The Pastor’s Powerful Warning Romans 16:17-20 Introduction

1 The Pastor's Powerful Warning Romans 16:17-20 . Introduction Paul has been greeting friends of the ministry. Paul interrupts his greeting and issues a stern Warning . Watch out for divisive people. Watch out for them! Watch out and avoid them! Mark those who cause divisions ( ). Mark what is good ( ). Why? Paul knows we live in a corrupt and evil world. Paul also knows that people have problems. Sometimes people in their problems become dissatisfied, disgruntled, unhappy, selfish and sometimes even sinful. The abrupt interruption is not some after- thought; it's not a parting cheap shot Paul is throwing in before the epistle of Romans is complete. It is Paul's final exhortation needed by a healthy church a strong church if they are going to weather the fire-storms of divisive people.

2 Most of us were shocked to discover it was a fire-fighter who helped start the Hayman fire last year. Gerarld Cornelius talks about similar incident in Texas: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that firefighters in Genoa, Texas, were accused of deliberately setting more than forty destructive fires. When caught, they stated, "We had nothing to do. We just wanted to get the red lights flashing and the bells clanging.". The job of firefighters is to put out fires, not start them. The job of Christians is to help resolve conflict (Matt. 5:9), not start more of it . The pastor of a small southern church was on his way home when he met an acquaintance from town who was not a member of his church. After chatting a while the man asked how many members he had.

3 The pastor responded, "Fifty active members.". The friend said, "My, that certainly speaks well for you." But the preacher responded, "Well, I wouldn't say that. All fifty are active--but twenty-five are actively working for me and the other twenty-five are actively working against me!" Alan Redpath wrote;. The secret of every discord in Christian homes and communities and churches is that we seek our own way and our own glory. What kind of a person is a divisive person? This is the person who grumbles, and complains, and criticizes and murmurs and gossips. This is the person who is always looking for an argument, causes strife, acts out of pride, ambition or selfishness. The divisive person is unloving and the divisive person introduces and teaches a different doctrine.

4 One of the most effective tools Satan has at his disposal is the divisive person, the man or the woman who gains a foothold in a healthy church and obtains a position of leadership or influence. The divisive person preys on the weak, the immature, the sensitive, the unlearned. The divisive person acts contrary to the doctrine which believers have learned ( ). What is the doctrine of God and Christ? 1 John 3:23 (NKJV) 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 1. The Pastor's Powerful Warning Romans 16:17-20 . The divisive person acts contrary to the teaching of God and of Christ. The divisive person opposes the Lordship of Christ, the doctrine of Christ, the love of believers, the mission of reaching the world with the gospel, the glorious news of eternal life in Christ to the world, abundant and eternal (see The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible).

5 Guard the Sheep; Mark Those Who Cause Divisions ( ). Romans 16:17 (NLT). 17 And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people's faith by teaching things that are contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Paul makes one last, Powerful appeal. Mark divisive people. They are a threat to the health, the unity, the safety of the church. Division is a very serious sin. Divisive people must be recognized and avoided. 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NKJV)10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

6 There are several reasons why false teachers and divisive people must be marked out . identified and avoided. The most obvious reason is a divisive person causes division and offenses and lays a stumbling block for believers in their growth and maturation in Jesus Christ. The word divisions' is the Greek word dichostasias. It means to stand apart, to be separate, to cause cleavage. The word offenses' is the Greek word skandala which means a stumbling block placed in someone's path to cause them to trip up or fall. Paul's argues this is contrary to the doctrine which you learned . Does doctrine matter? Is sound doctrine really necessary? Some people argue that doctrine is irrelevant, impractical, divisive, unspiritual, or unknowable (see Robert Bowman Jr.)

7 , Orthodoxy and Heresy ). According to the Bible, doctrine or teaching matters. What doctrine is Paul talking about? Paul is speaking of the teachings of Jesus, the teachings of the apostles, the teachings surrounding the gospel. The whole book of Romans we have just studied, and its great themes of justification by faith alone, in Christ alone. Doctrine does not deal with insignificant matters irrelevant to most people. Doctrine does not deal with disputes over doubtful things ( :1). Doctrine in its most basic and fundamental meaning is the teaching of Scripture. The teaching of Scripture asks and answers the most basic questions of life. Questions like, who is God? Who is Jesus ;. Why are we here? Why is there evil and suffering in the world?

8 What happens when you die? How can a person have a right relationship with God? The gospel of salvation is doctrine. What is the gospel? How is a person saved? How is salvation 2. The Pastor's Powerful Warning Romans 16:17-20 . received? Certainly some doctrines are more important than other doctrines, but doctrine is practical, unified, spiritual and knowable. The Bible commands all Christians to learn doctrine. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV). 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, Galatians 3:22 (NKJV)22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Galatians 4:30 (NKJV)30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say?

9 Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.. Mark 12:10 (NKJV)10 Have you not even read this Scripture: The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. We must read the Bible. We must learn the Bible. Yes some things are difficult to understand, yes reading the Bible requires discipline, but we must commit ourselves to the task. 2 Peter 3:16-18 (NKJV) 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.

10 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. Mark them the word is skopeite keep your eye on them observe them it means to focus, to contemplate to scrutinize. What are we to do with the divisive person? Avoid them. People who engage in crusades of legalism or license, people who erode the truth into speculations, people who engage in wild prophetic speculations. People who are off the wall, keep away from them. Heretics are to be avoided. Sometimes we want to hunt them down and put a stake through their theological heart. The safest thing is to avoid them. Paul does not tell us simply to avoid their doctrine or their sin, avoid them! Avoid them because of the terrible devastation they can bring on a church.