The Sycamore Message

The Sycamore Message from Pastor Eric Burton, Helping People See Jesus, Know God, Find Freedom, and Discover Purpose.

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Sunday Feb 02, 2025

Romans: You Are Not What You Eat

Sunday Feb 02, 2025

Pastor Eric Burton - February 2, 2025

‭‭Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭23‬‬
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval. In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

Defining Terms:
*Strong believers were those with a strong conscience that felt okay to exercise liberties.
*Weak believers were those with a weak conscience that had a conservative theology and did not exercise liberties.

Weak is simply anyone that's isn't quite where you are. Weak are those who don't feel comfortable doing what you feel free to do.

We are admonished by Paul to accept other believers that don't see things the way you do.

Interestingly enough the weaker believers tended to be the Jews; those with a longer history with God.

Let's see why this verse of scripture was important to them and may be important to us today.

Exodus 34:15 “You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them. Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods.

What they ate connected them to God.

God gives this warning:
What you eat is connected to your worship.
What you desire is what you give to.
What you give to is what you accept.
What you accept becomes your normal.

Remember eating the forbidden fruit in the garden breached the relationship between God and man.
This practice was so entrenched in the people that it determined who was allowed to worship with you.
Kosher= fit. Fit for consumption
Just ask yourself that question, "Is what I'm eating fit for consumption?"
What the Jewish people ate related to their relationship with God. They had a co

Sunday Jan 26, 2025

Let's Level Up

Sunday Jan 26, 2025

Pastor Eric Burton - January 26, 2025
Isaiah 28:10-13
He tells us everything over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there!” So now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language! God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen. So the Lord will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured.

Key Verse Today: Isaiah 28:10-13

Main Announcement: Today we launch Connect Groups!

We like to start at the finish line. We normally experience life from the vantage of big experiences and completed projects, but life is constructed of small things: It's making your bed, lending a smile, a penny saved, simply saying no or yes.

Today we're going to encourage you to start. Start with the small things and allow God to continue doing the small things in your life.

Context of Isaiah 28: There's a city of proud drunks that believe their city is indestructible because of its location. They have made a deal that has hedged them against death. They don't like that God speaks to them like children, telling them things over and over, one line at a time... a little here and a littler there. They've built their lives on a foundation of lies.

They are told a hailstorm will destroy it all; God lets them know a catastrophe is coming that is going to destroy you.

Instead, (God loves to offer a better option) God offers a solution by laying a firm foundation of truth that they can build on and anyone that builds on it will be safe.

Psalm 127:1

Psalms 127:1
Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

God builds people and His kingdom out of small things. He instills His principles through the process of here a little and there a little.

Is it Nagging or Nudging?

Building a brick wall is the same material layered up one level at a time.
Nagging is when you're still on the same level the first time it was told to you. Nudging is when you are further along than the first time it was told to you.

Don't mistake the instruction of God for nagging when He simply wants you to level up!

Things we nudge about around here at The Sycamore:
Next Steps
Serving
Salvation
Baptism
Connect Groups
We hope by saying it enough one day you will catch on. ;)

God is a Builder, not a Destroyer.

It's easy to tear things down. Anyone can demolish, but it's a skill to build. To build people and churches and ministry and a marriage...

God doesn't want to hear himself say the same thing over and over. It's actually a way of building. God CAN build things quickly, but most often he chooses not to.

God builds with lines:
So you develop
So you don't collapse under pressure
So your gifting doesn't outpace your character

One line by itself isn't that strong but put lots of lines together and you have fortification.

You may feel discouraged because you are just starting out in your faith. But God is building you one line at a time to make you strong when storms come, and they will come.

Small things got us in this position.

Proverbs 6:10-11 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Small things end up making a big difference. Little choices and little steps got us where we are.

Good choices build strong lives.
Zechariah 4:10, Don't despise the day of small things.

Things that started small:
God's kingdom, seen as a stone that was tumbling
Anointing starts out as a stream and turns into a river
Our church

Don't be afraid to start with small beginnings

The construction is the objective. We are not being built to be finished in this life time: God is building us to develop us for the life to come.

You don't have to be perfect to begin.
When God created the world, it was a mess.
When God found me, my life was a mess.
You don't have to be perfect to begin walking with Jesus. "We don't get good to come to Jesus. We get Jesus to get good"

What you need to do today:
Start a relationship with Jesus.
Let Jesus continue building you up.
Join a Connect Group today.

Sunday Jan 19, 2025

Romans: What Happens When I Love My Neighbor

Sunday Jan 19, 2025

The Sycamore Church
==========Romans 13: 8-14January 19, 2025Pastor Eric Burton==========
Romans 13:8Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.
Last week we ended by saying pay your taxes. Taxes are an obligation by man to man. Paul says give money, fear, honor to those that require it.
Apostle Paul urges us to get rid of these obligations owed to others, but then he says if you are going to owe someone something, let it be love. I can get rid of debt, but I'll never be in a position where I don't owe love to someone.
Fulfilling ALL the Law of God through love.
It is interesting that up until now Paul has highlighted our inability to fulfill the law. Paul's controversial ministry was due in part to his inviting non Jews into the family of God and presenting a message that didn't require the law. But we're going to see that Paul uses the same words and approach as Jesus when it comes to fulfilling the law.
The reflection of our love for God is how we obey, not how we feel. John 14:15 says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Love isn't always so romantic. Contrary to what we've allowed it to become, it is dry and lacks luster. The kind of love we're going to talk about today doesn't muster emotion but rather resolve in times when we don't feel anything. We're going to look at how living for God isn't a lofty emotional roller coaster. Our love for God is based on obeying- obeying that can lead to emotion but is not the main point.
There's a Jewish character in the book, The Weight of Ink, that comes across the Christian idea of the spirit of man reaching out and searching to connect with God. She is perplexed because Jewish teaching is strictly about obeying God's commands, not feeling through them. Jewish writing was NOT known for its philosophical approach.
The Apostle Paul warns in Colossians 2:8. "Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ."
We have tried to feel after what God wants rather than hearing what God wants. We need the voice of God back in our lives. It used to be that the voice of God would make mountains and men tremble. When they heard God's voice, it was like many waters.
In Psalm 119, King David is absolutely in love with the commands, regulations, laws, instructions and decrees of God. He exemplifies what it looks like when you love God; His ways are a delight not a dilemma. God's ways don't get in the way of my lifestyle; they are the lifestyle.
Romans 13:9-14For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
Vs. 9 The Spirit of the law over the letter of the lawThere are 10 Commandments, and Paul lists 5 of them, same as Jesus in Mathew 19:19. When you love, you don't need legalism to tell you not to hurt others.
Vs. 10 tells us the law is fulfilled by love. The law was given, in part, to prevent wrong being done to others. It was a civil document governing how to live pleasing to God AND with others. The law was meant to prevent trespasses being committed. Because love does not do wrong to others, the best way to fulfill the law of God is to love Him and your neighbor.
Vs. 11-13 Recognize the urgency of the timesPaul tells us to wake up! Our salvation is near and approaching like the dawning of day. It's an unstoppable light, and the deeds done in the night have to be taken off.
Take off dirty deeds off, Paul says, like dirty clothes.
It's not something that accidentally got on you- you put it on. You've got to take some things off. Take off just like you would remove weight that holds you back.
Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."
Vs 14 You've got to put something on. The Bible calls it "clothing" yourself. We have to put on Christ. To sink into (clothing), put on, clothe one's self. What we wear changes our behavior and thinking. When we put on Christ, we act differently.
And don't make provisions for the flesh. In other words don't make room or accommodate plans for your flesh in life.