Turn your Bibles to Romans 14, Romans chapter 14. We're actually gonna finish Paul's section on the stronger and weaker brother today. We've taken five sermons to cover this. I hope you have seen how vital, just how critical this doctrine is for maintaining peace and joy in the body. These gray areas have the potential to cause major friction in the body and even division if Paul's commands are not obeyed. And as we'll see again today, the stronger has the greater responsibility. Much like a parent is supposed to be more mature than their children. So those older in the faith must show the greater maturity in the gray areas. As we'll see again today, six out of the seven commands will be aimed primarily at the stronger brother. And if you're here as a more mature or stronger believer, remember, while it's harder to be more mature, it's also a greater blessing and a privilege to have grown further in the faith and to have a stronger knowledge of the word. We ought to welcome these challenges from Paul today and live them out for the good of the weaker brother and for peace in the body of Christ. Let's read together in Romans 14, beginning of verse 19. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have as your own conviction before the Lord, before God, happy is he who does not condemn himself and what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin. Now we who are stronger ought to bear the weakness of those without strength, and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. We begin in verse 20 with the first command for our section today. And he says, do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. Really, this command flows right out of verse 19. We pursue the things which make for peace in the building up of one another. That that should be our goal in life, in the Christian life, in ministry. And the opposite of that then, he says, do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. And if you were to look at the Greek sentence of this verse, the first phrase would be for the sake of food. for the sake of food. He wants to emphasize just the evil or sinfulness or the sadness of letting food be something that would hurt or even destroy the work of God. And so this command, do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. And that word tear down really is often translated destroy. It's used in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 1 of our physical death, the destruction of our earthly body, the tearing down of this earthly tent in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 1. So a very strong word that he's using that we should not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. Paul wants the Roman believers to think long and hard about what it is they're allowing to possibly destroy a baby Christian. It would seem that this is probably already happening because this is in the present imperative tense. Could almost translate it, stop tearing down. The strength of that tense right now, ongoing. Don't do this. And this is actually a duplicate if you jump back to verse 15. Really, he said the same thing at the end of verse 15. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Again, highlighting the same truth here. Don't do this. A liberty is intended as a blessing from God. It's intended to give us freedom to make choices about things that we would or wouldn't do, burdens that we would carry or don't have to carry anymore. But the stronger brother must be careful, very careful, not to allow that blessing to actually destroy the work of God. Now, what is Paul referring to when he says the work of God? It's an important question. Certainly could refer to the whole body of Christ, as verse 19 would seem to indicate, that we're to pursue peace and the building up of one another. But it also could refer to the individual believer, as really the next phrase in verse 20 would indicate, all things indeed are clean, but they're evil for the man who eats and gives offense or causes stumbling to occur. Really, there's overlap there, of course. The body's made up of individual believers. And individual believers are those that we are potentially in danger of hurting spiritually if we're not careful with these areas of liberty. But he's saying if we don't use them wisely, we could hurt or damage the work of God. You know, perhaps when you were younger, your older sibling purposely ruined an elaborate sandcastle you had built on the seashore. Or perhaps at another occasion, they destroyed a work of art you made with Legos. And you probably weren't happy about that. You didn't understand why they did it, and you knew it was wrong for them, and they knew it was wrong, but they enjoyed doing it anyway. But here we're talking about something far greater than mere Legos or a sandcastle. We're talking about individual souls. We're talking about the body of Jesus Christ that he purchased with his blood. How utterly foolish and selfish to enable and be a part of causing destruction, either to an individual believer's life or to the body of Christ as a whole. Get the sense here that Paul's trying to shake them awake. He's trying to get their attention again, repeating something he's already said. Well, he goes on to the second command here, the latter part of the verse. All things indeed are clean, But they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. And we've seen this in past sermons that God has pronounced all food clean, all things good. There's no longer any clean or unclean as the Mosaic law has so clearly and strongly laid out. But even though God has pronounced it good, it can become a means of evil here. So all things though are clean, all food is clean. It can be evil for the one who eats wrongly and gives offense. They can become something that would bring harm. And this isn't the same word for evil we saw back in verse 16, which was blasphemy. A really strong word, but this is still a word that is strong. That of evil, something bad or corrupt, certainly the opposite of good. Now the NS chose to translate at the end of the verse, This word offense, they chose to translate it offense. And I think the weaker at times can interpret that in the way of just the fact that you're doing something I don't agree with or I think is wrong can offend me so you need to stop doing that because I would be offended by it. But actually I don't think they're using the right word here. It would be better I think to translate as the ESV and NIV translated this stumbling. to cause stumbling, which really, again, is the same word back in verse 13 that was translated stumbling. So I think it would have been more consistent and helpful to translate the stumbling to show that he's really talking about the same thing, that is causing a weaker brother to violate their conscience and therefore to go against their conscience and to stumble, the very issue Paul's been talking about repeatedly throughout this section. Again, the idea of offense doesn't fit either because remember back in verse two, he commanded the weaker brother not to judge the stronger, specifically is not to look at what they're doing in an area of liberty and say, well, I don't think that's right, and therefore I'm going to judge or view you as sinning or doing wrong for doing that. But again, we have Paul repeating a command again here at the end of verse 20, as we saw in the first phrase of verse 20. Paul is trying to drive home the seriousness of this problem and potential sin in the body or even perhaps sin that is going on. This was causing perhaps havoc already in the early church and Paul knew it needed to stop both in Rome and as we've seen in Corinth and in really all local churches. He knew that this potential would be there. and that he wanted to address it strongly. And so it goes into not only depth, but repetition here as we continue through chapter and finish chapter 14 and even into chapter 15. He continues to talk about and address this point. He's hammering it home by repeating it to us a number of times. And just a note about repetition. You know, sometimes we grow a little bit weary of repetition. being hearing the same thing or being reminded about the same thing. But we need to understand that that's a big part of growing in the faith. That yes, we learn new things and we're excited to learn more about and more depth about certain doctrine. And yet we at times have to repeat and hear again about the same truths we've heard before. And instead of rolling our eyes and thinking, oh no, not again, we should think, praise God, I get to learn some more or I get to be reminded. I'm going to be challenged again in this area. And so really our response should be one of positive acceptance instead of feeling we just have to endure it. I'm always thankful as a pastor that even scripture itself highlights this. Jump back to 2 Peter. 2 Peter. So no less than the Apostle Peter mentions this directly in his epistle here to believers, and he says in verse 13 of 2 Peter chapter one, I consider it right as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir up you by way of reminder. So he says this is right, this is a good thing. knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is eminent, as also our Lord Jesus has made clear to me." So he knew that his martyrdom was at hand and was about to happen. But he says, and I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure, you will be able to call these things to mind. He knows that repetition is such a key part of remembering. And sadly, in these finite bodies and fallen bodies with brains that aren't perfect, we forget things, don't we? And so reminder is a huge part of remembering and hopefully grounding a truth even more in our minds and hearts. And so even as Paul is a good part of our sermon today in this passage is reminder. It's a repetition. It's a second time or third time he's making a similar statement in this section. Whenever you see that, remember, it's really God saying, pay attention. This is important. Don't forget this. We do this with our children as they are younger and grow older and they roll their eyes. I've heard it, Dad. Yeah, I know. But do you really know it? Why didn't you do it? Why didn't you obey if you know it? And so we tell them again, now remember, this is what you should do or this is what you shouldn't do. And that's really what God is doing through the inspiration of the Spirit as Paul writes this. Boy, this is really critical. You need to know this. You need to make sure you understand and are committed to living this out. And so that's why I think the repetition again in this latter part of chapter 14. We'll move on to the third command. Third command in verse 21 says, it is good not to eat meat or to drink wine or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. It's really pushing this to the extent of how far should you be willing to go to protect the weaker brother, to protect a baby Christian. And really this question should be at the forefront of our thinking. Do we love our liberty more than our brother or sister in Christ? Do we love our liberty more than we love our liberty in Christ? And if we're unwilling to forgo it for their good, their spiritual benefit, then It would seem that we do, that we do love our liberty and therefore ourselves and our own pleasure more than we love our brother or sister in Christ. You know, the issue of food, and I don't know if this has happened in your marriage. I know to some extent it's happened in ours. You know, there may be a restaurant that I like or really like, and yet Donna doesn't really like. and it becomes evident that she really doesn't like the food there. So what if I said, we're just gonna keep going there? Would that be loving? Would that be caring about her? Or let's flip it around and say there's a food she grew up with that she really likes and so she makes it and finds out I don't really care for it, but she's gonna keep making it. I'm gonna make it anyway, because I really like it. That wouldn't be very loving. That wouldn't be caring about each other. You know, that same idea here that if I use my liberty and I insist on using, even though I have knowledge or there's a concern that I could be causing a younger brother to go against their conscience, to be emboldened to not listen to what they think is right or wrong, but yet I won't give it up, then I'm lacking in love. I'm lacking in having the right priorities when it comes to love. Again, we see Paul says it is good not to eat meat or drink wine. It is good, Paul says, it's right and best to use these areas of liberty based on the highest priority. The highest priority should be my love and care for others. In this case, some who are weaker, younger in the faith than I am. And that should be a far greater concern than whether I drink alcohol or whether I eat certain things or other choices of freedom that I have as a believer. I should care far more and be willing if I see the necessity, if I see that it would help my weaker brother to forego, to abstain from using a liberty that I have. Jump back over to 1 Corinthians 8. We saw this a number of weeks ago. Another section where Paul goes through very similar issue of liberty and what's good and best or what's right or wrong. And in verse nine, we'll jump into the middle of this. He commanded the Corinthians, take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For someone sees you who has knowledge dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge, he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died." So again, similar truths that we see over in Romans chapter 14. And so by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when is weak, you sin against Christ. Again, highlighting in a very short, successive few verses here just how damaging and how sinful to act this way would be. So notice his conclusion, verse 13, therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again so that I will not cause my brother to stumble. Even stronger statement here, that I will never do this again if I know this is going to be the outcome or this could have this effect. that type of love, that sacrificial love. And we're going to see as we get to the end of our section, ultimately, the example of Paul and the example of Christ. We think it's too much or I can't go that far. We need only to look at Christ who is willing to forego the glories of heaven and then even to go to the cross for you and I to purchase our salvation. That's love beyond what we've ever done and is the highest standard for us. So back in chapter 14 of Romans, Back in chapter 14, he continues on, and we saw this a little bit before as well, but really the idea of really keeping your liberty to yourself, if you will. Enjoy your liberty to yourself, but be careful when it comes to other believers and how you impact them in these specific areas. Verse 22, the faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. Of course, the faith he's speaking of here is not the faith and the clear teachings or commands of doctrine from the scripture, but really what you believe or know is right about these different areas of liberty. And there's certainly a tie-in to what the scriptures teach, but that's the area of faith that he specifically focused on, that what you know and believe about these areas of gray or liberty have as your own conviction before the Lord. Keep it to yourself. You don't have to be talking to others or the first thing you want to talk about with another believer you meet is, you know, I just love the freedom I have to drink alcohol. No, that's not loving. Perhaps when you get to know someone and you develop a relationship and there's time to talk about some of those things or they come up, that's one thing. But to immediately barge into that and not even knowing where the other believer is, whether they're young or stronger in the faith, is going to be disregarding this command, keep it to yourself, is what he's saying. Not because you're trying to be deceptive, but in the sense of just caring for and protecting a potential weaker brother. Even the idea of boasting about or you can talk about things that we do or like or things that we're free to do, boasting about them, be careful. Give thanks to the Lord, enjoy the freedom you have, but be careful what and how you say or talk about these things with other believers. Certainly the thrust here is the stronger believer, but I've seen, I think, maybe a parallel weakness for even a weaker brother and convictions that different believers have. I don't know if you've ever been impacted by a believer who's come to use a certain diet and they think this diet is really, really good. And they want to tell you all about this diet and push you to observe this diet as well. instead of sharing what they've learned, but letting you decide whether you think that's needful for you or not. I've seen this as well when it comes to how you pursue finding a mate. How do you pursue finding a godly husband or wife? And some have come to view that courtship is the only way that you should do that, and specific guidelines or rules about how that should be carried out, and they view dating as wrong or sinful. And there's other things like this in the Christian life and what they become really is opinions. There can be wisdom mixed in with some of that and saying, I've learned through this or that situation that this can be helpful. We have to be careful as believers, that's how we share our thoughts on those areas, that we don't try to give them biblical authority or force them on people, but to share, hey, have you thought about this possible way of approaching finding a godly mate, or have you thought about this diet that I found helpful, but share them as opinions, not as biblical truth, not as mandates that they must or should strongly accept. Notice the end of this verse, he says that blessed or happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. Blessed, Paul uses a strong word here for spiritual blessing or happiness. It's the same word, Greek word, that Jesus used when he gave us the Beatitudes. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed, and on and on through the Beatitudes. And Matthew 5 is one place that he taught that. This is also used earlier, jump back to Romans four, Romans chapter four, verse seven. Here, quoting David from Psalm 32, blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account. I mean, it's that strong of a word or idea, spiritual blessing, even salvation, the blessing of salvation that our sins would be forgiven, that our guilt would be washed clean, that it'd be covered by the blood of Christ. That blessedness, and that's the word back in Romans 14 he's using here to say happy or blessed is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. Again, if we're careful, to use these areas of freedom wisely, oftentimes privately, and we're not hurting the weaker brother, we're not being a stumbling block, then that will be a tremendous blessing to us spiritually. God sees that as us living righteously, living in love. And instead of causing difficulty and friction and hardship in the body and in individual believers' lives, we're part of maintaining peace in the body and love and joy in the body. And we'll have a clear conscience in the matter as well, even as a stronger brother, a clear conscience that we're handling these things in a godly, in a right and pleasing way. We will be spiritually blessed if we do this correctly and love our brother, sister, and Christ. We find in verse 23 the one command that's given to the weaker brother as Paul closes this section, or at least a transition to another statement about it, but in verse 23, he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin. Again, we've seen allusions to this already earlier in the chapter. But Paul wants to, again, make this very clear statement for those who are less mature, weaker in certain areas of liberty, that if you have doubts, if you're not fully confident it's okay to partake or to do something or not do something, even the Sabbath and those kind of things, then he's saying, don't partake. Don't go against your conscience. He who doubts is condemned, is judged if he eats. And whatever is not from faith is sin. This is sin. It is wrong to go against your conscience. We talked, I think it was a few sermons ago, about the vital nature of our conscience. If you missed that, go back and listen to that again. We learned that violating our conscience is one of the worst things we can do to hurt ourselves spiritually, that God intends as we're saved than to maintain a clear or good conscience, to listen to that voice that either condemns what we're doing or encourages what we're doing, and that God has built that into us. That's a part of what He intends to prevent us from sinning and to help us live in obedience to Him. And we saw also that to disobey your conscience can lead to destroying your faith, and even lead to becoming a false teacher. It's a serious, serious thing as the scripture talks about. And so Paul rightly here declares that disobeying your conscience is worthy of judgment and is clearly sinful and wrong. He gives us this other statement because his eating is not from faith and whatever is not from faith is sin. Again, to violate that conscience, to do something you believe is wrong, is not pleasing to God, is always sin, is always wrong and you should not do that. Even if a more mature believer or someone else does have faith, is partaking, you should not. You know, at the same time, I think even this statement does leave open the possibility or the door, if you will, that one who's weaker in faith could get stronger or grow in faith. That really, it is possible to look at Scripture and study, even as we've seen in this in our sermons in the past and we look at the statements in scripture about food itself and that all things have been declared clean, we can look at verses about the Sabbath and realize that no, we're not under that anymore, that a certain day we don't work or can't do certain things, that actually it's 24-7 even, Romans 12, that we're to be living sacrifices. But there is this opportunity, as here we're saying you don't have faith, you don't believe this, then don't do it. Don't partake or listen to your conscience. But if through study of scripture and through a calm and loving and peaceful discussion with a stronger brother who gives insight on scripture and answers your questions and works through a certain area that you're interested in or looking at, then it's possible that your faith would grow. It's possible that you would become the stronger brother in a certain area and then be free to partake. If and when that happens, then you would be free in a certain area, no longer believing or knowing that it's now right, it's not wrong, it's okay. And therefore, there would be a change. But obviously, the clear statement here, until or unless that happens, don't. partake. Don't violate your conscience. Well, you'd think verse 23 would be the end of the discussion, and it is the last verse in chapter 14 in our Bibles. Of course, the original text didn't have chapters and verses, even in the fundamentals we were recently talking about. When you study a book, it's helpful to get the text before you without verse breaks, without chapter breaks so that you're not influenced by them because so often we are. But it's interesting that he continues on and it would seem really to continue on with the same subject again further in verse one of chapter 15. Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. And while this could include other areas, perhaps broadening it to some extent, it certainly seems to be connected to what we've just been talking about for the whole chapter 14, that again, he wants to challenge us. And here, particularly in the positive, what we ought to do, what the stronger ought to do, what they're responsible to do. And this word for ought, we are strong, ought to bear with the weaknesses of those without strength is a very strong word. It's used in Hebrews 5 verse 3 of the high priest's obligation to offer sacrifices both for his own sin and for those of others. He ought to, he is obligated to do that as the high priest, to deal with his own sin and also then others through the sacrifices. It's also used repeatedly in 1 John. Jump over to 1 John chapter 2 verse 6. 1 John chapter 2 verse 6. says the one who says he abides in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked. And 1 John, as we've talked before, is a series of tests. It's really showing what a true believer is like, what a false believer is. How do we know that? And here, one of the key elements is a person who claims to be a believer living as Christ lived, obeying the commands that Christ gave. Is that evident in his life? It's an obligation, it's a desire, it's a change that God has brought in a believer's life versus an unbeliever. Look over at 1 John 3, verse 16. Chapter three, verse 16. We know, loved by this, that he laid down his life for us. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. And so here he's saying this is an obligation that for believers, if we're truly saved, then we love each other to the point we would lay down our lives. But he even then goes on to say, but that means even the lesser things. Here, verse 17, if you realize a believer has needs, has physical needs, then you're willing to try to meet those needs if you can, because you love them. There is this obligation. that God has placed on us and a desire to meet that obligation. Then one final reference, 1 John 4, 1 John 4, verse 11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Again, this being an evidence of a true believer that as God loved us, we love each other. This is something that God expects and that will really mark off a true believer versus a false believer. So coming back to Romans 15, saying for the stronger, for the more mature, for those who are older in the faith, they ought to bear with the weaknesses of those without strength and not just to please ourselves. We are to love those who are younger in the faith. We are to have a sense of responsibility, that we are to care for them. We are to bear that burden of helping them grow, of working with them. You know, this is the opposite of the selfish and sinful thinking of the world. The world is about themselves. The world is about doing what they want and pleasing themselves. I thought of even the area of evolution, the lies of evolution, the false teaching, and the survival of the fittest, the whole idea of the survival of the fittest, that those who get strong are going to survive and they get stronger. The weak, they just pass away. They kind of get out of the way and stop the evolutionary process going up. Now if you know from history that actually World War II to some extent, perhaps to a large extent, was driven by this evolutionary lie and false teaching, this self-centeredness of the strong getting stronger, the weak just dying off because really Hitler and the leadership really thought that they were the superior race as Germans and they were going to help evolution out. They were gonna help wipe out the weaker. Because hey, they're gonna die anyway. They're just holding up the evolutionary process, so let's get rid of them. And obviously six million Jews and six million other people, they chose to wipe out that they considered inferior or weaker. It was really this false teaching, these lies in action, as they saw fit to justify their wickedness and to supposedly speed up evolution. in the process. It's just a reminder that truth and error matter, that what you believe matters, and it guides, it affects the choices you make, the way you live your life, and what an awful, awful outcome of such a wicked and evil teaching as evolution is and was even back then. But here we find that the weight of love is to put others before ourselves. It's to care more about the needs of others than I do my own. And he says here to bear with the weaknesses of those without strength." It's really the idea of a burdensome or difficult thing to endure or to put up with, to care for. The same word is used in Romans 11, 18 of the root, supporting or bearing the trunk and the tree, if you will, the branches. And so we're commanded as stronger, older believers to bear with these weaknesses, these struggles. MacArthur said, fellow believers, not simply to tolerate those weaknesses, but to help carry them by not being critical or condescending, by showing respect for sincere views or practices that we may not agree with. Obviously, this is going to be a challenge. It's not going to be easy. It will take patience. with the immaturity of the younger believer, emotional convictions or wrong beliefs of the younger believer that we're going to help encourage or bear with or love them through those growing things that they have to go through. You think of parenting. If you've been a parent very long or you've been a parent through the whole process, you know that it's a long, arduous process. You have to be patient. It takes work and effort and That child has to mature, has to grow, and it takes a long time. You know, sometimes you gotta tell them multiple times, and it takes months, weeks, months, even years, of course, to learn and grow. And so for Christians, it's really the same way, isn't it? You think of, if you're an older believer, how many years you've been learning, how many times you've had to be corrected, how many times it took to understand certain doctrine and really live it out in your life. It takes a while. It's not a short time or term process. I often like to say there's no Christians in the church. There's no overnight or easy path to maturity in Christ. It takes a long time, years. But a big part of this process is the older, stronger believer helping, bearing that load, being willing to endure and encourage and guide and correct and be an example for the younger to follow. Look back over at Galatians chapter six. Galatians six, we find Paul encouraging the Galatian believers to this end. Galatians chapter six, verse one. Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted. So even when someone falls into sin, how you respond should be gentle. You should be patient and even guarding yourself. But then verse two, bear one another's burdens and therefore fulfill the law of Christ. Bear one another's burdens. And the idea of loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind and then loving your neighbor, loving others. Here by coming alongside, by helping them, by lifting them up, by strengthening them when they're struggling. Paul's commanding the Galatians to have this same attitude of love. to help one another. Well, back in Romans chapter 15, he's gonna drive this home, the end of verse one, end of verse two. He says, and not just to please ourselves, each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. That's the struggle, isn't it? In the flesh, we love ourselves. In the flesh, we want to please ourselves, do what we want. do what would make us happy, do what we would like to do in some given area, and even in these areas of liberty. I have the freedom, I know it's okay, I know it's fine with God, so why can't I do it, or I'm just gonna do it? But here he's saying, if you're the stronger, you're to bear with these weaknesses and not to please yourself. That's part of, hopefully, that is part of true maturity, true godliness. that more and more we learn to love others. We learn to think more highly of others than ourselves and to put their needs before our own. And so he says each of us is to please our neighbor for his good, to his edification. That should be a major drive in our lives. How can I help my fellow believer? How can I be a blessing to them spiritually? That word for edification is spiritual blessing. spiritual growth or what is good spiritually for someone. And so I'm to be thinking about how can I help the weaker? Who can I come alongside? Who can I mentor? Who can I pray for? Who can I encourage and love? Are my actions, are my priorities, are the choices I'm making really the best for those that are around me? Paul mentioned this Matt read this for us. Jump over to 1 Corinthians 10. Really in the same context of the weaker, stronger brother. Makes some very helpful and strong statements here at the beginning and works through the details and then really gives his own example at the end of this passage. Verse 23, again, all things are lawful. And Paul's actually used a good part of chapter nine to really even defend his own rights as an apostle. And yet those that he was willing to forego for the good of others. Here he's saying, yeah, all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. Is it really good for myself, but more importantly for others? Even though I can do it, even though it's okay, is it profitable? All things are lawful, but not all things edify. The same type of idea we're seeing with the command in chapter 15. Not all things are spiritually beneficial, spiritually helpful to others. No one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. Seek the good of your neighbor. That's the heart of the gospel, isn't it? It's the heart of the Christian life, the Christian character. So we've been through 1 Corinthians 13 before, love is putting others first, doing what's good or best for others, even at great cost to ourselves. And he works through the details here again of how he would handle that even with an unbeliever, and that he would respect even that unbeliever's conscience and be careful with that. But notice the conclusion, verse 31, whether then you eat or drink, Or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Even the most elemental things, everything in our lives, we should be driven, am I exalting God? Am I glorifying God? And in connection with that, then, am I loving my neighbor? Am I helping spiritually the brothers and sisters around me or even the unbelievers around me? Verse 32, give no offense either to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God. So he's including, again, both unbeliever and believer. Give no offense, either to Jews or Greeks, to the church of God, just as they also please all men in all things." Paul was driven. He was passionate about, what can I do to help others? Take it throughout the day, every day. Paul's saying, how can I help others and notice the end goal so that they may be saved? Verse 33. Even for the unbeliever, he was trying to live in such a way to be the most helpful to them spiritually. to bring the greatest blessing, ultimately the gospel, that they might be saved. One other passage earlier in chapter 9, jump back to chapter 9, 1 Corinthians 9 verse 19. 1 Corinthians 9 verse 19, and again, He's come out of the context of some of the freedoms that he had, and yet he forwent some of those, even financial support. But I think this section that we find in verse 19, again, he's really driving home how much he loves others and how much he's willing to sacrifice for others. And notice the word slave here. that Paul says, I make myself a slave, though I am free from all men. I made myself a slave to all so that I may win more. It's a strong term, isn't it? To say you're a slave to others means you're absolutely surrendered to their well-being, to what is good for them, what is best for them, even at great cost to yourself. And notice what he says here in verse 20, to the Jews, I became a Jew so that I might win Jews to those who are under the law as under the law, though not myself, not being myself under the law. So I might win those who are under the law. I mean, how hard would that have been for Paul? He had lived under the law. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees, Philippians 3. He knew the bondage. He knew the arduousness. He knew the pain of being under the law and the impossibility of it. But he says, I was willing to submit myself again to the law if that was going to help the Jews get saved. And he clearly acknowledges, I'm not under the law. I know I'm free now as a believer, but I'm willing to live when I'm with the Jews as if I were for their benefit. to not be a stumbling block, to not be a hindrance to them. Verse 21, to those who are without the law is without the law, though not being without the law of God, but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without the law. And so with the Gentiles, he lived in a very different way, not because he was a hypocrite, but he willingly enslaved himself to the good of those he was around, whether Jew or Gentile. and lived in the manner that would be most pleasing or acceptable to them. Now, again, he's making it clear that doesn't mean with the Gentiles I was sinning. I was living without the law of God. No, I still knew right and wrong, and I was doing that. But otherwise, I wasn't following the Jewish law. I was living as with the Gentiles. And he says, with the goal, verse 21, to those who are without the law is without the law, so that I might win those who are without the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I've become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. His drive was that absolute and passionate love for the souls of those who were lost. And whatever I can do, Whatever is possible. Again, he was obedient to Christ. He knew right and wrong, but if I can conform to how someone's living to better win them to Christ, I was willing to do that. That's what he's talking about back here in Romans 15, that we are not to please ourselves, but we are to please our neighbor for their good, to their edification. Yes, that involves sacrifice. Yes, that involves abstaining from things that I might otherwise do. Yes, it means that I'm going to do what would please my neighbor instead of myself. And there's times in trying to do that that we may start to think that, man, this is too much, or I shouldn't have to do that, or wow, this is a lot, God. Are you really wanting me to put the other person first this much before myself? So Paul, knowing that that would be a struggle, finishes the section with a statement that really we need to hear and we need to remember when we get to those points, when it is really hard to forego something, when it is hard to bear the weaknesses of the younger believer. He says, for even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. And this is like Philippians 2 again, isn't it? that you're gonna compare us to the, you're gonna lead us, point us to the perfect example, the infinite example, Christ being God, ruling the universe, sustaining the universe, willing to become one of us, which was incredibly humiliating, and then even to go to the cross to suffer the persecution, to suffer the scourging, the shame, and to go to the cross, probably naked, hanging on the cross, Not because of his sin. He had done nothing wrong. He was perfectly righteous. But he was willing to let the reproaches of us fall on himself. He was willing to pay the price for us. He was willing to give his life and to suffer the wrath of God upon himself that you and I deserve to suffer. It's the ultimate example. The infinite example, the perfect example, and really similar to Hebrews chapter 12, fix your eyes on the author and perfecter of your faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God and endure hardship yourself. You have not suffered to the point of shedding blood. He doesn't mean getting pricked. He means you haven't died. You haven't given your life as Christ did. So what a strong Command, what a strong example, that of love, of true godly love, putting others first, wanting more than anything to help them either be saved or to grow spiritually, to move forward in their walk with the Lord in whatever it takes, however hard it may be, we're willing to do that. And we're pattering ourselves after Paul and after Christ, who would give it all, who would be enslaved to the well-being of others and for their good. How are you doing today as a stronger brother? Do you understand the weight of responsibility that God has placed on your shoulders? Are you driven to help those who are younger in the faith? Driven to help even the unbeliever that's in your life? I think it's been clear. Paul has shouted at us, if you will. He has challenged us repeatedly, be careful with the gray areas. careful with how you use your liberty, even being willing to abstain if necessary to protect the weaker brother, to not urge or somehow push the weaker brother to violate their conscience. And as we saw in these last few verses, that love should be the driving force in our lives. Love's for others. Go back to 1 Corinthians 13. Remind yourself of the characteristics of love. Love is patient, love is kind, and on and on. It's doing what's best for others. Let us accept the clear command of scripture. Let us devote ourselves to loving one another and even enslaving ourselves, if you will, to the good of others. Great cost to ourselves knowing that it is pleasing the Lord, knowing that we're following the pattern of Christ who gave all for us that we might be saved. Let's close together this morning in prayer. Father, thank you for this lengthy section. Thank you for these five sermons. Lord, thank you that we could learn and be challenged by the reality. The seriousness of the weaker, stronger brother areas, the areas of liberty, it's become very clear how important these areas are and very clear what our responsibilities are. Lord, this isn't given to us in a vacuum. This is real and many of us have encountered this. in one area or another in the past and will encounter it again. We've seen clear instructions for both the weaker and the stronger. The weaker are not to judge the stronger, look down on them. They're to allow them to have their conscience and their view of liberty. And yet the stronger command has been to the stronger brother, the more mature believer. And Lord, for those of us who are here today as older in the faith, being stronger in the faith, I pray that We have and will take to heart these commands. That we will be committed to being careful, very careful about our decisions. May we enjoy our liberties by ourselves or to keep them to ourselves to a large extent as Paul has even commanded. And may we in love even be willing to abstain from using them if that is for the good of a weaker brother around us. Thank you for this perfect example of Christ. Lord, as sinners, it's hard for us to let go of our selfishness, our love of self. It's hard to die to the flesh. That's really, again, what you're calling us to do, even as Paul illustrated in his life and Christ perfectly and infinitely in his. May we willingly enslave ourselves to the good of others. May we live to help others and do what's best for them. May we be instruments in your hands, Father. Those who are stronger brothers, more mature, may we be used of you in the weaker brother's lives and the less mature in our midst. That over the weeks and months and years that we may be part of your work to grow others, to grow younger believers to maturity, to see them become stronger in knowledge and faith. Lord, we know this is a lifetime process in the church as you continually save and bring others into the body. It's a privilege to continue to do this and to see it work. Lord, use our body here at South Raleigh Bible Church. Just guide and work in each of our lives to embrace these commands and to live them out faithfully. And Lord, we pray that this love, this biblical love that we've seen again, would be at the core of each of our lives and be at the core of this ministry, that all that we're striving to do and carry out and how we interact and how we use our resources and how we function and the spiritual gifts we have, that love would be the driving motive in all of them. And as a result, this body would continue to mature and grow. And as a result, we would impact in a greater and greater way in this year. the unbelieving world around us, that we would see many more come to salvation, many be impacted by our witness, both in word and in action. Father, thank you for the sufficiency and power of your word. Thank you for even the strength of what is said here. May it have its proper and powerful effect in our lives, we pray, in the days to come. In Jesus' name, amen.