Accurate Description of Our World Today
Notes
Transcript
Romans 1:18-32
01-21-2024
Accurate Description of Our World
This morning we are going to look at Paul's Description of our World Today
I am sure you have heard me say this before but it is worth saying
We live in a Romans 1 World today
If you are at a lost on how to describe our world today, simple read Romans 1 then end of the chapter
And I believe you get a very very accurate description of our world today
Before Paul gets to the description he explains how we got there
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
God is going to pour out wrath on the ungodliness and the unrighteousness of man
We hear that and go ok that makes sense
Some people hear that and go but that doesn’t sound very loving
We we say or think that we we are believing that man is with fault
men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness
They are hiding the righteousness of God with their ungodliness
God is going to pour out wrath on them not because they don’t know any better but because they do know better
And are willfully hiding the truth of God
Church as we will see later in Romans you and I are without excuse to know God
Scripture is clear that God has made Himself evident to them, and they simply refuse to acknowledge God as God Himself
We like to explain that there is a God sized shaped in your heart that only God can fill but we know and we have probably experienced this but we try to fill it with everything else, deep down knowing that it can only be fill by God
And wouldn’t know church when we do that the we experience the wrath of God, because we know
We know God because scripture says taht He has revealed Himself to us, and we can see His attributes in creation
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
God has revealed Himself to us
Paul explains to the believers in Rome that you are without excuse for knowing God
Because He has shown Himself to you
He has revealed Himself to you and everything you need to know about Him
God is not some distant figure who is playing hide and go seek
God has revealed himself through His creation
Through all creation
When you start to look at just the way your body is designed and how it works
When you look at how different species interact with each other
When you look at the stars in the sky knowing that God breathed them into existence
Church you can go and do more and more research on what creation says about the creator
For instance the worlds distance from the son is so perfect that if it was slightly closer we would burn up, and if we were slightly farther away we would freeze
We are in the right position
Our world is like a watch of many many pieces
There is no way you could put those pieces into a bag and shake them up and empty the bag and have a fully functioning watch come out of the bag but you would have a bunch of watch pieces come out
Rather we have a God designer who carefully and maticulastly put the world together and thus we get a fully intact, and fully functioning world
And because of that church we are without excuse about knowing God
God has revealed Himself to us and shown us who He is
The ball is in our court and sadly we have not don’t well with it
What follows is our response to the God of the universe
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
It says that even though they knew God
They refused to acknowledge Him as God
Church this is exactly happening today
We have people we have a country who has foundations in knowing Christ
And yet doubt has slipped in to the minds and questions remain
It is not that God hasn’t or won’t answer those questions
It is in our response to Gods answer or explanation
We have refused to acknowledge that God is the God of the universe
We have refused to worship God
Thinking we know it all we hav missed it entirely it would seem like
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Thinking they or we know it all we have become fools
Thinking we understand God we have become fools
So much so church we have replaced the perfect incorruptible God we have replaced it with an image of what we think God is
Church we have replaced the true God with something our imagination has come up with
An idol
We have changed out the True God who is worthy of worship for a picture of birds, or animals, or something we created
Church we have exchanged God for an idol and think we know so much
What fools
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Because those people who have rejected God thinking they know everything
God has essentially said fine
Here you go
Understand that God has not abandoned them
He has said if you think you know more then good luck with that
God has said I will be right here
So those people who think they know more than God have again exchanged the truth of God for a lie
And church we see this happening all around us
We see people exchanging the truth of God for a lie
Church we need to stand firm in the truth of God
Which means we need to know God
So that we are not swept away by the lies that this world has to offer
26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
Church
God is not looking to punish people just to punish them
But we need to understand that we are at fault for rejecting God
We are at fault for not worshiping God who is worthy of worship
This is played out in our world today we have supposed educated people who are what they say is highly educated and can’t same or do simple things
In doing that they exchange the truth for a lie
We have exchanged the truth about biology and sex for a lie
We have told people for yrs you can be anything you want
And then someone said ok I want to be a cat or a dog
They exchanged the truth of no you can’t be anything you want to be
For a lie that says yes you can
It is a lie that has spread to the point that boys think they can be girls and girls think they can be boys
Do you see how because we have rejected God and exchanged the truth of God for a lie now we can just exchanged any old truth
We have exchanged the truth that God is the only way to get to heaven
For a lie this world says there are multiple ways to get to heaven God would not be so exclusive
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Have you read the Bible
This seems pretty clear
We have exchanged the truth of Scripture that says Christ is the only way
For a lie that says there are multiple ways
We have exchanged the truth that missing church
That missing out on reading your Bibles will hurt you
For a lie that says oh its not that bad
It won’t effect you so don’t be so upset
Church we have exchanged the truth of God for a lie and we think we know better
thinking we are wise we have become fools
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Again church because we as a people have rejected God
Because we have exchanged the truth of God for a lie and it has continued and continued
Like a snow ball rolling down hill
It has continued to grow and grow and grow
And because of that we have been handed over to our desires
Church our desires have lead to the following
Paul lists them out
And then church after seeing that we have not stopped and said hey we need to stop and get back on track
No we continue to think we know so much and dare I say it such a prideful attitude
We think we know more than God Himself and continue to lead people in that way
To encourage people to go down the same path
It is that pride that pushing us to deny that we are at fault even more
Church this is the problem that sin gives us
It is not a problem for those people it is a problem for humanity
One that God has dealt with and defeated it only we would repent and trust in Jesus
Submit to God’s authority and righteousness
It is why Paul is so excited to go to Rome, He wishes to share the truth of God with people so they don’t get wrapped up in the lies this world has to offer
Paul wrote it some 1900 years ago and church it was an accurate description of the world then and it is an accurate description of the world now
Church the answer to this problem is the Gospel Message
It is that Jesus who is the only Son of God stepped down out of heaven and was born of a virgin
Went to a cross to pay for your debt of sin and my debt of sin
Died, was buried and rose back to life
Jesus defeated death so you and I don’t have to deal with the death
The Gospel Message that is the answer to the sin problem, the answer to the problem we see in our world today
CLOSING
As the band comes forward for our time of invitation
It is just that
It is an opportunity to respond to the work the Holy Spirit has done this morning
Maybe God has revealed that you are not saved this morning and would like to be saved
I would like to invite to the front to speak with someone about salvation this morning
I can promise you this the Gospel will change your life
Or maybe you are here this morning and have a personal relationship but if you are honest you have started to exchange the truth for a lie in your own life
If that is you I would call you to repent this morning and run back to Truth
Or maybe you need to spend sometime in prayer this morning at the altar
The altar is open
