The Book of Romans: Food Fights In The Family of Faith

 

The Book of Romans

Welcome:

Good morning, church family. I’m really glad to see you here today at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. Thank you for being here. I believe the Lord has something for each of us as we gather to worship and open His Word.

If you are a guest with us, my name is Stuart Davidson, and I have the privilege of serving as the pastor here at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. We are grateful that you chose to be here, and we pray that you feel welcomed and encouraged as we spend this time together.

Let me remind you about our prayer line. If there is something on your heart, a burden you are carrying, or even a praise you want to share, you can text or call 251-222-8977. The moment that message comes in, our prayer team begins praying for you. We would be honored to stand with you.

Those of you joining us online, thank you for being a part of this service. We love you, and we are glad you are worshiping with us today.

Introduction of Today’s Message:

“Believe it or not, the largest food fight ever recorded took place at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Thousands of students gathered together, and in just a matter of minutes, tens of thousands of pounds of food were flying through the air. 

Pizza, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, all of it. 

It probably sounded fun at first, but it did not take long for things to get out of hand. What started as something lighthearted turned into a mess. People slipping, food wasted, and cleanup that took hours.

Most of us hear that and think that that’s ridiculous. Who would do something like that with food? 

Yet if we are honest, something very similar can happen in the church. No friends…no food is being thrown, but words are. 

Opinions are. 

Preferences are. 

Before long, things that were never meant to divide us begin to create tension and conflict.

Here’s the truth. When you get a group of people together, living, breathing, working, and serving, things can get messy. 

We come from different backgrounds. 

We are at different stages in our walk with Christ. 

We have different convictions, different preferences, different personalities. 

None of that is wrong. That is part of God’s design for His church. The problem comes when those differences turn into division.

So this morning, I want us to open our Bibles to Romans 14, verses 1 through 6, and you can see there on your outline the title of today’s message, ‘Food Fights in the Family of Faith.’”

Today’s Message:

“Food Fights In The Family of Faith”

Introduction To Today’s Thought:

“Friends, I want to ask you a question, and it is a question about the church. Why are we here? Why are we here?

Some people believe the church exists to scratch their itches. They want to hear what they want to hear. They want to be affirmed. They want someone to tell them their sin is not that serious, that they are good people, that everything is going to be fine. They want a version of God that requires nothing and demands nothing. No call to repentance. No call to obedience. Just comfort. Just approval.

Others believe the church exists to entertain them. Our culture has trained us that way. We wake up every day looking for the next thing to capture our attention. The next thing to hold our interest. The next thing to give us that quick sense of satisfaction. That mindset can easily carry over into the church. People begin to expect a show. Bigger lights. Louder sound. More production. More performance. Before long, the focus shifts. It is no longer about the amplification of the gospel, it becomes about the amplification of everything else.

Then there are those who see the church as a place to gain power. In other areas of life they may feel overlooked or unheard, but in the church they can step into positions of influence. That influence can be used to serve, or it can be used to control. Sadly, at times it becomes about winning arguments, pushing preferences, and cutting down anyone who disagrees.

So we have to come back to the question. Why are we here?

Scripture makes it clear. Jesus said He came to seek and to save the lost. Then He gave us our mission. Go and make disciples. That is why the church exists. A disciple is someone who follows Jesus, is being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus. That is the call. That is the purpose.

Yet it is so easy to lose sight of that. We start focusing on the small things. We start chasing comfort. We start craving entertainment. We start clinging to control. Before long, we miss the mission altogether.

Instead of being a launching pad to take the gospel to the world, the church can become a country club where outsiders feel like they do not belong. Instead of being a hospital for sinners who need healing, it can start to feel like an asylum, a place that keeps people out, locking us members inside. Hiding behind large walls and barbed wire fences, keeping people at a distance.

Friends, you can see there on your outline, under today’s thought, when churches fight over the menu, they can miss Christ’s mission.” Fill in those blanks for me this morning. When the church fights over the menu, they can miss Christ mission.

Today’s Thought:

When Churches Fight Over The Menu, They Can Miss Christ’s Mission!

Introduction of Today’s Quote:

“Before we look at today’s quote, let me introduce you to the man who said it.  Ed Stetzer is a well-known pastor, author, and church researcher. He previously served with Life Christian Resources, which is the educational and resource arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. He now serves as Dean and Professor of Leadership and Christian Ministry at the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. He has spent years studying what helps churches stay healthy and on mission, and what causes them to drift.

Listen to what he says about churches that lose their focus:

Today’s Quote:

“When the church turns inward, focusing on preferences, programs, and internal disagreements, it begins to lose sight of its true mission. The church was never called to exist for itself, but to make disciples and reach the lost. The more we focus on ourselves, the more we drift from the very reason we were sent into the world.”

-Ed Stetzer, “The Danger of an Inward-Focused Church”. Christianity Today

Introduction of Today’s Scripture:

As we come to today’s Scripture, let me set the stage for just a moment.

To modern readers, it can feel a little unusual that Paul opens up Romans chapter 14 talking about what people are eating and what people are not eating. It may sound like a strange place to start. Why would that even matter?

In Paul’s day, it made perfect sense. Food was not just about preference, it was about conviction. Some believers, especially those coming out of Judaism, had very strong beliefs about what was clean and unclean. Others, especially Gentile believers, understood their freedom in Christ and felt no restriction. Add to that the issue of meat that may have been associated with idol worship, and you had a real point of tension in the church.

So this was not really about food. It was about conscience. It was about conviction. It was about how believers with different backgrounds and different levels of spiritual understanding were going to live together in unity.

Now bring what Paul was talking about into our world.

We may not argue over meat and vegetables, but we still find plenty of ways to judge one another. We form opinions about how someone worships, what they wear, how they parent, what they watch, what they listen to, how they spend their free time. We judge what people post on Facebook. This person posts too much. This person does not post enough. This person shares too many opinions. This person stays too quiet. We look at how someone dresses for church. This person wore shorts and is way too casual. This person wore a three piece suit and is way too formal. We form opinions about how people raise their kids, how involved they are in church, what ministries they serve in, or why they are not serving where we think they should be. Before long, we are not just holding convictions, we are measuring one another by them, and in many cases, we are judging hearts that only God truly knows.

That is exactly the kind of tension Paul is addressing. He is calling the church to something better. He is calling them to unity without uniformity, conviction without condemnation, and grace toward one another in the middle of their differences.

So with that in mind, let’s open our Bibles to Romans 14, verses 1 through 6, and I’ll be reading from the Christian Standard Bible.

Statement of Belief:

We are opening the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 14:1-6 CSB

Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don't argue about disputed matters. [2] One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. [3] One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. [4] Who are you to judge another's household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand. [5] One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. [6] Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God.

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord.”

Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His holy name.”

Paul Pleads With The Roman Church To…

I. Receive The Weak vs. 1

“Friends, we have arrived at our first point of this message. You can see there on your outline, Paul pleads with the Roman church to, number one, receive the weak. We see this in verse 1 of Romans chapter 14.

‘Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters.’ (Romans 14:1, CSB)

You can see there on your outline the brief explanation of today’s point. 

“Believers are called to accept those with different convictions without turning differences into division.”

Let me frame this with a word that has really taken on new meaning for me lately, the word journey. Every single one of us is on a journey in our walk with Christ. That truth has been so clear to me as I have spent time with Bob and Trish Myers. Bob was baptized last Sunday on Resurrection Sunday, and one of the things we talked about often was this idea of a journey. Bob is on a journey. He is learning. He is growing. He is coming to understand the gospel more deeply, coming to understand his Savior more clearly, and what it truly means to follow Jesus.

Now Bob is a mature man, but like all of us, he has a developing faith. That is true for every person in this room. Some are further along in their walk. Some have more biblical knowledge. Some have been following Jesus for decades. Others are just getting started. Yet all of us are still growing. All of us are still learning. All of us are still being shaped by the Lord.

So it would be wrong for us to look at someone like Bob, who is new in the faith, and judge him harshly when he stumbles. He is going to stumble. He is going to have moments where old habits show up. That does not disqualify him, it identifies him as someone in the process of sanctification.

Let me say it this way. If Bob were to slip up and let a word fly that he should not say, that is very different than if I stood behind this pulpit and did the same thing. I have been walking with the Lord for decades. The expectation of maturity on my life is higher. Greater knowledge brings greater responsibility. Growth should lead to greater consistency.

The church has to learn how to recognize growth, not just perfection. Think about a running back in football. When he gets the ball and pushes forward, he may get hit and stopped, but the referees will often mark the ball based on forward progress. They recognize the direction he was going. They recognize the effort to move ahead.

In the same way, we should be looking for forward progress in one another. We are watching for evidence that someone is moving toward Christ, even if they have not arrived yet. That kind of grace does not ignore sin, but it does recognize growth. It encourages the journey instead of crushing the person.

Think about it like this. A man may come to Christ and be genuinely saved, redeemed, and changed by the power of the gospel. He has been forgiven. He has been washed clean. Yet he may still struggle with things from his old life. Maybe his language is rough. Maybe words slip out that should not. That does not mean he is not saved. It means he is in the process of sanctification. It means God is still doing a work in him.

Sin does not just fall off the moment we are saved. There is a daily battle that takes place. Jesus speaks to this when He says we are to take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23, ESV). That is a daily surrender. A daily choice to die to self and live for Christ. Growth takes time. Change takes time. Sanctification is a process.

So when Paul says to receive the weak, he is not telling us to lower the standard of truth. He is calling us to raise the level of grace. He is reminding us that we are all on a journey, and we need to make room for one another along the way.

Romans 15:7 says it this way:

‘Therefore, accept each other in the same way that Christ accepted you. He did this to bring glory to God.’ (GW)”

Paul Pleads With The Roman Church To…

I. Receive The Weak vs. 1

II. Refuse Judgemental Attitudes vs. 2-4

Friends, let’s move to our second point this morning. Paul pleads with the Roman church to first receive the weak. Second, Roman numeral two, refuse judgmental attitudes. We see this in verses two through four.

“One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. [3] One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. [4] Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.”(Romans 14:2–4, CSB)

Friends, on your outline, we have an explanation. 

“We must resist criticizing or condemning other believers over issues where God has given freedom.”

Paul is addressing two groups in the church. One group feels freedom to eat anything. 

The other group, out of conviction, limits what they eat. 

The problem was not the food, the problem was the attitude.

One group looked down on the other. 

The other group judged the first. 

One side said, you are too strict. 

The other side said, you are too loose. 

Both sides were wrong in how they treated one another.

Friends, in Scripture we see a clear example where judgmental attitudes threatened the unity and the witness of the early church. The early church nearly did not get off the ground because of a dispute between Paul and Peter. Peter’s actions began to draw lines where the gospel had removed them. Thankfully, Paul stepped in.

Listen to what Paul says in Galatians 2:11–14:

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. [12] For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. [13] Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. [14] But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?”’ (CSB)

Church, Peter knew the truth. Peter understood his freedom in Christ. Yet his actions created division. His behavior sent the message that some believers were less accepted than others. Paul steps in and says, that is not in line with the gospel.

Then Paul addresses this issue directly in 1 Corinthians 8:4–9:

“About eating food sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” [5] For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are many “gods” and many “lords,” [6] yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from him, and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him. [7] However, not everyone has this knowledge. Some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. [8] Food will not bring us close to God. We are not worse off if we do not eat, and we are not better if we do eat. [9] But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.”(CSB)

Thats the tension. Yes…freedom is real, but love must lead.

Paul’s point is simple. God has accepted them, so who are you to reject them? 

God is the Master, we are not. 

Each believer stands before the Lord, not before our personal standards and preferences.

When we step into the role of judge over disputable matters, we are stepping into a place that does not belong to us. We are measuring people by our standards instead of trusting the work of God in their lives.

Refuse judgmental attitudes. 

Hold your convictions, but don’t weaponize them. 

Stand on truth, but lead with grace. 

Remember that God is still working in His people, and He is more than able to make them stand.

Jesus said it this way in Matthew 7:1–2:

“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. [2] For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use.’ (CSB)”

Paul Pleads With The Roman Church To…

I. Receive The Weak vs. 1

II. Refuse Judgemental Attitudes vs. 2-4

III. Remember The Lord vs. 5-6

“Friends, we made it to our last point, Roman numeral number three. Paul pleads with the Roman church to remember the Lord. Remember the Lord. Let’s go back and look at verses 5 and 6.

‘One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. [6] Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God.’ (Romans 14:5–6, CSB)

Church, our focus should be honoring Christ in all we do, recognizing that every believer ultimately answers to Him.

As many of you know, our family loves baseball. We watch a lot of baseball in our home. We love Major League Baseball. We love SEC baseball. We love high school and college baseball. A few years ago, there was a major scandal involving the Houston Astros.

The Astros were using cameras in center field to steal signs from the catcher. Those signals were relayed back to bench coach Alex Cora who was the dugout, Cora would receive the information and then a player would bang on a trash can to let the batter know what pitch was coming. 

It is even suggested that star player Jose Altuve  was wired with devices that would send signals to his body, giving him an advantage at the plate. You can see in this picture that Altuve had just hit a home run. In the video Altuve is telling his teammates not to pull at his jersey because he was afraid that it might reveal the wire that he was wearing. Altuve was not the only person wearing wires. Several players are thought to deployed these devices to give them a leg up on their opponent. There is no telling how long it went on or how long they got away with it.

For a while, it worked. They won games. They looked successful. Everything seemed fine on the surface.

Then it all came to light.

Investigations took place. 

Consequences followed. 

Reputations were damaged. 

Trust was broken. 

Why? Because in the end, they were accountable to a higher authority. 

It did not matter how long they got away with it. It did not matter how they justified it. 

They still had to answer for it.

That is the truth Paul is pointing us to, but on a much deeper level.

Each believer must be fully convinced in his own mind. That means we are not living to impress people. We are not living to win arguments. We are not living to prove that our preferences are right. We are living for the Lord.

Whether someone observes a certain day or does not. Whether someone eats something or chooses not to. The question is not, do I approve? The question is, are they doing it for the Lord?

Paul keeps bringing us back to that phrase. 

For the Lord. 

For the Lord. 

For the Lord.

It reminds us that I am not the judge of another believer’s life. You are not the judge of mine. We are not accountable to each other in that ultimate sense. We are accountable to Him.

So instead of constantly looking sideways at what everyone else is doing, we need to look upward and ask a better question. Am I honoring Christ in what I say, in what I do, in how I live?

Colossians 3:17 says it this way:

“Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father.” (GNT)

We are instantly humbled when we remember the Lord. It humbles us. It steadies us. It reminds us that one day, we will stand before Him, and that is the evaluation that matters most.

Brothers and sisters, church family…

Lets take what we’ve heard today and turn this information into your inspiration.”

Turn This Information Into Your Inspiration!

Closing Prayer:

Father God, Lord, we are just grateful to be in Your presence today. We do not deserve You. We certainly could never earn You. Yet, God, You choose to meet with us anyway.

Lord, I pray that this time we have shared together, preaching, teaching, reading Your Word, prayer, worship, and giving, that it was anointed. I pray that Your Holy Spirit has been moving in and among us, convicting us, calling us to do better, calling us to live well, calling us to remember our mission and our focus. Lord, teach us not to judge one another, but to joyfully encourage one another as we walk this journey of faith together.

Father, if there is someone here today who does not know You, who has never made a commitment to You, who has never called on the name of Jesus, I pray that today would be the day of salvation. Help them to see their need for You, to believe that Jesus is Your Son, and to call out to Him in faith.

Lord, if there is someone here today who needs a church family, someone who feels alone, someone who needs support, I pray that You would give them the courage to step forward and make that decision known. Remind them that they do not have to walk this life alone.

Father, I also lift up those who may be carrying silent burdens. Those who are hurting. Those who are facing illness, disease, or difficulty. Those who are walking through something heavy, or standing beside someone who is. Lord, draw them close to You. Give them the freedom to come and pray, right where they are or here at the altar. Thank You that we can come to You without fear.

Lord, thank You for receiving us when we are weak. Thank You that when You look at us, You see not just our sin, but the righteousness of Christ that covers us. Thank You for saving us, for redeeming us, and for continuing to work in us.

God, continue to convict us and call us to remember You in our daily lives. We love You, we trust You, and we ask all of this in the name of Jesus. Amen.