I'm going to begin where I left
off Sunday evening, Romans 14, verse 11. For it is written,
As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every
tongue shall confess to God. Now, this is a quotation from
Isaiah 45. I want you to turn over there
and let's read it. as Isaiah was led of God to record
it. Isaiah 45, verse 22 through 25. And what this verse is declaring,
that our Lord Jesus Christ is a sovereign Lord. He's absolutely,
immutably, unchangeably sovereign in everything, over creation,
providence, and salvation. He's the Lord and Master and
King over all the universe. over all people. That's what
he said in John 17 in his priestly prayer. He said, Father, thou
hast given me authority over not just the church, not just
Zion, not just Israel, over all flesh. He said to his disciples,
all power is given to me in heaven and earth. Now you go preach
the gospel. All authority. And that's what
this is saying. Isaiah 45, verse 22, "...Look unto me, and be
your Savior, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and
there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word
is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto
me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear." That's
what Paul wrote in Philippians. God hath highly exalted him,
given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow, in heaven, earth, and under the earth, and
every tongue shall confess." Verse 24, "...surely shall one
say," this is what the believer says, "...in the Lord have I
righteousness and strength. Even to him shall men come, and
all that are incensed against him." It would be a shame. But
in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall
glow. Now, he's Lord. We don't make
him Lord. The God of heaven and earth made
him Lord. And for this cause Christ died that
he might be Lord of the dead and the living. But what we're
talking about in our text here is that the Lord Jesus is especially
Lord of his church. He's especially the master and
Lord of every believer. That's what he's saying there
in Romans 14, 11. And I want to confirm that from the book
of Ephesians, chapter 1. Now this is speaking especially
of believers, and Paul's making a point here now, so get what
I'm saying. He's Lord, Sovereign, Master
of the whole universe and every person, but especially He's my
Master and your Master. In Ephesians 1, 20, which he wrote in Christ when
he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand
in heavenly places, far above all principality and power and
might and dominion, and every name that's named, not only in
this world, but also in that which is to come. and hath put
all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over
all things to the church. He is our Lord and our Master,
our Sovereign King. Look at Colossians chapter 1,
verse 17 and 18. Colossians 1, 17 and 18. And
he's before all things, and by him all things consist, and he's
the head of the body. My brother Jim just read about
the body. The Church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, then in all things he might have
preeminence. Now back to my text. Romans 14,
11. As 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, who's
us? God is longsuffering to us for
it, not willing that any should perish. but all should come to
repentance. He's talking about the church.
Every one of us shall give an account of himself to the Lord. Every believer is a servant of
Christ. Christ is the master and Lord
of every believer. He said, now don't you call any
man master. I'm your master. Don't you be
called rabbi, master. I'm your master. He's the master
of every believer. And every believer has his gifts,
his calling, his ministry given him by the Lord Jesus. That's
what we read. Let me refresh your memory now.
We're in 1 Corinthians 12 that Brother Jim just read. Every
believer is a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's our only
master. And every believer has his gifts,
his calling, his ministry, his place. given him by the Savior,
by his master, by the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 12, 11.
All these, these gifts, these ministers, worketh that one and
selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man, severally as he will. Verse 18. God, now God, hath
God set the members, every one of them in the body, as it pleases
him. That's so clear. He's the master
of the whole world, but he's especially my master. I'm his
servant. You're his servant. And all of
our gifts and talents and place of service and ministry and whatever
we have, he's put us there for a particular purpose. So then
the accounting, my accounting of my stewardship and of my message
and of my time and of my conduct is not to men. I'm not the servant
of men, nor are you. We don't give an account to men,
but to our master. That's what he said. So then,
because he's Lord and he's master, we're his servants. We belong
to him. You're not your own, he said. You're bought with a
price. Who bought you? He did. Well, then who do you belong
to? You belong to him. Lock, stock and barrel, body
and soul, we belong to him. And he puts us where he's pleased
for us to serve, and work, and labor, and gives us the gifts
wherewith we labor, and we're accountable to him, and only
to him. That's right. When Saul of Persia
was enlightened as to who Christ is, first question he asked,
what? Master, what would you have me
to do? What would you have me to do? What would you have me to do?
And that account, what a lot of people think about giving
an account, it will be given at that final day, that's true,
that's true. Let's turn to Hebrews, I'll read
that to you. The account, every servant gives
an account to the master. That's true in every respect.
We're accountable to our master, not to other people, but to our
master. But in Hebrews 13, 17, he tells the church, Obey them
that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they
watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy
and not with grief. This is unprofitable for you.
That's speaking of the pastor, elders, teachers giving account
at that day. But you know, there's an account
that we give to our Lord daily. Daily. It's not just summon up
everything that goes on we do for a grand finale. We give an
account daily. Listen to these scriptures. Don't
turn them, just listen to them. Luke 9. If any man will follow
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow
me. Every song, every prayer, every
reading, every message, every effort, every reaching out, everything,
daily. Luke 11.3, Lord give us day by
day our daily bread. Acts 5.42, speaking of the early
church, and daily in the temple and in every house they cease
not to teach and preach the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 3.12, 313, exhort one another daily. While it's called today, lest
any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. I think every time I
come up here, this could be my last message, I give an account
daily. It's too important for me to
do less, and you and Whatever we're going to do, let's do it.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it today, do it daily, do
it with all your might. Give an account to him at the
end of the day of my stewardship. He's the master, I'm the servant,
so then every one of us shall give an account in that day,
well, yes, but every day. Now, just remember what we said,
number one, he's the master. We just have one, he's the master.
We're not servants of men, we're servants of Christ. Every believer
is responsible and accountable to him. All right, here's, so
then, that's where he begins in verse 13, let us therefore,
let us not therefore judge one another anymore. Let us not set ourselves up as
critics of his servants, because they're not our servants, they're
his servants. We're not their masters, we're not their judges.
He's their judge. Let us not, therefore, judge
one another any more. Let us not spend our days picking
out the weaknesses, exaggerating the differences of opinion, or
the practices in things which have to do with indifferent things.
I told you this Sunday, I'm not talking about the gospel of God's
grace and character of Christ. and the person and work of Christ.
I'm talking about meats and drinks, poorly as I'm not. Paul's talking
about meats and drinks and days and laws and traditions and things
which are indifferent or have nothing to do with the person
and work of Christ. So let's don't judge one another.
Since he's the master, I'm his servant, we're accountable to
him, we're not accountable to one another, so let's not judge
one another. Let's not be critical. But rather,
verse 13, but judge this rather, that no man, given occasion,
put a stumbling block on occasion to fall in his brother's way.
But rather, let's examine ourselves. Let's examine our attitudes.
Does our attitude bless people or hinder them? Let's examine
our conduct. Is it a stumbling block or an
encouragement? Is it a hindrance or an example? Our conduct, our
conversation, the way we talk. Let your words be seasoned with
grace, with grace. Your lifestyle. Is it a stumbling
block or a hindrance to people or is it an example to people
of generosity, of kindness? Our daily walk. Let us be sure, he's saying here,
not to be the cause of another stumbling and falling, but rather
that we encourage them and be a good example. All right, verse 14. Now, Paul
gives us an example of something here. Now, this is interesting. He gives us an example here of
something that's not sinful, that is neither sinful nor wrong. But Paul and believers, the early
believers, avoided it because it was offensive to some. Now,
stay with me. Let's read two verses, Romans
chapter 14, verse 14. I know, and I'm persuaded by
the Lord Jesus, there's nothing unclean of itself. Now there
were meats in those days that were forbidden in the Old Testament.
And there were meats that were offered to idols and sold in
the market and served in the home. Now that was the two kinds
of meat that he talks about, meat forbidden in the Old Testament,
certain kinds of meat. And then there was meat that
was offered to idols that could be bought cheaper and served.
And he's saying there's nothing unclean of itself. Nothing unclean
of itself. There's no meat or drink that's
evil in itself. People make evil of it or use
it to excess and it becomes evil. But there's no evil in a glass.
There's no evil in a chunk of meat. There's no evil in a vegetable.
There's no evil in wholesome food. Nothing in itself. But to him that esteemeth anything
to be unclean to him it is, because of his raising, upbringing, heritage,
tradition, religion, unclean to him. It's not to me, it is
to him. Now if your brother be greed
with your meat, you go ahead and eat it, you're not walking
charitably, you're not walking in love. Destroy not him with
your meat for whom Christ died. Don't be a stumbling block to
it. Now let me show you where all
this is explained in 1 Corinthians, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Now, let me read verse 16. The cup of blessing which we
bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? He's
talking about the Lord's table here. He's talking about the
wine, the cup. Is it not the communion of the
blood of Christ? And the bread that we break,
is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being
many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that
one bread. Now that started back in the Passover, when Israel
sacrificed the lamb and roasted it, and put the blood on the
door, then they took the lamb and ate it. They ate the lamb. And by that act, they were saying,
we believe God, we worship God, We receive God, we receive his
word, we receive his way within ourselves, his worship and his
way and his will. We bow to God by eating that
lamb. You and I, when we take the Lord's table here, we serve
the bread, we take that bread and eat it, just like they ate
the lamb. Take that wine we're drinking.
And what we're saying, what we're manifesting by that act, we're
declaring we believe God. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ
is our substitute, our lamb sacrifice for sin, and we're identifying
with him, we're receiving him into ourselves, we're bowing
to him, to his will, to his way and to his worship. We're identifying
with him by eating that lamb and that bread and that wine.
Now look at verse 18. Behold Israel after the flesh. Are not they which eat of the
sacrifices partaking the takers of the altar? Now if we go back
to Israel again, stay with me. Israel after the flesh, he said,
he's not talking about the true Israel of God that takes the
bread and the wine. He's talking about national Israel,
sons of Jacob, the priests and the Levites. And these priests
and Levites offered those lambs continually. Passover and all
the rest of it. They offered lamb, thousands
of them. And they ministered about the holy things, and the
Old Testament says, and these priests and Levites ate the meat
that was left over from the sacrifices. They ate that meat. And what
they were saying is they are partakers of that altar. Behold
Israel, after the flesh. Are not they which eat of the
sacrifices, partakers of the altar? Yes, sir. These priests,
these Levites, they're saying, eating that meat, we believe
God. We're partakers of God's sacrifice. And they ate it. Well, now look down at verse
19. What say I then, that the idol
is anything? Or that which is offered in sacrifice
to idols is anything? Now here he's talking about the
Gentiles who sacrificed to their gods, false gods. And they too
ate the meat that was left over from their sacrifices. Now Israel,
the priests and Levites, they ate the meat left over from the
sacrifices to say we believe God. God is our God. The Gentiles sacrificed to their
gods. And they were saying by eating
that meat, the idol is our God. Now turn, look down at verse
27. Well, let me look at verse 19 again. He's saying this, am
I saying that an idol is anything? No, an idol's nothing. An idol's
nothing. That meat that was offered to
that idol, is it changed in any way? Not a bit in the world. Not a bit in the world. Because
an idol doesn't exist. And so that meat's not affected
in any way, good or bad. Now verse 27, if any of them
that believe not, these are Gentiles, bid you to a feast, and you be
disposed to go, whatsoever's set before you, eat it. It doesn't
matter what it is, as if it's meat offered to an idol, because
an idol's nothing. The meat's not affected in any
way. You might as well eat it. Go ahead and eat it. Ask him
no questions for conscience sake. Just don't ask any questions.
Just eat what's set before you. You're in the home of an unbeliever.
You're in the home of a pagan. You're in the home of a Gentile
who's got that meat from down at the altar. Doesn't mean a
thing. Nothing unclean of itself. Doesn't
mean a thing. But, verse 28, if any man say
to you, he's sitting beside you here, a believer, or an unbeliever,
punches you in the ribs and says, that meat was offered in sacrifice
to an idol. That meat came from the shambles.
That meat came from the marketplace. That meat was offered to an idol. That meat is evil, contaminated. Don't eat it. Don't eat him. Why? For his sake. They showed it to you. And for conscience sake. For
the earth's the Lord's and the fullness I am. Conscience I say.
Whose conscience? Yours? It doesn't bother me to
eat that meat. Paul said it doesn't bother me.
A meat, there's no idol. That meat's not effective in
any way. It's cheaper. I buy a whole lot of it. There's
no idol. Conscience, I say, not yours,
but that man sitting beside you. Don't eat it. Well, why is my
liberty judged of another man's conscience? Why should I be bothered
about whether he likes it or not? If I, by grace, be a partaker,
why am I evil spoken of for that which I give thanks? Now, here's
what you do. Whether, therefore, you eat or
drink, whatever you do, do it for the glory of God and give
non-offense. Neither the Jews, nor the Gentiles,
nor the Church of God. Even as I please all men and
all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of
many, that they may be saved. Here's the thing, and you can
apply this to present day. There are things that are indifferent. They're not evil in themselves,
they're neither sinful or wrong. But people have grown up in certain
traditions and religion and laws and things that it's wrong to
them. And if eating meat offends my
brother, then I won't eat the meat. That's what he said. If that offends my brother, then
I'll leave the meat off. Verse 14, 15, let's read it again. I know and I'm persuaded. by
the Lord Jesus, that there's nothing unclean of itself, but
to him that esteem is unclean, to him it's unclean. And if my
brethren be grieved with thy meek, thou walkest not charitably. Don't upset him and run him off
and drive him out. And don't make him leave the
house of God because of us exercising our liberty to the extreme. That's right. Let's turn to Galatians,
and let me show you a verse about liberty. In Galatians chapter
5, I believe it's Galatians chapter 5. No, that's not it. Anyway, what he's saying is this. Oh, here it is, chapter 5, it
is verse 13. Brethren, you're called unto
liberty, but use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,
to pacify, to gratify your own flesh, but by love serve one
another. Serve one another. Give in to
one another. Cater to one another. All the
law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, love your neighbor
as yourself. All right, I've got to move on. Let's go down
to verse 17. He says here, the kingdom of
God is not meat and drink. What is the kingdom of God? Well,
the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God's
dear son, the gospel, true religion, godliness is all the same thing.
And it's not meat and drink. What is it? The kingdom of God.
These are external things by which men and other religions
seek God and seek holiness and seek acceptance in vain in these
things. But the kingdom of God is, down
here at verse 17, kingdom of God is righteousness. The righteousness
of God that's imputed to us through the obedience of the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's the kingdom of God. And
the peace of God, which Christ purchased by the blood of his
cross, the peace of God. Therefore, being justified by
faith, you have peace with God. And the joy in the Holy Ghost. We are the circumcision who worship
God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence
in the flesh. That's the kingdom of God. It's
not in meat and drink. It's in the righteousness of
Christ, the peace which he purchased, and the joy that we have in the
Holy Ghost. And he that in these things serves
Christ, he, the man or woman who seeks righteousness only
in Christ, who rests only in the blood of Christ, whose joy
and hope is the presence of the Spirit, who bears witness with
our spirit, who are sons of God, that person is acceptable to
God. Not in keeping days, abstaining
from certain wearing certain clothes, going about certain
processionals and rituals. It's not meat and drink. Righteousness,
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. And this man or woman that serves
Christ in these three things is acceptable to God and approved
of men. What does that mean? That means
true believers recognize true righteousness. You have their approval, those
who are mature in Christ. Let us therefore follow after
those things which promote peace, those things that bring us together
in fellowship, those things that bring us together in agreement
on the personal work of Christ, those things which build up our
most holy faith, and things wherewith we may edify one another. Let's
major on that. cleanse first that which is within
the cup, the outside will come along. It will come along. And for me, don't destroy the
work of God. All things indeed are pure, but it's evil for that man who
eateth with a fence. to the weak believer to whom
this meat is offensive and represents idols, for him to eat it with
these doubts in his heart and this fear, it would be wrong.
It would be wrong for him to eat 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. It's better not
to eat or drink or do anything before a weak person which offends
him, which hinders him, which causes him to stumble. Be careful. Let me make a comment on verse
20. Destroy not the work of God for me. In other words, to have
my way and to exert my liberty. And in doing so, I offend a weak
believer. who is the workmanship of God. We're His workmanship created
in Christ Jesus. For me to harm Him and hurt Him
and drive Him away is to destroy the work of God, to upset the
work of God. That's right. Well, verse 22, and I'll
close. Have faith. Do you have faith? Do you have
liberty? Can you see, as I know you can? That redemption and sanctification
and holiness and relationship with God is not in meats and drinks and all these
things. It's in righteousness, peace,
and joy. Now you have that faith? All right. Have it to yourself
before God. Have it to yourself before God.
In other words, Are you strong in the faith of Christ, happy
in the fact that you're not bound by laws of meats and drinks and
days? Well, practice that liberty,
but don't do it before weak believers. Have it to yourself before God. Go down there and buy that meat
and come home and eat it, but don't—see what he's saying? Have
it to yourself before God. He that condemneth not himself
in that thing which he alloweth, that's a blessing, peace and
rest and joy. But if a man doubts, if a fellow,
religious traditions, they cling tightly, grave clothes, they
cling tightly. And we have to be taught of God.
And we have to be patient with one another and wait upon the
Lord. But every man, like that verse we read earlier in our
study, every man has to be persuaded in his own mind. And there's some of you here
that had some hang-ups about some of these things, and you
had to be persuaded in your own mind. And the Holy Spirit does
that as we grow in grace. and the knowledge of Christ.