Deeper Connections: Watchfulness only works with acceptance

Romans 14:1-9

1Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2One person's faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the LORD is able to make them stand. 5One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6Whoever regards one day as special does so to the LORD. Whoever eats meat does so to the LORD, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the LORD and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8If we live, we live for the LORD; and if we die, we die for the LORD. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the LORD. 9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the LORD of both the dead and the living.

Listening guide

Last week: When connected Christians pay attention to his Word (watch his Word), we stay safe. 

John Koehler 

What goes with watching?  

14:2 “One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.” 

Watching well cannot keep us from ______________ ___________________ the gospel to our lives. 

14:3 “The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not [eat everything].” 

14:1 “Accept the weak” 

Shantung Compound  

“There was a quality seemingly unique to the missionary group, namely, naturally and without pretense to respond to a need which everyone else recognized only to turn aside. … If there were any evidences of the grace of God observable on the surface of our camp existence, they were to be found here.” (Langdon Gilkey, Shantung Compound, pg 192) 

People with the gospel don’t just ___________ the weak, they ____________ the weak. 

14:8-9 “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” 

Watchfulness only works with _____________________. 

Discussion questions

Deeper Connections: When connected people watch his Word, we stay safe.

Matthew 7:15-29

Matthew 7:15–29 (NIV)

True and False Prophets

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

7:24–27pp—Lk 6:47–49

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Listening guide

“Nathaniel, the towel is on fire.” 

Lot 

“Watch out for false prophets.”  

Separatism =  

Christians don’t stay safe by ___________ from everyone. 

Arius and Socinus 

Unionism =  

Christians don’t stay safe by __________ with everyone. 

Test 
You have only three minutes to answer these questions. 
 
1. Read everything before doing anything. 
2. Put your name on the upper right hand corner of this paper. 
3. Circle the word "name" in sentence two. 
4. Draw five small squares in the upper left-hand corner of this paper. 
5. Put an "x" In each square. 
6. Put a circle around each square. 
7. Sign your name under the title. 
8. After the title write "yes, yes, yes". 
9. Put a circle around each word In sentence no. 7. 
10. Put an "x" in the lower left hand corner of this paper. 
11. Draw a triangle around the "x" you just put down. 
12. On the reverse side of this paper multiply 703 by 9805. 
13. Draw a rectangle around the word "paper" in sentence number 4. 
14. Call out your first name when you get to this point in your paper. 
15. If you think you have followed directions up to this point in the test, call out "I have". 
16. On the reverse side of the paper add 8950 and 9850. 
17. Put a circle around your answer. 
18. Count out loud in normal speaking voice backwards from ten to one. 
19. Now that you have finished reading, do only steps one and two. 

What we _________ ________________ ______, we _________________. 

Discussion questions

1. Here’s an interesting historical development reported by the NY Times. “Just one senator voted against the Patriot Act, calling it a violation of civil liberties when it passed in the frightening, angry days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Nearly 14 years later, 77 senators voted to advance a bill ratcheting back its expansive scope.” Which do you value more: security or freedom?  

   The Christian church has concerns about both freedom and security. This lessons helps us think through those concerns.  

2. What reasons are there to be concerned about the safety or security of Christians?  

   1. See Matthew 7:15-18 

   2. Romans 16:17-19 “17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.”  

   3. 2 John 7-11 “7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.”  

3. How do we recognize false teachers? False disciples?  

4. One thing the Bible teaches us is that some people are weak and need encouragement to mature whereas others are false. How can we differentiate between the two?  

5. Romans 15:1-2 “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”  

6. Hebrews 5:12-14 “12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”  

7. When would you know that you should leave a teacher or group of Christians?    

8. Have you ever felt compelled to leave a group of Christians or a Christian teacher? Can you explain why?  

Deeper Connections: Satisfied Christians build stronger connections

1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 27-34

1 Corinthians 11:17-22 17In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20So then, when you come together, it is not the LORD's Supper you eat, 21for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!

1 Corinthians 11:27-34 27So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the LORD in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the LORD. 28Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the LORD, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. 33So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

Deeper Connections: Christians connect deeper

1 John 1:5-10

5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Listening guide

We become most like the people who ___________ ___________________ ________ ____.

Christians need to be good at _______________.

Fellowship means Jesus ___________ himself with us. 

Christians connect _____________.   

Discussion questions

1. What are the biggest things that hinder you from sharing with someone else, or other people from sharing with you?  

2. Verse 9 – what does it mean to “confess our sins”?  

3. Verse 9 – John says that if we confess our sins, God will share something with us. He will share forgiveness and purify us. In your own words, explain how confession leads to fellowship with God.  

4. Verse 9 and 10 – according to these verses, what keeps us from God?  

5. What does these verses suggest will be the single biggest thing to strengthen our fellowship?  

6. What do you think hinders fellowship in a congregation? Are they the same things that hinder you from sharing with someone else?  

7. Share a time when you confessed and you found greater fellowship. Can you imagine if that would happen around here?