Growing Closer With God--The Final Frontier!

Beware of the Divisive

Last week we talked about the ending of a sermon or book and it’s purpose to wrap up all the loose ends and to give a summery of what needs to be talked about. If you’re not careful you could miss what Paul is stating here because it’s smack dab in the middle of his final greetings. This almost seems like an after thought, but it is the thought.

Romans 16:17–20 ESV

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Romans 16:17

There are two main points I want to take from this chunk of Scripture.

The first one is:

Avoid Those Who Divide

The term avoid here is Ekklino which has two root words in the greek language.

Ek-Meaning away

Klino-lay; or be far spent.

It’s an interesting word because it what it’s saying is be FAR away from, but it’s main use is to lay. Like lay down. So Paul is telling them to lay away from these people.

It’s a different type of avoidance. He’s not saying treat them as if they have the black plague and run away screaming every time you see them. He’s not saying to cast them out or remove them either. There are those we are told to remove from the church so that we may be unified.

He is also not saying t argue with them. We as Christians always seem ready to argue the truth. I don’t know we are bent this way, but we always seem ready for a fight. I see it over facebook, I see it in churches. We want to prove our wisdom and declare how close we are with God through our knowledge, but the Proverbs reminds us of this simple truth:

Proverbs 26:4 ESV

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.

To argue with a fool is to be a fool yourself. Every once in a while I’ll talk with someone or receive and email from someone who saw some rich looking preacher on TV or Youtube declare something that isn’t true. Then what usually happens is this person wants to come to me and argue this new and exciting point of view. To which I usually don’t respond. They think they have won, but I have settled not to waste my time. Not everything you read or watch is true.

Paul is telling the Roman Church that not everyone who claims to preach the gospel is preaching God’s Gospel Truth. Not everything that is shiny is worth paying attention to.

Solomon in all his wisdom filled an entire book by saying there is nothing new under the sun. If someone comes to you with a new idea about scripture politely smile and walk away. My job as a Pastor isn’t to give you new information.

The term Pastor literally comes from the term Shepherd. Which means to protect and let graze. To lead.

My job is to lead you to food that already exists. Not to create new food for your to eat. My job is make sure someone doesn’t lure you away with muffins when you should be eating grass.

We recently bought our Dalmatian a training collar. it beeps, it vibrates, and if necessary it shocks. One of the reasons we bought it is that our dog likes chocolate and is really really fast. Now she thinks chocolate is good. We know as humans, that it will kill her. In the moment she thinks I want to take away her goodness when really I’m trying to remove her poison.

I want her to avoid chocolate. It doesn’t mean I want her to be afraid of it or relentlessly bark at it. Or to run to the next town because she saw it.

The word Klino means do not lay- in other words do not relax. We have this term

To Chew The Fat

It means to hold a discussion with. I go over people’s houses and chew the fat with them. Paul is telling the Roman Church not to entertain their lies because he knows that they will fall into the trap.

Which brings us to my second point

Innocent To What Is Evil

I can’t tell you how many people I watch fall into this trap. I hear “well I just watched it so I know how to witness against it.” I have to be current to be relevant.

The term innocent means pure. The second you watch, look, listen to, smell, touch—you are no longer pure. I fell into this trap as a youth pastor. The kids were talking about this youtube video that I had no clue even existed. They wouldn’t tell me what it was about, only that I shouldn’t watch it and that it was gross. Well Satan planted that seed along with the seed that I needed to see it so I could be a better youth Pastor and teach against it.

It was one of the most grotesk, sinful, vomit educing things I ever watched. It took me years to get the images to stop burning my retinas. The truth is it didn’t better prepare me. It caused me to repent and continue to repent. It didn’t edify me. I am not a better pastor or Christian.

I watched people fall into a porn addiction because they wanted to just see what it was about. I know drug users who just wanted to experience the high once not realizing that all it takes is once and you cannot stop. Liers start with one lie. Thieves don’t usually start by robing a bank. The fall isn’t as far as you think it is because it isn’t a fall. Its one small step. And another. And another.

The same is true with buying into a false Gospel. Jehovah’s witnesses aren’t converted over night. No they know they may have to visit you for an entire month before you come to their church. But the false belief starts with opening the door. Satan whispers in your ear---you know more than them…argue—convert them. The bible says distance yourself.

Satan Says but what kind of Christian would you be to just yell go away from behind a closed door, or to completely ignore them all together. Opened it be polite tel them you are not interested. Just because someone rings your door bell doesn’t mean you HAVE to open the door.

Be innocent. Without spot. You don’t have to taste things to know it isn’t bad. Another saying that seems to be popular. It tastes like poop. Hopefully none of us really know what it tastes like to understand it isn’t good. But all to often Satan wants us to tempt us with chocolate poison to lure us away from the grass God has fed us with.

Just because it sounds good, looks good, or seems to come from someone we deem sucessful doesn’t mean it’s true. You don’t have to run from it, but you don’t have to spend time with it or invite it into your house.

John 15:19 ESV

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Be in the world, but not of the world. You cannot run away from every sinful thing, but you don’t have to take part in it either. This is true with gossip. This is true with hate speech or fear. You can be in the same room as a gossiper and not listen to their gossip, their lies, and their deceit.