Thursday, July 25, 2013

Unity in Diversity, Part 17 of 33

TEXT: "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way" (Romans 14:13).

IDEA: We must resolve not to cause another Christian to stumble.

PURPOSE: How can I hurt other people’s spiritual life?

Have you ever seen someone stumble and fall?

Have you ever seen someone who made someone else stumble and fall?

Kids do it to other kids in school.

A teenage did it to a waitress carrying a tray in a restaurant.

A passenger did it to another passenger at the baggage carousel at the airport.

Christians do it to one another in church.

Paul writes about this in Romans 14:13—“Resolve not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in another Christian’s way.”

What does it mean “to stumble”? It is something that causes other people to sin. Ultimately, it can lead the person back into his or her old life.

Why would any Christian have to make a resolve not to do something that would make someone else fall? Why do we trip up other Christians?

Sometimes it is done UNWITTINGLY. We may be unaware of the consequences of our action.

Sometimes it is done out of MALICE. Christians can deliberately hurt other Christians.

Sometimes it is done out of THOUGHTLESSNESS. We didn’t consider the effect on other people. There is a rule of unintended consequences.

Sometimes it is done out of SELFISHNESS. We wanted to have our own way, and we didn’t care about anyone else.

Usually it is done because we are LOVELESS.

That is why we must resolve that we will not be responsible, if we can help it, for someone else’s sin or fall.