The Church in Noble - Cornerstone
November 16, 2025
      • Bible Trivia
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      • Romans 14:1NASB95

  • I'll Fly Away
  • Doxology
  • What A Friend We Have In Jesus
  • Jesus, Thank You
  • Go Light Your World

      • Romans 14NASB95

  • The Challenge of Christian Liberty

    Freedom, yes, we love freedom - make our own choices, nobody telling me what to do…
    ILLUST: Unwise - merry-go-round incident??
    ILLUST: What is the best form of each of these, appropriate for Christians? SLIDE
    Entertainment, music, movies, alcohol
    Clothing choices, spending free time
    Social media, plastic surgery, tattoos
    Dating, dancing, smoking,
    Hunting for sport, Rooting for the wrong sports team…
    B/W - murder, stealing, adultery, gossip, lying - clear
    READ Romans 14
    Today: Gray areas - areas where you likely disagree with someone here
    DISCLAIMER, opinions may be shared, me presenting the Word may not condone or bless certain behaviors or activities (answer to God, not me)
    Churches can make rules, and make people follow - that’s one approach
    I prefer to make disciples, guided by Biblical principle, understanding the role of the Holy Spirit
    Easy to make rules to live by
    Harder to make good choices
    Each of those items, I bet I have people here who would disagree with me, and each other
    That makes for great discussion - maybe Wednesday??
    And gray areas - build connection, or cause division…
    Paul’s advice to the Roman church, and us…

    1) Avoid Judging One Another

    REM - “Love” one another… Matt 7:1 context, sin, offense
    This passage context - Eat or don’t eat, celebrate a particular day, or don’t
    All food was OK to eat
    Yet some people came from a different, religious background, or a pagan background, and avoided some foods - some may even have been vegan
    Romans 14:14 NASB95
    I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
    ALSO - Context of the church - veteran and new believers, in various “stages” of spiritual growth
    1 Corinthians 10:23 NASB95
    All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
    Choices on non-b/w matters can build up, or they can tear down
    Example: “What is wrong for me translates into what is wrong for everyone” - “My choice should be yours”
    Tempting
    Ridiculing those whose lifestyle is more (or less) restrictive than yours
    My goal:
    We live in this “zone” of finding what is Biblical, using discernment and wisdom
    Not just making rules

    2) Avoid Offending One Another

    Your good choices could be bad choices for another
    Their good choices could be bad choices for you
    Veteran/strong believers can get complacent about choices
    New believers can be highly critical of veteran choices
    Unity is what Paul has in mind
    Decisions on eating were serious enough to divide that church…
    “Eat meat, or don’t, at least let’s eat TOGETHER!”
    DANGER - Doing things just because the Bible does not say not to…
    There are many things to not do that the Bible does not spell out explicitly…
    This is NOT Christian liberty
    It is arrogant use of Freedom
    Not all matters are linked to arrogance, but linked to preference or even differing ideas of relating to the Lord
    EXAMPLE: the Sabbath, Sacred days - Jesus observed it, b/c he was Jewish, though He never declared that is should continue (the rest of the Ten Commandments are addressed in the NT…)
    The early church clearly met on the first day of the week
    Heb. 10:25 - I’d say that IS a rule of God, black-and-white, be in church
    Some believers today recognize the Saturday sabbath, or some call Sunday the Sabbath (which it is not really)
    But motivations are good, pure, desiring to please the Lord
    I do what I want b/c I want to,..OR...
    1 Corinthians 10:31 NASB95
    Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
    Please consider others’ motivations as we strive to love one another
    And please consider that God has accepted others into his family, and they may disagree on less-than-important matters
    And please be convinced in your own mind, BIBLICALLY, about your own choices
    (and maybe be open to other thoughts??)
    Q: Can we be open to sometimes putting our ‘liberty” in the back seat in order to love someone else?

    3) Making Biblical Choices

    Your decision tree - the “strong” can follow this…
    Think of the gray areas that come to mind (Slide?)
    I have my views, preferences, opinions, and they are all filtered through the Bible
    ASK THESE QUESTIONS - For the mature believer…
    Is it Sin?
    Careful to not misuse Scripture
    Let’s pick on tattoos - Leviticus 19:28
    Leviticus 19:28 NASB95
    ‘You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.
    Law - says so, right? Verse 27, same context
    Leviticus 19:27 NASB95
    ‘You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard.
    No cutting the side hair or beard trimming
    CONTEXT - Don’t be like the pagans, in the land you are entering! (LEV. context)
    That principle applies today - know the culture, know what pagans are doing, and distinguish self as believer
    Does it negatively affect a fellow believer?
    Just because it’s right for me, does that mean it’s right for you, and vice versa?
    Your view on movies might not match mine - are we both seeking God’s input?
    Does it affect your testimony to unbelievers?
    If THEY know it’s not the best choice…what might they think of Christianity?
    (Oppo to witness, convo)
    Does it go against your conscience?
    Acting in opposition to your conscience and the work of the HS, brings self-evaluation
    “I stand condemned”
    Whatever is not of faith, is sin - it’s wrong if you have to justify it, perhaps
    Is it unwise?
    I, personally, tend to try to live here
    Bible says clearly to seek wisdom, to ask for wisdom, buy wisdom…
    Proverbs 4:7 NASB95
    “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
    My choices are guided by trying to be WISE
    ? Especially in the areas of alcohol, gambling, entertainment, and others
    Wise to watch movies with immorality, language, etc.?
    How to spend money...
    James 1:5 NASB95
    But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
    The strong believer will ask questions like these when making decisions
    Every decision? Yeah, pretty much
    CLOSE
    Freedom is a right
    Freedom is not a guide for conduct and behavior
    “Rights’ may be laid aside in the interest of love/selflessness
    The best choice, the wisest choice:
    Put your whole life before God
    Seek HIS approval
    Not mine, not anyone else’s, but HIS approval
    If you refuse to move in a certain direction, b/c you lack confidence that it is in line with the will of God…
    …be strengthened by that
    Because when you have to make decisions based on faith, which you KNOW are right, obedience will be much easier
    Especially when fellow believers do not understand
    Final word for all of us, wherever you are in your walk - GROW
    2 Peter 3:18 NASB95
    but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
    Make your goal to point glory to Him, in all of your decisions and choices.
    Free from sin, not...
    Free TO sin
    Make WISE choices, He says so!

      • Romans 14:14NASB95

      • 1 Corinthians 10:23NASB95

      • 1 Corinthians 10:31NASB95

      • Leviticus 19:28NASB95

      • Leviticus 19:27NASB95

      • Proverbs 4:7NASB95

      • James 1:5NASB95

      • 2 Peter 3:18NASB95

  • His Name Is Wonderful
  • Holy Forever

      • Romans 14:23NASB95

The Church in Noble - Cornerstone
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https://cccnoble.faithlifesites.com
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