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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now, come along, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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We're going to go ahead and
open up our Bibles to Romans Chapter

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one.

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We're going to pick up where
we left off last week, looking at

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the sermon series Theology Matters.

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And we're going to be talking
today about some.

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Some difficult topics.

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And for the next few weeks,
we're going to be digging into what

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we would call the study of sin.

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Now, the really technical term
for that is harmartiology.

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Harmartology, you don't have
to remember that.

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But we're going to look at
what the Bible says about sin, why

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we need a Savior, why we need salvation.

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We looked last week in verse
number 16 of Romans chapter 1, that

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we are not to be ashamed of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Why?

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For it is the power unto salvation.

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Why do we need salvation?

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That's a good question.

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We're going to learn in verses
18 through the rest of the chapter

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why we need salvation.

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And we're going to see that
the, the reason we need salvation

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is because of a problem.

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And that problem is the
problem of sin.

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And, and the Bible says that
there is a problem of sin and there's

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a punishment for sin.

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The Bible says for the wages
of sin is death.

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We're going to talk about that.

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We're going to talk about the
wrath of God, but there's also a

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payment for sin.

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And the payment for sin is the
gift of Jesus Christ.

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And so that's what Paul's
talking about here.

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He says, I am not ashamed of
the Gospel.

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Why?

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Because it's the power of God
unto salvation to everyone that believeth

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to the Jew first and also to
the Greek, for therein is the righteousness

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of God, verse 17, revealed
from faith to faith.

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As it is written, the just
shall live by faith.

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And so what he's really doing
in this chapter is he's contrasting

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to two types of people.

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He's contrasting the person
who is living in their sin, who is

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living without God.

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And he's talking about a
person who is living in faith, living

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in the righteousness of God.

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And so there's this
unrighteousness, living in our own

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strength.

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There is righteousness, living
in the grace of God.

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There's this judgment that
will come in the wrath of God if

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we live outside of God's
grace, but we live in God's grace

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and justification.

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So the just, those that are
declared righteous by God, they're

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declared just through, as the
Bible says here, faith.

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So the contrast really, is
this a person with faith or a person

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without faith.

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What does that look like?

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What are the differences?

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And here in verse number 18,
we see that God explains in the book

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of Romans what it looks like
for someone to live outside of the

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grace.

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The sermon this way, this is a
sermon looking at what it means for

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a person when they are, as we
would say, before Christ.

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We have in, in the world
today, when we measure dates, we

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have BC Before Christ and anno
Domini ad.

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Right?

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So we could talk about this
sermon is describing someone before

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Christ, or we could even say
it this way, someone without Christ.

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And, and we see a lot of
people that think that they can live

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their life outside of the
truth of God, outside of a higher

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power, outside of anybody,
telling them what it means to be

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a good person.

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They say, you know what?

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I, I define what it means to
be a good person.

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We're going to see what that
individual looks like in accordance

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to Scripture.

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So he says, the just shall
live by faith.

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Verse 17.

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And then we see verse 18 here,
verse 18, we see a flip in the script.

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It says, for the wrath of God.

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For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all

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ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men.

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So what do we see here?

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It says here the wrath of God
is revealed to those who are in ungodliness

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and unrighteousness.

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Now, what is the wrath of God?

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This is the thing that we all deserve.

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The Bible says that all of us
in our sin deserve the wrath of God.

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Now, sometimes that phrase
wrath of God becomes something that

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we actually grow uncomfortable
with, right?

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Because we liken the wrath of
God to the wrath of a man.

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Now, now our human anger, our
human wrath is usually based in selfish

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revenge, right?

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It's all about us.

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Well, the wrath of God is
based in his holiness, in his righteousness.

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And so when we see that phrase
wrath of God, it doesn't mean that

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he's sinning.

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It doesn't mean that he's
doing anything unfair.

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He is in his holiness and in
his righteousness, giving to people

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what they deserve.

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And that is judgment says, for
the wrath of God, what we deserve

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is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness.

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What does ungodliness mean?

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Ungodliness, essentially
rejecting God, doing The things opposite

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of what God calls us to do.

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And unrighteousness of men,
meaning this.

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So this is a rejection of
God's ways that is manifested in

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how we deal with others.

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Unrighteousness to other people.

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And then it says here that
someone who is rejecting God, someone

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who is living in their own
strength and their own wisdom, it

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says here, who hold the truth
in unrighteousness.

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Now, now, what does that mean?

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That means this, that there
are individuals who, because of their

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sin, are, as it says here,
suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.

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So, so those who are outside
of the faith, those who are walking

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in the sin in the flesh, are
going to suppress the truth of God.

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Some of you have maybe even
seen this happen practically in the

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world today.

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You ever seen someone after a
football game or after an event in

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the Olympics get up and they
want to start thanking their Lord

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and Savior, Jesus Christ?

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What usually happens, they
start getting uncomfortable.

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They start trying to turn away
the cameras, right?

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Because the world and Satan
and the all of the enemy is trying

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to suppress the truth of God
in unrighteousness.

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And so here in verse number
18, it says that the wrath of God

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is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness

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of men.

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Let me tell you before Christ,
without Christ, this is what we all

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deserve.

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This is the path that we are
all on in our lives.

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The Bible says that before we
came to Christ in faith, we were

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enemies of God.

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We were walking in our flesh,
we were walking in our guilt.

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But the Bible says that in
salvation we had the chains of bondage,

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the chains of sin broken.

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And, and we are free to walk
in the truth of God and hold, as

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it says there in verse 17, the
righteousness of God in our life.

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And so if you are a believer
this morning, you are characterized

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not by your righteousness, but
by the righteousness of God outside

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of God.

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We are based in our own
unrighteousness because we can say,

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you know what?

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I'm a good person.

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But in a good person compared
to what?

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Well, I'm a good person
compared to that person over there.

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The truth is, is that if we're
going to do any comparing, we must

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compare ourselves to, to the
one who is perfect.

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And that is Jesus Christ.

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And compared to Jesus Christ,
none of us, none of us can hold a

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candle to his righteousness.

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The Bible says, he who knew no
sin became sin for us.

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He knew no sin.

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And so when we look at God's
righteousness, we look at our quote

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unquote, Righteousness.

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We realize that what we
deserve is the wrath of God, the

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judgment of God.

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But in faith, we have received
the justification of God.

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Justification means we are
declared righteous.

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So it goes on here.

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In verse number 19, it says,
because that which may be known of

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God is manifest in them, for
God hath showed it unto them.

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So what we actually see here
in this case is that God has written

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the law, his law, on
everyone's heart.

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And what really happens is
when, when people reject God, they're

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rejecting what's already
written on their hearts.

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They're pursuing their own path.

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They're rejecting what is
clearly in front of them.

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And that is the power of God.

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Romans chapter 1, verse 20
says, for the invisible things of

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him.

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So.

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So the spiritual truths of God
from the creation of the world are

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clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made.

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This is something called
general revelation, meaning we can

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look out into this world.

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And the Bible says that we can
look out into this world and see

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God's creation and, and know
that there is a God, to know that

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there is a creator.

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Now, that's not what saves us.

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I can't go out into the world
and look at a, you know, let's say

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a tree, this beautiful tree.

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I can't look at the tree and
go, wow, there is a creator.

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Therefore I'm going to trust
in this tree and I'm going to be

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saved.

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No, the Bible says that that's
not how it works.

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That would be something called
idolatry, which we're going to talk

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about here in a few moments.

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But what that does mean is
that we can look out into the world,

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into creation, and see that
there must be a designer and we pursue

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him.

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And that is the gospel of
Jesus Christ.

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He reveals himself through the
word of God.

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And so the Bible says here
that we can see the creation, that

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we can see what's around us,
and we can know that there is a God.

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And it says, it even reveals,
as it says there in that verse, even

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his eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse.

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This is a tough passage to
preach because this isn't something

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that's normally preached.

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But what the Bible says is
that there's no one, nobody that

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has an excuse.

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Everybody in this world, as it
says, has the law of God written

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on their hearts.

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Everyone can look out into
creation and know that there is a

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God.

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Everyone that pursues God and
wants to know who God is, God will

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reveal himself to them.

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There's the classic question
of, well, you know what that person

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is living in an area that
isn't Christian.

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And that person maybe didn't
get the gospel told to them.

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So they're without.

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They have an excuse.

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They're not guilty.

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The Bible says that all of us
are guilty in our sin.

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Now we do believe that God is gracious.

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And I don't know how this all
works in the grand scheme of eternity,

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but what I do know is that
there are individuals who are not

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able to come to the truth of
God, I.

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E.

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Let's say a baby, right?

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And I believe that God's grace
covers that child.

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I do know that there are
individuals who intellectually don't,

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don't have the function to
understand the concepts of creation,

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the concepts of the gospel.

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We understand that God has
grace upon them.

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But what we're seeing here is
that those who are rejecting God

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are without excuse.

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Why?

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Because God has clearly
revealed Himself to them.

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Verse 21.

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Because that when they knew
God, so.

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So there is a point in time
when humanity knew God.

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They glorified him not as God.

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Neither were thankful, but
became vain or empty in their thoughts

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or imaginations.

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And their foolish heart was darkened.

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So the Bible says that
humanity has rejected God.

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They've.

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They've looked at God, they've
experienced God, but they've turned

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their backs against him saying this.

247
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He's not my God.

248
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They weren't thankful for what
he has done for them.

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They're not thankful for creation.

250
00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:55,700
They're not thankful for his grace.

251
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They're not thankful for the
opportunity to know salvation.

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They're going to try to do it
their own way.

253
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And so the Bible says the.

254
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The product of that heart, the
product of that pride would be vain

255
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in their imaginations, meaning this.

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They're empty.

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There's.

258
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There's no hope, there's no
substance, there's no content to

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their belief.

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It's all just about believing
what they feel is right.

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And it says that their foolish
heart was darkened.

262
00:11:17,990 --> 00:11:20,470
And so their heart becomes
darkened in that process.

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Verse 22, it says, professing
themselves to be wise, they became

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fools.

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00:11:26,230 --> 00:11:30,950
Those who reject God, profess
to be wise, profess to have information,

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profess to have all the answers.

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But the Bible actually says
that the actual content of their

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thoughts and their quote
unquote wisdom would be that they

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become foolish.

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The Bible says in the Old
Testament the fool has said in his

271
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heart there is no God.

272
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It is a foolish as this is not
Pastor Josh's opinion.

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This is the word of God.

274
00:11:51,220 --> 00:11:53,820
It is a foolish concept to say
that there is no God.

275
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There is A foolish concept to
say that I can save myself on my

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own.

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The wisdom is this, I cannot
save myself.

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There is a God, I must come to him.

279
00:12:02,420 --> 00:12:04,060
And that's what Paul is
explaining here.

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The sinful hearts of man pull
away from God.

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They suppress the truth.

282
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They.

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They say that their own minds
are the source of their wisdom.

284
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And it says there they become fools.

285
00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:14,640
Verse 23.

286
00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:16,720
And this is what happens.

287
00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:21,920
This is what the product of
this thinking produces and change

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00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:26,400
the glory of the uncorruptible
or the immortal God into an image

289
00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:31,960
made like to corruptible man,
into birds and four footed beast

290
00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:32,640
and creeping things.

291
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What does this mean?

292
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They create their own God.

293
00:12:35,820 --> 00:12:38,020
Now back in the times of the
Bible, they would create their own

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gods by carving out something
out of stone or wood or metal.

295
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Today we create our own gods
by other things.

296
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And the truth of the matter is
that that's idolatry.

297
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Idolatry is this.

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Idolatry is taking anything
and saying that is my God.

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And that's the heart of
someone without Christ is they want

300
00:12:55,220 --> 00:12:56,620
to find their own God.

301
00:12:56,620 --> 00:13:00,180
And many, in many times, in
many ways, we actually become our

302
00:13:00,180 --> 00:13:01,180
own gods in our own life.

303
00:13:01,180 --> 00:13:01,980
That's humanism.

304
00:13:02,420 --> 00:13:04,260
Humanism is lifting up yourself.

305
00:13:04,740 --> 00:13:06,820
You are the answer to all of
your problems.

306
00:13:07,140 --> 00:13:08,820
You are the better version of you.

307
00:13:08,820 --> 00:13:10,540
You can become a better
version of you.

308
00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:12,420
Worship yourself, do things
for yourself.

309
00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:15,940
That's actually the worldly
focus in the world today.

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00:13:15,940 --> 00:13:18,980
It's this idea of putting
myself up on a pedestal.

311
00:13:19,220 --> 00:13:20,740
That's the lie from the very beginning.

312
00:13:20,740 --> 00:13:23,780
If you look at Satan's lie to
Eve, it was all about lifting up

313
00:13:23,780 --> 00:13:24,180
herself.

314
00:13:24,180 --> 00:13:26,620
She can become like God from
the very beginning.

315
00:13:26,620 --> 00:13:27,900
The lie is humanistic.

316
00:13:27,900 --> 00:13:29,380
We are the center of the universe.

317
00:13:29,630 --> 00:13:32,110
And what we can see here is
that when someone is living outside

318
00:13:32,510 --> 00:13:35,070
of the justification of
Christ, someone living outside of

319
00:13:35,070 --> 00:13:36,270
faith, what do they do?

320
00:13:36,350 --> 00:13:38,270
They produce their own God.

321
00:13:38,430 --> 00:13:41,390
They worship the creation
instead of the Creator.

322
00:13:41,710 --> 00:13:42,590
Verse 24.

323
00:13:42,590 --> 00:13:46,950
Wherefore God also hath gave
them up to uncleanness through the

324
00:13:46,950 --> 00:13:48,670
lust of their own hearts.

325
00:13:49,950 --> 00:13:53,550
What God does here is he says,
you want that, that you're pursuing.

326
00:13:53,790 --> 00:13:55,270
I will turn you over to that.

327
00:13:55,270 --> 00:13:58,370
I will turn you over to the
desires of, of your hearts, the lust

328
00:13:58,370 --> 00:13:59,090
of your hearts.

329
00:13:59,090 --> 00:14:02,170
And what that brings is
uncleanness, sin, dishonor.

330
00:14:02,170 --> 00:14:05,410
And it says here to dishonor
their own bodies between themselves.

331
00:14:06,050 --> 00:14:08,250
We're going to talk a little
bit more about this next week.

332
00:14:08,250 --> 00:14:09,810
But essentially what it says
is this.

333
00:14:10,050 --> 00:14:13,770
When someone is given over to
their own desires, they will not

334
00:14:13,770 --> 00:14:16,210
only offend themselves in
their body, but they will offend

335
00:14:16,210 --> 00:14:17,170
others with their body.

336
00:14:18,370 --> 00:14:19,410
Verse 25.

337
00:14:19,650 --> 00:14:22,930
Who changed the truth of God
into a lie?

338
00:14:24,380 --> 00:14:27,420
What happens when we are
living outside of the truth of God?

339
00:14:27,660 --> 00:14:29,940
The truth of God, it's morphed
into a lie.

340
00:14:29,940 --> 00:14:31,100
And so what people say is this.

341
00:14:31,180 --> 00:14:34,380
The truth is wrong and wrong
is good.

342
00:14:35,420 --> 00:14:36,540
Lies are the truth.

343
00:14:36,620 --> 00:14:37,620
Truth are the lies.

344
00:14:37,620 --> 00:14:40,780
And what we can see is that
when we live in a world of lies,

345
00:14:41,340 --> 00:14:44,700
when we live in a world of
deception, when we live out truth,

346
00:14:44,700 --> 00:14:46,780
it looks strange, right?

347
00:14:46,780 --> 00:14:49,060
When we as Christians tell
people the truth, people look at

348
00:14:49,060 --> 00:14:50,590
us and give us a side eye.

349
00:14:50,590 --> 00:14:50,870
Why?

350
00:14:51,030 --> 00:14:52,990
Because we're living in a
world of lies.

351
00:14:52,990 --> 00:14:55,550
The Bible says that that's not
Pastor Josh's opinion.

352
00:14:55,550 --> 00:14:58,470
What we see here is in the
book of Romans, it says that God

353
00:14:58,470 --> 00:15:01,670
is going to allow these people
that are rejecting him to turn over

354
00:15:01,670 --> 00:15:02,990
to their unclean ways.

355
00:15:02,990 --> 00:15:06,110
And essentially what's going
to be done is that the truth of God

356
00:15:06,110 --> 00:15:07,910
is going to be turned into a lie.

357
00:15:09,430 --> 00:15:12,790
And what did they do and
worshiped and served the creature

358
00:15:13,030 --> 00:15:15,670
more than the Creator, who is
blessed forever?

359
00:15:16,580 --> 00:15:17,700
They don't worship God.

360
00:15:17,860 --> 00:15:20,300
They worship something else.

361
00:15:20,300 --> 00:15:22,180
They worship their own creation.

362
00:15:22,180 --> 00:15:25,540
They worship not the creator,
but the creation.

363
00:15:26,740 --> 00:15:27,820
So that's a lot here.

364
00:15:27,820 --> 00:15:29,340
This morning you say, well,
are we done?

365
00:15:29,340 --> 00:15:30,620
No, we're going to dig into this.

366
00:15:30,620 --> 00:15:32,620
We're going to look at what
this is all about.

367
00:15:32,620 --> 00:15:35,340
Because this morning most of
us are tempted to say, you know what?

368
00:15:35,340 --> 00:15:36,060
That's not me.

369
00:15:36,060 --> 00:15:36,900
I'm a Christian.

370
00:15:36,900 --> 00:15:38,340
I'm not living without Christ.

371
00:15:38,580 --> 00:15:39,980
But the truth is, is that.

372
00:15:39,980 --> 00:15:41,700
What is Paul saying in verse
number 16?

373
00:15:41,700 --> 00:15:43,860
He says, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ.

374
00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:45,440
So.

375
00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:46,520
So what can we take from this?

376
00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:47,040
It's this.

377
00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,920
We must preach the gospel
message to people.

378
00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:50,320
Why?

379
00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,280
Because there's more at stake
than just having more people at Middletown

380
00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:54,000
Baptist Church.

381
00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,800
There's more at stake than
just having more moral people around

382
00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:58,040
us.

383
00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,320
The Bible says that really the
need for salvation is explained here

384
00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,240
in verse 18, that the people
that are walking outside of faith

385
00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,240
in Christ are walking in the
wrath of God.

386
00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:10,920
And none of us want to face
the wrath of God because the judgment

387
00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:12,400
of God is a complete judgment.

388
00:16:12,700 --> 00:16:14,380
It's a judgment that is final.

389
00:16:14,620 --> 00:16:17,700
And the Bible says that we
must proclaim the word of God to

390
00:16:17,700 --> 00:16:18,300
those around us.

391
00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:18,620
Why?

392
00:16:18,860 --> 00:16:22,060
Because we are called to be
the salt and light into the world

393
00:16:22,060 --> 00:16:24,980
so that people can know him
and so that people can trust in him,

394
00:16:24,980 --> 00:16:27,140
and so that people can
understand what it means to have

395
00:16:27,140 --> 00:16:28,340
everlasting life like we Have.

396
00:16:28,340 --> 00:16:31,060
But then you might say, well,
look, you know what?

397
00:16:31,060 --> 00:16:32,540
I'm a Christian, but I'm, I'm living.

398
00:16:32,540 --> 00:16:35,300
I, I'm, I'm looking here and
I'm living in many of the ways that

399
00:16:35,300 --> 00:16:40,560
are described here in verses
18 through 26, 18, 25.

400
00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,640
The truth is, is that many
times in our life, even as Christians,

401
00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:45,520
we're tempted to go the way of
the world.

402
00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:47,920
We're tempted to buy into the
lies of this world.

403
00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,920
And the enemy, hey, if he
can't take your soul, if he can't

404
00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:52,600
take your life, what he want,
what does he want to do?

405
00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:53,680
He wants to take your impact.

406
00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:55,600
He wants to silence you.

407
00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:57,720
He wants you to buy into the
lies of this world.

408
00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,680
And so we go back and we look
at verse 18 and it says, for the

409
00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,680
wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all ungodliness and

410
00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:04,640
unrighteousness of men.

411
00:17:04,900 --> 00:17:07,140
Folks, sometimes we forget
what we have been saved from.

412
00:17:07,620 --> 00:17:12,020
And when we've been, when
we've been reminded of what we've

413
00:17:12,020 --> 00:17:15,340
been saved from, it drives us
to understand the grandeur of the

414
00:17:15,340 --> 00:17:16,980
salvation that God has
extended to us.

415
00:17:16,980 --> 00:17:19,140
Folks, all of us can be
characterized by.

416
00:17:19,140 --> 00:17:21,780
Characterized by those that
are ungodly and unrighteous.

417
00:17:22,260 --> 00:17:25,860
But because of God's grace and
because of God's love and because

418
00:17:25,860 --> 00:17:28,780
of God's forgiveness, we are
no longer living under the wrath

419
00:17:28,780 --> 00:17:29,300
of God.

420
00:17:29,300 --> 00:17:32,340
We are living in the freedom
as those who are children of God.

421
00:17:33,060 --> 00:17:34,100
So the beauty here is this.

422
00:17:34,100 --> 00:17:37,260
I need to be reminded that
what I deserve is the wrath of God.

423
00:17:37,260 --> 00:17:39,180
What I deserve is the
punishment of God.

424
00:17:39,180 --> 00:17:42,580
But because of my faith in
Jesus Christ, I have escaped that

425
00:17:42,580 --> 00:17:42,980
wrath.

426
00:17:43,220 --> 00:17:44,660
I have found salvation.

427
00:17:45,060 --> 00:17:47,780
All the more reason why I need
to be excited for the things of God.

428
00:17:47,780 --> 00:17:50,220
All the more reason why I need
to tell other people about that.

429
00:17:50,220 --> 00:17:53,380
All the more reason why I need
to live in the truth of God in boldness

430
00:17:53,380 --> 00:17:54,820
to the cause of the gospel.

431
00:17:56,100 --> 00:18:00,400
We need to be aware of those
folks that suppress the truth in

432
00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:01,280
unrighteousness.

433
00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,040
Folks, if there's someone
that's trying to avoid the truth

434
00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,720
of God, don't say, well, okay,
I'm going to concede to that.

435
00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:07,560
What do we need to do?

436
00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:09,280
We need to proclaim the truth
of God more.

437
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,880
We as believers cannot
suppress the word of God.

438
00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:12,040
Why?

439
00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,160
Because the world is
suppressing the word of God.

440
00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,200
And if we as Christians
suppress the word of God, we are

441
00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:17,920
joining in.

442
00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:19,760
We are becoming just like them.

443
00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:21,480
What does that look like?

444
00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:21,960
Well, you know what?

445
00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,080
I don't want to really quote
scripture because I Don't want to

446
00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:24,960
seem like a bigot.

447
00:18:25,980 --> 00:18:27,900
I don't really want to quote
Scripture because maybe they don't

448
00:18:27,900 --> 00:18:28,460
believe Scripture.

449
00:18:28,460 --> 00:18:31,020
Folks, the Bible says that the
word of God does not return void.

450
00:18:31,260 --> 00:18:32,780
There's power in the word of God.

451
00:18:33,020 --> 00:18:36,140
Hebrews chapter four says that
the word of God is alive.

452
00:18:36,780 --> 00:18:39,420
And so we don't just stop
quoting scripture because someone

453
00:18:39,420 --> 00:18:40,700
doesn't believe in Scripture.

454
00:18:40,700 --> 00:18:41,940
This is what we live by.

455
00:18:41,940 --> 00:18:42,860
This is our guide.

456
00:18:42,860 --> 00:18:44,900
All scripture is given by
inspiration of God.

457
00:18:44,900 --> 00:18:47,380
Is profitable for doctrine,
for approved for correction, for

458
00:18:47,380 --> 00:18:47,820
instruction.

459
00:18:47,820 --> 00:18:48,460
Righteousness.

460
00:18:49,340 --> 00:18:52,810
So what we do is this, instead
of as Christians, instead of suppressing

461
00:18:52,810 --> 00:18:55,930
the truth, instead of holding
the truth down in unrighteousness,

462
00:18:56,010 --> 00:18:57,650
we proclaim the truth of God.

463
00:18:57,650 --> 00:19:01,410
And righteousness proclaim the
truth of God by what we say and also

464
00:19:01,410 --> 00:19:04,890
by what we do, by word and by deed.

465
00:19:04,890 --> 00:19:07,690
And so the Bible says that if
we are Christians and we are living

466
00:19:07,690 --> 00:19:10,370
opposite of these people that
are being described here in verse

467
00:19:10,370 --> 00:19:12,850
18 and on that we are to do
the opposite.

468
00:19:12,850 --> 00:19:15,290
And the opposite would be
instead of suppressing the truth,

469
00:19:15,370 --> 00:19:18,900
proclaiming the truth, not
being embarrassed of the truth, not

470
00:19:18,900 --> 00:19:21,260
being ashamed, as Paul says,
of the truth of God.

471
00:19:21,580 --> 00:19:23,460
And so instead of suppressing,
let's proclaim.

472
00:19:23,460 --> 00:19:24,620
But then we see verse 19.

473
00:19:24,860 --> 00:19:28,020
Because that which may be
known of God is manifest in them,

474
00:19:28,020 --> 00:19:29,660
for God has shown it unto them.

475
00:19:29,660 --> 00:19:32,180
The truth is, is that we don't
need to avoid the word of God.

476
00:19:32,180 --> 00:19:32,460
Why?

477
00:19:32,620 --> 00:19:34,700
Because the word of God is
written on the hearts of man.

478
00:19:35,100 --> 00:19:37,100
Every human being is created
in the image of God.

479
00:19:37,100 --> 00:19:40,620
Now they've rejected that and
they're living in rebellion to that.

480
00:19:40,700 --> 00:19:43,260
But the Bible says that we
should use the word of God as a tool

481
00:19:43,260 --> 00:19:45,580
to bring people to Christ, to
reconcile them.

482
00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:46,440
All of us.

483
00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:50,680
In Second Corinthians, chapter
one and on it teaches us that we

484
00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,480
have something called the
ministry of reconciliation.

485
00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:56,520
And we have a message of reconciliation.

486
00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,320
The message of reconciliation
is the gospel.

487
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,360
The ministry of reconciliation
is proclaiming that gospel.

488
00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:06,680
So all of us are trying to
bring mankind back into the fold.

489
00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:07,960
That's the whole picture.

490
00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,530
Originally, God created all of
his creation as good as.

491
00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,960
But because of sin, because of
our sinful nature and our brokenness.

492
00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:17,600
And we're going to see this in
Romans chapter 5.

493
00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:20,520
Because of the sin of Adam, we
are now all born into sin.

494
00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:22,240
We all need that reconciliation.

495
00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,560
And so we proclaim that
message of reconciliation to the

496
00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,320
world because the Bible says
they are without excuse.

497
00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:28,800
Why?

498
00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:30,720
Because we can point people to
things around us.

499
00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,880
Folks, the truth of the matter
is, is that someone to be an atheist,

500
00:20:35,120 --> 00:20:38,320
someone to reject the
existence of God is rejecting what

501
00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:40,220
is evidently right around them.

502
00:20:40,700 --> 00:20:42,620
How did this world come out of nothing?

503
00:20:43,100 --> 00:20:47,540
Okay, even scientifically
speaking, order out of chaos doesn't

504
00:20:47,540 --> 00:20:48,060
make sense.

505
00:20:48,700 --> 00:20:51,420
And so we look into this
concept of what the Bible is telling

506
00:20:51,420 --> 00:20:51,700
us here.

507
00:20:51,700 --> 00:20:54,380
Is this someone who rejects
that there is a God?

508
00:20:54,460 --> 00:20:55,940
It's not Pastor Josh saying this.

509
00:20:55,940 --> 00:20:56,660
This is the word of God.

510
00:20:56,660 --> 00:20:59,300
It says that they are fools
professing themselves to be wise.

511
00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:00,180
They became fools.

512
00:21:00,180 --> 00:21:03,820
And verse number 22 really
contrasts the wisdom of this world

513
00:21:03,820 --> 00:21:04,780
to the wisdom of man.

514
00:21:05,210 --> 00:21:07,850
And one of the major reasons
why we as Christians don't profess

515
00:21:08,010 --> 00:21:10,410
the truth of God is because
we're afraid that other people know

516
00:21:10,410 --> 00:21:11,050
more than us.

517
00:21:12,170 --> 00:21:15,690
And the truth is, is that
wisdom outside of God is foolishness.

518
00:21:16,010 --> 00:21:17,090
The foolish sin is heart.

519
00:21:17,090 --> 00:21:17,930
There is no God.

520
00:21:18,410 --> 00:21:19,170
So what do we do?

521
00:21:19,170 --> 00:21:20,570
We stick to what the Bible says.

522
00:21:20,570 --> 00:21:23,410
We stick to what all the
scripture points to.

523
00:21:23,410 --> 00:21:26,330
And that is a need for a
Savior, creator of the universe,

524
00:21:26,410 --> 00:21:29,450
the one who knew no sin, the
one who came to die for us on the

525
00:21:29,450 --> 00:21:29,690
cross.

526
00:21:29,690 --> 00:21:31,210
And so what do we need to do?

527
00:21:31,210 --> 00:21:33,620
Don't be afraid of the wisdom
of man.

528
00:21:34,100 --> 00:21:38,100
Don't be afraid of however
many letters someone has after their

529
00:21:38,100 --> 00:21:38,380
name.

530
00:21:38,380 --> 00:21:38,780
Okay?

531
00:21:38,780 --> 00:21:40,740
Sometimes we get on the
Internet and we see, well, this guy's

532
00:21:40,740 --> 00:21:41,380
a PhD.

533
00:21:41,620 --> 00:21:43,060
He must know what he's talking about.

534
00:21:43,220 --> 00:21:45,740
He might know the field that
he's talking about, but he might

535
00:21:45,740 --> 00:21:47,220
not know what the word of God says.

536
00:21:47,380 --> 00:21:48,300
And what do we live by?

537
00:21:48,300 --> 00:21:51,060
Do we live by the wisdom of
man or by the wisdom of God?

538
00:21:51,300 --> 00:21:54,020
I hope that we as believers
are living by the wisdom of God.

539
00:21:54,260 --> 00:21:56,420
No, I'm not saying that we
reject everything in science.

540
00:21:56,740 --> 00:21:58,100
I mean, I'm not saying that.

541
00:21:58,740 --> 00:21:59,380
Hear me out.

542
00:21:59,380 --> 00:22:02,220
Well, what I am saying is that
if something contradicts the word

543
00:22:02,220 --> 00:22:04,820
of God, it's no longer science anymore.

544
00:22:04,900 --> 00:22:06,900
It is, as it says here, foolishness.

545
00:22:07,460 --> 00:22:09,940
Like, there are people out
there today that say, well, I know

546
00:22:09,940 --> 00:22:13,220
that the Bible says this, but
science is telling us something else.

547
00:22:14,020 --> 00:22:16,900
Well, first of all, maybe,
maybe science isn't telling us that,

548
00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:19,780
but maybe even if, quote,
unquote, science is telling us that

549
00:22:19,780 --> 00:22:22,100
what we have to be careful of
is contradicting what the word of

550
00:22:22,100 --> 00:22:22,660
God says.

551
00:22:22,660 --> 00:22:24,340
We're going to talk more about
this next week.

552
00:22:24,870 --> 00:22:28,230
But God has designed certain
things to be the way that he defined

553
00:22:28,230 --> 00:22:29,990
it and not the way the world
defines it.

554
00:22:30,470 --> 00:22:33,470
We're going to talk about how
these people who are living this

555
00:22:33,470 --> 00:22:36,550
way that have been turned over
to their uncleanness, have taken

556
00:22:36,550 --> 00:22:37,350
certain Paths.

557
00:22:37,350 --> 00:22:40,950
And that would be the path, as
the Bible says, that is against God.

558
00:22:41,670 --> 00:22:42,950
That is unnatural.

559
00:22:43,990 --> 00:22:46,470
And we look at a world today
and we see people that are living

560
00:22:47,270 --> 00:22:51,190
contrary to the Bible, openly
against the Bible.

561
00:22:52,190 --> 00:22:55,710
And we look at it and
Christians today are tempted to say,

562
00:22:55,710 --> 00:22:57,630
well, we've got to just accept that.

563
00:22:57,790 --> 00:22:59,470
We just have to be okay with it.

564
00:22:59,710 --> 00:23:01,710
We just have to actually
promote it.

565
00:23:02,190 --> 00:23:03,390
Folks, there's one thing.

566
00:23:04,190 --> 00:23:06,750
It's one thing to tolerate
something, it's another thing to

567
00:23:06,750 --> 00:23:07,470
promote something.

568
00:23:08,030 --> 00:23:09,950
What we have to understand in
our culture today is there's going

569
00:23:09,950 --> 00:23:10,830
to be sin around us.

570
00:23:11,070 --> 00:23:16,310
Look back into history if
you're saying to yourself, pastor

571
00:23:16,310 --> 00:23:19,010
Josh, Paul didn't understand corruption.

572
00:23:19,410 --> 00:23:21,010
Paul didn't understand debauchery.

573
00:23:21,010 --> 00:23:22,810
Paul didn't understand sin, okay?

574
00:23:22,810 --> 00:23:25,370
We in America today have some
crazier sins than you could ever

575
00:23:25,370 --> 00:23:25,810
imagine.

576
00:23:26,130 --> 00:23:27,530
Let me tell you, the.

577
00:23:27,530 --> 00:23:31,170
The culture that Paul was
living in was just as evil as the

578
00:23:31,170 --> 00:23:34,610
culture that we're living in,
if not more evil because of some

579
00:23:34,610 --> 00:23:35,530
of the things that they were doing.

580
00:23:35,530 --> 00:23:36,050
Okay?

581
00:23:36,050 --> 00:23:37,570
That's not to say that we're
okay today.

582
00:23:37,570 --> 00:23:40,370
But what it is saying is that
Paul understands completely the type

583
00:23:40,370 --> 00:23:42,290
of sin that we are facing
today around us.

584
00:23:43,020 --> 00:23:44,860
And Paul doesn't say, well,
hey, you know what?

585
00:23:44,940 --> 00:23:46,540
Condone it, just tolerate it.

586
00:23:46,540 --> 00:23:47,220
No, what does he say?

587
00:23:47,220 --> 00:23:47,980
He says, promote it.

588
00:23:47,980 --> 00:23:50,620
Now, some people would take
the other side of this and they would

589
00:23:50,620 --> 00:23:52,140
say, well, what is the Bible saying?

590
00:23:52,140 --> 00:23:54,460
That we attack all those that
are around us, that are not like

591
00:23:54,460 --> 00:23:54,700
us?

592
00:23:54,700 --> 00:23:58,260
No, the Bible says that we're
to treat everyone with love and with

593
00:23:58,260 --> 00:23:58,620
grace.

594
00:23:59,020 --> 00:24:01,900
But treating someone with love
and grace doesn't mean accepting

595
00:24:01,900 --> 00:24:03,740
the wrongdoing that they are living.

596
00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:06,940
It doesn't mean promoting that
wrongdoing that they're living.

597
00:24:06,940 --> 00:24:09,940
And what we do is we tell them
the truth of who God is and what

598
00:24:09,940 --> 00:24:10,780
he has done for us.

599
00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:13,000
We say, look, this is what the
Bible says.

600
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:15,080
It's not what I feel.

601
00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:15,840
I mean, I.

602
00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:20,320
My feelings are irrelevant to
the issues of life or death, to the

603
00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:22,520
issues of salvation and judgment.

604
00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,160
My opinions are irrelevant.

605
00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:25,480
Really.

606
00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:26,999
It's the word of God that matters.

607
00:24:26,999 --> 00:24:28,520
It's the word of God that matters.

608
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,920
And so I think that one of the
things that I've struggled with in

609
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,800
my life and maybe I can help
you with if you've struggled with

610
00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:35,440
this is, hey, you know what?

611
00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,680
If you're in a situation where
someone is opposing you and your

612
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:40,380
beliefs, what do you go to?

613
00:24:40,380 --> 00:24:44,340
Don't go to logic or reason
necessarily, okay?

614
00:24:44,340 --> 00:24:46,940
Because logic and reason
sometimes can be like, well, hey,

615
00:24:46,940 --> 00:24:48,940
it doesn't make sense that
you've given your life to Christ.

616
00:24:49,340 --> 00:24:52,380
Okay, like, so, for example,
let me give you just highlighted

617
00:24:52,380 --> 00:24:53,100
example of this.

618
00:24:53,180 --> 00:24:56,260
Someone recently was talking
to me, and I traveled back to Florida,

619
00:24:56,260 --> 00:25:00,060
and they said, why did you
ever leave Tampa, Florida and move

620
00:25:00,060 --> 00:25:01,020
to Delaware?

621
00:25:01,020 --> 00:25:02,180
I still don't understand it.

622
00:25:02,180 --> 00:25:05,500
Because why, in their logic,
they didn't understand it.

623
00:25:05,870 --> 00:25:07,110
They were like, well, it just
doesn't make sense.

624
00:25:07,110 --> 00:25:09,670
You went from a place that's
nice and warm all the time to now

625
00:25:09,670 --> 00:25:09,950
it's.

626
00:25:09,950 --> 00:25:10,390
It's cold.

627
00:25:10,390 --> 00:25:11,590
It's like freezing up there.

628
00:25:11,590 --> 00:25:12,670
They think it's the Arctic up here.

629
00:25:12,670 --> 00:25:14,790
By the way, people that live
in Florida, I think it's like, so

630
00:25:14,790 --> 00:25:15,150
cold.

631
00:25:15,470 --> 00:25:17,670
And so why do I say, don't
appeal to logic and reason?

632
00:25:17,670 --> 00:25:19,670
Because sometimes when you're
appealing to logic and reason with

633
00:25:19,670 --> 00:25:23,390
someone, it's their logic and
their reason, right from their perspective.

634
00:25:23,790 --> 00:25:26,350
So if I'm talking to someone,
they go, well, the reason I do this

635
00:25:26,350 --> 00:25:29,350
sin is because I was raised
this way and it makes sense for me

636
00:25:29,350 --> 00:25:29,870
to do this.

637
00:25:29,870 --> 00:25:31,230
Okay, so what do we do?

638
00:25:31,230 --> 00:25:31,790
What do we.

639
00:25:31,790 --> 00:25:33,390
What do we pull them to?

640
00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:35,000
We pull them to the Word of God.

641
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,000
This is why I believe what I believe.

642
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,320
Even if it doesn't make sense
to you, even if it doesn't fit into

643
00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,760
your narrative and your life
and your experience, hey, we have

644
00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:45,720
to go to Scripture.

645
00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,840
We have to go to the Word of
God because our feelings and our

646
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,000
emotions can be swayed because
of circumstances.

647
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:52,440
And I completely understand that.

648
00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:53,760
I completely understand that.

649
00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:55,920
But what we have to do is we
have to go back to the one thing

650
00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,120
that does not change, and that
is the Word of God.

651
00:25:58,360 --> 00:26:00,320
And so when we're talking
about these things to people, as

652
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:04,160
it says here, why, because
they were not thankful, they became

653
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:05,520
vain in their imaginations.

654
00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:08,440
What it basically says is that
people will start to dwell upon things

655
00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:09,560
that are empty, that.

656
00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:12,360
That don't matter, that don't
have lasting impact.

657
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,760
And so verse 21 tells us that
they were.

658
00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:17,600
They were foolish in their
heart, and their foolish heart was

659
00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:18,200
darkened.

660
00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:19,400
They weren't thankful.

661
00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,840
Actually, what we see here is
that there's an ingratitude.

662
00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:23,680
There's no attitude of
gratitude in their life.

663
00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:25,800
They're not thankful for what
God has given them.

664
00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,080
They're thankful for what they
have in their own life through their

665
00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:29,160
own strength is what they think.

666
00:26:29,740 --> 00:26:33,180
And so they've rejected God,
they profess themselves to be wise,

667
00:26:33,180 --> 00:26:34,620
and they become fools.

668
00:26:34,940 --> 00:26:37,100
So what wisdom are we going to
appeal to today?

669
00:26:37,900 --> 00:26:39,420
Well, it makes more sense to
do this.

670
00:26:40,540 --> 00:26:42,660
It makes more sense to choose
this path.

671
00:26:42,660 --> 00:26:44,860
Well, the Bible says, if it
makes sense to you, that doesn't

672
00:26:44,860 --> 00:26:45,739
mean that it's right.

673
00:26:46,780 --> 00:26:48,460
What does the word of God have
to say?

674
00:26:49,420 --> 00:26:53,140
And so the verse 24, it says,
wherefore God also gave them up to

675
00:26:53,140 --> 00:26:55,910
uncleanness, to the lust of
their own hearts.

676
00:26:56,470 --> 00:26:58,230
Folks, we don't want to be in
this place.

677
00:26:59,030 --> 00:27:01,470
We don't want to be
characterized by people that are

678
00:27:01,470 --> 00:27:04,630
going after our own fleshly
desires, what our own heart wants.

679
00:27:04,630 --> 00:27:05,830
You know, that sounds good.

680
00:27:05,830 --> 00:27:09,430
Like, you know, our kids watch
a movie and I'll hear things.

681
00:27:09,670 --> 00:27:13,310
And I'm probably not a good
person to watch movies with because

682
00:27:13,310 --> 00:27:15,670
I always pick out, like, how
that's not a biblical worldview.

683
00:27:16,550 --> 00:27:18,150
And it's like, trust your heart.

684
00:27:18,790 --> 00:27:21,030
You know, if you just follow
your heart, everything will be okay.

685
00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,120
Let me tell you here this
morning, biblically speaking, following

686
00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:25,560
your heart is not the path to take.

687
00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:26,400
Why?

688
00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:28,760
The book of Jeremiah says, our
heart is desperately wicked.

689
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,640
It will deceive us, it will
lie to us.

690
00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:33,840
So don't go with your heart.

691
00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:36,120
Some of you are like, well,
Pastor Josh has crushed me.

692
00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:39,400
Hey, I've always thought I
should just trust my heart.

693
00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:41,800
Well, trust.

694
00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:43,000
Trust the Lord.

695
00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,240
Trust his guidance, trust the Spirit.

696
00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:48,720
Now, maybe your heart is
aligned with the Spirit, and that

697
00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:49,320
is a good thing.

698
00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,800
But the Bible does say that
your heart can deceive you.

699
00:27:52,670 --> 00:27:54,590
And so what I can tell you
here this morning is this.

700
00:27:54,590 --> 00:27:54,910
When.

701
00:27:54,910 --> 00:27:57,310
When you're, when you're
seeking after the things of God,

702
00:27:57,310 --> 00:28:01,230
when you're trying to profess
the truth of God, don't, as it says,

703
00:28:01,470 --> 00:28:02,870
as it says there, don't.

704
00:28:02,870 --> 00:28:05,150
Don't follow the lust of your
own heart.

705
00:28:05,230 --> 00:28:06,910
Follow the desires of God.

706
00:28:06,990 --> 00:28:10,710
And so, as it says here, the
product of following their heart

707
00:28:10,710 --> 00:28:14,910
is what they dishonor their
own bodies between themselves.

708
00:28:15,870 --> 00:28:17,950
So essentially, it's a life
characterized by sin.

709
00:28:18,250 --> 00:28:19,970
It's a life characterized by rebellion.

710
00:28:19,970 --> 00:28:22,250
It's a life characterized by brokenness.

711
00:28:23,290 --> 00:28:25,250
And as we close here, it says this.

712
00:28:25,250 --> 00:28:27,450
Who changed the truth of God
into a lie?

713
00:28:29,290 --> 00:28:30,330
What does that mean?

714
00:28:30,330 --> 00:28:31,050
It means this.

715
00:28:32,810 --> 00:28:37,410
People are going to take what
we do as Christians and say, and

716
00:28:37,410 --> 00:28:40,010
they're going to try to find
the evil in that.

717
00:28:40,410 --> 00:28:45,460
Okay, so, for example, if I
say to somebody, look, I don't agree

718
00:28:45,460 --> 00:28:46,660
with your lifestyle.

719
00:28:47,140 --> 00:28:51,100
I think that it's a lifestyle
that is something that God has said

720
00:28:51,100 --> 00:28:55,300
is wrong and that is sinful
and it brings shame upon him.

721
00:28:56,260 --> 00:28:59,699
Okay, what can happen is, is
that someone says, well, that's hate.

722
00:28:59,699 --> 00:29:00,740
How was that hateful?

723
00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:01,300
How?

724
00:29:01,460 --> 00:29:02,540
It is not hateful.

725
00:29:02,540 --> 00:29:03,100
Okay.

726
00:29:03,100 --> 00:29:05,940
But what happens is, is that
the world is going to try to twist

727
00:29:05,940 --> 00:29:07,540
the truth of God into a lie.

728
00:29:08,180 --> 00:29:11,140
And so what I would encourage
you to do is don't allow the world

729
00:29:11,140 --> 00:29:11,710
to define.

730
00:29:11,780 --> 00:29:13,380
Define for you truth.

731
00:29:13,780 --> 00:29:16,340
Allow the word of God to
define truth in your life.

732
00:29:16,500 --> 00:29:18,860
And then it goes on to say,
here we change the truth of God into

733
00:29:18,860 --> 00:29:21,740
a lie and worship and serve
the creature more than the Creator.

734
00:29:21,740 --> 00:29:26,860
What eventually happens, the
outcome to this path, is essentially

735
00:29:26,860 --> 00:29:27,700
idolatry.

736
00:29:28,740 --> 00:29:30,420
Now, what I, what idol?

737
00:29:30,420 --> 00:29:30,900
I don't know.

738
00:29:30,900 --> 00:29:33,380
I don't know what an
individual's idol might be for.

739
00:29:33,380 --> 00:29:33,700
For.

740
00:29:33,780 --> 00:29:34,420
I would say.

741
00:29:34,420 --> 00:29:38,260
I, I would venture to say,
okay, that most people within this

742
00:29:38,260 --> 00:29:40,510
world today, their idol is themselves.

743
00:29:41,310 --> 00:29:42,550
Look at American culture.

744
00:29:42,550 --> 00:29:43,950
It's about lifting yourself up.

745
00:29:43,950 --> 00:29:46,590
It's about picking the path
that you feel is right.

746
00:29:46,590 --> 00:29:49,870
It's about identifying with
whatever identity you want it to

747
00:29:49,870 --> 00:29:50,110
be.

748
00:29:50,190 --> 00:29:53,110
It's about picking whatever
persuasion that you want to be a

749
00:29:53,110 --> 00:29:53,550
part of.

750
00:29:53,550 --> 00:29:55,710
And then, hey, celebrate that.

751
00:29:56,510 --> 00:29:57,390
Proclaim it.

752
00:29:58,270 --> 00:30:00,950
Essentially, they become
evangelists for themselves instead

753
00:30:00,950 --> 00:30:02,190
of evangelists for the Lord.

754
00:30:02,430 --> 00:30:04,790
And what we have to do is we
have to be on guard of that, and

755
00:30:04,790 --> 00:30:07,510
we have to be on guard into
allowing ourselves as Christians

756
00:30:07,510 --> 00:30:11,110
to take that philosophy and to
allow that philosophy to leak within

757
00:30:11,110 --> 00:30:11,590
the church.

758
00:30:12,230 --> 00:30:13,190
And so what do we do?

759
00:30:13,190 --> 00:30:14,870
We don't worship the creation.

760
00:30:15,510 --> 00:30:16,790
We don't worship the gift.

761
00:30:16,790 --> 00:30:18,150
We worship the gift giver.

762
00:30:18,230 --> 00:30:22,190
It would be like, it would be
like, you know, we get our kids gifts

763
00:30:22,190 --> 00:30:23,510
for, for Christmas.

764
00:30:24,149 --> 00:30:29,110
And instead of the kids
thanking us, the ones who bought

765
00:30:29,110 --> 00:30:32,270
that gift for them and wrapped
the gift for them, they go, thank

766
00:30:32,270 --> 00:30:32,470
you.

767
00:30:32,470 --> 00:30:34,070
And they look at whatever gift
that is.

768
00:30:34,150 --> 00:30:36,030
So, you know, let's say we
bought him a bike.

769
00:30:36,030 --> 00:30:36,630
Thank you, bike.

770
00:30:36,630 --> 00:30:37,670
You're a great bike.

771
00:30:37,750 --> 00:30:39,830
I love you more than anything
else in this world.

772
00:30:39,830 --> 00:30:40,150
Right?

773
00:30:40,150 --> 00:30:44,390
They, they, you guys see the,
the, the, the absurdity of that.

774
00:30:46,230 --> 00:30:48,750
When we get a gift in this
world, we know that we're supposed

775
00:30:48,750 --> 00:30:50,470
to thank the one who gave us
that gift.

776
00:30:50,950 --> 00:30:53,830
But what happens is, is that
God gifts us something in our life.

777
00:30:54,630 --> 00:30:56,710
God gives us something amazing
in our life.

778
00:30:57,270 --> 00:30:59,990
We can even take something
that we would consider to be good

779
00:31:00,550 --> 00:31:02,790
and allow that to become an
idol in our life.

780
00:31:03,510 --> 00:31:06,150
So let me give you some
examples of that, because most of

781
00:31:06,150 --> 00:31:08,270
the time we think of idols and
we think of like, something in the

782
00:31:08,270 --> 00:31:12,310
corner that's, you know, evil
and has an evil motivation and all

783
00:31:12,310 --> 00:31:13,310
these nasty things.

784
00:31:13,310 --> 00:31:16,430
But really what the Bible says
is that good things in our life,

785
00:31:16,430 --> 00:31:18,790
if they become the first
thing, can become a Bad thing.

786
00:31:19,590 --> 00:31:20,950
So, so let me tell you here,
I'm gonna.

787
00:31:20,950 --> 00:31:22,710
I'm gonna step on some toes
this morning and I.

788
00:31:22,710 --> 00:31:23,430
And I love you.

789
00:31:23,510 --> 00:31:26,230
But sometimes what we can do
is we can look at another human being

790
00:31:26,830 --> 00:31:30,670
and end up worshiping that
person instead of worshiping God.

791
00:31:30,830 --> 00:31:32,830
God has gifted me with an
amazing wife.

792
00:31:33,230 --> 00:31:36,110
But if I look at my wife and
say she's everything in my world

793
00:31:36,110 --> 00:31:39,430
and I'm going to put her
before God, I am now not the husband

794
00:31:39,430 --> 00:31:40,150
that I need to be.

795
00:31:40,150 --> 00:31:40,350
Why?

796
00:31:40,350 --> 00:31:41,870
Because I put her before God.

797
00:31:42,510 --> 00:31:44,470
But I love my children more
than I love God.

798
00:31:44,470 --> 00:31:47,070
I've got an issue in my heart
because I'm not where I need to be.

799
00:31:47,390 --> 00:31:50,750
And so what you see how I can
take something good and elevate it

800
00:31:50,750 --> 00:31:51,710
to the best thing.

801
00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:54,800
And now I'm missing the point
of what God has called me to do and

802
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:55,400
thanking him.

803
00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:57,480
Because if you go back, what
does it say there?

804
00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,720
It says one of the
characteristics of these people that

805
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,960
came to this place of
rebellion was that they were not

806
00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:03,440
thankful.

807
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:04,800
Neither were they thankful.

808
00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:05,640
Verse 21.

809
00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,880
It's when we lose thanksgiving
and what God has provided for us.

810
00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:13,320
And so we worship the gift
instead of the gift giver.

811
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,440
Man, I can look out there
today and see so many people with

812
00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:17,400
wonderful gifts.

813
00:32:18,290 --> 00:32:21,650
Man, I see people get up and
play an instrument and sing a song.

814
00:32:22,130 --> 00:32:24,210
That's amazing gift that God
gives you.

815
00:32:24,770 --> 00:32:27,690
But the moment you start to
worship that talent more than the

816
00:32:27,690 --> 00:32:30,530
one who gave you that talent
is when we get into that bad place

817
00:32:30,530 --> 00:32:31,410
of idolatry.

818
00:32:32,370 --> 00:32:34,970
Maybe some of you have great
jobs and you say, man, God has given

819
00:32:34,970 --> 00:32:35,970
me an awesome job.

820
00:32:36,050 --> 00:32:36,930
That is wonderful.

821
00:32:36,930 --> 00:32:38,130
That is a gift of God.

822
00:32:38,290 --> 00:32:42,050
But when we start to look at
that job as the thing that we worship

823
00:32:42,050 --> 00:32:45,070
instead of worshiping the one
who gave that to us, we miss the

824
00:32:45,070 --> 00:32:45,350
point.

825
00:32:45,350 --> 00:32:46,550
And you see how that goes.

826
00:32:46,550 --> 00:32:50,230
You see that without God we
turn to things that he has created

827
00:32:50,230 --> 00:32:51,590
instead of turning to him.

828
00:32:51,910 --> 00:32:53,750
And that's what verse 25 is
all about.

829
00:32:54,070 --> 00:32:57,390
Who changed the truth of God
into a lie and worshiped and served

830
00:32:57,390 --> 00:33:02,710
the creature more than the
Creator, who is blessed forever.

831
00:33:02,710 --> 00:33:03,350
Meaning this.

832
00:33:04,550 --> 00:33:08,150
The one we should worship, the
only one worthy worship is Jesus.

833
00:33:08,150 --> 00:33:09,990
The only one who is worthy of.

834
00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:13,680
We reject what's around us.

835
00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,000
We are living without an excuse.

836
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,480
We glorify God not as God, but
as something else.

837
00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:22,320
We're unthankful, we're vain
in our imaginations.

838
00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:24,240
We have a foolish heart that's darkened.

839
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,640
We are foolish because we
profess ourselves to be wise in our

840
00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:28,320
own wisdom.

841
00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:33,080
We Change the glory of the
uncorruptible immortal God into an

842
00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:33,360
image.

843
00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:34,640
So we're idolaters.

844
00:33:36,730 --> 00:33:39,210
We're unclean in the lust of
our hearts.

845
00:33:39,290 --> 00:33:42,090
We've dishonored our own
bodies and the bodies of others.

846
00:33:42,970 --> 00:33:45,850
We are changing the truth of
God into a lie.

847
00:33:45,850 --> 00:33:46,970
So we're liars.

848
00:33:47,690 --> 00:33:51,929
And we ultimately worship the
creation more than the Creator.

849
00:33:51,929 --> 00:33:52,490
So we are.

850
00:33:52,730 --> 00:33:53,650
We're idolaters.

851
00:33:53,650 --> 00:33:57,610
And so if we are to look at
ourselves outside of God, we are

852
00:33:58,250 --> 00:34:04,300
thieving, adulterous idolaters
who are broken in our sin.

853
00:34:04,300 --> 00:34:05,300
We're liars.

854
00:34:05,540 --> 00:34:06,540
And you say, well, that.

855
00:34:06,540 --> 00:34:08,460
And I feel really beat up
about myself.

856
00:34:08,460 --> 00:34:12,380
Okay, well, I want to take you
to a little bit farther on in Romans,

857
00:34:12,380 --> 00:34:12,660
okay?

858
00:34:12,660 --> 00:34:14,380
I want you to see what Romans
chapter 8 says.

859
00:34:14,380 --> 00:34:15,460
This is where we're going to end.

860
00:34:16,100 --> 00:34:25,060
So who we are outside of
Christ, broken sinners needing repentance,

861
00:34:25,700 --> 00:34:26,860
deserving punishment.

862
00:34:26,860 --> 00:34:30,020
But In Romans chapter 8, we
see who we are in Christ.

863
00:34:32,860 --> 00:34:33,060
So.

864
00:34:33,060 --> 00:34:33,580
So I.

865
00:34:33,580 --> 00:34:35,780
I tell people my BC years were
not good years.

866
00:34:35,780 --> 00:34:37,980
My before Christ years were
not good years.

867
00:34:39,740 --> 00:34:42,460
But who we are in Christ, I
want to leave you with hope this

868
00:34:42,460 --> 00:34:42,780
morning.

869
00:34:43,660 --> 00:34:45,180
Romans, chapter 8, verse 1.

870
00:34:45,580 --> 00:34:47,980
There is therefore now no condemnation.

871
00:34:48,620 --> 00:34:51,500
That word condemnation could
be considered judgment.

872
00:34:51,660 --> 00:34:52,020
Right?

873
00:34:52,020 --> 00:34:55,740
Judgment upon me, wrath of
God, that's judgment upon man.

874
00:34:55,740 --> 00:34:57,860
That's what we deserve in Christ.

875
00:34:57,860 --> 00:35:01,580
There's no more condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus

876
00:35:01,580 --> 00:35:04,060
who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit.

877
00:35:04,060 --> 00:35:08,260
For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me

878
00:35:08,420 --> 00:35:10,660
free from the law of sin and death.

879
00:35:12,020 --> 00:35:16,100
Salvation brings you free from
what you deserve for what the law

880
00:35:16,100 --> 00:35:17,060
could not do.

881
00:35:17,540 --> 00:35:19,860
So the law is what shows us
where we're wrong.

882
00:35:20,020 --> 00:35:20,420
Right.

883
00:35:20,420 --> 00:35:23,430
The law serves a purpose, by
the way, the law of God shows us

884
00:35:23,430 --> 00:35:24,270
where we're wrong.

885
00:35:24,670 --> 00:35:27,710
For the law could not do in
that it was weak to the flesh.

886
00:35:27,790 --> 00:35:30,550
God sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh.

887
00:35:30,550 --> 00:35:33,990
And for sin, condemned sin in
the flesh, that is the righteousness

888
00:35:33,990 --> 00:35:37,390
of the law might be fulfilled
in us who walk not after the flesh,

889
00:35:37,390 --> 00:35:38,350
but after the Spirit.

890
00:35:38,429 --> 00:35:41,470
It is the Spirit indwelling us
that changes our heart.

891
00:35:42,190 --> 00:35:42,990
Verse 6.

892
00:35:43,230 --> 00:35:47,150
For to be carnally or fleshly
minded is death, but to be spiritually

893
00:35:47,150 --> 00:35:49,200
minded is life and peace.

894
00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:52,560
Because the carnal mind.

895
00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:54,160
I want you to see this here.

896
00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:57,160
He's contrasting again the
flesh and the Spirit.

897
00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,960
He says, for the carnal or the
fleshly mind is enmity or enemies

898
00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:04,080
against God, for it is not
subject to the law of God.

899
00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:06,400
Neither indeed can be so.

900
00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:09,360
Then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God.

901
00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:15,160
The Bible very clearly teaches
that if we are in the flesh, if we

902
00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,050
are walking outside of the
Spirit, if we are walking in, in

903
00:36:18,050 --> 00:36:20,490
our own ways, we cannot please God.

904
00:36:20,890 --> 00:36:25,530
But it says verse 9, but ye
are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.

905
00:36:26,250 --> 00:36:28,890
If so be that the Spirit of
God dwell in you.

906
00:36:28,890 --> 00:36:32,330
Now, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of this.

907
00:36:32,490 --> 00:36:35,250
So if you are a believer this
morning, you have the Spirit of God.

908
00:36:35,250 --> 00:36:37,730
Therefore you are not
characterized by your brokenness,

909
00:36:37,730 --> 00:36:39,090
by your sin, by your failures.

910
00:36:39,090 --> 00:36:41,850
You're characterized by the
hope that you have in Christ.

911
00:36:41,850 --> 00:36:43,850
And so we end the chapter
eight with this.

912
00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:46,560
This is, this is a beautiful thing.

913
00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:50,800
There's a question that's posed.

914
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:52,440
What can separate us from the
love of God?

915
00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:54,400
What can separate us from the
salvation of God?

916
00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:56,000
Verse 37.

917
00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:59,120
Can we look at verse 35?

918
00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:00,960
Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ?

919
00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:04,520
Shall tribulation or distress
or persecution or famine, or nakedness

920
00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:05,440
or peril or sword.

921
00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,320
As it is written, for thy sake
we are killed all the day long we

922
00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:10,880
are accounted as she for the slaughter.

923
00:37:11,180 --> 00:37:14,620
Nay, in all these things, we
are more than conquerors through

924
00:37:14,620 --> 00:37:15,380
him that loved us.

925
00:37:15,380 --> 00:37:18,380
For I am persuaded that
neither death nor life, nor angels,

926
00:37:18,380 --> 00:37:20,780
nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things

927
00:37:20,780 --> 00:37:23,940
to come, nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature shall

928
00:37:23,940 --> 00:37:26,220
be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ

929
00:37:26,220 --> 00:37:27,100
Jesus our Lord.

930
00:37:27,260 --> 00:37:31,540
So the Bible says that, yes,
outside of Christ, you are all these

931
00:37:31,540 --> 00:37:33,340
terrible things that deserve judgment.

932
00:37:33,420 --> 00:37:37,260
But in Christ, with faith, in
Christ, with your life in Christ,

933
00:37:37,580 --> 00:37:39,860
you are now no longer defined
by your sin.

934
00:37:39,860 --> 00:37:42,420
You were defined as a
conqueror in the righteousness of

935
00:37:42,420 --> 00:37:42,740
God.

936
00:37:42,740 --> 00:37:44,620
And as it says, they're more
than a conqueror.

937
00:37:44,620 --> 00:37:47,660
The Greeks really literally
means super conqueror.

938
00:37:47,820 --> 00:37:51,540
You are super conqueror in
Christ, and that is the beauty of

939
00:37:51,540 --> 00:37:52,140
coming to Christ.

940
00:37:52,140 --> 00:37:54,900
And so that is why Paul says,
I am not ashamed of the gospel.

941
00:37:54,900 --> 00:37:56,780
That is why I'm going to
proclaim the gospel.

942
00:37:56,940 --> 00:38:01,100
Because, folks, we all need
the gospel of Jesus Christ in, in

943
00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:01,620
our sin.

944
00:38:01,620 --> 00:38:05,150
We need salvation to, to
change us in our sanctification.

945
00:38:05,150 --> 00:38:09,270
We need the Gospel to grow us
and ultimately in our lives of, of

946
00:38:09,270 --> 00:38:10,670
hardship and difficulty.

947
00:38:10,670 --> 00:38:14,110
We need the Gospel to affirm
in our hearts and confirm in our

948
00:38:14,110 --> 00:38:16,550
hearts that we have
everlasting life with him one day.

949
00:38:16,630 --> 00:38:19,550
That is the point of what Paul
is talking about here.

950
00:38:19,550 --> 00:38:19,790
Now.

951
00:38:19,790 --> 00:38:23,510
Next week we're going to look
at some more difficult topics because,

952
00:38:23,510 --> 00:38:27,430
because Paul gets into the sin
listing game, some of.

953
00:38:27,430 --> 00:38:28,790
Hey, you're not Supposed to
list sins.

954
00:38:29,030 --> 00:38:33,270
Well, Paul says, hey, if you
are living in your flesh, if you

955
00:38:33,270 --> 00:38:36,990
are living in rebellion, these
are some of the sins that will be

956
00:38:36,990 --> 00:38:38,710
manifested in the culture.

957
00:38:39,350 --> 00:38:42,670
It was in the culture in Rome,
it's in the culture in America.

958
00:38:42,670 --> 00:38:44,150
It's in the culture around the world.

959
00:38:44,150 --> 00:38:47,590
It's in the culture because
God is absent.

960
00:38:47,910 --> 00:38:50,790
And when God is absent, these
are things that manifest.

961
00:38:51,110 --> 00:38:54,070
And I know next Sunday is our
family Sunday, and we're going to

962
00:38:54,070 --> 00:38:55,240
talk about some things that.

963
00:38:55,390 --> 00:38:58,630
That aren't normally talked
about within church, but we're going

964
00:38:58,630 --> 00:39:01,030
to talk about things that are difficult.

965
00:39:01,030 --> 00:39:04,110
And so, parents, you can read
through that next passage and you

966
00:39:04,110 --> 00:39:04,870
can see what's there.

967
00:39:04,870 --> 00:39:07,350
I would encourage you to have
your children in the service because

968
00:39:07,350 --> 00:39:09,630
your children are hearing
these things in their culture.

969
00:39:10,030 --> 00:39:11,150
They're hearing these things.

970
00:39:11,230 --> 00:39:13,950
Possibly if they're going to
school, they're hearing that, hey,

971
00:39:13,950 --> 00:39:15,790
you can love anyone that you
want to love.

972
00:39:15,790 --> 00:39:16,510
It doesn't matter.

973
00:39:17,150 --> 00:39:18,190
Embrace everything.

974
00:39:18,670 --> 00:39:21,150
We're even coming to a month
that it's celebrated.

975
00:39:21,540 --> 00:39:22,740
What we have to do is this.

976
00:39:22,820 --> 00:39:25,580
We have to show our children
what the word of God says about this.

977
00:39:25,580 --> 00:39:28,900
Not the way we feel, not our
anger, not, not.

978
00:39:28,900 --> 00:39:29,780
Not any violence.

979
00:39:29,780 --> 00:39:30,420
What do we do?

980
00:39:30,420 --> 00:39:32,180
We point people to the truth
of God.

981
00:39:32,260 --> 00:39:36,700
And the plan to help, help
people understand what it means to

982
00:39:36,700 --> 00:39:39,300
know the truth of God and to
know how they can combat against

983
00:39:39,300 --> 00:39:40,580
these lies of the world.

984
00:39:40,660 --> 00:39:42,620
And so that's what we're going
to be talking about next week.

985
00:39:42,620 --> 00:39:44,020
And so I encourage you to be back.

986
00:39:44,420 --> 00:39:46,900
And I hope that it'll be a
blessing for you to kind of have

987
00:39:46,900 --> 00:39:50,590
an understanding and tools in
your toolbox showing how you can

988
00:39:50,990 --> 00:39:53,550
profess and proclaim the name
of Jesus Christ in this world.

989
00:39:53,630 --> 00:39:56,150
Well, I'm gonna ask every head
bowed, every eye closed, you can

990
00:39:56,150 --> 00:39:56,870
stand with me if you'd like.

991
00:39:56,870 --> 00:39:59,790
As the music plays here this
morning, I know it was a difficult

992
00:39:59,790 --> 00:40:00,150
message.

993
00:40:00,150 --> 00:40:03,790
I know it's a tough one to
kind of wrap our minds around application.

994
00:40:03,790 --> 00:40:04,990
But what I will say is this.

995
00:40:04,990 --> 00:40:08,510
This morning, there is a
temptation in this world to fall

996
00:40:08,510 --> 00:40:11,790
into thinking and acting like
the world.

997
00:40:12,190 --> 00:40:13,550
And what does the Bible say here?

998
00:40:13,550 --> 00:40:15,470
The world points us to emptiness.

999
00:40:15,860 --> 00:40:18,540
The world points us to thanklessness.

1000
00:40:18,540 --> 00:40:20,340
The world points us to sin.

1001
00:40:20,340 --> 00:40:22,180
The world points us to foolishness.

1002
00:40:22,260 --> 00:40:24,340
The world points us to idolatry.

1003
00:40:24,340 --> 00:40:27,540
The world points us to putting
anything material above the things

1004
00:40:27,540 --> 00:40:28,180
of God.

1005
00:40:28,580 --> 00:40:31,500
And so what I would say this
morning is maybe some of us have

1006
00:40:31,500 --> 00:40:34,620
been tempted to start to
believe the lies of this world.

1007
00:40:34,620 --> 00:40:39,700
That the things that I have or
who I am in myself are more important

1008
00:40:39,780 --> 00:40:40,900
than the things of God.

1009
00:40:41,470 --> 00:40:44,470
Hey, if that's the case, if
you felt yourself slipping into that

1010
00:40:44,470 --> 00:40:49,230
life of materialism, that life
of idolatry, that life of pursuing

1011
00:40:49,230 --> 00:40:52,550
the lust of our heart instead
of the truths of God, hey, you know

1012
00:40:52,550 --> 00:40:52,710
what?

1013
00:40:52,710 --> 00:40:53,670
This morning, come forward.

1014
00:40:53,670 --> 00:40:56,590
The Bible says if we confess
our sins, he's faithful and just

1015
00:40:56,590 --> 00:40:59,150
to forgive us our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1016
00:40:59,470 --> 00:41:02,430
It's as easy as turning myself
over to him and submitting myself

1017
00:41:02,430 --> 00:41:05,390
to his plan in my life and
saying, lord, you are enough.

1018
00:41:05,470 --> 00:41:06,910
I don't need anything else.

1019
00:41:07,810 --> 00:41:08,930
I don't need that raise.

1020
00:41:08,930 --> 00:41:13,250
I don't need that extra thing
that I've just been chasing and chasing

1021
00:41:13,250 --> 00:41:14,850
for my own fleshly desires.

1022
00:41:14,850 --> 00:41:16,370
All I need is you.

1023
00:41:16,530 --> 00:41:18,490
All I need is that
relationship with you.

1024
00:41:18,490 --> 00:41:19,570
And that is enough.

1025
00:41:19,730 --> 00:41:20,770
You are sufficient.

1026
00:41:20,770 --> 00:41:22,450
Maybe that's what you need to
do here this morning.

1027
00:41:22,690 --> 00:41:25,930
But maybe you've been walking
in those BC years, maybe you're in

1028
00:41:25,930 --> 00:41:27,890
that WC years without Christ.

1029
00:41:28,210 --> 00:41:30,730
If you need Jesus Christ as
your Savior here this morning, come

1030
00:41:30,730 --> 00:41:31,010
forward.

1031
00:41:31,170 --> 00:41:33,610
We can show you in the Word of
God what it means to know him and

1032
00:41:33,610 --> 00:41:34,790
know salvation.

1033
00:41:34,790 --> 00:41:36,390
To know what it means to be justified.

1034
00:41:36,390 --> 00:41:39,270
To know what it means to be
walking in the righteousness of God,

1035
00:41:39,270 --> 00:41:40,990
not in the unrighteousness of ourselves.

1036
00:41:41,230 --> 00:41:43,270
Lord, I pray that you'd be in
this time of invitation, working

1037
00:41:43,270 --> 00:41:44,030
hearts and lives.

1038
00:41:44,110 --> 00:41:47,110
But I pray that you can help
us understand what it means to have

1039
00:41:47,110 --> 00:41:49,630
the necessity of the Gospel in
every aspect of our life.

1040
00:41:49,870 --> 00:41:53,230
Lord, I pray that we can see
why we should be bold and confident

1041
00:41:53,230 --> 00:41:55,150
in the Gospel of Jesus in this
world today.

1042
00:41:55,230 --> 00:41:58,510
Lord, help us as Christians to
not live in the material things of

1043
00:41:58,510 --> 00:41:58,990
this world.

1044
00:41:59,070 --> 00:42:01,550
Help us not to worship the
creation, the creation.

1045
00:42:01,550 --> 00:42:04,960
But Lord, help us to worship
the Creator, you Lord, the One who

1046
00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:05,680
is eternal.

1047
00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:07,800
So Lord, I pray that you be in
this time of invitation, working

1048
00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:09,080
hearts and lives in Jesus name.

1049
00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:09,400
Amen.

1050
00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:11,240
As the music plays, follow as
the Lord leads.

1051
00:42:11,240 --> 00:43:12,860
Here this morning it thank you again.

1052
00:43:12,860 --> 00:43:15,420
For listening to the
Middletown Baptist Church Podcast.

1053
00:43:15,660 --> 00:43:17,980
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1054
00:43:18,870 --> 00:43:19,950
You would like to find out more.

1055
00:43:19,950 --> 00:43:21,630
Information about our church
or this sermon?

1056
00:43:21,630 --> 00:43:25,590
You can find us at
middletownbaptistchurch.org or find

1057
00:43:25,590 --> 00:43:27,270
us on Facebook or YouTube.

1058
00:43:27,990 --> 00:43:32,470
You can also email me directly
at Josh Massaroiddletownbaptistchurch

1059
00:43:32,470 --> 00:43:36,910
dot com if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1060
00:43:36,910 --> 00:43:39,670
along for future podcast and updates.

1061
00:43:40,390 --> 00:43:41,350
Thank you so much.

1062
00:43:41,590 --> 00:43:42,310
God Bless.

1063
00:43:42,550 --> 00:43:43,830
Have a wonderful day.