Do Not Destroy the Work of God
Romans 14

1.The poet John Donne is famous for his line that"no man is an island." Paul's comment is very similar: "v• 7 "None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.” This sounds very profound and close, but Christians have not always really believed it. In the last church I was a member of there was a difference of opinion. The church was split. When some of the people left, the cavalier remark of those remaining was: that's their problem. The adoption of "that's their problem attitude" is certainly characteristic of the world, but it is not that of Scripture."None of us lives to himself.”

2. The number of people one encounters that have been hurt, injured, and destroyed by the people in the church is astonishing. This summer I spoke with a man who attended the Episcopal church. He attended regularly until an issue came up on giving money for the defense of civil rights. He argued that the church should not become political. He was outvoted, and he withdrew in his hurt. Whether you disagree or agree with his own action, he has become a casualty along the way. Another man is not attending church because he was frozen out. He worked with young people, and he lacked a measure of spirituality that many of you would insist on very deeply, but his way of working with the youth was in conflict with the pastor's goals, and the pastor apparently didn't know how to resolve the matter benefically for both parties. He is now going nowhere. One can go
on and on recounting people who are being destroyed.

3.When people become Christians they deserve considerations
that are vital to their existence. The church is to build people up, not tear them down.

4. Paul's main point in this chapter is this: "Do not destroy the work of God. v. 20. The issues are three in number in which Christians were hurting one another.

I. Food. 2,6,14,17,20,2l.
1. The issue of what kinds of foods should be eaten in the first century related primarily to food offered to idols. In the first century this was the primary source of meat offered for sale in the market place. Should a Christian eat of meat offered to idols and sold later? If he didn't buy this meat he might not be able to secure any meat at all. There were Essenes who were strict ascetics and who practiced vegetarianism. There seems to have been several religious sects who refrained from eating meat. Converts were troubled, as they came
to Christian faith and asked concerning these old practices.

2.Paul's answer is scattered throughout the chapter. V. 6."All eating should be unto God, giving thanks to God for it. If a man will abstain, he does it in honor to God and gives thanks also."  v 14.” I know and am persuaded that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean." Meat is meat and vegetables are vegetables. What you think about will be personal, not a divine commandment. v. 17. "The kingdom of God does not mean food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." The issues about food are non-issues in their fundamental importance.
v. 20. “ Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make others fall by what he eats.” v. 21. It is night not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother stumble.”

3. We still have today people who are hung up on the matter of food. It doesn't have the association with idolatry, but in some instances it is related to religious practices. The Hindus do not eat meat because all forms of life embody God, or the world soul. In eating meat one is eating the spirit of body of someone else. All life is sacred. Some people don't eat pork, because of the Old Testament associations. I have never eaten snake meat, eel, turtle, snails, fish eyes, and e lot of other delicacies other people eat. What shall be my attitude toward them? My main aim is not to destroy him, or the possibility of bringing him to the kingdom of God.

4. Another modern form of the issue around food centers on eating meat and sending the grain cereals to starving parts of the world. The time may come when Christians will have to chose between meat and starvation for other countries.. What will be our opinion then?

5. Eating must be unto the Lord. Do not for the sake of food destroy the work of God.

II. DAYS

1 . The two verses noted here ere v.5 and 6. "One men esteems
one day as better than another, while another man esteems all
days alike. Let everyone be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day observes it in honor of the Lord. The full nature of these problems is not fully clear. (a) Jews coming to Christian' faith would be inclined to set the Sabbath apart as well as Sunday. (b) Pagan society held the belief that certain times and seasons were more auspicious than others. One shouldn’t begin a new project on Friday, or do anything on Friday, the 13rd. Ideas like these floated
around in Paul's day.

2. Paul's answer here is that the day is the Lord's, every day is his. To the Colossians he wrote,'Let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. (2:16) When our lives are consecrated to God, when we are living in his presence, all days are alike holy no times will be more
sacred than others. This does not twist the meaning associated with the Lord's day observance. The significance of the Lord's day is not the day, but what is done on it. It is a time of meeting in worship, of rest, and fellowship. If everyone met on Tuesday, the intent could be fulfilled, but we meet in honor of the resurrection of Christ.

3. People today are yet involved in these issues.

A. Horoscopes. There are people who insisted on the right day and the sign of the stars for making decisions, doing various undertakings. The reading of the horoscopes and following it is a return to paganism. The are are many comments one could make about the reference to horoscopes. Augustine noted in the four century that the stars are no guide for destiny. A set of twins born on the same day and under the same sign often have different temperaments, talents, destinies, and achievements. But their sign would indicate sameness.

B. Meetings. You may misunderstand my intention in this point, but it is important. SB's have become known as a loyal church-going people. I'm grateful for your faithfulnes but your loyalty must not push itself to judge other people who are not here every time the doors open. You and I both know of people who have various degrees of commitments, different home and job responsibilities who cannot sustain the level of participation that others do. We can be very legalistic in saying everybody without exception should be here every meeting. We must be responsible, loyal, but not legalistic in our attitudes toward our success and other people's failures.

c. Sabbath-keepers. The same issue remains today with the seventh Day Adventists who insist that the only proper day to worship is Saturday. They criticize us and we criticize them for the day we both observe. Should this be?

4. Days are what we make of them. Do we commit the day, all days, to the Lord?

III. Judging. 3,4,10,13,18,22.

1. The issues of food and days brought the matter of judging. Note Paul’s comments: v.3," let not him who abstains pass judgement on him who eats; for God has welcomed him." V.4." Who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Master is able to make him stand." v.10,”Why do you pass judgement on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother For we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ." v.13. "Then let us no more pass judgement on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of a brother" V.18, “He who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.” v.22. "The
faith that you have, keep between yourself and God; happy is
he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves."

2. The issue or problem in this judging centered on the trivial, the insignificant. Do not forget that Paul is very hard on things that matter. But here judging had been going on with issues that are non-issues. When I set up the standards by which I judge you, I come out very clean. You may need a lot of correction, but I’m pretty good. Judging can cause this to be. The form of judging here is related to
legalism. Legalism is the attitude of making major problems
out of minor issues. Through the years I've seen one Baptist church after another get entangled over legalism. Oddly enough, in a number of the larger churches that I've been interim pastor in Texas and Kansas, my first business meeting is often a long one. People l become heated up over minor issues. Churches split over trivial issues.

3. When I was a kid growing up there were some taboos that a Christian didn't indulge in. Card playing used to be linked with the devil. Going to the movies was one of the cardinal sins. In Texas camp programs in the summer did not permit mix swimming. You may have been affected by similar taboos. Now in Texas people play dominoes rather than cards, people watch on TV shows that made the old movies seem like innocent children's stories.

4. One of the great questions Christian people need to have before them at all times regarding wrongs is this: what does the Bible regard as sin? A n SBC preacher once went to Germany to preach and his host pastor was offended that he smoked a cigar. Before going into the morning worship service the host pastor took a shot of whiskey for clearing his throat which offended the SBC pastor. Cultures do emphasize different things. But the Christian must always come back
to the Bible and judge the culture practices he will accept or reject. What does God call sin?

5. Do not destroy the work of God, the faith of others, by judgements about trivial matters.

Conclusion:
1. No one lives unto himself. Each is to judge his own actions. Whatever is not done in faith is sin.
2. The main theme of not destroying the work of God because
of food, or days, or judgement can also be extended to relate to other things. Do not, for tbe sake of anger, destroy the work of God. Do not, for the sake of argument, destroy the work of God. Do not, for the sake of lust, destroy the work of God. Do not, for the sake of gossip, destroy the work of God. Do not, for the sake of pride, destroy the work of God.

3. Positively, you ere the work of God. Continue to serve Christ in a way that is well-pleasing. Do that which is right for the peace and joy thru the Holy Spirit.

4. This message is for Christians. God's message to the non-Christian is found in his Son, Jesus Christ who came to die for your sins, and give you eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, hope, peace and joy. Will you receive it today?