Questions from the Text    (March 28, 2010)

SERMON:  Romans 14:1-23 ("To his own master he stands or falls").  We will also hear a testimony from David Loughin and celebrate his profession of faith and baptism! 

SUNDAY SCHOOL & ADULT CLASSES:  Second week of Spring Session!   5 great adult classes (College, Inquirers, Minor Prophets, Parenting and Choir).  Jump on in to one of them!

SUGGESTED FAMILY WORSHIP TEXT:  Isaiah 40

HYMNS:      ~ All Glory, Laud and Honor (Trinity 235; in recognition of Palm Sunday)
                      ~ How Great Thou Art (Trinity 44; to celebrate David's baptism)
                      ~ Thou Lovely Source of True Delight (a new hymn for us to learn with great words; we shall sing it to the tune Azmon C.M.: "O For a Thousand Tongues")

SONGS:     ~ Hosanna Lord
                    ~ Arise My Soul Arise
                    ~ He has shown Thee (Micah 6:8)

DEVOTIONAL:   Questions from the Text

We plunge now into Romans 14, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.   We will likely be in it for several weeks, and yet it appears to hang together as a critical part of Paul's treatise on love.  Here then are some of the questions we will be considering this Sunday and in the weeks to come, some technical, and some more practical:

+ Where does this particular pericope (Greek ðåñéêïðÞ, meaning a set of verses which forms one coherent unit of thought) begin and end?  Look for key words as an indicator.

+ What are the major themes of this chapter?  How do they flesh out what it means to love one another?

+ Who is the one whose faith is weak (verse 1; hint:  verse 14)?

+ What is the rule about how we must view one another in light of our different convictions (verse 3)?

+ What is the overarching principle in regards to others (verses 4, 10; 15:2))?

+ What is the overarching principle in regards to judging ourselves (verses 5-8; 11-12; 15:2)?

+ What does all this have to do with grace (see verse 4)?   What is it that guarantees that each of us will indeed stand?   What if it that were not guaranteed?  What would that do to our Christian freedom?  Are you following all this?  :-)

+ What are the two issues Paul mentions as matters of differing convictions (verse 2; verse 5)?  Can you think of others that Christians deal with today?

+ When is it proper to "judge" another man's convictions as actual sin?  What standard would you use?  When is it proper to allow a man to stand before his own Master, but nonetheless to separate from him for practical reasons (i.e. are denominations justified)?

+ What does it mean to put a stumbling block in your brother's way (verse 13)?  

+ If it is to abstain from what causes offense to your brother, why does Paul then say to not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil (verse 16)?

+ Of what does the Kingdom of God consist (verse 17)?  Of what does it not consist?  What is the principle here?

+ What is the overarching principle of this chapter (hint: verse 19; 15:5)?

+ Does verse 22 encourage "private religion," and if so, in what way? 

+ What is sin, according to verse 23?  Again, what does this all have to do with grace?   Is grace just the way we become Christians or is it also the governing principle of the Christian's life and the way we treat one another?   To ask that question is to answer it.

See you Sunday!  ~ Pastor H