1 00:00:01,966 --> 00:00:03,300 The word gospel 2 00:00:03,300 --> 00:00:06,300 translates to news that brings joy. 3 00:00:06,566 --> 00:00:08,833 But this isn't just any news. 4 00:00:08,833 --> 00:00:11,900 A gospel is news that changes a life forever. 5 00:00:12,666 --> 00:00:15,633 After being invaded and enslaved by Persia, 6 00:00:15,633 --> 00:00:19,800 Greece won two decisive battles at Marathon and Souls. 7 00:00:20,466 --> 00:00:23,633 The Greeks sent out heralds, also called evangelists, 8 00:00:23,766 --> 00:00:26,200 to proclaim the good news to the cities. 9 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,633 We have fought for you. We have won. 10 00:00:28,633 --> 00:00:30,933 And now you're no longer slaves. 11 00:00:30,933 --> 00:00:33,000 You're free. 12 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,766 The reality is that we are all slaves. 13 00:00:35,766 --> 00:00:38,766 Slaves to sin and slaves to death. 14 00:00:38,766 --> 00:00:41,766 We are slaves in need of good news. 15 00:00:42,766 --> 00:00:45,600 Enter Jesus, God's son. 16 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,000 Fully God, fully man. 17 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,000 Bringing news that would change our lives forever. 18 00:00:51,233 --> 00:00:52,933 His news was this. 19 00:00:52,933 --> 00:00:54,100 I am the divine. 20 00:00:54,100 --> 00:00:57,100 Come to you to do what you cannot do for yourself. 21 00:00:57,666 --> 00:01:01,233 I will take what you deserve so you can have what I deserve. 22 00:01:01,833 --> 00:01:04,600 You have no idea how much it will cost me. 23 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,133 But you also cannot imagine the depths of my love for you. 24 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,100 It is a gift that I give freely. 25 00:01:11,100 --> 00:01:12,466 So repent. 26 00:01:12,466 --> 00:01:15,466 Repent from all the ways you run for me and follow me. 27 00:01:15,900 --> 00:01:18,900 Follow me because I am the only way to eternal life. 28 00:01:19,266 --> 00:01:22,600 Follow me because I'm the Savior you've been looking for. 29 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,000 Follow me because I have authority over everything. 30 00:01:26,266 --> 00:01:28,500 Yet I have humbled myself for you. 31 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:29,166 Follow me. 32 00:01:29,166 --> 00:01:31,733 Because I died on a cross for you. 33 00:01:31,733 --> 00:01:34,433 Because I am your true love and your true life. 34 00:01:36,966 --> 00:01:39,366 This is my good news for you. 35 00:01:39,366 --> 00:01:41,166 This is my gospel. 36 00:01:41,166 --> 00:01:44,966 That you have been saved by grace and that you are slave 37 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:49,333 no more. You. 38 00:01:59,866 --> 00:02:02,500 Were beginning this morning 39 00:02:02,500 --> 00:02:05,500 a study through the book of Romans. 40 00:02:06,166 --> 00:02:08,400 And it is 41 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,400 probably 42 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,400 the book and the Bible, 43 00:02:14,266 --> 00:02:17,300 that needs to be studied every day 44 00:02:18,533 --> 00:02:21,100 for the rest of our lives. 45 00:02:21,100 --> 00:02:23,200 But even with doing that, 46 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,833 well, it would never 47 00:02:25,833 --> 00:02:28,233 get to the depths of it all. 48 00:02:28,233 --> 00:02:31,233 So I'm excited to start this year with you going through the book of Romans. 49 00:02:32,266 --> 00:02:33,166 I'm going to ask 50 00:02:33,166 --> 00:02:36,600 that as we go through the book of Romans, that you read it repeatedly on your own. 51 00:02:37,466 --> 00:02:40,466 I'm going to try to get through a chapter a week. 52 00:02:40,866 --> 00:02:43,866 There'll be some that I we can't, 53 00:02:44,533 --> 00:02:48,900 and there's no way I could go through every verse in every chapter. 54 00:02:48,900 --> 00:02:51,133 So we'll take big chunks of. 55 00:02:51,133 --> 00:02:52,800 But you're going to have to do some reading 56 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,266 and some a little bit of study on your own. 57 00:02:54,266 --> 00:02:57,700 And we'll provide some resources throughout this so you can do that better. 58 00:02:58,800 --> 00:02:59,766 But I want to encourage you 59 00:02:59,766 --> 00:03:04,633 to bring your Bibles with you and to take notes as we go through this. 60 00:03:05,466 --> 00:03:07,900 Heather got us all new pens, 61 00:03:07,900 --> 00:03:10,900 those blue pens, and they are fantastic. 62 00:03:10,966 --> 00:03:13,966 I've not like any of the pens we've had before, but I like these. 63 00:03:14,733 --> 00:03:17,366 And our youth pastor Michael was in the office of the day. 64 00:03:17,366 --> 00:03:19,666 I was going on about how much I like these pens, and he said, 65 00:03:19,666 --> 00:03:21,533 this little stinker. 66 00:03:21,533 --> 00:03:23,533 He said, you know, your children are excited about pens. 67 00:03:23,533 --> 00:03:26,533 Well, whatever. I like them. 68 00:03:26,666 --> 00:03:28,500 And so, they're there for you. 69 00:03:28,500 --> 00:03:31,433 Take notes, take them with you. 70 00:03:31,433 --> 00:03:33,900 Leave them other places. 71 00:03:33,900 --> 00:03:36,600 But read this book as we go through this. 72 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:38,500 Take notes as we study together. 73 00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:39,433 Take notes on your own. 74 00:03:39,433 --> 00:03:42,433 We'll talk about it as we go through chapter by chapter every week. 75 00:03:42,466 --> 00:03:43,733 And bring your huddle with you. 76 00:03:46,166 --> 00:03:49,166 This is important stuff. 77 00:03:49,500 --> 00:03:51,100 As Paul desired 78 00:03:51,100 --> 00:03:55,633 after he came to to faith in Jesus, when God met him on the road to Damascus, 79 00:03:56,666 --> 00:03:59,666 he, as he's developed his his faith and 80 00:03:59,700 --> 00:04:02,700 and understanding what the gospel truly was. 81 00:04:03,566 --> 00:04:07,300 He had a deep and yearning, abiding desire to go to Rome 82 00:04:08,066 --> 00:04:10,933 and tell the people in Rome about this gospel. 83 00:04:10,933 --> 00:04:13,366 Explain it thoroughly to them. 84 00:04:13,366 --> 00:04:16,366 And while he was in Jerusalem, 85 00:04:16,533 --> 00:04:19,100 in one of his many prayer times, 86 00:04:19,100 --> 00:04:22,066 the Holy Spirit told him that 87 00:04:22,066 --> 00:04:25,666 that there would be great problems and peril if you were to go to Rome 88 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,933 and warned him. 89 00:04:28,933 --> 00:04:31,933 And so part of that response, I think, 90 00:04:33,266 --> 00:04:36,933 later when Paul was in Corinth, he decided he would write a letter 91 00:04:36,933 --> 00:04:39,966 to the people in Rome to explain 92 00:04:39,966 --> 00:04:42,966 to them the fullness of the gospel of Jesus. 93 00:04:44,233 --> 00:04:46,800 And I started thinking 94 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:48,600 about that. 95 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,233 And I thought, I thought this if you knew that, 96 00:04:52,233 --> 00:04:56,500 you would see those closest to you again, what would be the one thing 97 00:04:57,133 --> 00:05:00,133 you would most want to communicate to them? 98 00:05:01,233 --> 00:05:04,133 That we just spent time with our kids and our grandkids. 99 00:05:04,133 --> 00:05:04,966 It was fantastic. 100 00:05:04,966 --> 00:05:07,966 And we don't get to see them nearly enough. 101 00:05:09,733 --> 00:05:11,833 But if you had people like that in your life 102 00:05:11,833 --> 00:05:14,833 and you knew that you wouldn't see them again 103 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,500 and you could communicate to them one thing, what would that one thing be? 104 00:05:20,700 --> 00:05:23,033 The answer to that question will reveal 105 00:05:23,033 --> 00:05:26,033 your greatest values. 106 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,500 And for Paul, 107 00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:32,033 his greatest value was the gospel. 108 00:05:32,033 --> 00:05:34,433 The good news of Jesus. 109 00:05:34,433 --> 00:05:38,366 And so he wrote this letter that we have on our Bibles called the Book of Romans. 110 00:05:39,100 --> 00:05:41,433 The book of Romans is divided into four sections. 111 00:05:41,433 --> 00:05:44,900 And Paul begins with in chapter one, verse 17 112 00:05:45,333 --> 00:05:48,933 through chapter three, with the wrath of God. 113 00:05:50,533 --> 00:05:52,200 And then in chapter three 114 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,200 through eight, he deals with the grace of God. 115 00:05:56,066 --> 00:05:58,933 And after dealing with the wrath of God and the grace of God, 116 00:05:58,933 --> 00:06:01,933 he then talks about the plan of God 117 00:06:02,066 --> 00:06:04,366 in chapters nine through 11. 118 00:06:04,366 --> 00:06:08,166 Then, having dealt with the wrath of God, the grace of God, the plan of God, 119 00:06:08,166 --> 00:06:12,500 he then develops the will of God from chapters 12 to 15. 120 00:06:13,100 --> 00:06:15,466 And that's how the book is divided. 121 00:06:15,466 --> 00:06:18,700 And so as we jump into this first chapter, 122 00:06:19,533 --> 00:06:22,000 Paul is going to outline for us 123 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,000 the wrath of God. 124 00:06:26,166 --> 00:06:28,900 And there's where there's the wrath of God. 125 00:06:28,900 --> 00:06:30,866 There's the good news of God as well, which is the gospel. 126 00:06:30,866 --> 00:06:33,200 And so we'll get into all of it. 127 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,433 But again, I want to encourage you read this. 128 00:06:35,433 --> 00:06:37,200 Let's study this together. 129 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,200 It's a profound book, not just because it's scripture, 130 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:43,433 but because of what it says. In Scripture. 131 00:06:43,933 --> 00:06:44,766 And so let's dive in. 132 00:06:44,766 --> 00:06:47,466 Chapter one of Romans, starting in verse one. 133 00:06:53,500 --> 00:06:56,333 Paul, a bond servant 134 00:06:56,333 --> 00:06:59,866 of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, 135 00:07:00,366 --> 00:07:03,366 separated to the gospel of God, 136 00:07:03,566 --> 00:07:06,300 which he promised before, 137 00:07:06,300 --> 00:07:08,633 through his prophets 138 00:07:08,633 --> 00:07:11,633 in the old, in the Holy Scriptures 139 00:07:11,933 --> 00:07:14,866 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, 140 00:07:14,866 --> 00:07:17,366 who was born of the seed of David 141 00:07:17,366 --> 00:07:22,500 according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God 142 00:07:22,933 --> 00:07:27,133 with power, according to the spirit of holiness, 143 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,600 by the resurrection of the dead. 144 00:07:31,633 --> 00:07:35,400 Through him we have received grace and apostleship 145 00:07:36,066 --> 00:07:41,500 for obedience to the life or to the faith among all nations. 146 00:07:41,500 --> 00:07:44,500 For his name. 147 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:45,966 Among whom 148 00:07:45,966 --> 00:07:49,766 you also are the called of Jesus Christ. 149 00:07:49,766 --> 00:07:54,100 What Paul does in the very beginning is set out to define who he is. 150 00:07:55,166 --> 00:07:59,233 In writing this gospel and he calls himself Paul. 151 00:07:59,366 --> 00:08:00,933 Do you remember what he said of himself, Paul? 152 00:08:00,933 --> 00:08:03,766 A bondservant. 153 00:08:03,766 --> 00:08:06,766 It's important for us to understand what he's saying about himself. 154 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,500 A bondservant is the Greek word dulos, 155 00:08:11,366 --> 00:08:15,000 and it means complete devotion to. 156 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:20,533 So what Paul is saying is that he has chosen to be a slave 157 00:08:21,066 --> 00:08:25,333 completely devoted to another, in this case, Christ. 158 00:08:26,133 --> 00:08:28,733 Well, he's making the statement, and it's a profound statement. 159 00:08:29,900 --> 00:08:30,800 And he's saying this. 160 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:35,166 He's saying I'm better off as a slave to you than a free man on my own. 161 00:08:36,766 --> 00:08:37,666 I'm better. 162 00:08:37,666 --> 00:08:41,266 I'm in a better position as your slave than I am. 163 00:08:41,266 --> 00:08:43,766 If I had free reign over my own life. 164 00:08:43,766 --> 00:08:46,966 That's a profound statement, because so many of us, 165 00:08:46,966 --> 00:08:50,566 especially in America, we value our freedom. 166 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,200 We don't want anybody telling us, demanding, 167 00:08:54,900 --> 00:08:57,900 giving us mandates, right? 168 00:08:59,300 --> 00:09:02,800 So what he's saying is, I can be free, 169 00:09:04,366 --> 00:09:06,900 but I'd rather be a slave. 170 00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:09,366 Not to a man, 171 00:09:09,366 --> 00:09:11,333 but to Jesus. 172 00:09:11,333 --> 00:09:14,333 And that's the great paradox of Christianity. 173 00:09:15,300 --> 00:09:18,300 That we are set free to become a slave of 174 00:09:19,233 --> 00:09:19,766 any saying. 175 00:09:19,766 --> 00:09:24,800 I am choosing to be a bondservant, completely devoted as a slave 176 00:09:25,233 --> 00:09:28,233 to my master Jesus. 177 00:09:28,833 --> 00:09:29,900 And notice what he says. 178 00:09:29,900 --> 00:09:34,066 He says, I am separated to the gospel. 179 00:09:35,133 --> 00:09:36,766 Now when you talk about separation, 180 00:09:36,766 --> 00:09:40,266 you talk about being separated from something and separated to something. 181 00:09:40,566 --> 00:09:44,033 And most people in coming to faith come to faith. 182 00:09:44,033 --> 00:09:47,666 So they'll be separated from from my past, 183 00:09:47,966 --> 00:09:52,033 from sin, from what I was, from who I used to be. 184 00:09:52,533 --> 00:09:55,233 And even in Paul is talk to the church in Corinth. 185 00:09:55,233 --> 00:10:00,100 He lists this a horrendous list of of sin and sinful behavior and says, that's 186 00:10:00,100 --> 00:10:01,200 what some of you were. 187 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,833 And so there's legitimately 188 00:10:03,833 --> 00:10:06,833 a separation from. 189 00:10:07,466 --> 00:10:09,766 But Paul says he's not just separated from 190 00:10:09,766 --> 00:10:12,766 he says he is separated two. 191 00:10:13,066 --> 00:10:16,066 And this is an important distinction for us to make, 192 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,700 not just to be separated from, 193 00:10:18,700 --> 00:10:21,100 but to be separated. Two. 194 00:10:21,100 --> 00:10:22,700 Now, think in terms of marriage. 195 00:10:22,700 --> 00:10:26,533 When you get married, you are separated from father. 196 00:10:26,566 --> 00:10:28,166 You're separated from mother. 197 00:10:28,166 --> 00:10:30,600 They will leave father, mother and cleave to each other. 198 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:31,333 Become one flesh. 199 00:10:31,333 --> 00:10:35,733 You're separated from father mother and are separated from all over all others. 200 00:10:35,733 --> 00:10:39,000 But you're not just separated from your separated to one other. 201 00:10:39,500 --> 00:10:40,800 Didn't stand. 202 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:42,466 So there's both a separation from my own. 203 00:10:42,466 --> 00:10:43,966 Separation two. 204 00:10:43,966 --> 00:10:47,133 And Paul's point here is to say I am a slave. 205 00:10:47,133 --> 00:10:51,733 I am willingly and purposely putting myself under the service of another. 206 00:10:51,733 --> 00:10:55,033 I'm better off as a slave to God through Jesus 207 00:10:55,033 --> 00:10:58,133 than him of my own, living my life on my own. 208 00:10:59,166 --> 00:11:01,300 And I'm not just separated from. 209 00:11:01,300 --> 00:11:04,300 I'm separated two. 210 00:11:05,333 --> 00:11:07,566 So the question I have to ask myself, 211 00:11:07,566 --> 00:11:10,566 I encourage you to ask yourself. 212 00:11:12,300 --> 00:11:15,300 What are you separated to? 213 00:11:16,266 --> 00:11:19,266 Some are separated to their career. 214 00:11:19,666 --> 00:11:22,433 Some are separated two 215 00:11:22,433 --> 00:11:24,133 many things. 216 00:11:24,133 --> 00:11:27,133 Paul says I'm separated to the gospel. 217 00:11:28,166 --> 00:11:30,966 Many people come to faith because they want to be separated from 218 00:11:30,966 --> 00:11:33,966 without even giving thought to being separated to something. 219 00:11:36,133 --> 00:11:37,133 So I believe that you can have 220 00:11:37,133 --> 00:11:40,133 a free soul and a lost life. 221 00:11:40,166 --> 00:11:41,800 You can have a free soul, but a lost life 222 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,800 because you're not separated to something that's greater than yourself. 223 00:11:45,100 --> 00:11:47,133 Eternity. 224 00:11:47,133 --> 00:11:48,633 The gospel. 225 00:11:48,633 --> 00:11:49,733 The ministry of the gospel. 226 00:11:49,733 --> 00:11:52,733 Evangelism of the gospel. 227 00:11:52,766 --> 00:11:54,300 So it's not enough for people to see. 228 00:11:54,300 --> 00:11:56,200 Just be separated from the old, he says. 229 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:57,833 You need to be separated. Two. 230 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,733 It's a challenge for us. 231 00:12:01,733 --> 00:12:03,666 Most of us think it's enough 232 00:12:03,666 --> 00:12:07,133 of this Christian life be separated from the past and separated from sin. 233 00:12:07,300 --> 00:12:09,300 It's not enough. 234 00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:12,800 When Jesus said to the people he called, he said, come, follow me. 235 00:12:12,900 --> 00:12:16,866 He's saying, separate yourself from everything else and be separated to me. 236 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,933 So I want to challenge us this morning 237 00:12:21,933 --> 00:12:22,700 to be separated. 238 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:25,700 Two Christ. 239 00:12:26,033 --> 00:12:28,633 The Kingdom of God, the work of God in this world 240 00:12:28,633 --> 00:12:31,633 to the gospel. 241 00:12:32,366 --> 00:12:32,800 He says, 242 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:35,800 this gospel came through the prophets. 243 00:12:36,033 --> 00:12:39,033 What he's talking about is the Old Testament prophets. 244 00:12:39,866 --> 00:12:42,766 This gospel that he's talking about, he says it's not new. 245 00:12:42,766 --> 00:12:44,633 It's old. 246 00:12:44,633 --> 00:12:46,466 It was given to us through the prophets of Old 247 00:12:46,466 --> 00:12:49,466 Testament generations and eons ago. 248 00:12:50,266 --> 00:12:51,733 The gospel is very old 249 00:12:52,766 --> 00:12:55,733 and very true. 250 00:12:55,733 --> 00:12:57,433 But, you know, most, 251 00:12:57,433 --> 00:13:00,833 most time I feel like like people are drawn to the new people like the new. 252 00:13:00,866 --> 00:13:05,500 They don't like the old, like the new teachings, like new ideas, like new waves. 253 00:13:07,133 --> 00:13:08,100 I like to say it like this. 254 00:13:08,100 --> 00:13:09,066 If it's new, it's not true. 255 00:13:09,066 --> 00:13:11,233 If it's true, it's not new. 256 00:13:11,233 --> 00:13:13,233 The gospel, very old, 257 00:13:13,233 --> 00:13:16,233 is very true. 258 00:13:16,966 --> 00:13:18,466 And he talks about Jesus 259 00:13:18,466 --> 00:13:21,800 in terms of his dual nature, fully God and fully man. 260 00:13:23,466 --> 00:13:25,000 And he talks about Jesus 261 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,633 as having of human origin the seed of David 262 00:13:29,833 --> 00:13:32,266 and eternally existent, the Son of God. 263 00:13:32,266 --> 00:13:34,700 Those are the words he uses. 264 00:13:34,700 --> 00:13:39,200 And he says the evidence of Jesus's humanity is his birth, 265 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,300 and the evidence of Jesus's divinity is his resurrection. 266 00:13:43,833 --> 00:13:47,533 He says this Jesus is is is uniquely unique 267 00:13:48,700 --> 00:13:51,400 because he is fully God and fully man. 268 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:55,500 And he said, it's this unique Jesus that I am giving myself 269 00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:58,500 as a slave to. 270 00:14:02,366 --> 00:14:05,733 And he goes on and in these next few verses and gives it 271 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,966 a little bit more full introduction, he says, I love you. 272 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,900 I long to visit you, and he's writing to them. 273 00:14:11,900 --> 00:14:15,833 And just as a side note, he says in verse 11, 274 00:14:16,733 --> 00:14:18,666 I long to see you so that I may impart to you 275 00:14:18,666 --> 00:14:21,600 some spiritual gift to make you strong, that is, 276 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,733 that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. 277 00:14:24,733 --> 00:14:28,133 And and when I read that, I thought, but that's the that's 278 00:14:28,133 --> 00:14:31,133 the golden dream of every pastor 279 00:14:31,733 --> 00:14:35,366 to be mutually encouraged by their church, by each other's faith, 280 00:14:36,466 --> 00:14:39,466 and not have it be just one sided, 281 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,400 where the pastor gets to impart 282 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,400 faith and knowledge and and encourage this church. 283 00:14:44,700 --> 00:14:47,900 But there's a there's a there's there's there's faith that comes back 284 00:14:48,833 --> 00:14:52,600 that that the pastor is encouraged by the church's faith as well. 285 00:14:52,966 --> 00:14:55,200 And so let me tell you, thank you. 286 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,700 Some of you are very encouraging to me because I see your faith. 287 00:14:58,700 --> 00:15:00,600 I see your growth. 288 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,533 I see your struggle. 289 00:15:02,533 --> 00:15:03,733 I see your successes. 290 00:15:03,733 --> 00:15:08,600 I, I see the faith that's growing and the desire to grow in faith. 291 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,100 I see you're steady. 292 00:15:10,100 --> 00:15:11,400 I see you carry your Bibles. 293 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:12,600 I see you do your devotions. 294 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:14,533 I see you praying with us. 295 00:15:14,533 --> 00:15:17,833 I see you ministering and it's encouraging. 296 00:15:19,066 --> 00:15:20,900 So thank you. 297 00:15:20,900 --> 00:15:24,366 My prayer is that we are continually mutually encouraged by each other's faith. 298 00:15:25,266 --> 00:15:28,266 But then it gets into the heart of chapter one 299 00:15:28,500 --> 00:15:31,900 and verses 14 and 15, and I want to jump into the heart of it. 300 00:15:33,833 --> 00:15:34,500 He says, I am a 301 00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:38,466 debtor both to the Greek, both to Greeks, and to barbarians. 302 00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:40,633 I'll tell you about that in just a minute. 303 00:15:40,633 --> 00:15:43,200 About to wise and to unwise. 304 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:49,266 So as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. 305 00:15:49,266 --> 00:15:51,733 Also. 306 00:15:51,733 --> 00:15:53,966 He says, I'm in debt now. 307 00:15:53,966 --> 00:15:56,666 He wasn't in debt financially. 308 00:15:56,666 --> 00:15:59,666 Thankfully, credit cards weren't around back then. 309 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,900 And he lived within his means. 310 00:16:02,900 --> 00:16:04,100 He didn't overextend himself. 311 00:16:04,100 --> 00:16:05,966 But he's not talking about financial. 312 00:16:05,966 --> 00:16:10,700 That's what he's talking about is being in debt in this way, 313 00:16:11,566 --> 00:16:16,166 being the intermediary between the owner and the beneficiaries. 314 00:16:17,033 --> 00:16:20,566 And he says, basically, the owner has given something to me 315 00:16:20,700 --> 00:16:23,700 that he wants passed on to the beneficiaries. 316 00:16:23,933 --> 00:16:27,033 The gospel, he said in I am in debt 317 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,000 because I've been given it by the owner and I'm in debt. 318 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:35,033 As long as I hold it, I have to give it to those who intended it to go. 319 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:36,933 So I'm in debt. 320 00:16:39,033 --> 00:16:40,233 The same could be said of us. 321 00:16:40,233 --> 00:16:40,933 So if anybody 322 00:16:40,933 --> 00:16:44,200 who has the truth of Jesus, whoever, anybody who claims to be a Christian, 323 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,400 the same could be said for us that we are in debt because 324 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,866 we've been given something from God that he doesn't intend to stay with us. 325 00:16:52,933 --> 00:16:56,700 But there's others who he intends to be the beneficiaries of it, 326 00:16:56,833 --> 00:16:59,800 and we have to pass it on 327 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,800 when we get it and hold it. 328 00:17:03,900 --> 00:17:06,900 We live as debtors. 329 00:17:07,700 --> 00:17:08,866 And Paul says, I'm in debt. 330 00:17:08,866 --> 00:17:10,700 I have to pass it. 331 00:17:10,700 --> 00:17:14,533 The owner has given it to me, and there are many beneficiaries 332 00:17:14,533 --> 00:17:16,933 that haven't got it yet, and I have to pass it on. 333 00:17:16,933 --> 00:17:19,833 And friends, let me tell you this, that 334 00:17:19,833 --> 00:17:23,566 if we call ourselves Christians, we live as people of debt 335 00:17:25,066 --> 00:17:25,266 because 336 00:17:25,266 --> 00:17:28,300 we've been given something by God of Jesus. 337 00:17:28,300 --> 00:17:30,000 The gospel. 338 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,466 And there are many people who God desires 339 00:17:32,466 --> 00:17:35,466 to be beneficiaries of that gospel. 340 00:17:35,866 --> 00:17:38,866 And as long as you and I hold it 341 00:17:39,233 --> 00:17:41,266 where people of debt 342 00:17:41,266 --> 00:17:43,833 and the only way to get out of debt 343 00:17:43,833 --> 00:17:46,833 is to give it. 344 00:17:48,133 --> 00:17:51,066 Says I'm in debt to the Greeks and the barbarians. 345 00:17:51,066 --> 00:17:54,266 Now he is not talking about the Greeks and, you know, headhunters. 346 00:17:55,666 --> 00:17:58,800 The Greek language is so precise and it's so beautiful. 347 00:17:59,500 --> 00:18:02,500 And Greeks loved their language 348 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,400 and they were so arrogant about it 349 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:09,300 that they thought anybody there was the the chosen people 350 00:18:09,300 --> 00:18:13,800 who spoke Greek, and everybody else who were just who spoke gibberish. 351 00:18:14,533 --> 00:18:17,533 And the way they said gibberish is baa, baa, baa baa. 352 00:18:18,266 --> 00:18:20,133 They said, that's what every other language sounds like. 353 00:18:20,133 --> 00:18:21,966 Someone is going to baa, baa baa. 354 00:18:21,966 --> 00:18:25,233 And so those who didn't speak Greek were barbarians. 355 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,500 That's where that word comes from. 356 00:18:28,500 --> 00:18:30,800 Barbarians. 357 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,800 And so Paul says, I'm indebted. 358 00:18:34,566 --> 00:18:38,633 To everybody, the wise, the unwise, those 359 00:18:38,633 --> 00:18:42,000 who are the elites and those who are, you know, live in the ranchos and towns. 360 00:18:42,033 --> 00:18:45,033 You look like I'm in to everybody. 361 00:18:46,333 --> 00:18:49,333 I'm indebted. 362 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,000 And I love the fact that he says, 363 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:54,933 I am ready to preach. 364 00:18:54,933 --> 00:18:57,933 Paul could have used I am ready as his motto. 365 00:18:58,433 --> 00:19:00,566 Do you know what a motto is? 366 00:19:00,566 --> 00:19:01,400 What's a motto? 367 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,066 Nothing. What's the matter with you? 368 00:19:04,066 --> 00:19:06,500 I think it's funny, David, I just. 369 00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:07,366 Yeah. 370 00:19:07,366 --> 00:19:10,366 First I thought it was more funny, but whatever. 371 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:11,800 Bunch of barbarians. 372 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,000 Anyway, you said I'm ready. 373 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,066 He could have use the words I'm ready as his model. 374 00:19:16,066 --> 00:19:19,533 Because the moment he came to faith, his his promises 375 00:19:19,533 --> 00:19:22,533 first response to God was God, what do you want me to do? 376 00:19:22,566 --> 00:19:24,666 And from that moment on, he said, I'm ready. 377 00:19:25,700 --> 00:19:27,800 He said, I'm ready to preach and I'm ready to serve. 378 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,333 Romans one he said, I'm ready to suffer. 379 00:19:30,333 --> 00:19:34,100 Acts 21 he said, I'm ready to do all the unpleasant work, God, 380 00:19:34,100 --> 00:19:34,866 that you have me to do. 381 00:19:34,866 --> 00:19:38,200 Second Corinthians ten he said, I'm ready to die, second 382 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:41,200 Timothy, for I'm ready. 383 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,600 He said, look, I'm I, I have chosen to set aside my own 384 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:50,666 agenda and authority over my own life, and I have chosen to be a slave, complete 385 00:19:51,066 --> 00:19:55,166 a divided lead, loyal to this Jesus who was fully 386 00:19:55,166 --> 00:19:58,166 God and fully man. 387 00:19:59,333 --> 00:20:02,033 And I'm ready 388 00:20:02,033 --> 00:20:05,100 to pass on what he's given to me, to everybody, 389 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:07,766 that they may benefit by the gospel. 390 00:20:07,766 --> 00:20:09,500 Also, 391 00:20:09,500 --> 00:20:10,600 and whatever that means. 392 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:14,000 To preach, to serve, to suffer, 393 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,666 to do the yucky stuff, even to die. 394 00:20:19,066 --> 00:20:21,300 I'm ready. 395 00:20:21,300 --> 00:20:24,300 Profile. 396 00:20:25,033 --> 00:20:28,033 And then he gets in verses 16 and 17 397 00:20:28,466 --> 00:20:33,133 is for I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God 398 00:20:33,133 --> 00:20:36,500 that brings salvation to everyone who believes first to the Jew, 399 00:20:37,066 --> 00:20:39,266 then to the Gentile, the non-Jew. 400 00:20:39,266 --> 00:20:42,433 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, 401 00:20:42,833 --> 00:20:46,100 a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, 402 00:20:46,366 --> 00:20:50,200 just as it is written, the righteous will live by faith. 403 00:20:51,300 --> 00:20:52,700 This is the theme of Romans. 404 00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:55,700 These two verses are the theme of the entire book, 405 00:20:56,766 --> 00:20:59,766 and the theme of this entire book, according to those two verses, 406 00:20:59,933 --> 00:21:02,933 are righteousness and grace, 407 00:21:03,566 --> 00:21:05,766 not just grace. 408 00:21:05,766 --> 00:21:08,766 Grace means nothing without righteousness, 409 00:21:08,966 --> 00:21:10,400 and righteousness is unbearable. 410 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:12,066 Without grace. 411 00:21:12,066 --> 00:21:14,500 The theme of Romans is righteousness and grace. 412 00:21:15,633 --> 00:21:18,266 We need to understand something about the righteousness of God. 413 00:21:18,266 --> 00:21:19,866 It's twofold. 414 00:21:19,866 --> 00:21:22,966 The righteousness of God is given 415 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:27,300 by grace to faith, to those of us who will believe. 416 00:21:28,333 --> 00:21:31,333 And the righteousness of God 417 00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:35,100 leads to wrath for those who will not believe. 418 00:21:36,466 --> 00:21:39,700 And the world hates the righteousness of God, 419 00:21:40,366 --> 00:21:43,366 but it loves the love of God. 420 00:21:43,900 --> 00:21:45,766 The world loves the love of God. 421 00:21:45,766 --> 00:21:47,866 Why would we not? 422 00:21:47,866 --> 00:21:50,500 For God loved the world and gave his son, 423 00:21:50,500 --> 00:21:52,166 that whoever believes in him would have been drawn a life. 424 00:21:52,166 --> 00:21:53,966 That's great news. 425 00:21:53,966 --> 00:21:57,200 The world loves the love of God, but the world hates the righteousness of God, 426 00:21:57,266 --> 00:22:00,600 because the righteousness of God highlights individual sin, 427 00:22:01,366 --> 00:22:04,033 personal sin 428 00:22:04,033 --> 00:22:05,266 and the righteousness of God 429 00:22:05,266 --> 00:22:08,266 is given, imparted to those 430 00:22:08,833 --> 00:22:11,633 because of grace, through faith, to those who believe. 431 00:22:11,633 --> 00:22:15,600 But the righteousness of God demands that his wrath falls on those 432 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,400 who won't believe. And Paul is going to deal with both. 433 00:22:20,966 --> 00:22:22,000 The world does not want 434 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,900 to acknowledge the righteousness of God, 435 00:22:24,900 --> 00:22:27,900 because it makes the sin of the individual so evident. 436 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,000 And that's why there's so much talk about the love of God 437 00:22:32,466 --> 00:22:35,466 and so little about the righteousness of God. 438 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,600 But don't worry, Paul will get into both. 439 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,066 I want you to understand something about 440 00:22:42,066 --> 00:22:45,066 how profound the righteousness of God is. 441 00:22:45,900 --> 00:22:48,900 When the Bible, when the gospel talks about the righteousness of God, 442 00:22:49,100 --> 00:22:53,666 it doesn't just mean he's so holy that his wrath falls on the unrighteous. 443 00:22:53,666 --> 00:22:57,900 That's not all that it means for God to be righteous. 444 00:22:57,900 --> 00:22:58,933 Understand this please. 445 00:22:58,933 --> 00:23:02,333 This is very, very, very important for God to be righteous. 446 00:23:02,733 --> 00:23:05,966 It means he must declare me righteous 447 00:23:06,166 --> 00:23:09,166 by my faith, not by behavior. 448 00:23:10,233 --> 00:23:12,300 For God to be righteous, 449 00:23:12,300 --> 00:23:15,133 it means he has to declare me 450 00:23:15,133 --> 00:23:19,500 righteous by faith alone that just will live by faith. 451 00:23:23,066 --> 00:23:24,333 Romans places 452 00:23:24,333 --> 00:23:27,333 the righteousness of God in the first position, 453 00:23:27,366 --> 00:23:30,366 but it's followed closely by the grace of God. 454 00:23:30,466 --> 00:23:33,500 See, without righteousness, grace 455 00:23:33,500 --> 00:23:37,233 is simply the acceptance of every progressive, vile behavior. 456 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:42,300 But without grace, righteousness is only wrath 457 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,600 and condemnation. 458 00:23:45,966 --> 00:23:49,166 And so in Romans, Paul helps us understand that 459 00:23:49,166 --> 00:23:52,300 righteousness is primary, but grace is necessary 460 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,300 if we don't come to God by his grace through faith, 461 00:23:57,933 --> 00:24:01,900 his righteousness levels his wrath against the unrighteous. 462 00:24:02,666 --> 00:24:06,066 But because of his grace, which is necessary for us to come to 463 00:24:06,066 --> 00:24:10,633 Christ in faith, his righteousness is not leveled against us, is it? 464 00:24:10,666 --> 00:24:13,666 Is it is imputed upon us. 465 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,400 And this was this has been Paul's prayer 466 00:24:17,700 --> 00:24:20,700 ever since he started ministry. 467 00:24:20,733 --> 00:24:23,733 You go back to Ephesians six, verses 19 and 20. 468 00:24:24,266 --> 00:24:27,266 He says, pray for me that whenever I open my mouth I may proclaim 469 00:24:27,666 --> 00:24:29,800 the mystery of the gospel. 470 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,800 That's this righteousness and grace 471 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,833 given to anyone Jew, non-Jew, 472 00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:40,733 given to anyone who would believe by faith. 473 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,000 Apart from works. 474 00:24:45,966 --> 00:24:47,033 In verse 17 475 00:24:47,033 --> 00:24:52,100 he says in the gospel the righteousness from God 476 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:55,600 and of God, it's two fold. 477 00:24:55,900 --> 00:24:58,900 It's revealed from faith to faith. 478 00:24:59,433 --> 00:25:02,433 And he says, the righteous will live by faith, 479 00:25:04,266 --> 00:25:05,600 righteousness. 480 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:09,300 The gospel does not just define right the righteousness of God 481 00:25:09,566 --> 00:25:12,566 as a thing that condemns the sinner because of sin. 482 00:25:13,366 --> 00:25:15,366 The holiness of God does. 483 00:25:15,366 --> 00:25:19,866 But the righteousness of God means that his own righteousness 484 00:25:19,866 --> 00:25:24,766 is imputed to the one who puts their faith in Jesus. 485 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,333 And he says, it is. 486 00:25:28,333 --> 00:25:31,700 It's a righteousness from that will live by faith. 487 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,800 It's from faith from first to last. 488 00:25:34,933 --> 00:25:38,700 That means that we enter into this relationship by faith. 489 00:25:39,033 --> 00:25:42,100 And that relationship with Jesus is sustained by faith. 490 00:25:43,166 --> 00:25:44,500 Please understand, friends, 491 00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:47,700 it doesn't start with faith and move to works. 492 00:25:48,366 --> 00:25:50,866 You don't accept Jesus by faith and then work hard 493 00:25:50,866 --> 00:25:54,133 to keep your relationship right from faith to faith. 494 00:25:55,633 --> 00:25:59,600 It starts with faith and it is sustained by faith. 495 00:26:00,733 --> 00:26:03,733 The righteous will live by faith, not by works. 496 00:26:03,900 --> 00:26:06,600 When the Bible, when Paul says that the righteous will live, 497 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,766 the righteous will live by faith, that word. 498 00:26:09,766 --> 00:26:10,633 Right. This is real. 499 00:26:10,633 --> 00:26:12,833 I mean, we're going to take a deep dive in Romans. 500 00:26:12,833 --> 00:26:15,300 Okay. You right. 501 00:26:15,300 --> 00:26:18,300 You track it with me. 502 00:26:18,666 --> 00:26:19,266 I guarantee 503 00:26:19,266 --> 00:26:22,266 you it's going to like getting a little drink of water out of a firehose. 504 00:26:22,933 --> 00:26:26,533 There's a lot here, but let me just keep pushing. 505 00:26:26,700 --> 00:26:28,600 Let's just keep digging down a little bit deeper. 506 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,600 You all right? So some of you are like. 507 00:26:34,533 --> 00:26:35,500 Well, you're going to be all right. 508 00:26:35,500 --> 00:26:36,166 We're going to grow up. 509 00:26:36,166 --> 00:26:38,766 We'll grow together in this. 510 00:26:38,766 --> 00:26:41,933 When the Bible uses the word righteous, we'll live by faith. 511 00:26:42,833 --> 00:26:47,133 That word righteous, a Greek word, the I'll okay. 512 00:26:47,133 --> 00:26:51,166 And it literally means that it literally means I justified. 513 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:55,300 And what God is saying is that when he makes a person 514 00:26:55,300 --> 00:26:59,433 righteous, what he says is God says, I justify you now, 515 00:27:01,133 --> 00:27:03,133 I don't make you good. 516 00:27:03,133 --> 00:27:04,800 I don't make you better. 517 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,100 I don't clean you up. 518 00:27:07,100 --> 00:27:10,166 God says I justify no, 519 00:27:11,666 --> 00:27:12,466 that's important. 520 00:27:12,466 --> 00:27:15,466 Because of this. 521 00:27:17,100 --> 00:27:17,900 When a person, 522 00:27:17,900 --> 00:27:21,133 when a sinner responds in faith to Jesus, 523 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:24,600 God doesn't make that sinner good. 524 00:27:25,500 --> 00:27:28,500 He doesn't make that sinner clean. 525 00:27:28,533 --> 00:27:31,600 He doesn't turn what used to be bad into something good. 526 00:27:32,766 --> 00:27:33,633 It means 527 00:27:33,633 --> 00:27:37,533 he places his righteousness on that sinner. 528 00:27:37,533 --> 00:27:41,400 So any time in in Greek, when a word ends in what we would 529 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:46,500 say, double oh, oh, it means that person becomes that thief. 530 00:27:48,066 --> 00:27:50,433 They become that thing. 531 00:27:50,433 --> 00:27:54,500 And so if righteousness means justified, 532 00:27:55,566 --> 00:27:58,900 it means that God makes us become 533 00:28:00,066 --> 00:28:02,700 righteous. 534 00:28:02,700 --> 00:28:03,900 And what's profound about that, 535 00:28:03,900 --> 00:28:07,433 he says, is not the righteousness of man, it's the righteousness of God Himself. 536 00:28:08,333 --> 00:28:10,700 So when I come to faith in Jesus, 537 00:28:10,700 --> 00:28:14,633 God takes his own righteousness and puts it on me. 538 00:28:14,766 --> 00:28:18,366 And now God sees me as someone who never sinned at all. 539 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:22,300 It's profound. 540 00:28:22,300 --> 00:28:25,500 I become the righteousness of God. 541 00:28:25,733 --> 00:28:29,400 And God told us this in the Old Testament when he said, one of my names 542 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,233 is Jehovah, Tippecanoe. God, my righteousness. 543 00:28:34,233 --> 00:28:36,900 I don't become a good person. 544 00:28:36,900 --> 00:28:39,166 I don't become a cleaned up person. 545 00:28:39,166 --> 00:28:42,433 I don't become someone, just someone who's now new. 546 00:28:42,433 --> 00:28:47,900 I become in God's economy the very righteousness of God Himself. 547 00:28:47,900 --> 00:28:50,900 Can you imagine? 548 00:28:50,933 --> 00:28:53,766 Like when we get to heaven, 549 00:28:53,766 --> 00:28:57,866 if you place your faith in Jesus because of his work on the cross, 550 00:28:57,866 --> 00:29:00,966 his resurrection, you when you get 551 00:29:00,966 --> 00:29:04,100 there, it's not like God is in heaven. 552 00:29:04,266 --> 00:29:08,066 And he's like, well, I got the people who deserve this 553 00:29:08,066 --> 00:29:11,100 who were like the A group people right there. 554 00:29:11,100 --> 00:29:12,000 I mean, I mean, 555 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,000 some of the people in the Bible, like, they obviously they're going to be they're 556 00:29:16,066 --> 00:29:18,266 but then we got some 557 00:29:18,266 --> 00:29:21,033 they're not really A-listers, 558 00:29:21,033 --> 00:29:22,200 but they're, they're good. 559 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:23,566 Be made. 560 00:29:23,566 --> 00:29:25,333 They made it and they did some really good stuff 561 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,000 I think because I'm so gracious and benevolent. 562 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,000 And we got some listeners 563 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,400 and they were mostly good, 564 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,033 but they believed in me, which was I mean, that's that's the requirement. 565 00:29:37,033 --> 00:29:39,333 And they did a pretty good job. 566 00:29:39,333 --> 00:29:41,366 And to be honest, we got some. 567 00:29:41,366 --> 00:29:44,366 Do you listeners do it just by the skin of their teeth? 568 00:29:44,566 --> 00:29:47,333 You don't have that in heaven. 569 00:29:47,333 --> 00:29:51,533 There's no gradients in the visions of holiness and righteousness in heaven. 570 00:29:52,366 --> 00:29:55,166 It's the full righteousness of God. 571 00:29:55,166 --> 00:29:57,866 And if any of us are going to get there through faith 572 00:29:57,866 --> 00:30:02,000 in Jesus because of his grace, he says, I justify. 573 00:30:02,066 --> 00:30:06,633 I take my righteousness of Almighty God and I place it on you. 574 00:30:06,666 --> 00:30:09,300 Now you are the righteousness of God. 575 00:30:09,300 --> 00:30:12,300 That's the gospel. 576 00:30:13,266 --> 00:30:15,300 Did you ever think of yourself as that? 577 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,600 No. You are 578 00:30:19,900 --> 00:30:22,200 by faith 579 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:25,200 the righteousness of God and God's righteousness 580 00:30:26,100 --> 00:30:30,166 dictates that he must declare you 581 00:30:30,233 --> 00:30:33,233 righteous by faith. 582 00:30:35,100 --> 00:30:38,000 Amazing to me. 583 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,000 You all look like you're not impressed that 584 00:30:42,666 --> 00:30:45,666 what a savior. 585 00:30:46,700 --> 00:30:49,700 And this is why Paul can say. 586 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:53,600 You've died to sin. 587 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:55,133 That's not who you are anymore. 588 00:30:55,133 --> 00:30:58,133 So why go on living in it? 589 00:30:59,466 --> 00:31:02,466 You are the righteousness of God. 590 00:31:02,900 --> 00:31:05,566 Live in a way worthy of the calling 591 00:31:05,566 --> 00:31:08,566 you've received. 592 00:31:10,166 --> 00:31:13,166 That's the gospel. 593 00:31:17,066 --> 00:31:20,766 God treats the sinner 594 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,800 as if they've never been a sinner at all. 595 00:31:28,866 --> 00:31:31,866 Let that sink in. 596 00:31:32,133 --> 00:31:35,133 Some of you, some of us are carrying on baggage 597 00:31:35,533 --> 00:31:38,533 from years past. 598 00:31:38,700 --> 00:31:41,700 And yet we've come to faith. 599 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:43,966 No, the only one carry around 600 00:31:43,966 --> 00:31:46,966 your baggage is you. 601 00:31:47,433 --> 00:31:50,200 Because God, because of his grace 602 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,966 through faith, has imparted to you his own righteousness. 603 00:31:54,633 --> 00:31:58,966 And now he sees you as never having been a sinner at all. 604 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,166 That's what Paul, 605 00:32:01,166 --> 00:32:04,166 and that's why the book of Romans is so profound. 606 00:32:06,233 --> 00:32:09,233 So let me ask you this. 607 00:32:09,233 --> 00:32:11,166 If you knew 608 00:32:11,166 --> 00:32:14,166 you were unworthy to approach God, 609 00:32:14,366 --> 00:32:17,366 how much confidence would you have to approach his throne 610 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,266 and ask his hand? 611 00:32:21,266 --> 00:32:23,666 Would you have any confidence at all 612 00:32:23,666 --> 00:32:26,666 if you knew you were completely unworthy to? 613 00:32:28,233 --> 00:32:31,233 How much confidence will the person have 614 00:32:31,533 --> 00:32:35,133 if they knew they were the righteousness of the father? 615 00:32:36,700 --> 00:32:39,700 To go before the father? 616 00:32:40,266 --> 00:32:41,766 In prayer. 617 00:32:41,766 --> 00:32:44,766 How much confidence would that person have? 618 00:32:46,366 --> 00:32:48,100 How much expectation with that person? 619 00:32:48,100 --> 00:32:50,966 Have? 620 00:32:50,966 --> 00:32:53,966 So the problem. 621 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,933 Is that you and I have not understood 622 00:32:56,933 --> 00:32:59,500 God's righteousness, 623 00:32:59,500 --> 00:33:02,500 and we still approach his throne as beggars, unworthy. 624 00:33:03,300 --> 00:33:05,766 He says, you are not. 625 00:33:05,766 --> 00:33:07,666 I have imputed to you my righteousness. 626 00:33:07,666 --> 00:33:09,033 I have declared you. 627 00:33:10,833 --> 00:33:12,266 You can approach my throne of 628 00:33:12,266 --> 00:33:15,266 grace with confidence where you will find mercy 629 00:33:16,500 --> 00:33:19,500 and grace. 630 00:33:20,066 --> 00:33:29,166 Is. Heard. 631 00:33:29,166 --> 00:33:31,900 Oh, boy. Say long ago, man, it isn't like your fire. Kindling is wet. 632 00:33:31,900 --> 00:33:34,900 I think that is true. 633 00:33:38,500 --> 00:33:41,033 The very righteousness of God himself. 634 00:33:41,033 --> 00:33:43,866 And Paul says, I'm not ashamed of this gospel. 635 00:33:43,866 --> 00:33:44,200 You know why? 636 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:47,200 He says, I'm not ashamed of it? 637 00:33:47,266 --> 00:33:50,466 Because it is the power of God to salvation for those who believe 638 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:52,800 is what I want to understand. 639 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:56,000 Paul understands the inherent power in the gospel. 640 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:59,200 In this message, Paul doesn't say 641 00:33:59,866 --> 00:34:02,566 that the gospel brings power. 642 00:34:02,566 --> 00:34:05,366 Paul doesn't say the gospel 643 00:34:05,366 --> 00:34:06,233 creates power. 644 00:34:06,233 --> 00:34:08,966 Paul says the gospel is 645 00:34:08,966 --> 00:34:11,966 the power of God for salvation. 646 00:34:12,900 --> 00:34:15,900 Paul stood that when dealing with this, 647 00:34:16,733 --> 00:34:19,066 he was accessing the very power of God 648 00:34:20,766 --> 00:34:23,766 for salvation. 649 00:34:28,033 --> 00:34:29,666 It's amazing. 650 00:34:29,666 --> 00:34:32,133 And so then Paul addresses why, why, 651 00:34:32,133 --> 00:34:36,366 why does one need God to impart his righteousness to them? 652 00:34:36,366 --> 00:34:38,133 Why does God need why? 653 00:34:38,133 --> 00:34:41,133 Why does someone need God to justify them? 654 00:34:41,666 --> 00:34:43,966 Because of sin, 655 00:34:43,966 --> 00:34:46,166 because of sin, personal sin. 656 00:34:46,166 --> 00:34:49,166 And so Paul is going to deal with three groups 657 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:52,200 the humanist, the moralist, and the religionists. 658 00:34:52,500 --> 00:34:54,633 And every one of us falls in one of those 659 00:34:54,633 --> 00:34:57,633 three groups the humanist, the moralist, or the religionists. 660 00:34:57,866 --> 00:34:59,366 And so let me just help you understand. 661 00:34:59,366 --> 00:35:02,033 The humanist is the one who says, 662 00:35:02,033 --> 00:35:03,833 my life is mine. I'll do what I want. 663 00:35:03,833 --> 00:35:05,966 And you can't tell me what's right or wrong. 664 00:35:05,966 --> 00:35:08,133 You don't know truth. My truth is my truth. 665 00:35:08,133 --> 00:35:09,833 Your truth is your truth. Love what you love. 666 00:35:09,833 --> 00:35:12,333 Do what you want. Don't let anybody tell you any different. 667 00:35:12,333 --> 00:35:12,966 Jew, humanist. 668 00:35:15,300 --> 00:35:16,500 Some people fall in that camp. 669 00:35:16,500 --> 00:35:18,166 That's where they live. 670 00:35:18,166 --> 00:35:19,466 Others are the moralists. 671 00:35:19,466 --> 00:35:21,700 And they're the ones who say, you know what? I'm not necessarily 672 00:35:21,700 --> 00:35:25,033 like a religious person, but I'm a I'm a really good person. 673 00:35:25,766 --> 00:35:28,766 I haven't bought into I haven't drunk the Kool-Aid yet, 674 00:35:28,933 --> 00:35:30,433 but I'm a really good person. 675 00:35:30,433 --> 00:35:32,466 You know, people like this. 676 00:35:32,466 --> 00:35:35,866 My grandpa was this until he accepted Christ after 40 years of marriage 677 00:35:36,466 --> 00:35:39,466 as an old man, he was a moralist. 678 00:35:39,766 --> 00:35:41,666 And then there's a religionists. 679 00:35:41,666 --> 00:35:44,400 And these are the. 680 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:46,766 Right. 681 00:35:46,766 --> 00:35:49,466 And we used to be humanists. 682 00:35:49,466 --> 00:35:50,866 We used to even be more or less. 683 00:35:50,866 --> 00:35:53,866 But now, I mean good church folk, 684 00:35:54,466 --> 00:35:55,600 that's what these are. 685 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:58,566 And you've heard people talk about, they're like, they're really religious. 686 00:35:58,566 --> 00:36:01,233 Like they go to church every week, they read the Bible, they do all the 687 00:36:01,233 --> 00:36:02,233 stuff you have to do. 688 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,666 And the and Paul is going to address all of them. 689 00:36:05,666 --> 00:36:08,566 And there's going to say, no matter where you fall in any of those camps, 690 00:36:08,566 --> 00:36:12,500 you fall, I fall, we fall far short of the glory of God 691 00:36:13,900 --> 00:36:16,900 and are sinners. 692 00:36:17,266 --> 00:36:20,266 When compared to the perfection of the Holy God, 693 00:36:20,833 --> 00:36:24,900 every one of us doesn't matter which camper and fall far short of that. 694 00:36:25,700 --> 00:36:29,766 And so Paul then outlines God's wrath because of his righteousness. 695 00:36:29,900 --> 00:36:34,033 I mean, drives home the need, no matter who you are, of being saved. 696 00:36:35,033 --> 00:36:38,033 Now remember, you're saved by faith because of God's grace 697 00:36:38,133 --> 00:36:40,233 and then God and His righteousness to you. 698 00:36:40,233 --> 00:36:43,233 But unless you come to him in faith 699 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,600 because of God's grace and what he did on the cross, through Jesus, 700 00:36:47,900 --> 00:36:49,266 you will bear the wrath of God. 701 00:36:52,300 --> 00:36:53,100 The fact is 702 00:36:53,100 --> 00:36:58,166 this that God's wrath, because of his righteousness, is poured out in full force 703 00:36:58,566 --> 00:37:01,566 on the unrepentant sinner. 704 00:37:02,033 --> 00:37:04,233 And that is frightening, 705 00:37:04,233 --> 00:37:07,233 not to be very concerning. 706 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:10,800 If not for the grace of God. 707 00:37:11,533 --> 00:37:14,533 We are left completely without hope, 708 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:18,200 hell bound and eternally lost. 709 00:37:23,533 --> 00:37:26,533 Let us never shy away from that truth. 710 00:37:28,166 --> 00:37:31,433 The righteousness of God says that if I come to him 711 00:37:31,433 --> 00:37:35,166 in faith in what Jesus did on the cross, he gives me his own righteousness. 712 00:37:36,733 --> 00:37:39,733 But if I reject Jesus. 713 00:37:40,533 --> 00:37:43,500 His righteousness demands 714 00:37:43,500 --> 00:37:46,500 that his wrath be poured out. 715 00:37:47,966 --> 00:37:50,500 That is frightening, 716 00:37:50,500 --> 00:37:51,766 and I ought to be very concerned 717 00:37:51,766 --> 00:37:54,766 for every one of us. 718 00:37:55,866 --> 00:37:57,000 Without faith in Jesus, 719 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:00,000 we're left without hope. 720 00:38:00,266 --> 00:38:02,700 Hellbound. 721 00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:05,700 Eternally lost. 722 00:38:06,833 --> 00:38:09,866 And so Paul will develop in verses 18 through 23. 723 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:11,933 He'll say, the wrath of God 724 00:38:11,933 --> 00:38:15,333 is being revealed from heaven against all the, 725 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:19,700 the godlessness and wickedness of people 726 00:38:20,166 --> 00:38:23,166 who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 727 00:38:23,266 --> 00:38:26,100 Since what may be known about 728 00:38:26,100 --> 00:38:29,633 God is plain to them, because God's made it plain to them. 729 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,600 For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, 730 00:38:33,700 --> 00:38:37,333 his eternal power, and his divine nature have been clearly seen, 731 00:38:37,433 --> 00:38:42,033 being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 732 00:38:42,333 --> 00:38:45,333 For although they knew God, 733 00:38:46,033 --> 00:38:48,533 they neither glorified him 734 00:38:48,533 --> 00:38:51,533 as God nor gave thanks 735 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:52,700 to him. 736 00:38:52,700 --> 00:38:58,200 But their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 737 00:38:59,100 --> 00:39:02,333 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged 738 00:39:02,333 --> 00:39:06,266 the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like 739 00:39:06,266 --> 00:39:10,266 mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 740 00:39:13,366 --> 00:39:14,066 In my Bible 741 00:39:14,066 --> 00:39:17,066 it uses the words ungodliness and unrighteousness, 742 00:39:17,900 --> 00:39:22,200 that God's wrath is being poured out on the ungodly and the unrighteous. 743 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:23,300 And here's what he's saying. 744 00:39:23,300 --> 00:39:26,700 He's covering all the bases when he uses the word ungodliness. 745 00:39:26,700 --> 00:39:28,133 That's a man's offense against God. 746 00:39:28,133 --> 00:39:31,066 And when he uses the word unrighteousness, that's God's manifest man. 747 00:39:31,066 --> 00:39:35,500 And so whether we have been offensive, offensive to God or to others 748 00:39:35,766 --> 00:39:38,766 who sin against God or others, he said, 749 00:39:38,933 --> 00:39:41,933 it covers all of us. 750 00:39:42,633 --> 00:39:44,966 And he said, God's wrath is poured out on them, 751 00:39:44,966 --> 00:39:48,000 and God's wrath is completely righteous. 752 00:39:49,166 --> 00:39:52,300 We must never lessen the reality of the wrath of God. 753 00:39:52,966 --> 00:39:55,033 And I know it's not popular. 754 00:39:55,033 --> 00:39:57,300 I know most churches when preachers will talk about 755 00:39:57,300 --> 00:39:59,366 and preach about the love of God and never the wrath of God, 756 00:39:59,366 --> 00:40:03,466 but we must never lessen the reality, the severity of the wrath of God. 757 00:40:03,466 --> 00:40:05,833 Because without the wrath of God, the grace of God means nothing. 758 00:40:12,633 --> 00:40:15,633 And so God wants to save us. 759 00:40:16,233 --> 00:40:17,833 Through faith because of his grace. 760 00:40:17,833 --> 00:40:20,166 But, but we have to understand what God wants to save us from. 761 00:40:20,166 --> 00:40:23,866 And this is this is where we start to get serious about stuff. 762 00:40:25,033 --> 00:40:28,033 We're saved not from bad behavior. 763 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,400 We're saved from the wrath of God. 764 00:40:32,366 --> 00:40:35,500 See, Jesus didn't come and die on the cross, 765 00:40:35,500 --> 00:40:38,500 and so we can be saved from bad behavior. 766 00:40:39,033 --> 00:40:41,433 He came so we can be saved from the wrath of God 767 00:40:41,433 --> 00:40:45,633 that will be poured out on the unrighteous who don't believe by faith. 768 00:40:47,166 --> 00:40:50,166 Well, you and I are saved from is not from being bad. 769 00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:53,500 Well, you are saved from is the wrath of God. 770 00:40:53,500 --> 00:40:56,500 That's a very real reality. 771 00:40:57,166 --> 00:41:00,233 Every truth of God has been pushed back against, has been 772 00:41:00,233 --> 00:41:03,666 fought against, has been disregarded, has been devalued by humanity. 773 00:41:05,233 --> 00:41:08,400 However, the universality and the clarity of God 774 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:11,866 can be clearly seen so that people are without excuse. 775 00:41:12,966 --> 00:41:17,600 But what else can be seen is the destruction and degradation 776 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:19,133 and ramification. 777 00:41:19,133 --> 00:41:22,500 When one denies and reconstructs the truth of God, 778 00:41:22,700 --> 00:41:25,700 so that every one of us is without excuse. 779 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:28,866 See, humanity's problem 780 00:41:28,866 --> 00:41:31,900 is not that we don't know God, but that we do know God. 781 00:41:32,633 --> 00:41:36,666 And here's here's humanity's problem is that 782 00:41:37,766 --> 00:41:40,833 we can clearly see God's qualities and character, 783 00:41:40,833 --> 00:41:44,666 but we choose to reject God and yet the truth of God. 784 00:41:44,766 --> 00:41:48,266 This is what Paul says, what can be clearly seen of God. 785 00:41:48,300 --> 00:41:52,100 His character, his quality, his power, his immutable nature can be clearly seen 786 00:41:52,100 --> 00:41:55,566 by what is made so that men and women are without excuse. 787 00:41:55,566 --> 00:41:57,900 Our problem is not that we don't know God. 788 00:41:57,900 --> 00:42:02,300 The problem is that we've chosen to neglect and deny God and His truth. 789 00:42:08,066 --> 00:42:09,133 Do you know what the knowledge of God is? 790 00:42:09,133 --> 00:42:12,366 Of no use until it results in holy living? 791 00:42:13,566 --> 00:42:14,466 That's what Paul says. 792 00:42:14,466 --> 00:42:17,466 Though they knew God and they neither glorified him, 793 00:42:18,033 --> 00:42:21,033 they didn't live as if they knew God. 794 00:42:21,666 --> 00:42:24,300 The knowledge of God is not enough, 795 00:42:24,300 --> 00:42:26,700 and the knowledge of God without it 796 00:42:26,700 --> 00:42:29,800 affecting your life, betrays your knowledge of God 797 00:42:31,233 --> 00:42:34,233 and says that your faith is not real. 798 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:36,066 We don't live 799 00:42:36,066 --> 00:42:39,200 rightly before God so that we are saved, but because we are saved, we do. 800 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:42,200 Because we're being changed. 801 00:42:43,666 --> 00:42:46,600 But it's interesting that Paul says 802 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:48,900 all the, you know, these people, these ungodly, unrighteous, 803 00:42:48,900 --> 00:42:51,900 and because they did acknowledge God, they knew the truth. 804 00:42:52,100 --> 00:42:55,100 All you got to do is look around, look at creation, and you can't deny it. 805 00:42:55,900 --> 00:42:57,733 But they denied him. 806 00:42:57,733 --> 00:43:01,033 And then he says, not only on those who deny God, but those who were what, 807 00:43:01,066 --> 00:43:02,500 those who were unthankful. 808 00:43:03,700 --> 00:43:06,700 The wrath of God is being poured out on those who denied 809 00:43:06,733 --> 00:43:10,633 who God is, though he's clearly saying, and those who were unthankful. 810 00:43:11,633 --> 00:43:13,866 Isn't that interesting that Paul puts there 811 00:43:13,866 --> 00:43:16,866 this idea of gratitude and thankfulness in this list? 812 00:43:17,800 --> 00:43:20,366 The wrath of God? 813 00:43:20,366 --> 00:43:22,800 Let me tell you this 814 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:25,400 for someone to know God 815 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:28,400 and to express in gratitude towards God is shocking. 816 00:43:29,633 --> 00:43:32,333 Shocking. 817 00:43:32,333 --> 00:43:33,400 There's not much worse 818 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:36,400 that can be said of a person who knows God 819 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:39,600 than they are unthankful to God. 820 00:43:41,833 --> 00:43:44,266 The thankfulness of the poor Puritans of old. 821 00:43:44,266 --> 00:43:46,833 Our example, 822 00:43:46,833 --> 00:43:49,733 the Puritans of old in their poverty, 823 00:43:49,733 --> 00:43:52,833 who would hold in their hand a cup of water and a piece of bread, 824 00:43:53,866 --> 00:43:56,033 and in their poverty they would say, 825 00:43:56,033 --> 00:43:58,366 water and bread and Jesus, two. 826 00:44:00,366 --> 00:44:03,366 Amazing. 827 00:44:04,100 --> 00:44:06,300 And I think we have a 828 00:44:06,300 --> 00:44:09,300 water and bread and we think, is this all 829 00:44:09,866 --> 00:44:12,866 God work? 830 00:44:13,433 --> 00:44:15,866 And thankfulness says, bread and water. 831 00:44:15,866 --> 00:44:17,833 And Jesus, 832 00:44:17,833 --> 00:44:20,833 God, you been so good. 833 00:44:23,266 --> 00:44:25,933 And that type of thankfulness will make one 834 00:44:25,933 --> 00:44:28,933 happy and joyful, 835 00:44:29,633 --> 00:44:32,633 regardless of what life throws, 836 00:44:32,900 --> 00:44:34,233 says all those people, they became full. 837 00:44:34,233 --> 00:44:34,766 Think of their wise 838 00:44:34,766 --> 00:44:38,933 who became fools and made images of man and birds and animals and reptiles. 839 00:44:38,933 --> 00:44:40,800 Do you realize what he's doing? 840 00:44:40,800 --> 00:44:41,533 He's hearkening 841 00:44:41,533 --> 00:44:44,800 that back to the creation account, and he's doing it in reverse order. 842 00:44:45,533 --> 00:44:50,166 He's hinting that when God started here and ended here with man, man 843 00:44:50,166 --> 00:44:53,466 and their foolishness starts here and degrades down. 844 00:44:57,033 --> 00:44:59,666 I want you to know something that he says 845 00:44:59,666 --> 00:45:02,666 inherit is this is man's need to worship. 846 00:45:02,800 --> 00:45:04,200 Although they knew God, they never glorified. 847 00:45:04,200 --> 00:45:05,400 They didn't glorify God. 848 00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:07,600 They worship images. 849 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:11,833 So even in the rejection of God remains the need to worship. 850 00:45:12,533 --> 00:45:14,366 And you and I will worship something. 851 00:45:14,366 --> 00:45:15,600 If it's not, God will be something. 852 00:45:17,100 --> 00:45:19,766 Be very careful because Scripture tells us 853 00:45:19,766 --> 00:45:22,766 that we become like the objects we worship. 854 00:45:26,266 --> 00:45:27,333 Look, I know what time it is. 855 00:45:27,333 --> 00:45:29,733 I got a little bit more to do here. 856 00:45:29,733 --> 00:45:31,033 Okay? Thank you. 857 00:45:31,033 --> 00:45:33,033 This is what it's going to be like as we go through. 858 00:45:33,033 --> 00:45:33,900 Maybe not this long. 859 00:45:33,900 --> 00:45:36,466 Every time, but I'm just telling you 860 00:45:36,466 --> 00:45:37,666 this is what we're going to go through. 861 00:45:37,666 --> 00:45:38,566 And there's a lot here. 862 00:45:38,566 --> 00:45:42,300 So there's there's three verses that that Paul uses to drive home a point, 863 00:45:43,733 --> 00:45:46,666 verses 24, 26 and 28. 864 00:45:46,666 --> 00:45:48,666 And he says this. 865 00:45:48,666 --> 00:45:51,233 Therefore God gave them over, 866 00:45:51,233 --> 00:45:53,400 in their sinful desires of their hearts 867 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:57,233 to sexual impurity, for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 868 00:45:57,266 --> 00:46:00,366 Verse 2426 because of this, God 869 00:46:00,366 --> 00:46:04,366 gave them over to sinful lusts. 870 00:46:04,366 --> 00:46:10,033 Verse 26 and then verse 28, furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile 871 00:46:10,233 --> 00:46:15,166 to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, 872 00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:18,400 so that they might do what ought not be done. 873 00:46:18,500 --> 00:46:21,666 He says three different times, just catch it three different times. 874 00:46:21,766 --> 00:46:23,233 God gave them over. 875 00:46:25,500 --> 00:46:28,500 God's righteousness 876 00:46:28,833 --> 00:46:30,333 and his wrath and his just. 877 00:46:30,333 --> 00:46:32,500 That means 878 00:46:32,500 --> 00:46:37,733 that if not repentant, God will give one over to their sinful desires 879 00:46:38,533 --> 00:46:41,300 and allow the full destruction of those desires 880 00:46:41,300 --> 00:46:44,300 to take root in their lives. 881 00:46:46,500 --> 00:46:46,800 Just. 882 00:46:46,800 --> 00:46:48,866 Lewis said that you can divide humanity into two groups. 883 00:46:48,866 --> 00:46:52,566 One group it says, Lord, thy will be done, and the other group whom God says, 884 00:46:52,733 --> 00:46:55,733 your will be done. 885 00:46:56,700 --> 00:46:57,833 And it is frightful. 886 00:46:57,833 --> 00:46:59,400 Please hear me. 887 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:02,200 It is frightful to be given over 888 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:05,866 to the full breadth of the destruction of our sinful desires. 889 00:47:07,633 --> 00:47:10,466 And this is Paul's warning 890 00:47:10,466 --> 00:47:13,466 of those who refuse to acknowledge the truth of God, 891 00:47:13,733 --> 00:47:16,733 who refuse to acknowledge the truth of their own sin, 892 00:47:17,333 --> 00:47:20,600 who choose to realize their own personal need of a Savior, 893 00:47:21,700 --> 00:47:22,633 and those who choose to 894 00:47:22,633 --> 00:47:25,633 reject the work of Jesus on the cross. 895 00:47:26,733 --> 00:47:28,166 That God may give you over 896 00:47:28,166 --> 00:47:31,166 to the full destruction of your sin. 897 00:47:31,533 --> 00:47:33,933 I said earlier that Paul is going to just the humanist, 898 00:47:33,933 --> 00:47:35,400 the moralist, and the religionists. 899 00:47:35,400 --> 00:47:38,400 And in verses 26 and 27 he deals with 900 00:47:38,733 --> 00:47:41,733 being given over 901 00:47:41,766 --> 00:47:43,866 for the humanist. 902 00:47:43,866 --> 00:47:46,900 And I'm not going to go through verses 26 and 27. 903 00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:50,700 Paul deals with what that looks like at the sexual level 904 00:47:51,266 --> 00:47:54,266 and deals with homosexuality, lesbianism. 905 00:47:55,133 --> 00:47:57,333 And I'm not going to deal with all that too. 906 00:47:57,333 --> 00:47:59,066 There's way too much to get into. 907 00:47:59,066 --> 00:48:02,500 But I do want to point you toward a thing we did called unfiltered and uncensored. 908 00:48:02,500 --> 00:48:05,733 When I of about two hours on this very topic 909 00:48:06,833 --> 00:48:10,400 is homosexuality, lesbianism, lesbianism compatible with Scripture 910 00:48:11,400 --> 00:48:12,400 based off of this? 911 00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:16,766 And so I would encourage us to go there and dive into that. 912 00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:20,066 That is when Paul kind of says, here's 913 00:48:20,066 --> 00:48:23,066 what it looks like to be given over. 914 00:48:23,366 --> 00:48:25,200 And so I want to address it, though not here. 915 00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:26,500 Please take advantage of it. 916 00:48:26,500 --> 00:48:28,766 Let me wrap up with this. 917 00:48:28,766 --> 00:48:30,133 Paul brings this whole thing together. 918 00:48:30,133 --> 00:48:32,533 Now in verses 29 through 32. 919 00:48:32,533 --> 00:48:34,566 And he says this. 920 00:48:34,566 --> 00:48:36,566 They have become filled with every kind of 921 00:48:36,566 --> 00:48:39,566 wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. 922 00:48:39,766 --> 00:48:42,133 And here's the list. 923 00:48:42,133 --> 00:48:44,100 See where you fall. 924 00:48:44,100 --> 00:48:47,100 They're full of envy, murder, 925 00:48:47,700 --> 00:48:50,700 strife, deceit and malice. 926 00:48:51,500 --> 00:48:53,600 It means you hold grudges. 927 00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:56,600 They're gossips who? 928 00:48:56,633 --> 00:48:57,733 Slanderers. 929 00:48:57,733 --> 00:49:00,733 God haters. 930 00:49:01,266 --> 00:49:04,266 Insolent, arrogant. 931 00:49:04,966 --> 00:49:07,300 You know, social media is 932 00:49:07,300 --> 00:49:10,033 the portal of arrogance 933 00:49:10,033 --> 00:49:11,566 and pride. Boastful. 934 00:49:11,566 --> 00:49:12,900 There it is. 935 00:49:12,900 --> 00:49:15,533 They invent ways of doing evil. 936 00:49:15,533 --> 00:49:17,266 They disobey their parents. All. 937 00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:23,400 They have no, 938 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:27,466 they have no sinful, senseless, faithless, 939 00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:31,600 heartless and have no mercy. 940 00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:36,000 Although they know God's 941 00:49:36,600 --> 00:49:40,266 righteous decrees that those who do all those things 942 00:49:40,266 --> 00:49:43,666 deserve death, they not only continue to do those things, 943 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:47,300 the very thing is they ought not do 944 00:49:47,300 --> 00:49:50,300 they approve of others who do them. 945 00:49:53,300 --> 00:49:55,800 Like like 946 00:49:55,800 --> 00:49:58,800 like like like. 947 00:50:02,800 --> 00:50:05,500 People living in sin, celebrating debauchery. 948 00:50:05,500 --> 00:50:09,500 Like like like like. 949 00:50:11,500 --> 00:50:14,500 Approving of those who do those things. 950 00:50:15,500 --> 00:50:16,700 Like. 951 00:50:16,700 --> 00:50:19,700 Like I. 952 00:50:23,533 --> 00:50:25,200 Will. 953 00:50:25,200 --> 00:50:28,200 Be careful who you give your thumbs up to. 954 00:50:30,133 --> 00:50:31,533 And what Paul's saying is, 955 00:50:31,533 --> 00:50:34,533 all of us are worthy of the wrath of God. 956 00:50:36,733 --> 00:50:38,766 Yet there's good news. 957 00:50:38,766 --> 00:50:40,966 The gospel 958 00:50:40,966 --> 00:50:43,966 that in spite of all that stuff, 959 00:50:44,266 --> 00:50:47,266 simply coming to God in faith 960 00:50:47,700 --> 00:50:51,366 in what Jesus did, in spite of all that stuff, 961 00:50:52,633 --> 00:50:54,566 can't be the faith 962 00:50:54,566 --> 00:50:57,566 God now sees you. 963 00:50:59,566 --> 00:51:02,566 As never having done any of that 964 00:51:02,700 --> 00:51:03,566 because of faith. 965 00:51:03,566 --> 00:51:06,533 And not only that, not just making you good and clean, but 966 00:51:06,533 --> 00:51:09,533 taking his very righteousness and saying, now 967 00:51:10,766 --> 00:51:13,766 I've so transformed you 968 00:51:14,566 --> 00:51:17,566 that you bear my righteousness. 969 00:51:17,566 --> 00:51:20,566 You are the righteousness of God. 970 00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:29,400 And so my question this morning. 971 00:51:31,200 --> 00:51:34,200 Why don't you admit your sin? 972 00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:38,000 And repent. 973 00:51:38,366 --> 00:51:39,666 And accept the righteousness 974 00:51:39,666 --> 00:51:42,666 of God over your life. 975 00:51:43,466 --> 00:51:45,466 And live 976 00:51:45,466 --> 00:51:48,466 as the righteousness of God. 977 00:51:48,900 --> 00:51:51,300 This is the gospel, 978 00:51:51,300 --> 00:51:54,166 and it's beautiful. 979 00:51:54,166 --> 00:51:57,166 Why don't you pray with me? 980 00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:02,700 Father, I thank you that you love us. 981 00:52:02,700 --> 00:52:04,200 And you've loved us with an everlasting love. 982 00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:07,200 We love your love. 983 00:52:07,933 --> 00:52:10,933 But I also thank you. 984 00:52:12,100 --> 00:52:15,566 That you have been honest with us about ourselves. 985 00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:18,666 And that we 986 00:52:18,666 --> 00:52:22,700 can, in safety and confidence, admit our own sin. 987 00:52:22,700 --> 00:52:25,700 Because of your grace. 988 00:52:27,333 --> 00:52:30,400 And thank you that in the repentance of our sin 989 00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:34,766 you give to us, impute to us your very righteousness. 990 00:52:35,500 --> 00:52:39,000 God, you are amazing, and we are lost without you. 991 00:52:40,933 --> 00:52:43,666 Friends, I invite you in this moment. 992 00:52:43,666 --> 00:52:46,200 If you've never accepted Jesus and the work 993 00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:49,200 you do on the cross by faith. 994 00:52:50,466 --> 00:52:53,466 What invite you to do that now? 995 00:52:53,666 --> 00:52:56,666 And maybe you have. 996 00:52:56,700 --> 00:52:59,033 But living as if you are the righteousness 997 00:52:59,033 --> 00:53:02,033 of God has been so far from your lifestyle. 998 00:53:04,066 --> 00:53:07,066 That a recommitment is necessary. 999 00:53:08,433 --> 00:53:09,433 And so I'd invite you 1000 00:53:09,433 --> 00:53:12,433 this moment to simply say, God, I agree, 1001 00:53:12,933 --> 00:53:15,933 I'm a sinner. 1002 00:53:17,433 --> 00:53:20,433 I don't want to live like that anymore. 1003 00:53:24,333 --> 00:53:24,800 Jesus, 1004 00:53:24,800 --> 00:53:27,833 thank you that you died on the cross for my sin. 1005 00:53:30,533 --> 00:53:33,533 Father, I come to you by faith 1006 00:53:34,500 --> 00:53:37,366 in what Jesus did. 1007 00:53:37,366 --> 00:53:41,200 And I accept the forgiveness that you've offered. 1008 00:53:43,233 --> 00:53:46,500 And I receive your righteousness 1009 00:53:46,500 --> 00:53:49,500 over my life. 1010 00:53:49,900 --> 00:53:52,800 And I choose this day 1011 00:53:52,800 --> 00:53:55,800 to be your bondservant. 1012 00:53:56,500 --> 00:53:59,500 And I'm ready. 1013 00:54:01,333 --> 00:54:01,766 Jesus. 1014 00:54:01,766 --> 00:54:03,900 Thank you 1015 00:54:03,900 --> 00:54:04,633 for what you've done. 1016 00:54:04,633 --> 00:54:07,633 We remember you this morning. 1017 00:54:07,800 --> 00:54:09,500 We trust you when we give ourselves to you. 1018 00:54:09,500 --> 00:54:12,500 In your name I pray. Amen. 1019 00:54:13,100 --> 00:54:16,100 We're going to wrap up with this 1020 00:54:16,233 --> 00:54:19,233 because now we understand more fully 1021 00:54:20,000 --> 00:54:23,000 what Jesus did. 1022 00:54:23,266 --> 00:54:23,900 For those of you 1023 00:54:23,900 --> 00:54:26,900 with the relationship with this risen Lord 1024 00:54:27,600 --> 00:54:30,600 who have come to God in faith, by faith 1025 00:54:31,400 --> 00:54:34,400 who have received the righteousness of God over your life, 1026 00:54:35,233 --> 00:54:38,233 we remember the one through whom it came. 1027 00:54:39,300 --> 00:54:42,300 Jesus. 1028 00:54:42,300 --> 00:54:44,133 That he was making the way possible. 1029 00:54:44,133 --> 00:54:45,166 He shared a meal. 1030 00:54:45,166 --> 00:54:46,000 They took the bread. 1031 00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:49,133 He said, this bread is my body given for you. 1032 00:54:50,833 --> 00:54:53,833 Every time you eat this, I want you to remember me 1033 00:54:53,833 --> 00:54:56,833 the way, the truth, and the life, 1034 00:54:57,266 --> 00:55:00,266 and eat the bread. 1035 00:55:06,266 --> 00:55:08,833 You remember him. 1036 00:55:08,833 --> 00:55:10,200 The door through which we go 1037 00:55:10,200 --> 00:55:13,200 for forgiveness. 1038 00:55:14,933 --> 00:55:15,366 Same. 1039 00:55:15,366 --> 00:55:17,600 During that meal he took the cup and he lifted up to heaven. 1040 00:55:17,600 --> 00:55:20,500 He gave thanks and he said, this cup, 1041 00:55:20,500 --> 00:55:23,033 this is the new covenant in my blood 1042 00:55:23,033 --> 00:55:24,733 shed for you, for the forgiveness of your sins. 1043 00:55:24,733 --> 00:55:27,666 Every time you drink this. 1044 00:55:27,666 --> 00:55:30,666 Remember me, Peter? 1045 00:55:37,800 --> 00:55:40,166 Listen 1046 00:55:40,166 --> 00:55:40,633 here. 1047 00:55:40,633 --> 00:55:43,266 We remember Jesus. 1048 00:55:43,266 --> 00:55:43,900 It's about him. 1049 00:55:43,900 --> 00:55:46,000 And now no one else. 1050 00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:48,500 So thank you for being with us. 1051 00:55:48,500 --> 00:55:50,766 This. Thank you for your patience. 1052 00:55:50,766 --> 00:55:52,733 I know it was a lot, 1053 00:55:52,733 --> 00:55:55,733 but it is so good. 1054 00:55:56,566 --> 00:55:59,566 I entrust you to God 1055 00:55:59,566 --> 00:56:01,033 and I entrust His word to you. 1056 00:56:02,700 --> 00:56:03,600 Go this week and read 1057 00:56:03,600 --> 00:56:06,600 Romans one and Romans two and get ready for next week. 1058 00:56:07,500 --> 00:56:09,366 There are people in your world 1059 00:56:09,366 --> 00:56:12,366 who do not know this gospel. 1060 00:56:13,500 --> 00:56:15,200 For whom? 1061 00:56:15,200 --> 00:56:18,200 Maybe living under the wrath of God. 1062 00:56:19,066 --> 00:56:22,066 You are in debt. 1063 00:56:23,433 --> 00:56:26,433 If you know Jesus, you are in debt. 1064 00:56:27,233 --> 00:56:28,033 He's the owner. 1065 00:56:28,033 --> 00:56:30,133 There's beneficiaries that he wants his message. 1066 00:56:30,133 --> 00:56:33,133 Give it to your it. 1067 00:56:34,200 --> 00:56:35,166 And so this week 1068 00:56:35,166 --> 00:56:38,166 I pray that God gives you opportunities 1069 00:56:38,433 --> 00:56:41,433 and invite them next week to understand 1070 00:56:41,733 --> 00:56:43,733 this. And I love you. 1071 00:56:43,733 --> 00:56:46,133 It's been good for us to be together. 1072 00:56:46,133 --> 00:56:47,733 We're going to sing a song and anything. 1073 00:56:47,733 --> 00:56:51,133 If you want to talk about what we've talked about, it's been a pretty big deal. 1074 00:56:52,266 --> 00:56:54,033 I'm going to be here after service. 1075 00:56:54,033 --> 00:56:54,800 David will be here. 1076 00:56:54,800 --> 00:56:58,900 There's some others over here for all those things you just don't want to. 1077 00:56:58,900 --> 00:57:01,500 Let's just talk and pray together. That would be good. 1078 00:57:03,000 --> 00:57:06,233 I I've been on my too long, Jeff. 1079 00:57:06,500 --> 00:57:08,433 I realize that that's.