The Voice of a Few Wise Men

Matthew 2:1-12

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2 NLT)

Allow me to once again speculate as to who these wise men were. I wrote about these wise men in 2015 in a message titled “Wise Men,” and then again in 2017 in a message titled “Truth Made Clear.” For those of you with exceptionally good memories, some of this material will be a repeat of those articles.

Matthew tells us these men came from “eastern lands.” We have often heard these wise men called “magi.” This is because Matthew wrote in Greek, and the Greek word is “μάγοι” (magoi). This was the title used for the priests and sages of the Babylonians and the Persians. Since they brought gifts consistent with the region of Arabia, we assume they were from that area.

We are certain that they were Gentiles and also that they did not belong to the nation of Israel. We see in this the beginnings of Jesus’ victory over darkness. The devil worked for many years and in many ways to blind the hearts and minds of the Gentiles. The world was filled with many religions and philosophies that ran contrary to Scriptural teachings. However, in spite of these obstacles, magi from the east were among the first to recognize the Lord’s Messiah. They traveled far to see the One born King of the Jews.

They did not know where to go, so they went to Jerusalem and made inquiry. If you are looking for the One born King of the Jews, what better place to start than in the capital city of the Jewish nation. In Jerusalem, they found the people ignorant and unprepared for the birth of their king.

The magi stated their purpose in traveling and inquiring. They said, “We have come to worship him.”

Their purpose was so clear that when Herod wanted to use them to find the child, Herod said, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” (Matthew 2:8, NLT) The magi had come to worship so Herod pretended that he wanted to worship also.

The text tells us:

When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:10-11 NLT)

When they entered the house they bowed down and worshipped. 

They traveled far. They made inquiry. They brought gifts. They did it all so that they could worship Him.

God prepared these wise men in advance for this day, and in their voice, we continue to learn an important lesson. In their worship, we learn that we must worship also.

The Jews who had the temple and the rituals of worship did not recognize the time of their visitation. The Jews had the Law of Moses that spoke of the Messiah to come and was written to prepare hearts for His coming. The Jews had the temple, which was the house of God and provided a picture of heavenly things. The Jews had the ritual sacrifices which prefigured the sacrifice God would make in order to save His people from their sins. The Jews had the Passover and the festivals, all of which pointed to the coming Messiah. They had practices and forms that had been handed down to them from Moses and the prophets. However, although they had the practice or form of worship, they did not have a heart of worship. Their worship was proper in form and practice, but it did not reach as far as their hearts.  As John 4:23 tells us:

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. (John 4:23 NLT)

The Father is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. He is not looking for rituals, sacrifices and the ceremonies of the law. He says He is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Today, from the wise men, we will learn a few lessons about worship

First, we learn that we must adjust our lives to worship God. 

There is no worship without some cost.

The wise men traveled far to worship Jesus. They had to make arrangements with their jobs back home. They had to make arrangements to have their affairs looked after. They had to prepare for the journey. They had to prepare camels, donkeys, food, routes for travel, finances and all that goes into both a prolonged absence and a long journey.

There is no worship without cost. King David expressed this principle when he was offered the means to give a sacrifice that would have cost him nothing.

At one point in his reign, King David sinned against God. When David was getting right with God and repenting, he wanted to offer a sacrifice. He wanted to offer an ox, and a farmer had some. So, David said, “Sell me your ox if you would please.” And the farmer told David, “Oh no, I will gladly give it to you. David then told the farmer:

No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing. (2 Samuel 24:24 NLT)

Worshipping God and receiving His Messiah requires that we make some adjustments in our lives. It might mean one has to give up sleeping in on Sunday, partying late on Saturday or watching television shows on Wednesday. One cannot expect to accept Jesus and not have to make any adjustments in his or her life. It just does not work that way. Acknowledging Jesus as Lord is very inconvenient for the flesh. In fact, the flesh and its lusts must die. The Christian life has been likened to a journey. John Bunyan wrote a book called “Pilgrim’s Progress” that uses an allegory of a journey to depict the Christian’s life. Like the wise men’s journey, our own journey is not undertaken without some adjustments, work and changes.

The wise men teach us that true worship requires some adjusting of our lives.

When we have made adjustments, we will find that we  also must use our resources to honor Him.

The wise men offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These are not cheap gifts. Far from it, these are the most costly gifts they could give. Admittedly, we do not know in what measure they gave these gifts. However, these gifts were of such value that even the transporting of these gifts posed a danger. Even today, it is not generally safe to walk around with a box of gold or, at least, to let it be known that you are walking around with a box of gold.

Our resources are where the rubber meets the road when it comes to our worship. Those who truly believe, give of their resources; God promises to bless those who give. The Scriptures tell us:

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV)

God loves a cheerful giver! This is consistent with what we learned from John 4:23 that God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. A true heart of worship is marked by using one’s resources to honor God. I said we must use our resources to honor God, but for the believer this is a cause for joy, not compulsion. For the heart full of love for God, giving is a privilege. Through our giving, we get to participate in what God is doing in the world.

The wise men participated in welcoming the Savior to the world and in announcing His arrival. We get to participate in both the spread of that good news and in the encouragement and building up of our fellow believers. For the eye of faith, God is doing great and mighty things in this world~things that are exciting to be a part of.

For those of us here in Clearwater, I can think of nothing more exciting than being a part of what God is doing right here in our midst. There are exciting little children growing up here that thrill me to no end. Oh the mighty work God is doing in our midst! Not too many years ago, our youth were the little children, now look at what they are becoming! Speaking of children, some of these wonderful little children that we are blessed with today are the children of those that grew up here in this very church. The miracle of God’s work among us is seen in families that love Jesus, children that love Jesus and a Church that bows continually before God and gives of its resources to glorify Him who was born King of the Jews. This is especially exciting and gratifying for those who have a stake in it, for those who have given of their resources to make it happen.

So far, we have seen from the wise men that true worshippers will adjust their lives to God’s presence and honor Him with their resources. In the wise men, we also see that true worshippers will humble themselves in His presence.

Matthew 2:11 tells us:

They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11 NLT)

It is easy to pass over the fact that the first thing they did when they saw the child was to bow down. The Greek words Matthew used to say “bowed down and worship” were “πεσόντες προσεκύνησαν.” (pesontes prosekynesan) The idea behind these words is to fall down or prostrate one’s self and kiss the ground before a superior.

Although Jesus was only a baby, these men humbled themselves before Him. Being rich, educated and powerful men, this would have been one of the most difficult things they did. Sometimes it is easier to make adjustments in our lives and to give of our resources than to humble ourselves.

Do not think to yourself “Oh, I have got this one down.”

Have you humbled yourself before your wife or husband?

Have you humbled yourself before your children, your parents, your siblings?

The reason I ask these questions is because of what the Lord says in 1 John 4:20. It says there:

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? (1 John 4:20 NLT)

Of course, we do not humble ourselves before our fellow believer the same way we do before God, but love requires that we give up our pride in order to do what is best for the other person. When you or I have difficulty saying we are sorry, we demonstrate just how resistant we are to truly humbling ourselves.

We are to subject ourselves to God, and our will to His will. However, the New Testament makes it clear that our subjection does not end there. Ephesians 5:21 tells us:

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21 NLT)

I know of no better test to tell me whether I am humbling myself before God than to check my heart in relation to other people.

We have said:

We must worship Him:                                               

•    by adjusting our lives to His presence.                           

•    by using our resources to honor Him.  

•    by humbling ourselves before Him.

After learning from the voice of the wise men, can we say of ourselves that we are wise?

The Voice of a Teacher

Luke 2:25-35

In about 110 BC, in Babylon, a Jewish child was born. He was given the name Hillel. He became an important figure in Jewish history and is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud. Hillel established a school in Jerusalem for the study of the law.^[1]

Hillel had a grandson, Gamaliel. We learn in Acts 22:3 that Gamaliel was the teacher of the Apostle Paul. Gamaliel was also the one who counseled the Sanhedrin to exercise restraint in dealing with the Apostles in Acts 5. Among Jewish scholars only seven have been honored with the title “Rabban.” Gamaliel was one of these.^[2]

Between Hillel and his grandson, Gamaliel, was Gamaliel’s father, a man named Simeon. Simeon succeeded his father, Hillel, as president of the school Hillel founded and was also a member of the Sanhedrin. Simeon was actually the first teacher to be given the title “Rabban,” and according to Jewish tradition he was filled with a prophetic spirit. Tradition also has it that he was rejected and lost his place and position because he spoke against the common opinion of the Jews concerning the temporal kingdom of the Messiah. As a consequence, there is no mention of him in the Mishnah and the Talmud.^[3]

Some believe this is the Simeon of Luke chapter 2. Those who oppose this view point out that Hillel was still living at the time of Luke 2 and that Simeon lived many years after these events. However, the Biblical account does not say that Simeon was old, and his saying, “Now let they servant depart” suggests that he was willing to die but does not of necessity mean that he was old. Another objection is that his son Gamaliel was an opponent of Christianity, but here again, it is not unusual for a faithful follower of Christ to have a son who is a bigoted Pharisee.^[4]

Being one of only seven in all of Jewish history to be given the title “Rabban” and then to be purposely put out of his position and left out of the Mishnah due to disagreements concerning the Messiah, makes this Simeon a likely candidate for being the one Luke is speaking of.

Luke tells us:

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. (Luke 2:25-26 NLT)

Luke tells us that Simeon was righteous and devout. He also tells us that Simeon was eagerly waiting for the Messiah. Later, when He actually sees the Messiah, he says, “Lord, now let your servant die in peace.” These things all point to a man who is in conflict with the world. He does not fit in.  A righteous man will find himself in conflict with the world around him. Consider what Peter says about Lot, who was living in Sodom.

But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. (2 Peter 2:7-8 NLT)

Do you ever find your soul tormented by the wickedness you see and hear day after day? Do you find yourself in conflict with the world around you?

Sometimes you find yourself between a rock and a hard place. You want Jesus to return and put an end to evil, but you also desire your loved ones, your family members to come to a knowledge of the Savior.

For some, the pain of loss and disappointment is a burden that is hard to bear.

If you are eagerly waiting for the return of our Savior, or if you find the pains and sorrows of life sometimes difficult to bear, then Simeon’s voice is a good one to listen to.

Look with me at verse 25 of Luke 2. The NLT which I have been using says:

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. (Luke 2:25 NLT)

Where the NLT says “eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel,” most translations say something close to “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” This is a significant choice of words. Another word for consolation is comfort. Jesus spoke of Himself as being a comforter. Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given ... and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor.” This role of comforter or counselor is so important that Jesus promised:

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7 KJV)

When Luke, who was writing in Greek, wrote that Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel, he used the same word that Jesus used when He said He would send the Comforter.

From ancient times God spoke of comforting His people. Isaiah 40:1-4 contains words made famous by Handel’s “Messiah.”

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: (Isaiah 40:1-4 KJV)

Simeon, as a scholar and teacher, would have been very familiar with this passage. I would be surprised if he did not have it memorized, and it was this comfort, this deliverer that he was eagerly waiting for. Comfort, encouragement and counsel are the reasons why Simeon’s voice is one we need to hear.

Simeon said:

I have seen your salvation, (Luke 2:30 NLT)

Proverbs says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12 NLT) While we wait for God’s deliverance or salvation, it is easy to become discouraged and heartsick. However, do you see!? Simeon says, “I have seen!” With his own eyes, he saw that for which his heart longed. It was enough. It does not matter how old he was. Now, he could depart in peace.

What Simeon saw was a baby. He did not see Jesus hanging on the cross. He did not see the resurrection. He did not see the ascension. He saw a baby coming to the temple to receive circumcision as required by the Law of Moses. What he saw concerning salvation he saw by faith. He believed God and like Abraham it was counted to him as righteousness.

I want to share with you what Peter said about being an eye witness. He said:

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:16-19 NLT)

Peter, James and John were on the Mount of Transfiguration but he says in verse 19 “We have the more certain prophetic word.” (Berean Literal Translation) The phrase “we have even greater confidence” represents the translators’ efforts to make sense of what he is saying, but the KJV got it right, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy.”  The Word of God is more certain than what we see with our eyes. This is why Peter says, “You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place...”

Simeon saw God’s salvation in a baby because his life and thoughts were permeated with, marinated in, the Word of God. If we want comfort, we must first find it in the Word of God. Would you see the salvation of God? Then you must seek it in what He has said to His people in His word. It is in His word we see the promise of His salvation and it is by hearing His promises that our faith is established. Many in Simeon’s generation missed the comfort and the salvation because they did not believe what the prophets said. This is why when Simeon tried to point out the truth to them, they put him out.

In comfort, we also find encouragement. Simeon said:

I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. (Luke 2:30-31 NLT)

Do not let the devil convince you that this salvation is not for you. He will try. He will tell you that God has passed you by, that God does not love you, that you are too bad, too far gone, unworthy, but do not believe the devil. God prepared His salvation for all people and you are part of all people.

In comfort and encouragement we find counsel. Simeon said:

He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel! (Luke 2:32 NLT)

Jesus did not shine like a light bulb. The reference to Him being a light is a reference to Him making the truth clear or apparent. His light is the light of truth that brings salvation to the soul. Jesus said of Himself:

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NLT)

As the most prominent teacher of Israel of his day, Simeon was placed by God to bear witness to the truth. As a leader of a people in bondage to darkness in an evil world, Simeon hoped for the deliverance and comfort of his people. However, he saw clearly and prophesied by the Holy Spirit. Luke 2:34-35:

Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” (Luke 2:34-35 NLT)

We have been talking about comfort, but this prophecy talks about people rising and falling and many opposing God’s work. It even goes as far as telling Mary that a sword would pierce her heart.

While Simeon waited for a great deliverer, he also understood from the word of God that not all would accept God’s solution. The nations still rage against God and not all will be saved because not all want to be saved. To become involved in what God is doing is to experience what Simeon, Mary and Jesus all experienced. Even Paul said:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, (Colossians 1:24 ESV)

Jesus is in truth a Mighty Counselor, a comforter for His people. He is a light to the nations and the Prince of Peace. We must take comfort in the fact that our suffering is not meaningless. God is delivering His people. Right now, we see His salvation by faith, but a day is coming when we will see it with our own eyes. Christmas is an annual reminder that just as Jesus came in a manger 2018 years ago, He will soon return and we will, like Simeon, see with our own eyes God’s salvation.

---

^[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_the_Elder (accessed Dec. 4, 2018.)

^[2]  Unger, Merril F., Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Moody Press, Chicago. 1981. pg 388.

^[3] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/mhcw/luke/2.htm (accessed Dec. 4, 2018.)

^[4] ibid.

The Voice of an Old Priest

Luke 1:67-80

Have you ever questioned if you have gone too far? Or, perhaps you question if a loved one has gone too far. Is anyone beyond reaching? When does God call off the chase and let a person go?

In truth, He always lets every person go, but He never calls off the chase. Romans chapter 1 describes for us how God turns us over to the lust of our flesh and its associated consequences. The Garden of Eden demonstrates how this works. God could have prevented Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, He did not. Creating them in His image meant that He gave them the ability and power to make choices. At the same time, God has never given up and discarded the human race. He came close. At the time of Noah, God destroyed all the people on earth except eight persons. Before and after the flood, God has kept for Himself a witness and a testimony to His love and compassion for the people He created. He never stops pursuing, wooing and calling to those who will listen.

After the flood, God chose a man and named him Abraham. God promised to bless all families on earth through this one man, Abraham. Christmas is part of the fulfillment of God’s promise and Christmas is a witness and a testimony to God’s great love and compassion for the people He created.

Today, we are going to listen to the voice of an old Jewish priest. We do not know how old Zechariah was. Luke 1:7 tells us that both Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were very old.

Zechariah prayed for his wife Elizabeth to have a child, and he continued praying, but in his heart, he gave up. He believed it was beyond hope. In Luke 1:13, an angel told Zechariah that God had heard his prayer. So, we know that Zechariah was praying. In Luke 1:20, the angel rebuked Zechariah for not believing what he said. So, we know Zechariah did not believe there was any hope.

Today, we are going to consider Zechariah’s song of praise, because some of us have lost hope. Perhaps you have given up on a loved one, even though you continue praying. Maybe you have given up on yourself. Some of us may have lost hope for a marriage or a relationship that has proven impossible.

Zechariah’s praise reflects God’s unending pursuit of His people and the great salvation He works on their behalf, on our behalf.

I have divided Zechariah’s praise into three sections, but the whole passage illustrates that God never rejects His people.

Zechariah and Elizabeth felt rejected. We know this because Elizabeth exclaimed, “How kind the Lord is! He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” Zechariah and Elizabeth felt disgraced. They viewed their childlessness as a reproach, a sign of God’s rejection.

As a priest, Zechariah spent His long life representing his people before God. His praise to God reflects this position because the nation of Israel also felt rejected by God and disgraced. They were under the rule of harsh tyrants and a great foreign power. As an example of how harsh the tyrants were, consider the actions of Herod, who killed all the babies aged two and under.

Zechariah’s generation was not the only one to feel rejected by God.  Even to this day, many believe God has rejected His people. They reinterpret God’s promises to Abraham in an attempt to reconcile this belief with what Scripture teaches about the people of Israel. Zechariah’s praise is full of hope for the nation. His hope is our hope because it is built on the foundation that God will never forsake His people. No matter how bad it looks, God will never abandon His people. Jesus promised He will never leave us or forsake us, and we have hope in this promise.

When Zechariah’s tongue was loosed after his long silence, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, praising God because of His salvation, His Covenant, and His light.

He first praises God for His salvation.

He says:

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. (Luke 1:68 NLT)

Let’s focus on the words “visited” and “redeemed.”

Four hundred years passed from the time of Malachi to the time of John the Baptist. These “silent years” represented a dark period in Israel’s history. There was no word from God, and the people were, in Jesus’ words, like sheep without a shepherd. Certainly, there were those who felt rejected, deserted and alone. This visitation from God meant that they were not rejected nor were they alone.

To be redeemed, the people had to be in slavery. Now, indeed comes a sticking point, the point at which many of us struggle and lose hope. God has sent a mighty Savior, just like Zechariah says in verse 29 of Luke 1. This Savior came as a fulfillment of God’s promise and was born of the line of David. He carries the birthright to the throne of the nation of Israel. However, He has never sat upon that throne on this earth. In verse 71 of Luke 1, Zechariah says, “Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.”

This has not happened yet for the nation of Israel.

The birth of the Savior was not the completion of all of God’s plans. The birth of our Savior is undoubtedly the center point of all history, but history and God’s plans have continued for another 2,000 years so far. Prophecy tells us God still has plans to complete.

It is the same with us. When we accept Jesus as Savior, we are not suddenly perfect and transported directly to heaven. Receiving Jesus is the starting point. It is not the finish line.

Israel indeed will be saved from all her enemies, and Jesus will sit on the throne of David. But, Israel must yet undergo her most severe trials before her complete salvation.

What need is there for hope when we have what we wish for?

We all have things we hope for and pray for. We must always pray and never give up hope because God will never forsake us. The birth of the Savior and our acceptance of the Savior are both the beginning of something new, a hoped for and long awaited salvation.

Along with praise for His salvation, Zechariah praises God for His covenant.

In Luke 1:72, Zechariah says:

He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— (Luke 1:72 NLT)

Let’s focus on the word “merciful.”

Mercy implies that they are not getting something they deserved. If you are familiar with the history of the nation of Israel, you know how often they rebelled against God, worshiped idols and were unfaithful to God. God sent many prophets and preachers to warn, correct and instruct the people, but they refused to listen. They even killed many of the prophets. So, should we be surprised that when God sent His only Son, they murdered Him too?

And yet, God remembers His covenant. He will keep His promise. They will be rescued from their enemies so they can serve God without fear, just as it says in Luke 1:74.

So, do you think you or your loved one is beyond hope?  How does your sin or their sin measure up against crucifying the Lord of Glory? We are all guilty and deserve the wrath of God, but God willingly gave His Son to purchase our salvation, to redeem us. Therefore, we can be sure that God will keep His promises. He always remembers His covenant.

Along with praise to God for His salvation and His covenant, Zechariah praises God for His light.

He says:

And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace. (Luke 1:76-79 NLT)

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.”

No matter how dark the world gets, God always keeps for Himself a witness and a testimony to His great love and compassion. John the Baptist was born to prepare the way, as it says in verse 76.

The most remarkable thing is that verse 77 says, “You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.”

It was due to the sins of the people and the sins of their forefathers that they were in darkness, and yet God sent light. He opened the door with John the Baptist, who was to prepare the way. John lived in the wilderness and was an unusual character, even strange, but his message and preaching drew large crowds out to where he was. John’s peaching and the crowds he drew even got the attention of the kings and rulers of his day.

God always keeps a testimony and a witness for Himself and His salvation.

Here, in Zechariah’s praise, it clearly says, “You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.”

John made the gospel clear. His message was simple. “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” People did not flock to hear John so they could feel bad. They rushed to John because John offered hope. John spoke of the kingdom of God and made it clear how easy it was to receive both the forgiveness of sins and salvation.

For a people who felt rejected, this message was exciting, new and filled with hope and promise.

This Christmas we come with the same message. It is easy to have our sins forgiven and to enter into the kingdom of God. There is hope. No one is too far gone. Zechariah was an old priest. He had seen it all, but when he realized that God had actually kept His promise, visited His people and redeemed them, he was filled with praise.

We too can be filled with praise when we realize that God has visited us and He has redeemed us.

May this hope fill your life with joy and praise as it did Zechariah’s.

The Voice of a Young Woman

Luke 1:46-55

With the celebration of Christmas, we remember events that took place over 2,000 years ago.

For us in the northern hemisphere, this celebration comes at the coldest time of year, when the days are at their shortest and the nights are at their longest. This gives a fitting picture of the world at the time. Spiritual darkness covered the globe. Darkness had been foretold by the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 9:2, it says:

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. (Isaiah 9:2 NLT)

Into the darkness that covered the globe, God sent a light. This light is a light to the nations, salvation for the whole world. Isaiah 49:6 says of Him:

You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6 NLT)

The nation of Israel has not yet been restored to God. However, He is a light to the Gentiles, and His salvation is proclaimed to the ends of the earth. The celebration of Christmas is evidence of how far and wide the light is proclaimed. Darkness still covers the globe. Many do not believe or accept the light. Of this fact, John 1:5 says:

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:5 NLT)

Many voices give testimony to this light. Isaiah gave testimony 700 years before the introduction of the light into the world. Of the many things he said, Isaiah 9:6 stands out.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NLT)

The Old Testament is full of voices giving testimony to this coming light. The actual account of the coming of this light into the world is told to us in the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In these accounts, we find the voices of Advent, the voices of those who welcomed our Savior.

These voices are full of praise and wonder at the thing that God has done. These voices are full of good news and rejoicing. They are voices of amazement and thanksgiving. As we consider these voices, we too can join them in praise and thanksgiving. Voices from over 2,000 years ago reach over the centuries to proclaim to us good news of great joy.

Today, we will consider the voice of a young woman. Although she has long since grown old and passed from this earth, her voice still rings with praises for her great God and Savior.

The voice of which I speak is that of Mary, the mother of Jesus. We find the record of her words in Luke 1:46-55.

We join the story when Mary has just been greeted by her cousin Elizabeth. Before the events, we are considering today took place, Mary had been visited by an angel named Gabriel. He told Mary that God had chosen her to give birth to the Messiah, and as evidence offered the fact that Elizabeth, who had been barren, was with child. After the angel spoke to Mary, she traveled to see Elizabeth. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting.

Luke 1:46-47 says:

Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:46-47 NLT)

Her exclamation, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord,” shows both the depth and magnitude of her praise. Her very soul is moved by gratitude and praise.

As she continues speaking, her pronouncements reflect why such great praise and gratitude flow from her. She starts out with a profoundly personal reason for her great praise. She says:

For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, (Luke 1:48 NLT)

Mary calls herself a “lowly servant girl.” This reflects more than humility. This statement shows her station in life. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a carpenter. This was no high station. She was not among the social elite. She was not well off, nor was her husband-to-be. If the cat litter needed to be changed, she did it. She was not above feeding the chickens. And, if chicken were on the menu for the evening meal, she quite possibly would have caught, killed and butchered the chicken.

I have it on good authority that Mary’s house was not equipped with a washing machine. Laundry day quite possibly meant Mary spent her day hand washing clothing.

In a world that has deified her and that prays to her, it is possible to forget that she was human, a citizen of the world of her day. This is important for us because most of us are like her. We are not superhuman, godlike or exceptional, except to our children. Most of us have to load our own dishwashers and microwave our own popcorn.

The Bible says:

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. (1 Corinthians 1:26-28 NLT)

These verses could have Mary’s picture beside them. Even in her lifetime, Mary did not have much of the world’s goods. Her eldest son was crucified on a Roman cross, and she was taken in by one of His disciples. And yet, what she said is true. She said:

For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. (Luke 1:48 NLT)

From then on, all generations have called her blessed.

I recently saw a billboard that invited me to come to be a student at a particular school and change the world. I wondered about the goal of changing the world. It seems a bit grandiose when I have trouble changing myself. However, consider what God can do. Consider Mary’s praise.

She said:

For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever. (Luke 1:49-55 NLT)

She calls God Mighty and Holy. He is the Almighty. He not only is all-powerful, but He is also the source of all power in the Universe. All things have their existence in and through Him. In addition to His power, He is holy. As the Holy One, He is absolutely pure and set apart from all His creation. He is above all things. It is this Holy and Mighty One who is acting on our behalf. Not just ours, but your behalf. In all other aspects of your life you may be only a number or a cog in the machine, but not to God. As Mary says, “He has done great things for me!”

As is evident in what Mary says, God has no use for the proud and haughty. He even brings down princes from their thrones. For Him, the nations are but a drop in the bucket. God is a God who sees and hears. He not only noticed Mary, but He also notices you.

One way we are assured that He notices us is in His constant provision. Mary says, “He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.” The Lord provides for those whose trust is in Him. We cannot out-give the Lord. If you are not in the habit of giving to the Lord, this is one area where He says to test Him. Every good and perfect gift is from the Lord. He is our provider.

The nature of this is personal. God does great things for you and me. God provides for your every need. He is aware of your condition, be it ever so humble. Jesus used the example of God’s care of sparrows to teach this lesson. He said:

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31 NLT)

You can never be unimportant because God is concerned with and remembers you. The world offers many invitations, like the invitation I saw to choose a school and change the world. Mary received a call from God to be the mother of the Messiah, and God has changed the world. Jesus offers you an invitation today to be His disciple. God has done tremendous things for you, as He did for Mary. He has called you by name and chosen you to be His child. Will you, like Mary, respond by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant”? If you will, your life too will be filled with praise.

Three Rules to Live By

Romans 14:13-23

Three rules to live by does not mean that we are adding laws. Rather, in Romans 14:13-23, Paul is trying to help us understand how we should live as brothers and sisters in the family of God. In Romans 12:1-2, he told us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, and from that point, he has been explaining how to live as living sacrifices. He discusses the Christian’s relationship to government, our unbelieving neighbors and our fellow believers. Romans 14:13-23 is a continuation of his discourse on how we are to relate to our fellow believers.

Verses 1-12 explain that we each answer to God. They conclude this thought and transitions by saying:

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. (Romans 14:13 ESV)

Paul is concluding his discourse or thoughts on judging by saying “therefore.” He has made his point that we should not judge one another. Each person will give an account of himself or herself to God. Now he is transitioning to a new thought. We should decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother (or sister).

Never is a strong word, and it is used to emphasize the strength of our determination. Our determination to not hurt our brother or sister should be greater than the temptation to judge.

Saying “stop judging” is not enough. We are given something to do in place of judging. We are to replace judging with loving. Not putting a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a fellow believer requires that we 1) are observant and 2) understand our brother or sister. If we are not mindful of our brother or sister, we will not notice what might cause them to stumble, and if we do not seek to understand our brother or sister, we will not know what is a hindrance to them.

In his discussion of this subject in Romans 14:13-23, Paul gives us three rules that if we live by them, will keep us from causing our brother or sister to stumble.

1.       Walk in love.

2.       Pursue peace and building up.

3.       Walk by faith.

Romans 14:13-16 show us that we must walk in love.

We know that if we walk in love, we will fulfill the law. However, love is about more than fulfilling the law. Love compels us to seek the good of our brother or sister.

If we seek good for our brothers and sisters, we must first understand that we are not all in the same place in our faith or walk with the Lord. In verse 14, Paul says:

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. (Romans 14:14 ESV)

In this verse, we have Paul’s statement that he knows and is persuaded that nothing is unclean in itself. He is our teacher, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though he says it is not unclean in itself, he makes it clear that it is unclean for the person who thinks it unclean. He had the authority to say, “Grow up and eat it anyway.” But, he didn’t. He recognizes that we are all at different places in our walk.

He lays out a principle, a rule, for us to live by. He says:

For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. (Romans 14:15 ESV)

This runs contrary to our way of thinking. Why should I worry about what grieves my neighbor? That is his problem! Such self-centered eating and doing what we please is not of love. To say, “that is his problem” is to despise or discount the concerns of the other. A lack of concern about what grieves my neighbor likely reflects an attitude of either judging or despising our fellow believer. We either judge or despise our brother or sister, or we walk in love.

How did Jesus view others? The second half of Romans 14:15 answers this question. It says:

By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. (Romans 14:15 ESV)

Jesus loved others enough to die for them. Should we not then love them enough to be concerned about what might cause them spiritual harm? This is much deeper than “what would Jesus do?” This calls us to love like Jesus loved and selflessly give of ourselves for others. It calls on us to be observant when we are around our brothers and sisters, not for the purpose of judging, but rather for the purpose of understanding and accommodating them. This addresses a danger in our fellowship. The danger is that what we know is good can become the thing that destroys a brother or sister. This is why verse 15 says, “By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.” If we put our freedom before our brother or sister’s conscience, we should remember the warning of Romans 14:16.

So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. (Romans 14:16 ESV)

Paul continues from the principle of love to the idea of peace and building others up.

This is the second rule to live by, and it is found in Romans 14:17-19.

Verse 17 says:

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17 ESV)

What is this kingdom of God that Paul speaks of? Jesus preached a message of repentance saying, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) Jesus is the King of Kings. He brings the kingdom with Him. Therefore, when we accept Christ, we become citizens of His kingdom. This world is divided into two kingdoms. The kingdom of man is under the control of the prince and power of the air. We have Jesus as our King. Philippians 3:19-20 says this about these two kingdoms:

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:19-20 ESV)

Setting our minds on earthly things is a practice of the other kingdom. True religion is not found in rules and restrictions and traditions that have only to do with earthly things. In another place Paul says:

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:20-23 ESV)

Judging or despising our brothers and sisters for what they handle, taste or touch should be a warning, a red flag, for us, alerting us to a problem in our religion. Romans 14:17 tells us that the kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If we are still more concerned about our food and drink than about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, then our religion is worse than useless, it is harmful.

Romans 14:18 says:

Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. (Romans 14:18 ESV)

“Whoever thus serves Christ” refers back to righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit are how we serve Christ. This leads to the “so then” of verse 19. Because we serve Christ through “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” we are told to pursue peace and mutual upbuilding.

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. (Romans 14:19 ESV)

Pursuing peace and what makes for building one another up is also consistent with the law of love. Love does no wrong to a neighbor, but instead seeks the neighbor’s good and benefit. Thus, the first two principles work together: 1) walk in love, and 2) pursue peace and mutual upbuilding. The third principle, while consistent with these two, focuses on our relationship with God rather than with our neighbor. Romans 14:20-21 reviews and summarizes the first two principles. Speaking of our relationship with other believers, these verses say:

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. (Romans 14:20-21 ESV)

The next two verses move from our relationship with other believers to our relationship with God, and in so doing introduce our third rule to live by: walk by faith. Romans 14:22 says:

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. (Romans 14:22 ESV)

Here, it plainly says to keep the faith you have between yourself and God.

Building each other up does not require correcting everyone’s opinion or that we all agree on the non-essentials. Some things are better kept between one’s self and God. Eating, drinking, your schedule for devotions and prayer, and such things are among those things best kept to one’s self. This does not mean that we cannot share our practices to help or encourage someone. Sharing ideas and practices can be a part of building each other up. However, when our sharing comes from boasting, it is a problem.

Each person’s faith is first and profoundly a personal thing as we each individually grow in a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Each person needs to be convinced in his or her own heart as to their daily lives in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 14:22 says, “Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.” If our heart condemns us for what we eat, we hurt ourselves if we eat anyway.

When instructing his young disciple, Timothy, Paul stressed the importance of keeping a good conscience. 1 Timothy 1:5 tells us that a good conscience is one of the goals of our instruction. Then, 1 Timothy 1:19 tells us:

holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, (1 Timothy 1:19 ESV)

Rejecting or showing no regard for keeping a good conscience can lead to what is described as a shipwreck. Romans 14:22 gives us an essential element of our happiness when it says, “Blessed is the one...” Blessed is another word for happy. Do you want to be happy? Then, keep a good conscience.

Romans 14:23 warns us that if we doubt when we eat, we are condemned. This is true of any practice. Do you doubt that you are doing right when working on Sunday? Then don’t. Romans 14:23 says:

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23 ESV)

The key here is faith. The way to become convinced in your own heart is through the word of God. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of God. If you were raised with taboos that leave you with a guilty conscience, the way to overcome those is not by ignoring your conscience but by being renewed in your heart and mind by the word of God. This is a matter of personal growth. No one can do this for you. Romans 1:17 introduced us to the idea that the righteous live by faith. Living by faith shows in daily life in the choices we make. It seems to me that many throw away their conscience to gain a worldly life that they will only regret in the world to come.

We await a Savior from heaven, and when He comes will we be ready? Living by our three rules will help us be prepared.

1.       Walk in love.

2.       Pursue peace and mutual upbuilding.

3.       Walk by faith.

Another’s Servant

Romans 14:1-12

Certainly, we must be better than other churches.

We teach the Bible. We are free to eat bacon. We can mow our lawns on Sunday. We go to movies, have televisions and have musical instruments in our worship services.

I am picking on a narrow range of topics. Some churches teach that a Christian should not eat certain foods. I like bacon, so I chose bacon as a representative food. Some churches teach that a Christian should not work Sunday, so I chose mowing the lawn as a representative activity.

All Christian churches should teach the Bible. This is taught in both the Old and New Testaments. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says:

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ESV)

And, 2 Timothy 3:16 says:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV)

When Jesus returned to heaven after making atonement for our sins, He left us with what is known as the great commission. He said:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)

In this commission, He tells us to “teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Teaching what He has commanded requires that we teach the Word of God, the Bible. The difficulty comes when we have different understandings of how these commands are to be put into practice.

The Church in Rome was made up of both Jews and Gentiles. For those who grew up in Jewish households, the observation of the Old Testament dietary restrictions and of the Sabbath and feast days would have been ingrained in them from their earliest days. Therefore, for some of these, it was a difficult thing to give up these traditions.

The Apostle Peter had a difficult time giving up these traditions and even argued with God briefly about it. God decided to have Peter share the Gospel with a Gentile named Cornelius. Before telling Peter that He wanted him to go to Cornelius, God gave Peter a vision. A blanket descended from heaven, and it was full of ceremonially unclean animals, animals that an observant Jew would never touch or eat. Then a voice said, get up Peter, kill something and eat it. Acts 10:14-16 tells us:

But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. (Acts 10:14-16 ESV)

Can you imagine? Peter told God no three times! However, the message was clear. “What God has made clean do not call common.” Having received this message, Peter then went to Cornelius and shared the Gospel with Him, which opened the door of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Even given this, later on, Paul says of Peter:

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" (Galatians 2:11-14 ESV)

Peter had a revelation from God, which led to him becoming the first to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, and yet even he had difficulty giving up the Jewish traditions and ways. In Galatians, Paul rebuked Peter for sectarianism. However, in His letter to the believers in Rome, He is addressing how we are to treat and live with believers who differ with us in their understanding of how to live the Christian life. He uses as his examples food and days. Some did not eat meat and some observed days, such as the Sabbath.

In Romans 14:3, Paul addresses the two temptations that face us when we differ in our opinions on matters of practice. Romans 14:3 says:

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. (Romans 14:3 ESV)

The two temptations are to despise or to judge. Generally speaking and consistent with the passage, the one who eats will be tempted to despise the one who does not. In other words, if I feel I have freedom in Christ to go to movies and eat popcorn, the temptation will be for me to look down on the one who does not. Or, for another example, if I enjoy musical instruments in worship, the temptation will be for me to look down on the one who does not. Corresponding to this temptation, there is the temptation for those who abstain to judge those who eat. In other words, if I go to the movies and eat popcorn, the one who does not could be tempted to judge my actions as being unbecoming or not fit for a Christian. Or, as in the previous example, the non-instrumental music crowd could be tempted to judge me as unChristian for enjoying instruments in my music.

Paul offers three strong arguments to suggest why we should not despise or judge our fellow believers when they are seeking to serve the Lord the best they know how.

First, he says they are the servants of another.

We find this in Romans 14:4.

Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? 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. (Romans 14:4 ESV)

“Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?” This implies that the other Christian is the servant of the Lord. He or she is not my servant. He or she is not your servant. He or she is the servant of the Lord.

There are many things that are clearly sin. For example, murder is clearly not a practice fitting for a Christian. Lying, malice, envy, stealing, adultery, sexual immorality, and many such things give us cause to question if the one practicing such things is a servant of the Lord. These are indications that one is not a servant of the Lord.

However, there are many things that one might do as an attempt to obey the Lord about which we might disagree. For example, I have already mentioned music, but what about baptism? One person gets immersed in obedience to the Lord, and another gets sprinkled. Which is right? One person worships on Saturday and does no work on that day, and another worships on Sunday. Which is right?

This is the kind of situation in which it is important to remember that our fellow believer is the servant of the Lord. It does not matter if their practice makes me uncomfortable when they are doing what they are doing to please the Lord.

The first argument that Paul presents as a reason not to despise or judge is that our fellow believer is the servant of another. The second argument is similar.

The second argument is that we all belong to the Lord.

We find this in Romans 14:7-8.

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For 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 Lord's. (Romans 14:7-8 ESV)

We tend to think that we have the right view. Each of us has our own set of experiences. From these accumulated experiences we learn and grow and develop our own particular view of the world. Becoming proud and puffed up is a danger to all of us in this process. In 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 when dealing with the question of eating certain foods Paul says:

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. (1 Corinthians 8:1-2 ESV)

This pride in the knowledge that they had gained was a problem in the Corinthian church. This is why Paul had earlier said:

So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23 ESV)

Again in 1 Corinthians 4:7 he says:

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV)

What I am trying to point out in all these verses is that to judge or look down on a fellow believer because of differing practices is a symptom of the sin of pride. I am the Lord’s, and I answer to the Lord for how I live and serve Him. You are the Lord’s and you answer to the Lord for how you live and serve Him. Where is there room for pride? Are my experiences somehow better or more significant than yours? One grew up observing the Sabbath, and another grew up not observing the Sabbath. Is one better than the other because of how they grew up? Both received their experiences from the Lord and were individually called by Him to serve.

 The second argument against despising or judging our fellow believer is that we all belong to the Lord. The third argument Paul gives is that we each will give an account of ourselves to God.

Romans 14:10 says:

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; (Romans 14:10 ESV)

 We will each stand before the judgment seat of God. When I stand before God, I will not answer for whether my fellow believer used instruments or not. I will answer for my own obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. My lawyer is Jesus Christ so I will be okay. My fellow believer has the same lawyer so he will be okay. This is why Romans 14:3 says, “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.”

The key to this third argument is found in Romans 14:11.

for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11 ESV)

“Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue confess to God.”  In the end, God will be glorified. The call of these three arguments combined is that we should live with the realization that we will each give an account to God for the deeds done in our body.