Romans 14 verses 1 through 3. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations, For one believeth that he may eat all things, another who is weak eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not, and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth, for God hath received him. Now, 1 Corinthians chapter 8 verses 1 through 9. 1 Corinthians 8 verses 1 through 9. Now, as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. Now that statement is concerning the context. Meat offered unto idols. But if any man love God, the same is known of him. As concerning, therefore, the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, but that there is none other god but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there be gods many and lords many, But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. How be it? There is not in every man that knowledge, for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol, and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God, for neither if we eat are we the better, neither if we eat not are we the worse. But take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. There were some in the Corinthian church that just didn't know. You'd ask them about, can I go to the shambles, the meat market, and buy the meat that's been offered to idols and eat it, they'd hardly know what to say. Because to them it was other people's religion and I don't have any business messing with that. And their conscience would not allow it for them. They're called weak. Now, Here's our statement in the Confession of Faith, number 47, and it's entitled, Differences in Understanding Among Members. While the church continues in obedience to the commandments of Christ, none of us should separate for faults and corruptions until those issues have been addressed Since a church consists of men subject to failing, there will be differences. There are differences in this church. There have been differences in every church I've ever been in, been a part of. I won't read these tonight, but I just want to talk about them for just a second. In Revelation chapter two and three, it talks about these seven churches. And if you were to read that tonight, you would immediately come to the understanding that many in these churches were weak in the faith. They didn't understand everything like they should have understood. There's probably a lot of reasons for that. Even the churches themselves, some are stronger, some are weaker. And that is an important issue that we address here tonight because we certainly don't want to offend a weaker brother and cause him to stumble. We need to be very, very careful. about that and we'll be surprised to see what people might believe who truly are God's children. I'm amazed to hear what people say sometimes. Absolutely flabbergasted. But I'll try to go off and bite my tongue and remember that this person is a believer. This person says he loves the Lord, and I have no reason to doubt that. But he's unlearned. He's unskilled. Now, let's read, please, in Acts 15, verses 1 through 3. And certain men which came down from Judea talked to brethren and said, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Pharnacia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. Now, it's clear from this, that there were among the churches who held doctrines opposed to grace, but who are brethren. I've had people say to me, if you don't keep the Sabbath day, you can't be saved. Well, that's a lie. It's just a lie. I've had preachers stand up and preach to a congregation and say that if you don't tithe of your income, you can't possibly love the Lord. You can't be one of His. That's a lie. And yet, if we have people like that among us, we need to help them with kid gloves to come to a right understanding. It's obvious that some in the congregation who are weak in the faith cannot hear many of the words of grace and exhortation when they're preached to them because they're like the Corinthians, they're dull of hearing. There are many who have not grown in the grace of the Lord, who are unskillful in the word of righteousness. They're babes, many babes in Christ. They can't stand anything that's considered to be strong meat from the scripture. They can only use milk, the basic doctrines. They're not a full age. That is, they're not mature. Their senses have not been exercised to discern both good and evil. How are our senses exercised to know both good and evil truly? It's by reason of use of the scriptures. Turn with me to Hebrews 11, Hebrews 5, verse 11 through 14. 5, 11 through 14. This is breaking into the middle of a thought that is talking about Christ. Verse 11, of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing you're dull of hearing. It wasn't that the speaker couldn't speak the words, but it would do no good because the people were dull of hearing. Then he goes on to say, for when for the time, you ought to be teachers. You have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God. And it becomes such as have need of milk and not of strong meat. For everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying these things to say of you that you are among those who are unskillful. But there are some who are weak in the faith. And there may be a number of reasons for that. Let's take note of this exhorting scripture that's a companion to Hebrews 5, 11 through 14. And when we read this, we'll see the lack of growth results in short-sightedness. One's unable to see far off, and even to remember that his sins were once purged. That's a pretty drastic thing. Let's read that from 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 1 through 11. 2 Peter 1, 1-11, Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. whereby are given unto us great, exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue, knowledge, and to knowledge, temperance, and to temperance, patience, and to patience, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, charity. We start by faith and we add to our faith if we're to grow. For if these things be in you, and abound, there's much. They make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that liketh these things is blind, the word means short-sighted, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purred from his old sins. Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So all of that speaks of growth, growing up in the Lord. Now please turn to 1 Corinthians 1, verse 10. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 10. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Why did Paul exhort the Corinthians to all speak the same things and have no divisions among them? The reason is because many of them were yet carnal. They were so unlearned and uncommitted to the Lord, they had favorite preachers, simply because a man could speak well or not. To come to this state would require them to exercise some spiritual knowledge and discipline in their lives. Some in the Church of God at Corinth had serious faults in their understanding of Scripture. Here's some examples. In 1 Corinthians 6, verses 5 through 7, Paul said, I speak to your shame. Is it so that there's not a wise man among you? No, not one shall be able to judge between his brethren, but brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore, there's utterly a fault among you, because you go to law with one another. Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Some people have not come to the place to where peace and harmony is more important in a church than a few dollars, and will do a disastrous thing by going, taking their brother to a court of law before the unbelieving. That's a fault. It's not a good thing. Now, we read this in the beginning in Chapter 8, where some think of an idol as really something. Now, we know it's nothing but a stick or stone, and it means absolutely nothing. But to a lot of people, oh my, they're struck with that. And why is that so? Because they're unlearned in the Word of God, and they're weak in the faith, weak in their conscience. What does it mean to be weak in our conscience? We're born with a conscience, but our conscience, beloved, can be taught, and it should be taught by the Bible. A lot of people out in the world whose conscience is taught by the world really and truly think that the things they say, which is wicked, is really right. They really believe that because their conscience is defiled. But we need to teach our conscience so that when we think about a thing, we judge it according to scripture. And that way, we're never gonna be guilty in the wrong way. We're gonna have peace of mind. But the wicked are not so, except for those whose conscience has become seared with a hot iron. They're past feeling. So our conscience can be taught. Remember what it said about being offered to idol, that their conscience being weak is defiled, and it is. Now look at 1 Corinthians 15, 12. 15, 12. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, How say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? I don't know how that's possible, but they did. Some of the people in the Corinthian church did not believe there was any such thing as a resurrection. That to me is staggering. It's just almost unbelievable. that people would say such a thing. Now look, please, at 2 Timothy 2, verses 15 through 19. 2 Timothy 2, 15 through 19. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. but shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat as doth a canker, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Now, if we had someone to say that the resurrection is past already, that is a heretical statement, and it would have to be corrected. And so we would have to address that. But you don't punch the guy in the nose to start the discussion. We try to draw him into where he will listen to what we're saying and point out the scriptures to him. You wouldn't punch him in the nose, would you? Would you? All right, please now look at Hebrews chapter 10, verses 23 through 25. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he's faithful at promise. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as a manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. Here is an exhortation to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, and to consider one another to provoke unto love and good works. It's an exhortation not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some is. Those who are holding fast the profession of their faith are the ones who know that forsaking the assembly is a way of hurting their own spiritual lives. I think when a person willingly stays away from the services of the church of which he's a member. He is undermining the work of the church and destroying his own life. He doesn't even know that. He thinks things are better on the outside. This is more important than me being in church. But all of us need to be encouraging one another, exhorting one another to continue on in the faith. Babes in Christ, those unskillful in the work of righteousness, do not clearly see the day approaching. They don't see all of the wickedness that's going on in the world. God's people can hardly stand it, but there are those that wade right out in it, become a part of it, join in with it, because they're weak in the faith. and they need the exhortation of God's people so that we can clearly see the day is before us. Jan and I were reading again today. We read Matthew 24 and Mark 13 and we read 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. We all have to be willingly ignorant to not see that everything is being set up for the world to receive a man who can promise peace and prosperity. And he will. And the world will fall at his feet. Brethren, we need to grow up in the Lord. But some are not, and we need to help them if we can. Revelation chapter 2, verse 20 and 21. I wanted to point this one out. Revelation 2, 20 and 21. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. And we have to ask ourselves the question, why would members of a church allow a woman whose name is Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess, to teach the people of the church to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols? Is it not because of ignorance of the word, or worse, or that they have no understanding at all because they're spiritually blind and yet in their sins? I believe that some who are truly God's children could conceivably allow something like this in a church because of their lack of commitment to the Holy Scriptures, their ignorance of the Scriptures, their babes, they're weak in the faith, unable to discern between good and evil. That's how things creep into an assembly. because people are not growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, turn back please to Romans 14, one through three. I want to discuss this just a little bit. This has to do with doubtful things. Days, food, so forth. Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things, another who is weak eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not, and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth, for God hath received him. Now this is clear enough. All of us ought to receive those who are weak in the faith about days, about food, about drink. Let's consider what's before us. Here's one that believes he can eat anything. I do. I believe I could eat anything. And there's one that's weak that says, no, you can only eat vegetables, herbs. Or maybe some people just like herbs. I don't know. But he thinks he can eat herbs only. Let not us who know that we can eat all things judge him who eats herbs. Why is that? Because God has received this man who's weak in the faith, or woman. What does he need? Is it important that he eats meat? Or eats everything? Not necessarily. But it's important that he knows he can. He needs nurturing and encouragement. from those that are stronger in the faith. And he needs growth. He needs to be constantly in the scriptures, reading, reading, and reading. And by this, he'll grow in the Lord. I don't think he would mind me telling you this. If I did, I wouldn't say it. The Lord has turned my brother-in-law's life around. I mean, he's made a drastic change. He's in the Bible constantly. He reads chapters and chapters in the book every day. And I was amazed at the number of things that he talked about that he had seen already in the word of God. Reading. Paul said to the young preacher, give attention to reading. Reading, reading is a blessing. We all need to read the word. Brothers and sisters, it is true that not all of us are at the same level of growth any more than we're at the same level of growth and maturity physically. It takes spiritual food, which is God's Word, to make us grow. I tell you, if we thought as much about our spiritual growth and well-being as we did about our physical satisfaction, we would grow a lot. When one's born of God, he's a babe. He needs milk. That is, he needs a basic teaching of the word regarding his salvation and his obedience to the Lord. He needs to hear how he needs to be separated from the world and unto God. He needs to have it settled about creation. and about the worldwide flood, about the Tower of Babel, and the confusion of languages. He needs to hear about the overspreading of the earth, and God's choosing the nation of Israel to the exclusion of all others. He needs to hear how God has used that nation to bring the Savior into the world, about His virgin birth, about him being subject to his parents, being baptized by heaven's authority, and on and on. Need to know about the crucifixion, the burial, the resurrection, and the ascension. He needs to know about the Lord's Supper. He needs to know about the church, its officers, and its operation. He needs to hear the second coming of Christ and his kingdom. All of this helps him grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I don't know what your habits are. But if you have any inclination that you're weak in the faith and you need to grow and there's things you don't understand, make you a plan to get in your Bible and be sure you do that. And read and read and read. If you don't understand it, read it again. Prayerfully. There are differences. We're all different and we're all growing. Some come to maturity, some seem never to. Let us help those that are weak. God bless you.