Smooth Talking Snakes
Walk Through Romans • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 60 viewsWe must be very careful about smooth talking preachers (or anyone claiming to be of Christ with their smooth talking attitudes) because they may just be a snake in the grass instead of the real deal.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good evening and welcome to our online service for June 14, 2020!
I am glad you have been able to join us online this evening.
Tonight we are going to be finishing up our “Walk Through Romans” and we will be looking at the subject of “Smooth Talking Snakes.”
And it is amazing about all that has happened since we began this journey on February 17, 2019.
So for a year and three months we have been walking through the Book of Romans and following Paul in his efforts to help the Christians in Rom to see their need and dependence on God for all things.
On this journey Paul has both encouraged and admonished.
Paul has preached to the Jews and the Gentiles.
And Paul has consistently concluded time and time again that we are all ONE IN CHRIST and that all who call on Jesus Christ for salvation will receive it.
The way to God is not an exclusive club that there are all of these rules and regulations you have to follow in order to join.
All that is required is repentance and the putting of your faith in Jesus Christ.
That’s it.
And it is the same for Jews and Gentiles.
And as we reach the end of the letter here to the Roman church we are finding Paul doing a couple of different things.
Last week we left off in chapter 15 verse 13 with Paul telling them . . .
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Which was meant to be an encouraging word for them all designed to draw them into a closer and deeper walk and relationship with the Lord.
And Paul structured that statement around his calling us all to “bear with our neighbors,” or quite simply treat people—all people—the way we want to be treated.
To Love God and Love our neighbors.
That is all Paul was saying here.
And find our peace and joy in Christ and help others through our example find that same peace and joy through Christ.
And from there Paul begins to sum up the key points he has made throughout the letter to the Romans.
He writes . . .
I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. I have written to you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
And then goes on to give credit to Christ and Christ alone for any measure of success he has achieved in reaching the people.
He says . . .
Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way round to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.
And finally in verses 23-33, Paul lays out his plans to actually visit Rome and the Christians there in Rome at some point.
And then in the concluding chapter (chapter 16), Paul first spends time sending his greetings to thanks to all the saint of God who have assisted him in being able to minister and also being able to distribute this and other letters.
Which is important because we do not operate on an island.
The ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a “one man (or woman) show.”
It takes all people working together for God and God’s glory to accomplish the mission of the Gospel.
And we are all interdependent on one another.
Our church for example, I may be the face you see on Facebook or in the Pulpit most of the time, but it takes many many more people to accomplish the work of the Church.
It takes those who are able and willing to give to the Church in order to keep the lights on.
It takes those able and willing to do the work behind the scenes.
It takes singers and musicians.
It takes sound room technicians.
It takes board members.
It take secretaries and treasures.
It takes youth leaders, children’s leaders, and associate pastors.
It takes Sunday School teachers.
It takes ALL OF US!
Which is something I think we sometimes loose site of.
We see the church service that think that is all there is to it.
The service itself is 1 hour a week but ministry is 24/7 and is ALL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
And Paul recognized this and spends time in chapter 16:1-16, laying some of this out.
And then our passage for tonight picks up in verse 17.
And in it Paul says this . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
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. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people. 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. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Smooth Talkers
Smooth Talkers
And I love this and also the way Paul puts this.
Again he starts out here in verse 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.
And He is saying quite a bit here in this one verse.
First he is telling the to watch out for those who cause divisions.
Those who are troublemakers, those who’s only purpose is to cause trouble and divide the church.
These are the ones who are primarily gossipers and backbiters.
These are the ones that will come and smile to your face and get away from you and talk about you like a dog.
These are the ones that operate in the shadows who will not bring their concerns directly to you but rather they have every other person who they think will listen on speed dial.
These are the ones who make it their personal mission to watch for every mistake, every flaw, every chink in the armour and then point it out to everyone else.
Their goal is to create an “us vs them” attitude in others.
To get people on their side and in their camp.
These are the ones who are more concerned with rules and traditions than with God’s will and God’s way.
These are the ones who think a Church service should be conducted in a very specific way rather than being open to the movement of the Holy Spirit.
These are the ones who will think that this sermon is directed toward them and be greatly offended by it and will call everyone they know and tell them about it.
They are the ones who are causing divisions in the church.
They are accompanied by those who put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teachings you have learned.
And many times these are the same group of people.
But the difference between the dividers and the obstacle creators are the dividers are the spokesmen and the obstacle creators come up with what they have to talk about.
And this could be anything from the way people dress to where they sit or park.
These are the ones who’s rules and traditions take prescience over loving thy neighbor.
These are the ones who put signs up saying “private property—keep out” in the Church parking lot.
Or those who complain because someone who doesn’t come to Church here is parking in the parking lot that is not used 90% of the time and when it is, it’s only 1/2 full.
All of this is contrary to the teachings we have learned, which are to “love the Lord with all our heart, mind, and soul, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.”
And Paul’s simple message is this, stay away from them.
And I give you the same message.
If they are unwilling to repent and change of their ways, then stay away from them, because all they are trying to do is cause problems and division, and they will just drag you down as well.
Now, I am all for ministering to everyone and trying everything we can to help someone but if they are unwilling then our hands are tied, there is nothing we can do.
The work is up to the Holy Spirit—we provide the nourishment in the way of the Word, they decide whether they will eat or not.
And Paul goes on here . . .
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people.
Do we hear and understand what Paul is saying here?
He is basically saying that these people have no interest whatsoever in serving the Lord.
Regardless of how smooth they talk and how flattering their words are.
Regardless of how much they know and try to impress you with how much they know.
Regardless of how they gloss things over and are as smooth as silk, they are not serving the Lord Christ, but their own appetites.
It’s all about them, their comfort and their having their way, regardless of anything else.
And this smooth talk and flattery is just a deception that deceive the minds of naive people.
And the word “naive” is not meant to be an insult, but rather Paul is just saying, “people who do not know any better.”
However, however, why do we not know any better?
Because we have become laxed in our relationship with God.
We have not studied the Word as we should.
We have not prayed as we should.
We have not communed with the Holy Spirit as we should.
And we are accustomed to just taking someone else’s word for it rather than “testing the spirits.”
We, in essence, have become complacent and lazy.
And have fallen victim to deception because of it.
And there is an easy remedy to it.
Start doing the things that we are slacking off in doing and we will see things for what they really are.
And apparently some of the Romans had been doing this because Paul says . . .
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.
You’ve done well but be on guard.
Don’t be deceived.
Don’t be fooled.
And as a final reminder and point of encouragement . . .
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
In other words, it will all be over with soon enough.
The end for the enemy is coming and God’s Word will be realized.
And for us, the question is, which side do we want to be on?
God’s side that is victorious or the loser’s side?
And I think I know everyone’s answer to that, but in order to be on God’s side, we have to be willing to do the work required of us.
We have to be willing to repent of our sin and follow Jesus Christ.
We have to be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to educate and transform us so that we are not deceived.
Are we willing to do that?
Because that is where the rubber meets the road.
That is what it is going to take in the end.
So the question is, what are we willing to do to have a true and lasting relationship with God through Jesus Christ?
That is where we end tonight.
Paul finishes out the letter with final greetings an this statement . . .
Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— to the only wise God be glory for ever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
What are we willing to do so that we can also make this same final statement?