Romans 16
Division and Obstacles
Be careful of those who seem to be leading you
But when they push back the branches, they let them come back to hit you
Avoiding people is hard to understand and hard to discern
Paul gives us some guidelines
Avoid people who
Do not make Jesus, Lord
Who do not follow the teachings of Christ
Who have personal agendas
Beware of smooth talkers
Beware of flattery
They bring division among the church family
They make obstacles to your walk of faith
These are not people who may be misguided, but have a heart for the Lord
They are people whose focus is more about them than Christ
Division and Obstacles
Paul is closing the letter to the Romans.
Closing remarks generally hold a heavier weight.
When I preach or write,
I am very concerned about my closing remarks.
So how is Paul going to close this letter?
Paul has written a letter of warning.
A letter outlining the Wrath of God
and being united as believers.
Paul says…
I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions
and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.
Keep away from them.
Romans 16:17
As believers and the church…
We must always keep an eye out
for Division and Obstacles.
Paul makes clear the uniting factor
is the teaching they have learned.
He also points out…
It is our service to the Lord Christ.
Romans 16:18
Paul in Chapter 14 says…
There are “disputable matters”
that should not divide us.
In that chapter, Paul reminds us to…
Make Jesus, Lord and
line up with the Kingdom of God.
Paul’s closing again focuses us
on making Jesus, Lord.
There are a lot of things in life that don’t matter…
Like the food you eat,
The days you count special,
The type of Christian songs you like,
The color of the church building, etc.
These are things we need
to learn how to live with each other
when it comes to matters like these.
But there are things that do matter.
There are people we should avoid.
How do we know?
Who do we keep away from?
We are to examine their teaching.
There are a lot of people who are excellent communicators
and sound very confident and convincing.
There are a lot of people who have a charm
and make you feel good.
In my live time,
I have become friends with many pastors.
Pastors who I admire for their ability
to communicate and charm.
Pastors with larger churches
than the one I pastored.
There have been times when the lives
of a few pastors did not line up
with the teachings of the Word of God.
In some cases, it has been decades,
and as I write this the sadness of
separation from my friends still hurts.
We say…
“Let God be true and every man a liar”
But that is not always easy.
It is not a light matter when
we have to keep away from those
who bring division and
put obstacles in the way of believers.
I could never count the hours that
were spent with those who were divisive.
In each case, a line needed to be drawn.
A line that could only be crossed by
repentance and submission to
the Lord Jesus and His Word.
Paul describes the person we should avoid…
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.
By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
Romans 16:18
Jesus also said there would be
wolves in sheep’s clothing.
There are two things we must watch out for…
Division and Obstacles.
The word Division comes from…
A word meaning disunion, dissension.
The King James uses the word Division…
(a different vision, fracturing the whole).
The King James also uses…
The sedition, conduct or speech
inciting people
to rebel against the authority.
The word, Obstacle, comes from…
A trap-stick (bent sapling) a snare.
A sapling is a young tree meant to grow straight…
But when it is bent it is like a spring.
Saplings have been used in trap
making from the beginning.
You will not know you are in the trapped
until the sapling is released from its bent position
to the straight position it was meant to be in.
Watch out for those who bend and twist
the Word of God for their own pleasure.
Be careful of those who seem to be leading you…
But when they push back the branches
They let them come back to hit you.
Avoiding people is hard to understand
and hard to discern.
Paul gives us some guidelines.
Avoid people who…
Do not make Jesus, Lord
Who do not follow the teachings of Christ
Who have personal agendas
Beware of smooth talkers
Beware of flattery
They bring division among the church family.
They make obstacles to your walk of faith.
These are not people who may be misguided
but have a heart for the Lord…
They are people whose focus is
more about them than Christ.
Scripture Reading
Romans 16:17-19 NIV
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
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