Transcript
Speaker: Greetings and welcome to another episode of this Sunday podcast. I am Pastor Matthew Hardaway alongside me, Pastor Phil Brandt. Every week we take a look at upcoming readings for the church year. This
Speaker: On this episode, we will be looking at the, well actually our last last little section of Romans from the season of Pentecost in this series of series A for the lectionary. And so that places us in the 16th Sunday of Pentecost or after Pentecost. This will be for September the 13th if you are prepping for that sermon. um Also, I was sharing this with my congregation, we... we
Speaker: Our initial thought least mine was when we were started recording these shows Is that we would have an audience of pastors that were doing some sermon prep and then also some. church laity that were doing their own devotion and potentially doing it prior to that Sunday. So you get kind of a head start on what things might be.
Speaker: um come to find out this also works if you you want to do it after you heard your pastor preach yeah you i I didn't think about that until this week or a couple weeks ago when we didn't have Sunday school.
Speaker: uh for logistic reasons at church. And so announced that and then had people comment. And yeah, the one for for this Sunday was great, Pastor. Tell Dr. Brent, thank you. You're welcome. so Well, as always, we start off with the call out to the day for that Sunday, and then I'll let Pastor Brandt i dig into Romans 14 and kick off our discussion.
Speaker: We pray. O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all goodness. hear the devout prayers of your church especially in times of persecution and grant that what we ask in faith we may obtain through jesus christ our lord who lives and reigns with you and the holy spirit one god now and forever Amen.
Speaker: Amen.
Speaker: Listen to the devout prayers. God is the author of all good things.
Speaker: Yeah, I... I... Every Sunday I collect prayers at my parish where I... where I serve right now. and and And I always remind, Jesus promised to listen. You know he he he promised him Yeah, I mean.
Speaker: you know I can say I'll make time for somebody. But when Jesus says he'll make time for you. and you It takes on a totally different meaning, you know? yeah He makes time. And.
Speaker: I don't know if you remember that. That image from. ah i think it was bruce almighty where where he's he's uh ah He's kind of like God for the day, you know, God for the little bit there. And and and and the prayers are just like this stream of voices that are coming over him. And and how do you sort that all out? and and And I go, no, I mean.
Speaker: God's outside of time. He's not in it. He's not subject to that. And so ah every moment is is in, you know, he he's with you every moment.
Speaker: You know, hear the devout prayers. Um, Yeah he's listening. I always think that's the ah the great incentive to pray. Yes. He's a god. God is is listening for you.
Speaker: You don't always know what the answer is. Well, yeah, I mean, in terms of the answer, the purpose, all those things, you know, that that's that's a totally other conversation. I just i just think, you know, that faith is—understanding faith as a relationship with God and that God commits himself to you and that that he you quite— quite lovingly promises.
Speaker: I will always listen to anything you tell me. I will never be too busy. to listen to you. I mean, I think that's one of the the really cool promises he makes in baptism is that that the God says,
Speaker: I'm... Always available. And, you know, I mean. and And I think we we oftentimes see. Yeah, I mean, the the prayer kind of maybe even lends itself to that, you know especially in times of persecution. Well, yeah, I mean, when you're being persecuted, and you're you're saying, God, help me. And that's that's ah that's existentially a really important prayer. but yeah I mean, even just the the... God just wants to hear from you.
Speaker: I think about the people I love. And. And we have conversations. They aren't always. you know, utilitarian. They aren't always, you know, they they need something from me. I need something from them. And so a lot of times I'm just calm.
Speaker: And just. a Just to hear your voice. Yeah. and that God wants to hear your voice. God wants to hear from you. And. I just think that's really cool.
Speaker: I just think that that is so, so cool. Speaking of cool, let's look at Romans 14. Months. So. yeah Just to put this into a little context, Paul is uh Paul is is really coming up to his big ask.
Speaker: um at In chapter 15... He's going to ask the Romans for help. He wants to go to Spain. He's been as... everywhere he wants to go in Asia Minor, Greece, that part of the world. And he's now on the boat going back with the offering that he's bringing to the poor people in Jerusalem. And he is writing to the folks in Rome.
Speaker: And he wants to. he wants to He wants them to support him in in a... in a mission to Spain. You can read about that in chapter 15. He's rather explicit. He says, I need some help.
Speaker: Um, And so now he's kind of leading up to that. And and here he's been talking about, this is what I say. This is the way ministry unfolds. when i when If you help me on my missionary journey, this is what it's going to look like.
Speaker: This is the gospel. Here is salvation by grace. You know, there's now a righteousness apart from the law. uh That we rejoice in our sufferings and nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. And and then he goes through this kind of...
Speaker: Kind of that. Case study. if you will, with ah with the issue of the Jewish... um the Jewish rejection. And he's gone through, you know, this is what the community looks like in Chapter 12 and in Chapter 13, kind of this relationship with ah the civil authorities, things like that.
Speaker: um But now... uh in at the end of 13 and going into 14 we'll pick it up at 14 -1 he's he's really talking about a little more about what that...
Speaker: relationship of Christian to Christians. what is it what What is the kind of community that I'll be building there in Spain? or that the Holy Spirit will really be building through my ministry, that as I proclaim...
Speaker: Christ. to sinners and people who are you know dying under the law. This is what I envision happening.
Speaker: and and and And in part, he said, that's what I envisioned for you. For all of us. But what he's really saying is this is the this is the gospel taking on shape. This is the gospel getting skin in in my ears.
Speaker: and And today he bring really brings up this really important question of of unity and... and harmony. You know what I mean? uh As a Lutheran, we subscribe to the Book of Concord.
Speaker: And in in the in the Augsburg Confession and in the in the in the... in the formula of concord and throughout really the the They they talk a little they talk a lot about unity and concord.
Speaker: and And what's really important to remember is that unity is a given. Unity is what God does. And that is a truth that God makes.
Speaker: God is the source of all the good stuff. That's what we just said in the prayer.
Speaker: Harmony. Concordia is the Latin word, Book of Concord. All right. That harmony between people, that is something you and I participated.
Speaker: That is spirit driven. It is spirit engaged and and spirit infused, but but it is also... That is also part of that. that that Christian life, we...
Speaker: We engage it. and And he's really here talking um about both the harmony and the unity. And how you kind of. tease that out just a little bit.
Speaker: that that I'm united. in my baptism with All Christians everywhere. And i am I am... in one body of Christ.
Speaker: That that he He has asserted that already in the book. but But... That doesn't mean I always get along with everybody. That doesn't mean that I'm i'm always a a a, it's just, you know, one big happy. commune of people all smiling and and getting along no sometimes Sometimes.
Speaker: You know. These people sing too loud or those people do something I don't like or whatever. And and so Paul's going to lay down a few guidelines. for how you deal with Those.
Speaker: differences that can afflict. The harmony. of a community They can't really change the unity. of the community because that's God's work.
Speaker: i can I can fail to reflect the unity. But the unity is always something God makes. So let's hear what it says As for the one who is weak in faith.
Speaker: He's talked a little bit about who that is. Welcome him. but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the other weak person eats only vegetables.
Speaker: Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. God has made him one. God, he there's the unity piece.
Speaker: But now Paul's talking about a distinction in the... in the body of Christ is that some people Um... will eat anything and other people um are vegetarian.
Speaker: And there are going to be lots of reasons for being vegetarian. You know, theres some people are are morally vegetarian. They think it's wrong to kill an animal.
Speaker: There's other people are vegetarian for health reasons. You know, they they think it's that that. that that's better for this temple of God called my body. um There's other people who are vegetarian for for religious reasons.
Speaker: You know, I mean, there's people who I mean, if I used to live with in a community that had a lot of Seventh Day Adventists. in it And. They're vegetarians. And, you know, for because they believe that that that there's a they had a prophetess who gave a prescription and it said, you know no, it don't eat meat. um I uh...
Speaker: uh you know, And I think Paul lays out some really important. Really important rules here. He says one is you should not look down on the other person because they're they're vegetarian or not that the unity that God has welcomed us all.
Speaker: really overrides my... my human predilection toward judgment. Yeah. Can I have a conversation ah about that with somebody else?
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: don't let it become in Paul's words. a quarrel all over opinion. Okay. And particularly, I think these kind of endless quarrels over opinion.
Speaker: Yeah. Now that... That that. that uh Ah. Yeah. We, we. but But I think we we we do have the opportunity and the and and the and the option to.
Speaker: to to talk to somebody. about these things. We don't have to agree on everything. to recognize unity.
Speaker: I believe that's really what Paul's main thrust in this whole section is. No. I am sure the the good folk in in in your congregation in Connecticut Um, sing different songs than my people do on the on the west coast here in Portland.
Speaker: Possibly. So what? You know, is the the the question is, is it the same Jesus? Yes. You know? And. No.
Speaker: and and And this is really, I think, one of the great the great Um,
Speaker: One of the great geniuses of Christianity.
Speaker: that in. it acknowledges that that people in different cultures and different places. will be very different, and they can all be part of the same body of Christ.
Speaker: Um, Uh, That. yeah Yeah, I think about... I think about... um you know. The fact that like Hinduism.
Speaker: If you want to become Hindu. You really have to adopt. um Indian culture. south indian South Asian culture.
Speaker: Um, and And really the same with with Islam. you You really have to adopt a cultural.
Speaker: thing in order to become Islamic. but You know? You really don't have to to be a Christian. I mean, there's um there's morals. You know?
Speaker: But. But... Really, even they take some really kind of different shapes in different communities. But, I mean, there's not a there's not a particular dress or...
Speaker: or um
Speaker: pattern of of of the of the conforming of life that that is that is universal to Christianity at all. I mean, it's actually...
Speaker: Go ahead. Even even inside of it. Worship. Yeah. yeah we We as as Lutherans, you know, strive. for some primary Wow.
Speaker: elements of worship to be present when we are gathered together. That's more... by a scriptural understanding. not cultural. Mm -hmm And so many times, and I... i like wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the same in other denominations too.
Speaker: so many other times we get stuck in these Quarrels. Yeah. yeah over over culture and and it's like some people think that if if We are.
Speaker: Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. Christians, then whenever we go to church every single church should look exactly the same. Yep. Yep. And and not not from opinion, but it is their opinion.
Speaker: That's yeah because you feel comfortable doing that. But you can't I mean but the that's the part that always baffles me is is some people and I don't know mean from my audience and you're not goingnna I'm not talking about anybody that knows me. I've just read the arguments before. In one breath, they'll say that. But then in another breath, they'll be so excited to go to Africa.
Speaker: And we're just going to LCMS. sister congregation or synod. and And completely different and there's nothing wrong with it. Well, that's right. And like like they're dancing up and down the aisle for the offering.
Speaker: Right. You know, or so or something like that. Yeah, it's it's it's utterly different. Yeah. there is no There is no uniformity in in or is no ah ah you know congruity, it seems like. and yet And yet the church down the street or across town that has a praise band.
Speaker: or that that is liturgical. they're they're getting their undies in bunches about it. And and really, I think i think the the the... The part here that Paul... Paul is talking about is they pass judgment on it.
Speaker: Right. you know um I think it's perfectly legitimate to disagree with. a particular worship practice. You know, because because I think that the goal of worship is always, how do I best?
Speaker: convey the Word and the Spirit of Christ to the people who are in that place. how am i How am I reflective of who we are and who who Christ is in what in in the way we're behaving?
Speaker: And... I think there's... there are there are really good arguments to make and to have about you know, various practices. Do they do that well?
Speaker: Okay. But... But I don't. really have the opportunity to say that. that, that. Day. the way you're doing it. is you know.
Speaker: absolutely wrong. is is of the devil, so to speak. yeah because Because in truth, you know the the question we're all asking about we're all asking there is, does it reflect this one Jesus Christ? And and I believe that that in in that broad spectrum of worship or in all kinds of of other places in in ministry and pastoral practice and the like,
Speaker: there can be a lot of variety in the way that works. No? I mean, I've known pastors who were... Really? you know um almost quite autocratic in the way that they ran their congregations. I know others who were almost passive in the way they ran their parish.
Speaker: And. um Could Jesus work in both of them?
Speaker: Yeah. Yes. i might I might actually argue with both of those guys and say that that that i I would really like to see that happen a different way. Because I think there's vulnerabilities.
Speaker: That are that are exposed in a in a ah Uh, Uh, inside those two pastoral methods, you know, those two pastoral styles of ministry.
Speaker: But I can't say that. that they're not doing Jesus. Right. You know, like I can't do that. Important words from Paul.
Speaker: Yeah. I mean even 2 ,000 years later. Yeah. Yeah. Um, Yeah. I mean... I wonder how many of the How many of the cultural things that I have as ah as ah as an heir of the German immigrants who came to the United States?
Speaker: you know would be utterly alien to Paul.
Speaker: an organ Right, yeah. but And here's the. Here's my one of my favorite things about that. ah is is one One, I love organ music. My daughter -in -law is ah is ah is an amazing organist. Um,
Speaker: But for a long time Christians didn't like organ music
Speaker: because they had one in the arena. And a lot of Christians... who were thrown to the lions were dying. to organ music. You know.
Speaker: I know a lot of Christians today who feel like they die to organ music. You know, they don't like it. you know It's killing them. But but um but I... i I guess you know I could see why you know somebody in the 300s...
Speaker: Hmm. who had associated organ music with with the with the public execution of Christians. Might say, yeah, we're not going to put one of those in church. We're just not going to do that.
Speaker: And and and i could I could say, yeah, I could see why. I can see why.
Speaker: Paul is here with Paul. Paul is here to kind of establish this... this this this ah this criteria That, um that. We have diversity. We have these differences in the way we do things. But we don't let those that diversity overcome.
Speaker: The Unity. god has God has welcomed them all.
Speaker: Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another person? It is before his own master that he stands or falls, and he will be upheld for the Lord is able to make him stand. that That when I'm talking to that other Christian now.
Speaker: i I acknowledge. I'm not his boss.
Speaker: and and and And I think that's a really important. line of authority kind of issue is that that person is still accountable.
Speaker: but they're just not accountable to me. They're accountable to the king. And. at best or at most, what I can really do. is say...
Speaker: Hey. Remember you're accountable to Jesus for this. You know. one One of the things that that I think happens when when we... when we you know really get into this, what what Paul is talking about is that we can start to think that these things don't matter.
Speaker: Well, they might matter a great deal.
Speaker: but Um, but Ultimately, what we what we have to... we have to admit is that that the one who's going to really make the call on how much it matters.
Speaker: Is it me?
Speaker: I mean, that that what I can do is remind my brother Christian and sister in Christ, and they can remind me. That. Remember, we're all accountable to Jesus.
Speaker: And we need to listen to him. But. My line of accountability is to him. not to you. At least not in in this this kind of stuff. One person esteems one day as better than another.
Speaker: while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. now Now, here Paul brings up... and I think another... really important element of this this kind of diversity.
Speaker: And there's there's that's that's kind of a word that, you know. kind of triggered some people today. It shouldn't. You know, Jesus Jesus called such a diverse lot of people to be his disciples.
Speaker: You know what I mean? They named one of them Simon the Zealot. And and those guys were those guys were kind of crazy. They were political machinators. they they wanted to they They wanted to overthrow the Roman government by violence.
Speaker: You know, they these were them these were the rioters. yeah And then he's got Matthew, who's a tax collector, a collaborator with the very Roman government that... Dead. that are the the very powers and and and state that that the...
Speaker: that the zealots are trying to overthrow. Can you imagine what the conversations in the but in the the disciples must have been like? I mean, with those two guys. you know were they Were they sitting across from each other? and you know ah at the feeding of the 5 ,000 like this, kind of twerked at each other. I just imagine what that must have been like with him.
Speaker: but But what... What do you think? What he says here is that you can have these. these These almost exclusive ideas. One day is significant. Well, the guy says no days are significant. um He says, but they really need to be convinced of it.
Speaker: And... And. I think what he's really saying is that. I didn't have to. you You shouldn't just sort of... Imagine that this is what you want to be or that you are you are performatively.
Speaker: doing this. Kind of hypocritically. doing it. He says, if you're going to state your thing on... I believe. Every day is the same.
Speaker: Okay. But don't do that because... some You think somebody else is telling you you should think that way. Don't do that. Or don't do that simply to stake out a rhetorical or a position over against somebody else, just to be argumentative with them.
Speaker: I mean, I've known people who've done this, you know, if if this guy is for it, the other guy's against it. Not because he's actually against them. the idea or whatever. It's just because he doesn't like that other person.
Speaker: You know? if If you're going to. If you're going to Bring something forward and say no, I believe this believe it Just believe it.
Speaker: The one who observes the day. observes it in honor of the Lord. If you think that that that Fridays are a special day because that's the day Jesus died on the cross.
Speaker: Cool. Yeah. early Christians. Always fasted on Fridays. Because they said this day has been rendered holy.
Speaker: But on the other hand... Okay. the one who uh the guy who does not observe the day would also be saying, Jesus died to redeem all days and to free me from all of this this obligation.
Speaker: Okay. He did that too.
Speaker: The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God. While the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord, who gives thanks to God. and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.
Speaker: And. And this again is is reiterating this this really critical point is that Yeah.
Speaker: That we are not our own.
Speaker: and and And I think really here's where it it really flies into the face of. Oh. our contemporary culture, which which, you know, really says...
Speaker: that I am accountable to and responsible to nobody but Me.
Speaker: and And. And Paul. Paul is really I think saying to to us then. that. that No. All of us. are going to have to stand before Jesus.
Speaker: and we are accountable. As a sinner, I stand before him and I look to those holes in his hands and his feet, the marks of his crucifixion, and I'm not afraid to do that.
Speaker: I'm not afraid to do that. My sin is all forgiven. But... At the same time also, Um. Jesus gives me the opportunity.
Speaker: to now live my life. in a way that honors and glorifies and and and brings joy to him.
Speaker: it's It's not like he's taken away my sins and left a blank slate.
Speaker: He's taken away my sins and given me himself. So that now I can live. for Him and through Him.
Speaker: If we live, we live to the Lord. And if we die... We die to the Lord. So then whether we live or whether we die, We are the Lords. And.
Speaker: um And that applies to me. It applies to you. It applies to the members of my parish and and any other Christian I ever see.
Speaker: To this end, Christ died and lived again. That's a huge statement. That is a huge statement. Paul just made that. He said, this is why Jesus lived and died and rose.
Speaker: this is why he was well This is why you got Christmas and Easter and Pentecost. okay This is why these things exist. So that... Your life could be. lived and your death.
Speaker: Could be died. To the Lord. That the whole encompassing of your life. And. um And I think this is, you know... I think this is also...
Speaker: You know, just... just Really important for what Paul is saying here. This text is just filled with opportunities to preach. um and opportunities to to talk about it. Because I think what he says in this text is...
Speaker: that That. um That. This love of God. encompasses every aspect of our lives.
Speaker: how we arrange our calendar. How we could... Cook our meals. All of those things become occasions. for us to Bring glory to God.
Speaker: and and And they aren't just occasions that are. Yeah, the... None of this stuff is trillion.
Speaker: None of this stuff is unimportant anymore. My whole life. has become important to God.
Speaker: So why do you pass judgment on your brother? Why do you despise your brother? We will all stand before the judgment seat of God. That's his job. You don't pass judgment. He gets to do that.
Speaker: It is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God. That should sound familiar. We're going to hear it in just a few weeks. Because when we're done with this, we're going to Philippians. And in the in the great the great hymn of Philippians 2, he quotes this very same passage.
Speaker: yeah know and in and And in a slightly different context, but he uses it there, and I think it's really useful to notice how he's using them and in these two different ways. But in both of them, that that it's this all -encompassing.
Speaker: love of Christ has has really displaced Paul's ego. From the middle of his universe so that now he can say every part of me from the from the, you know...
Speaker: from the moment i I wake up to the moment I go to bed, my even my sleep at night. You know, when I'm i'm unconscious. All of that has become...
Speaker: A service rendered to Jesus. because yeah I'm taking care of my body by going to bed. is Also. Serving the Creator. and the redeemer of this body.
Speaker: And. And so. I live this life and my neighbor lives his or her life. toward Jesus. and And if there's a judgment... That belongs to you.
Speaker: That belongs to you.
Speaker: So then each of us will give an account to God.
Speaker: Now this is actually where the text ends. for Sunday. And and ah and and this this is a really an appropriate place to end it because it encapsulates the whole argument. But but I just want to just quick read through the the last part of the chapter because he continues with the argument.
Speaker: Um... Therefore, let us not pass judgment on... on one another any longer. I think Paul is aware that This is really easy for people to do.
Speaker: This is normal for us. This is our default position is to pass judgment on each other is to is to you know, I mean, Look at what... what what Satan tried to do to Adam and Eve in the garden.
Speaker: Right? um i once I once heard a ah really interesting take of this where The, uh... the the The tree in the in the Garden of Eden.
Speaker: was was actually an apostrophe tree. oh Yeah. And they pulled the apostrophe out of... gods. In other words, belonging to God.
Speaker: And they. just turned it into god s They became gods. And they pulled the apostrophe out. and And our human predilection is always to try and step into God's role.
Speaker: therefore We don't do that. I don't need to judge my neighbor. never to put a stumbling block or a hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.
Speaker: Right. god is God has rendered everything. God made it all.
Speaker: But it is unclean for anyone who thinks it's unclean. This is this idea of of ah of of I'm committed, you know, I believe it. that Paul says, I'm going to really watch that. I'm gonna take care of that other person.
Speaker: If your brother is grieved by what you eat, You're no longer walking in love. you know if if if your neighbor You know, if your neighbor believes that you know drinking alcohol is... is is this is is is this grievous sin.
Speaker: Well... Don't just sit on your front porch and... slam a beer just to spite him. You know. No. You might have an argument with him. You might have an occasion to talk to him.
Speaker: And to point to scriptural passages and other places where where you might you might make an argument about it, and and you would want to come to a point where you would say, well, if you continue to believe this and I continue to believe this, I'm not going to do this in a way that's going to deliberately offend you.
Speaker: Right? But I'm also not going to let you... Tell me What is it? evil in and of itself when Christ has said no.
Speaker: By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.
Speaker: And I was just... that that that ultimately this is what we're talking about. There's a lot of times when I think I can offend someone and I don't actually destroy their faith.
Speaker: But sometimes... There's ways that I can. And I think Paul is really enjoining me as a human being. Don't do something that's going to destroy somebody else's faith.
Speaker: Do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. I think having a beer on ah on a hot Sunday afternoon is is is a good thing to do.
Speaker: I don't have to let them turn. that into evil.
Speaker: Okay. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God. And approved by men.
Speaker: So then let us pursue what makes for... Peace. and for mutual argument.
Speaker: We don't welcome those people just to fight with him. Rather, we we We pursue a life that builds that harmony, that concordia.
Speaker: Of. of the... of that, of the... of that life together. Do not for the sake of food destroy the work of God.
Speaker: Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It's good not to eat meat or drink. whine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
Speaker: that's That is to lose their faith.
Speaker: It's not just to get maybe a little mad at you. Okay, that's different. okay to have To have disharmony, to have some lack of concordia is not causing somebody to stumble.
Speaker: The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts and is condemned if he eats because of the eating is not from faith.
Speaker: Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. so so I mean, it's... Yeah. if you If you adopt, you know, this this restrictive diet because... Well...
Speaker: If... You know, you're performatively doing that because you're trying to please somebody else, but you don't really. Paul Seuss. Don't do that
Speaker: If you believe it.
Speaker: if you believe it, will help you. We'll do it. but don't don't say the The practice of... fasting during Lent. Yeah. where and and an application of this, you know, someone, I can see this, I've seen it before, where a You get the person that's... kind of chastising a brother or sister, oh, you still fast? Well, that's that's crazy. and then Or you don't fast. It's the same thing. but What, you're not fasting?
Speaker: Are you really a Christian if you're not devoted enough to your faith to... Give up chocolate. Give up something. And it's like ah dudes Fast, don't fast.
Speaker: You know? And if you do it, do it to the Lord. But don't don't don't fast. And wonder if... and and And do it and and fast because you think you're earning points with God or something like that. And don't not fast because you believe that that somehow makes you more righteous. you know Fast or don't fast because you think it's the right thing to do.
Speaker: Right. and support the brother. Our sister, who is Bethany. And I mean, Oh, also, one, like, okay, so this is more maybe not on the... causing them to stumble apart but just being you know loving your brother or sister in christ Break that down.
Speaker: I know someone that gave up caffeinated beverages. for the season of Lent. No reason outside of... they wanted to do something That was pleasing. they they wanted They wanted to fast as an expression of their faith. That was the whole motivation. It wasn't because, you know, New Year's resolution that...
Speaker: you know, didn't last and now we're going to do it, you know, early spring. um It wasn't because the doctor said, you know, you need to stop drinking caffeinated beverages. But that that person, you know, when you know that they're they're fasting like that, well, if they come over to eat dinner or you're you know you're going out for lunch together.
Speaker: I might not be fasting from caffeinated beverages. That doesn't mean, I mean, I can't. And and yes, Paul's saying I could have my caffeinated beverage. That's fine.
Speaker: So why not just go ahead and... Join along with your brother or sister for that one meal. what' doing that right Right. Drink a glass of water. And and don't don't let them turn it, like you say, turn it into, well, if you're not. If you are drinking caffeine, you don't really you don't really love Jesus. No, no, don't don't don't let them take this this this humanly chosen practice and turn it into.
Speaker: into ah something evil in and of itself or good in and of itself. Yeah. Um, Yeah, I mean. Um. you know I mean, why why do we fast?
Speaker: for Lent. I always found that really interesting. I thought it was... A leftover practice from the Roman Catholic Church. I thought it was something the Southern Baptists did in Texas growing up just to prove their faithfulness. Right, right. You know, I.
Speaker: I've always, when when I've talked to my people about this and and... And I do every year. I try to every year. I say. One of the reasons you fast is because...
Speaker: Christ Jesus gave up a lot. He gave up everything. He emptied himself for you. And that by fasting, by denying yourself something. whether that is Ciao.
Speaker: caffeine during lent or whether it's you know lunch or whether it's uh uh you know, um Some other pleasure or something like that is a reminder to you throughout this season.
Speaker: of what Jesus has done. and of your need. For him. It's a healthy. Um, spiritual kind of self -discipline.
Speaker: that we can engage in. but But the purpose of it is always. to... Bring me closer. in thought, in heart, in mind too. harmonize my life with his.
Speaker: ah It's not to. It's not to kind of flex over my neighbor. That's not why I'm doing that. I'm not doing this to prove my my greater worthiness to Jesus.
Speaker: I can't be more worthy to him. He already died for me. Well, and it's also yeah and But I also don't need to specifically do it for Christ.
Speaker: No, he doesn't mean it. All it is is what we were talking about. on a previous episode with the theology of the glory and theology Yeah. and this kind of ties in very closely to if we get sidetracked on These things that aren't. dictated by scripture, but we're just choosing to do them.
Speaker: where they're on a broad spectrum of, hey, is it pointing to Jesus? Then you're good. Mm hmm. Yeah, but as soon as we're we're not doing it to point to Jesus, we're just doing it to point to me, whether I'm one of the other people that see me or I'm trying to feel better about myself.
Speaker: By proving to myself that I am good enough for God. Nope. Sorry, by yourself, you're not. Yeah. There's nothing he can do. Exactly.
Speaker: Exactly. Matthew. Before we go, I just One little fun quote or a factotum. Okay, a little bit of... a little bit of ah of fascinating.
Speaker: Lutheran trivia. um Most of our universities are named Concordia and our seminaries too. Do you know why? No.
Speaker: Honestly. Um, It obviously has a a connection to the Book of Concord. Right. Okay. Many of them were founded in the...
Speaker: In the... uh late 19th century. Um, which was the... Uh... which would have been the... 400th anniversary of the publication of the Book of Concord.
Speaker: in 1581 to 1980, or to 18, sorry, 300th anniversary, 1880. But um that isn't entirely why. ah Fascinatingly, several of those were they reference that they were actually also named Concordia because Um,
Speaker: of ah of of reconstruction. and And the reuniting of the states after the Civil War. Wow, interesting. Because they were they there was this sense that... that there would there had been this rupture.
Speaker: and they were looking for harmony.
Speaker: and And not only harmony in their own communities, but harmony in the larger community. Um, That's particularly true for the the little town of Concordia, where St. Paul's College and High School is in Missouri. but But I've also heard it expressed that it it was true of some of those late 1800s.
Speaker: i era Concordia institutions were We're were were also. they were they were strive that That word harmony was really important for those people of that generation after having experienced that.
Speaker: the the the ravages of the Civil War. That is super interesting. Yeah, I've always found that just just really, really cool. Really cool.
Speaker: We'll do it with fun. Thank you very much. It's always good to talk about this, Matthew. Well, one question, because you might know the answer to this. It's kind of an audio opera type thing, you know. Right. specifically dictated in Scripture.
Speaker: Hmm? You're the one that helps you express your faith in Christ better. I saw an argument. Is it... Augustine? or Augustine. ah Yes, yes. Depends on what and and which side of the Tiber you're you're on, but um ah ah yes. um the The order is usually just is the is described as the Augustinian order.
Speaker: And so they'll oftentimes talk about um a Augustine. Mm -hmm um ah But some will... We'll just throw the emphasis on the other, and he'll be Augustine.
Speaker: and So, yeah, you can you you you can rest assured that there is diversity and harmony to be found in pronouncing it.
Speaker: Excellent, excellent Well, as always, thank you. It's a joy and blessing and highlight of my way to get to do this. Um, And I can't wait till we get to see each other again next week. all Alrighty.
Speaker: God bless you, Mary. God bless you too, Phil. Bye bye. Bye.
