WEBVTT 00:00:02.250 --> 00:00:05.089 Our text today is found in Romans chapter 14, 00:00:05.389 --> 00:00:16.750 beginning with verse 13. Romans chapter 14, beginning 00:00:16.750 --> 00:00:22.230 with verse 13. Therefore let us not judge one 00:00:22.230 --> 00:00:25.629 another any more, but rather determine this, 00:00:25.670 --> 00:00:31.280 not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:35.659 a brother's way. I know and am convinced in the 00:00:35.659 --> 00:00:38.320 Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:42.159 But to him who thinks anything to be unclean, 00:00:42.179 --> 00:00:47.500 to him it is unclean. For if because of food 00:00:47.500 --> 00:00:51.700 your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking 00:00:51.700 --> 00:00:55.399 according to love. Do not destroy with your food 00:00:55.399 --> 00:01:00.189 him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let 00:01:00.189 --> 00:01:04.510 what is for you a good thing be spoken of as 00:01:04.510 --> 00:01:08.090 evil. For the kingdom of God is not eating and 00:01:08.090 --> 00:01:11.890 drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy 00:01:11.890 --> 00:01:15.810 in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves 00:01:15.810 --> 00:01:19.790 Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 00:01:20.569 --> 00:01:24.530 So then let us pursue the things which make for 00:01:24.530 --> 00:01:28.819 peace and the building up of one another. Do 00:01:28.819 --> 00:01:31.799 not tear down the work of God for the sake of 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:35.379 food. All things indeed are clean, but they are 00:01:35.379 --> 00:01:37.939 evil for the man who eats and gives offense. 00:01:38.780 --> 00:01:42.099 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine or 00:01:42.099 --> 00:01:45.200 to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:49.420 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction 00:01:49.420 --> 00:01:53.280 before God. Happy is he who does not condemn 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:56.959 himself in what he approves. But he who doubts 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:00.599 is condemned if he eats, because his eating is 00:02:00.599 --> 00:02:03.939 not from faith, and whatever is not from faith 00:02:03.939 --> 00:02:10.020 is sin. Someone has said that there's nothing 00:02:10.020 --> 00:02:15.400 sure in life except what? Death and taxes, and 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:17.180 they're usually in about the same category of 00:02:17.180 --> 00:02:23.259 thought, aren't they? We often think of death 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:26.530 as just being a normal thing. But did you know 00:02:26.530 --> 00:02:33.849 it's not? Death is abnormal. God did not create 00:02:33.849 --> 00:02:39.150 mankind to die. He created mankind to live on 00:02:39.150 --> 00:02:44.669 and on in innocence, fellowship, and obedience 00:02:44.669 --> 00:02:52.990 to him. Death is an abnormality, and yet we face 00:02:52.990 --> 00:02:57.979 it, and it is so. so present around us for the 00:02:57.979 --> 00:03:01.919 soul that sins dies. It is appointed unto man 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:06.520 once to die. It is so prevalent that we think 00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:09.960 of it as being normal when actually it's abnormal. 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:15.319 You know the same thing I think can be said about 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:22.650 disunity in a church. It is so prevalent. It 00:03:22.650 --> 00:03:25.669 is so widely experienced that we often think 00:03:25.669 --> 00:03:28.449 that division in a local church is the norm. 00:03:29.150 --> 00:03:35.969 It is not. A church divided is an abnormality. 00:03:38.409 --> 00:03:40.889 Furthermore, it's a disgrace to the testimony 00:03:40.889 --> 00:03:47.129 of Jesus Christ. A united fellowship is the norm. 00:03:48.150 --> 00:03:52.740 It's God's plan. And it's that which honors the 00:03:52.740 --> 00:03:58.400 Lord. Unity is produced by the Holy Spirit, but 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:03.400 it is preserved, dear people, by us, the saints. 00:04:04.659 --> 00:04:08.099 It is preserved by our obedience to the Word 00:04:08.099 --> 00:04:14.879 of God. Often tension and potential disunity. 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:19.079 come not from disagreement over major doctrines 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:24.100 or essential issues, but rather non -essential 00:04:24.100 --> 00:04:28.160 differences, regarding which there is no clear 00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:32.680 biblical revelation of what is right or wrong. 00:04:32.819 --> 00:04:36.060 In other words, that gray zone that we started 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:40.660 talking about last week. Now after last Sunday's 00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:43.759 message, there was a common question in the congregation. 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:48.899 and one which I had myself. The question is, 00:04:48.939 --> 00:04:53.160 how do we know what issues or matters properly 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:58.439 fall into the gray zone? What is one of the gray 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:03.839 issues? Well, the fact is, of course, that each 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:08.279 of us might differ to some degree in what is 00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:12.379 in that gray zone. So how do we define? what 00:05:12.379 --> 00:05:17.920 is properly in the gray zone. Certainly, whatever 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:24.699 is clearly stated in the Bible does not belong 00:05:24.699 --> 00:05:30.139 in the gray zone. In other words, we cannot say 00:05:30.139 --> 00:05:34.980 that cheating or dishonesty or lying or adultery 00:05:34.980 --> 00:05:41.279 or gossip, dishonoring parents, that those things 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:45.079 are in the gray zone, the Bible clearly states 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:49.560 that those are wrong. Further, we should not 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:55.500 say that kindness or purity or honesty or self 00:05:55.500 --> 00:05:59.160 -control or love are in the gray zone, for the 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:06.180 Bible says that those things are right. How do 00:06:06.180 --> 00:06:09.920 we know what is in the gray zone then? Well, 00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:12.920 I believe that we can say that anything not clearly 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:17.699 stated in a properly interpreted Bible passage 00:06:17.699 --> 00:06:24.779 is at least potentially in the gray zone. So 00:06:24.779 --> 00:06:27.939 a gray issue may be something that is not clearly 00:06:27.939 --> 00:06:31.699 stated in a properly interpreted Bible passage. 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:39.980 Now it may be that there are... some issues beyond 00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:42.779 that that should not be in the gray zone. Let 00:06:42.779 --> 00:06:44.920 me take it for an example, just to illustrate 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:48.480 what I mean. Nowhere in the Bible does it say 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:53.100 thou shalt not smoke, for example. And therefore, 00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:56.620 it has been thought for a long time that smoking 00:06:56.620 --> 00:07:01.220 is a gray issue, that it's up to a person's individual 00:07:01.220 --> 00:07:05.420 conviction about whether he should smoke or not 00:07:05.420 --> 00:07:10.319 as a Christian. And it is true that the Bible 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:12.720 does not clearly state thou shalt not smoke. 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:18.279 But so many facts have been discovered regarding 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:22.639 smoking in the last 10 to 15 years that it is 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:26.720 very clear that smoking is a slow way to commit 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:32.040 suicide. Smoking kills a person. It destroys 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:37.319 the body. It's true the Bible does not say thou 00:07:37.319 --> 00:07:41.120 shalt not take poison either. But we don't put 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:44.279 that in the gray zone and say, well, it's up 00:07:44.279 --> 00:07:47.779 to a person if he wants to take it or not. He 00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:49.720 shouldn't take poison because it'll kill him. 00:07:49.939 --> 00:07:54.600 And that's wrong, to kill oneself. And I think 00:07:54.600 --> 00:07:57.680 that smoking, while it may at one time have been 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:00.000 legitimately, intellectually at least, been a 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:03.730 gray issue. because of recent discoveries, is 00:08:03.730 --> 00:08:06.290 moving more and more toward a definite no for 00:08:06.290 --> 00:08:08.430 a Christian because of what it does to the body. 00:08:10.910 --> 00:08:13.509 So therefore, although that's not clearly stated 00:08:13.509 --> 00:08:16.350 in the Bible, I think that it's very difficult 00:08:16.350 --> 00:08:23.990 to argue honestly that it is a gray issue. We 00:08:23.990 --> 00:08:25.970 must recognize that there will always be some 00:08:25.970 --> 00:08:28.209 differences among believers who love the Lord 00:08:28.209 --> 00:08:33.679 over these matters. in the gray zone. There will 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:37.980 always be in the church the weak and the strong. 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:43.740 The weak being defined in the Bible now as those 00:08:43.740 --> 00:08:46.159 who have a greater sensitivity of conscience, 00:08:46.620 --> 00:08:52.059 who tend to be more legalistic, and for whom 00:08:52.059 --> 00:08:57.100 rules are very important. Those are the weaker 00:08:57.100 --> 00:09:02.350 brothers. The strong, as the Bible defines it, 00:09:02.370 --> 00:09:05.929 refers to those who understand the liberty of 00:09:05.929 --> 00:09:09.710 Christ's redemptive work and who live in freedom 00:09:09.710 --> 00:09:12.850 in their lives without guilt with respect to 00:09:12.850 --> 00:09:16.649 the disputed issues in the gray zone. Those are 00:09:16.649 --> 00:09:20.450 the strong. And we will always have the weak 00:09:20.450 --> 00:09:23.730 and the strong amongst us. It will never be different 00:09:23.730 --> 00:09:26.600 until the day that we stand before Christ. and 00:09:26.600 --> 00:09:28.759 all of us are perfectly conformed then to His 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:33.539 image. Now there are two extremes that we need 00:09:33.539 --> 00:09:36.600 to avoid regarding this matter of the weak and 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:41.419 the strong. We need to avoid being the perpetual 00:09:41.419 --> 00:09:46.919 weaker brother. What do I mean by that? I mean 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:51.460 being one who is immature and not maturing. It's 00:09:51.460 --> 00:09:53.960 okay to be immature if one is growing and maturing, 00:09:53.960 --> 00:09:56.620 but... I'm talking about one who should have 00:09:56.620 --> 00:10:00.200 grown and has not, who's stagnated. The perpetual 00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:03.360 weaker brother is one who is habitually legalistic 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:07.620 and expects everyone else to limit their options 00:10:07.620 --> 00:10:12.600 to keep him happy. He wears his legalistic opinions 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:15.720 on his shoulder, just daring others to knock 00:10:15.720 --> 00:10:20.240 him. And he usually has a tantrum when he doesn't 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:24.549 get his way. And his statement usually is something 00:10:24.549 --> 00:10:28.269 like this. Oh, so he's supposed to be a Christian 00:10:28.269 --> 00:10:34.269 the way he's acting? He ought to know better. 00:10:36.970 --> 00:10:39.289 On the other hand, you have the presumptuous 00:10:39.289 --> 00:10:42.570 stronger brother. First, the perpetual weaker 00:10:42.570 --> 00:10:46.169 brother. That's an extreme to avoid. Don't be 00:10:46.169 --> 00:10:49.090 like that. But don't be like the presumptuous 00:10:49.090 --> 00:10:52.669 stronger brother either. He is one who has no 00:10:52.669 --> 00:10:57.990 regard for the genuine sensitivity of the weaker. 00:10:58.950 --> 00:11:03.370 He is arrogant and flaunts his liberty to make 00:11:03.370 --> 00:11:07.409 a point and sometimes even to initiate an offense 00:11:07.409 --> 00:11:12.009 or to intimidate others who are weaker and don't 00:11:12.009 --> 00:11:15.289 share his same freedom. And his statement usually 00:11:15.289 --> 00:11:18.649 is, well, why doesn't he grow up anyway if he 00:11:18.649 --> 00:11:24.490 has a problem with this? Now folks, we need to 00:11:24.490 --> 00:11:28.470 avoid both of those extremes. Recognize that 00:11:28.470 --> 00:11:31.049 there are in this church those who are weaker 00:11:31.049 --> 00:11:33.870 and those who are stronger, and I didn't point 00:11:33.870 --> 00:11:39.169 to the sections just to illustrate that. The 00:11:39.169 --> 00:11:43.990 weaker and the stronger, we'll reverse it. But 00:11:43.990 --> 00:11:47.710 avoid becoming an extreme, perpetual weaker brother 00:11:47.710 --> 00:11:55.129 who expects everybody to kowtow to your And avoid 00:11:55.129 --> 00:11:58.610 being the presumptuous brother who despises those 00:11:58.610 --> 00:12:02.809 who can't, for conscience sake, at this point 00:12:02.809 --> 00:12:04.570 at least, have the same freedom as yourself. 00:12:05.769 --> 00:12:09.350 Romans chapters 14 and 15 give us three principles 00:12:09.350 --> 00:12:14.090 which enable us, all of us, spread across the 00:12:14.090 --> 00:12:18.129 spectrum of opinions in the gray zone, to live 00:12:18.129 --> 00:12:23.850 nonetheless in harmony. and to glorify God. And 00:12:23.850 --> 00:12:26.250 you and I need to get a hold of these three principles 00:12:26.250 --> 00:12:29.870 if we're going to preserve the unity of the Spirit 00:12:29.870 --> 00:12:34.190 in this church. Principle number one we talked 00:12:34.190 --> 00:12:38.610 about last week. It is accept one another. Chapter 00:12:38.610 --> 00:12:44.450 14, verses 1 through 12. Today we come to principle 00:12:44.450 --> 00:12:50.389 number two, build up one another. Verses 13 through 00:12:50.389 --> 00:12:56.149 28. We build up one another by establishing four 00:12:56.149 --> 00:13:00.570 habits in our own lives. And I want you to follow 00:13:00.570 --> 00:13:02.690 these with me. Perhaps you have a copy of the 00:13:02.690 --> 00:13:05.690 outline there in your worship folder. How do 00:13:05.690 --> 00:13:08.350 we build up one another? How do we follow that 00:13:08.350 --> 00:13:12.490 principle so as to preserve the unity of the 00:13:12.490 --> 00:13:15.889 church? There are four habits that need to be 00:13:15.889 --> 00:13:20.220 established. Number one. We build up one another 00:13:20.220 --> 00:13:25.360 by giving no cause for hindrance. Verse 13. You 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:28.879 say, should that really be a concern? Do I really 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:31.240 need to be concerned about whether I hinder somebody 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:35.399 else and their spiritual progress? Absolutely 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:42.779 yes. For you are your brother's keeper in this 00:13:42.779 --> 00:13:47.100 matter. May I refer you back to Matthew chapter 00:13:47.100 --> 00:13:50.299 18 to look at some words of the Lord Jesus himself. 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:54.940 Now you better turn there and look at these verses. 00:13:56.379 --> 00:14:02.419 These are serious. And besides that, if you don't, 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:08.039 a plague will come upon your house. Matthew chapter 00:14:08.039 --> 00:14:17.039 18, verse 3. Jesus called a child to come into 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:20.919 the midst of the group that he was talking with. 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:25.799 He said, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted 00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:29.360 and become like children, you shall not enter 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:33.120 the kingdom of heaven. He does not mean that 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:35.820 we become childish. There are some Christians 00:14:35.820 --> 00:14:39.039 who seem to think that. He is saying we become 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:47.710 childlike. simple in our faith, in our trust, 00:14:47.929 --> 00:14:53.549 in our love. He goes on to say, whoever then 00:14:53.549 --> 00:14:58.429 humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest 00:14:58.429 --> 00:15:01.370 in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever receives 00:15:01.370 --> 00:15:06.990 one such child in my name receives me, but whoever 00:15:06.990 --> 00:15:10.590 causes one of these little ones who believe in 00:15:10.590 --> 00:15:15.240 me to stumble, It is better for him that a heavy 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:18.620 millstone be hung around his neck and that he 00:15:18.620 --> 00:15:24.179 be drowned in the depth of the sea. Jesus says, 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:28.620 it is a very serious thing for me to cause another 00:15:28.620 --> 00:15:31.580 in the family of God to be offended, to stumble 00:15:31.580 --> 00:15:35.779 into sin. He says, it would be better for me 00:15:35.779 --> 00:15:38.600 that I have a millstone. That's about a ton or 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:42.460 two. hanged around my neck and I be dropped into 00:15:42.460 --> 00:15:46.500 the sea than to do something like that. That's 00:15:46.500 --> 00:15:49.559 kind of serious, I think, don't you? You think 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:52.159 Jesus is trying to get a point across? So do 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:58.480 I. We are not to give cause for hindrance. Now 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:01.720 let's go back to chapter 14 of Romans. There 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:06.179 are three exhortations in verse 13. The first 00:16:06.179 --> 00:16:09.120 is given to the weaker brother. the second and 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:13.399 third to the stronger. He says first to the weaker, 00:16:13.480 --> 00:16:17.240 let us not judge one another anymore. Now if 00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:19.000 you look earlier, you'll notice it's the weaker 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:20.980 ones who are doing the judging. The stronger 00:16:20.980 --> 00:16:25.080 were despising. But the weaker were judging and 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:28.019 pointing their finger and saying, shame on you. 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:31.639 They were judging their brothers regarding some 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:34.559 of their activities. And Paul says, don't do 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:36.960 that anymore. In other words, it was going on, 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:38.980 just like it's going on in some lives here this 00:16:38.980 --> 00:16:44.200 morning. If you want to not cause your brother 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:48.279 to stumble, then stop judging him, because that 00:16:48.279 --> 00:16:51.779 will cause him to stumble. You see, that judging 00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:55.100 kind of an attitude creates tension and ill feeling, 00:16:55.299 --> 00:17:02.200 mistrust and suspicion. And so if you or me If 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:05.420 we are guilty of judging one another, let's stop 00:17:05.420 --> 00:17:08.859 it right now and confess it as sin, for that's 00:17:08.859 --> 00:17:14.500 what it is. Secondly, he says, and now to the 00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:17.900 strong, don't put an obstacle in your brother's 00:17:17.900 --> 00:17:21.720 way. Now the word obstacle in verse 13 is a noun 00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:28.619 form of the word stumbles in verse 21. The word 00:17:28.619 --> 00:17:34.460 to stumble in verse 21, has to do with striking 00:17:34.460 --> 00:17:37.440 your foot against a stone along the pathway. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:40.740 I talked to my mother in Kansas last week, and 00:17:40.740 --> 00:17:43.380 she said that she had been out walking, which 00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:46.000 is a morning exercise that she's been going through, 00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:48.799 and as she was walking along at a very rapid 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:52.940 pace, she did not notice in the pavement that 00:17:52.940 --> 00:17:54.779 it was broken, and there was a piece sticking 00:17:54.779 --> 00:17:56.880 up, and she stubbed her toe, and before she knew 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:58.740 it, she fell face first right on the ground. 00:18:00.750 --> 00:18:03.250 She stumbled in the very sense of what this word 00:18:03.250 --> 00:18:09.329 means. Now, dear beloved people, can you imagine 00:18:09.329 --> 00:18:12.930 someone deliberately doing that to someone else, 00:18:13.109 --> 00:18:19.730 physically or spiritually? He says that we are 00:18:19.730 --> 00:18:22.309 not to put an obstacle in our brother's way so 00:18:22.309 --> 00:18:28.089 that he trips on it and falls. That, of course, 00:18:28.130 --> 00:18:33.250 will give him a hindrance. He will not progress 00:18:33.250 --> 00:18:36.670 and mature. Don't do that. Then he says, thirdly, 00:18:36.710 --> 00:18:39.210 don't put a stumbling block in your brother's 00:18:39.210 --> 00:18:42.269 way. Now you would think the word stumbling block 00:18:42.269 --> 00:18:44.049 would mean what I've just said, but actually 00:18:44.049 --> 00:18:45.910 the word stumbling block literally means the 00:18:45.910 --> 00:18:49.049 trigger of a trap. Have you ever seen a little 00:18:49.049 --> 00:18:52.109 boy out trying to catch a bird? Had a box. I 00:18:52.109 --> 00:18:56.349 saw this several years ago. He had a box. He 00:18:56.349 --> 00:18:58.670 had a stick up holding the box at one end. He 00:18:58.670 --> 00:19:02.690 had some kernels of seed. underneath the box, 00:19:02.789 --> 00:19:05.009 and he had a string. This little boy was over 00:19:05.009 --> 00:19:08.190 behind a bush, and he was waiting for some bird 00:19:08.190 --> 00:19:11.029 to come along. And he'd get underneath the box, 00:19:11.109 --> 00:19:14.369 and whap, and he got him, see? Well, this word 00:19:14.369 --> 00:19:16.329 here would be the word for that stick that held 00:19:16.329 --> 00:19:20.990 up the box. It's the trigger of a trap. And it 00:19:20.990 --> 00:19:25.069 has to do with the idea of enticing someone to 00:19:25.069 --> 00:19:27.750 do something that they shouldn't, something that 00:19:27.750 --> 00:19:30.609 will cause them to feel guilty. something that 00:19:30.609 --> 00:19:33.650 will cause them to be hindered. That's what it 00:19:33.650 --> 00:19:37.569 means. And so he says that we who are stronger 00:19:37.569 --> 00:19:40.490 must be careful not to entice a weaker brother 00:19:40.490 --> 00:19:43.569 into doing something that will cause him to sin 00:19:43.569 --> 00:19:47.490 against his conscience. We are not to set an 00:19:47.490 --> 00:19:50.230 example that will tempt him to do what we've 00:19:50.230 --> 00:19:53.329 done and he ends up falling while we can take 00:19:53.329 --> 00:19:59.069 it. That's the idea. And so we build up one another. 00:19:59.470 --> 00:20:02.970 and thus preserve the unity in the church, when 00:20:02.970 --> 00:20:06.589 we give no cause for hindrance, such as we've 00:20:06.589 --> 00:20:10.109 suggested in verse 13. It is an unspeakable, 00:20:10.170 --> 00:20:14.410 inexcusable, and shameful thing to hinder another 00:20:14.410 --> 00:20:17.990 person in his spiritual progress, and thus being 00:20:17.990 --> 00:20:21.289 edified. And that's a sin that we must confess 00:20:21.289 --> 00:20:26.160 if we're guilty. We need to beware of being involved 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:29.079 in any activity that will create an offense with 00:20:29.079 --> 00:20:32.359 someone else. We need to stop judging others 00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:35.599 who may have more liberty than we do at this 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:42.880 particular point in a gray area of life. We build 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:45.859 up one another secondly by developing this habit, 00:20:46.019 --> 00:20:50.299 walking in the law of love, verses 14 and 15. 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:54.500 Love here is agape love. It's God's kind of love. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:57.980 It's the love that motivates us to action, to 00:20:57.980 --> 00:21:01.779 seek a brother's welfare so as not to cause him 00:21:01.779 --> 00:21:06.799 hurt. Again, this is primarily addressed to those 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:10.859 who are stronger in conscience. You see, the 00:21:10.859 --> 00:21:15.660 one who is strong especially faces a tension 00:21:15.660 --> 00:21:23.759 between two responsibilities in his life. It 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:27.660 is a healthy tension, actually, but tension nonetheless. 00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:33.279 It is a tension between knowledge, what I know 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:38.819 to be true, and love, my concern for my brother. 00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:43.440 And the more mature that one is, the better that 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:46.799 there is a balance in his life between knowledge 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:52.500 and love. Now, what does knowledge say? Well, 00:21:52.579 --> 00:21:55.599 knowledge says what it says in verse 14. Nothing 00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:59.380 is unclean in itself. Paul says, I know that. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.339 He says, not only that, I have thought about 00:22:02.339 --> 00:22:04.660 it, and I'm convinced after my thinking about 00:22:04.660 --> 00:22:09.599 it. That there's nothing in itself unclean. Now, 00:22:09.660 --> 00:22:12.240 he's talking here about ceremonial uncleanness, 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:16.829 not moral uncleanness. He says, food. Because 00:22:16.829 --> 00:22:19.009 it's been offered to an idol, for example, as 00:22:19.009 --> 00:22:21.970 still food, I know that the idols are nothing. 00:22:23.869 --> 00:22:30.410 That's what knowledge says. But love, on the 00:22:30.410 --> 00:22:34.430 other hand, says my brother needs to be built 00:22:34.430 --> 00:22:39.150 up. And though I know that nothing is unclean, 00:22:39.190 --> 00:22:43.329 he doesn't yet know that. And if I act on my 00:22:43.329 --> 00:22:46.900 knowledge alone, my brother will be hurt. Therefore, 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:51.400 says the mature and stronger brother, I must 00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:55.640 limit my own liberty in order to protect my brother 00:22:55.640 --> 00:23:02.240 from being hindered. You see, love tempers our 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:08.180 actions, which knowledge may approve. Turn over 00:23:08.180 --> 00:23:11.559 to 1 Corinthians chapter 8. I would commend this 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:14.990 whole chapter to your study. Because it is a 00:23:14.990 --> 00:23:17.329 beautiful text dealing with what we're talking 00:23:17.329 --> 00:23:28.650 about right now. He warns these carnal and immature 00:23:28.650 --> 00:23:34.829 Corinthians that knowledge alone makes one arrogant 00:23:34.829 --> 00:23:41.690 and puffed up. And he reminds them, because they 00:23:41.690 --> 00:23:45.670 needed it, That love builds up. That's verse 00:23:45.670 --> 00:23:48.910 1, the last part of the verse. You'll notice 00:23:48.910 --> 00:23:52.490 in verse 4 he says, we know that there is no 00:23:52.490 --> 00:23:55.230 such thing as an idol in the world and that there 00:23:55.230 --> 00:23:59.589 is no God but one. He says idols really are nothing 00:23:59.589 --> 00:24:02.750 and they don't represent true gods. They're all 00:24:02.750 --> 00:24:08.349 false. We know that. He says God is the one who 00:24:08.349 --> 00:24:14.619 made all things, verse 6. We exist for Him. We 00:24:14.619 --> 00:24:19.519 exist by Him. We exist through Him. He says, 00:24:19.539 --> 00:24:22.059 we know that there's only one true God, the Creator. 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:27.400 Verse 7, however, and now he begins to balance 00:24:27.400 --> 00:24:30.740 it out. Here's love saying that not all men have 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:37.339 this knowledge. You see, love realizes that there 00:24:37.339 --> 00:24:40.970 are some whose consciences are defiled. Because 00:24:40.970 --> 00:24:43.349 they don't have the knowledge, the insight, the 00:24:43.349 --> 00:24:48.150 understanding about idols that Paul might. Love 00:24:48.150 --> 00:24:53.769 understands, it remembers that liberty must not 00:24:53.769 --> 00:24:58.670 cause one to stumble. Verse 90 says, Take care 00:24:58.670 --> 00:25:03.369 lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling 00:25:03.369 --> 00:25:07.190 block to the weak. For if someone sees you who 00:25:07.190 --> 00:25:11.470 have knowledge, Dining in an idol's temple, and 00:25:11.470 --> 00:25:14.849 that was literally a possibility. There were 00:25:14.849 --> 00:25:17.390 dining areas in those temples. That's how those 00:25:17.390 --> 00:25:20.990 pagan temples got rid of some of the offerings 00:25:20.990 --> 00:25:24.589 that were brought. He says, if someone sees you 00:25:24.589 --> 00:25:27.250 there, will not his conscience, if he is weak, 00:25:27.470 --> 00:25:30.890 be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 00:25:31.009 --> 00:25:35.309 He may come in and order a beefsteak too. And 00:25:35.309 --> 00:25:37.470 then he says, through your knowledge, he who 00:25:37.470 --> 00:25:41.009 is weak is ruined. The brother for whose sake 00:25:41.009 --> 00:25:44.890 Christ died. The word ruined means that he suffers 00:25:44.890 --> 00:25:49.809 loss. He gets away from what he's done. He begins 00:25:49.809 --> 00:25:52.309 to think back and he says, what have I done in 00:25:52.309 --> 00:25:54.869 eating that? I have really sinned against God, 00:25:55.049 --> 00:25:59.349 he says. Actually, the sin is against his own 00:25:59.349 --> 00:26:03.009 conscience. His conscience has been wounded. 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:08.460 Paul goes on to warn that the stronger who enticed 00:26:08.460 --> 00:26:10.680 him to come into the temple by setting that example, 00:26:10.819 --> 00:26:14.019 look what he does in verse 12. He sins against 00:26:14.019 --> 00:26:19.740 Christ. The stronger brother sins against Jesus 00:26:19.740 --> 00:26:23.180 Christ because he has caused his weaker brother 00:26:23.180 --> 00:26:26.220 to do something regarding which he now feels 00:26:26.220 --> 00:26:31.700 guilty. And so his conclusion in verse 13, Therefore, 00:26:31.779 --> 00:26:34.259 if food causes my brother to stumble, I will 00:26:34.259 --> 00:26:39.759 never eat meat again. He says, I will be a vegetarian 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:43.799 if necessary, that I might not cause my brother 00:26:43.799 --> 00:26:49.240 to stumble. Now, my friend, there is the conclusion 00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:54.680 of a man who's walking in the law of love. There 00:26:54.680 --> 00:26:58.569 is a mature apostle. who is balancing in his 00:26:58.569 --> 00:27:01.150 life what he knows to be true and yet what he 00:27:01.150 --> 00:27:06.750 says love concludes. Love concludes. I will not 00:27:06.750 --> 00:27:09.250 do what will cause my brother to stumble. I will 00:27:09.250 --> 00:27:13.369 walk in the law of love toward him. Knowledge 00:27:13.369 --> 00:27:16.630 alone leads to an independent attitude, but God's 00:27:16.630 --> 00:27:21.509 plan is that we be interdependent. That we be 00:27:21.509 --> 00:27:25.170 concerned about those around us. We be interdependent. 00:27:28.039 --> 00:27:30.519 A healthy Christian is not one who's independent, 00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:33.900 one who's off doing his own thing in his own 00:27:33.900 --> 00:27:38.220 way. A healthy Christian is one who realizes 00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:42.240 in a healthy way his dependence upon others and 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:46.779 seeks to have others helped and built up by the 00:27:46.779 --> 00:27:52.319 law of love being active in his life. If we want 00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:55.099 to build up one another, there's a third habit 00:27:55.099 --> 00:27:59.230 we must establish. That is, seeking the kingdom's 00:27:59.230 --> 00:28:04.809 priorities, verses 16 through 19. The kingdom 00:28:04.809 --> 00:28:07.609 that he mentions here in verse 17 is not the 00:28:07.609 --> 00:28:11.869 eschatological kingdom to come, the reign of 00:28:11.869 --> 00:28:15.630 Christ on the earth. It is the contemporary kingdom 00:28:15.630 --> 00:28:19.690 of God, which is real and present right now in 00:28:19.690 --> 00:28:22.710 the heart of the believer and in the sphere of 00:28:22.710 --> 00:28:27.059 the church. In a broad sense, we can say that 00:28:27.059 --> 00:28:30.980 the kingdom of God is where God rules as sovereign. 00:28:31.660 --> 00:28:34.180 And that should be your life and mine as well 00:28:34.180 --> 00:28:37.940 as in our fellowship as a church. Now he says 00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:41.460 that there are priorities in God's kingdom and 00:28:41.460 --> 00:28:45.400 God's rule in our lives. These priorities are 00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:50.859 not eating and drinking. Now these may be good 00:28:50.859 --> 00:28:54.549 in themselves. As he says in verse 16, do not 00:28:54.549 --> 00:28:57.549 let what is for you a good thing be blasphemed. 00:28:58.390 --> 00:29:01.170 How is it blasphemed? When I take what is good 00:29:01.170 --> 00:29:03.809 for myself, but yet cause my brother to stumble 00:29:03.809 --> 00:29:09.349 in being active in that thing. So he says a priority 00:29:09.349 --> 00:29:12.430 is not eating and drinking or those kinds of 00:29:12.430 --> 00:29:16.650 things that are good. He says there are higher 00:29:16.650 --> 00:29:21.069 priorities. I need to sometimes put aside the 00:29:21.069 --> 00:29:26.099 good. and go for the best. And the highest priorities 00:29:26.099 --> 00:29:31.519 are righteousness, peace, and joy. Righteousness 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:36.039 here meaning my proper actions, right actions 00:29:36.039 --> 00:29:39.140 in my life, in my brother's life, ethical behavior, 00:29:39.539 --> 00:29:42.299 kindness, honesty, purity, Christ -likeness. 00:29:42.900 --> 00:29:48.619 That is a priority in God's kingdom. People living 00:29:48.619 --> 00:29:52.970 like Jesus. reflecting him in the way that they 00:29:52.970 --> 00:29:57.529 decide things and do things and say things. Righteousness. 00:29:58.309 --> 00:30:03.450 Along with that comes peace. And here he's talking 00:30:03.450 --> 00:30:08.190 about the peace, I think, among believers, that 00:30:08.190 --> 00:30:15.400 harmony, that mutual accord in fellowship. We 00:30:15.400 --> 00:30:18.799 are to seek that in our midst. We are to avoid 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:22.680 doing anything that's going to sow seeds of disunity 00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:26.500 and disharmony. For God's priority is peace. 00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:33.640 Peace. It doesn't mean that there's not a time 00:30:33.640 --> 00:30:36.839 to confront, but we need to do it in a biblical 00:30:36.839 --> 00:30:42.539 way. It doesn't mean peace at any cost. for there's 00:30:42.539 --> 00:30:44.859 a time that one must take a stand to be right 00:30:44.859 --> 00:30:49.460 with God. But we're talking in general that peace 00:30:49.460 --> 00:30:53.900 is God's priority, especially when it comes to 00:30:53.900 --> 00:30:59.599 inconsequential, non -essential matters such 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:03.660 as we're talking about here, peace. And then 00:31:03.660 --> 00:31:06.299 he says joy, and joy is what follows when there's 00:31:06.299 --> 00:31:09.579 righteousness and peace. It is that inner felicity. 00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:12.960 that arises from the first two things we've talked 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:15.859 about. Jesus said these things, I have spoken 00:31:15.859 --> 00:31:18.259 to you that my joy may be in you and that your 00:31:18.259 --> 00:31:20.859 joy may be full. God wants us to be a joyful 00:31:20.859 --> 00:31:23.299 people. Now I'll tell you one way to destroy 00:31:23.299 --> 00:31:25.519 the joy of a church, and that's to begin to divide 00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:30.200 it. If you walk into a fellowship of believers 00:31:30.200 --> 00:31:33.160 and you sense there a real joy, then you're probably 00:31:33.160 --> 00:31:35.720 going to find that that is a united group of 00:31:35.720 --> 00:31:39.420 people. There is peace there, and there is righteousness 00:31:39.420 --> 00:31:42.660 in the lives of the people. They're concerned 00:31:42.660 --> 00:31:46.640 about one another, and it produces that joy. 00:31:47.400 --> 00:31:51.599 And what is the point? It is to live so as to 00:31:51.599 --> 00:31:55.799 provide for righteousness and peace and joy in 00:31:55.799 --> 00:32:00.500 our church and in the lives of the family of 00:32:00.500 --> 00:32:05.079 God. He says that when we serve the Lord this 00:32:05.079 --> 00:32:10.769 way, Verse 18. Two things are accomplished. First, 00:32:10.829 --> 00:32:13.450 we are well -pleasing to God, and that's most 00:32:13.450 --> 00:32:17.529 important. That God be able to look at you, to 00:32:17.529 --> 00:32:20.490 look at me, and say, I'm pleased with the way 00:32:20.490 --> 00:32:23.250 that you're living and with the attitudes that 00:32:23.250 --> 00:32:26.210 you have and for the righteousness of your life 00:32:26.210 --> 00:32:29.309 and for the peace that you are encouraging among 00:32:29.309 --> 00:32:33.569 my people. I am pleased with you. But there's 00:32:33.569 --> 00:32:38.359 a second. and that is that we are approved by 00:32:38.359 --> 00:32:41.960 men. Now, that should not be the highest priority 00:32:41.960 --> 00:32:45.259 to us, but that's a byproduct. When we live seeking 00:32:45.259 --> 00:32:49.920 God's priorities in His kingdom, it produces 00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:55.460 our approval of other people. I mean, they will 00:32:55.460 --> 00:32:58.200 look at us and they will pass us. They will see 00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:03.279 that we are legitimate. That we're really what 00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:06.299 we say we are. We're not hypocrites. We'll be 00:33:06.299 --> 00:33:10.779 approved by men. And so he says that we ought 00:33:10.779 --> 00:33:15.339 to pursue eagerly, verse 19, these things that 00:33:15.339 --> 00:33:19.299 make for peace and the building up of one another. 00:33:21.059 --> 00:33:23.599 In other words, you and I need to see to it that 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:26.400 what we do and say in this church establishes 00:33:26.400 --> 00:33:29.759 an atmosphere for the building up of other people. 00:33:30.829 --> 00:33:34.009 We ought to seek God's kingdom priorities, righteousness, 00:33:34.490 --> 00:33:39.450 peace, and joy. And as we provide that kind of 00:33:39.450 --> 00:33:41.930 an atmosphere in our fellowship, it is going 00:33:41.930 --> 00:33:45.009 to be built up. Other believers will be built 00:33:45.009 --> 00:33:48.789 up. Boy, I just can't help but talk about it. 00:33:48.809 --> 00:33:52.450 We're heading into spring soon. It takes faith 00:33:52.450 --> 00:33:56.660 to talk that way today. What happens in spring? 00:33:56.779 --> 00:33:59.160 Well, there is, of course, the whole natural 00:33:59.160 --> 00:34:01.779 bit that takes place and the result of all of 00:34:01.779 --> 00:34:04.960 that tilting of the earth and so on is that the 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:11.219 weather begins to warm up, the soil thaws eventually 00:34:11.219 --> 00:34:18.480 in Minnesota, and the atmosphere changes so that 00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:23.360 things grow. Isn't it a sad thing that some churches 00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:29.090 never get out of winter? Isn't it a sad thing 00:34:29.090 --> 00:34:31.090 that some churches never know the meaning of 00:34:31.090 --> 00:34:35.789 spring in their fellowship? You know, I hope 00:34:35.789 --> 00:34:40.469 we always live in spring, where things are fresh 00:34:40.469 --> 00:34:43.469 and new and the atmosphere is such that as a 00:34:43.469 --> 00:34:46.250 church, we are building up one another and our 00:34:46.250 --> 00:34:52.130 body is growing in love. That, my friend, is 00:34:52.130 --> 00:34:57.809 how you keep the unity of a church. Then there 00:34:57.809 --> 00:34:59.750 is a fourth habit that we're to establish in 00:34:59.750 --> 00:35:05.849 our lives in order to build up one another. That 00:35:05.849 --> 00:35:08.550 is the habit of living without self -condemnation, 00:35:08.670 --> 00:35:12.389 verses 20 through 23. I think the last part of 00:35:12.389 --> 00:35:15.409 verse 22 really is the key in this whole little 00:35:15.409 --> 00:35:18.190 text we're looking at. He says, happy, that is 00:35:18.190 --> 00:35:22.949 spiritually prosperous. Happy is he who does 00:35:22.949 --> 00:35:28.920 not condemn himself. in what he approves. Whether 00:35:28.920 --> 00:35:32.039 one is weak or strong, whichever end of the spectrum 00:35:32.039 --> 00:35:35.760 one is on, he is spiritually prosperous if he 00:35:35.760 --> 00:35:38.739 does not condemn himself in what he approves, 00:35:38.780 --> 00:35:43.059 what he chooses to do. Now to the strong in verses 00:35:43.059 --> 00:35:47.260 20 through 22, he essentially says this, you 00:35:47.260 --> 00:35:50.320 who are strong, don't you tear down God's work 00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:55.670 by abusing your rights. You remember your brother 00:35:55.670 --> 00:35:59.550 who is weaker. You keep your convictions to yourself 00:35:59.550 --> 00:36:02.889 without having to flaunt them or to practice 00:36:02.889 --> 00:36:06.730 them to make some point. Or else you'll condemn 00:36:06.730 --> 00:36:10.309 yourself, says Paul, and you won't be a happy 00:36:10.309 --> 00:36:14.969 person. Your conscience will cry, guilty, guilty, 00:36:15.170 --> 00:36:18.429 guilty. You've caused your brother to stumble. 00:36:19.809 --> 00:36:22.449 And one who is guilty doesn't have any joy or 00:36:22.449 --> 00:36:27.380 happiness. He's not spiritually prosperous. To 00:36:27.380 --> 00:36:29.719 the weaker brother in verse 23, he essentially 00:36:29.719 --> 00:36:33.400 says, now you weaker, don't do something regarding 00:36:33.400 --> 00:36:38.440 which you are uncertain. If you don't feel good 00:36:38.440 --> 00:36:42.760 about it, don't do it. For it's sin for you, 00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:45.719 even if your brother has liberty. If you will 00:36:45.719 --> 00:36:52.030 condemn yourself, don't get involved. Live without 00:36:52.030 --> 00:36:56.449 self -condemnation. Because if you do get involved, 00:36:56.630 --> 00:36:58.889 your conscience will also say, guilty, guilty, 00:36:59.070 --> 00:37:01.050 guilty, and you won't be spiritually prosperous 00:37:01.050 --> 00:37:06.829 or happy. A heart that is struggling under some 00:37:06.829 --> 00:37:10.210 kind of self -condemnation is a heart that is 00:37:10.210 --> 00:37:12.750 not going to mature or help other people to be 00:37:12.750 --> 00:37:17.170 built up. So we need to establish in our lives 00:37:17.170 --> 00:37:20.269 this principle. and practice this habit that 00:37:20.269 --> 00:37:25.369 we live without self -condemnation, without causing 00:37:25.369 --> 00:37:28.590 ourselves to feel guilty in our spirits because 00:37:28.590 --> 00:37:31.869 of our action. Whether strong or weak, that is 00:37:31.869 --> 00:37:36.469 the case. Now the question is, which of these 00:37:36.469 --> 00:37:40.170 habits are already established as a pattern in 00:37:40.170 --> 00:37:45.389 your own life? Let me look back down the list 00:37:45.389 --> 00:37:52.440 right now. Which of these patterns can you honestly 00:37:52.440 --> 00:38:01.179 say are already a part of your life? Which may 00:38:01.179 --> 00:38:04.699 need to be added? What area do you need to work 00:38:04.699 --> 00:38:11.440 on, whether strong or weak? And that brings to 00:38:11.440 --> 00:38:13.739 mind the second question, are you strong or are 00:38:13.739 --> 00:38:25.739 you weak? How do you know in your answer? We've 00:38:25.739 --> 00:38:29.039 expressed what a strong person is, what a weak 00:38:29.039 --> 00:38:32.420 person is. Are you being honest with yourself? 00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:36.239 Are you weak or strong? Now, if you're strong, 00:38:36.300 --> 00:38:45.420 are you being considerate or arrogant? If you 00:38:45.420 --> 00:38:50.360 are weak, Are you growing and maturing or are 00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:59.800 you critical and judgmental? God intends for 00:38:59.800 --> 00:39:01.760 the weak and the strong to live together in the 00:39:01.760 --> 00:39:05.619 same church and be happy about it. The way we 00:39:05.619 --> 00:39:10.539 do that is by building up one another. God intends 00:39:10.539 --> 00:39:12.739 for the strong to help those who are struggling. 00:39:12.840 --> 00:39:17.489 Are you doing that? To the strong, Chuck Swindoll 00:39:17.489 --> 00:39:22.949 has a good word. He says, if my liberty could 00:39:22.949 --> 00:39:28.190 hurt my brother, I must limit myself. If my liberty 00:39:28.190 --> 00:39:31.530 would hinder God's work, I must limit myself. 00:39:32.469 --> 00:39:36.769 If my liberty creates unrest in my own conscience, 00:39:37.110 --> 00:39:43.929 I must limit myself. Folks, every one of us here 00:39:43.929 --> 00:39:46.869 today is either a stepping stone or we are a 00:39:46.869 --> 00:39:51.949 stumbling stone. We are a blessing or we are 00:39:51.949 --> 00:39:58.230 a blight to God's church. Now as you examine 00:39:58.230 --> 00:40:01.090 your heart, rather as God examines your heart, 00:40:01.230 --> 00:40:07.829 what does He expose and reveal to you? Let's 00:40:07.829 --> 00:40:16.389 pray. Father, your word searches us and at times 00:40:16.389 --> 00:40:24.909 makes us very uncomfortable. It reveals within 00:40:24.909 --> 00:40:28.510 us attitudes that are not Christ -like and are 00:40:28.510 --> 00:40:33.150 not in harmony with your word when we might have 00:40:33.150 --> 00:40:37.809 thought everything was just fine. We want to 00:40:37.809 --> 00:40:41.469 thank you for, in your faithfulness, exposing 00:40:41.469 --> 00:40:46.489 in us that which hinders our own growth and hinders 00:40:46.489 --> 00:40:49.170 the growth, the building up of our brothers and 00:40:49.170 --> 00:40:52.949 sisters, and which potentially could bring hindrance 00:40:52.949 --> 00:40:57.670 to your work in this church by dividing it. I 00:40:57.670 --> 00:41:01.010 pray that you will today give us hearts of repentance, 00:41:01.190 --> 00:41:09.619 change our lives too. Bring us into conformity 00:41:09.619 --> 00:41:11.940 so that we are practicing these principles and 00:41:11.940 --> 00:41:14.840 establishing the habits that we've talked about 00:41:14.840 --> 00:41:18.780 this morning to build up one another. And Father, 00:41:18.860 --> 00:41:20.840 if there be some friend here who's not saved 00:41:20.840 --> 00:41:23.960 at all, who has never come to Jesus in faith 00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:28.440 and trusted the Lord Jesus as his own Savior, 00:41:28.679 --> 00:41:34.300 help him today to do that, to receive the one 00:41:34.300 --> 00:41:37.420 into his life who... the one who died for him 00:41:37.420 --> 00:41:43.159 and rose again. We pray this in the name of Jesus. 00:41:43.679 --> 00:41:44.199 Amen.