Romans 3_1-21 Guilty

Secular:

Have you ever had a knock down drag’em out… fight with your parents…
I mean as a teenager did you ever get into one of those crazy, passionate… arguments?
You know the one where you were sure you were right… absolutely sure
And you wondered as you “stood your ground” how Mom and Dad could possibly survived so long when they know so little?
When the dust settled… lots of feelings were hurt… (you probably at some point figure out you are wrong)
But it didn’t take very long… before Mom came alongside…

Told you she loved you…
Cared for you…
You were the Rebel… and they loved you anyway…

God doesn’t want us to rebel…
… to be a rebel…
But He loves us… and welcomes us when we turn to him.

Biblical:

Romans 3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED." 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come "? Their condemnation is just. 9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." 13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; 14 "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; 15 "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, 16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, 17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." 18 "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES." 19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;

Personal:

One candidate…
Charged with conspiracy to commit murder (at the least)
Is an activist… in the extreme sense…
Has been imprisoned
Has a chronic ailment…
Second candidate…
Has a solid upbringing
A passion for music and the arts
Is a strong leader
Paul first… then Adolph Hitler

Bridge:

God loves rebels…
He loves to see them turned to his purposes…
Elijah… the Wild Man
Peter… sword wielding… amped up
John and James… the sons of thunder
King David… a man after God’s own heart…

Murder
Adulterer
But he turned… back to God

The Advantage
The Testimony of God
The Testimony of Contrast
The Redeeming Power

Body:

The Advantage

Romans 3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew (Child of God)? Or what is the benefit of circumcision (belonging to the faith community)? 2 Great in every respect. First of all (Above all), that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

Silver Spoon… some one born into wealth or status or advantage…
There advantage was the trust, the oracles of God… His Word
Benefit of hearing it… being taught it…
An advantage we want for our families…
The Advantage… is God’s Word…

The Testimony of God:

3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED."

Representative…

Blow it for the company

Salesperson
Members of the church
Pastor of a church

It doesn’t change the mission… it is bigger than a the salesperson, or their department
Or a member…
Or a pastor…
Does it change the “character of leader”
May it never be!

Psalm 51:4
We can communicate a lie…
But…We can’t make it true…

If Nature testifies to God… so that none are with excuse…
Is it not humankind that distorts the master and the mission…
Is it not the ambassador that communicates the most clearly!

Need for clarity… in ambassadors…politically
Need for clarity… in the children of God… spiritually
God is timeless… God is unchanging… God is faithful… no matter what you say…

The Testimony of God

The Testimony of Contrast

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come "? Their condemnation is just.

Our testimony…
It isn’t about… "Let us do evil that good may come "?
But our testimony… is an important message of contrast… redeeming our past for Kingdom purposes….

God has taken the challenges of life and used them for his glory

Not a home of faith
13 years old Folks separated… about a year
15 Years old a father
Then an experience with the Catholic church
16 years met Lisa… believer / unbeliever
Lived on my own
My brother lived on the streets
Had problems in school
Has been convicted
Struggled with addiction
Parents divorced…
Life in business
Family that died young…

Only one of 5 reached pension… he died at 65

Been in business…
Had it all
Been a student
Lost it all

I don’t know what your testimony is….

It is a testimony of contrast…
God can redeem it…

Testimony of Contrast
Use it
Be Transformed…

The Redeeming Power

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." 13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; 14 "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; 15 "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, 16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, 17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." 18 "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES." 19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

So are we better… those entrusted with the Gospel…
Are we better those who have the oracles of God…
NOT IN OURSELVES
Here is our testimony… apart from God
ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE
TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE
DECEIVING
POISON
CURSING AND BITTERNESS
DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS
…AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN
But we are not hung out to dry…
We get to experience the redeeming power of God!!
We get to live a testimony of contrast…
The Gospel… turn away from our sin
… turn to God…
21 But now apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
Before we believed… we stood toe to toe with God… and said I am right… you are wrong and this is how I will live my life…
We were Rebels… with a cause… us… our happiness our needs our satisfaction… only it didn’t meet our needs… it didn’t make us truly happy… nor were we satisfied…
No matter how dark our testimony… no matter how wildly in contrasted with the righteousness of God…
Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…
The Advantage

Give our children the advantage
Give them the Word
Live Christ in their midst

The Testimony of God

God is unchanging
God is he is… and always will be
Righteous, loving, compassionate, merciful, just

The Testimony of Contrast

Take what you have been given and bring it to bear on the Mission
Take your life apart from Christ and hold it up against the truth of the Gospel
Use what God has given you… your life and experiences… to testify to him

The Redeeming Power

Know that is through Christ
That we are purged of all unrighteous
Not of ourselves our or doing… but Christ in us…