Okay now, Romans 16. I don't know that we'll finish
the chapter today, because I want to take a close look at verse
17, 18, and 19, and verse 20. Paul was most thankful for the
dear saints beloved of God, beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ, who
lived in this strange city of Rome. Now, put yourself in the
place of some of those who were believers, living in that city,
surrounded by idolatry. You would stick out like a sore
thumb. You would stick out Many times
in those Roman Colosseum where they had the sporting games of
fighting with animals and different people, a lot of times they would
bring believers out in that arena and slaughter them for being
a believer. Now, that's standing for the
gospel when it costs your life and not recanting. But these
dear people in Rome were beloved of God And the apostle Paul considered
them the saints of God, dearly beloved, who were faithful servants
to the Lord Jesus Christ, who demonstrated that love for the
gospel by serving the Lord's people. That's how we demonstrate
that we love the Lord Jesus Christ, by serving one another. He said,
by this shall all men know that you're my disciples, that you
love one another. and that we lay down our lives
for one another. Now, look at verse 17. He said, I beseech you, I beseech
you. That word there means I beg you. Please, I beg you. Brethren,
the brothers in the Lord, take notice of them, mark them, which
cause divisions needless divisions, and those who would bring in
offenses that are contrary to the doctrine. I'm emphasizing
that is singular. Whenever we read the word doctrines
in the plural, it's referring to the doctrines of men. Whenever
we see this word in scripture in regard to the gospel, if you
notice, it's always singular, the doctrine of God. And that
is the gospel of God. But he said, mark them, watch
them, point them out, which caused divisions over the gospel, how
God saves sinners, what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.
That's offensive to the believer. But just think how much more
offensive that is to God. Contrary to the doctrine which
you have learned and he says the best thing to do is to avoid
them. Now remember on one occasion
the disciples came to the Lord and they said to him, you know
your doctrine offended those Pharisees. You remember what
the Lord said? They be blind, leaders of the
blind, and they will all wind up in the ditch. And then he
said, avoid them. Avoid them. Now, that's the best
thing we can do with those who oppose the gospel and are adamantly
opposed to the gospel of God's grace in Christ Jesus. Paul loved
these dear saints. of God and gives him an urgent
warning about false preachers. That's what he's talking about.
Much like he did to the elders of Ephesus. Now, just a few pages
back, turn to the book of Acts. Romans 1 and then just a couple
pages back in Acts chapter 20. Remember when he was on his final
leg of the journey back to Jerusalem, In Acts 20, 28, when he called
for the elders of Ephesus together, and he said, I've kept back nothing
that was profitable unto you, and I've showed you publicly
from house to house testifying of the gospel of God. Verse 27,
Acts 20, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel
of God. I notice most of the time this
verse is quoted, I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole
counsel of God. That's not what it says. It says all the counsel
of God. All the counsel of God is summed
up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take heed therefore. Now he's
saying the same thing. Mark them. Take heed therefore
unto yourselves and all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath
made you overseers. Feed the church of God which
he purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock of your own selves, shall men arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch,
watch, mark them, you see what he's saying? Mark them, watch
them. Remember that by the space of
three years I cease not to warn everyone night and day. Verse 32, now brethren, I commend you to God and to the
word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you
inheritance among them that are sanctified." So he warns them. Now, there in Acts 20, but also
turn over here to Galatians chapter 1. He warns again to the church of Galatia. Galatians chapter 1, I marvel,
verse 6, that you are so soon removed from him that calls you
into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not
another. There's just one gospel, which
is not another. But there be some that trouble
you that would pervert the gospel of Christ. They would manipulate
it and change it to serve their own purpose. Now notice how strong
the language is here, but though we or an angel from heaven preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached,
let him be accursed. As we said before, I'm going
to say it again. If any man preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have received, let him be accursed.
Now, what was it he so specifically preached? Look back up in the
same chapter here, verse 4 and verse 5. The Lord Jesus Christ
gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this
present evil world according to the will of God to whom be
glory forever, amen. Anything that's contrary to that
is another gospel, is another Jesus. Now, John gives us likewise
warning and Peter does as well. Find 1 John, 1 John, remember chapter four,
verse one, 1 John 4.1, beloved, Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits." He's talking
here about false prophets, whether they are of God because many
false prophets are gone out into the world, hereby we know the
Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ
is coming to flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth
not that Jesus Christ is coming to flesh is not of God, this
is the spirit of Antichrist, where if you've heard that it
should come even now, already it's in the world. Now if it's
true in that day, how much more in this day? Now you remember,
turn over to 2 John, 2 John, and we could read other warnings
that are given in Scripture. This is 2 John, just one chapter,
look at verse 7. For many deceivers are entered
into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come into
flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that you lose
not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive
a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ, notice this singular, hath not
God. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any
unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house,
Neither bid him Godspeed, for he that biddeth him Godspeed
is a partaker of his evil deeds." Now, that's strong language,
is it not? We can't be too cautious. Our
Lord tells us to take heed what you hear and take heed how you
hear. So, back to the text. Now, I beseech you, brethren,
mark them which cause division. and offenses contrary to the
gospel that you have learned and don't compromise, don't try
to get along with them, avoid them, avoid them. We are to take
notice and take heed of false preachers and their false doctrine
that contrary to the gospel of Christ, and avoid them. Don't debate with them. I've had people contact me here
locally who wanted to have a public forum and a public debate. One
of the preachers from over in town, one of the big churches
over in town, showed up on my doorstep one day and he said,
I want to debate you in public. I said, I don't have anything
to debate about. The gospel is the gospel. I don't have time
to debate with you." He said, well, let's have a debate on
the radio then. I said, I don't have time. Well, let's debate
in the newspaper then. Let's have a debate over the
newspaper. I'll write an article and you write an article and
we'll go back and forth. The gospel is not to be debated.
It's to be declared and believed among God's people. So what are
we to do? I love the Lord's advice to His
disciples, leave them alone. Just stay away from them. Stay
away from them. Any preaching that does not give
Christ all the glory and honor, all the credit for the saving
of His people is not of God. They have a form of godliness
But they deny the power of God to save. They do. You see, the
gospel of Christ is the power of God and the salvation. When
you try to preach up man's will, man's work, and salvation depending
upon what you do. And that's what they say. Salvation
conditioned upon what you do. That's another gospel. The gospel
is not given to us to do. The gospel is given to us to
believe. The gospel is already done. We
preach what Christ has done for us. Now, what you have learned,
we have been taught of God. Remember John chapter 6, where
the Lord said, No man can come unto me, except the Father which
sent me draw him. And then he quotes, As it is
written, Those who have heard and learned of the Father, they
come to the Lord Jesus Christ. They've been taught the gospel
of God. Over here, don't turn, let me
just read it to you. This comes in my mind here. I
think I got the right verse. Paul said, I certify you, brethren,
that the gospel which was preached to me is not after man, I neither
received it of man, neither was I taught it of man, but by the
revelation of Jesus Christ. God's people have been taught
of God. Now back to the text, Romans
16, 18. For they are such, now talking
about again, These false preachers that we are to avoid, for they
that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ. They don't serve
his purpose other than his purpose of eternal condemnation. For
they are such that serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but they
serve their own belly. And by good words and by fair
speeches, All they're about is deceiving the hearts of those
who are not taught of God. Remember our Lord said, except
those days be shortened, the elect would be deceived, but
the elect of God cannot be deceived. Those who are of an unbelieving
heart are persuaded by every wind of doctrine. They don't
have a foundation to rest upon. They go here, and they go there,
and they go other places. But these men who deceive, they're
not servants of the Lord. They serve their own interest.
They do not preach the gospel of Christ, the gospel of God concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ. They preach another Jesus. Now where does that come from?
Turn over here to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. I want 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 3, But I
fear, lest by any means, as a serpent beguiled Eve to his subtlety. So your mind should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. For if he that
cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or
if you receive another spirit, which you have not received,
or another gospel, which is not accepted, you might well bear
with me." Notice the marginal reference there, with me. So
Paul said, he acknowledges that there were people who had another
spirit, another gospel, and they preached another Jesus. The Jesus of modern religion
today wants to encamp, tried to, and failed. The Jesus of
this modern religious generation is the Jesus that's not the Christ
of God. It's another gospel. It's another
one. If you'll stay right there in
2 Corinthians 11, he says in verse 13, for such are false
apostles deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself
is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it's no great
thing if his minister also be transformed as minister of righteousness,
whose end shall be according to their works. Now, these who
go about who transform themselves as ministers of righteousness.
It's not the righteousness of God that's revealed in the gospel. It's a supposed righteousness
by their doing, by their obedience. Remember, Paul called out those
Judaizers in Romans 10, those who are going about to establish
a righteousness of their own by the deeds of the law. So,
beware, beware. They serve not the Lord Jesus
Christ, as it says there. And by good words and fair speeches, they can do a
lot with oratory and persuading people, powerful language. You
know, I often think of Adolf Hitler. He persuaded a lot of
people, didn't he? By fair speeches and good words. And he deceived many, deceived
many. Now, verse 19. Let me make this comment here before
we look at verse 19. The Lord does not use the lies
of false preachers to teach his people the truth. Now you think
about that. Does God use the lies of men
to teach his people the truth? Well, that's impossible. Faith
comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, not the lies
of men. God uses, he said, you shall
know the truth. And the truth will set you free,
not the lies of men. I say that Christ died for everybody. God wants to save you, but you
won't let him. That's not true. That's another gospel. That's
not the gospel of God. Now look at verse 19. For your
obedience is come abroad unto all men. And I'm glad therefore
on your behalf But yet I would have you wise unto that which
is good, and I would have you shun that which is evil, concerning
evil, wise unto that which is good. Paul rejoiced in their
obedience unto the gospel. That is, they were given faith
by which they believed the gospel of Christ. If you look back at
Romans chapter 1, he says in verse 8, I thank my God through
Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken up throughout
the whole world. These folks were obedient unto
faith and that's what saving faith does. Saving faith when
it's given and granted bows in submission unto the Lord. We bow to his lordship. We own
his lordship. We love His Lordship. Now, the faith of God's elect
is a precious gift of God, purchased with His blood, and the faith
of God's elect acknowledges the truth of the gospel. Now, verse
20, Romans 16, 20, and the God of peace. shall bruise Satan under your
feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all. Amen. Now, you remember several
times in this epistles he's called the God of peace. Just across
the page up to the top of that column, verse 33 and chapter
15, now the God of peace, the God of peace be with you all.
And He is a God of all grace. There's an article on the back
of the bulletin I tried to put together about the different
things that God is a God of salvation, He's a God of comfort, a God
of patience, long-suffering. He's a God of peace. Who shall
bruise Satan under your feet shortly. Now, I hear preachers,
false preachers, God's preachers don't talk this way. False preachers
talk in an arrogant way about beating up on Satan and doing
this and doing that, and they talk like they have a commanding
presence over demon spirits. We are no match for the arch
enemy of the gospel. But Satan is a defeated foe,
not by something we have done. but by what the Lord Jesus Christ
has done for us. The God of peace shall bruise. It's not the church. It's not
you. It's not me. The God of peace,
the God of all grace, who has all power, shall bruise Satan
under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you. Now, let's turn and read an example
of that. Over here in 2 Corinthians 12.
2 Corinthians chapter 12. When
the Apostle Paul, who had great revelations, who was even caught
up into paradise and heard things he could not speak, In 2 Corinthians
12 verse 7, and lest I should be exalted above measure through
the abundance of revelation, there was given to me a thorn
in the flesh. Now we all have this flesh to
deal with. We all have this flesh to deal
with. And then he says the messenger
of Satan to buffet me. Now why didn't Paul just rebuke? the messenger of Satan. Why didn't
he just say, in the name of Jesus? Like they do on TV. Why didn't
Paul rebuke Satan? Here's an apostle, a servant
of the Lord. Lest I should be exalted above
measure. Now here's what Paul did do,
he prayed. For this thing I besought the
Lord three times, that it might depart from me." So, where did
he go? To the advocate, to the mediator,
who has all power to rebuke. Now, God could have, in a word,
because the devil is God's servant, the Lord Jesus, in a word, could
have demanded Satan to never touch Paul one more time. But the Lord said, my grace is
sufficient. My grace is sufficient for thee,
for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore,
will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities. I take pleasure
in persecution." Now, Paul, wait a minute. Are you sure you're
right about that? I take pleasure in infirmities. I take pleasure in being reproached
for the name of Christ. I take pleasure in being in distress
over the gospel, for when I'm weak, that's when I'm strong,
when I'm whittled down to nothing. We know without Him, we can do
nothing. Without him, we can do nothing. And the God of peace shall bruise.
We're going to see in our study in Luke, through the book of
Luke, where the Lord said to Peter, Satan
has desired to sift you like wheat. But he didn't say, Peter,
won't you stand up and fight him? Remember what he said? But I prayed for you that your
faith fail not. Here's what we're to do. Casting
all your care upon him, for he careth for you, be sober, be
vigilant, because your adversary the devil has a roaring line
walking about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast
in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished
in your brethren that are in the world, and the God of all
grace, who hath called us which glory
by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect,
establish, strengthen, settle you, to whom be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.