The pastor begins the main message by connecting this sermon to the urgency of Romans 13, where Paul warns believers that it is “high time to awake out of sleep.” The pastor explains that Paul is not talking about physical sleep, but spiritual complacency—Christians who are “in the faith” by profession but are not actively living it. Paul’s language (“cast off the works of darkness,” “put on the armor of light,” “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ”) is presented as a call to stop making excuses, stop treating faith casually, and start living in a way that radiates God. The pastor stresses that the “armor of light” should make a difference wherever a Christian goes; darkness should not remain unchanged when light enters. He describes this as a personal test of testimony: if believers feel like they make no impact when they enter a dark environment, that should convict them to change. He illustrates how a consistent Christian presence can affect others—even causing people to check their language or behavior—because the light exposes darkness without needing to be loud or argumentative.

From there, he transitions into Romans 14, describing it as Paul “letting off the gas” slightly—not because spiritual urgency is gone, but because the focus shifts from personal holiness to how Christians treat one another, especially within the church. Paul’s opening command, “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations,” becomes the core theme. The pastor defines “weak in faith” as someone who is new or immature spiritually—someone who cannot yet take care of themselves in basic Christian disciplines. He explains immaturity through the image of a baby: babies must be fed, carried, guided, and supported; they cannot function independently. Spiritually, a weak believer struggles with foundational practices like reading the Bible, praying, and walking with God consistently. The pastor emphasizes that some people may have been “saved a long time” but still remain spiritually weak because they never developed those basics.

To strengthen this point, the pastor shares a personal example of a phone call with someone claiming to be “struggling with faith” and even questioning belief in God. The pastor responds by probing for spiritual habits—asking when the person last read the Bible, prayed, or truly served God. The answers reveal the person had little spiritual discipline and little real engagement with God. The pastor argues that it is no surprise faith feels unstable when someone is not feeding their soul. He makes a strong statement that merely saying words in the past (“I prayed the prayer”) is not proof of genuine faith if the heart and life have never followed. He clarifies that “serving God” is not the same as merely “serving in a ministry role.” A person can fulfill tasks in church for appearances, approval, or habit while still not living a life of surrender to God. Serving God, in his definition, means living beyond oneself, seeking God’s approval rather than man’s, and allowing Christ to shape daily life.

He then turns to 1 John 2 to provide a framework for spiritual growth: little children, young men, and fathers. “Little children” represent believers whose sins are forgiven—saved, but still at the beginning. “Young men” represent those who have begun overcoming the wicked one—meaning they are developing spiritual strength and learning to fight temptation and sin. “Fathers” represent the mature believer who truly knows God in deep relationship. The pastor explains that maturity isn’t just salvation, and it isn’t just adopting Christian identity; maturity is knowing God personally in a way that shapes instinct, discernment, and faithfulness. He illustrates “knowing” with a practical example: people around him know what comforts him when he’s sick because they’ve learned him over time. In the same way, mature Christians know God—not merely as doctrine, but as a lived relationship. He references the idea that “knowing Him” at the level of fellowship in suffering is not basic Christianity but “graduate level,” because suffering often becomes the place where believers learn God most deeply—when they are forced to rely on Him, stay faithful, and watch Him carry them through what they could not survive alone.

From this foundation, the pastor returns to Romans 14 and explains Paul’s instruction: believers must receive the weaker brother, but must not drag them into constant arguments about “doubtful disputations”—issues where sincere Christians may land differently. The pastor clarifies that this does not mean there is no such thing as healthy pressure to grow; just as parents guide children, believers should encourage spiritual development. However, Romans 14 targets a different problem: pressuring or judging others over non-essential matters, turning secondary issues into spiritual measuring sticks.

Paul’s example in Romans 14 is dietary practice: one believer eats freely, another only eats herbs. The pastor explains that cultural backgrounds (Jews, Gentiles, differing customs) create differences in conscience and practice. The key question is not “Do they do it like me?” but “Are they saved? Do they belong to Christ?” Paul’s warning is two-sided: those with liberty must not despise those with restrictions, and those with restrictions must not judge those with liberty. The pastor applies this to modern church culture, especially within the independent Baptist world, naming common areas where believers often fight unnecessarily—standards about clothing, personal convictions, preferences about entertainment, or other non-essentials. His central warning is against arrogance: believing you are a better Christian simply because your practice differs from someone else’s in areas that are not essential doctrine.

He draws a clear boundary between essential doctrine (truths that define the faith and must be defended) and disputable matters. Essential doctrines include foundational beliefs about Christ and salvation and Scripture—things worth contending for because they are central to Christianity. But many personal practices are not in that category, and the pastor urges believers not to fracture fellowship over them. He gives examples of differing convictions within Christianity: some refuse to go to movie theaters, others see no difference between watching at home or in a theater; some refuse to have a TV in the home, others do not share that conviction. The pastor emphasizes that he will not look down on someone who sets stricter boundaries, nor will he condemn those who have liberty—because each person stands accountable to God as their master. The goal is not uniformity of preference, but unity in Christ.

The pastor also speaks to the spirit behind how believers treat Bible versions, stating his personal position while stressing that he will not look down on someone who uses a different translation, especially when many carry a Bible without reading it at all. His broader point remains: Christianity is not strengthened by winning petty battles; it is strengthened by believers growing deeper in their actual faith—and refusing to major on things that do not matter as much as spiritual maturity does.

Finally, the pastor highlights that even within church leadership, differences in temperament and expression exist—and that these differences should not be viewed as spiritual deficiencies. Some believers respond emotionally, some respond quietly, some express joy through loud amens, others through tears. The “fire” may be equally real, even if it manifests differently. He says a healthy church should expect diversity and should welcome different personalities and expressions, rather than trying to shape everyone into one narrow mold. He even expresses a desire for the church to grow into a more diverse body—people who are expressive, people who are emotional, people who are bold—so long as they worship the same God and remain grounded in biblical truth. His closing prayer reinforces the aim: that God would mature the “babes in Christ,” grow believers into strength and faithfulness, and eventually bring them to the level of spiritual “fathers” who know God deeply and can endure trials with steadfast confidence.