Week 71 - Free Weekend Program for Children

Text: Romans 16:17-27

Theme: Warning Against False Teachers

Verses 16:17-18

I urge you, brothers and sisters, 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 naive people.

God has not called us to remain passive under false teachers or to tolerate them under the guise of “unity and love.” We have no unity with those who distort and twist the Gospel. Imagine lying down “quietly” with a rattlesnake—this is what it’s like to sit quietly under false teachers. To affirm them with our presence, encouragement, or fellowship is to share in their heinous sin (2 John 10).

Step away! There’s no need to linger. Avoid false teachings and those who spread them—they bring poison and death to your soul. Just as no one would knowingly drink poisoned water, we should not allow ourselves to be influenced by false doctrine.

While it’s appropriate to preach to or rebuke them, we must not sit under their ministry or fellowship with them as if we are mutually sharing and receiving. Don’t encourage them; they are seeking to ensnare souls with lies and manipulation. Keep a safe distance and resist the notion that you can handle the situation. Their motives are deceitful and driven by selfish desires.

Many vulnerable people, particularly women, fall victim to their tactics because they are burdened with sin and swayed by selfish ambition (2 Timothy 3:6). As believers whose trust is in the Lord, Hebrews 10:14 and 10:18 tells us all we need to know about sin and offerings; there is nothing more. The rest are man-made fables and endless babbling—complete nonsense.

Men also fall prey to their fake promises of worldly gain—money, pleasure, power. These deceivers, often called “papa in the Lord” or “G.O.,” prey on people’s fears, convincing them that without their intervention, calamity will befall their families or businesses. But these “helpers” are liars. Stay away from them.

They present themselves as mediators between God and man, contradicting 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” Do yourself a favor by avoiding their lies and poisonous “sermons,” which aim to destroy your eternal soul through worldliness and its lures.

This past week, Adeboye (Redeemed Church) claimed that if not for prayers, the exchange rate of 1 dollar would have risen to 10,000 naira. According to him, it is his “prayers” that have prevented the naira from depreciating further. However, this stands in stark contrast to the response of Elisha in 2 Kings 7. Elisha, through the power of prophetic words, reversed an impossible situation, even in the face of doubt and skepticism.

In comparison, it is evident that the so-called "Daddy G.O."—Prophet Adeboye—lacks the power to declare a miraculous turnaround, such as restoring 1 naira to 1 dollar within 24 hours. Rather than admit this, he resorts to spiritual manipulation - satanic craftiness. Such tactics, though grossly deceptive and harmful, continue to attract a large following, often to the detriment of people's eternal souls.

No doubt the scripture says, we have eyes but cannot see and ears but cannot hear, we are fixated on idols not Christ, we love money, pleasure and power (control) - things of these world and these men are promising us exactly that, that’s why we are hooked on them. They know what we want; our flesh, false teachers and satan are in agreement; it is impossible to sever ties except by the grace of God.

Let us pray for one another, especially for family members under the influence of these false teachers, that God may save them through the true Gospel. Rather than listening to false teaching, withdraw and pray for their deliverance. Many are self deceived, but ignorance is no excuse. Plead with God for their souls. Matthew 7:21-23 will be a tragic reality for many. Let us weep and pray for them.

Verses 19-20

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of 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.

We have learned the true Gospel—the obedience of faith—cling to it. Last Sunday, we watched the story of Job, who faced great trials but never turned back. When life gets tough, don’t run to miracle preachers for “help.” Trust God! Even if He gives you nothing else, rejoice, for He has given you Christ, which is eternal. As one preacher said, “If you have Christ, you’ve lost dirt and gained diamond.” Diamonds are forever.

If we believe this by faith, we will experience true joy and peace beyond understanding (Philippians 4:7). Worldly pleasures are temporary, but the love of Christ is eternal. Be wise! “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Shun evil! Keep away from it. We can’t jump into fire to see how it feels. Experience is not our best teacher. The Holy Spirit is. We are led by the Spirit of God through His written Word, not by experiences, though they may serve as useful tools in the hands of the Lord.

Our battle against the flesh, sin, Satan, and false prophets won’t last forever. Through God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s power, we subdue our flesh so sin cannot rule over us (Romans 6:12). We resist Satan and reject false teachings because the truth dwells within us, and one day, God will crush Satan completely. In heaven, there will be no flesh, no sin, no Satan, and no false preachers. We will be truly free from all evil.

Verses 21-23

Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews. I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.

God still commends those who serve Him sincerely and for His glory, not for the praise of others. Not everyone in the church is faithfully committed, but God sees and commends those who are. From the Scriptures, we see examples in Timothy, Tertius, Gaius, and others. Let us follow their example and work for the glory of God.

Verses 24-27

Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with 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 the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Only God can keep us, He alone has the power to keep us from falling away; He has given us the Gospel and is helping us grow in the knowledge of Him, strengthening us to live by it and will protect us from errors of all kinds.

The truth of the gospel are hidden from unbelievers—they cannot see Christ in the Gospel or believe in Him (2 Corinthians 4:4). Many profess Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him, resulting in no fruit of holiness or transformed lives.

But by God’s grace, our eyes have been opened. We see Christ, we believe in Him, and have been rescued from liars—prosperity and false-protection preachers. Let us dedicate ourselves to God’s Word and prayer, trusting that He will keep us. Again. I repeat, only God has the power to keep us from falling, and He has promised to do so according to scripture (Jude 1:24, 2 Timothy 1:12).

God bless you.