Words of Admonition to the Church
The Gospel according to Paul • Sermon • Submitted
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· 73 viewsIn regards to others we are to please others not ourselves
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
I want to welcome everyone to our Wed night Bible study
This will be my last time with you until the 21st.
We will be taking our family vacation for a week
Pray for us and for safe travels
Tonight we will finish our study through Romans
If this hasn’t been your fav study you can rejoice
I hope you have been blessed through this study
Romans has been a very difficult book for me
Tonight we are going to finish up Romans in ch 16:17-20
The book of Romans is concluded with some words of warning and words of hope
What is said at the end has great significance
How do you finish a letter?
You tell them you love them
You tell them you miss them
You share your most intimate feelings with them at the end so when they finish reading they remember them
Romans 16:17-20
“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them”
Notice how Paul gets intimate at the end
“Now I urge you brethren”
That word brethren speaks of intimacy
It’s a brother speaking to another brother in Christ about a serious matter
He is speaking to the believers in Christ
When Ashley wanted to tell me something important years ago she would call me Jacob
Jacob you need to listen to me, this is important
Paul is going to get personal
This is not theological teaching as has been through most of the book
This is practical information that must be heard
Not being a scholar in theology is not going to wreck our relationship with God
But ignoring what Paul has to say tonight can be
This is said with love as a mother would tell a child
“note those who cause division and offenses”
#1 Be on alert for divisive people
#1 Be on alert for divisive people
The word note means “to notice” or “to watch”
Believers are to watch carefully or notice those who cause division
He’s saying believers need to always be on the lookout for those who divide the church
It is our job to see the signs and take note of these things
What would be the characteristics of a divisive person?
A divisive person will seek to build a group within a group
The goal in division is to separate two things
It is to form one group who will oppose another group
And the church was never meant to be two bodies in one
It was never meant to have one group leading it
It is designed to function as a body of believers who support each other
Here are a few traits of a divisive person:
They love to criticize
They love to gossip
They love to argue
They love to cause strife
They act out of pride, ambition, or selfishness
They are stumbling blocks
“cause division and offenses”
literally those who cause division and put stumbling blocks in front of others
“Contrary to the doctrine which you have learned”
These people are usually in leadership positions
From a position of authority they can have a much bigger influence on the people in the church
What do we do with these people? “avoid them”
We as sheep are not to blindly follow anyone
We are to take note of them, we are to never forget them, and we are to avoid them
A divisive person cannot divide unless people follow
They have no power unless people get behind them
Why would anyone want to divide the church?
Why would anyone want to put a stumbling block in front of good loving Christian people?
verse 18 “For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly”
The reason divisive people are so dangerous is because they are not of the faith.
They do so because they are self-serving people led by Satan
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
One of Satan’s goals is to fill as many churches with lost, evil, religious people so he can gain a foothold in the church
If a man or woman is not spirit led he is led by the world
The prince of this world is Satan
You are either for Jesus or your against him, but there is no middle ground.
These people are lost
These people work for Satan
How will they divide the church?
Will they come out and have a sign that says hey come and join me?
Will they have a sign that says Im lost and and looking to split the church?
Will they come out and say I work for Satan?
NO
“by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple”
How do they pull off this divisiveness in broad daylight?
How do they manage to divide a body of believers?
How do fool even godly people who truly love Jesus?
With smooth words and flattering speech
I want to give you a principle tonight and I hope you never forget it
God has etched this on my heart and I hope He does yours tonight
A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps.
Never trust a man with flattering lips
Can anyone tell when someone is flattering you?
Boy I sure can.
They always have underlying agenda
I had a guy at a church one time that wanted to be the interim pastor
I had an opportunity to speak in front of the church one time and this guy was there
I don’t remember if I did a devotional or what it was
But afterwards he came up to me and told me how great it was and I would be a good preacher and people would listen to me
It felt good
I thought yeah I like that!
My wife said he is building you up for something
What does he want
I thought no he really thinks that
A couple weeks later he came up to me and asked me if he could be the interim pastor
And my wife’s words rung true
He didn’t get the position
And I learned a great lesson
Never trust someone who flatters you
Its one thing to tell the truth, and compliment someone, but its an evil thing to flatter someone
“Be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil”
# 2 Never let the good be replaced by evil
# 2 Never let the good be replaced by evil
The NLT translates the word good to right
There are churches who do good things but they may not be the right things
Churches can get lost in doing anything as long as its good
But there is more for the church to do good
It must be focused on doing what is right
The Word of God has given the mission the purpose of the church
It has a specific purpose for its existence
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
When the church fails to to adhere to that purpose
The good becomes replaced with evil
“simple concerning evil”
That word simple means: “unmixed, pure, innocent”
The church must learn to mark, focus, and carry out what is good and of the Lord to keep the evil out
It must learn to discard what needs to go and keep what is of God
It must have enough courage to speak up when the mission or purpose drifts from the Word of God
It must cry out when when evil creeps its way in
It must learn to stand firm on the promises of God and walk by faith
Every church will come under attack
Every church will have an experience of trying times
BUT HERES A PROMISE FOR THE CHURCH
“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly”
#3 Your victory has already been determined
#3 Your victory has already been determined
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Who lives in you is greater than our enemy
In Christ you are victorious
In Christ you have already won
In Christ you can be
Do you know what Satan wants to take from you?
You peace
He will try to take it with sin
He will try to take it with divisive people
He will try to take it by any means possible
Do you know who God is?
He is the God of peace!
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
Peace is knowing Jesus Christ
It is walking with Jesus
It is trusting in the promises of Jesus
It is knowing Jesus has defeated Satan
“And He walks with me, and He talks with me”
“And He tells me I am His own”
“And the joy we share, as we tarry there”
“None other has ever known”
Who is the Prince of Peace?
It is Jesus
It is my Jesus
And He wants to give you peace
~Prayer~