WEBVTT

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 End of chapter 11, his great treatise on the Christian faith, to the application.

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 Romans 12, verses 1-2, there he says,

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 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God.

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 That's the summary of everything he said, is what he's referring to there, the mercies of God,

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 to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

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 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

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 that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

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 And so he's encouraging at the outset of chapter 12 that our whole selves are to be given to God.

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 You may recall that I shared with you that the structure of the following chapters is chiastic.

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 That means that it mirrors on top of itself.

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 You could fold it over and it's reflective in that way.

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 So, if you've been around and you know as we talk through these things,

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 we usually give it an A, B, C, and then a C', B', A', to kind of show you how that reflects.

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 So, chapter 12, verses 3-8, Paul talks there about humble service.

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 Then chapter 12, verses 9-16, he talks about love in the church.

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 Verses 17-21, relation with the world.

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 And then he goes into, at the beginning of chapter 13, relation with the political authorities of the world.

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 And then we see the reflection.

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 Chapter 13, verses 8-14.

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 Again, love in the church.

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 And we're going to see in chapter 14, right,

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 this continuing outworking of the idea of humble service.

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 So, this whole health service to God that expresses itself in the church

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 through humble, sacrificial love.

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 So, Romans 14, verses 1-12.

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 Before I read it, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us.

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 It was written for his glory and our good.

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 And so, we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

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 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

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 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.

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 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains,

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 and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats,

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 for God has welcomed him.

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 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?

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 It is before his own master that he stands or falls,

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 and he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

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 One person esteems one day as better than another,

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 while another esteems all days alike.

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 Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

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 The one who observes the day observes it in honor of the Lord.

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 The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord,

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 since he gives thanks to God,

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 while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

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 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.

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 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord.

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 So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

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 For to this end Christ died and lived again,

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 that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

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 Why do you pass judgment on your brother?

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 Or you, why do you despise your brother?

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 For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

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 For it is written,

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 As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

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 and every tongue shall confess to God.

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 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

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 Now there is a lot found in these twelve verses.

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 And so as is typical of our time in the Word together,

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 I have a simple outline to help us unpack this text.

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 And it is as follows.

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 Number one, the exhortations.

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 Number two, the examples.

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 And number three, the foundational reasons.

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 And if you wish that started with an E, I also do.

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 The exhortations, the examples, the foundational reasons.

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 Tell me later if you come up with a good one.

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 Number one, the exhortations.

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 So we find this first point to be the most straightforward for us this morning.

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 I say exhortations, but they are perhaps so closely related

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 that I could just say exhortation.

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 Note in verses one and three,

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 that first we are to welcome the weak in faith.

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 We are not to quarrel over opinions.

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 And we are not to despise or pass judgment.

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 Now these are all cries for Christian unity.

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 So you could sum all those up and have Paul say,

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 be unified.

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 Christian unity or Christian harmony exalts the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 In just a bit in Romans chapter 15, verse 5 and 6,

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 Paul is going to ask God to give the Roman Christians grace for this very purpose.

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 He writes there,

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 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another,

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 in accord with Christ Jesus,

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 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 The Christian, one whose soul has been saved by the work of Christ on their behalf,

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 one who has been justified by grace through faith in Christ alone,

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 the highest aim of their life ought to be the exaltation of Christ.

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 We have to desire as Christians to make much of Jesus and what he has done for us.

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 Paul hopes here that the Roman Christ followers and you and I would be given grace for Christian unity

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 so that the Lord Jesus Christ would receive glory.

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 Today's text helps us understand how.

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 The answer is not always agree.

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 Because we're going to find that we don't always agree.

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 In verse 1 of chapter 14, Paul recognizes that there will be some who will be weak in faith.

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 He does not say without faith.

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 The end of verse 3 tells us that God has welcomed him, this one who is weak in faith.

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 And verse 10 calls him our brother.

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 So Paul is speaking of a Christian who just doesn't understand something of his faith.

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 And we'll look at this further as we look at the examples.

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 But the point is that the one who has been saved by Christ should be welcomed and not welcomed

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 in order to quarrel over opinions.

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 Isn't that what he says?

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 Welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

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 Just welcome him.

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 He is in Christ.

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 Just welcome him.

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 There's a pastor by the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

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 I would encourage you to look into his life.

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 And he wrote a little book called Life Together.

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 And the entire book is worth a read for the first chapter.

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 And in there he talks about how we tend to destroy Christian community

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 and neglect the fact that it is a divine reality that Christ has called people to himself and to one another.

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 He says the following in that work.

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 Quote,

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 Every human wish dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community

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 and must be banished if genuine community is to survive.

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 So here let me pause for a second.

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 What he's saying is the thing you think that should exist as community,

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 the particular agenda that you have,

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 he's saying should have no part in Christian community.

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 Go back to his quote.

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 He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself

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 becomes a destroyer of the latter,

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 even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.

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 God hates wish dreaming.

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 It makes the dreamer proud and pretentious.

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 The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community

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 demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself.

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 He enters the community of Christians with his demands,

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 sets up his own law, and judges the brethren and God himself accordingly.

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 He stands adamant, a living reproach to all others in the circle of brethren.

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 He acts as if he is the creator of the Christian community,

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 as if his dream binds men together.

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 When things do not go his way, he calls the effort a failure.

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 When his ideal picture is destroyed, he sees the community going to smash.

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 So he becomes first an accuser of his brethren,

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 then an accuser of God, and finally the despairing accuser of himself.

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 Because God has already laid the only foundation of our fellowship.

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 Because God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ.

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 Long before we entered into common life with them,

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 we enter into that common life,

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 not as demanders, but as thankful recipients.

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 We thank God for what he has done for us.

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 We thank God for giving us brethren who live by his call,

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 by his forgiveness, and his promise.

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 Christ himself, his person and his work,

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 is the reason that we are a community.

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 It's a divine reality that we exist as Christians called together.

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 And this is the place that we must begin.

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 As for the one who is weak in faith,

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 not without faith.

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 Weak in faith.

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 Welcome him.

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 And he goes on.

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 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains.

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 Let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats.

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 For God has welcomed him.

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 So it goes both ways.

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 The strong in faith, by implication, are not to despise.

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 And the weak in faith are not to pass judgment.

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 The difference here between these two phrases is negligible.

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 The first is a strong Greek word that means to think a person is less than nothing.

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 And the second, another strong Greek word that means to isolate.

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 So to put them outside.

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 They are both quite the opposite of welcoming.

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 Paul is telling us that if a person makes a credible profession of faith in Christ

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 and doesn't see eye to eye with you concerning an opinion,

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 they ought not be treated with disregard.

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 They should not be dismissed or considered unfaithful

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 simply because their faith is expressing a varied opinion from your own.

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 This, of course, raises all sorts of questions about acceptable disagreements.

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 And I am thankful that Paul did not leave off his argument here.

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 But notice, we are meant to welcome one another because we are in Christ

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 and not to destroy unity over opinions.

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 So he gives us two examples, perhaps to help us understand what he means by opinions.

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 The first is a person who believes he may eat anything,

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 while a weak person eats only vegetables.

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 The second, found in verse 5, is one person esteeming one day as better than another,

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 while another esteems all days alike.

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 So, we see here two examples of what Paul is calling in verse 1, opinions.

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 Now, before we consider them, let's be clear about what Paul is not saying.

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 He is not saying that people can believe whatever they want to,

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 and the church is not to defend the truth.

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 That's not at all what he is expressing here.

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 You may be familiar with what Jude wrote in Jude verses 3 and 4.

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 Beloved, I was eager to write to you about our common salvation,

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 but I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith

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 that was once for all delivered to the saints.

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 Contend for it. Fight for that faith.

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 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation,

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 and ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God and its sensuality

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 and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

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 Error has and error will creep in to the life of the church.

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 And the church is to be the pillar and buttress of the truth.

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 Paul warned the Roman believers in Romans 16 verses 17 and 18.

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 We'll get to in a couple of weeks.

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 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions

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 and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.

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 Avoid them.

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 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.

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 And by smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive.

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 In other parts of the New Testament,

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 false prophets or teachers are spoken of as deceitful spirits

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 who advocate doctrines of demons.

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 That's 1 Timothy 4.1.

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 And as those who will secretly introduce destructive heresies,

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 even denying the Master who bought them.

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 2 Peter 2.1.

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 They're called false brothers.

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 2 Corinthians 11.26.

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 False apostles.

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 2 Corinthians 11.13.

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 False teachers.

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 2 Peter 2.1.

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 False speakers.

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 That is, liars.

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 1 Timothy 4.2.

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 And false Christs.

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 Matthew 24.24.

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 The Apostle John tells us, therefore,

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 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits

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 to see whether they are from God,

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 because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

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 1 John 4.1.

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 Paul's last words to the Ephesian elders when he met with them for a farewell on the beach near Miletus

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 included a somber warning about inevitable false teachers.

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 He said,

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 I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock,

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 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.

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 Therefore, be on the alert.

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 That's in Acts chapter 20.

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 So, in today's text, Paul is not saying that it is okay to entertain varying opinions about the doctrines that are essential to the faith.

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 He is saying that working out the implications are going to yield disagreements,

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 and these are not reasons for disunity.

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 So, let's look at these two examples, right?

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 Which would have been readily understood by the Roman believers.

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 They would have said, oh yeah, yeah, we've been having those disagreements.

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 First, we have this person believing he may eat anything,

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 while the weak person, Paul calls him, eats only vegetables.

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 So, vegetarians are weak, I think is the lesson for today.

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 It's not at all, right?

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 Now, there are two possibilities why an early Roman Christian may have abstained from the eating of meat.

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 In either case, it is most probable that they were Jewish.

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 So, these are Jewish converts to Christ.

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 They may have been strictly vegetarian either to, first, avoid eating any meat that had been offered to an idol,

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 or, secondly, to avoid any meat that was considered unclean under Old Testament law.

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 Either way, these were permissive things.

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 And the Gentile believers would have had no issue eating meat in any case.

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 Either way, you might imagine that there was a rub when these Roman Christians had a meal together,

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 which they regularly did.

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 Some wanted nothing to do with meat.

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 They wanted to be extra cautious.

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 Paul is not arguing that these people thought that this would earn their salvation.

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 He would have been hard against that.

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 These are people who know that they're Christians, but they want to be so careful.

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 They're just not sure.

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 Their faith is weak.

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 So, they're going to avoid meat altogether at the potluck.

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 And others in that fellowship were eating bacon-wrapped shrimp.

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 And it could have caused problems between them, disunity between them.

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 Paul says, this variance in opinion is no reason not to welcome one another.

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 Notice that Paul calls the eating of anything an act of faith or trust in God.

00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:14.059
 The first part of verse 2 says, one person believes, has faith that he may eat anything.

00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:17.420
 And the other is simply an act.

00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:21.880
 He does not use the word believes of the weak person.

00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:28.700
 Now, you may think then, well, then it is my job to convince the weak person that they are weak

00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:31.460
 and that they should change their ways.

00:18:31.460 --> 00:18:39.200
 However, at the end of the chapter, Paul says, whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats

00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:42.360
 because the eating is not from faith.

00:18:42.819 --> 00:18:47.360
 For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

00:18:48.340 --> 00:18:51.000
 And note that at the end of verse 5, Paul says,

00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:55.620
 each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

00:18:55.619 --> 00:18:59.559
 So this is not an unimportant example.

00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:03.119
 He's saying, you should know what you think.

00:19:03.959 --> 00:19:07.279
 He's also saying, there's a proper way to think about this.

00:19:07.939 --> 00:19:13.279
 But even if somebody doesn't agree, we're not going to not welcome them.

00:19:13.739 --> 00:19:15.659
 Just because their faith is weak.

00:19:17.159 --> 00:19:17.819
 And hear me, beloved.

00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:22.419
 But the best place for a person's faith to be strengthened is where?

00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:24.759
 It's in the life of the church.

00:19:25.539 --> 00:19:27.039
 Where the truth is expounded.

00:19:27.399 --> 00:19:31.439
 And we encourage one another to love and good works each day.

00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:38.599
 His second example, perhaps is a little more vague than the first.

00:19:39.899 --> 00:19:43.500
 There it says, one person, verse 5, esteems one day as better than another,

00:19:43.500 --> 00:19:47.179
 while another esteems all days alike.

00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:52.759
 We may find that the first example has little to no bearing for us today.

00:19:52.980 --> 00:19:57.819
 But there is disagreement amongst faithful, sound believers

00:19:57.819 --> 00:20:03.159
 as to what Paul is even referencing in his second example.

00:20:03.939 --> 00:20:06.480
 It's fascinating to read commentaries.

00:20:06.859 --> 00:20:10.179
 I've got a collection of works on the book of Romans

00:20:10.179 --> 00:20:12.000
 and how kind of split down the middle they are

00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:15.960
 about what he's even talking about in this verse.

00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:20.460
 And I find it especially fascinating how matter-of-fact some of those commentators are about it.

00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.440
 Some say that he is speaking about the Sabbath,

00:20:23.660 --> 00:20:27.440
 and others say that he is speaking about other Jewish holidays.

00:20:28.299 --> 00:20:31.700
 How you read this example will depend on what you think is true

00:20:31.700 --> 00:20:34.900
 of modern-day Sabbath observance.

00:20:34.900 --> 00:20:42.019
 A lot of Bible thinking has to go into understanding what could be meant by verse 5.

00:20:42.120 --> 00:20:42.820
 And guess what?

00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:46.680
 I do not intend to work any of that out for you today

00:20:46.680 --> 00:20:51.000
 because that is not the point here that Paul is making.

00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:55.619
 In fact, if you were really hoping,

00:20:56.119 --> 00:20:57.200
 first time we read through that,

00:20:57.380 --> 00:21:00.019
 that I would draw up some battle lines for you this morning,

00:21:00.859 --> 00:21:05.000
 then the exhortations of this text need to land especially hard for you.

00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:15.480
 So, how are we to know when and possibly how to disagree agreeably?

00:21:15.819 --> 00:21:20.779
 And when and possibly how to disagree disagreeably?

00:21:20.960 --> 00:21:24.140
 Because there are some times for that as well.

00:21:25.140 --> 00:21:27.339
 There is a time to be clear for unity,

00:21:27.799 --> 00:21:32.559
 and there is a time to stand firm and to not be moved.

00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:39.319
 There are cries in our day for Christians to have spines of steel

00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:43.879
 over matters of comparative minor importance.

00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:47.819
 These cries are most often made by people on social media.

00:21:49.019 --> 00:21:54.639
 And I'm concerned that the pressure to turn our focus from primary doctrine

00:21:54.639 --> 00:21:59.440
 will be used by the enemy to erode the very foundation of that doctrine.

00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:05.880
 It grieves me to see so many Reformed thinkers

00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:12.620
 become what seems to be at times enemies over lesser matters.

00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:20.299
 Oh, we have this great big God theology that we hold together.

00:22:20.779 --> 00:22:26.440
 We believe in the doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Christ alone.

00:22:26.440 --> 00:22:30.460
 We have so much to be unified on.

00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:37.980
 And yet, how we ought to think about particular matters of politics

00:22:37.980 --> 00:22:40.039
 are ripping us apart.

00:22:42.059 --> 00:22:43.940
 Now, if you've been with us for very long,

00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:46.920
 you have heard me speak of the need to become well-versed

00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:50.420
 in the practice of theological triage.

00:22:50.820 --> 00:22:52.559
 Some of you probably heard me read the text and went,

00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:53.759
 Oh boy, here we go again.

00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:55.940
 Well, here we go again.

00:22:57.779 --> 00:23:02.099
 Triage is the process of assigning urgency or importance to a matter.

00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:05.200
 If a bus that is full of people were in an accident

00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:08.779
 and that number of people were brought into an emergency room,

00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:11.559
 those patients would be ranked for treatment

00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:15.139
 from most severe need to least severe need.

00:23:15.140 --> 00:23:18.759
 A charge nurse or a doctor would do that very quickly.

00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:20.620
 Who needs urgent attention

00:23:20.620 --> 00:23:24.440
 and who can sit in the waiting room for hours and hours

00:23:24.440 --> 00:23:25.820
 waiting to be attended to?

00:23:27.520 --> 00:23:31.280
 This can, and I will tirelessly argue,

00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:34.380
 should also be done theologically.

00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:38.680
 Theological triage helps us to determine those matters

00:23:38.680 --> 00:23:40.660
 that we must stand firm on.

00:23:40.660 --> 00:23:44.060
 That faith, once for all delivered to the saints

00:23:44.060 --> 00:23:47.140
 that Jude is talking about in verse 3 and 4,

00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:51.200
 and those that Paul is addressing in today's text.

00:23:52.060 --> 00:23:54.140
 There's things that we must contend for.

00:23:54.620 --> 00:23:55.580
 We must fight for.

00:23:55.700 --> 00:23:57.560
 We're not even going to associate with the person

00:23:57.560 --> 00:23:58.680
 who would teach such a thing.

00:23:59.220 --> 00:24:00.820
 And those we're going to welcome,

00:24:01.340 --> 00:24:03.400
 even though we may not agree.

00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:06.920
 Now, at this point, I want to be clear.

00:24:06.920 --> 00:24:10.880
 This term was coined, as far as I can tell,

00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:11.740
 by Albert Muller,

00:24:12.360 --> 00:24:14.440
 the current president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:17.039
 So the term is fairly new.

00:24:17.140 --> 00:24:20.200
 However, this concept can be seen historically

00:24:20.200 --> 00:24:23.420
 in the creation of confessions and creeds.

00:24:23.980 --> 00:24:26.960
 Christians carefully pinning doctrinal standards

00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:28.640
 for the sake of agreement,

00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:30.340
 saying these are the things that we believe

00:24:30.340 --> 00:24:32.120
 that we should agree on,

00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:34.500
 and then there's stuff outside of it,

00:24:34.500 --> 00:24:37.019
 and we may disagree on some of those things.

00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:43.680
 So theological triage breaks down into four orders,

00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:47.339
 four matters of importance.

00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:48.700
 And I'll take them in reverse order

00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:50.160
 and lay them out for you quickly.

00:24:50.259 --> 00:24:50.940
 If you've heard this before,

00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:51.900
 I have no new examples.

00:24:52.019 --> 00:24:52.420
 I am sorry.

00:24:55.259 --> 00:24:58.460
 Fourth order doctrine, or quaternary doctrine,

00:24:58.859 --> 00:25:00.740
 can't say you didn't learn something today,

00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:03.200
 are matters that are just unimportant.

00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:05.080
 We could talk about them.

00:25:05.220 --> 00:25:05.840
 It could be fun.

00:25:06.120 --> 00:25:07.580
 But they do not matter.

00:25:08.360 --> 00:25:10.180
 An example, when I get asked this question

00:25:10.180 --> 00:25:11.100
 from time to time,

00:25:11.420 --> 00:25:12.920
 is there life on other planets?

00:25:13.799 --> 00:25:15.220
 Do I think there's life on other planets?

00:25:15.860 --> 00:25:17.080
 And if somebody asks me this question,

00:25:17.360 --> 00:25:20.080
 I say, I don't know, and I don't care.

00:25:21.019 --> 00:25:23.900
 It has no bearing on my life at all.

00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:26.180
 When they land the ship,

00:25:26.420 --> 00:25:28.299
 we'll start the conversation over again, right?

00:25:28.340 --> 00:25:31.080
 But right now, it just doesn't matter at all to me, right?

00:25:31.079 --> 00:25:33.720
 It's a fourth order doctrine.

00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:36.679
 We can talk about it, but not with me.

00:25:38.299 --> 00:25:40.799
 Third order doctrine, or tertiary doctrines,

00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:44.159
 are things that are not unimportant,

00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:48.319
 but things that are important for the individual.

00:25:49.299 --> 00:25:51.480
 And here we see that example in our text today.

00:25:52.439 --> 00:25:54.919
 Paul says that each one should be convinced

00:25:54.920 --> 00:25:57.080
 in his own mind, right?

00:25:57.140 --> 00:26:00.860
 He ought to know what he thinks about these things.

00:26:00.980 --> 00:26:03.380
 Should he eat meat or not eat meat?

00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:06.500
 What days should or shouldn't be observed?

00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:08.680
 Not unimportant,

00:26:08.680 --> 00:26:11.320
 important, but for you.

00:26:12.180 --> 00:26:13.700
 And if it's important for you,

00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:15.759
 you're probably going to want to share

00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:18.039
 that conviction with others, right?

00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:18.960
 Take them to the scripture,

00:26:19.160 --> 00:26:20.940
 show them why you think it's important,

00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:22.180
 why you think it's good,

00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:25.900
 and honoring to God why it may serve others.

00:26:27.259 --> 00:26:30.880
 But you won't break unity over such a thing.

00:26:31.019 --> 00:26:31.259
 Someone says,

00:26:31.380 --> 00:26:33.180
 I don't know if I see it the way you see it.

00:26:33.220 --> 00:26:34.220
 And you say, well, that's okay.

00:26:34.860 --> 00:26:35.960
 I'll keep working on you.

00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:38.140
 I'll be in relationship with you.

00:26:38.460 --> 00:26:39.519
 We'll walk together,

00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:42.980
 and perhaps we'll both be wrong in the end.

00:26:44.820 --> 00:26:45.180
 Examples.

00:26:46.180 --> 00:26:46.539
 Alcohol.

00:26:47.000 --> 00:26:48.420
 Is it okay to drink in moderation?

00:26:48.620 --> 00:26:50.460
 Should we not drink at all?

00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:52.460
 There's some arguments to be made both ways.

00:26:53.500 --> 00:26:55.579
 What kind of television should we watch?

00:26:55.600 --> 00:26:56.759
 Or movies, right?

00:26:56.980 --> 00:26:58.660
 Is there a rating that's too high?

00:26:59.420 --> 00:27:01.059
 There are whole churches

00:27:01.059 --> 00:27:03.519
 that are formed over these issues.

00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:05.960
 These are their things.

00:27:07.539 --> 00:27:08.400
 Schooling choices.

00:27:08.819 --> 00:27:11.740
 To homeschool or to not homeschool.

00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:14.180
 I have a view on every one of these things,

00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:15.480
 and I'd be happy to share it with you.

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:17.180
 But if you disagree with me,

00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:19.299
 within some parameters,

00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:22.120
 I'm not going to call you unfaithful.

00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:26.140
 I'm not going to want to have nothing to do with you anymore.

00:27:26.700 --> 00:27:29.039
 But I'm going to want to walk along with you.

00:27:29.640 --> 00:27:31.120
 Perhaps I learned something from you,

00:27:31.160 --> 00:27:33.079
 and you from me.

00:27:33.180 --> 00:27:34.920
 I think this is the category

00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:38.160
 that Paul is addressing in today's text.

00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:41.600
 After third order doctrines,

00:27:41.700 --> 00:27:42.779
 our second order,

00:27:42.900 --> 00:27:44.779
 our secondary doctrines,

00:27:44.840 --> 00:27:45.740
 which are important

00:27:45.740 --> 00:27:47.580
 for church

00:27:47.580 --> 00:27:49.640
 and maybe some broader ministry

00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:50.980
 partnerships,

00:27:51.380 --> 00:27:52.200
 fellowships.

00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:54.740
 These doctrines are going to define

00:27:54.740 --> 00:27:56.120
 our practice

00:27:56.120 --> 00:27:58.460
 and possibly define

00:27:58.460 --> 00:27:59.519
 sin.

00:27:59.860 --> 00:28:00.640
 Maybe there's some things

00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:02.460
 that we just find untenable.

00:28:02.560 --> 00:28:04.180
 We couldn't possibly agree

00:28:04.180 --> 00:28:06.220
 that that's not a sin,

00:28:06.340 --> 00:28:08.360
 that this is a sin.

00:28:09.259 --> 00:28:09.480
 So,

00:28:10.299 --> 00:28:11.019
 these are things

00:28:11.019 --> 00:28:11.880
 that we probably

00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:13.060
 need to be agreeing on

00:28:13.060 --> 00:28:14.200
 as a church.

00:28:15.120 --> 00:28:16.360
 View on divorce

00:28:16.360 --> 00:28:18.060
 and or remarriage.

00:28:18.560 --> 00:28:20.240
 Our church has a position paper on this

00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:21.120
 because we think it's important.

00:28:21.320 --> 00:28:22.740
 How are we going to counsel people

00:28:22.740 --> 00:28:23.880
 as they walk through

00:28:23.880 --> 00:28:24.900
 these kinds of difficulties

00:28:24.900 --> 00:28:26.039
 in life?

00:28:26.120 --> 00:28:28.019
 What might we call sin?

00:28:28.140 --> 00:28:29.519
 What we may not call

00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:31.720
 sin in those matters?

00:28:31.720 --> 00:28:33.880
 The regulative principle

00:28:33.880 --> 00:28:35.140
 of worship.

00:28:36.100 --> 00:28:37.539
 Our church has agreed

00:28:37.539 --> 00:28:39.200
 that this has in it

00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:40.620
 everything we need

00:28:40.620 --> 00:28:41.759
 for how we ought to conduct

00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:43.440
 ourselves when we gather.

00:28:44.259 --> 00:28:44.559
 So,

00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:45.799
 if you come asking

00:28:45.799 --> 00:28:46.920
 for things to happen

00:28:46.920 --> 00:28:48.240
 when the church is gathered

00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:49.220
 that we don't find

00:28:49.220 --> 00:28:50.420
 in this text

00:28:50.420 --> 00:28:53.220
 or by necessary consequence,

00:28:54.319 --> 00:28:54.720
 you're going to say,

00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:54.980
 no,

00:28:55.200 --> 00:28:56.339
 this is the text.

00:28:56.400 --> 00:28:57.120
 This is where we're going.

00:28:57.180 --> 00:28:58.059
 And it's good that we agree

00:28:58.059 --> 00:28:58.920
 on that, right?

00:28:58.940 --> 00:28:59.700
 So we're not constantly

00:28:59.700 --> 00:29:01.620
 in arguments about

00:29:01.619 --> 00:29:02.199
 whether or not

00:29:02.199 --> 00:29:03.319
 somebody can ribbon dance

00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:04.099
 on the stage

00:29:04.099 --> 00:29:05.319
 on Sunday morning.

00:29:06.419 --> 00:29:06.819
 No.

00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:08.359
 If you're a guest today,

00:29:08.459 --> 00:29:09.419
 nobody's going to do that.

00:29:10.819 --> 00:29:12.459
 Our view on baptism.

00:29:13.019 --> 00:29:13.959
 We are Baptists.

00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:15.159
 That's an important distinction

00:29:15.159 --> 00:29:16.099
 about who we are

00:29:16.099 --> 00:29:16.779
 and it's good

00:29:16.779 --> 00:29:17.939
 that we agree together

00:29:17.939 --> 00:29:19.039
 on that.

00:29:19.139 --> 00:29:20.199
 Who should be baptized?

00:29:20.459 --> 00:29:21.139
 What is the nature

00:29:21.139 --> 00:29:22.279
 of the church?

00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:22.979
 It's an important thing

00:29:22.979 --> 00:29:24.059
 for us to understand

00:29:24.059 --> 00:29:25.219
 together.

00:29:25.439 --> 00:29:25.839
 So those are

00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:28.139
 second order doctrines.

00:29:28.879 --> 00:29:29.399
 And then finally,

00:29:29.399 --> 00:29:30.679
 first order doctrines,

00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:31.980
 primary doctrines,

00:29:32.340 --> 00:29:33.380
 those things we should

00:29:33.380 --> 00:29:34.160
 contend for.

00:29:34.440 --> 00:29:35.060
 They're important

00:29:35.060 --> 00:29:36.820
 for Christian unity

00:29:36.820 --> 00:29:38.160
 at the essence

00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:39.299
 of Christian unity.

00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:40.299
 We must agree

00:29:40.299 --> 00:29:41.240
 on these things

00:29:41.240 --> 00:29:42.519
 like the deity

00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:43.600
 of Jesus Christ,

00:29:43.980 --> 00:29:45.279
 justification by grace

00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:46.000
 through faith

00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:47.080
 in Christ alone.

00:29:47.380 --> 00:29:47.560
 Beloved,

00:29:47.620 --> 00:29:48.340
 let me say to you,

00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:49.360
 these are the things,

00:29:49.580 --> 00:29:50.299
 the hills

00:29:50.299 --> 00:29:52.140
 that we need to die on.

00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:54.380
 This is the foundation,

00:29:54.580 --> 00:29:54.980
 I'm worried,

00:29:55.060 --> 00:29:55.759
 gets eroded

00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:57.640
 by all of this

00:29:57.640 --> 00:29:59.400
 gray area application

00:29:59.400 --> 00:30:00.879
 that goes on

00:30:00.879 --> 00:30:01.759
 out there.

00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:05.740
 We should be so clear

00:30:05.740 --> 00:30:06.359
 as a people

00:30:06.359 --> 00:30:08.460
 about what those things are.

00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:09.420
 We must agree

00:30:09.420 --> 00:30:11.119
 on these things.

00:30:11.359 --> 00:30:12.299
 The second order stuff,

00:30:12.379 --> 00:30:12.660
 yep, yep,

00:30:12.700 --> 00:30:13.359
 it's really good

00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:14.660
 that we hold this stuff together.

00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:16.819
 And then outside of that

00:30:16.819 --> 00:30:18.059
 are things that we should

00:30:18.059 --> 00:30:19.160
 try to faithfully

00:30:19.160 --> 00:30:20.900
 work out together.

00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:23.579
 Welcome one another

00:30:23.579 --> 00:30:24.799
 as we walk through

00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:25.539
 the complication

00:30:25.539 --> 00:30:26.179
 of living

00:30:26.179 --> 00:30:28.480
 the Christian life.

00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:32.000
 So this is

00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:33.720
 the examples

00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:35.039
 that are given to us.

00:30:36.819 --> 00:30:38.059
 We've got to work that out

00:30:38.059 --> 00:30:39.599
 in a lot of different ways

00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:41.679
 in our day today.

00:30:43.240 --> 00:30:44.899
 And then Paul takes us

00:30:44.899 --> 00:30:48.139
 to some foundational reasons.

00:30:48.779 --> 00:30:50.079
 We see this all picked up

00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:51.199
 beginning in verse 3

00:30:51.199 --> 00:30:51.939
 all the way through

00:30:51.939 --> 00:30:52.720
 the end of our text,

00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:54.500
 through verse 12.

00:30:54.600 --> 00:30:55.620
 And I'm probably going to

00:30:55.620 --> 00:30:57.000
 bring these into next week,

00:30:57.100 --> 00:30:57.579
 Lord willing,

00:30:57.660 --> 00:30:58.440
 as we turn our attention

00:30:58.440 --> 00:31:00.160
 to the rest of chapter 14.

00:31:00.819 --> 00:31:02.180
 But for the sake of time,

00:31:02.259 --> 00:31:03.700
 let's just note them quickly

00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:04.940
 and then we'll bring them

00:31:04.940 --> 00:31:06.720
 forward into next week.

00:31:06.779 --> 00:31:08.600
 So a couple of foundational

00:31:08.600 --> 00:31:09.900
 reasons.

00:31:11.620 --> 00:31:12.420
 Number one,

00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:14.400
 we,

00:31:14.839 --> 00:31:15.720
 if you've made

00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:16.860
 a profession of faith

00:31:16.860 --> 00:31:17.960
 in the Lord Jesus Christ,

00:31:18.360 --> 00:31:19.920
 He has saved your soul,

00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:21.380
 He's delivered you

00:31:21.380 --> 00:31:23.060
 from darkness to light.

00:31:23.259 --> 00:31:24.400
 You were not a people,

00:31:24.519 --> 00:31:25.620
 you are now His people.

00:31:26.019 --> 00:31:27.019
 Your heart of stone

00:31:27.019 --> 00:31:27.640
 has been replaced

00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:28.539
 with a heart of flesh.

00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:29.420
 The Spirit of God

00:31:29.420 --> 00:31:30.880
 indwells you.

00:31:31.340 --> 00:31:32.600
 If this is true of you,

00:31:33.120 --> 00:31:35.519
 we are gods.

00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:38.360
 We belong to Him.

00:31:38.580 --> 00:31:39.060
 Verse 3,

00:31:39.420 --> 00:31:39.620
 it says,

00:31:40.140 --> 00:31:42.880
 God has welcomed Him.

00:31:43.539 --> 00:31:44.240
 What a statement.

00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:46.960
 God has welcomed Him.

00:31:47.059 --> 00:31:49.200
 God has forgiven His sin.

00:31:49.400 --> 00:31:50.460
 He is clothed

00:31:50.460 --> 00:31:52.019
 in the righteousness of Christ.

00:31:52.180 --> 00:31:54.039
 God has brought Him in

00:31:54.039 --> 00:31:55.400
 to His family

00:31:55.400 --> 00:31:57.640
 along with you.

00:31:58.579 --> 00:32:00.759
 We belong to God.

00:32:02.259 --> 00:32:02.880
 Verse 8 says,

00:32:03.079 --> 00:32:03.799
 whether we live

00:32:03.799 --> 00:32:05.059
 or whether we die,

00:32:05.160 --> 00:32:06.279
 that Christ died

00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:07.920
 and lived again.

00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:09.140
 Verse 9,

00:32:09.940 --> 00:32:11.859
 dead, buried, resurrected.

00:32:11.859 --> 00:32:13.000
 That He would be

00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:14.539
 the Lord both

00:32:14.539 --> 00:32:15.479
 of the dead

00:32:15.479 --> 00:32:16.699
 and the living.

00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:19.339
 We belong to God

00:32:19.339 --> 00:32:20.879
 because of the work of Christ

00:32:20.879 --> 00:32:22.479
 on our behalf.

00:32:23.859 --> 00:32:25.679
 Great foundational reason

00:32:25.679 --> 00:32:26.639
 for there to be unity

00:32:26.639 --> 00:32:27.579
 in Him.

00:32:29.500 --> 00:32:30.000
 Secondly,

00:32:31.019 --> 00:32:32.799
 our eternal position

00:32:32.799 --> 00:32:34.740
 is secured

00:32:34.740 --> 00:32:36.299
 by God.

00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:38.959
 Notice verse 4,

00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:39.439
 right?

00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:41.240
 Whatever you're doing

00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:41.799
 with the eating

00:32:41.799 --> 00:32:42.500
 or the not eating,

00:32:43.279 --> 00:32:43.740
 vegetarian

00:32:43.740 --> 00:32:46.140
 or rational,

00:32:47.700 --> 00:32:48.799
 He will be upheld

00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:50.440
 for the Lord

00:32:50.440 --> 00:32:51.299
 is able

00:32:51.299 --> 00:32:53.400
 to make Him stand.

00:32:54.680 --> 00:32:55.580
 In the day of judgment,

00:32:55.980 --> 00:32:57.340
 we will stand before God

00:32:57.340 --> 00:32:58.880
 and we will remain standing

00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:00.100
 not because we did

00:33:00.100 --> 00:33:01.120
 or didn't get

00:33:01.120 --> 00:33:02.100
 the particulars

00:33:02.100 --> 00:33:03.100
 exactly right,

00:33:03.559 --> 00:33:04.299
 but because of what

00:33:04.299 --> 00:33:05.279
 He has done

00:33:05.279 --> 00:33:06.940
 on our behalf.

00:33:07.640 --> 00:33:08.860
 This will be our plea

00:33:08.859 --> 00:33:09.379
 before Him

00:33:09.379 --> 00:33:10.459
 in the day of judgment.

00:33:11.379 --> 00:33:12.079
 Why do you get

00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:12.979
 to enter into my glory?

00:33:13.819 --> 00:33:15.519
 Not because I abstain

00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:16.319
 from eating meat.

00:33:17.319 --> 00:33:18.279
 That'll be a poor reason

00:33:18.279 --> 00:33:19.439
 to stand before God.

00:33:19.939 --> 00:33:21.119
 We will only be able

00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:21.599
 to plea

00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:23.299
 the perfect sacrifice

00:33:23.299 --> 00:33:24.179
 of Christ.

00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:25.279
 That's it.

00:33:25.599 --> 00:33:26.539
 The Lord is able

00:33:26.539 --> 00:33:27.740
 to make Him stand.

00:33:27.819 --> 00:33:28.919
 Our eternal position,

00:33:29.139 --> 00:33:29.819
 if you're in Christ,

00:33:29.819 --> 00:33:30.699
 is secured

00:33:30.699 --> 00:33:33.119
 by God.

00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:35.139
 number three.

00:33:36.879 --> 00:33:38.179
 Paul's examples,

00:33:38.819 --> 00:33:40.579
 the way these believers

00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:41.259
 are acting,

00:33:41.579 --> 00:33:42.539
 are heartfelt.

00:33:43.239 --> 00:33:44.259
 These people are convinced

00:33:44.259 --> 00:33:45.299
 in their own mind.

00:33:45.379 --> 00:33:46.019
 They believe

00:33:46.019 --> 00:33:47.519
 it's the proper thing

00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:49.739
 for them to do.

00:33:50.299 --> 00:33:52.019
 You should welcome people

00:33:52.019 --> 00:33:52.699
 who are acting that way.

00:33:52.739 --> 00:33:53.279
 These are not people

00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:54.379
 who are being licentious.

00:33:54.579 --> 00:33:56.139
 They're not casting off.

00:33:56.699 --> 00:33:57.639
 They're not trying

00:33:57.639 --> 00:33:59.000
 to live without the law.

00:33:59.319 --> 00:34:00.279
 They're trying

00:34:00.279 --> 00:34:02.079
 to honor the Lord.

00:34:02.220 --> 00:34:03.299
 Verse six says this,

00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:04.319
 the one who observes the day

00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:04.980
 observes it

00:34:04.980 --> 00:34:06.000
 in honor of the Lord.

00:34:06.500 --> 00:34:07.380
 The one who eats

00:34:07.380 --> 00:34:08.539
 eats in honor of the Lord

00:34:08.539 --> 00:34:10.019
 since he gives thanks to God.

00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:11.320
 While the one who abstains

00:34:11.320 --> 00:34:12.659
 abstains in honor of the Lord

00:34:12.659 --> 00:34:15.079
 and gives thanks to God.

00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:17.639
 People genuinely trying

00:34:17.639 --> 00:34:18.139
 to pursue

00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:19.280
 and genuinely trying

00:34:19.280 --> 00:34:20.619
 to do the right thing

00:34:20.619 --> 00:34:21.440
 before their God,

00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:22.280
 even if it's not

00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:23.539
 the particular way

00:34:23.539 --> 00:34:25.179
 you might do it,

00:34:25.900 --> 00:34:26.739
 should be welcomed.

00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:29.880
 Fourthly,

00:34:31.219 --> 00:34:33.099
 God will judge

00:34:33.099 --> 00:34:36.440
 our temporal works.

00:34:37.880 --> 00:34:38.860
 Verse 10 says,

00:34:38.940 --> 00:34:39.619
 we will all stand

00:34:39.619 --> 00:34:40.739
 before the judgment seat of God.

00:34:40.820 --> 00:34:41.579
 Verse 12 says,

00:34:41.880 --> 00:34:42.960
 each of us will give

00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:44.219
 an account of himself

00:34:44.219 --> 00:34:45.840
 to God.

00:34:46.679 --> 00:34:47.599
 It's all going to get

00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:48.920
 worked out in the end.

00:34:49.699 --> 00:34:50.719
 We're trying to navigate

00:34:50.719 --> 00:34:52.960
 these difficult matters,

00:34:53.800 --> 00:34:55.440
 all of these intricacies.

00:34:55.440 --> 00:34:57.700
 If we are in Christ,

00:34:57.800 --> 00:34:58.920
 it's going to get sorted

00:34:58.920 --> 00:35:00.380
 in the end.

00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:01.360
 And we don't have to judge

00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:02.179
 each other in those

00:35:02.179 --> 00:35:03.599
 minor particulars

00:35:03.599 --> 00:35:05.079
 because God will.

00:35:06.420 --> 00:35:09.400
 We have great reason

00:35:09.400 --> 00:35:10.820
 for unity.

00:35:12.340 --> 00:35:13.760
 God is going to sort

00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:15.500
 the details in the end.

00:35:16.240 --> 00:35:17.220
 If we have been justified

00:35:17.220 --> 00:35:18.300
 by grace through faith

00:35:18.300 --> 00:35:18.760
 in Christ,

00:35:18.840 --> 00:35:21.220
 then we are securely God's

00:35:21.220 --> 00:35:21.920
 and belong

00:35:21.920 --> 00:35:23.619
 not only to Him,

00:35:23.619 --> 00:35:25.319
 but to each other.

00:35:26.579 --> 00:35:27.779
 As we seek to follow

00:35:27.779 --> 00:35:28.480
 Him faithfully

00:35:28.480 --> 00:35:29.779
 in all the minutiae

00:35:29.779 --> 00:35:30.440
 of our lives,

00:35:30.539 --> 00:35:31.739
 we need not miss

00:35:31.739 --> 00:35:33.440
 that Christian unity

00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:34.699
 is a work

00:35:34.699 --> 00:35:36.119
 of faithfulness.

00:35:36.699 --> 00:35:37.799
 It's part of that.

00:35:37.839 --> 00:35:39.259
 It's part of that pursuit

00:35:39.259 --> 00:35:40.739
 of how God would have us

00:35:40.739 --> 00:35:41.980
 live our lives,

00:35:42.019 --> 00:35:42.659
 that He would have us

00:35:42.659 --> 00:35:43.139
 do it.

00:35:43.500 --> 00:35:44.559
 The focus of our effort,

00:35:44.679 --> 00:35:45.099
 however,

00:35:46.099 --> 00:35:46.859
 is not the unity,

00:35:47.559 --> 00:35:49.000
 but rather the focus

00:35:49.000 --> 00:35:49.980
 of our effort

00:35:49.980 --> 00:35:51.440
 is the truth

00:35:51.440 --> 00:35:52.740
 of who each of us

00:35:52.740 --> 00:35:55.240
 are in Christ.

00:35:56.039 --> 00:35:57.039
 I know I blew

00:35:57.039 --> 00:35:58.320
 through those reasons,

00:35:58.519 --> 00:36:01.159
 but note the major portion

00:36:01.159 --> 00:36:02.099
 of that text.

00:36:03.179 --> 00:36:04.059
 Paul is declaring

00:36:04.059 --> 00:36:05.480
 who it is that we are

00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:06.480
 because of the work

00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:07.139
 of Christ

00:36:07.139 --> 00:36:09.719
 on our behalf.

00:36:11.579 --> 00:36:12.380
 And so I want to close

00:36:12.380 --> 00:36:13.019
 with a quote

00:36:13.019 --> 00:36:14.780
 from A.W. Tozer,

00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:15.659
 and this is on your bulletin

00:36:15.659 --> 00:36:16.559
 if you'd like to read it

00:36:16.559 --> 00:36:17.539
 along with me.

00:36:17.539 --> 00:36:19.840
 He said this quote,

00:36:20.480 --> 00:36:22.179
 Has it ever occurred to you

00:36:22.179 --> 00:36:24.460
 that 100 pianos

00:36:24.460 --> 00:36:26.599
 all tuned to the same fork,

00:36:26.699 --> 00:36:27.619
 because I'm not a tuning fork,

00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:29.639
 are automatically tuned

00:36:29.639 --> 00:36:30.639
 to each other?

00:36:31.639 --> 00:36:33.300
 They are of one accord

00:36:33.300 --> 00:36:34.199
 by being tuned

00:36:34.199 --> 00:36:35.380
 not to each other,

00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:37.320
 but to another standard

00:36:37.320 --> 00:36:38.500
 to which each one

00:36:38.500 --> 00:36:40.860
 must individually bow.

00:36:41.880 --> 00:36:44.099
 So 100 worshipers together,

00:36:44.279 --> 00:36:45.940
 each one looking away

00:36:45.940 --> 00:36:46.880
 to Christ,

00:36:47.440 --> 00:36:48.500
 are in heart,

00:36:48.700 --> 00:36:49.679
 nearer to each other

00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:51.099
 than they could possibly be,

00:36:51.300 --> 00:36:52.200
 were they to become

00:36:52.200 --> 00:36:53.440
 unity conscious

00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:55.019
 and turn their eyes

00:36:55.019 --> 00:36:56.599
 away from God

00:36:56.599 --> 00:36:58.139
 to strive

00:36:58.139 --> 00:36:59.980
 for closer fellowship.

00:37:01.079 --> 00:37:02.159
 So let's pray together

00:37:02.159 --> 00:37:03.200
 to that end

00:37:03.200 --> 00:37:04.380
 that we would be fixed

00:37:04.380 --> 00:37:06.000
 on Christ

00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:06.920
 and be drawn together

00:37:06.920 --> 00:37:07.980
 in unity.

00:37:07.980 --> 00:37:10.380
 as we call it

00:37:10.380 --> 00:37:10.380


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