ROMANS 14THE SERMON-IN-A-SENTENCE

Freedom and Conscience BOTH Matter

ROMANS 14:1-4As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him,

but not in order to have disputes on difficult points. One person believes he may eat anything,

while the weak person eats only vegetables. The one who eats should not despise the one who does not,

and the one who does not should not condemn the one who does, for God has welcomed them. Who are you

to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before their own master that they stand or fall,

because the master can make them stand.

ROMANS 14:5-9One person esteems one day as better than another,

while another esteems all days alike. Each person should make up their own mind. The ones who celebrates the day,

do so in honor of the Lord, just as he one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God.

The one who does not eat, too, is abstaining in honor of the Lord, and likewise gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we belong to the Lord. That is why the Messiah died and came back to life, so that he might

be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

ROMANS 14:10-12Why do you condemn your fellow Christian?

Or you, why do you despise a fellow Christian? For we will all appear before the judgment seat of God;

for the Bible says,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

So then each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

ROMANS 14:13-16Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another;

if you want to exercise your judgment, do so on this question:how to avoid placing obstacles or stumbling blocks

in front of a fellow family member. I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean

in itself, but things do become unclean whenpeople regard them as such. For if your brother or sisteris being harmed by what you eat, you are no longer behaving in accordance with love. Don’t let your food

destroy someone for whom the Messiah died! So do not let something that is good for you

make other people blaspheme.

ROMANS 14:17-19For the kingdom of God is not a matter

of eating and drinking, but of justice,and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Anyone who serves The Messiah like this pleases God and deserves respect from other people.

So then, let us find and follow the way of peace, and discover how to build each other up.

ROMANS 14:20-23Do not, for the sake of food, pull down

the work of God. Everything is pure, but it becomes evil for anyone who causes offence when they eat.

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your fellow Christian stumble.

The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. When you’ve thought something through, and can go ahead

without passing judgment on yourself, God’s blessing on you! But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats,

because the eating doesn’t spring from faith. For whatever is not of faith is sin.

ROMANS 15:4-5 (niv)May the God who gives endurance

and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that The Messiah had,

so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, The Messiah.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

SOUL TRAININGEXERCISEIn light of today’s message:

Pray blessing over those you KNOWdisagree with you, or who see thingsdifferently than you do…

* Provision* Peace* Protection* Wisdom* Health, etc.