difference odcf christmas 2010

8/7/2019 Difference ODCF Christmas 2010

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I and my family and some friends

will be serving a dinner Saturday December 25th at 920

Dundas for anyone in our

church who will be alone on the

holiday. We will begin at 3 and

eat at 5. Please let us know if you would like to join us or help

by giving food or your presence

with us.



DIFFERENCES IN THE

CHURCH



Behold, how good and how

pleasant it is For brothersto dwell together in unity!

Psalm 133:1



It is like the precious oil

upon the head, Comingdown upon the beard,

{Even} Aaron's beard,Coming down upon the

edge of his robes.Psalm 133:2



Now accept the one who

is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing

judgment on his opinions.Romans 14:1



One person has faith that

he may eat all things, buthe who is weak eats

vegetables onlyRomans 14:2



The one who eats is notto regard with contempt the

one who does not eat, and

the one who does not eat is

not to judge the one who

eats, for God has acceptedhim.

Romans 14:3



Who are you to judge theservant of another? To his

own master he stands or

falls; and he will stand, for

the Lord is able to make him

stand.Romans 14:4



One person regards one dayabove another, another

regards every day alike Each

person must be fully

convinced in his own mind.

Romans 14:5



He who observes the day,observes it for the Lord, and

he who eats, does so for the

Lord, for he gives thanks to

God; and he who eats not,

for the Lord he does not eat,and gives thanks to God.

Romans 14:6



For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for

himself; 8for if we live, we

live for the Lord, or if we die,

we die for the Lord;

therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

Romans 14:7-8



For to this end Christ died andlived again, that He might

be Lord both of the dead and

of the living.

Romans 14:9



But you, why do you judgeyour brother? Or you again,

why do you regard your

brother with contempt?For we will all stand before

the judgment seat of God.Romans 14:10



For it is written,"AS I LIVE, SAYS THE

LORD, EVERY KNEE SH ALL BOW

TOME, AND EVERY TONGUE

SH ALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.³12

So then each one of us will give anaccount of himself to God.

Romans 14:11-12



Therefore let us not judge oneanother anymore, but rather

determine this--not to put an

obstacle or a stumbling blockin a brother's way.

Romans 14:13



I know and am convinced inthe Lord Jesus that nothing

is unclean in itself; but to him

who thinks anything to beunclean, to him it is unclean.

Romans 14:14



For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no

longer walking according to

love Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ

died.Romans 14:15



Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken

of as evil;

Romans 14:16



for the kingdom of God is noteating and drinking, but

righteousness and peace

and joy in the Holy Spirit.Romans 14:17



For he who in this way servesChrist is acceptable to God

and approved by men.

Romans 14:17



So then we pursue the thingswhich make for peace and

the building up of one

another.Romans 14:18



Now we who are strong oughtto bear the weaknesses

of those without strength and

not just please ourselves. 2

Each of us is to please his

neighbor for his good, to hisedification.

Romans 15:1-2



One very important aspect

of a becoming a life givingchurch is how we deal

with differences betweenus.



The way we deal with

differences not onlyrelates to the church it has

an impact in every area of life.



Relationships in marriage,

parent / child, employer /

employee, friendships,

enemies will all blossomor die due to the way we

handle differences.



Most relationships are in

turmoil or fail because of

the wrong response to

differences by either oneor both people.



Yet difference is the very

foundation of our unity.



For even as the body is oneand yet has many members,and all the members of the

body, though they are many,are one body, so also is

Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12



For the body is not onemember, but many.1 Corinthians 12:14



If the foot says, "B

ecauseI am not a hand, I am not

a part of the body," it is notfor this reason any the

less a part of the body.1 Corinthians 12:15



A

nd if the ear says, "BecauseI am not an eye, I am not apart of the body," it is not for

this reason any the less apart of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:16



If the whole body were aneye, where would the hearingbe? If the whole were

hearing, where would thesense of smell be?

1 Corinthians 12:17



But now God has placed themembers, each one of them,in the body, just as He

desired.1 Corinthians 12:18



so that there may be nodivision in the body, but that the members may have the

same care for one another.1 Corinthians 12:25



We are created uniquely to

express a particular

aspect of God and to

function in a particular wayin the Body of Christ.



These particular aspects

create huge differences

between us. And God

meant it to be so.



The profound difference

between men and women

is such a wonderful

difference in the world. Yetit can be one of the worst

places of division whengrace to be different is not

given.



Colossians 2:16

Therefore no one is to act

as your judge in regard to

food or drink or in respectto a festival or a new

moon or a Sabbath day --



Today we want to talk about

differences in Preferences,Tradition, Convictions and

Biblical Absolutes as they

relate to the Unity of the

Church.



And from the beginning Iwill say that the

message is not toalienate or discredit any

group within thechurch.



As a church we havethose who believe

we should do some

things and those who

believe we shouldn¶t.



Freedom in our response to

God is a primary value of scripture



This is a great change from

the Old Testament wherealmost everything was

ruled by precept.



We need to understand this

great difference or we maybring the rule orientation

of the Old Testament intoour present day practice.



God desires that reborn

believers respond in loveto Him in freedom.



It was for freedom that

Christ set us free;

therefore keep standing

firm and do not be subjectagain to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1



The freedom we are given

is not to sin but to love

God with everything in us

as a free gift. It is not tobring harm on others but

to love them as Jesus did.



For you were called to

freedom, brethren; only do

not turn your freedom into

an opportunity for theflesh, but through love

serve one another.Galatians 5:13



For the whole Law is

fulfilled in one word, in the

statement, "YOU SH ALL

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.³

Galatians 5:13



But from the very start this

freedom was the source of

difficulty. The ones who

loved their freedom oftenturned it into a licence to

sin. The ones who hated itconstantly sought to bring

others into bondage.



Both groups can be

extremely hurtful to each

other. It has always been

a difficulty for the churchto handle the differences

Jesus desires to be in hisbody.



UNDER THE NEW COVEN ANT

SOME THINGS WHICH WEREONCE BIBLICAL ABSOLUTES

H AVE BEEN ABOLISHED OR

REDUCED TO THE AUTHORITY OF

PREFERENCE OR

TRADITION.



FO

R EXAMPLESACRIFICING

ANIMALS FOR THE

ATONEMENT OF SIN

H AS BEEN

ABOLISHED.



Hebrews 10:1

For the Law, since it has only ashadow of the good things to come

and not the very form of things, can

never, by the same sacrifices whichthey offer continually year by year,

make perfect those who draw near.



The way we know anOld Testament

absolute has changedis when the New

Testament tells us ithas.



Our church, like everychurch has certain

differences which havethe potential to lead us

to either a place of unity in love or division.



So many things candivide a church.



Differences in worshipstyles is a big one

today.



Differences in themanifestations of the

Holy Spirit is another.



When I was younger amajor divisive

movement camearound when the

rapture of the churchwould occur.



Division has split thechurch from the earliest

days of her life.



If we stand for the truthof God we will certainly

experience a godlydivision.



Godly division comes aroundabsolutes He commands us

to do or not do. When these

are communicated in loveany division that comes is

inevitable and is not wrong.



Most division has not beenaround God¶s righteousness

but around preferences,

traditions, uncertain theologyand personal convictions

sought to be enforced oneveryone.



The only answer to thistendency is to follow what

God teaches us in His Word

about differences andfreedom in those things not

commanded as absolutes inscripture.



One of these kinds of issues which we face

every year at this timeis our differences in the

celebration of holidays.



Colossians 2:16

Therefore no one is to actas your judge in regard to

food or drink or in respectto a festival or a new

moon or a Sabbath day --



This scripture tells us that, for Christians, the Jewish ritual

laws concerning eating

drinking and observances of specific holidays and

Sabbaths have beenabolished as absolutes.



And the Bible tells uswhy they have been

abolished as

absolutes for

Christians:



Colossians 2:17b

things which are a mereshadow of what is to come;

but the substancebelongs to Christ.



TheO

ldT

estament lawsconcerning food, drink,

festivals, new moons or

sabbath days are nolonger binding on

Christians



Because theywere given to

point to Jesus.



They wereanalogies or

signs pointing to

the reality of Jesus.



Now that the reality

has come there is noneed for the sign to

be an absolute.



Saying this does

not mean theyare no longer

important.



As absolutes they

were once pointing tothe future coming of

Jesus.



Now that they are

fulfilled they serve toconfirm He is the one

they pointed to.



Christians maycontinue to celebrate

them but not asmandated acts of

obedience.



The Old Testament

commands that are not

restated in the New

Testament are not to

be held as convictions

or to be seen as

Biblical Absolutes.



Whenever they havebeen re-elevated to

this status they havebrought great

confusion anddivision.



Old Testament Holid ays:

1. Were signs (analogiess) to point to

Jesus.

2. Are now celebrated only to reveal how

they pointed to Jesus.

3. Are not required to be celebrated for

any reason.

4. Their merit is only in their making our

or other¶s experience of Jesus greater.



Whether we celebrate

these festivals, whichwere once Biblically

mandated, or not we mustmaintain love with one

another.



Romans 14:5

One person regards one dayabove another, another regards

every day alike Each person

must be fully convinced in hisown mind.



Romans 14:6

He who observes the day, observes

it for the Lord, and he who eats,

does so for the Lord, for he gives

thanks to God; and he who eats

not, for the Lord he does not eat,

and gives thanks to God.



One very powerful example of this

principle is the life of Eric Liddell. He

was passionately committed to keepingSunday as the Lord¶s Day. He refused

to do anything he considered work on

that day.H

e believed it was thesabbath. He held it as an absolute that

should be practiced by everyone.



While even a casual investigation of when

the Sabbath actually was gives a clear

understanding it was Saturday and notSunday. Further the practice of the

Early Church was to rest with the rest of

their society on Saturday. Sunday was aworking day just like Monday. All early

Christians worked like everyone else on

that day.



Eric¶s conviction regarding the

Sabbath was not biblicallycorrect or perhaps even

biblically mandated to be

observed even on Saturday.



But his heart for God could not

be doubted.H

e loved God andhis life left a great testimony to

a generation many years after

he had died.



I do not have to believe he was

correct in his observance tohighly honor his commitment

and zeal for God.



BUT WH AT ABOUT

NON-BIBLICAL

HOLIDAYS?



For our Congregation

The celebration of

Holidays like Christmas

and Easter would fall

under observing any

holiday in general.



Unless something

about the holidayintrinsically violates a

Biblical Absolute



The observance or

non-observance of itis a matter of

personal preference.



And in these matters

freedom needs to begiven to Observe the

Day or Not Observe it



without either

regarding the other with contempt or

judgment.



Romans 14:3

The one who eats is not to

regard with contempt

the one who does not eat, andthe one who does not eat is not

to judge the one who eats, for

God has accepted him.



CHRISTMAS AND

EASTER ARE NOT HOLIDAYS TH AT WERE

ONCE

BIB

LICALLYMANDATED.



While some would reject

the celebration of anyHoliday most Christians

do partake in evensecular celebrations.



Thanksgiving is a

celebration that hadChristian and native

spiritual roots.



Much like

Christmas had

Christian andpagan roots.



Yet most Christians would

have little problemcelebrating Thanksgiving

precisely because of the four

principles we outlined for biblical holidays and one

further point:



While the secular

culture can make

it into a day toworship sports,



Or to see how

much their

stomach canhold,



And the people of its

animistic roots gavethanks to gods other

than ours,



Thanksgiving

can be

celebrated in aChristian way.



And for a Christian

to celebrate it

properly,



It MUST be

celebrated in a

Christian Way.



The blatant

secularism in it

must be purged.



And the focus of

Thanksgiving

be to Jesus.



But if one feels that to

celebrate it links them tothese secular or animistic

elements then they shouldbe able to abstain



without fear of

judgment or regarding those who

do celebrate with

contempt.



The celebration of

Christmas or Easter,

or any holiday ingeneral should be

seen in this sameway.



Unless something

about the holidayintrinsically violates a

Biblical Absolute



The observance or

non-observance of itis a matter of

personal preference.



And in these matters

freedom needs to begiven to Observe the

Day or Not Observe it



without either

regarding the other with contempt or

judgment.



One answer about how

to deal with differenceis to honor intention.



We can seek tounderstand the

intention of a personeven if we don¶t believe

the outcome is correct.



We can always bless

and honor a right

intent.



I once believed that if

intentions were rightthen actions would

be right.



Then God began to

show me that thefoundation of right

action was rightintention.



But something more

was needed for rightintentions to become

right actions



WISDOM



SO EVEN THE BEST

INTENTIONSWITHOUT WISDOM

CAN BE FAT AL

Th i t ti t l t t



The intention to relate to a

culture as closely aspossible without moving

into sin gives us a basisfor bringing the message

of God into cross culturalsituations.



1 Corinthians 9:19

For though I am free fromall men, I have made

myself a slave to all, so

that I may win more.



1 Corinthians 9:20a

To the Jews I becameas a Jew, so that I

might win Jews;



1 Corinthians 9:21b

to those who arewithout law, as

without law,



1 Corinthians 9:21c

though not beingwithout the law of

God but under thelaw of Christ,



1 Corinthians 9:21d

so that I might winthose who are

without law.



1 Corinthians 9:22a

To the weak I becameweak, that I might

win the weak;



1 Corinthians 9:22b

I have become allthings to all men, so

that I may by allmeans save some.



THE FOCUS OF ALL

CELEBRATION FORCHRISTIANS IS

JESUS.



Colosians 3:17

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of

the Lord Jesus, giving

thanks through Him to

God the Father.



OR TO LET

OTHERS

EXPERIENCEHIM.



Colosians 2:17b

things which are a mereshadow of what is to come;

but the substance

belongs to Christ.



1 Corinthians 10:23

All things are lawful, but notall things are profitable. All

things are lawful, but not

all things edify.



1 Corinthians 10:24

Let no one seek hisown good, but that

of his neighbor.



1 Corinthians 10:31

Whether, then, you eator drink or whatever

you do, do all to theglory of God.



1 Corinthians 10:32

Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks

or to the church of God;



1 Corinthians 10:33

just as I also please all menin all things, not seeking

my own profit but the profit

of the many, so that they

may be saved.



So the question of Celebrating

Christmas or Easter comes

down to this. Does celebrating it

or not celebrating it bring to me

or others make me closer toJesus or farther away from

Jesus?



That question is very

personal and in our church we would like

it to remain so.



Beyond the personal

question are somethoughts that will help

us to be able to havedifference in any area.



In celebating or not

celebrating, am Ibeing faithful to my

own conscience?



And in my faithfulness to

my own conscience amI giving others the

freedom to follow their conscience?



without judging

them or regarding

them withcontempt?



If I believe I am or am not to

celebrate Christmas am Imaking sure that the

message I am sending is

one of love for Him and notrejection of others?



If I believe to celebrate or not

do I treat those of differingperspectives with honor,

questioning the wisdom of

actions rather than judgingmotives if they are not clear?



If I believe to celebrate or not do I

treat those of differing

perspectives with grace, by not

using their conviction as a

means of defaming them or stirring up offense with others?



Psalm 15:3

whose tongue utters no

slander,

who does no wrong to aneighbor,

and casts no slur onothers;



If I believe to celebrate or not

in the conversations aboutmy convictions do I patiently

share to expose my heart

rather than strive to win theargument?



2Tim 2:24 (KJS)

And the servant of the Lordmust not strive; but be

gentle unto all men, apt to

teach, patient,

The church that takes



The church that takes

a narrow, and what I

consider non-biblicalstance on these

issues will becomeincreasingly divided.



To allow freedom in those



To allow freedom in those

things the Bible says to doso can be challenging but

it allows a church toremain committed to one

another in spite of differences.

Due to the preference of



Due to the preference of

our pastor as a church wedo not celebrate

Christmas or Easter. Thisis a practice not an

identity.

It is a preference not an



It is a preference not an

absolute.

Unless some one chooses



Unless some one chooses

to make it so for themselves personally it is

never meant to be a basisof fellowship or to break

fellowship.

It is hard to allow freedom



It is hard to allow freedom

when we are sure we areright about a practice that is

not biblically mandated. But

if we wish to become a life

giving, inclusive church we

must learn to do sogracefully.

To elevate the observance or



To elevate the observance or

the non-observance of aholiday to the status of an

absolute and an identity of

the church is wrong.

The elevation of any observance,



y ,

tradition, personal conviction or theology not clearly taught in

scripture to an absolute and to

an identity of a church willultimately make it more cultish

and it will have internal division

constantly.

To be a life giving Church we



To be a life giving Church we

must allow freedom in allareas that are not biblical

absolutes and even in those

areas we need to minister

grace.

As we do so we will find a



As we do so we will find a

sweetness that comes fromthe Spirit growing between

us. That Spirit of love is very

attractive to unbelievers and

validates the truth of our

relationship with Jesus.

"A new commandment I give



A new commandment I give

to you, that you love oneanother, even as I have

loved you, that you also love

one another. 35 "By this all

men will know that you are

My disciples, if you have love

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