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Romans 16:17-18 (KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

I read with interest and dismay how a group of teachers in Ontario, Canada said that if you believe 2+2=4 then you are racist. That is perhaps one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard. Mathematics has nothing to do with racism. When I was in the military working Electronic Warfare Systems, I had to learn the different numbering systems. I never even thought about it till then – and you probably haven’t up to today. The numbering system we are all familiar with is the Decimal System, also called base 10. This is what we are taught in school. This is what our economy is based on. In the Decimal System you count your numbers 1 thru 9, and when you pass 9 you put a “0” in the “ones” column, and a “1” in the “tens” column. Let’s look at the numbers:

1 = “One” because it’s in the ones column
10 = “Ten” because a 1 is in the tens column, 0 in the ones column
100 = “One Hundred” because a 1 is in the hundreds column

That has nothing to do with racism. That’s counting. A dollar bill is 1.00, or one hundred pennies or ten dimes or twenty half dimes or nickles. Everybody learned this in school. Mathematics is the basis of our economy. Mathematics is the basis of what we do every day. The smart phone you are all so proud of is based on mathematics. Computers do not use the Decimal System, but Binary (base 2), Octal (base 8), or Hexadecimal (Base 16). Base 2 or Binary only has two numbers, 0 and 1, off or on. That’s how computers work. I don’t have time to teach you Binary, Octal or Hexadecimal (though I will if you come to me after Church), but I will say this.

Numbering systems are necessary for the stability of our economy and our day to day life. Numbering systems are fixed truths that cannot be manipulated. Those who say “2+2=4 is racist” are Satanic, seeking to destroy our society.

That’s what the devil is all about – destroying humanity. He will do whatever he can to disrupt and create anarchy, to push humans into self destruction, to destroy the human family. That’s what he’s doing. The devil loves to manipulate data, to twist truth.

Here’s a question: You’re a Christian without a Church. What should you look for in a Church? The National Association of Evangelicals asked that question, and people said that the most important things were:

1. Friendliness (19 %)
2. Children’s Programs (19 %)
3. Worship Music (16 %)
4. Sermons (14 %)
5. Likability of the Pastor (12 %)

How does this match up with the Church that Jesus, through the Apostles, formed? Let’s look at the beginning, the Book of Acts. We read:

Acts 2:40-47 (ESV) … {Peter} bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The Apostle Peter’s message was separation, not union with those who are lost. The Church is to be “NOT conformed to this world, but to be TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWAL OF YOUR MIND” (Romans 12:2). We are to be in the world, not of the world. The number one thing that the Church did was:

Acts 2:42 (ESV) …. devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers

The number one thing was DOCTRINE, what the Apostles’ taught. Number two was “the FELLOWSHIP”, the gathered unity of the Church following the DOCTRINE (see vs 44). The third thing was the “BREAKING OF BREAD” or hospitality (see vs 46), the willingness to share with one another. And the fourth thing was “PRAYERS”, seeking the will of God. Beloved,

The number one thing that drives a valid Church of the Lord Jesus is DOCTRINE, the teaching of God’s Holy Word.

Now I’m going to make some of you mad. I may make Jerry mad. I don’t see any of the top three things, 1. Friendliness (19 %), 2. Children’s Programs (19 %), or 3. Worship Music (16 %) mentioned at all in the early Church. Now before our Worship and Children’s leaders tackle me (or get up a Pulpit Committee), the Bible does talk about teaching children about Jesus and the music ministry. Paul wrote in:

Ephesians 5:19 (KJV) Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord

Colossians 3:16 (KJV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

I think the Bible teaches that we should sing and celebrate Jesus. We should teach our children about Jesus. But Bible Doctrine is to be the driving force. One mega-church (life.church) in Oklahoma has created a sermon series based on Jurassic Park, Spiderman, Ghostbusters, and most recently a Moana themed sermon series. I grew up learning about God from the Bible. Parents today are trying to teach their children about God through Hollywood fiction. Churches are following suit.

Let’s Break Down Paul’s Final Words

Romans 16:17 (KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Word Study: The word translated “DOCTRINE” is the Greek didachē, which means “the instruction or direction of an authority”. When our Lord Jesus taught, the Bible says:

Matthew 7:28-29 (KJV) … the people WERE ASTONISHED AT HIS DOCTRINE {didachē}. For He taught them as [one] HAVING AUTHORITY, and NOT as the Scribes …

When Jesus taught, He did not teach as the Scribes did. The Scribes based their authority on other human teachers, on the opinions of other rabbis.

If your doctrine is based on human platitudes and opinion, then your faith is worthless!

In Jesus’ ministry, large crowds often gathered to hear Him teach because He did not teach human opinion, but as from God Himself. People wanted to hear that. When Jesus went to Bethsaida to teach, over 5000 followed Him to hear the doctrine, the teaching (Matthew 14:13-21). These were mostly Jews that Jesus taught. Then our Lord moved to the region of Decapolis, and over 4000 mostly Gentiles followed Him to hear His teaching (Matthew 15:32-39).

Jesus fed 5000 with five small loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:17)
Jesus fed 4000 with seven loaves and several fish (Matthew 15:34)

Jesus didn’t feed anybody till He taught them. They received the Bible truth, the Doctrine, before He filled their bellies. Doctrine was first. The Bible was first. You must feed your soul on the Word of God before the Word of God will feed your body. This is what we learn. Now, right after Jesus feeds the 4000, we read:

Matthew 16:1 (ESV) … the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

The Pharisees are the CONSERVATIVE religious people. The Sadducees are the LIBERAL religious people. And they are asking Jesus to “show us a sign from Heaven”. Jesus has fed 5000 with a tiny bit of food. Jesus fed 4000 with an tiny bit of food. Here are two great big miracles from Heaven. Jesus didn’t argue with either group. He walked away. But Jesus told His disciples:

Matthew 16:6 (ESV) … Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

“LEAVEN” is yeast, something that causes bread to rise. The Bible uses leaven symbolically to represent SIN and SINFUL THOUGHT. During the Feast of the Passover, God told the Israelites to get all leaven out of their homes (Exodus 12:15, 19; 13:7). Anything brought to the Lord as a gift could not be made with leaven (Leviticus 2:11; 6:17). When Jesus was talking about the “leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees”, He was talking about:

Matthew 16:12 (KJV) … the DOCTRINE {didachē} of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

They infused human teaching with God’s Word, making it into something else. Jesus told them “You made the Word of God void by your tradition” (Matthew 15:16). “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8).

When God’s people depart from the clear teachings of God’s Word, and begin to operate according to human traditions, the Church loses its power! It becomes part of the darkness.

The Bible says:

Colossians 2:8-10 (NKJV) Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

When the Church chooses human philosophy and empty deceit based on humanism, it loses the power of God. Those who depart from the Word of God for other things are not doing so because they love the Church. Paul says:

Romans 16:17-18 … mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. {18} For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Word Study: Just as Jesus marked out the Pharisees and Sadducees as false, we as Christians together need to stand against anything contrary to the Word of God. The Pharisees and Sadducees were not acting out of love of God and love for other believers. They served their own bellies, the flesh not the Spirit. Oh, and they sound good. They use “GOOD WORDS” and “FAIR SPEECHES”. The phrase “GOOD WORDS” is the Greek chrēstologia, “smooth and plausible addresses that simulate goodness”. The phrase “FAIR SPEECHES” is the Greek eulogia, meaning “consecration, blessings or commendations”. Those who depart from God’s Word will follow the pattern of Satan in the Garden of Eden. Watch how Satan did it with Adam and Eve:

Genesis 3:1 (ESV) … Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?

Satan asked the question, and then waited to see if Eve would add to the Word of God. She did. She said, “God said we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the Garden, BUT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE IN THE MIDST OF THE GARDEN you cannot eat of it NOR TOUCH IT or you will die” (Genesis 3:2-3). There were TWO trees in the MIDST of the Garden:

Genesis 2:9 (KJV) the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Eve both ADDED TO and TOOK AWAY from God’s Word. They could eat of the Tree of Life which was also in the midst of the Garden. They could TOUCH both trees. But Eve, and by extension Adam (who was with her) corrupted the Word of God by adding their take to it.

And humanity fell into universal sin because of it.

Once the Devil heard Eve manipulate the Word of God, and saw Adam did not correct her, at this point he called God Himself a liar, and convinced them they could be “gods” if they would ignore what God said.

They weren’t. They lost Paradise. The devil wants to destroy the Church. He will destroy it, if you disregard the Word of God and magnify all else. Paul tells the Church at Rome:

Romans 16:19 (KJV) For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

The Church is moving forward. It is standing together, following the DOCTRINE, the teaching of God’s Word. It is in good shape. But if it will stay there, it must be “wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil”. We as the Church are to be WISE in Grace:

Romans 16:24 The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

It is GRACE that saves us. We receive GRACE through the LORD JESUS CHRIST. He is Lord. He is the Savior of every Christian. He is my Boss, and your Boss. We live our lives to please Him, not ourselves. Jesus said:

John 14:15 (KJV) If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 15:10 (KJV) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.

As long as we follow God’s Word, heed the DOCTRINE that we have been taught, God will take care of us. If we are “wise unto that which is GOOD, and simple concerning EVIL” we have the promise of God:

Romans 16:20 (KJV) And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

How does God defeat the devil? Look how this text is written. When God’s people adhere to God’s Word, rejoice in the DOCTRINE, then “the God of PEACE shall (not might, but shall) BRUISE SATAN under OUR feet”.

A unified Church following the Word of God will be used by God to stomp Satan. I, for one, want to see that!

When Jesus came, He told us:

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised

Why are people impoverished? Why are they brokenhearted? Why are they captured and enslaved by sin? Why are people spiritually blind? Why are people bruised? Because people listened to the devil. People listen, not to God’s Word, but to humanity, man made words. And the devil laughs.

Jesus Christ died on Calvary and rose again to set us free. “If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed” (John 8:36). Are you impoverished? Are you brokenhearted? Are you enslaved by sin? Are you bruised by life? Come to Jesus. Give your life to Jesus. Repent. Receive Him as Lord and Savior. Feed on this Word of God. Live His Doctrine. Stop being victims, and become victors. We who are saved have been set at liberty from the bruising of sin so that we – as the Body of Christ – can bruise the head of Satan. You are called to bruise Satan, but to love God and His Word. You are called to – in one accord – crush Satan’s head while loving one another.

We need to get back to the Bible. The Church in love with God’s Word has power, power from God. I close with this benediction:

Romans 16:25-27 (KJV) Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to my Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

To God be the glory. Amen.