LET US RESOLVE THIS IN 2010

Rom 14:10-13
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to
God."
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a
cause to fall in our brother's way.
NKJV

I. LET US RESOLVE NOT TO CAUSE ANYONE TO STUMBLE BY OUR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.

A. A lack of knowledge can cause us to be open to risk.
1. Hos 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I
will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I
will also forget thy children.

2. Mal 2:7-8 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth:
for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused
many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

3. We are the priests today. We are the messengers.

a. 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;
that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light:

II. TO AVOID STUMBLING, LET US RESOLVE TO LEARN FORBEARANCE AND LONGSUFFERING.

A. It would help maintain unity.
1. Eph 4:1-3
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

B. It would mean being like Christ.

1. Col 3:12-13 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if
any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

FORBEARING
(for-bar') (chadhal; anechomai): In the Old Testament chadhal, "to leave off," is the word most frequently
translated "forbear" (Ex 23:5, etc.); damam, "to be silent," chasakh, "to keep back," mashakh, "to draw or
stretch out," occur once each; the Revised Version (British and American) renders Ezek 24:17 (damam), "Sigh,
but not aloud," margin "Hebrew be silent,"; Prov 24:11 (chasakh), "See that thou hold back," margin "or forbear
thou not to deliver," the King James Version "if thou forbear to deliver"; Neh 9:30 (mashakh), "bear" instead of
"forbear"; 'aph literally, "breathing," the "nose," hence, from violent breathing, "anger" ('erekh, "long,"
understood), and kul "to hold," are translated "forbearing" (Prov 25:15; Jer 20:9, respectively).
In the New Testament we have anechomai, "to hold self back or up," "with longsuffering, forbearing one
another" (Eph 4:2; Col 3:13); aniemi "to send back," the King James Version and the Revised Version (British
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and American) "forbear threatening' (Eph 6:9); pheidomai, "to spare," "but I forbear" (2 Cor 12:6);
meergazesthai, "not to work," "to forbear working" (1 Cor 9:6); stego, "to cover," "conceal": "when I could no
longer forbear" (1 Thess 3:1,5). (from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database
Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

FORBEARANCE
Tolerance or mercy. Although man's sin deserves punishment, God in His forbearance, or longsuffering
patience, gives an opportunity for REPENTANCE (Rom 2:4). Also see LONGSUFFERING.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

FORBEARANCE (Grk. anoche, a "holding back, delaying," Rom 2:4; 3:25). "The forbearance of God and his
long suffering-the two terms exhausting the one idea-denote the disposition of God, in accordance with which
he indulgently tolerates sins and delays their punishment" (Meyer, Com., ad loc.). Philippians Phil 4:5 mentions
a "forbearing spirit" (Grk. epieikes), elsewhere rendered "gentle." (from The New Unger's Bible
Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.)

LONGSUFFERING

The word in the New Testament rendered "longsuffering," makrothumia (once makrothumeo, "to be
longsuffering"), which is the rendering of 'erekh 'appayim in the Septuagint, is literally, "long of mind or soul"
(regarded as the seat of the emotions), opposed to shortness of mind or soul, irascibility, impatience,
intolerance. It is attributed to God (Rom 2:4; 9:22; 2 Peter 3:9), of His bearing long with sinners and slowness
to execute judgment on them. It is, therefore, one of "the fruits of the Spirit" in man (Gal 5:22) which Christians
are frequently exhorted to cherish and show one toward the other (Eph 4:2; Col 1:11; 3:12, etc.); it belongs,
Paul says, to the love, without which all else is nothing: "Love suffereth long (makrothumei), and is kind" (1
Cor 13:4); The verb makrothumeo is sometimes translated by "patience" (Matt 18:26,29, "Have patience with
me"). Luke 18:7 has been variously rendered; the King James Version has "And shall not God avenge his own
elect .... though he bear long with them"; the Revised Version (British and American) "and yet he is
longsuffering over them," the American Revised Version margin "and is he slow to punish on their behalf?"
Weymouth (New Testament in Modern Speech) has "although he seems slow in taking action on their behalf,"
which most probably gives the sense of the passage; in James 5:7-8 the verb occurs thrice, the King James
Version "be patient," "hath long patience"; the Revised Version (British and American) also translates by
"patient"; this, however, as in Matt 18:26,29, seems to lose the full force of the Greek word.

According to Trench (Synonyms of the New Testament, 189), the difference between hupomone ("patience")
and makrothumia is that the latter word expresses patience in respect to persons, and the former in respect to
things; hence, hupomone is never ascribed to God; where He is called "the God of patience," it is as He gives it
to His servants and saints. But in James 5:7 it is used with reference to things, and in Col 1:11 it is associated
with patience (compare Heb 6:12,15), suggesting patient endurance of trials and sufferings. In Col 1:11 it is also
associated with "joy," indicating that it is not a mere submissiveness, but a joyful acceptance of the will of God,
whatever it may be. In Wisd 15:1; Ecclus 5:4, we have "longsuffering" (makrothumos) ascribed to God; also in
Ecclus 2:11, the Revised Version (British and American) "mercy." (from International Standard Bible
Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

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III. TO AVOID STUMBLING, LET US RESOLVE TO EDIFY ONE ANOTHER.
A. It creates peace.
1. Rom 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one
may edify another.
B. It comforts.
1. 1 Thess 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

C. That is what Christ did.

1. Rom 15:1-7
1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification .
3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on
me.
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ
Jesus:
6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

IV. TO AVOID STUMBLING, LET US RESOLVE TO BE CONCERNED FOR ONE ANOTHER

A. Lest any man fail.
1. Heb 12:14-15 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble
you, and thereby many be defiled;

B. Help one another.

1. Gal 6:1-10
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the
household of faith.

V. TO AVOID STUMBLING, LET US RESOLVE NOT TO PLEASE MEN OVER GOD.

A. We cannot serve Christ that way.
1. Gal 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I
should not be the servant of Christ.

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 B. We can hurt others by trying to please men.
1. Gal 2:11-16
11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he
withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their
dissimulation.
14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before
them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou
the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by
the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

VI. WE ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST AND WE NEED ONE ANOTHER.

A. We are all together in Christ.
1. Gal 3:26-28
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all
one in Christ Jesus.

2. 1 Cor 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

B. It is our responsibility to grow up into Christ.

1. Eph 4:14-16
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying
of itself in love.

Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Invitation: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess Christ as the Son of God, Be Immersed for the remission of
sins, and then grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, remaining faithful until death.

If you are a Christian and have sinned publicly, then you are invited to remove your
separation from God by public repentance so that prayers can be offered for you.