Well, good morning. We're going to begin Romans chapter 16 today. And again, for time's sake, because of the brevity of these podcasts, we won't read all the verses from 1 through 16. But what I do want to encourage us with is this, that Paul recognizes these believers who we really don't know that well, and yet they were being used by the Lord in great ways. And Paul recognizes that. And so we too, People don't know our names, and we are not big shots by any stretch of the imagination, but we have a wonderful Savior who we should love to serve and desire to see the Lord bring fruit through us. We'll begin in verse 17 with the main body of the message. He says, The word urge is only used three times in Romans, and so this is important. He's urging them, as his fellow family members of God's household, to keep an eye on those. So keep, it is a persistent watch. It's not an occasional glance, but watching out for individuals, and it's these types of individuals, ones who cause dissensions, causing factions. It's used two other times in scripture, referring to the old manner of life, those who cause dissensions, the unsaved. people going about causing unnecessary divisions among the church, and hindrances, enticement to sin, causing the weaker brother to stumble or accept that which God's word has forbidden. He explains it in Psalm as anything contrary to the teaching which you learned. Make sure you are not drawn away by false doctrines and silly teaching, genealogies, hopeless, unhelpful discussions. Focus on what? Well, focus on the word, that which has already been taught, he says. So we must be careful and guard ourselves and our church families from false teachings. And so what are we to do? Well, we are to turn away from any individuals such as this. Why? For such people are slaves, not of our Lord Christ, but of their own appetite. They are evidencing themselves. to be unbelievers. In Philippians 3.18 it says, For many walk of whom I often told you, and now tell you, even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things. A couple ways to recognize these individuals. Often, they'll be extremely wealthy, living extravagant lifestyles, going through their so-called ministries. Or there are those who may even seem to live very simply and care for others, but they're seeking to commend themselves to God, maybe, or to men, and their ministries tend to reflect back on them rather than focused on the Word and focused on Christ. It says, as well as a warning, continuing in verse 18, that they use smooth and flattering speech to deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. So we ought to be suspecting, we ought to be diligent, as he says, keeping our eyes out that we would not be drawn away by their smooth and flattering speech without being attentive. And that when if we are attentive, and we are using caution, it will be less likely that we will be led away by their flattery. smooth speech. Rather, we should be grounded again in a good steady diet of Bible and the biblical teaching. He says in verse 19, the report of your obedience has reached everyone. So they've become an example of some sorts as a church which has believed the gospel and now therefore presented their bodies as living sacrifices. Therefore, he's rejoicing over them. But he wants them to be careful, to be wise in what is good. They should know well that which is good. They should be proficient at doing good. And they also should be innocent in what is evil. They should be separated away from that which is evil. Some people claim that they should be of the world to minister the gospel. This brings grave danger. Some people think they need to be so separated from the world and understanding of the culture and other people that they can't even have a normal conversation. We need to find a healthy balance being in the world, but not of the world, and that we would stay away from sin as to the best of our ability and yet be as Jesus and be reaching out to the lost and have conversations with them and friendships with them that we may share the gospel with them. And he closes with this, the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. So keep pressing forward, for the victory belongs to our King, and with Him, we too will have eternal victory. There comes a day when we need not beware of false teachers and temptation and sin. There will come a day when God will set all things right, and we will no longer have to strive, as Romans 7 says, but rather trust in Christ.