Directives to the Stronger Brother, Part 2

Driving home: No consideration should prevail on us for a moment to give up any of our liberty. But many a consideration should induce us to forego the practical assertion or display of our liberty.

Missing the foundational studies on Christian liberty is like coming in for dessert and missing the main course, highlighting the importance of understanding the theological groundwork.

It's like coming in for the dessert and missing the main course and everything else. Well, all I can do is ask that if you have the time, perhaps you obtain the tapes from the library on a loan basis if necessary and catch up in terms of the essential perspectives, historically, biblically, and theologically, without which the practical instruction loses much of its force and much of its direction. But we are in the area. We are in the area of the practical, having laid a solid foundation in these other areas.

0:35 - 1:07 Read in full sermon

The point: If Christ gave His life for the weaker brother, it is no big deal for you to give up a little meat, wine, or legitimate entertainment for him. Do not despise the purchased property of the Son of God.

An analogy of lending a treasured book and receiving it back damaged illustrates how treating Christ's purchased property (the weaker brother) reflects one's esteem for Christ Himself.

Now you see, how you regard a man's property, is an estimation of what you think of the man. If I gave this treasured volume, the exposition of Galatians by John Brown, one of the young men, Dennis should say, Pastor Martin, I'm doing some studies in a chapter in Galatians and you keep raving about John Brown, may I borrow the volume? Well, after I've made him put up his car for collateral, or after driving in that car, I want something more substantial, I think, Dennis. And I give him my book.

31:06 - 31:35 Read in full sermon

The point: You are your brother's keeper. We must be concerned that our good is not evil spoken of.

An anecdote about an article in a Canadian magazine featuring Germaine Greer, promoting the idea of living as an 'island to oneself,' is used to contrast with the biblical truth of mutual responsibility.

Wait a minute. Paul said in Acts 24, 16, Herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man. We do have a responsibility to one another. And one of the cursed things of this crazy mixed up age that is thrown out the Bible is the idea that you can live as an island to yourself on the plane flying down the island from Winnipeg.

37:24 - 37:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Go to the fountain open for sin and uncleanness, go to Christ for cleansing and strength, and continually gaze upon Him as the great pattern of selfless accommodation to sinners.

Christ's incarnation is presented as the supreme example of selfless accommodation, where He relinquished His rights for the benefit of sinners, serving as the ultimate pattern for believers.

Go to Christ for strength. Continually gaze upon Him as the great pattern of selfless accommodation to sinners. My friends, the great accommodation was the incarnation.

53:24 - 53:34 Read in full sermon