The Weaker Brother

But this is what Abraham did. And it's what you and I must do in the midst of our trouble. Look at verse 19. And not being weak in faith. You ever been weak in faith? The word weak there means it's hard, powerless. You ever been powerless to believe? To be weak in faith means, you have a hard time believing. You ever been there? Ever felt like you know you should trust? You know you should believe? You know what you're supposed to do, but you have a hard time with it?

And you can be saved. You can be saved right in your seat. It's not a special prayer that has happened. It's really a heart change and a confession that says, God, I'm a sinner and I need you in my life. Be my Lord and be my savior. That is the faith saved. What I don't want you to do is what Paul says is the Jews stumbled over the stumbling block. There's some theologians that that stumbling block is the law. There's others have said, that stumbling block is the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him or her but not to quarrel over opinions. Paul, he's getting right to it. He says weak in faith. And what does that mean? It means unable to let go of religious ceremonies and rituals of their past. That's the definition there. See, there was Jewish believers and they grew up under the law. And some of them had trouble letting go of the law. Like, I can't eat that and I have to do this and I have to wear that.

Paul says, back to verse 1, As for one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. I love the way the NIV translates this. It says, Accept him who is weak without passing judgment on disputes. Disputable matters. The New King James says, Receive one who is weak in faith, but not to dispute over doubtful things. Doubtful things. Well, what are those doubtful things? Those disputable matters. Look at verse 2.

So Lord God, may you use me. I pray, Lord, they'll hear your truth. Pray for your help in Jesus' name. Amen. All right. So Romans 14. Let's read a couple of verses. The Bible says this. As for the one who is weak in faith, you know, those people, not those, those people are weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions or other translations will say not to quarrel over disputable matters, that there's a differing of opinions.

Be unified, Paul says. There are some things that are worth dying over. There are others, many, many others that are not. Give those things up. Who cares who's right and wrong and walk together. The second point, he pivots slightly in verses 13 through 23. The second point is to walk in love, not as a stumbling block. Verse 13, Paul says this, therefore, let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know when I'm persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So here he pivots ever so slightly. Previously saying, welcome them regardless of opinion differences. And now he's saying, but

So when we read verse 13, it says this. In the way of a brother. Love for one another governs our action. As we truly love people and look what's best for them in the Lord, this is what governs our action. So we go, I'm not going to be a stumbling block. I'm not going to be a hindrance. I thought this was wonderful. I looked at these. The stumbling block is different than hindrance. A stumbling block is when you mean you carelessly leave something out and somebody falls over.

This is really good. I hope to be able to preach this. Put a stumbling block or a hindrance in the way of a brother. There's a mindset shift and mindset change. I use that, the idea of flaunting our freedom. Well, you know what? I'm flaunting my freedom. I can, or we can participate in eating this meat or participating in this non-essential or drinking alcohol, but coming to a place of understanding of not flaunting that to cause a stumbling block.

hey, what do I want to have available in the house? Or what do we want to practice? Or where do we go? Because I know I don't want to be a stumbling block for my kids or your grandparent. Don't be a stumbling block for your grandchildren. Thinking through that of what you participate in, these non-essential things. But then he uses not just stumbling block. And this is what really I'd like to be able to preach. He says, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or a hindrance or a hindrance. See the stumbling block is carelessly leaving something behind. A hindrance is deliberately leaving something behind. And so the way that I describe that is, is that is a legalistic rule that you are on purpose putting on something, someone's shoulders a weight that they're unable to live out. I have a friend, she works on staff. She grew up in a very legalistic world. And so grew up at a Bapt

mouth, we are told to not let any unwholesome words come out of our mouth, but only things which build people up, not pull them down, not tear them down. Right? So, but he had this idea that he had freedom and he called me the weaker brother. He's all, you're just sensitive. You're the weaker brother. I said, no, you're stupid. And so then we got in a fistfight. No, I'm just kidding. We didn't do that. But it's like, I took him here. I was like, your brother who just walked out of here now doesn't know what to do. By the way, I now don't think you're very godly despite what you have tried to portray. I think you got problems with the Lord, but we're grieved because you decide you have this freedom. You were not walking in love to the guy that just walked out of here. You just made things difficult for him. And so he says here, do not destroy. This person walked out like, I don't even kno