Navigating traffic lights & debatable issues
Romans 14:1-23
Have you ever come to a traffic junction, say in the countryside, where two roads meet, but there are no road markings, no signs? Who has right of way? Who should go? Who should wait? It’s easy when there are no other cars on the road. You just do what you want, stop/go as you please. It doesn’t really matter.
But what happens when another car approaches at the same time as you - from the other side? You want to go ‘this’ way, the other car wants to go ‘that’ way. If you both ignore the other and do your ‘thing’, there’ll be a car crash. You could both do nothing and just wait. But you could be waiting there for years. That doesn’t seem satisfactory either. And so was born the traffic light. First introduced on 9th December 1868 in London’s Parliament Square.
So now that quiet country lane has traffic lights. When it’s ‘green’ you go, and when it’s ‘red’ you stop. And when it’s ‘amber’ you ‘floor it’. This all sounds very straight-forward, harmonious. No more car crashes. 
What happens when you’re at the traffic lights, and you’re on ‘green’ but the other driver is on ‘red’?  You go, they wait. Imagine if the driver on ‘red’ says, “I’m on ‘red’, you should be like me and ‘wait’ as a I do. It would make no sense. 
Good drivers are aware of other road users, follow the Highway Code (even ‘ambers’), and are ultimately responsible for the way they drive - not trying to control how others drive. That’s what Paul was driving at in Romans chapter 14.
The church in Rome was having some ‘car crash’ moments – quarrels over disputable matters. Some were seeing ‘red’ and demanding that everyone stop – stop it. Stop eating meat. Stop having fun, and especially on Saturdays. Others were seeing ‘green’. It’s OK to eat meat. And it’s OK to have fun on Saturdays. And Sundays, even on Mondays. Enjoy all of God’s gifts.
These were just two examples of ‘car crash’ quarrels over disputable matters. Paul could have used others. Since then, over the last 2,000 years, we’ve thought of plenty more. So, Paul sets about helping people with their ‘traffic lights’, reducing ‘car crash’ disputes in the Church. We can apply the same principles/ logic to help deal with a myriad of contentious issues we face.
In v.1 Pauls says, 
“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling over disputable matters.”
If we’re held on ‘red’ we can quickly see ‘red mist’, we feel our red blood boiling. We lose perspective.  A minor hold-up can escalate into ‘road rage’ – quarrels.
The Greek word translated as “disputable matters” is dialogismōn (διαλογισμῶν) It’s the same word we get ‘dialogue’ from. They’re not so much disputable matters, more like discussable, debatable matters. 
Paul is heading towards Romans 15:
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 
Romans 15:5-6
Paul thinks, though the issues are real, those who find themselves coming from different directions can still co-exist together in unity, in Christ.
So, how do you rank disputable matters? Are there degrees of dispute?
First-order beliefs are absolutes. They are the non-negotiables of the Christian faith. Take them away and there is no Christianity. They’re what ALL Christians believe: Baptists, Anglicans, Catholics, Pentecostals…
•	Belief in the existence of God.
•	Trinity. One God: Father, Son & Holy Spirit. This matters because it’s about relationship
•	Incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ
Second-order beliefs are convictions. They describe what we and other Christians like us think important - though other Christians may think differently to us. 
They‘re often the beliefs that identify us as:
•	Baptist: believer’s baptism; congregational governance, separation of Church and State…
•	Anglican: Christening of babies, Priest as the mediator between God and people, the State Church…
•	Catholic: Mass becoming the actual body and blood of Christ, veneration of Mary, Papal authority
•	Pentecostals: speaking in tongues as the required evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit…
Third-order beliefs are opinions. Matters of difference within our congregations that needn’t divide us. Not all Baptist churches take the same stance/ approach on every issue (far from it).  Not everyone in the same congregation will think the same as everyone else on every issue.
Fourth-order are more like questions – unsettled issues we’re all wrestling with.
But who gets to decide which ‘order’ a belief or issue is? For example, how do you rank:
•	Is there such thing as God? Are we saved through faith in Jesus?
•	Baptising believers into Christ or Christening babies into the Church?
•	God gives us freewill to make choices or God chooses for us.
•	Will there be pets in heaven? Does Heaven’s door have a cat flap?
Where do Paul’s two examples fit: what can Christians eat, and do on the Sabbath. They’re not ‘first-order’;  Paul says both sides of the argument clearly have faith in Christ. Neither are they ‘fourth-order’, otherwise there’d be little quarrelling/ dispute. It’s either second-order or third-order; which might depend on where you stand on the issue. What Christians can eat or do on the Sabbath might sound third-order. Dig deeper and what underpins those beliefs could, for some, push them into second-order. But still nowhere near first-order.
Why does this matter? Because too often we assume everything we believe is first-order essential that all others must follow/ do. I believe [this]. I’m right. If you don’t believe [this], you must be wrong. Paul says, all that.. “I’m on ‘red’ so you must be too”, is nonsense. 
Back to Paul’s contentious issue: whether or not to eat a pulled pork bap. Eating meat or going veggie was the surface issue. The bigger issue were the different assumptions behind this for Jewish and Gentile Christians.
Jewish Christians felt passionately the ‘Old Testament’ laws should be followed to the letter – even after Christ. Yes, Jesus died to save us, but it says in Leviticus, to stay on the right side of God, you must not sell land, shave off your beard, or get a tattoo.
The Gentile Christians felt passionately that Christ had set them free from living under the Law. Grace abounds. It’s all about Jesus.
Paul wasn’t neutral in this matter. It’ was where he now landed on this.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2
For a Jew, eating meat was horrific, vile - unlawful. It was… SINFUL. Hence the enormity of Peter’s dream and change of attitude in Acts 10. He saw Heaven opened. Lots of forbidden animals. And heard a voice saying, Catch it. Kill it. Eat it
Paul was clear, he was on ‘green’:
”I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.” Romans 14:14
After all, Jesus had said,
“Nothing that enters a person from the outside can make them ‘unclean’” Mark 7:18
Paul thought their argument weak. It denied the sufficiency of Jesus; Christ is all you need. So he makes the following points:
1.	Accept others - Don’t judge. 
“Why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” Romans 14:10
Instead, “Accept one another just as Christ accepted you” (Romans 15:7)
It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict us of right and wrong, and to reveal truth, not ours.
2.	Allow others - Don’t impose your view. 
“Let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” v.13
No-one was saying ALL Christians must now eat meat.  Instead, Paul says, if your ‘take’ on faith does not allow you to eat meat, don’t eat it. Stick with your Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll.
And, if like Paul, your ‘take’ on faith DOES allow you to eat meat, feel free to do it.
What we must not do is force others to abide by our approach. You are responsible for the way you drive and believe; let others be responsible for the way they drive and believe.
Sometimes we think those who shout the loudest must have strong faith. It’s often a sign of weak faith. Jesus said Seek, Knock, Ask.
Paul’s logic helps us with, what for some, is another debatable matter: same-sex attraction. To what extent can a Christian be gay? What about Same Sex Marriage?
As with Old Testament food laws, some Christians believe same-sex relationships are sinful. They’re on ‘red’ with that.
A growing number of Evangelicals, who love the same God, are filled with the same Holy Spirit, and who read and seek to live by the same Bible, are on ‘green’ for this. For them, it’s about a monogamous, faithful and loving relationship between two people, whatever their gender or sexuality.
Following Paul’s logic, if your ‘take’ on faith does not allow/ permit same-sex relationships or same-sex marriage, you are free NOT to enter one.
And, if your take on faith DOES allow you to enter into one, you are free to do so.
What we must not do is force others to abide by our individual approach. 
We mustn’t put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of our gay brothers or sisters, as we now understand for women, those who are divorced, single… And, let’s be honest, the Church at large (I’m so relieved, we as a church are navigating a different and inclusive path) has too often caused harm and distress to our gay brothers and sisters in Christ.
3.	Accept yourself - Don’t deny God’s work in you. 
Be confident in what you believe - and why.
“Each one should be fully convinced in their own mind.” v.5
It’s OK to think you’re right, especially if it comes from rigorous, open, humble investigation.
“Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.” v.16
“Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.” v.23
Be open and confident in how God is leading you, how God has wired you to be. That may be different to the way others understand things.
If you think your reasoning is the stronger, don’t put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s or sister’s way (v13)
4.	Don’t flaunt your freedom in front of the weaker
The tough part is to be gracious to those who think differently to us.
If they are so weak, they can’t cope when someone eats a Sausage Roll in their presence, or is just a bit too gay, be secure in how God has wired you to be, and the sexuality God had gifted you – be that straight or gay – and cause them to stumble
But equally to remain true to the grace we believe Christ has given us. 
Yes, Gentile Christians weren’t to flaunt their freedom in Christ, but neither were they to deny that freedom won by Christ on the Cross and revert to law-based Jewish believers. That would devalue the work of Christ
Likewise, don’t work on the basis it’s for others to give way.  Just because you believe you shouldn’t do something, doesn’t mean they mustn’t either.

Same-sex attraction and same-sex marriage are discussable issues – not everyone has the same ‘take’ on it.
Paul says, if you think your way of thinking about this is STRONG, that you’re in the right, then for the sake of unity and to alleviate the distress of others, be willing to lay down your privilege on this ‘disputable, discussable matter. You show your real strength when you do so.
Those who persist in forcing their ‘take’ on others reveal their weakness.
It turns out, the sin is not the meat eating; it’s having your beliefs and behaviours out of line: saying one thing but doing another. Thinking and acting in silos – not having a systematic theology
“Whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” v.23
 To Inclusion And Beyond!

07840 046020   DannyBrierley@ChesterRoadBaptist.org.uk