Still Standing
Notes
Transcript
Romans 16:20
Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Paul is closing his magnificent treatise known as Romans with a promise of victory.
Throughout Romans, Paul has taken us on a journey from lost to saved to sanctified. He starts out in Romans 1 stating, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Remember, Paul is writing to a church that is made of Jews and Gentiles who have come out of the debaucherous and pagan Roman lifestyle.
For the first 3 chapters, Paul expresses the guilt of all humanity, declaring that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Thank God he does not leave us there but declares that we are justified freely by the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.
Chapters 4 and 5 - Abraham and faith
Death has reigned from Adam till Christ. Chapter 6, he tells us how Christ died both for us and as us that we may live. He explains how life in Christ comes through the death of the old man in each of us.
Paul then moves on to talking about being free from sin and walking in the Spirit and not the flesh.
Chapter 12, Paul tells us how we should be transformed in Christ and not conformed to this world. he continues on with discipleship instructions for the next couple of chapters.
Chapter 16 - Starts by commending those who have labored alongside him in the gospel.
He starts with Phoebe - “servant” - the first person Paul lists is a woman.
I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,
that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.
Does that description sound like a woman who has been kept in the back in the children’s ministry and told to be quiet?
The word translated servant in verse 1 is “diakonos”, which is the same word translated “deacon” throughout other parts of the New Testament.
The next people he mentions are Priscilla and Aquila as “fellow workers in Christ Jesus.” Priscilla is mentioned first here and when Paul talks about them teaching Apolos.
Paul takes 16 verses to commend everyone who has worked with him in spreading the gospel.
You did not get this far on your own!! Don’t forget all those who have helped build your faith along the way. We are not nearly as strong on our own as we are when we are joined together. We could not accomplish near as much each in our own strength as we can when we are unified working together in one vision in one accord.
CONTEXT
Verse 17-18
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.
For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
Paul does not spend a lot of time talking about those who have caused division and offense. He spends two verses then moves on.
Pulpit is not a whipping post to be used on those who are there or not there.
We do not need to spend time behind the pulpit beating the sheep. We should use our time to encourage those that came. After all the hell you went through during the week and still found the strength to come to church, why should I spend my time beating you even more?
For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Who is going to give you victory?
How can he be the God of peace and be crushing Satan at the same time? Those two things do not seem to go together.
Do not get confused. He is the God of peace but He is also the God of war.
He is the God of peace for His children. But anything that has come to try to steal your peace has made itself an enemy of God.
God will declare war on anything that attempts to rob you of your peace. There are things that have come against you in your mind, in your body, in your finances, in your relationships and God is saying, “They are picking a fight with me and I am going crush them under your feet.”
The enemy attacks your mind and wants you to think you are fighting alone. He wants you to feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and helpless. But, if you are a child of the King, peace is your birthright.
The Bible says the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. So, if something is coming against your peace, your Father takes it personally. He will go to war on your behalf.
God wants you to know, “The battle is not yours.”
You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”
You do not need to fight and you do not need to worry. Whatever has come against you has picked a fight with God and He is on your side. All you have to do is keep standing!!!
If God be for us, who can stand against us!!!!!
You may feel like you ae in an ever-raging storm but when God steps into the storm and says, “Peace,” the storm stops.
Luke 7 - the waves are beating the ship.
2. When will we see victory?
Soon - Tahcos -
We wish it said “immediately.”
Most of our frustration in life comes when we expect God to work on our timeline.
We can even get frustrated at God sometimes. Sometimes we go through some stuff and we keep waiting on God and thinking, “Where are you God? I have been standing on this promise for a while now. When is it going to change?”
Paul says “soon.”
Paul is trying to tell us, “Don’t give up. Keep on standing. Victory is coming.”
Soon means the victory is imminent and certain even though we cannot see it yet. Paul is reminding them and us that the promise still stands.
Genesis 3, God is talking to Adam and Eve. The serpent is over in the corner and God turns and starts talking to the serpent.
He says, “the seed of the woman will come and you will bruise his heel but he will crush your head.”
This promise was thousands of years before Paul wrote this letter. Paul is reminding them that the promise still stands. Jesus crushed Satan’s head on the cross and God is still going to crush the enemy under your feet.
I believe God is going to do it but when? Soon!!! No matter how long you have been waiting, it is not time to give up now. Keep standing on the promises of God!!!
You might feel like you can’t take it much longer but if you couldn’t take it, the enemy would have already taken you out. Just stand and declare, “Look what the Lord has done.” If God has brought me this far, He will not forsake me now.
3. Where?
Under your feet!!!
Crush - Luke 4 - The Spirit has anointed me to heal the brokenhearted. Same word.
In one season, you were crushed, but God is about to turn it all around. You have felt like the enemy had the upper hand, like he was going to crush you. But God is saying, “Hold on just a little longer.” What seemed to be crushing you in one season is about to be under your feet.
That is why you have to stay on your feet. You cannot give up. You cannot go down. You gotta keep on standing.
God is going to do the crushing, but He is going to use you to do it.
But He cannot crush Satan under your feet if you do not keep standing. That does not mean you won’t get knocked down. It means if you get knocked down, you keep getting back up. And if we see a brother or sister fall or get knocked down, we do not kick them while they are down. We reach out a hand, grab them by the arm, and help them stand. We stand together!!!
Close by writing things that have tried to steal your peace and stomp on it. Grab someone’s arm and stomp together. Nobody fights alone.
