WWW Be Right (13)

In one paragraph

Romans 14 calls the church to handle differences of conviction with humility and love. The preacher worked through the chapter to show that unity among believers is not optional, and that our freedom in non-essential areas always has to be weighed against its effect on our brothers and sisters. The first eleven chapters of Romans lay out doctrine, and chapters 12 through 15 move into application....

Read together

1. John 17:20-23 Jesus praying for unity among believers so the world would know God sent him
2. John 13:35 everyone will know you are Christ's disciples if you love one another
3. Romans 14:1-12 the weak and strong in faith, not judging one another, eating and not eating
4. Romans 14:13-23 not putting a stumbling block in a brother's way, the kingdom is righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
5. James 2:13 judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy
6. Galatians 6:1 restoring one caught in trespass with a spirit of gentleness
7. 2 Timothy 2:25 with gentleness correcting those in opposition so God may grant repentance
8. Romans 15:1 the strong ought to bear the weakness of those without strength and not please themselves
9. Romans 15:5 God of perseverance and encouragement granting believers to be of the same mind to glorify God with one voice
10. Romans 15:7 accept one another just as Christ accepted us to the glory of God

Talk about it

1. Pastor opened with the Starbucks red cup controversy as an example of differing Christian opinions. What other examples from your own life have you seen where Christians land on opposite sides of a non-essential issue, and how did those differences affect the relationships involved?
2. Jesus prayed in John 17 that believers would be one, and the sermon connected that unity to how the world comes to know that Christ was sent by God. How have you personally seen Christian unity, or the lack of it, shape the way people outside the church view the faith?
3. The sermon described both the weak and the strong in Romans 14 as giving thanks to God and doing what they do for the Lord. What does it look like in practice to assume that kind of good faith about a fellow believer whose convictions differ from yours?
4. The point was made that we are not called to be the Holy Spirit for one another, and that each person's walk is between themselves and God. At the same time, Galatians 6:1 was brought up for situations where someone is clearly in sin. How do you personally decide when a difference of conviction calls for acceptance and when it calls for a gentle word?
5. The sermon closed with the idea that our freedom is not more important than what God is doing in another person's life, and that we are free not to flaunt our liberty but to choose to love. Is there a freedom you hold that you have ever had to set aside for the sake of a brother or sister? What was that like?