FAMILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
November 13-19, 2011
Sunday, November 13
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Romans 14:1-3
Ask: Do Christian people agree on everything? (No. The Christians of the first century came from very diverse backgrounds with differing views of holidays, politics, foods and many other areas of life.)
How were they to handle their differences? (They were supposed to receive each other as friends and not argue over matters that were not fundamental to salvation.)
What were the circumstances? (The churches probably had a mixture of Jewish believers and Gentile believers. The Jewish Christians probably wanted to continue to adhere to Jewish dietary laws and holidays. We know they wanted others to be circumcised. The Gentile believers held no such convictions. This created a basis for conflict.)
What might be the conflict over the food? (The Jewish believers would not eat pork or anything considered unclean. The Gentile believers ate everything. The one group is not to mock the other group that does not eat and the other group is not to judge the one who chooses to eat.)
Lesson: It is likely that we all have friendships with other believers with whom we disagree on matters of life that are not critical to salvation. These conflicts can be very divisive. Paul urges us to pursue peace with each other and withhold judgment.
Memory Verse: “So then, each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, NKJ)
Pray: Pray for a kind and gentle spirit toward those with whom you disagree. Pray that God would help you to be a peace maker.
Monday, November 14
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Romans 14:4
Ask: To what does Paul compare Christians? (He compares us to slaves or servants who have our own master. As a neighbor would not criticize his friend’s servant, so neither should we criticize God’s servant.)
Who must you or I please? (We must please God. We do not have to please one another. We must, though, seek peace with each other.)
Who is the one to tell us what is right or wrong in the non-essential matters of life? (God is the One to whom we account. We are responsible to Him. The Lord will help us to do what is right and reveal to us what is wrong.)
Lesson: Paul is speaking about the non-essential matters of life. He is not talking about matters of faith. We must correct those who are doctrinally wrong. We must intervene in the lives of those who are violating God’s Word. The problem lies in those areas where the Word of God is silent or unclear and Christians have differing opinions.
Memory Verse: “So then, each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, NKJ)
Pray: Pray that you would treat others with grace and kindness.
Tuesday, November 15
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Romans 14:5-6
Ask: Why would people be concerned about days? (The Jewish calendar may have been at the heart of the problem. There were special days and festivals that the Jewish Christians thought everyone should observe while the Gentile believers had little interest in those days.)
What else might be the problem? (There may have been division over pagan holidays and whether or not the Christians should observe them at all. Consider the division that occurs among Christians over Halloween. The believers may also have differed over whether to worship on the literal Sabbath (Saturday) or on the day of resurrection (Sunday). Each person, Paul says, needs to be convinced in his or her own mind.)
What should we strive for in making these decisions? (We are to strive to honor the Lord. If we observe a special day or eat a particular food we should strive to honor the Lord. If we choose not to eat the food or observe the day, we should do it in honor of the Lord.)
Lesson: Not all decisions in life are as black and white as we want them to be. We often find ourselves in a gray area where there is no apparent right or wrong answer. When these questions surface, we should gauge our response to the circumstance on whether or not what we do will honor the Lord.
Memory Verse: “So then, each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, NKJ)
Pray: Pray for the Lord to give you wisdom in making decisions that will honor Him.
Wednesday, November 16
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Romans 14:7-8
Ask: Do you live to yourself? (No. Each believer lives for Christ and is responsible to Christ.)
Will you die to yourself? (No. Each believer dies in Christ. We go to be with Christ. Death is not the end for but entrance into the very presence of Christ.)
To whom does our life belong? (Our life belongs to the Lord.)
To whom do we go when we die? (When we die we go to be with the Lord.)
Lesson: We are secure in life and in death. We belong to God in both. We should approach life with the question, “Am I honoring the Lord? Will Christ be pleased with my life?” We should face death with assurance that nothing can separate us from God’s love. We leave this world to enter into eternity with Christ.
Memory Verse: “So then, each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, NKJ)
Pray: Thank God for the marvelous truth that we belong to the Lord and will go and live with Him forever.
Thursday, November 17
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Romans 14:9
Ask: What did Christ do? (He died and rose and lived again. Christ came to live as a man and die as a man. He then resurrected from the dead.)
What does that prove? (It proves He is God and Lord of all.)
What does that mean for us? (Lord of us in life and Lord of us in death. We live for Him while we live and go to be with Him when we die.)
Why is this important in the context of talking about disagreements in the church? (When Christians divide over non-essential issues, they have lost sight of the Lordship of Christ. Jesus died and rose again. He is Lord of life and has power of death. Why should we allow trivial matters distract us from unity under Christ?)
Lesson: We need to be reminded of what is most important. I had a conversation yesterday with someone who believes that Christians should worship on Saturday, the literal Sabbath. I think we should worship on Sunday, the day of resurrection. Though we disagree on which day to worship, we did agree on the Lordship of Jesus Christ and salvation through Him alone. Paul urges believes to major on what is important.
Memory Verse: “So then, each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, NKJ)
Pray: Pray that you would focus on what is important and not be distracted by issues that are relatively trivial in light of eternity.
Friday, November 18
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Romans 14:10-11
Ask: Why should Christians refrain from being critical of each other? (First, we are brothers. Paul uses the phrase twice to remind us of the familial relationship in God’s family. Second, God is the judge and we must answer to Him and not to each other.)
What is the judgment seat of Christ? ( Some translate this phrase the “tribunal of God”. It is the elevated place where a judge would sit and where subjects must ascend by steps to be judged. II Corinthians 5:10 states that “we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of our lives…” This judgment is not about whether we are saved, but how we have lived as Christians for Christ.)
What will happen one day to each person? (One day everyone will bow on their knees before God and confess that Jesus is Lord. Paul quotes from two old testament verses – Isaiah 49:18 and 45:23. He repeats this truth in Philippians 2:10-11.)
Lesson: It is arrogant to set ourselves up as judges over each other when we all ultimately answer to God. We should not criticize or show contempt for other believers views for which there is no clear teaching in Scripture. We certainly should encourage one another to high moral behavior as outlined in Scripture, but refrain from criticism when the Bible does not speak to that issue. The Lord is and will judge of all.
Memory Verse: “So then, each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, NKJ)
Pray: Ask God to help you live humbly before Him and others.
Saturday, November 20
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Romans 14:12
Ask: To whom will we give account of our lives? (We will give an account to God for how we lived life.)
How many will answer to God? (Everyone.)
When will this happen? (IT will probably happen immediately after we die or possibly when Christ returns. Either way, we will answer directly to the Lord.)
Where else in the Bible does it speak of judgment? (Revelation 20:11-15 describes how all the dead will be raised to stand before God and the books will be opened. Those whose names are not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire. Most view this judgment as being for those who were not saved. This would be called the Great White Throne Judgment where the lost are judged whereas the Christians would come before the Judgment Seat of Christ.)
Lesson: To stand before God should be a sobering thought. One day I will stand before the God who made me and give an account for my life. Thankfully, as Christians we not only face God as Judge but also as Father. We are greatly loved and He paid a high price to bring us to Himself. We want to hear the words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ – see Matthew 25:21.
Memory Verse: “So then, each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, NKJ)
Pray: Thank God for saving your soul. Thank Him that He is your Father and your sins were already judged at the cross. Pray that because of love you would serve Him well right now!