Christian Liberty And Unity (Part 3)

Like the Jewish and Gentile believers in the first century church, we all come from different religious and cultural backgrounds with different customs and traditions. We have different upbringings, different experiences, and testimonies all of which have colored our perspectives and influenced our preferences and convictions and conditioned us to believe certain behaviors and practices are right or wrong. The question is how can we all get along despite these differences in regards to matters the Bible neither commands nor condemns. Paul provided THREE LESSONS that we all must learn in order to achieve and maintain unity with fellow believers. If we can learn to live out these lessons we will enjoy truer, closer, deeper, richer, sweeter, stronger fellowship with one another.

1. Instead of judging others, accept them (14:1-12)
   1. A. God accepts us (vv. 1-3)
   2. B. Christ is our Master (vv. 4-9)
   3. C. God will be our judge (vv. 10-12)
2. Instead of harming others, love them (14:13-23)
3. A. Don’t cause others to stumble (vv. 13, 20c-21)
4. B. Don’t force your personal convictions on others (vv. 14, 20b, 22a)
5. C. Don’t destroy or tear down others (vv. 15, 19-20a)
6. D. Don’t lose sight of the mission (vv. 16-18)
7. E. Don’t violate your conscience or someone else’s (vv. 22b-23)
8. Instead of pleasing yourself, imitate Christ (15:1-13)

A. Christ gladly accepted any self-denial (vv. 1-6)

     1. The Exhortation (vv. 1-2)

     2. The Motivation (vv. 3-4)

     3. The Benediction (vv. 5-6)

B. Christ graciously accepted Jews and Gentiles (vv. 7-13)

     1. The Exhortation (v. 7)

     2. The Motivation (vv. 8-12)

     3. The Benediction (v. 13)APPLICATION QUESTIONS

James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” These questions are designed to help you apply today’s message to your life. We encourage you to thoughtfully answer these questions and discuss your answers with others. For more information about joining a Grow Group that uses these questions as the basis for weekly discussion, prayer, and accountability, please call the church office at (936) 582-1977.

1. How does selfish, prideful behavior divide a church? Have you seen any examples of this in the churches you have been a part of?
2. Read John 17:11, 20-23; Philippians 1:27; and 4:2-3. How does the unity of a church affect or influence the testimony of a church and its ability to reach their local community with the gospel?
3. Which portion of the Bible are you most familiar with—the Old or New Testament? What is the role Scripture plays in your life? How have you experienced the things Paul said God uses the Word to do in a believer’s life (cf. Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:6, 11)? If you are not consistently experiencing these things in your life what might be the reason?
4. Are there some legitimate, good things you are free to do as a Christian but that God is asking you to forgo for the good of your fellow believers?
5. Are there some believers you have not been willing to accept because they are not your type or they don’t share your convictions or their personal preferences are different than yours?
6. Read Philippians 2:2-8. What are some practical ways you can model Christlike self-denial and Christlike acceptance of others this week?
7. Thank God for loving and accepting you despite your sin and weakness. Ask Him to forgive you for failing to accept others who are not like you. Ask Him to help you follow the example of Christ and pursue unity with other members of the body of Christ so that those outside the church will see the power of God and want in on what God is doing among His people.

“Strong believers should avoid confirming legalists in their weakness by continually yielding on the things that offend the legalists. It is the responsibility of the weak believers to grow to strength, and that can hardly be done if the strong always yield without explanation. Then the life of the body of believers becomes determined by the narrowest and the most prejudiced of its members. That would not be so bad, were it not also an inevitable result that the unbelieving world is led to conclude that the gospel itself depends on obedience to the scruples and inhibitions of the weak….Salvation appears to unbelievers to be the product of faith and works, not of faith alone, dishonoring Christ’s work and confusing the good news.”

S. Lewis Johnson, Discovering Romans, 224