(#458) Romans 14 - In God's Eyes All Are Created EqualWeak or strong? How does God see you?
(#458) Romans 14 – March 17, 2019 -TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - In God’s Eyes All Are Created Equal
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a small and intimate Christian Church with worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. At Barah Ministries, our God is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We make a difference by teaching the Word of God from God’s perspective, and not from man’s perspective.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - In God’s Eyes All Are Created Equal
God sees all of us as equal. Do you see everyone as equal, or are you a bit “elitist” in your mind…thinking that some people are acceptable and some are not? You’ll remember the Lord expressing His viewpoint in Matthew, Chapter 25, Verse 40…
MATTHEW 25:40 “The King (the Lord Jesus Christ) will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine…even the least of them…you did it to Me.’”
In today’s lesson we’ll continue to be reminded that in the eyes of the Lord, how we treat people matters. The Lord expects His believers to be an exact reflection Him.
In the opening of every lesson at Barah Ministries we learn something about God. In recent weeks we have learned that God is FORGIVING…He is JUST…He is RIGHTEOUS…He is SOVEREIGN…He is OMNISCIENT. Today we learn the final OMNI word…He is OMNIPOTENT. It’s the combination of two Latin words…OMNI…meaning ALL…and POTENTIA…meaning power. What is omnipotence? As it relates to God, omnipotence means…
OMNIPOTENCE God has all the power…He is unlimited in power…He is in complete control of the universe…He is able to do anything and everything He wills to do… effortlessly…any time He wants…yet God only uses this power in ways that are in harmony with His essence.
For example, God has the power to lie…but of course He doesn’t because it is not in harmony with His perfection, specifically His VERACITY. God always tells the truth so He would never consider using His power to lie.
We know God has all the power when we stand as witnesses to the amazing things He is able to do…Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 18 to 23 enlightens us about God’s power in Paul’s prayer for believers…
EPHESIANS 1:18 I (Paul) pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened (so you have true insight into our amazing God)…so that you will know what is the hope of God the Father’s calling (the absolute confidence that comes with His invitation to salvation)…what are the glorious riches of the Father’s inheritance in the saints…
EPHESIANS 1:19 …and that you will know what is the surpassing greatness of God the Father’s power (divine omnipotence) toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of the Father’s might…
EPHESIANS 1:20 …which God the Father brought about in Christ, when the Father raised Christ from the dead and seated Christ at the Father’s right hand in the heavenly places…
EPHESIANS 1:21 …(seated) far above all rule and all authority and all power and all dominion…and far above every name that is named…not only in this age but also in the age to come.
EPHESIANS 1:22 And God the Father put all things in subjection under Christ’s feet, and gave Christ as head over all things to the Church…
EPHESIANS 1:23 …(this Church) which is Christ’s body (He is the Head and we are the body)…and the Church is the fullness of Christ…who fills everything with blessings in every way.
God has all the power to create…Isaiah, Chapter 44, Verse 24…
ISAIAH 44:24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself…and spreading out the earth all alone…”
Our God is completely self-sufficient! God has all the power…both to save us and to deliver us…Jude, Chapter 1, Verses 24 and 25…
JUDE 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy…
JUDE 1:25 …to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
God has all the power to resurrect the dead…in John, Chapter 10, Verses 17 and 18, the Lord says…
JOHN 10:17 “For this reason God the Father loves Me…because I lay down My life so that I may take it up again.”
JOHN 10:18 “No one has taken my life away from Me…but I lay it down on My own initiative. I (the Lord Jesus Christ) have authority to lay my life down…and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My God…the Father.”
Without God’s power we are powerless. John, Chapter 15, Verse 5…
JOHN 15:5 I (the Lord Jesus Christ) am the vine…you (believers in Christ) are the branches…he who abides in Me and I in him…he bears much fruit…for apart from Me you can do nothing.
God power makes us victorious in every situation. Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 31…
ROMANS 8:31 If God is for us…and He is…who is (successful) against us?
Our omnipotent God pours His divine omnipotence into us…thus, we cherish the words of Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 13…
PHILIPPIANS 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Welcome to a place where you can discover the power you have by being a child of the OMNIPOTENT God.
What will it be like when we are finally face-to-face with our Savior? Can you even imagine what God’s house will be like? Can you even imagine what it will be like to have the Lord look at you with a look of unconditional love? The book of Revelation, Chapters 21 and 22 tell us a few things. In Revelation, Chapter 22, Verses 3 and 4 the apostle John give us a descriptive glimpse of this place we call heaven…
REVELATION 22:3 There will no longer be any curse (the curse of Adam’s sin)...and the throne of God the Father and of the Lamb (the Lord Jesus Christ) will be in it (The New Jerusalem)...and His bond-servants will serve Him...
REVELATION 22:4 ...they will see His face...and His name will be on their foreheads (an indication of intimacy...for we are God’s possessions).
Our opening song is I CAN ONLY IMAGINE by Mercy Me…a song that beautifully describes one man’s awe, as he finds himself face-to-face with Jesus…let’s enjoy it…
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE Mercy Me
No, I can’t imagine! Just for the record...there is no sun in heaven (as the song claims)...only the S-O-N! He illuminates us!
OPENING PRAYER Let us pray...
We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Omnipotent Father…we thank you for the blessings of adversity and prosperity…we thank you for renovating our thinking so that we are able to approach every situation in life from the divine perspective if we choose to do so…thank you Father for this Barah Ministries Family as we learn to love each other…
Teach us how to love as You do…unconditionally…teach us how to live as You do…powerfully…teach us how to laugh as You do…so that we can enjoy this amazing life You have given us…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - In God’s Eyes All Are Created Equal
One of the finest documents ever written is The Declaration of Independence. It is the voice of a free people standing up for a life of freedom. Here’s an excerpt…
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
“We hold these truths to be self evident that all are created equal…and all are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…and that among these rights are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness...”
That’s God’s viewpoint expressed by humans. The theme of Romans, Chapter 14 continues the theme begun in Romans, Chapters 12 and 13…the theme of unconditional love. Romans, Chapter 14 is two passages…Verses 1 to 12 is the first passage…it teaches us how to use unconditional love when we interact others…Verses 12 to 23 is the second passage…it teaches us to use unconditional love to have impact on others. Let’s listen to the entire first passage and then let’s review quickly the messages God has sent us so far in our study of the first passage.
ROMANS 14:1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith…but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
ROMANS 14:2 One person has faith that he may eat all things…but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
ROMANS 14:3 The one who eats (The Weak) is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat (The Strong)…and the one who does not eat (The Strong) is not to judge the one who eats (The Weak)…for God has accepted both of them.
Then Paul asks…
ROMANS 14:4 Who are you to keep on judging the servant of another? To his own master a servant stands or falls…and the servant will be made to stand by God…for the Lord is able to make him stand.
One example of the differences between The Strong and The Weak is how food is handled (Verses 1 to 3)…another example of the differences between The Strong and The Weak is observance of days (Verses 5 and 6).
ROMANS 14:5 One person regards one day above another…another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind (he is doing what God would want him to do).
ROMANS 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord…and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God…and he who eats not…it is for the Lord he does not eat…and he gives thanks to God.
ROMANS 14:7 For not one of us lives for himself…and not one of us dies for himself…
ROMANS 14:8 …for if we live, and we do, we live for the Lord…or if we die, and we do, we die for the Lord…therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
ROMANS 14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived again…that He might be the Lord… both of the dead and of the living.
ROMANS 14:10 But you…why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
ROMANS 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me…and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
ROMANS 14:12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
Our life of service will be under review at the judgment seat of Christ. Did you trust and love and obey God in your lifetime? How did it affect others?
In our study of Romans, Chapter 14 so far, God the Holy Spirit has sent us a few messages. The first message is, “Honoring God is Not Enough.”
God expects His believers to live a three dimensional life. Matthew, Chapter 22, Verses 37 and 38 say…
MATTHEW 22:37 And Jesus said… “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… and with all your soul…with all your mind…and with all your strength.’ This is the foremost commandment.”
MATTHEW 22:38 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself… unconditionally.’”
The second message in our study of Romans, Chapter 14 is…“Value the Differences Between Yourself and Others.” We are different from each other in many ways. We are different in race, different in gender, different in social standing, different in age, different in experience, different in attitude, different in outlook, different in perspective, and different in background. We are very different from each other. As Christians, how can we be in unity with each other when all of us are so different from each other? Clearly God wanted us to find out.
The third message in our study of Romans, Chapter 14 is to “Honor the Journey of Others.” I teach engineers…and many of them take everything said literally. A distortion of the “Honor the Journey of Others” message could easily be that every journey is okay. God is not sending that message. Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 13 and 14 make it clear that not all journeys are wonderful…
MATTHEW 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate…for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”
MATTHEW 7: 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to the resurrection life…and there are few who find it.”
We honor the people on the journey…but when we see their actions are not in line with what God would want for them…but we have to be honest with those around us that the best way is always agreeing with God’s way… Galatians, Chapter 6, Verse 1…
GALATIANS 6:1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, and many are, you who are spiritual (mature)…restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness…each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
As we correct and rebuke, we do so with gentleness. Elitism is not The Christian Way of Living. “We hold these truths to be self evident that all are created equal.” When we return from our five-minute break we’ll see what else God has in store for our viewpoint toward others.
FIVE MINUTE BREAK Unconditional Love Donna Summers
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - In God’s Eyes All Are Created Equal
God wants you to give from your first fruits. It means give to Him first, and then take care of everything else. When you have the faith in God to bring Him your first fruit in the offering, He multiples it back to you 30, 60, 100 fold. Put God first in your generosity. Let’s welcome Deacon Denny Goodall with the offering message.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
OFFERING VERSE
MATTHEW 22:37 And Jesus said… “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… and with all your soul…with all your mind…and with all your strength.’ This is the foremost commandment.”
OFFERING VERSE
MATTHEW 22:38 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself… unconditionally.’”
OFFERING FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE Dave McClure, Instrumental
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - In God’s Eyes All Are Created Equal
God’s grace may be enough…but I’m sure you’ll all agree, the Lord’s grace is something we never get enough of! Chris Tomlin says God uses the weak to lead the strong in his song…YOUR GRACE IS ENOUGH.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
YOUR GRACE IS ENOUGH Chris Tomlin
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON - In God’s Eyes All Are Created Equal
Welcome back! Romans, Chapter 14, Verses 1 to 4…
ROMANS 14:1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith…but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
ROMANS 14:2 One person has faith that he may eat all things…but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
ROMANS 14:3 The one who eats (The Weak) is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat (The Strong)…and the one who does not eat (The Strong) is not to judge the one who eats (The Weak)…for God has accepted both of them.
Then Paul asks…
ROMANS 14:4 Who are you to keep on judging the servant of another? To his own master a servant stands or falls…and the servant will be made to stand by God…for the Lord is able to make him stand.
For The Strong in the Faith working with The Weak in the Faith poses a dilemma. The first dilemma is political correctness…do we have to say weak and strong? Can’t we say “challenged?” God doesn’t mince words.
Working with the weak in faith is challenging for the strong in faith because it requires restraint…most importantly, a restraint in attitude. The first example concerns food. The Weak avoid meat and wine…The Strong eat meat and drink wine…in fact, they feel free to eat anything they want.
For some reason God has been exposing me to vegetarians lately. I’ve tried the lifestyle and was not able to sustain it, nor did I enjoy it. So the natural human tendency for those who are not vegetarians is to look with disdain on those who eat vegetables only (without trying it most of the time). Meat eaters regard people who are vegan or vegetarian as weak. God wants us to know that if we treat them that way, and we are spiritual, and they know we are spiritual, they may want nothing to do with our spirituality…a kind that is judgmental of others. When we’re dealing with unbelievers, being judgmental can actually turn people off to Christianity.
In Romans, Chapter 14, The Weak in faith being described are believers in Christ. They are saved…they are Christ centered…quite often, they are people who are “on fire for God” with a “lighter fluid” faith…it flames up… they want to save everybody now that they are saved. The weakness described here is not legalism. The Weak Believer does not think their abstinence from meat earns God’s acceptance or contributes to their justification. They are saved. They know they are saved and they know, in many cases, that they can’t lose their salvation.
The Weak Believer worries about sin. They think abstaining from sin is important…and it is…they are faith based…respectful…and God honoring. But there is more that spiritually mature knowledge of God tells us about why we abstain from sin. The Weak Believer perhaps has not made the transition from slavery to freedom. In Galatians, Chapter 5, Verses 1 to 6, the apostle Paul was addressing this malady in the Galatian region (modern day Turkey)…
GALATIANS 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free…therefore keep standing firm in the freedom and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
GALATIANS 5:2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision (for salvation), Christ will be of no benefit to you.
GALATIANS 5:3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
GALATIANS 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law…you have fallen from grace.
GALATIANS 5:5 For we believers in Christ through the baptism of the Spirit, by faith alone in Christ, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
GALATIANS 5:6 For when you are in union with Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything…but faith working through unconditional love means everything.
The Weak Believer has a little knowledge, and a little knowledge can be dangerous. Perhaps The Weak Believer is self-accusatory.
Weak brethren are not a bother to Paul…but he does want us to consider how to treat them. First Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verse 5 says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time (The Judgment Seat of Christ)…but wait until the Lord comes (the One who will judge the living and the dead)…who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness…and who will disclose the motives of men’s hearts…and then each man’s praise will come to him from God (not from us).
We’ll continue with the first passage of Romans, Chapter 14 in our next lesson.
GOD WANTS YOU! Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
The closing moments of our study are for the benefit of anyone who does not have a personal relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We want you to know that GOD WANTS YOU.
If you’re going to place your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, you probably should get to know Him as soon as you can. While there are many things to know about Him, here are the critical few things…
The Lord Jesus Christ is Your Creator…John, Chapter 1, Verse 3…
JOHN 1;3 All things came into being through the Lord (God the Son)…and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being.
The Lord Jesus Christ loves you UNconditionally… First John, Chapter 4, Verse 8…
FIRST JOHN 4:8 The one who does not love unconditionally does not know the Lord, for the Lord IS unconditional love.
The Lord Jesus Christ wants you to be saved…First Timothy, Chapter 2, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of the God who is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:4 …who desires all men to be saved and for all men to come to the knowledge of the truth.
There are some things the Lord doesn’t want for you…the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t want you to go to the Lake of Fire…Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9…
SECOND PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of, but instead He is patient toward unbelievers…not wishing for any of you to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all of you to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
The Lord Jesus Christ forgives all of your sins…Isaiah, Chapter 43, Verse 25…
ISAIAH 43:25 “I, even I (the Lord), am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake…and I will not remember your sins.”
The Lord doesn’t want you to work to please Him…Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6 says…
ROMANS 11:6 But if salvation is by grace, and of course it is, it is no longer on the basis of works…otherwise grace is no longer grace.
God’s graciousness makes your salvation a free gift.
So how can you get to heaven? This loving, forgiving, patient God who wants you to be saved is willing to save you right this minute. Right where you sit, RIGHT NOW, you can tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you. Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…
JOHN 14:6 Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation), and I am the truth (through the Word of God), and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”
So heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…
JOHN 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”
When you get to know the Lord, you’ll have no problem placing your confidence in Him, both for salvation and for anything else. Why? Because you’ll know that God wants you and God loves you…so take advantage of His grace!
You’ve heard the expression, “God Willing”It’s the expression people use when they are not quite sure what God will do. Well God is willing for you to be saved...He wants you...and as June Murphy sings from God’s perspective, you don’t have to beg God to love you!
CLOSING SONG
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BEG June Murphy
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening! www.barahministries.com |