The Bethany Bullet Sermon Message - Week of September 10, 2017

Sermon: “Does it Matter?”

Text: Romans 14:1-12

"Don't pass judgment on disputable matters."  (Romans 14:1). It's indisputable; according to the apostle, some matters are disputable.  It stands to reason that therefore, some matters are indisputable too.  Which ones?  Those he has previously laid out. 

A sampling would include:

V  "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Including you, and me!  It's indisputable!

V  "No one will be saved by observing the law."  Not even you, or me!  It's indisputable!

V  "The righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus, thus we are justified freely by God's grace in Jesus” Jesus whom, "God presented as a sacrifice of atonement."  For you and me and even for those who frustrate or infuriate us; it's indisputable! 

Even as nature rages as of late, the odds of global conflict some believe great; and opposing forces of opposing viewpoints confront one another at an ever increasing rate, the greatest storm brewing, battle raging and confrontation happening is the one inside us daily.  It's indisputable!

"The good I would I don't, the evil I wouldn't I do."  Yet, nevertheless, "Nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus...for we belong to Him." Indisputably true!

Yet, also indisputable is the fact that some things are disputable.  In other words, there are some things that we are free to partake in or refrain from; that which God has neither commanded nor forbidden.  Quite often we are inclined to create a law where God has chosen not to.  Quite often we are inclined to invent a prohibition where God has chosen not to.  Samples would exhaust space, Paul uses menus and holidays as his example and they ought to suffice for ours.

Here is the bottom line: Where God's Word is silent we should be as well.  And where this leads to differing opinions charity and love must prevail.

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer

*Please click HERE to check out the trailer for “Martin Luther: The Idea the Changed the World” an upcoming PBS special presentation. If unable to open link, copy/paste this into your browser:

http://www.pbs.org/program/martin-luther-idea-changed-world/