Watch Out!

Rom 16:17-20

I was reading the Christian Chronicle this week and saw that a page one article was about Malawi. As I read the article I was saddened by what I saw. These struggling African churches are fighting battles that didn’t even come into their minds until some American missionaries came and destroyed the unity of the church there. The division has become so bad that if you visit certain congregations they actually quiz you before they will allow you to enter and worship with them. If you fail to answer their way on the issue they are fighting over, they refuse to let you worship with them! Unbelievable.

In Ecuador, a similar story is unfolding as teachers made their opinion church doctrine and baby churches that were once growing and thriving in 3 years time have had to shut their doors because of the division those teaching caused in their congregations.

We see it here in America too. Preachers and leaders wanting to look politically correct have thrown out biblical teachings in order to look good to those who don’t accept Christianity and call those who maintain the truth bigots.

Still others are teaching such watered down teachings that they tell people to believe whatever they want, just love God in whatever form you choose to acknowledge him or her.

As you read our text, you realize this isn’t a new problem. They had the same problems in Biblical time churches as we do today. They have people with false motives and selfish ambitions just like we do.

Paul gives us some wise word in how to deal with these people.

PRAYER

I. Watch Out!

A. Be alert

1. It seems strange that Paul would throw in this warning in the midst of a passage on greeting.

2. What Paul understood was that there would be some coming to their congregation with un-Christ like motives.

3. Not everyone should be accepted and loved just because they call themselves a Christian.

4. Sadly, there are plenty of people who move from church to church just trying to make themselves look good.

5. I had heard about a church that was small and struggling, but hanging in there until a man came to their church. At first everything seemed fine, but then he started pushing issues that began causing problems within the church. The church didn’t have elders and the men were reluctant to confront this man. As time went on he did more and more damage to the morale of the church and by the time he was confronted, several members had left and others were so disillusioned and confused they gave up on God all together. To a great extent, the damage this man caused in that church led to it eventually closing it’s doors.

6. Paul tells us to watch out for these people.

B. Dangerous people

1. One of the greatest problems the church has had to deal with is people’s disillusionment with organized religion.

2. They see churches that stand for nothing.

3. They see church leaders who practice everything they preach against.

4. They see preachers prey on innocent people for their own personal gain.

5. It’s easy to see why so many hate “church”

6. Jesus recognized the same thing in Matt 15-20 READ

7. We need to be aware of these false teachers and deal with them.

C. Simple minds

1. Most often when these types of people come into a congregation, they don’t try to work on well grounded Christians, they look for the new member, the young member, the growing member and then go to work on that person.

2. They are naïve and innocent and in their desire to do right are easily led astray by someone with a smooth argument.

3. The best way to change a culture is to change the way the children think.

a) They are impressionable.

b) They don’t know the counter arguments.

c) They aren’t grounded in a certain way of thinking.

d) You get the kids and 20 years later you have changed a culture.

D. Practical application

1. Paul tells us to watch out for people who come with flashy teachings.

a) Modern examples would be like Jim and Tammy Faye Baker from the 80’s that bilked millions of dollars from people while claiming to be humble servants of God.

b) Cult leaders would be another group that would fit this description.

c) Yet even in our fellowship we have heard stories of people coming in and destroying churches with teachings that were all about them rather than God.

d) In one church where I lived we had a Christian school. We found out that the teacher was convincing the female students AND THEIR MOTHERS, that God wanted them to sleep with him. He had all kinds of strange beliefs that set him up to be a spiritual leader that was personally God ordained and it almost destroyed that congregation. It did destroy several people’s lives.

2. The NAS and KJV use the word “mark”

3. People with self-serving attitudes quickly come to the attention of the church.

4. Paul said, mark them or watch out for them and avoid them!

5. Don’t give them the chance to cause divisions, don’t let them teach or preach or have influence in the church.

6. One of the greatest responsibilities that elders have to is make sure people like that are dealt with in a godly way.

7. They have an obligation to protect the souls of the church from such type of people.

8. 2 Jn:10 tells us we shouldn’t even welcome false teachers into our homes.

9. Strong words and actions, but they were for a reason.

10. We don’t knowingly invite a thief into our home to steal our belongings, neither should we invite a false teacher into our homes to steal our souls.

E. Conclusion

1. In the midst of this passage of greetings, we have this strange side note.

2. I believe as Paul dictated this letter about greeting brothers and sisters he wanted to make sure we understood that not everyone who called himself God’s servant really was.

3. We need to greet and accept fellow Christians, but not be blind to wolves in sheep’s clothing.

4. Know your Bible, don’t be led astray pretty talk, be wise about what is Good.

5. Do that, and you will be safe from false teachers.