Welcome to the Adult
Two Couples Class
Immanuel Baptist Church
Question of the Day
If you could become the leader of any country in
the world, which country would you choose?
Announcements
–January thru March fellowship
February 11th at 5pm at the Gartons
April 22nd hosted by the Floyds
You too can be a host
–Benevolence fund
–Outreach cards
Prayer Requests
Question of the Day
If you could become the leader of any country in
the world, which country would you choose?
Context
Written
by Paul to the church at Rome
Composed of Jewish & Greek Christians
It is the longest letter of the Apostle
Probably written around 56 A.D.
Jews in the church were causing problems
Paul deals with relating to others and the world
Context
Apparently, there were issues in the church regarding
status and “spiritual seniority”. In other words, some
who had been Christians for a long time and had
grown in their faith were beginning to look down on
those who were newer to the faith. The more mature
Christians apparently had a judgmental “get over it”
attitude toward their less mature brethren. In the
church at Rome, this issue surfaced as those from a
strict Jewish background were worshipping with
those from a pagan Gentile background.
Overview
Lay No Obstacles
 Be Considerate of Others in Love
 Indulge in Encouragement

Overview
Do we place greater expectations
on the behavior of those we look
up to in the faith?
2. Are you looked up to by others in
the faith, and if so, do your actions
consider the weaknesses of your
younger brother?
1.
Overview
“A Christian man is
the most free lord of
all, and subject to
none; a Christian man
is the most dutiful
servant of all, and
subject to every one.”
-Martin Luther-
Key Truth
Be careful not to let your
liberty in Christ turn into a
liability for others.
Lay No Obstacles
Romans 14 : 13 - 14
Lay No Obstacles

Paul ties in his previous argument of
consideration for others
– “Therefore…”
– Don’t judge in the little things for the sake of
being critical

“But rather….”
– Paul offers a solution to a judgmental attitude
– One cure for a judgmental attitude is to focus on
not being a stumbling block
– To avoid becoming a stumbling block is
something we must decide to do
Lay No Obstacles

Personal Perceptions Potentially Pose Problems
– Jesus declared that nothing we eat makes us unclean
 Mark 7:19 - “And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also?
Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot
defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is
eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.)
 1 Timothy 4:4
 Titus 1:15
– This teaching does not extend to activities that the Bible describes as
immoral
 Outright sin is NOT a matter of opinion
– Individual perceptions of disputable areas may affect someone’s spiritual
understanding of sinful actions
– If a person perceives an behavior as sinful, then it is sin to him
Be Considerate in Love
Romans 14 : 15 - 18
Be Considerate in Love

Mature Christians should look after the
newer believers
– The mature believer may not feel guilt in eating
all foods
– Relishing in our freedoms may cause a less
mature believer to do something that violates
their personal convictions
– Don’t flaunt your liberties

The pitfalls of acting the “superior
Christian”
– It can “destroy” your brother’s walk
– Makes the good “freedom in Christ” into a bad
Be Considerate in Love

There are more important things to
consider
– External things we value are irrelevant in the
Kingdom of God
– The Kingdom of God is not about these earthly
things
– The Kingdom of God is made up of three basic
qualities
 Righteousness – Right relationship to Godright living
 Peace – Right relationships with others
 Joy – Satisfaction with life lived first for Christ

Be willing to give up our spiritual
freedom for the sake of others
Indulge in Encouragement
Romans 14 : 19 - 23
Indulge in Encouragement

Seek the positive results
– Pursue the things that encourage peace
– Promote each other’s spiritual maturity

Don’t let selfish desires for Christian liberty be a
source of disunity
– Placing our interests ahead of others’ runs the risk of creating division
– Serving selfish desires at others’ expense for earthly delights is crazy

Abstain from anything that causes your brother to
stumble
– Look at everything we do from the standpoint of our weakest brother
– Paul introduces the example of wine along with food
 What other examples can cause others to falter in their Christian walk?
Indulge in Encouragement

We are to live free before God
– Hold firm to faith/confidence in our spiritual
freedoms
– Be discreet in how we act on those freedoms
– No Christian has the option of living in a
vacuum

Admonition for the weak in faith
– If there are doubts about the activity violating
the conscience, abstain
– Following a course of action that is not
grounded in faith is always wrong

Acting whenever we are not convinced of God’s
Test Your Actions
1.
2.
3.
Could my behavior serve as a barrier to
another Christian’s spiritual growth?
Am I considering the impact of my actions
on those who are less spiritually mature?
Do I take advantage of my spiritual
liberties as I please, or do I use them
discreetly and in such a way as to build
up and encourage others?
Overview
Lay No Obstacles
 Be Considerate of Others in Love
 Indulge in Encourgement

Adult Two
Couples Class