Why we need the gospel 1

If only they understood. Yet often our joy in gospel lost, because we take it for granted. It’s only when life gets tough that we turn to God. How easily we take gospel for granted, our affection is drawn elsewhere..

Bible reading Romans 1:18-32

(warn about “heaviness of weeks ahead” Ask question: Why do we need the gospel?) What would be the headline of our reading?

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I hope you saw as you read. Paul is clear.

God offers rescue from his righteous wrath

Today

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Passage is a reality check, so that we might marvel at gospel.

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It’s only as we get the seriousness of our sin that we will marvel at the gospel of grace.

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Paul really wants to show us the depth of the heart of the human problem. It’s a problem of the human heart. Why isn’t it enough to simply seek to live a good life. WHy can’t we save ourselves?

Summary of following chapters is in 18-19.

Romans 1:18–19 NIV

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

Unexcusable rebellion against our Creator God who deserves all our worship.

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Paul wants to show us depth of sin,

VERTICAL ROOT > relationship with God,

HORIZONTAL EFFECT > infects all of our human experience and relationships.

Think of it another way:

illustration: Whats happening at the root of a plant, effects the fruit, what we see and taste. root is heart - and our relationship with God. fruit is horizontal.

The root of sin: A broken relationship with God

Why do we sin?

example of mistake because I didnt know any better.

Is that the case with God - no. Creation. Creation declares Glory of God. From grandest mountain peak to smallest molecule. His name is written in the stars.

Protein in DNA lamin, which basically holds cells together. Cross shaped.

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We see his divine nature and eternal power. Universe that is beyond our understanding. We can only begin to fathom. It’s shows there is a maker and a ruler. It is ordered and ongoing. So why don’t people believe in him?

Supress the truth. We push it aside.

Why?

Romans 1:21–23 NIV

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

supression. instead of gloryfying God and giving thanks, we want glory for ourselves. Look to our own wisdom. intellect, ideas, morals.

first of 3 exchanges. v23

instead of glorying in the creator - we glory in the creation. It’s what the bible calls idolatry. what is it v25 second exchange

Romans 1:25 NIV

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

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Exchange. Truth for lie. We begin to believe that God is not good or not enough. Started in the garden. Lie, as serpant undermined God’s word, and Adam and Even doubted his goodness.

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ALL SIN has its root here. IN that moment, believe that God is not good or not enough.

It comes from a desire to rule in God’s place. Sit on throne in lives. Yet reality is that we don’t rule - but are subject to our desires. As we believe lie - turn to other things to give us life we think we need. At heart we are all worshippers. We all rely on something or someone to bring us life, satisfaction, peace, security. It should be our creator ultimately. But instead we put our hope, happiness, trust in things he made. Maybe not statues, but money, power, success, sex, health. people. Many of them good things that God created, but we make them God’s in our lives.

one author wrote:

“It’s not just that they do wrong, though they know better. It is that they have made a prior decision to live for themselve, rather than for God & others, and therefore deliberately stifle any truth which challenges their self centredness”

Because of our self centredness, our desire to push God our of the picture - We are rebels, enemies before the eternal King. Instead serving of praising him as we should verse 25, we serve and praise ourselves or creation.

And so we are told God reveals his wrath against the godlessness and wickeness of people. there is no higher charge agaisnt us. And no worse a consequence.

What does it look like to God reveal his wrath. Not here talking about his eternal wrath, that will fall on judgement day. and not wrath as we might think, human anger, uncontrolled lashing out. No. It’s his settled, controlled, consistent, just opposition to all that is evil. What does that look like in world today?

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The result of Sin: A broken relationship with the world.

See it 3 times in passage as the giving over. God gives us over to our sin. You want to say ““I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

Have it your way. and face the consequences. See this list, not exhaustive, but pretty inclusive. First God gives us over to the sinful desires of our hearts. v24, and hones in on example that relevant for everyone. Sex.

in our world Sex sells. why because we are so enslaved to desire. Desire that leads us to go against the way we were made. God made sex as a good thing, for context of marriage between one man and one women. Under God it’s a glue that binds, and brings forth life.

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A good desire, that in our sin has become an over desire. It rules our thoughts, and lives, and values. It becomes a thing of worship, we look to get it wherever we can. live in world where sex has become this cheap and public and abused and corrupted. See it in extreme ways, prostition, rape, sex trafficing, but also see it in socially acceptable ways pornography, causual, one night stands, locker room banter.

And this includes homosexual sex. v26. Paul giving example of what happens when we turn away from God’s rule and design as because we know God through creation - natural order, so we suppress the truth, God givees us over to our unnatural desires

Romans 1:26–27 NIV

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

If this is particualrly sensitive issue for you, hear me out.

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Church today has failed on two sides of this argument. There are those who condone and support the LGBT movement, and undermine authority of scripture by denying that homosexxuality is a sin. But there are also those who treat homosexuality as some form of greater sin, and offer no love or grace. Both fail to hold onto God’s word faithfully. And neither show true love. One ignores the danger of sin, and the other fails to show grace and compassion to the sinner.

And so wanting to be faithful to God’s word, and loving to you, I won’t ignore these verses but say this.

First, no where in the bible does it condemn same sex attraction, but it does make clear that as with all sex outside of the marriage between one man and one women, homosexual sex is sinful.

Church has failed not just in teaching but also in care for those with same sex attraction - I want to say, whether you are struggling with same sex attraction or inappropriate hetrosexual attraction, please don’t struggle on your own. Speak to me or one of elders, or a Christian you know, we at Crossway want to care for you well, and show you God’s love and plan for you, as someone who is made by God for a rich life in right relationship with him. After all isn’t whole point of passage that we are all sinners.

See that here - not just sex that’s effected but everything! v29-31 not exhaustive list, (Paul even says we invent ways of doing evil).

economic disorder (greed) social disorder (murder, strife, deciept, malice) family breakdown (disobey parents) relational breakdown (senseless, faithless, heartless and ruthless)

this is wrath of God poured on unbelieving world, as he leaves it to its own devices. What’s result. What theologians call total depravity. not that all of us are as bad as we could be or that everything we do is completely sinful. But that there is no one, and no area of life, or part of our heart that is not tainted by sin.

Poison in water. not that whole cup is poison, but whole drink is toxic.

Need convicing at your need for the gospel. Look around Paul says, Look at the world. Look at your lives, look at your heart.

What does this mean. That outside of God’s divine grace, we are utterly without hope. Sorry if thats a shock to you this morning. But we need to get this if we are going to grasp and marvel at the gospel. That it’s not just a nice story but our greatest need and the very best news.

Because its in this reality - this context, as Paul shows us the depth of our depravity that we might see the Glory in the gospel.

The rescue from sin: Run to Jesus!

That we might treasure the truth of v16 every day.

Romans 1:16 NIV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

It’s better news that fire engine to burning building, or life boat from sinking titanic or bus out of an avelanch. Gospel is Jesus coming to save sinners from wrath of God both now and for eternity. What can mend our broken lives and broken world - only power of God in the gospel.

Run to Jesus. God’s power to save. Who came into the world to experience the brokeness, to face God’s wrath, so that might recieve God’s righteousness. So that despite all our sin - we might enjoy a right relationship with him. And in that relationship may know perfect peace and the power for transformed lives.

Unless we see the depth of our depravity, our utter sinfulness before a Holy God, we will never marvel at the glory of his grace - the power of salvation - the power of Jesus at the cross, and we won’t experience the life transforming power of the gospel until we recognise our need for it!

I wonder where are you today.

Unbeliever hearing hard truth. Don’t ignore it, but let reality drive you to Jesus.

Brothers and sisters. I wonder where we need to hear the gospel this morning. Where are we exchanging the truth about God for a lie, and worshipping created things instead of him. What most occupies your heart? We are you tempted to look for life outside of God. Let these verses show you horror of your sin. Sin perhaps you have been justifying or minimising. Turn again to Jesus. Stop listening to the lies. And tell the world. If this is true, its also urgent. And its too important to be worried about causing events.

Lets mourn at our sin, lets rejoice in our Saviour and tell the world about him.

Pray

Then pray together

If you believe God’s word today - here in Romans’s 1:18-32. repeat after me:

Jesus: I am the worst sinner I know.

If you believe God’s word todayrepeat after me

“I am the worst sinner i know” But Christ died for me.

If you believe God’s word todayrepeat after me

Jesus: You deserve all the glory. You are our greatest need and deepest joy.

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