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Mission Sent
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Stumbling Blocks and Christian Liberty
What does true Christian freedom look like? In this powerful exploration of Romans 14, we dive deep into Paul's challenging message about the heart behind our actions rather than the actions themselves.
We often waste precious energy debating what Christians "can" and "cannot" do—whether it's drinking alcohol, celebrating certain holidays, or using particular language. But Paul redirects our attention to something far more important: our heart's condition. "Nothing is unclean in itself," he writes, challenging us to stop focusing on external behaviors and instead examine our motives.
The revolutionary truth? You'll never be more righteous than you already are in Christ. Yet many believers operate under the mistaken assumption that holiness is measured by sin avoidance. This message confronts that misconception head-on, showing how our freedom in Christ was never meant to be used selfishly. Instead, true spiritual maturity is demonstrated when we willingly set aside our liberty for the sake of others.
When we cause fellow believers to stumble through our actions, "we are no longer walking in love," Paul warns. This connects to a profound spiritual principle: if we don't love others, we don't truly know God. In a world desperately seeking authenticity, Christians have an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate peace and reconciliation rather than insisting on our rights.
The ultimate question isn't whether we have freedom to do something, but whether exercising that freedom serves Christ's kingdom purposes. Would others be led toward Jesus or away from Him by following our example? As we navigate our Christian liberty, may we become peacemakers in an increasingly divided world, letting our light shine brightest in the darkest places.
Well, good morning. We are going to jump back into Romans, chapter 14. Paul's going to be continuing off of what we looked at last week, but he's going to be getting a little bit deeper into everything, just like last week. I'm not going to start with a super long introduction, because I would rather waste my time or not waste my time. That was not the right way to say that. I would rather spend my time in that, opposed to just ramblings I have. So I'm going to pray and then I'm going to jump right into it.
Speaker 1:Father, I just thank you so much for the ability I have to be up here today. And, god, I just ask and I pray that, as we go through this today, that it is your words, father, that cut to our heart. God, I pray for transformation, I pray that we are challenged and I pray, through the power of your spirit, that we look more like Jesus than when we came in. Father, we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen, all right. So, starting in verse 13, it says this Therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or a hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean. Now remember, like I said, this is a continuation from last week, right, and last week we saw Paul sit here and go hey, don't bring in the weaker brother. And then argue about if you're allowed to eat meat or not, and what he's driving at here is the same thing. He's just going to jump deeper into this. So think about it like this Can anyone in here give me a scripture that says we are not allowed to smoke?
Speaker 1:Now, normally when I talk to people, right, they go right to first Corinthians 7 and they're like do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Not at all. What Paul is talking about there. He isn't talking about your physical body. What he's talking about is you no longer have to go to the tabernacle to be in the presence of God, because you bring God's presence everywhere you go, so that one doesn't count. And that's usually the only verse people can give me for that. What about this? Can anyone give me a verse from the Bible that says hey, you're not allowed to do blood transfusions, because I mean there's whole Christian in quotations, christian sects that believe stuff like that. Where do they get that from, though? Because I can't think of any verse that talks about blood transfusions, because that really wasn't a thing in the first century.
Speaker 1:Can anyone give me any verses from the Bible that say you're not allowed to have tattoos? And everyone jumped right to it, right, what is it? Do not mark yourselves the way the heathens do. Now, what they're talking about there isn't don't have a tattoo. What they're talking about there is do not worship idols and put their images on your body. That's what they are talking about, but, again, there are no specific verses for any of that, and all of us in this room would probably line up a little bit differently than each other on topics that the Bible doesn't even necessarily talk about, because, see, there's a lot that the Bible doesn't specifically say one way or another about this or this.
Speaker 1:Now, does that mean that we can't use deduction from other things that the Bible does say? No, I mean, obviously we can, but a big one I get, and I've been asked by like three students this week is Halloween, the devil's birthday, and should we be allowed to celebrate it, to which I go? That is between you and your parents. But if you were asking what the Bible says about it, as a Bible teacher I will tell you there are no verses about Halloween in the Bible. Why? Because Halloween wasn't a thing in the Bible.
Speaker 1:Now are there verses, I could argue, that says, hey, we shouldn't do it, yep. But if I'm going to use those verses to argue about that, you know what else I need to argue against Christmas, because that's not in there either, and I go. I don't want to take away the most wonderful time of the year, so got to take the good with the bad right. But see, a lot of us. We fight really hard about things that the Bible doesn't fight about. We put a lot of effort into things that the Bible isn't speaking about, and I go. Why? Why do we waste our time doing that?
Speaker 1:See, understand what Paul is saying here. He's already said in other places In 1 Corinthians 9, verse 23, or 10, I'm sorry, verse 23,. He says this all things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial. And depending on the translation you have, I actually like the NIV's translation a little bit better, just because it flows off the tongue a little better. It says all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial, and what he is saying again is the same thing we looked at last week your life is very, very little about the things you do and a whole lot about the heart behind why you're doing what you're doing, and that's really what Paul is getting at. He's sitting here going.
Speaker 1:Stop spending so much of your time concentrating on what you do or don't do. Concentrating on what you do or don't do, because some of us, I'm going to tell you, make an idol out of the sin in your life, because all you concentrate on is how much you just can't control this, or how much this comes up, and how much your mind just thinks about this, and I'm not saying we don't fight things like that, but when it takes up all of your time and it takes place of your worship of Jesus, you have now created an idol out of sin, and a lot of us can do this because we, in our minds, have this wrong, anti-biblical idea that the less you sin, the more holy you are. Where does that come from, though? Can anyone show me a verse in the bible that that would support that idea? No one, but we all live our lives like that and we fight so hard for things the Bible doesn't even talk about. And so, in fact, what do we see on the flip side of that? We looked at it last week In Romans 8.1,. It says there is now, therefore, no condemnation. In other words, you will never be more righteous than you are in Christ. You could live a perfect life. You will not be any more righteous than you already are.
Speaker 1:I will tell you, my kids argue all the time about who's my favorite, and since two of them aren't in here, I can tell you it's Gabby. But Gabby isn't my favorite because she does less. He just missed it too. Gabby isn't my favorite because she does less. He just missed it too. Gabby isn't my favorite because she does less wrong. She's just my favorite because she's small and cute and I go.
Speaker 1:But that's what we think. If I just read my Bible more, if I just stop doing this more, if I cannot do this more, then Jesus will what He'll love me. Think about it If you have kids in here, even if you don't, you love some people in your life. Do you love people for what they can get or from what you can get from them? Because if you do, that's not love. Get or from what you can get from them, because if you do, that's not love. In other words, jesus isn't going to love you anymore.
Speaker 1:If you can keep eight out of the ten commandments today because james 2 10 would say that if you stumble at one point you're guilty of all of it. But yet we make so much of our christian walk this. And when things are going good, right, we feel close to Jesus. But then what happens when things go bad? All of a sudden, no, he's far away and I'm distant. And you mean to tell me you don't think that that's the devil sitting here going. Hey, I know the perfect way to keep you ineffective in your Christian walk with Christ, because all I got to do is put doubt in your mind.
Speaker 1:And here's the deal. There's plenty of things in all of our lives that should cause doubt in our mind, and what Paul is sitting here saying is is stop doing that. Nothing is unclean in and of itself. In Greek, that word that they translate nothing. Does anybody know what it actually means? Nothing, no thing. If you want to break it down even more, he's sitting here going. Stop focusing on that stuff.
Speaker 1:Jesus would say it like this. There is nothing outside of a person that defiles a person, but it is what, what is on the inside, that defiles a person. It's what comes out of you. And what he's saying is the same thing. Paul is just echoing the words of Christ here when he's sitting here, going, stop focusing on that. He says anyone who thinks it is unclean, it's unclean, right.
Speaker 1:So here's what Paul is driving at with that. He's sitting here, going your conscience, the Holy Spirit in you, you can do whatever your conscience will allow you to do. Uh-oh, because for some of us, we hear that sliding scale there, right, we're going to get into that in just a second. But he does say here's the deal though Not at the sake of your brother, now we're going to get into this topic, and it's called Christian liberty. Right, here's what Christian liberty actually talks about. There's nothing unclean in and of itself. In other words, I'm not saved by what I do and I'm not saved by how I do it. I'm not saved of anything of myself, but it is only Christ and therefore there is no action that could keep me from that.
Speaker 1:And what the danger we run into with this is? Well, if you preach it like that, then people are going to hear they can live whatever kind of lifestyle you want Some of you in here and I know you grew up in the Catholic Church, for instance, which is extremely rules-based. And if you didn't go to this mass and if you didn't confess this sin and if you didn't do this and if you didn't do that, then there's punitive damage for you. And if you do that enough throughout your life, then eventually you're not going to go to heaven or hell, you're going to kind of be in this in-between purgatory and then hopefully enough people can pay money for you and enough people can say enough prayers that eventually you can work your way out of that. The problem with all of that is that's not in the Bible anywhere, but we still have that mindset and what Paul's sitting here saying is he's going all of of this. If your conscience will allow you to do it, you may, just not at the sake of your brother.
Speaker 1:And before we get to stumbling block, like I said, does that mean that sin is relative to the person? Because it says as long as you don't think it's unclean. Well, I may view certain things differently than you. That I don't think is unclean where you're sitting here going hey, no, that's super unclean. So is Paul saying sin is relative to each other? He is, and he's not at the same time, because, as he's writing this, does Paul know that his readers will have an understanding that there are certain things that the Bible says this is wrong. Do not do this. Yes, he knows his readers understand that what he's talking about are those other things that the Bible doesn't argue about, that the Bible doesn't sit here and go into. He's not sitting here trying to nullify the law. He is talking about the things that the Bible doesn't speak directly to.
Speaker 1:So, for example, the other day in class I had a kid that was like Mr Lively, is it wrong to cuss Like, should we be allowed to cuss? Is it wrong to cuss Like, should we be allowed to cuss? And that's never an easy thing, because does anybody in here know any verse that has the F word in it? Does anybody see any like list of words throughout Scripture that it goes you're not allowed to say these words. Okay, no, and it doesn't exist. So then, am I looking at this little, however old they are, because I don't know how old he is or she but I'm not sitting here going hey, so say whatever you want to say, right?
Speaker 1:So we spent quite a long time going from verse to verse to verse to verse to verse to verse, throughout Scripture, to get a better, more clear understanding of should we cuss, and at the end of it, what wound up happening was is we found out it's not really about the words we're saying, it's the condition of my heart while I am saying these words, and I love it because, as Christians most of us in here you have come up with your own cuss words right Now. These are words that you're allowed to say like freak I hear this all the time Dang right, dog, nabbit. Like understand, those words are just as evil as the words you're using to replace them. If you were using them in the same context that you would use those words in, and all of a sudden we start to see it's not about the word, the specific word I'm saying, as much as it's about what's coming out of what it's coming out of in here. Right? Because let's be honest, for the most part, I know there are some people like I'm not even going to say I'm not one of them that are very fluent in how they can use swear words, it's just part of their vernacular. It just kind of like flows, just like how we're talking right now. I'm going to tell you right now, I'm going to tell you right now, from the time I started preaching till now, my biggest fear is that it just flows right out, and not because I think it's a sin, but because I know there are people that sit out here that would look at that and go.
Speaker 1:He just disqualified himself and I go did I though? Because I don't see that anywhere in scripture. But I'm still. I'm still like I do my best to like keep everything in, but that's why it's so easy. If you ever go out fishing with me and I miss that bite I've done it in front of students and then it's like crap. Now I gotta you know well, see, like I just did it right. Crap wouldn't normally be the word I would use. Crap. Now I got to. You know well, see, like I just did it right. Crap Wouldn't normally be the word I would use there. Now I got to explain to their parents hey, look, here's what happened. Okay, I really like fishing. And it was on there and my line broke and like I knew better, and it just kind of shot out. And that's what he's sitting here talking about, right? He's sitting here going. Stop looking at the behavior, because the behavior is actually only a symptom of a deeper problem A lot of times in counseling, right, that's what people want to work on.
Speaker 1:They want to work on the symptoms. Think about it when you get sick, you take medicine to get rid of what the symptoms. You take medicine to get rid of what the symptoms. You drink whatever witchcraft oil you can because your throat burns and you're like well, this has this property in it and we're trying to get rid of the symptom without ever actually getting down to the deeper level and going I need to get rid of the cause.
Speaker 1:That's what christ, what Christianity, is all about. That's why, in 2 Corinthians 3.18, paul says this we are all now with unveiled eyes being transformed from one degree of glory to the next. It's not that, all of a sudden, I believed in Jesus and everything in my life was perfect and now my heart was just at peace. It's this lifelong journey that I go through. Where he goes hey, jesus looks at me and goes hey, we're going to work on this first, and then, when we can conquer over this, now we're going to work on the next thing and the next thing, and the next thing and the next thing. Like I would love it if, as soon as I put my faith and trust in Jesus, my life just was immediately changed and different and I didn't struggle with the things that I used to struggle with. But that isn't what happens. What happens is now my eyes are opened, so I can see the things I used to struggle with. So now I can understand.
Speaker 1:The behavior comes from a place of brokenness and sinfulness, but it manifests itself in symptoms. Think about it and I'm just going to use one example, and I apologize if you have a middle schooler in here and in your mind. You have built up. They have never heard this word before. That's right. When it comes to porn addiction, what you're seeing is a symptom. The behavior is coming from something much deeper One. It's coming from. This is what God designed us to be, what God designed us to be. Think about it. Go forth and multiply. This is in the first chapter of the Bible. That is obviously God's design. Think about it like this Therefore, a son will leave his mother and father and will cling to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh Again. This is Genesis 1. It's at the very beginning. God went. This is how I have designed it. So of course, this is a driving force in every single human being's mind, because God went from the start. Here's how I designed it.
Speaker 1:The devil now comes around and he takes what God has designed and perverts it. And now we have what Sin. Think about it. Every single time you've seen the devil at work in scripture. It is a perversion of what God has already designed. Going all the way back to Genesis 3, when he's tempting Eve, surely God did not say you would die. No, what he meant was, if you eat of this, he knows you'll be like him, see, and he doesn't want that. That, because that makes you guys on the same level. It's a perversion of what God's already said. That is what all sin is and what God has already designed.
Speaker 1:But we worry so much about the symptom of it and we never stop and go. Hold on. What about the behavior of it? What is at the core of this like? Why is this an overflow? Because behavior will always come out of the abundance of the heart. The mouth speaks, so your behavior will always come from something else. And what Paul is sitting here saying is is stop focusing on the symptom. So then he goes on. He talks about the stumbling block. Right, he's sitting here going hey, don't put a stumbling block in front of your brother. And I hate that. This is the illustration that we always use when it comes to this, but it's just the easiest illustration for most people to grab a hold of right.
Speaker 1:All right, drinking alcohol. I'm going to go ahead and tell you again. If you have kids in here and you haven't had this conversation with your kids, come on, man, like, grow up. Drinking alcohol is perfectly legal and perfectly fine for any person in America that is 21 years and older. Right? The Bible does not say do not drink Nowhere. In fact, it does the opposite. In fact, paul tells Timothy hey, drink a little bit of wine, it'll make your tummy feel better and that's where I'm going to go Now. There's nothing wrong with that. There are restaurants here in Orange City that offer two-for-one drinks.
Speaker 1:So let's say you are a person who struggles with your ability to maintain control and not be a drunkard. You walk in, you see me and Debbie sitting at the table and I have partaken of these two-for-ones, plus you got a couple of other, like tea and water and cups on my table. But you walk in and you see all these empty cups on my table. What's the first thing that goes through your mind? He's drunk. Okay, what about this? Well, if the pastor can do it, it must not be that bad.
Speaker 1:Well now, what have I created in you? A stumbling block, because now you're sitting here going hold on. Maybe I've been looking at this the wrong way. Maybe it isn't that bad for me to just get hammered and have a good night. Well, the Bible does directly speak to that, just like we looked at last week. Because, again, it's the condition of my heart that matters. There's a reason why I'm doing it. But now I have created this stumbling block for my brother because, although there may not be anything wrong with it with me having a few drinks, there may be something very wrong with it if you are someone who can't control yourself having a few drinks. But if you look at me and go, but it's okay, you did it Because what's my other option here? I stand up here and be hypocritical, which the Bible speaks a lot about. Right, and that's what Paul is talking about.
Speaker 1:How are your actions affecting those eyes that are on you. And you may be sitting here going. Ain't no eyes on me? No one looks up to me like that. I can guarantee you. There is someone in your life that does. You may not even know they're looking at you Like you may not even know, like you have an impact on this person, but they watch what you do and they go. I know if so-and-so does this, then it must be okay, because so-and-so is the best person I know. Think about that. You might be the best person someone knows Might be. I never said you are, but I'll tell you right now.
Speaker 1:You have kids in here. Your kids watch everything you do. They don't care about the words coming out of your mouth. They're watching the actions that you do. You're a teacher in here. You have a classroom full of other people's kids who are watching everything you do, how you interact, how you carry yourself, what kind of integrity do you have and they are sitting here going. That must be OK. See, you have younger employees that work with you. They're watching everything you do, how you handle yourself. You have people underneath you. Let's say you're a supervisor, a manager, whatever is higher, I don't care, you can pick whatever you want, they're watching you.
Speaker 1:And the question is and what Paul is sitting here saying is is are you going to allow your liberty to cause a weaker person to fail? See, sometimes I need to abstain, not for my sake, but for the sake of other people. Again, if I were just to come up here and just start dropping four-letter words, one after another, after another, I'm going to tell you right now I don't think my soul is damned to eternal hell at that point. I'm going to tell you right now I don't think my soul is damned to eternal hell at that point. But I wouldn't do that because there are other people in here who would go. Oh well, mr Lively said it, it's fine. I'm not saying I haven't gotten close to it. If you've ever been in a room full of teenagers, you would be close to it too. But I abstain, not for my sake, but for the sake of those I'm around.
Speaker 1:In 1 Corinthians 9, paul repeats this. In 1 Corinthians 8, verse 9, paul repeats it and he says but take care that this right, this Christian liberty that's what he's referring to right there of yours, does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge, in other words you who know better eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? Here's what he's saying If people who know you know better, you in this idols temple eating those people who don't know any better, are they going to think about that? They're going to sit here and go. Hey, whatever Stephen went in, I'm good.
Speaker 1:And right before, or in chapter 10, he'll say the whole context of everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. That's what he's talking about. Eating food offered to idols. What he's sitting here saying is guys, it's just food. These idols aren't real anyway, that's how he words it.
Speaker 1:But again, but what if the weaker brother sees you doing that? So, to answer Cain's question to God are you your brother's keeper? Yes, you are, and sometimes that means abstaining from what you want or what you think is okay, for the sake of the weaker brother that is with you. See, in other words, sometimes I have to go. I can't think about myself and it's not about my joy. I have to stop being selfish, because this isn't about me, this is about the person with me.
Speaker 1:And then Paul continues In verse 15, he says for if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil, for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. So in this next session, paul is telling us here that when we abuse our liberty, we are not loving our brother. When we cause someone to stumble, we are no longer walking in love with them. In fact, we are literally doing the opposite we are destroying them. Think about that. You're destroying them.
Speaker 1:Well, how can you sit here and say I love someone if I'm destroying them at the same time? And has anyone in here ever stopped and realized like your actions may be destroying? That's a strong word, right, like what Joe's barcode does is destroy trees. You are doing the same thing to your brother. If you are doing this, you are literally splitting them into billions of different pieces and then sometimes giving them like these hard arguments that they're now going to live with because, well, I had a hard week, I deserve this. How is that love? Love is the opposite of that right Love is sacrificing myself for someone else. Love is sitting here, going, hey, even though I may want, even though I may desire, it isn't about me, it's about you. That's what love is. Love is sitting here and going, hey, you know what? On my birthday I'm going to go to a restaurant that I don't even necessarily like, because the rest of my family does, and, honestly, at that point I really wasn't even hungry anyway, so it really didn't matter. Right? That's what love is.
Speaker 1:And what Paul is sitting here saying is when you would choose to do for yourself which may be something that the Bible doesn't necessarily, ne necessarily necessarily that talk about, then what is man? That was a hard word too Then you do not love. And here's what 1 John 4 says anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. So here's what it's saying. You can literally know all of the right answers to every single Bible quiz I could put in front of you. But if you do not love, you do not know God. In fact, in Matthew 7, jesus would word it like this Many will say to me on that day Lord, lord, didn't I, didn't I prophesy in your name, didn't I cast out demons in your name? Didn't I heal people in your name? And I will say depart from me, for I never knew you, you workers of lawlessness. So it's possible to have all of the right answers and still not know Jesus.
Speaker 1:There is a difference between knowing about and knowing, like some of you may know, like facts about Debbie. I can guarantee you I know Debbie better than you, though. Some of us may know facts about Jesus, but you don't know him. And how do we know this? The Bible just said if anyone does not love, you do not know God. It's not a matter of, if it wasn't a conditional statement, if you were sitting here going, hey, like I am sitting here going, I want to do this, so I'm going to do this. That is not loving, which is what Paul just said. You are no longer walking in love.
Speaker 1:And then Paul includes this statement the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking. See, at the end of the day, what is more important to us? The fact that we can and so for I do or so that we may seek and save what is lost, because I'm going to tell you at the end of the day for me. It's so that someone may come known to Jesus. It's so maybe, if my actions have some weird way of helping someone get closer to Christ, I can abstain from that, not for my sake but for the sake of those with me. In fact, paul would say am I going to say it right this time? In 1 Corinthians 9, starting in verse 22, it says to the weak I became weak that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some. I do it for the sake of the gospel that I may share with them in its blessings. My life, my liberty, isn't given to me to abuse. It is given to me to be able to seek and save what is lost.
Speaker 1:If you call yourself a follower of Jesus and your goal is not to seek and save what is lost, you are not following Jesus, because that is the only mission Jesus came on. If your goal is to sit here and go hey, I want to win petty arguments, because I want to prove I know more about the Bible you are not on the mission of Jesus. In fact, the reason we should engage in apologetics isn't so that we could win arguments. It's so that you may believe John 20, 31,. That is John's thesis statement for his entire gospel. I wrote this whole thing, not for any other fact, so that you may believe and, in believing in him, have eternal life. That is the only mission that Jesus gave the church. That is the only mission that Jesus gave the church.
Speaker 1:And what Paul is sitting here saying is if Jesus gave himself for you, if Jesus laid down his life so yours would be saved, if Jesus took your place on the cross, then why on earth would you not do it joyfully for a brother or sister, like, if you're sitting here going, hey, jesus laid down everything he was for me, then why would you not lay down everything you are for someone else? It doesn't make sense, because if you're sitting here going, this is my model, this is who I follow after, then in order to follow after Jesus, you have to do the things Jesus did. And what are the things Jesus did? Well, at the end of the day, he laid down his entire life Because, while we were yet sinners, christ died for us. Are you laying down anything in your life? Are you sitting here and going, hey, you know what? Yeah, I got this thing I really want to go do, but there's something more important for me to do. Or at the end of the day, is it? Hey, I just got a couple of heartbeats left. I want to make sure I make the most of my own life.
Speaker 1:It was a hard week. I needed to relax. It was a hard day. What can I say? I'm not Jesus and I only say those things, because do you think I hear those things? Yeah, and I go and I get it. You're not Jesus, but this is what we are called to do.
Speaker 1:And then Paul ends with this in verse 18 and 19. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Listen to what he just said. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God. Y'all think, when I use this word serve, a lot that I just made it up. Understand it is straight from the Bible, even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve. If Jesus is sitting here going, hey, I came to serve then it is impossible for any of us who follow after him to think that we are above serving. In fact, I would argue. That is exactly what we've been talking about for the most of this message.
Speaker 1:Right, serving others, putting my liberty aside so that others may come to know Jesus, that is a form of serving, which is why Paul sits here and says if you are serving God, you are acceptable to him. If you're sitting here going this isn't about me I'm going to lay down everything I am. God is accepting that. God is looking at you and going thank you. That is what I put you here to do.
Speaker 1:See, the problem is what we need to like really be able to pull from that is. The more selfish I try to live, the less like Jesus I am looking. I'm going to tell you that all day, every day. But if you want to be acceptable to God, it's super easy. Serve others, put others above yourself. It is not hard, I promise you. It's hard at first because it kind of goes against your nature Not kind of, it really goes against our nature. Just think about it when you were a baby Everybody remembers being a baby right, you would have done anything in the world to get food. And if you don't believe me, ask your parents later. Just go. Hey, was I a good baby? Like did I just sit there and like, quietly, meditate on the word and build you up, mother? I'm going to go out on a limb and say you probably didn't, probably screamed and cried when you didn't get your way. Some of us are grown adults that still scream and cry when we don't get our way, and what the Bible is arguing is is that is not how we are called to live.
Speaker 1:Paul also says this let us pursue what makes peace and mutual upbuilding. Let me ask you guys past couple of weeks we've had a lot of turmoil in our country, right, and what happened after Charlie Kirk was assassinated was terrible, because you have two different sides of this coin. Right, you have these people over here who are making a martyr and a savior out of Charlie Kirk over here, who are making a martyr and a savior out of Charlie Kirk, and then you have these people over here who are sitting here going he got exactly what he deserved. How do either one of these sides make peace? You understand we live in the most, one of the most divided times throughout American history. The only thing I think that we could make an argument for that would have been more divisive than what it is right now would have been the Jim Crow era in segregation. But let me ask you, what are you doing to make peace? That's a big word. How are you pursuing peace? Because most of us aren't.
Speaker 1:Most of us are just like adding fuel to the fire, going, hey, will this blow up if we throw it in there too and I get it Sometimes, it's fun. I do it at my house at dinner. Sometimes, right, like I'll just pick a divisive thing that I know the kids have been bickering about all day, and then I'll be like, hey, so I heard. And then boom, they're like going at each other and I'm like, all right, I'm going to take a shower and going to bed. You guys have a good night. Figure it out. It's called controlled chaos, and I think it's a good thing, because they need to learn conflict resolution from somewhere.
Speaker 1:But how many of us are making peace? How many of us are sitting here and going? Hey, my role in this is to bring people together and not push people apart. How many of us are sitting here and going? Hey, you know what my feelings aren't? The most important thing that I need to fight for See, paul is sitting here, going. Let us pursue what makes peace and mutual upbuilding. In other words, we need to stop picking petty fights and arguments and realize that this is much bigger than just us.
Speaker 1:I go look around the world. How much peace do you see anywhere in our world? There are wars all over the world. There are political assassinations, there are famines, drought. There are people who will do anything and everything they can just to get a little bit more power. But where do we see peace?
Speaker 1:I'll tell you right now, debbie's biggest mantra in life is this I just want peace. I am sick and tired of constantly being in turmoil and constantly having strife. I just want peace. You know why? Because that's what the Bible calls us to. In fact, in Matthew 5, 9, jesus would word it like this blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Why? Why would you be called a son of God? And we're going to get to Matthew next year, so we're going to dig back into this, but I'm just going to give you like a 50,000 foot overview here.
Speaker 1:What is God? From the time before the foundations of the world, as Ephesians would tell us, what was God's goal? To make peace. To make peace between whom, his fallen creation and himself To reconcile these things together. What does to reconcile mean To make peace with? Why would you be called a son of God? Because, just like JT does the things that I do, my Father in heaven does these things. He makes peace.
Speaker 1:How many of us are peacemakers? How many of us are sitting here and going, hey, I want this to be peaceful. I know in your mind you're like I just want peace, but are you actually taking steps to make things peaceful? Are you actually negotiating to have peaceful terms? Is peace what you pursue or do you cause division? You want to know the brightest the church can shine. Think about it.
Speaker 1:It's dark out there, right? All you got to do is watch. I don't even watch the news anymore. You want to know why I got rid of social media? Because it makes me so angry, because I spend like three minutes on there and I'm like I can't stand this world. And Maranatha, come, jesus. Now we all deserve to die and I went. I can't do that to my heart, because I'm going to become very bitter and very resentful really quickly. So I went. It's better for me just to not even deal with it, see, because at the end of the day, we need to stop fighting every battle we can just for the sake of fighting. We need to pursue peace, to build one another up and stop acting like the world, tearing each other down, causing our brothers to stumble. The church could shine the brightest in the darkest.
Speaker 1:I would argue that the darker something is, the brighter the light looks Like. For example, if you were to take your phone out right now and turn on your flashlight, are you going to be able to see the back of the seat any better than you can right now? Why not? Because there's plenty of light. But if it was pitch black in here, how well would you be able to light up with just your flashlight? And what I'm saying is is it's pitch black out there, and if the world or if the church really wants to glow up, now would be the time to stand up and go. Hey, you know what? Let's make peace. Let's stop arguing about things that don't matter. Let's serve those who need to be served. Let me stop abusing my Christian liberty and let's make peace. Because? Do you think people out there would be attracted to that? Yes, because even though they like to fight, here's the deal at the very core of who they are. They are made in the same image of God that you are. Their heart longs for peace and reconciliation, so it's our job to make it so as we close today, it's super simple.
Speaker 1:Are you causing others to stumble? Do you realize that eyes are watching you? What path are you leading others down? Paul in 1 Corinthians 11 says this Imitate me as I imitate Christ. If people were to follow you, if people were to do the things that you did, if people were to walk down the road you're going down, would you be leading them towards Jesus or away from him? And understand you can't be like. Well, I mean, we would be going in the general direction of Jesus. No, you could either be going one or two ways. That's it. So if people acted like you, would they be acting more like Jesus? And if not, what is it in your life that you need to change so that you will be leading them towards Jesus? You good, yes, sir, you sure.
Speaker 1:So, as we close, think about that. If you need someone to talk with, if you need someone to pray with, I am always here to serve. But, father, I just ask and I pray that, as we close this morning, that God again, by the power of your spirit, our hearts are churned and turned towards you. And, father, if there's anyone in here who is sitting here and going, hey, I got some work I need to do, I pray. And, father, if there's anyone in here who is sitting here and going, hey, I got some work I need to do, I pray, father, that by the power of your Spirit, they do that work. That God we leave different than when we came in. That, father, we do not put stumbling blocks just because we can. That, father, we love and walk in love with our brothers and sister, and that God, we pursue to make peace. Father, god, I ask and I pray all of this in Jesus' name, amen.