God's Sure Way to Win in Life

The Book of Romans

Romans 16:17-20

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared January 30, 2022)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to Romans 16:17. Here Paul is very close to the end of his letter to the Christians in Rome. And in today's Scripture he shows us how to win the spiritual battles of life. Please think about this as we read vs. 17-20.

MESSAGE:

*Some people are a whole lot more competitive than others. but everybody likes to win. Of course, some crooked athletes throw games, and sometimes parents let their children win a game. That's understandable, but most everybody plays to win. You will never hear an NFL player going to the Super Bowl say, "Man, I hope we lose that game tomorrow!"

*Everybody wants to be a winner. And here Paul tells us how to win in the most important way. He tells us how to win the spiritual battles of life.

1. FIRST: WE MUST MAKE SURE THE MESSAGES WE HEAR ARE TRUE.

*We must make sure that the sermons we hear measure up to the truth of God's Word. This is the lesson for us in vs. 17-18, where Paul said:

17. Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.

18. 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.

*In vs. 17, Paul is strongly urging us to pay close attention to the messages we hear. And there is passion in his voice. The word picture behind the original word for "urge" is loudly calling out to people.

*Paul is begging us to pay careful attention so we can avoid preachers who preach unbiblical messages. In vs. 17, Paul urges us to "note them." The KJV tells us to "mark them." The original Greek word is "skopeo."

*That's where we get words like "telescope" and "microscope." But the idea here is more like a hunter scoping out his target. That's the kind of attention God wants us to have when we listen to sermons. And the reason why in vs. 18 is because "smooth words and flattering speech" can "deceive the hearts of the simple."

*The original word for "simple" here doesn't mean "simple-minded," or "ignorant" as we might use it. This word means an "innocent one." And this same word was only used one other place in the New Testament. There, the word is translated as "harmless," and it's talking about Jesus Christ. It's Hebrews 7:26, where God's Word says, "For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, HARMLESS, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens."

*Paul's point here in vs. 18 is that even godly, innocent people can be led astray, -- if we don't make sure the messages that we hear are true.

[1] SO, WHAT MATTERS ABOUT THE MESSAGES? IT'S NOT THE BEAUTY.

*In vs. 18, Paul warns us about "smooth" or "good" words in the KJV. Paul also warns us about "flattering" or "fair" speech because these things can deceive God's people. In other words: Watch out for smooth talk and glowing words of praise. Yes, Romans 13:7 tells us to give "honor to whom honor" is due, and we should. But we have to watch out for flattery or sweet talk, because these things can lead us astray.

[2] WHAT MATTERS ABOUT THE SERMONS IS NOT THE BEAUTY, AND IT'S NOT THE POPULARITY.

*False teachers have been highly successful in our country over the last 60 years. Belief in God and the Bible as the true Word of God has radically declined.

*The Family Research Council reported Barna research showing that from 1991 to 2021, belief in the existence of the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect Creator God has dropped from 86% to 46%. Belief that the Bible is the reliable Word of God has dropped from 70% to 41%. And only 35% of America's young adults believe in the existence of the true and living God. (1)

*But even if 99.99% percent of people believe in a lie, it is still a lie! So, what matters is not the beauty, and it’s not the popularity.

[3] IT'S THE RELIABILITY!

*Is the message true to the Bible? That's what matters, because God's Word is ever true. It's completely true forever. Psalm 119:89 says, "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled (or established) in heaven." And in Matthew 24:35 Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."

*Whenever I counsel people about joining a church, I tell them to look for two things: Look for a church where the people love each other with Christ-like love. And look for a church that believes the Bible is the Word of God.

*That's the kind of church we have here, and by God's grace, that's the kind of message we will always have here. We believe that the Bible is the one-of-a-kind, eternal Word of God, and it is absolutely reliable. That's why it has the power to change our lives!

*A man named David discovered this ultimate truth. He lives in a prison in New York State. And he is not likely to get out, because David is serving a sentence of 365 years. Some of you will remember how he terrorized New York City in the 1970s. He was the serial killer known as "Son of Sam." David Berkowitz was caught after he murdered 6 people and wounded several more.

*If anybody ever seemed beyond hope, it was David Berkowitz. But one day another inmate began to tell David that God loved him. He told David that God was ready to forgive all of his sins, even the murders he had committed.

*Then someone gave David a Gideon New Testament that also included the book of Psalms. Berkowitz ignored it for a long time, but one night in his cell, he picked it up and began reading Psalm 34. Listen to the first six verses of that Scripture:

1. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

*By the time David Berkowitz got to vs. 6, his heart melted, and he later gave this testimony about that memorable night: "It was at that moment, in 1987, that I began to pour out my heart to God. Everything seemed to hit me at once: The guilt from what I did. The disgust at what I had become.

*Late that night in my cold cell, I got down on my knees and I began to cry to Jesus Christ. I told Him that I was sick and tired of doing evil. I asked Jesus to forgive me for all my sins. I spent a good while on my knees praying to Him.

*When I got up it felt as if a very heavy but invisible chain that had been around me for so many years was broken. A peace flooded over me. I did not understand what was happening. But in my heart I just knew that my life, somehow, was going to be different." (2)

*Now David Berkowitz leads Bible studies inside the walls of his prison. And he has devoted the rest of his life in prison to reach more people for Jesus Christ. This is the power of God's Word! -- so we must remain true to the Bible.

2. THAT'S HOW WE CAN WIN GOD'S WAY. WE MUST MAKE SURE THE MESSAGES WE HEAR ARE TRUE. WE ALSO MUST STRIVE TO OVERCOME OUR SELFISHNESS.

*Paul was talking about some very selfish people in vs. 18. He was talking about the men who preached false doctrine. Paul said they "do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly. . ."

*In other words: They were serving their own selfish appetites. And we don't want to be like that! Unfortunately, we get our selfishness very naturally, because we were born as sinners into this fallen world. You may know that one of the first words all babies learn is "MINE!" And it's hard for us to overcome our inborn selfishness.

*Pastor Jon Allen got a wake-up call on this years ago when he took his two boys to Burger King. Collin was 8, and Nathaniel was 2.

*Dad and Collin wolfed down their food, but the 2-yr-old was taking his time. And as dad waited for his little boy to finish, he reached over to Nathaniel's little pile of French fries and took one. Nathaniel scowled at his dad and yelled, "MINE!" Then, he held the small bag of fries as far away from Dad as he possibly could.

*Jon was stunned, and he reported that almost instantly, four things popped into his mind:

1-First he thought: "You ungrateful little chump! Where do you think these fried potatoes came from anyway? Don't you understand the source? I bought them. I carried them. I took the paper off your straw. I opened the ketchup package. How can you behave like this?"

2-Then Jon thought: "Don't you realize that if I wanted to, I could take them all away from you in a heartbeat? You don't realize who you're dealing with! If I didn't love you, if you were anyone else and you acted like this, I might just eat them all. On the other hand, I could cover you in French fries if I wanted to. -- I could bury you in these greasy things."

3-Then he thought: "If you love me, if you really love me, is it really too much to let me have one lousy French fry? How could you begrudge me so little when I would willingly give you everything I have?"

4-Then as they left the restaurant, a fourth thing flashed into Jon's mind, not a thought as such, but more like God spoke to him, and said, "Hey Jon. -- How does it feel?" (3)

*Christians: It is sometimes very hard for us to overcome our selfishness, because we still have a streak of it in our old sin nature. But we are born again as new creatures in Christ, and God's Holy Spirit is always at work in our hearts to make us more like Jesus.

*God's Word can help us grow into the unselfish people God wants us to be. And the more we look at Jesus' sacrificial, servant-hearted life, the more we will be transformed to be like Him. That's partly why 2 Corinthians 3:18 talks about Christians beholding the glory of the Lord and being transformed into His image from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord.

3. HOW CAN WE WIN GOD'S WAY? WE MUST STRIVE TO OVERCOME OUR SELFISHNESS. AND WE MUST KEEP GROWING IN GODLY WISDOM.

*This is part of God's message for us in vs. 19. There Paul told the church that "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 Christians in Rome were good, godly people. Back in Romans 15:14 Paul wrote, "I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Paul gave them much more praise in vs. 1-16 above.

*They were good people, but they still had room for growth. That's why Paul went on to say, "I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil." The NIV says, "I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil." God wants us to be wise about the things that are good.

*Now, there is all kinds of wisdom in the world. There are books on Jewish wisdom, Quaker wisdom, Celtic wisdom, Zen wisdom, Amish wisdom, Irish wisdom, Chinese wisdom and folk wisdom. We can also get books on wisdom from taxi drivers, cowboys, football players, bumper stickers, and dogs. But the best wisdom comes from God's Word! (4)

*Psalm 111:10 tells us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." And Proverbs 3:13-18 says:

13. Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding;

14. for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold.

15. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

16. Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor.

17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

18. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her.

*In Psalm 51:6, David tells us that the Lord will make us to know wisdom. And James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

*The Lord will make us to know wisdom. And He won't fuss about it either. God will gladly give us all the wisdom we need, if we will just ask Him in faith.

4. THAT'S HOW TO WIN GOD'S WAY: WE MUST KEEP GROWING IN GODLY WISDOM. AND WE MUST BELIEVE THAT JESUS WILL GIVE US THE VICTORY.

*That what Paul tells us in vs. 20 where he said, "The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly." Verse 20 in the KJV says "the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."

*But that's not talking about a little bruise. It's talking about a victorious, crushing blow! And on the surface, it might seem odd that the "God of Peace" would be doing that. But Satan is our mortal enemy. And the peace is for everyone who turns to Jesus and trusts in Him.

*We can fully believe that "the God of peace will crush Satan under (our) feet shortly." But Jesus has to do the crushing, because our Lord and Savior is the only person who can get the job done. And He will get the job done!

*Notice that this great promise in vs. 20 takes us all the way from the first book in our Bibles to the very last book. We first hear this promise in the Garden of Eden when the Lord confronted Adam and Eve about their sin.

*In Genesis 3:13-15:

13. . . The Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?'' And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate.''

14. So the Lord God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.

15. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.''

*Paul confirmed this great promise in vs. 20, when he told those Christians, "The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly." And one day the devil will be completely crushed forever!

*This truth also takes us to the last book in our Bibles, where we see the devil's ultimate defeat. Yes, the war was already won when Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead! Praise the Lord!

*But battles for the hearts and souls of mankind still rage on. And we see the final battles in the Book of Revelation. For example, Revelation 12:7-12 says:

7. And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

8. but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

9. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

12. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.''

*Here is part of the next battle from Revelation 19. In vs. 11-16:

11. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

12. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

13. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

14. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

15. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

16. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

*Next in Revelation 19:19-21:

19. And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

20. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

*And in Revelation 20:1-3:

1. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

3. and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

*Then the final crushing of Satan in Revelation 20:7-10:

7. Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

8. and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.

9. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

10. And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

*Jesus Christ is the only person who could ever win the victory over Satan! That's what the Lord did for us when He died on the cross for our sins.

*But how do we get the victory? The answer is found here at the end of vs. 20, where again Paul said, "The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."

*How do we get the victory? -- By trusting in the amazing grace of God! We just have to receive our crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ, and let Him crush Satan under our feet.

CONCLUSION:

*Jesus Christ is the only one who can give us true victory in life, so trust in the Lord, and thank God for the victory we have in Jesus!

(1) Sources:

-"New Barna Research Reveals Extent of America's Loss of Faith" - June 22, 2021 - Family Research Council - by Molly Carman and David Closson - https://www.frc.org/blog/2021/06/new-barna-research-reveals-extent-americas-loss-faith

-Foundations of Freedom October 2021 - "New Insights into the Generation of Growing Influence: Millennials in America" - A Research Report by George Barna - Section: "Various Beliefs about God or A Higher Power"

(2) Sources:

-SermonCentral illustration contributed by Brian La Croix

-SermonCentral illustration contributed by Karl Eckhoff

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Berkowitz

(3) Found in an issue of "Illustration Digest" by Jon Allen

(4) SermonCentral sermon "God is Wise" by Alan Perkins - Romans 11:33-34