. Let’s look at words again, to help clear things up for us a bit.
1. Let’s look at Romans 14:13. (It tells not to judge one another and
Also tells us to judge ourselves to not become a stumbling
Block to others, it is telling us not to be a judge to others, but
To judge ourselves, if we spent as much time judging
Ourselves as we spend on others we wouldn’t have time to
Judge others)
a. Look at Acts 15:1. (So, men from Judea (men who were with
out any kind of authorization from the Apostles) went to
Antioch where Paul and Barnabas were on their missionary
Trip and started teaching the ones that had received
Messiah and pretty much disputed their salvation and told
People that the only way they could be saved was to be
Circumcised)
b. So, Paul and Barnabas and some others. (Went to Jerusalem to
discuss this matter with the Jerusalem council, when they
got there the Apostle and the Elders got together and began
to debate this matter (notice the word debate, but it this
debate that they were looking for what was the right
answer for all concerned)
c. So, it says after much debate. (Peter stands up and explains that
the Yahweh had sent Him to Gentiles with the Gospel
message and they believed and evidence of they salvation
was given because they received the Holy Spirit just as they
had, and that Yahweh had made no distinction between
them and the Gentiles, cleansing their hearts by faith)
d. Look at Acts 15:10. (Peter sees this as testing Yahweh by
question what Yahweh had done, and that they would be
putting a yoke on the disciple’s necks, something that
neither their ancestors or they have been able to bear, and
he goes on to say that what they believe that we are saved
through the grace of the Master Yahshua in the same way
we are)
e. Look at this. (The whole council went silent and began to
listen to Paul and Barnabas give testimonies as to the signs
and wonders that Yahweh had done among the Gentiles,
then James spoke up and reminded them of how Peter was
used by Yahweh to take a people for Himself from among
the Gentiles)
f. Look at Acts 15:15-17. (Now, James says that these things agree
with the prophets, Isaiah 45:21-22 and Jeremiah 14:7-9 and
Daniel 9:19, Amos 9:11-12, James spoke as to the ones that
Bear the name of Yahweh and the nations that bear His
Name which is evidenced by what He had done to them and
To these Gentiles)
g. Look at Acts 15:22-29. (So, the council wrote a letter to them
in Antioch and basically told them that they needed to
abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating
anything that had been strangled, and from sexual
immorality and sent men to them at Antioch, and they
finished this by saying that if you stay away from these
things you will do well)
h. Now, turn with me to Galatians 2:11-21. (Hopefully this will clear
things up a little, in Acts 15:30-35 it says that people were
sent to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to encourage them
there is a good chance that Peter was among them on this
matter and while they were there some of the Jews came
tried to stir up the Gentiles saying that they could not be
saved unless they were circumcised and the pressure was
on because even Peter and Barnabas backed off)
i. Paul opposed Peter face to face. (And Paul talks about what the
problem was, the issue was over salvation, or are we saved
by the law or are we save by grace through putting faith in
Yahshua Messiah, and we can actually see this in Genesis
15:1-6, it is clear that Yahweh declared Abraham righteous
Or justified by faith and it came before the covenant of
Circumcision and if we go to Genesis 17:9-11 we will see
Circumcision is a sign of the covenant, it is not what makes
Us righteous it is a sign)
j. So, Paul was not arguing against circumcision. (He was saying
that circumcision was not the path to righteousness)
2. Now, back to Romans 14. (Paul then takes us to a place that
Makes it sound as though he is saying that everything is OK,
But really, he is trying to make a point that we don’t under-
Stand very well, he speaks of the love for other and not
Putting a stumbling block before anyone who is weaker in
Faith, look at Romans 14:17, the Kingdom is not eating and
Drinking but it is righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy
Spirit whoever serves Messiah in this way is acceptable to
Yahweh and receives human approval)
a. In Romans 15:19-20. (The real focus here is to do that which
builds another up and not that which tears down and we
are each Yahweh’s work not our own work)
b. Look at Luke 17:20-21. (Look at the focus here, the Pharisee’s
came to Yahshua and asked Him when the Kingdom would
come? They were looking for the physical Kingdom to come
but Yahshua says the Kingdom of Yahweh you will see in
your midst, now my version says midst, but the word used
there is a Greek word that means you, or you will see the
Kingdom of Yahweh in you, and the Kingdom is actually a
Greek word that means to reign or to rule, so, what is said
Is that you can see it in the reign or rule of your own life)