Romans 1:18-32

(ESV)

Title: “Universal Issue”

INTRODUCTION

CONNECTION: I have never read a text that not only revealed the current issue in our world, as well as providing the answer why, as this text we are looking at this morning. With startling accuracy, Paul provides an answer to the universal issue with humanity.

CONTEXT: Before Paul breaks into sharing the details of the gospel, he explains why everyone needs the gospel - universal sinfulness. God’s righteousness is revealed in salvation, and his wrath is revealed in unrighteousness. Wrath and righteousness stand side by side.

God’s righteousness is revealed in salvation, and his wrath is revealed in unrighteousness. Wrath and righteousness stand side by side.

I. The Universal Knowledge of God and His Truth (18-20)

BODY

There are 3 things in this passage that will help us not only to understand what is going on in the world, but also how to avoid participating in what is happening:

I. The Universal Revelation of God (18-20)

A. Revelation of God’s Wrath (1

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

1. Revealed by Conscious

Rejection of Conscious

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Psalm 19:1–2 ESV

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

Psalm 19:1–4 ESV

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,

Natural (condemns) vs. Special Revelation (saves):

Natural revelation not enough to save; only condemn.

“Responding to Natural Revelation ushers in the Special Revelation”

Seeing $10K and ignoring it.

“A person would be foolish to look for money only to look at it, without trying to get it into his possession, so the heathen, though they knew God, were satisfied with and glorified in the mere knowledge of him. They left out of mind his worship, in particular, the inward dedication to God, whom they knew.” -Luther

Creation speaks to God’s glory, and if we do not respond with worship and devotion, we are suppressing the truth.

truth.

Think carefully: HOW do you respond to what is evident of God?

TRANSITION: There is a universal revelation of God’s wrath because ...

II. The Universal Rejection of God (21-31)

NOTE THE 3 STAGE DOWNWARD SPIRAL IN REJECTING GOD:

A. Exchange Truth for Idolatry (21-24)

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

IDOLATRY Warning... (THIS IS THE SLIPPERY SLOPE TO SIN)

IDOLATRY CHECK

IDOLATRY CHECK

E.g., More affinity for a cup of coffee in the morning than God.

• Who created you?

• Whom do you ultimately trust?

• To whom do you look for ultimate truth?

• To whom do you look for security and happiness?

• Who is in charge of your future?

• What do you think you can’t live without?

• Who do you think you can’t live without?

• What priority in your life is greater than God? Kids, family, friends?

• What dream would you sacrifice everything to realize?

• Is God first place in your life?

B. Exchange Truth for Lies (25-26a)

25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26a For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.

Like a child that wants candy 3 meals a day, God eventually gives the person what they want. But there is a consequence to having candy for dinner...

C. Exchange Natural for the Unnatural (26b-31)

2 types are relationships are perverted in this exchange:

1. Sexual Relationships are Perverted

Sexual Relationships are Perverted

26b For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;

27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error [a just penalty].

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

2. Social Relationships are Perverted

29 They were filled [passive] with

(1) all manner of unrighteousness, - absence of justice

(2) evil,

(3) covetousness, -wants more (iPhone 8)

(4) malice. -moral evil

They are full [completely filled] of (5) envy, -wants what your neighbor has

(6) murder, -result of aforementioned

(7) strife, -competition and conflict

(8) deceit, -simply misleading others

(9) maliciousness. -returning good with evil

They are (10) gossips, -continue to talk about wrong topics

30 (11) slanderers, -destroys other people’s reputation

(12) haters of God,

(13) insolent, -Shame others without mercy

(14) haughty, -attitude of superiority

(15) boastful, -brags about self

(16) inventors of evil, -devises evil schemes

(17) disobedient to parents,

31 (18) foolish, -cannot detect the spiritual

(19) faithless, -untrustworthy

(20) heartless, -cruel

(21) ruthless. -Merciless

This is what happens to the human mind when God is continually rejected.

DOWNWARD SPIRAL

DOWNWARD SPIRAL

Here are some questions to help you see if your attitudes are like idolatry.

DOWNWARD SPIRAL

First people reject God;

next they make up their own idols;

then they fall into sin—sexual sin, greed, hatred, envy, murder, fighting, lying, bitterness, gossip.

Finally they grow to hate God and encourage others to do so.

God does not cause this steady progression toward evil. Rather, when people reject him, he allows them to live as they choose. God gives them up or commits them to experience the natural consequences of their sin. Once caught in the downward spiral, no one can pull himself or herself out. Sinners must trust Christ alone to put them on the path of escape.

Here are some questions to help you see if your attitudes are idolatrous (the 1st turn in the downward spiral).

• Who created you?

• Whom do you ultimately trust?

• To whom do you look for ultimate truth?

• To whom do you look for security and happiness?

• Who is in charge of your future?

• What do you think you can’t live without?

• Who do you think you can’t live without?

• What priority in your life is greater than God? Kids, family, friends?

• What dream would you sacrifice everything to realize?

• Is God first place in your life?

TRANSITION: God wrath is being revealed universally because he is being rejected universally, and now we see that there is a ...

III. The Universal Responsibility to God (32)

32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Deserving of wrath for rejection

Business consultant James M. Bleech of Jacksonville, Florida, surveyed 110 executives to find out what excuses they hear most from their employees.

Heading the list was “It’s not my fault.”

The second-place excuse was “It was someone else’s fault.”

?

Third, “Something else came up.”

The fourth most often used excuse was “I didn’t have time” followed by “We’ve never done it that way before.”

Other excuses were “No one told me to do it,” “I had too many interruptions,” “If only my supervisor really understood,” “I will get to it later,” and “No one showed me how to do it.”

Excuses don’t impress anyone, least of all God.

Refusing to worship and devote yourself fully to God is guilt, and the deserved judgment is eternal death.

CONCLUSION

Paul has outlined the universal issue with humanity:

(1) God is reveals himself,

(2) People reject this revelation by devoting to idols instead, and thus are plunged into the darkness of their sinfulness,

(3) and there is a reality to come - EVERYONE who does this “deserves to die”

…BUT THANK GOD HE HAS GIVEN GOOD NEWS

You may be asking, “What is so good about this?”