I invite you this morning to please turn with me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 16. Romans chapter 16, as we come to the matter of dealing with the topic of the divisive, I ask you to notice with me in your Bibles what the Apostle Paul says here in Romans 16 verses 17 to 19. Here the Apostle Paul writing under the direction of the Holy Spirit says the following words. Now I urge you brethren to note those who cause divisions and defenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them. 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. For 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. Would you please once again pray with me? Our Father, we come this morning in that mighty and matchless name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

We thank you that he is our heavenly mediator. We thank you that he is at your right side presently making intercession for us and we bless you our Lord and Savior for how good you've been to our souls. We thank you for calling us from a far country and bringing us into the fold of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Lord, for being the Good shepherd that has gone after your people and has rescued them and has granted them repentance towards God and faith toward himself. And Father, this day as we come to consider your word, we're asking that you would give us help from on high.

We pray, O God, that you would clear out all the false notions that we might have concerning the subject at hand. And in its place, oh God, put your word. Lord, put your truth. We ask, oh God, that because your word is truth, according to our Lord's own words in John 17, that you would sanctify us with that truth. Oh God, we confess that we need to be sanctified.

We still see through a glass darkly so come we pray, oh God, with the light of your word and lead us in the way of everlasting life. Bless us we pray. Come now by the Holy Spirit and anoint and empower all that will be said and done. We ask it for the glory and honor of our risen and enthroned Savior, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

It was Thomas Brooks, the great Puritan preacher, who in writing concerning the characteristics of false teachers, said the following words, Satan labors by might and main and he does that by false teachers, which are his messengers and ambassadors to deceive, delude, and forever to undo the precious souls of men, he said, that such people listen closely, wrap up their pernicious soul-killing pills in gold. And that the very best way to be delivered from such is to discover them in their true colors so that they may be known to the end that we may shun them and fly from them as from hell itself." Very much in line with what the Puritan preacher Thomas Brooks, I hope I said Brooks and not Boston in the beginning, but Thomas Brooks is the one who said that quote. Very much in line with what Thomas Brooks said so long ago. We see that in our passage before him, before he was ever on the scene, that the Apostle Paul said something very similar. Paul, as you know, dear brothers and sisters, was one who spared no pains in calling out the errorist, not the terrorist, but the errorist of his day.

He spared no pain in calling out the errorist in his day. He was one who was a great mouthpiece against such deceivers and their diabolical ways, Always seeking to safeguard the people of God and this is because he knew that the stakes were very high concerning the never dying souls of men. Dear friends here today, it is this very matter of dealing with deceivers in the church that we come to consider in our time together. Here in this section of scripture where Paul was giving his salutations to those he loved. It's as if the apostle could not close out this letter without giving a final word of warning to those who were under his care.

For as John MacArthur rightly says in commenting on this passage in his commentary on Romans, quote, the apostle demonstrated his love for the church as much by giving this caution as he does by expressing his commendations. Now, of course, this matter of warning God's people against such individuals and dealing with the disorderly in our midst is that which is directly connected to the theme of our conference this year, that is to say a church discipline. And this type of discipline is typically what is known as protective discipline. Now what exactly is protective discipline? Well protective discipline is that kind of discipline which defends the church from those who would disrupt her peace and the purity of her life and her doctrine.

And this protection comes to the church by such individuals being quickly removed from her midst by way of excommunication. Protective discipline, to quote my church's own constitution, happens quote when such persons trouble the church or the churches of Jesus Christ in this way. And therefore, the elders may name them, identify their errors, and warn the members not to associate with them." Well, again, it is this specific matter that the Apostle Paul is dealing with here in our passage before us now. Paul, who had a true pastor's heart for a god sheep, could not sit idly by and let wolves come in and threaten their lives. And so as he's about to close out this letter he does so by making this solemn appeal to the church at Rome for their good and no doubt our good as well.

And so as we come to consider these words I ask you to note with me first in your Bibles in verse 17, his entreaty. Look again at the words. He writes first in 17a, now brethren, or now I urge you brethren, Note those who cause divisions and offenses. Now, Paul's words here in the opening phrase here are very strong. If you can read Greek, you would get the sense of that.

And the words here are so strong that there are some scholars who think that this section of Scripture, this pericope, if you will, verses 17 to 19, that this is completely out of order and it absolutely should not be in Romans chapter 16. Some people, again, look at the words here and say, in light of all that Paul's been saying in the previous words, all of the commendations, the salutations, that this section of scripture seems completely, as I said, out of place. Now, Although some say that, dear friends personally, instead of viewing this passage out of place, I think it's absolutely that which fits here in this section of Scripture. Remember again, here the apostle has his dear friends in mind. He's gone through the list of those that he gives his commendations to, his greetings to, in verses 1 to 16.

And so instead of viewing our particular passage as that which should not be here, because the tone now changes, I think it makes perfect sense for the apostle to write it at this particular point in the book of Romans. And therefore, I believe it should be there. Again, here is Paul has his friends in mind. His heart is filled with so much love for them. He's writing, say hello to this one, and this one did that one, and this one was a blessing.

And then it's like, oh, but what about the errorist? Potentially people coming in and harming these dear sheep. Therefore Paul, with one definitive and direct warning, says the words of our passage. Here Paul comes alongside of these Roman believers. He warmly exhorts them as the verb urge in the original conveys to us.

And as he does this he calls them brethren. Again as he did in the passage we considered earlier showing his great love for them. Now I urge you, I come alongside of you. I exhort you brethren saying, note the passage, that we are to note those who cause divisions and offenses." Now we should pause for a moment to consider who exactly these wicked deceivers were or who they might be in the future, who would plague this particular congregation. In other words, were they, for example, the Judaizers, who Paul often dealt with throughout his ministry, those men who rejected the gospel of God's free grace through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone?

Or were these men gnostics? Or were they first century philosophers who spouted out all of their pagan nonsense. Well, dear brothers and sisters, it's hard to tell because the Apostle Paul does not actually name them. We know again in some of the early chapters in Romans there were issues regarding Christian liberty, et cetera. So maybe there were libertines or something like this.

People pushing the envelope concerning this whole matter of Christian liberty. But again it's hard to say. However, Paul does describe for us three things about them, Namely their lifestyle, their teaching, and their talk. And we'll consider those various heads or sub-points, if you will, throughout this message. And so first, note with me that he speaks about how they live.

Because he says that they cause divisions in the church. Divisions. That is to say, a disunity. They cause schisms in the church. That's their lifestyle.

They're divisive persons, very divisive in the congregation. And then he says they cause offenses, literally scandals, in the church. The Greek word refers to moral trappings for God's people. And then Paul says that because these things are so, that because they cause divisions and disunity, because they promote scandalous things among the congregation. Paul says they are to be noted.

Our brother used the word marked earlier. That's a good word. And the King James Version there says that they should be marked. What exactly does the word noted here, as it reads in the New King James version of the Bible, or marked mean as it is in the KJV version of the Bible? Well, the Greek word here means to look out for.

To look out for. The word carries the idea, and get this if you're taking notes, to keep our eyes peeled for such people who cause disunity among us. That's what it means. Keep your eyes peeled. Look out for, brethren, such people.

Look for those who are setting up moral traps so that God's people fall into sin. Note those people among you is what Paul's saying. Paul used this same verb, Greek verb. A positively speaking when in referring to himself in Philippians 3 in verse 17. There he said, brethren again, a warm entreaty, adjoin in following my example, and note those who so walk, that is to say positively speaking, as godly Christians, properly, to quote the earlier Thessalonians passage, note those who walk properly, as you have a pattern in us.

Now interestingly enough, this verb here in our text, which is a scopeo, comes from the noun form of the word, scope actually, which is found in telescope and microscope. You see it, scope, oh, scope, microscope. And so it carries the idea of observing people intently in this way. Those people who are schismatic in the church, observe them intensely. And since the verb in the original is in the present tense, it could be translated as continually keep your eyes on such men or women And identify those who cause disunity and dissensions.

Mark. Identify. Recognize them. Don't just, oh, it's a perfect church, everything's great all the time. No.

Keep an eye out When you see these things happening in people's lives. Now of course having said this, I qualify by saying this does not mean that we need to overly scrutinize every single person who comes into the church. Don't go from one extreme to the other. Or to be examining and marking out and identifying. I have a gentleman in my church, when people come first time visit, he says, oh, how are you?

He greets them and all that. And one of the first questions he always has, are you reformed? Oh, brother. I mean, are you reformed? Are you saved?

You know, Jesus. Get through the reformed question a few weeks down the road. Don't overly scrutinize everything about them. Nor is Paul saying that we're to mark out people who just might differ with us on secondary issues. That's not what he's talking about either.

We can have some differing opinions regarding secondary issues. That's not the kind of people we note and mark out. We have some differences on secondary issues, head coverings, not head coverings, whatever it might be. Some issues that might be different, that's okay. We'll still get to heaven on either side.

I Had a guy who wanted to debate me on head coverings at my church one time. He called himself a Reformed Baptist. I said, you know, that's such a major issue that the framers of our confession of faith thought not to even discuss it, actually. I mean, it's not a major issue. It's an important issue.

We can talk about it. But let's not divide over it. I'm not going to call you a heretic. I'm not going to mark you out. And I hope you don't mark me out for not endorsing that particular view.

So again, it's not secondary issues that we're talking about here. Now friends, rather what Paul's referring to here is detecting and dealing with false teachers who, to quote the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 2 and verse 1, secretly bring in destructive heresies into the congregation. These people are those who deny some of the essential tenants of the Christian faith such as the glorious gospel by justification through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone, the very doctrine that Paul has been preaching and teaching throughout this book. And so long story short, these individuals are false prophets who Jesus said in Matthew 7 and verse 15 that we are to watch out for. They are those, if we want a closer identity, who Paul says in the next part of the verse, walk contrary, that is to say in opposition to the doctrine or the teachings which the Romans had learned.

And so although these people, just to kind of make this modern for us in our day. Although these people walk around with the Bible in hand, claiming to be true Christians, such as the Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons. Dear ones, these people are anything but true Christians. These are the blind leading the blind. These are those who have rejected apostolic teaching, the teaching which the Romans had learned.

And they teach things contrary to the Bible. And this is why Paul goes on to say lastly in this verse, note it there, avoid them. Avoid them. Now it's here where Paul teaches us how to respond to such individuals. Here he instructs us about the way that such troublemakers in the church are to be treated.

And so instead of applauding them, like many do in our day, and instead of warmly inviting them to sit at a round table discussion with us, acting as if they are fellow evangelicals, even when they deny basic tenets of the faith, such as the doctrine of the Trinity, as T.D. Jakes does. Paul says, avoid them. That's what he says. Is that plain?

Is that in everyone's version, avoid them? Avoid them. Don't gather around like we're all on the same page, because we're not on the same page if you deny the triune nature of God. Here again, by the use of the present tense of the verb, Paul says we are to continually steer clear of their path. That's what he says in the original.

And so all the times, preachers might take an opportunity to debate with such people concerning their errors that we might bring them to the truth and while at times we might seek to evangelize them that they might be saved. The point is We are never to give them a platform whereby they can proclaim their poisons. We're not to do that. Avoid them. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 6 and verse 5, we are to withdraw ourselves from such people.

And as he says in Titus 3 and verse 10 and 11, we are to reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition. Why Paul? He tells us, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. And so here is Paul's apostolic admonition. Not just a suggestion, but I urge you.

It's a command, it's an imperative. I urge you, brethren, this is what you're to do. Here is his earnest appeal to the church. So come with me secondly to consider in verse 18 his explanation. We asked what was really at the heart of all that Paul just said to these Christians in the previous passage?

Why warn them to avoid them? Not only their teachings, notice, but avoid them, the people themselves. Well, Paul gives us the answer to the question when he says, noted again in your Bibles, for, that wonderful Greek word, gar. It's explanatory. It's wonderful.

I've said all these things. But why Paul? What's at the heart of the appeal? Four. Here's why.

Four. 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. Well again, here is where Paul gives us apostolic rationale, if you will, for why we are to do what he just commanded. Us and the Romans in the previous sentence here.

He says that they are to be Constantly on guard by those who cause divisions and offenses among us And this is because Paul says in 18a negatively they do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, it may look that way, Paul says they don't. They really don't serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the verb serve here is very significant. It's significant for Paul.

It comes from a word that the apostle used of himself in Romans one in verse one in this letter when he said, for example, that he was a bondservant of Christ. You'll learn that's one of the first Greek words you'll learn. He's a doulos of Christ. Literally the word means that he was a slave of Jesus And that really is the best translation because we are slaves of Christ. New master, new owner.

Paul says these people aren't slaves of Christ. No rather they're slaves and servants of sin and of Satan and themselves. These men were the Benny Hinns and the Creflo dollars of that day. They were the Paul Crouches of that day who lived for fame and fortune and were driven by self-interest and self-gratification. And this is what Paul meant when he said next in our verse, they serve their own bellies.

That's what it means. It's an interesting phrase here we don't usually call errorist in our day. We say, oh, they serve their own belly. We might not get that. If they were gluttonous men we might say that if that was evident by how they looked.

But here to serve one's own belly refers to a sensual urges, a serving one's sensual urges. It's that which refers to, that which is base. And in speaking about this in connection to the enemies of the cross, of Christ, our brother quoted the text earlier in Philippians 3 and verse 19. Paul said of those men, false teachers again, their end is destruction And their God is their belly. They're driven by sensual lust, the inner parts of ourselves.

Paul says their glory is in their shame, and they set their minds on earthly things. Now while we might think that, well, because these people are like this, man, clearly we should be able to identify such ones through their godless living. Unfortunately, Paul says this is actually not the case. He says this in 18b. Here he says concerning them that the way that they deceive the hearts of the simple, that is to say the innocent and the pure, is by or through, dia, through the means of smooth or a plausible speech.

That's how they do it. Not just out and about like, hi I'm a false teacher. They're very crafty. That's the point. By means of smooth speech, Plausible words.

You think of the harlot in Proverbs, how she entices the young men through her smooth speech. Fair speech. Oh, you're so handsome. Oh, you're the best preacher ever. Flattering speech as he speaks about here.

That's an interesting Greek word, flattering. Literally a speech filled with praises. Praise speech. The word eulogy, Good words. That's not the word here, but same idea.

Good speech. Flattery, praise speech. Oh, pastor, you're just the best preacher ever. And let me just say by way of side note, you ought to encourage your pastor when he preaches a faithful word as our brothers have done today. Go up to him, thank you for your labors.

Don't worry about them being filled with pride, no. If they're preachers of the word, I guarantee you they're already humble men just by virtue of preaching the word because that's a humbling thing. But that's not what we're talking about here. This is false flattery. And so friends, the point is these people are very crafty in how they operate.

You see unlike true ministers of the gospel, these individuals, to quote Jude in 1 and verse 16, they mouth flattering words, quote, with great swelling words They flatter people. And yet Jude says that they do this in order to gain advantage. Not like a true minister of God who might say, brother, I'm really encouraged with your life seeing good things. No, That's not what it's talking about here. The false teachers do it in order to gain advantage of false flattery.

And unlike true ministers of the gospel, these people speak great swelling words of emptiness, Peter says in 2 Peter 2 and verse 18. And they do that in order to allure through the lust of the flesh. So again, it's not always bad to give a good compliment. Again, if your pastor gives you a good compliment, hey, I'm encouraged with this or that, he's not a false teacher, he's encouraging you. But these people have a different MO altogether.

And so again, here's why Paul gives this great warning. Here's why he's so strong in his language. I urge you brethren. And here's why. Because it's not going to be so evident when a wolf comes in in sheep's clothing.

I want you to be alert to it. I don't want you to be tricked by these children of the devil with their sophisticated speech which hides their true intentions. Be on guard, is what Paul is telling us. He would not have the church at Rome, neither us today, to be drawn away. He would have us and them to be immovable and steadfast in the faith.

And so having seen firstly Paul's entreaty and secondly his explanation, come with me now thirdly to consider from our passage his encouragement in verse 19. Having spoken of the great danger at hand, we ask what confidence did Paul have? That these Roman believers would not actually be duped by the false preachers. That they would not fall prey to the false teachers. What hope did he have that they would stand against the errorists who were among them or might be among them in the future.

Well Paul gives us the answer to the question when he says first in 19a, note the words again, for. Here's the grounds of Paul's confidence. For your obedience has become known to all. Again, Paul's confidence. Now what obedience is he referring to here that was giving him encouragement?

Well it seems to be That the obedience here is their obedience to the faith once for all delivered to the saints. And this obedience was becoming widely known among all the brethren as Paul says in this passage. You see dear friends it was their universal and unwavering commitment to those things which they had learned according to God's truth. So therefore Paul was very confident that they would stand strong. And so he says next, note the language, I am glad on your behalf.

You've been obedient to the things of God. And I'm glad. Here the apostle rejoices that the church was in good spiritual state. And dear friends, I say as a side note that this matter of having received and learned the truth and being obedient to that truth is absolutely one of the very best means against false teachers infiltrating the Church of Jesus Christ our Lord. Now dear friends, listen.

Never forget it. Truth learned and truth received and truth obeyed is the very best fortification against falsehood in our churches. Truth learned, truth received, and truth obeyed. How do we stand strong? How is the living Christ rejoicing over what He sees in our churches?

We receive the truth. We obey the truth. We love the truth. And again, something that grows out of that fact is that we are protected from the harmful people that Paul is speaking of in our passage. For your obedience has become known to all.

Therefore, I'm glad, I'm rejoicing on your behalf. I'm confident that you will stand against such false people. However, even though this is the case, since the apostle knew that even the most godly and faithful Christians and even Christian congregations could be susceptible to Satan and his servants, Paul goes on to say the last words in this section in 19a, note them again, he writes, but, I'm confident in you, but he's a pastor, but I want you to be wise concerning what is good and simple or innocent concerning evil. Here the Apostle Paul sounds much like the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 10 and verse 16. There in that passage Jesus said, Behold, notice look and see I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.

Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. And so what's the point in the passage before us here? Well firstly, positively, it is that as Christians, listen, we need to be astute and well informed concerning what is right. Be wise concerning what is good. What is good, biblically speaking?

Friends, The point is we are not to be ignorant concerning what is good, biblically speaking. To the end that we get tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, to quote Paul in Ephesians 5 and verse 14. Wise, astute, learned concerning what is good, healthy, solid, according to the word of God. We'll be well versed in the healthy doctrine of the scripture so that we will be able to discern between good and evil, right and wrong, truth and falsehood. But secondly, negatively speaking, these Christians in Rome were also to be simple concerning evil.

The point is they were to be innocent and untainted from any wickedness in any way, shape or form especially when it came to doctrinal deviations, Moral deviations. Friends, the point is they were to be pure in heart, pure in mind, pure in body, and pure in soul against anything that would do them spiritual harm. We all need to be careful in this regard because sometimes in the name of, oh let me study out what that particular thing is, the devil grabs us and he has us. I just wanted to study it out. I wanted to find out what that particular sin was all about and then you're committing that particular sin.

Be simple concerning what is evil. We don't need to know everything that is going on in the world. Do you care about your soul? Pastors especially. Not saying be uninformed or ill-informed.

Not saying don't ever read the blogs. But read your Bible more than the blogs. Be careful, men. Because the devil loves to deceive and delude and to take us off course. Or people can ask us stuff in counseling.

Is this thing OK? Is this thing not OK? You're thinking, I don't even know what role you're talking about. What thing? What is that?

And you go look it up and you're, oh. That a Christian would be asking me this, listen, Christians are going to be asking us things that we would never imagine they'd be asking us in days gone by. I mean, think about the movies that are out. Think about this sex-saturated culture. They're going to be talking to us about it.

We need to have some sense of what's going on but we need to be simple concerning what is evil. We need to be careful. Why? Because but for the grace of God there go I. Pure in heart, pure in mind, pure in body, pure in soul concerning that which might harm us.

You see friends unlike the world which is wise regarding evil and scripturally uninformed concerning what is good, the Roman church, that is to say the Christian church there, along with us today we're to obey the apostle Paul when he said in this very book, Romans 12 and verse 9, Abhor what is evil and cling to what is good. So this is what Paul was calling the church there in Rome to do. Be on guard. I urge you. I'm coming alongside you.

I'm speaking very directly. As far as I know, this is the only frontal appeal that the apostle Paul made to this church. And again, here in this particular section, which has left the commentators again scratching their heads, why here in this section? But again, he's thinking about the sheep under his care. Oh, I love you people.

I love you brethren. And how I urge you in light of all that, be on guard, look out, note, mark those among you. I'm a pastor. Although I didn't plant that particular church, although I've never even seen you face to face, I don't want you to be deceived. That's what Paul's saying.

It's bleeding through the language. I urge you, because these are bad men. These are bad women. They don't serve Christ. They serve their own bellies.

And they do it in a very crafty way. So be on guard and listen for what they're saying. Stand strong, be firm. That's the best way to not be duped by such individuals. Be wise concerning what is good, simple concerning what is evil.

And so ends the exposition of this passage. And again, these words are very closely connected to what we're considering in our conference. And again, it falls under the heading of protective church discipline. Dear brothers in this place, sisters, the sum of the matter is this, God's people are not to be left exposed to wicked men, wicked women who through their false teachings will seek to lead them astray. And so thinking specifically of pastors here, if such people creep into our congregations to quote Jude in his own language.

They are to be recognized and removed immediately. And the members of our churches are to be exhorted, not to associate with them. And so in the time that remains, I want to make three applications from what we've considered from this passage. And each one of these applications all begin with the letter O. O.

So first, brethren, be observant. Be observant. I'm thinking specifically pastors here. Brethren, we are called to be overseers. Know what your people are into.

Don't be a standoff pastor. It's an oxymoron. As Pastor Martin says, I've heard him say it for 20 years, Jeff quoted in the car, you know, have your fingers in the sheep's wool. Know what they're into. Don't have to, again, call them every day, each one individually, what you read, what you watch, what blog, you know.

But know your people. Be observant, What are they listening to? Who are they watching on the TV? Who are they hanging out with? Brethren, be real shepherds to your sheep.

We quoted the Ezekiel passage, someone did yesterday. We're called to be watchmen for our people. Isn't that the exact language the apostle Paul uses in Acts 20 verse 29 and following? It is. Paul there is about to depart from the church He gathers the elders together and he says this, for I know that after my departure, what will happen Paul?

Savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves, men will rise up speaking perverse things, to what end? To draw away disciples after themselves. What does Paul say? Well it's just going to happen and that's how it is.

No, therefore, therefore watch Paul says. Elders watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone how. Night and day with tears. Is that the kind of pastor you are? Men in the ministry.

What kind of pastor are you? I wrote a book in 2010 with Jeremy Walker, a portrait of Paul. I encourage pastors to read that, not that I'm here to sell books or promote them. But I wrote that book after being in the ministry only six months. That's probably not a good thing to do.

But as I was studying Paul's letter to the Colossians, working through it verse by verse in the Greek text, I was amazed at this man's love for the church. And I've got a couple thousand books in my library. I always tell people I have a couple books in my library. They come to my library and say, I don't even mean a couple thousand, but I do. And I have a whole section on pastoral theology, and all good, excellent, but I never had a book saying, follow me, they'll all say this is who we should follow and model this and that, but Paul, in the Corinthians passage, follow me, as I follow Christ.

So the book is based upon 10 verses in Colossians. And all I saw there was Paul's heart. And I'm new in the ministry, eight years ago, first six months, and I'm asking myself the question, Rob, are you gonna be this kind of pastor? Are you going to be this kind of guy? I write these things concerning you.

That's the kind of man he was. For you, willing to weep, willing to watch, willing to walk with his people at every point? Just be a real shepherd, men. Be observant. The stakes are high.

Paul says, I am innocent of the blood of all men. We need to be able to say that before God. Because I watched it. I warned the people of God. Men, be observant.

Secondly, I call you brethren to be obedient. To be obedient. The Apostle Paul spoke about the obedience of the Roman Christians, right? That's what he said. Verse 19.

And that again was the grounds of his rejoicing. The verse starts again with the gar clause and that throws off most commentators. They don't know how to translate it, But I think the majority of them go with how I went with it. This is the grounds of his rejoicing for the people because they were being obedient. But men, I call you to be obedient.

Just as Paul called the early church to be obedient. Obedient to what? To feed your sheep, the finest wheat of God's Word, week in, week out, 16 ounces to the pound so that they will be able to stand strong and be able to discern between what is right and what is wrong. Feed them the Word of God. Men, teach them the healthy doctrines of the Christian faith.

Don't just give them the chaff. Feed them the Word of God line upon line, precept upon precept, Verse by verse, phrase by phrase, book by book. There's a view of expository preaching out there these days where, you know, I preached through an entire book in 12 messages. I did it in four months. I preached through Matthew for five years every phrase.

That doesn't mean that's the model. The point is preaching the whole chapter at one time in my view is not expository preaching. That's very high level broad preaching. Expository preaching to expose what's in the passage. And as our brother did, an excellent example before this message of opening up each phrase, you're seeing it there, each phrase, each word, every one of you, you feel the weight of what's there.

Don't just breeze the Word of God. That's not to say, by the way, You can never preach a full chapter, that's not what I'm saying. Not to say you can never do a topical sermon, I'm not saying that, or a textual sermon. I mean, Spurgeon would shoot me now if I said don't ever preach a textual sermon. That's basically all what he preached.

But I am saying, teach your people the Word of God systematically, men. Be expositors of the Word. That's your calling. Preach the Word. Quiero sojologos.

Preach the Word. Don't preach yourself. Don't preach your own ideas. Don't be innovative. Don't be a jokester up there.

Preach the Bible. When I came to my church eight years ago, they knew where I was coming from, a Reformed Baptist church for 10 years before that. I said, if you want the Bible, I'm going to preach the Bible. If you love the Bible, I love the Bible, we're going to have a wonderful relationship here. And after eight years, we have a phenomenal relationship.

One time I had to preach on the subject of reprobation, Jesus' words as I was working through Matthew's Gospel. Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. I preached a sermon on reprobation. I thought, oh Lord, this is it.

They're going to have my head. And afterwards, amazing, it was like I preached John 3.16. They were so encouraged, so blessed. This is the Bible. And again, why a place like this is not packed up, packed out when we're dealing with church discipline, it amazes me.

Is this not a subject in the Bible? I mean, how many sermons are we dealing with? Just scratching the surface. 18, 19, we're joking in the car, we're gonna have up to 42 by the time all the conversations we've been having. So many issues concerning this topic.

Men, be obedient to your calling. Teach the word, feed your people. And then thirdly under this head here, be obedient to warn your people against false people and teachers in the church and even outside of the church and that's what our brother said yesterday and that was a good point. We need to sound the trumpet against people in high profile positions who will lead the church astray and then be obedient brethren to remove them. It's not enough just to hear the message and say, oh, excommunication and all that.

This church has been an example. Four cases recently, seven over the years, two excommunications, et cetera. They're believing the Bible, but they're being obedient to carry it out. Finally, men, brethren here, along with being observant and being obedient, along with those two things, I want you to be optimistic. Optimistic.

Why do I say this? Well, because typically it's true I do like ending my sermons on an encouraging note. It probably didn't happen when I preached on reprobation, but in general I do. But I want you to be optimistic. Again, not only observant watching, not only obedient to your calling, but lastly optimistic.

And I say this because what Paul says next in verse 20, note it in your Bibles. Romans 16 and verse 20, after just saying all that he said, notice his language, and the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly or soon. Sounds pretty encouraging to me. Then he ends the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Be optimistic friends in the midst of all the stuff that we have to deal with, church discipline, negative topic, false teachers, why did I come to the conference? Hopefully to learn some things. Hopefully to grow. Hopefully to be instructed. But be optimistic.

Here Paul sets forth this great eschatological perspective. Christ is going to return and all the enemies of the gospel will be removed. That encourages me. It's not always going to be like this brethren. The final act of church discipline by Jesus Christ will be enacted when he returns.

It's called hell. For wicked, apostate men and women. Paul says I have to say some hard things to you, But the God of peace, he's going to crush Satan soon. Hang in there is what he's saying. Have this again eschatological hope that is to say end time hope before you.

Jesus is coming soon. He's going to remedy all these problems so that we cry out with the apostle John, even so, come Lord Jesus, come. But men in the ministry and even churches like this when you're faced and having been dealing with the matter of church discipline, it's discouraging at times. But look forward, men. Look forward, church.

Christ is going to return one day. He will close his age and usher in the age to come wherein righteousness shall dwell Forever. Anyone here longing for that day? Oh man, no more sin, no more Satan, no more servants of Satan. Oh, it's going to be a glorious day.

May the Lord help us to keep these perspectives before us may He again seal these truths to our hearts. Let's pray. Our Father again we thank you for your word which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway. Help us Lord to do all that your word has called us to do. Help us not to be ignorant, O God, of those who would divide the church.

Give us grace, we pray, O God, even in the midst of these things to be loving like all the things we spoke of. But help us Lord to be discerning. Give us what we lack, O God. Protect our churches Lord Jesus, we pray. We commit our time to You.

We ask it in Your own worthy and holy name. Amen.