Romans 16:17-20
Wednesday Night Prayer and Praise • Sermon • Submitted
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In November of 1978, Jim Jones led 900 of his followers to drink a arsenic laced kool-aid leading to one of the most horrific scenes ever known. These 900 followers and members of the People’s Temple, died by following the teachings of Jim Jones. He mixed in unsound doctrine that satisfied his on appetite. Evidently, he was pretty convincing leading 900 people to their death. It is one of the most horrific stories of our generation, yet in many ways there are many more who are drinking the kool-aid so to speak and are choosing doctrines that are unbiblical and attempting to pull others away from the sound doctrine of Jesus.
I am seeing this happen in our land today. It has happened in the idea of social justice, in politics, and is happening in our communities and even in our churches.
It is nothing new. In fact, Paul warned the Romans about this as he closed out his letter to the Romans.
I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
What does Paul mean when he says, “I urge you brothers?”
Urge means to beseech, to exhort, to beg, and it comes from Paul as love rather than a command. What is he urging his readers to do?
To watch out. To watch our for what? Watch out means to be keenly aware of; to search out thoroughly. Paul is saying to watch out for those that cause divisions and put obstacles in the way that are contrary to the teachings that have been learned.
Division means cut in two. Obstacle is from SKANDALA from which we get our word scandal. It is a cause for stumbling. These divisions and obstacles come in ways that are contrary to the biblical teaching .
The warning is to “Keep away from them.”
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.
Verse 18 begins “for such people” and refers to those causing divisions and obstacles. It goes on to say they are serving themselves and not serving Christ.
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
Jesus warned of such people:
“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
These folks do not associate themselves with the true teachings of Christ. However, they do associate themselves to the things of the church.
So how should respond?
Verse 19 sums it up
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
The JB Phillips translation says it this way:
“I want to see you experts in good and not even beginners is evil.”
We are called to be very wise in dealing with those who cause divisions and obstacles.
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
How do we do that?
These verses are a call for vigilance, for separation, and for discernment.
A simple man believes anything,
but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.
We need to learn how to recognize and embrace the good yet absolutely recognize the evil and shy away from its agenda.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
There are several passages this echos:
And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
Despite false visions concerning you
and lying divinations about you,
it will be laid on the necks
of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
whose time of punishment has reached its climax.
He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
God’s peace has no room for divisions, chaos, and obstacles. Through the destruction of evil, true peace can be attained. When that happens, it happens through grace.
Let’s make this real. Right now there are many divisions among the people of God. There are obstacles in all over our paths, including in our church.
There are four questions I want to challenge you with right now:
In anyway, are your words and actions causing division or an obstacle?
Does the teaching agree with scripture?
Does the teaching glorify the Lord Jesus Christ?
Does the teaching promote goodness?
This is a teaching that we must adhere to and must do so immediately. How can we do this?