Week 5 – Jared Bayless – July 28, 2019
Big Idea: God will reveal his glory to us when the love of ourselves stops getting the glory.
Main Question: Why should I care about his glory?
Main scripture: Romans 14:13-15:6
- It will finally bring me peace WHEN I can stop thinking about ME.
Romans 14:13 (NLT) So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
Romans 14:20-23 (NLT) Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
“If we love each other, we will seek to edify each other, build each other up in the faith. The strong Christian has spiritual knowledge but if they don’t practice love, their knowledge will hurt the weak Christian. Knowledge must be balanced by love. Knowledge plus love helps the weak person grow strong. The strong believer needs to grow in love; the weak believer needs to grow in knowledge. Believers may hold different convictions about many matters, but they must hold them in love.” – Warren Wiersbe
- It is the cure for our disease
Romans 15:1-3b (NLT) We who are strong (implying Paul was one of the strong) must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn’t live to please himself.
John 5:2-9 (NIV) Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath.
John 5:14 (NIV) Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
- It reveals our path
Video – Leading Tones by Charles David Denler
Romans 15:5-6 (NLT) May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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