New Rules for Posting On Social Media

Podcast

Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun

Come Lord
Join us here today

In all things let us give thanks
Make our hearts sensitive to the good you bring to us.
Fill us with gratitude
Make us noticers of your presence
Your hand
Your loving care
Let us feel our contentment in you
And live truthfully before you
Without mask
Without pretense
Without shame

Help us step out of our defenses
Our roles and stances
Our postures and reputations
And help us to step into you
Our need of you
Knowing you are trustworthy
Knowing you are kind
Knowing you are making us new
Whole
And for this we give thanks again
And again
Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,
‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.’
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God Romans 14:10-12

Intro: For some theologians and many believers,

Paul’s letter to the Romans is the heart of the Christian faith
– but what they see as the central message isn’t my favorite part
• chapter 8 and this chapter speak directly to our need
• that is, our connection to God and life in the Spirit
◦ then chapter 14, where we learn what living our faith looks like in practice
– a natural division occurred in churches of the Roman Empire
• the split occurred along both ethnic and cultural lines
◦ they consisted of both Jewish and Gentile members
◦ Paul was clear re: his ministry, to Jews first and also to Gentiles
• in some churches, this became a problem – Galatians
◦ there is a hint of that same tension here (and in Colossians)
◦ only it has a slightly different look – based on practice

In verse 1, Paul introduces us to these two groups in Rome

He labels one group, “weak in faith”
– I think he’s being delicate by not labeling the other group as strong
• however, at the beginning of chapter 15, he does say,
“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak”
• in what way were some Christians “weak in faith”?
– this where I think we can discern Jewish roots
• what “weak in faith” means
◦ they were uncomfortable with idea of right with God by grace
• they had learned that obeying the law was their salvation
◦ so for them, they were saved by grace + something else
◦ Sabbath-keeping, dietary restrictions, circumcision
• those, strong in faith, didn’t share those convictions

I’ll pause here long enough for us to realize,
– there are many Christians who still carry similar beliefs
• we are saved by grace plus something more
◦ grace + baptism, grace + their doctrine, grace + politics
• some people will always struggle with grace
◦ at the same time, we must be aware of the danger of what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace”
◦ grace that makes no demands
– grace is life-transforming–result: we live differently than before
• but even still, the essence of grace is relational not legal or doctrinal

Paul had many run-ins and conflicts with the promoters of legalism

The first significant Gentile church was in Antioch in Syria
“But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ And . . . Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them . . . .” (Acts 15:1-2)
– in time, Paul reached the realization:
• he would never be able to change their minds
• they were as Christian as he was, despite their convictions
– so the challenge became working out a peaceful co-existence
• what he taught the Ephesians: Jesus is the bridge between the two groups
“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility . . . that he might create in himself one new [people] in place of the two, so making peace” (Ep. 2:14-15)

So now Paul makes a similar appeal to these two groups in Rome

He tells each group what they need to hear:
– to the weak in faith”
“Don’t judge, criticize, or condemn the others who don’t share your opinions”
– to the strong in faith:
“Don’t despise or look down on the others as less enlightened, spiritual, or educated”

The information Paul provides in the first nine verses is thorough
– but I get the feeling that he didn’t think that was enough,
• that it was important that they take the message inside them
◦ he wanted his Christian readers to live this truth
• so he moves to another way of communicating to them
◦ he doesn’t pour more information into them
◦ instead he challenges the to do some soul-searching
“Why do your pass judgment on your [Christian brothers and sisters]?”
– sometimes a “why” question is rhetorical
• the person who asks, is convinced there’s no valid answer
◦ other times, the question is real,
◦ but the person asking has another purpose than to get an answer
• if a Christian community is divided over an issue,
◦ it can be a wise move toward resolve and reconciliation,
◦ if everyone involved asks themselves,
why they feel as they do, why they hold their ground, and why they allow it to lead to division
– whether the question is effective in repairing the division,
• depends on each person taking the challenge seriously
◦ “why” must be answered as truthfully as possible
◦ to do that requires deep and thorough probing of our hearts
• I confess, it isn’t easy for me to get to my truth
◦ I must include searching my mind and heart–i.e., reason and emotion
◦ facts vs assumptions, my prejudices and preferences
also, what personal and cultural influences play into this?

When Paul asks us, “Why?” we must answer on our own
– it won’t work to refer to general consensus or public opinion
• as in the final judgment Paul mentions,
◦ we will stand alone before God and answer for ourselves
• I think my intention for saying this is the same as Paul’s
◦ I believe we must take this interior exploration seriously
– everyone finds it difficult to admit that they’re wrong
• especially if the person we’re debating is belligerent and aggressive
• knowing that it’s our spirit or attitude that is wrong, makes it even more difficult

Let’s get out the magnifying glass and take a closer look at the text

Paul get’s personal – he’s not talking about an anonymous crowd
– he says, “Why do you pass judgment”
• and he doesn’t make it “us” and “them” or “you” and “them”
◦ he addresses one group, “you,” and says, “Or you!”
– I can’t remember if I’ve noticed this before,
• that he says, “why do you despise your sibling”
◦ that is to say, “treat them with contempt”
– this is a frustrating defect of our human nature
• we cannot simply disagree with someone regarding a serious issue
◦ we are gripped with strong negative feelings toward them
• “despise” is a strong word, but sometimes we have strong feelings
◦ and this person, Paul says, is my brother, my sister
◦ we share a familial bond in Jesus

There is a key phrase in this section of Romans I want to emphasize

It is found first in verse 1, where Paul says, “welcome him”
– “Don’t judge, don’t despise, don’t argue, just welcome them”
• to welcome someone is to receive them, open you heart and your arms to them
• Paul comes back to this in verse 3
• and then again in Romans 15:7 (where Jesus is our example)

If Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son had a longer ending:
– the Prodigal–the little brother–, would have told his father,
“Don’t invite my older brother to my party! He’ll ruin it. He’s always judging me. He’ll ask how much everything cost. He’s too uptight. He always has to be right. Father, I want to be with you, but not him.”
• and his father would have answered,
“Son, never forget how much I love your older brother. He, too, is my son. And he hasn’t caused me as much heartache as you. True, he has taken fewer risks, but he’s always been very careful not to offend me. You love me. I love you and I love him, and I want you to love him as well.”
• in the longer ending, the brothers would have been reconciled
– that was what the message Jesus wanted his audience to hear and put into practice

Conclusion: Several times, I’ve started to respond to someone on social media

But I felt the Lord telling me, “Don’t do that”
– people are already doing too much name-calling, derision, and throwing obscenities at each other
• perhaps he wants me to use the platform for good

It’s one level of relief when we realize we can’t “fix” others
but there’s even greater peace when we realize, we don’t have to fix anyone else
God hasn’t put that on his list of things for us to do

Paul says “each one of us will give an account of their selves to God”
So which case should I be working on?
prosecuting my neighbor’s case or preparing my own?
Regardless of what everyone else may be doing,
we are ambassadors of God’s love in the world
Let’s commit ourselves to working on that