All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Romans chapter 14. But I am going to read one
verse from chapter 12, of course, as I have been doing the past
several messages. Now you hold your spot in Romans
14. I will read the verse. You're well aware of it. Romans
12, verse 1. I beseech you, therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. So Paul continues this instruction concerning presenting
our bodies a living sacrifice. I've said that every message
when we begin in chapter 12. We've now come to chapter 14,
and I'm not going to read verses 1 through 23 in chapter 14 to
start with. We'll read most of them as I
go along, God willing. But Paul now in chapter 14 is
dealing with or he broaches the subject of foods and days, personal
peccadilloes, things of conscience. And I want to give us a few key
thoughts concerning these things in chapter 14. But here's my
title, and I take it directly from a phrase or a statement
rather, not a phrase, but a statement that Paul made in one of the
verses in chapter 14. Here's my title. Who art thou
that judges another man's servant? And I have seven things I want
to give you. I don't want to rush through this, but I don't
want this to end up being just really long. First of all, all
believers, all believers, strong or weak in matters of conscience. And while Paul mentions this
very fact, conscience. Conscience, this is about conscience.
All believers, whether strong or weak in matters of conscience,
all believers are responsible before God. Chapter 14, verse
two. For one believeth that he may
eat all things. Another who is weak eateth herbs.
Okay, he's a vegetarian. That's what he's actually talking
about. And be careful not to Read into this what Paul, all
that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church. Remember, in Coriath,
Paul spoke of very similar things, but about meats being offered
to idols. And that some people, some believers,
had a peccadillo in their conscience about eating meat that had been
offered to idols, and they seen it as a sin. But Paul takes it
even further. He just talked about meats versus
herbs, okay? For one believeth that he may
eat all things, another who is weak eateth herbs. Let not him
that eateth despise him that eateth not, and let not him which
eateth not judge him that eateth, for God hath received him." Do
you see it? Both parties All believers are
responsible before God. Verse 19, look at what it says.
Let us, therefore, follow after things which make for peace,
and things wherewith one may edify, or that is, build up to
strengthen another. For meat, do you see it? Here's
the key of this. For meat, destroy not. That is,
to disintegrate or to overthrow. For meat does not overthrow the
work of God. Okay, but look, all things indeed
are pure, but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. You see it? It is good neither
to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother
stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. So sometimes the
weakness may not be some fault in the weak brother or sister. but caused by the strong brother
or sister, forcing their liberty upon another. So, again, all
believers, I want to establish this. Paul, because Paul established
this, all believers, whether I'm a strong believer or I'm
a weak believer in some matters of conscience, all of us are
responsible before God. There is no weak or strong there.
It's not some of us have Some responsibilities and others have
other responsibilities. We all have the same responsibility
before God, but we all don't perceive everything the same
way. When it comes to foods and days,
that's what he's talking about here. Well, as we will see, this
is not a blank check for a believer to believe and practice anything
they want to do. It is far from that. Even the
strong believer is to not use their liberty in Christ if their
liberty in Christ harms another brother or sister. Here's number
two. All believers are God's property. You see it? Chapter 14, verse
four. Who art thou that judges another
manservant? To his own master he standeth
or followeth. Yea, he shall be holding up. No matter who he is, strong or
weak, you see it? He shall be holding up for God
is able to make him stand. You don't need laws and rules
and regulations. And you don't have to force liberty
upon someone either. You see it? You don't have to
force liberty. God will make his own people
stand. Paul, this foundation knows sure, the Lord knows them
that are his. Another couple of verses here,
all believers are God's property. Verse seven, for none of us live
us to himself and no man die to himself. And that is true
of all humanity, but it is especially true amongst the assembly of
God's saints. Earl used to quote it, no man
is an island. We are not an island. What we
do, what we say, how we conduct ourselves, always affects somebody
else. So again, for none of us liveth
to himself, let me find my spot, for none of us liveth to himself
and no man doth to himself. When we lose someone, it hurts. In fact, it doesn't matter the
fact that I know they went to glory, it still hurts. And it
feels tough to be here. And I think you understand this
the right way. It feels tough to be here alone
without them. You understand? You know why?
Because we are bone of Christ's bone and flesh of his flesh,
which meant they're a part of our body. We're a part of their
body. because we are all a part of
the body of Christ. But let's go on. For whether
we live, we live unto the Lord. And whether we die, we die unto
the Lord. Whether we live therefore or
die, we are the Lord's. I don't know why we're here like
we are today. Jack, I don't know, other than
the judgment of God against this world, why we're in the situation
that we're in, the situation that we're in. And I don't know
how long this world will stand with all of the evil and hatred
for God and his Christ that dwells in this world today. We are a
pariah to this world, but we know the God of all glory, but
even more than that, we are his. He owns us, lock, stock, and
barrel. So again, all believers are responsible
before God. All believers are God's property.
Now I know most people, they just wanna go through this, see
the pros, the cons, the good, the evil, and move right on,
right? We're God's property. He owns us. We're responsible
before him. He's our master. We are his slave. And I know some people like to
use the word bond slaves. I'm not talking off of, we're
his slaves. We are his property. We are bought with a price. Therefore we are to glorify God
in our body and in our souls and in our spirits, which are
God's. Number three, all believers have
Christ as Redeemer and Lord. Now, Paul's saying this, even
in this instruction about foods and days and drinks, he still
has Christ as the center theme of everything. All believers
has Christ as Redeemer and Lord. Chapter 14, verse nine. For to
this end, Christ both died, you see it, You never, God help us to never
ever get away from this Christ dying. Because substitutionary
sacrifice is the sum and substance of all the gospel. If we ever
leave that, we've left the gospel altogether, no matter how doctrinally
accurate we are in everything else. For to this end, Christ
both died and rose and revived. And I thought about this, is
that a redundancy? Because the revived means this,
recovered life. But here's the point. Even back
in Paul's day, men believed, even unbelievers, even rank Gentile
idolatrous unbelievers believed in a afterlife. You see what
I'm saying? But they usually believed you
were some kind of spirit. some kind of unseen entity floating
around somewhere in some other realm or whatever, but no, Christ
died, rose, and revived. In other words, he had full bodily
form. He's still a living, breathing
man. That's what he's talking about.
For to this end, Christ both died and rose and revived, that
he might be both Lord of the dead and the living. And here
is in particular, let's stay in the context, this is of all
God's people, whether they've gone on to glory back or whether
they're still here under the pangs of this world. For this,
in Christ died, rose, revived, that he might be both Lord of
the dead and of the living. But why dost thou judge thy brother,
or why dost thou set it not thy brother? For we shall all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ, for it is written, as I live,
saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall
confess to God. So then every one of us shall
give an account of himself or herself. to God. Do you see that? To God. And
let's go on. So then every one of us shall
give an account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge
one another anymore, but judge this rather that no man put a
stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. My dearly beloved is tough enough
to live in this world with yourself. It's tough enough to live in
this world with yourself. and not have somebody else throw
roadblocks in your way and roadblocks in your way. So then, every one
of us shall give an account of himself to God, let us not therefore
judge one another anymore, but judge this rather that no man
put a stumbling block on occasion to fall in his brother's way.
I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing
unclean of itself. Now, what is he talking about?
Remember the context, we're talking about foods and days and drinks. Some things are unclean. There's
lists of unclean things in this book, right? Unclean, but Paul's
talking about things of conscience, physical things in this world.
That's what he's talking about. I know and I'm persuaded by the
Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself, but to him
that esteemeth anything to be unclean, To him it is unclean. Do you see it? To him it is unclean. Let's go on. But if thy brother
begreed with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably? Destroy,
that is to mar, to render unusable. Destroy not him with thy meat
for whom Christ died. You see it? Let not then your
good be evil spoken of for the kingdom of God. And here it is.
This is like a summary right here for the kingdom of God is
not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
ghost. That's where it's at. It is.
Not will be one day, not in 1,000 years time. And I'm not throwing
off on the 1,000 years, don't get me wrong. Like one person
did here one time, you don't believe in 1,000 years anymore,
it's like, please, come on. Is, the kingdom of God is right
now. We've been translated into the
kingdom of God's dear son now. And if you're not in it now,
you ain't gonna be in it in no 1,000 years. You can mark that
down. righteousness and peace and joy
in the Holy Ghost, for he that in these things serveth Christ
is acceptable to God and approved of men. And one more verse, verse
21. It is good neither to eat flesh
nor drink wine nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended
or is made weak. All believers are responsible
before God. All believers are God's property. All believers has Christ as Lord
and Redeemer. There's no weak or strong here.
Christ didn't redeem just the weak brothers, he redeemed all
the brotherhood. Christ didn't just redeem strong
believers, he redeemed us all. He redeemed us all. Here's the
fourth thing. The strong, though, have an added
responsibility. And I've already read most of
it, but look at verse 15. But if thy brother be greed with
thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Don't destroy him
because Christ died for him. Christ loved him. Christ gave
his life for him. You see it? Also, we read in
verse 15, Let me find my spot. The strong have the added responsibility.
Again, I'll read it. Verse 21. It is good neither
to eat flesh or to drink wine or anything whereby that brother
is offended, is stumbleth or is offended or is made weak.
Hast thou faith in these things, in these things of days, foods
and drinks? Do you have faith? Have it to
that self before God. Have it to thyself before God.
Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing which he
alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned.
That is to place under a sentence of judgment. And that's what
happens when you force something upon a weaker brother or sister.
Not that you're condemning them to hell. I know some people say,
I see there you can be saved and lose it. It has nothing to
do with that. I'm not even gonna, Ellen, go into trying to defend
that. Talk about destroying it. Have you ever had your conscience
eat you alive? because of a failure. Just sometimes I can't even hardly
sleep at night because that conscience just nags and nags and nags and
nags. And just imagine if it's nagging
and you haven't done anything wrong but somebody makes you
think you have. That's one thing for your conscience
to eat you alive because you have done something wrong is
totally another when your conscience is nagging you because somebody
else makes you think you have done something wrong. You can't
escape that one, can you? You know what the only hope is?
There it is, let me read it again. Who art thou that judges another
man's servant? Yet we do, or we would never
need this warning. That's the whole point of the
thing. The fact is, we do. That's why we need to be encouraged
to do the right thing. Who art thou that judges another
man's servant? To his own mastery standeth or
falleth. Yea, he shall be holding up,
for God is able to make him stand. Folks, there are people who call
themselves Christians that think it's just that it's evil to just
about do anything. other than read your Bible, pray
and sing songs, religious songs. Is that the truth? You can't
go to the picture show. I mean, you don't go to a grocery
store if they sell beer, you know, blah, blah. And look at
what our country, look at the state of our country now. You
take all these rules and regulations, keep them under check. We're
just like that maniac of, what was it, Gadara, was that it?
Maniac. The more you try to bind the
world, the more they'll bust out. and we see that and that
we see that this country. I here's number five. Let me
move on consider a few things that could fall under this heading.
Now, this is about things for today. Okay, when we meet how
often we meet how long we meet when we meet there are people who disagree
in believing in amongst believers. People gather on Sunday, Sunday
night. I've had people, we all don't have service on Sunday
night, no. But we have three gospel messages most every Sunday
morning. That kind of puts us at max Sunday
morning, Sunday night and a Wednesday service, don't it? See the whole
point, and we're not saying everybody ought to do it this way. It's
just the way we found by providence God's brought it to be for us.
And when we have three men, that when they're enabled by God providentially
to be here, they stand here and preach the truth of the gospel
of God. Again, when we meet, how often
we meet, how long we meet, when we meet. Where did this rule come? You
start at 10.30 and you quit at 12. But it don't matter. That's
the whole point. But there are some people who
think, what about this one? How often do we partake the Lord's
table? Right. The whole point is this in these
two things. One, the very fact that we meet itself, that's the
whole key for sake, not the assembling of yourselves together. The Lord's
table. Paul put it this way as often
as you do it. He didn't tell us how often to
do it. He didn't tell us when exactly to do it. He didn't tell
us how long we ought to do it. He just said, when you do it,
do it in remembrance of Christ. You see, there's another thought.
how we give. There are some preachers, and
I'm not throwing off on the preachers, some preachers don't like the
box back there. They like to pass the plate. There are others
who have a box back there and they don't like to pass the plate.
It don't matter. You understand what I'm saying?
It don't matter, but if you think you gotta have a plate, we'll
get one out for you. You understand what I'm saying?
Or if you want a box in the back, we'll put a box in the back.
It's not a matter of It's not a matter of how we give, but
it's a matter of giving itself. To give cheerfully, hilariously,
to give because you desire. How about another one? The order
of our worship. Prayer, singing, reading, preaching,
right? Which is supposed to come first?
It don't matter. But if somebody thinks it, I've
been to a lot of places. There's some places, if you don't
stand up first and have scripture reading, they think you've really
messed up. But if that's the way they feel, that's the way
they feel. I'm not gonna try to make them feel some other
way. You see? But if I don't feel that way
on, no matter. It don't matter. What did he say? Look at it.
Verse five. One man esteemeth one day above
another. Okay? Another man esteemeth every
day alike. Do you see it? Let every man
be fully persuaded in his own mind, okay? He that regardeth
the day, regardeth it to the Lord. And he that regardeth not
the day, not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He
that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks. And
he that eateth not to the Lord, he eateth not and giveth God
thanks. That's the whole point. That's
the whole point. The order of our worship. Let
me give you an example. When we had the epidemic, the
pandemic, what do they call it? Pandemic mask. Masks were said
to be mandatory. And you had people that left
certain gospel assemblies because certain people wanted it done
this way and others wanted it done that way. It was a mess.
It was a mess. Now let me tell you, this is
me. If I got a doctor operating on me, I want him to wash his
hands. and I want him to have soap and disinfect it, and I
want him to have a mask on to protect me and himself, but it
don't matter. If I'm out in the field and some
guy's got to cut me a trachea hole, I don't figure he'd have
to wash his hands first and put you on a mask. But we get caught
up with these peccadillos. I mean, I've even heard some
people say, well, if you wear a mask, you're not exercising
faith in Christ. Hogwash. Do you wash your hands
after you go to the restroom? I hope you do. If not for your
own sake, for me, if you touch what I got to touch after you've
been there. But you know what? It don't matter. Peccadilloes. Peccadilloes. Here's the sixth
thing. I had to get some jabs in there somewhere, don't I?
Folks, we're so self-centered. We think our way is the way. And it's God's way. It's not
meat and drink, but it's righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost. It is edifying one another, not
throwing stumbling blocks in one another's way. Some of us here wore masks, some
of us didn't, did we? And it come to the place where
all of us had quit wearing masks. But we had people come in, they
sat right there, big family, and all of them had on masks.
I tried my best not to make them feel uncomfortable, because I'm
sure they were already uncomfortable enough. Because that's between
them and God, not them and me. They're God's servants, they're
not my servants. Number six, and we're getting
close to the end here. Number six, there are some things,
now, there are some things that are clearly not up to conscience. As I said, this is not a blank
check for me to do whatever I want to do. Because even in this liberty,
we find that there are checks and balances. My liberty is never
to be used, as Paul told the Galatians, as an excuse to fulfill
the lusts of the flesh. And I'm not to use my liberty
to force it upon another believer and then destroy their conscience
and make them live in misery. But neither are they to point
their finger at me or someone else. Who does? Doesn't regard
today or don't regard today. But there are some things that
they're not up to conscience. The gospel's not up to conscience.
Will you believe what you want about the gospel? I believe what
I want about the gospel. Paul said, that ain't so. I marvel
that you're so soon removed from him that called you into the
grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another.
There's not another. But there be some that trouble
you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. If any man love not
the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be what? Anathema, maranatha,
let it be a curse, the Lord is coming. John, in 2 John verses
4 through 11, I won't go back and read it, he said, a man comes
to your house and doesn't bring the doctrine of Christ, you don't
even bid him Godspeed. Don't let him into your house
and don't even bid him Godspeed. There are some things that are
not up to conscience. The person and work of our Lord
Jesus Christ is not up for debate. Now, some of the particulars
about the resurrection, Ellen, some of those things could be
for debate, but it ought to be never argument. It ought to be
never argument, because I'm gonna tell you, there's none of us
that understand all that we think we do about that. The more I
study, Jack, about end time things, the more I realize, the less
I know. As far as putting it in order. When does this happen?
It's just going to happen. and it'll happen in God's good
time, and God is able to make us stand. The gospel. As I said, love for Christ, that's
not a, well, if you love him, fine, if you don't, well, at
least be a good person and come to church. No, no, no. What about this? The lordship
of Jesus Christ is not up for debate. Let's turn to that, 1
Corinthians chapter 12. Now, I know there are people
that when they read passages like this in Romans 14, and like
the similar passage in one of Paul's letters to the Corinthians,
they say, well, everything's just up for grabs. If this bothers
you, okay, if this don't bother you, then just live and let live.
That is not what Paul's talking about here. No way, shape, or
form. 1 Corinthians 12. Let me find my spot. First Corinthians
12, yeah, verse one, now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I
would not have you to be ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles
carried away with these dumb idols, even as you were led.
You see it? Wherefore I give you to understand
that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. You see it? So if they have ill
feelings or ill words toward Jesus Christ the Lord, Mac, they
don't have the Spirit of God. That's what this says. But no
man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed, and
that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy
Ghost. Here's it, we wind it up, number
seven. Think about this. According to
Paul, Galatians six, verse one and two, turn to that one if
you will. I'm trying to use a illustration
here. Galatians chapter six. I'm taking this from Galatians
six, then we'll refer back to what we're talking about, what
Paul's talking about in Romans 14. Galatians chapter six, think
about these words, just the first couple verses. Brethren, if any
man be overtaken in a fault, Bring him before the committee.
Is that what it says? As a matter of fact, even when Christ talked
about a brother wronging another brother, he doesn't say bring
him before the church. He says, you go to him. That's
what you do first. And then if he don't listen,
you take two or three others with you, go back to him. And
then you take the church to him. It doesn't say you call them
on the carpet in the church. And yet, what do most people
do? If somebody gets in trouble, falls out of the way, they bring
them before the church committee or whatever. Look, brethren,
if any man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore. Do you see that? Restore such
an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou
also be tempted, bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill
the law of Christ. Here's my seventh point. We are
to restore even a fallen believer, right? Now, will it, does it
always happen? Sometimes it don't happen, Jack.
Sometimes they just so hard-headed, so angry, so bad, they may even
part company. But we're to seek their what?
Restoration of a fallen brother. How much more should we not doubt
the faith of a weak conscience? You see it? All right, chapter
14, again in Romans. Him that is weak in the faith,
Not weak in faith, it does not say they're weak in faith. They're
weak in the faith. In particular things concerning
conscience. Him that is weak in the faith,
receive ye not. Receive ye, I'm sorry. Receive
ye, but not to doubtful, that is, condemnatory dispensations. That is, do not have condemnatory
argumentative opposition. Why? I'm just not sure about
old so and so. They just don't seem to have
it like they ought to have it. That's not it. That's not it. We should not doubt the faith
of those who have a weak conscience. Chapter 14, look at it. Verse
13, we'll read again. Let us not therefore judge one
another anymore. Do you hear what I just read? Let
us not therefore judge one another anymore, but we will. But we will, but we all not. Let us not therefore judge one
another anymore, but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling
block or an occasion to fall on his brother's way. I know
and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean
of itself, but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him
it is unclean. Oh, I'm summing up with this.
If any man thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought
to know it. We don't even have the restoring
the fallen brother down pat, let alone throwing a stumbling
block in front of our brother or sister. And yet this is what
it's all about. What is it? Righteousness, not
hours. Christ. You hear me? Not ours,
Christ's. Peace, not something we work
up, but something that's already wrought for us. You hear me?
And joy, what? What kind of joy? In the Holy
Ghost. And what's the Holy Ghost do?
What's his primary job? To speak the things of Christ,
to bring forth the things of Christ and show it unto men. That's where it's all at. When
our minds and hearts are stayed on Christ, Jack, things do go
smoothly. Now, not from the world, but
they'll go smoothly amongst us. But when we get our mind and
eyes off of Christ, trouble and turmoil will ensue amongst us. Oh God, help us to keep our hearts
and minds stayed on Christ. And back when we don't, God,
bring us back quickly. God, bring us back quickly. Heavenly
Father, Oh, God, encourage us in these times in which we live.
These things just boggle our mind. But Lord, we know that
you are in absolute sovereign control and that you're having
your way in the whirlwind, but you're having your way in even
the smallest minute details of this life. God, be with us as
you leave us here in this world. Lord, we pray for our Lord to
come soon. Whatever it be, Lord, strengthen
us by thy grace, through thy gospel, by the power of thy spirit,
in Christ's name, amen.