Rom. 1:16-32 A GOSPEL WORTH SHARING

June 2 Sermon

The Good news & the bad news. The good news-The Gospel. The bad news- the need for  the Gospel (sinful condition of man)

 Paul's statements about the Gospel begin in a strange fashion.

He tells us that he is not "ashamed of the Gospel."

Understanding of that culture will help us why.   (4 reasons)

1. Because of the moral condition of that day.

Nero was the Emperor of Rome.  He was a wicked, degenerate man.  Like leader like follower.

The Gospel was opposed to a lot of things Rome was. 

2. Because Paul was a Jew. considered by many to be a sub-human race.

They were fit for nothing but to be despised, mistreated, and enslaved.

3. Because the Gospel Paul was preaching was almost unbelievable.

 Savior - part of the despised Jewish race, He was said to be the Savior of man,

 Claimed to be the Son of God, even God Himself, yet He claimed to be a man.

 He died on a Roman cross, a symbol of shame, but in dying this death, He was said to have died for all men.

To have risen from the dead the third day after His death-  just too bizarre to believe.

4. Because everywhere Paul went preaching the cross, he was ridiculed, cast out, imprisoned, or treated cruelly.

What can make us ashamed of the Gospel nowadays?

Paul would want to be clear about his commitment to the Gospel message.

a man who believed his message and was willing to pay the price to share it.

Ashamed, why wasn't Paul?  keep on going for God?

 invigorated  driving him around the world preaching the same hated message?

The answer to those questions is found in the truths that Paul reveals to us about the Gospel.

 Paul reminds us that we have A Gospel Worth Sharing.

 Let's  see why.

A.  The Gospel is the "power of God".

 "might, energy, force and strength that dwell within God."

-God could have revealed His power against sin in any way that He chose.

He could have wiped men from the face of the earth.,

He exercised His power in sending men the Gospel of grace.

-When God takes a lost sinner and saves him by His grace and makes him a new creature, that is a powerful thing.

B. The Gospel message is "saving everyone who believes."

- very important word. It means, "safety, preservation, deliverance."

 It carries the idea of "being rescued from all harm and danger."

 The end of all sinners, outside the Lord Jesus, is the fire of Hell. God purpose in giving the

Gospel is to change man's destination in eternity and his life here on earth as well.

…Application….

 I truly enjoy being saved! I am grateful to the Lord that He gave us salvation & he keeps on changing me…same w/ you

How this Gospel message of salvation is activated?

C.The Gospel is saving everyone “ who believes."

- does not involve complicated religious rituals or ornate and elaborate religious exercises.

Salvation is the product of faith and faith alone!  No need to crucify oneself, go to pilgrimage….

- many people stumble on this. People like to do things for themselves. They like to feel that they have a part of everything in their lives.

However, in the matter of salvation, the sinner can have no part. It is all God, all the way.

- for every single person in the world! No one is beyond the reach .

"to the Jew first and also to the Greek

 regardless of their race, their social standing, their education, their ability, their wickedness, etc. There is nothing which can prevent anyone who wants to be saved

D.  The Gospel  “makes us right in his sight”  

Man has 2 great problems.

1.) He thinks he is righteous and is therefore acceptable to the Lord.

2.) He is absolutely wrong about #1! Man is not righteous, and cannot produce righteousness by self-will, or his own works.

-However, when faith is placed in the Gospel message and Jesus is believed on in the heart, God takes the sinners and declares him to be righteous. (& the power to be righteous)

- What does the phrase "from faith to faith"mean? (from start (begin)to finish (ending)

Action Point: We have been given a Gospel worth believing and one that is worth sharing.

 1.Are we trusting in the Gospel of Christ for salvation?

2. Are we sharing the Gospel like Paul did? Are we ashamed of the Gospel of Christ?

2.  v.18 Another reason for sharing is because of THE WRATH OF GOD

preaching about God's anger against sin is not a popular thing in our day.

Man has tried his best to reduce God to some old grandfather type figure Who merely winks at the flaws in mankind and possesses no other emotion but love.

God is love, however, His one aspect of His love is His wrath and hatred of sin.

Yes, God is love, but may I also remind you that God is hates sin as well?

He is love toward the sinner, but He is hate toward sin!

Many people are bothered by the thought of a God Who reacts in wrath and judgment,

We would be bothered by a God Who didn't!

A. "What is the wrath of God?"

 the word "orge".   It pictures someone who is holding his anger in while it builds up inside of him.  It implies that there will come a time when the anger will come forth.

- imagine folsom dam. Behind that dam the waters are being backed up until there is great pressure behind that dam. Then, one day, that dam bursts and all the fury of those pent up waters flows forth and destroys everything in its path.

Consider when this has been displayed in the record of Scripture.

1. At the flood - Gen. 6-8.

2. Sodom and Gomorrah - Gen. 19

3 2. At the Red Sea - Ex. 14 the entire Egyptian army is drowned in the sea.

-when Jesus was hanging on the cross, God directed all His built up anger against sin.

We have found a place of shelter from the awesome wrath of God.

 Does God react in sudden outbursts?

1.some in Israel who rebelled and were instantly afflicted by a plague, Num. 11; 16.

2. Miriam who was afflicted with leprosy, Num. 12:10.

3. In Acts 5, Annanias & Saphira.

Thankfully, God typically deals with sinners by holding back His wrath in an effort to bring about repentance in their lives.

 - the wrath of God "is" revealed. That is, the wrath of God is constantly in view.

We can see it around us all the time, but are often unaware of what it is.

Ex. Earthquake, Hurricanes (Tornadoes), Tsunami, Wars, Famines….

B. "Who is God's wrath focused against?")

1. Against Ungodliness (all sinful) - This refers to man's relationship to the Lord.

2. Against Unrighteousness (wickedness) refers to man's relationship with his fellow man.

As this chapter unfolds, Paul will reveal sins that are against God and sins that are against man.

 Did you realize that every problem man has with man has its roots in man's relationship with God? We will treat our fellow man exactly like we treat God!

When we treat God badly, we will treat man badly. When we love God, we will love other people too!

3.  "Why is God angry?" verses 18-23

A. Mankind Have suppressed the Truth – 18b- 19 The phrase "suppress the truth by their wickedness" means that people know the truth, but they suppress it and cling to their sins instead of the Lord.

There is something built into man that causes him to know that there is a God! Yet, men love their sin more than they love God.

V. 20  What is this truth that man suppresses? It is the very revelation of God Himself.

God has a strong desire to reveal Himself to men!

 God wants them to come to know about Him so that they will come to know Him personally.  God manifests Himself to man in millions of ways every day.

 even without a Bible, man can come to know about God!

 Psa. 19:1-4a. God's revelation of Himself is so strong and so clear that every rational creature are bound to acknowledge and worship Him!

 Several areas where God's Person is on display!

1. Think of the seed that becomes a mighty tree.

2. Think of birds that are able to navigate by the stars.

3. Think that there are over 10 million species of insects in the world.

4. Think that the earth, stars, sun.

Think that there are giant telescopes that can view objects that are over 4 billion light years away.

5. Think that most scientists now believe that this massive universe came into existence at a specific instance in time. Did you know that among major scientists evolution is very much out of picture? Many now believe that a higher intelligence had everything to do with it.

Now, imagine that all of this just happened! No way! God did all these things to prove to man that He is real and that He possesses great power!

No wonder that Bible declares, "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God."

 - The purpose is to force man to a moment of decision! God's desire is that every person bow before Him in humble repentance and worship.

The universe in the Lord's courtroom. In it, He has proven conclusively that He exists.

Those who refuse to believe in Him have been faced with the evidence and are left with no excuse for their behavior. They are guilty as charged and when they face Jesus at the Great White Throne, they will hear the charges read in clear terms.

B. Man Rejected God's Truth

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks.

When man has been faced with the truth of God and he makes his stand against God, he has moved into the realm of rejection in 2 areas of life.

1. They Gave God No Glory - they refused to magnify and exalt God as God.

Their primary goal was the glorification of self! Men fail to honor God when they refuse to give Him the place in their lives that He deserves. God deserves the first place

2. They Gave God No Gratitude - While they denied God, they took all the things that He had given man to teach man about Himself and they used it for their own selfish gains without a single thought being given to the great Creator

21b And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

This verse says that when they turned their backs on the light of God's truth, "their foolish heart was darkened."

 the only alternative to Light is darkness! As they move farther away from the Light, they move farther into the dark!

C. verses  22-23 MAN chose an alternative 

22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

A. V. 22  Foolish Regression - When man closes his eyes to the truth of God, he really thinks he is wise! His perception of himself is that he has all the bases covered. In reality, God says that while they think they are so smart, they are nothing but fools!

 To the world's eyes the Christian is the biggest fool in existence! He misses out on all the pleasures of the world. He places his faith in a man who died 2,000 years ago, but looks for Him to return at any time. From God's perspectives, however, the wisest decision any person has ever made is to place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I would rather be perceived to be a fool tonight than I had to live in sin and prove that I am a fool at the end of the road.

23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

B. V. 23 He Reacts In False Religion -  then he turns around and invents things to worship!

man is a religious creature. If he doesn't worship God, he will manufacture a god to worship.

 If that doesn't fit the bill, then he will ultimately set himself up as his own little god and will live his life only to worship and glorify himself.

- notice the downward spiral: man, birds, animals and reptiles.  opposite of  evolution.

 when man steps away from God he doesn't evolve, he devolves. He doesn't progress upward, he regresses downward. All of this tends to prove the point that a life without God is a life that is on a downward pathway!

4. Rom. 1:24-32 THE RESULTS OF MAN'S Suppression & rejection of God

I would like to call you attention to three terms that are used in our text.

 They are: "God also gave them up", v. 24; "God gave them up", v. 26; and "God gave them over", v.28.

As we study these verses, it will become apparent that when man makes his choice to abandon God, God will also choose to abandon man!

1.  v. 24a So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired.

As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.

v. 25 Since man refuses to live by God's law, he invents his own law!

The result is that man also invents his own gods. The chief god usually being "Self."

Why does man do this?

Because he still possesses an overwhelming desire to worship.

However, he needs a god that will condone his sinful behavior!

Therefore, he lives for himself and his invented gods.

2.  v.26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires.  

26-27    The depths to which man can sink are represented here.

Where societies always end up when they choose their ways over God's ways.

the case throughout history,  we are seeing the same trend in America.

In these verses,  describes the sin of homosexuality. Yes, I said sin! (not alternative lifestyle)

v. 26  "even their women" were involved in this sinful lifestyle.

Women are usually the last bastion of morality in any society. (Ellen dG), Cousins, Nieces, Badminton Friends….

Men are more given to sin, especially sexual sin, than are women.

 Why this sin and not any of the thousands of others?

homosexuals are typically given to more promiscuous behavior than heterosexuals.

-One statistic has found that many homosexual males have as many as 300 different sexual partners a year.  This can lead to other sexual sins…pedophiles, sex trafficking, pornography, strip clubs etc….bestiality, prostitution, Rape….

The sad thing- homosexual community in America is estimated to be 1% of the population.

- they are given special privileges and are promoting their lifestyle in the open,

demanding that people like you and me endorse them, accept them and affirm them in what they are doing! (Ex. BSP)

-Even those at the highest echelons of our government are extending special favors to homosexuals and promoting their agenda. (Military)

Yet, God finds same sex relationships as revolting, abominable and utterly sinful and depraved.

-As the days go by, the battle cry will be for "tolerance".

The day is coming when being labeled "intolerant" will be result in a conviction for a crime.

- What strikes me as being really sad is the fact that certain mainline so-called Christian denominations are seriously considering  ordaining and marrying homosexuals.

declassifying homosexuality as a sin! Even the fact that it would be debated at all is almost beyond my comprehension!

-When God gives a man up to his choice of lifestyles, that man will find that his attraction to and addiction to his sin will become stronger by the day.

What used to bring shame when committed, now doesn't embarrass them at all, opening the door for them to sink to ever deeper levels of sinful depravity.

-This judgment is also evident in the physical realm. AIDS is one of the first thoughts that comes to mind. Instances of sexually transmitted diseases are becoming rampant in our society, and it isn't just affecting the homosexual community. They bear the brunt of AIDS, but it is swiftly spreading to all corners of society.

 -When a man like Magic Johnson is diagnosed as HIV positive and admits to having had sex with as many as 20,000 women, you begin to realize the depths to which human depravity can sink!)

3. V. 28-32   He abandoned them to their foolish thinking  and let them do things that should never be doneV. 28a

A. V. 28b-31 Seen In His Depravity - God gives them over to a "reprobate " mind.

The idea is that men did not want God in their lives, so He gives them over to the power of a totally depraved mind. At this point, they are absolutely capable of any sin imaginable!

The Apostle gives us a list of sins. These are not meant to be an exhaustive list of possible sins, but it is a mere representation of the sins of which man is capable of committing.

v. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin,

greed , hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.

30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent (boldly disrespectful), proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.

31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.

32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

He pursues his sin with everything in his power.

And, to make matters worse, he passes his sinful behavior on to others by encouraging them to follow in his footsteps. They also delight in all those who live the same lifestyle.

These people encourage one another in their sins while both plunge headlong toward Hell!

This describes the world in which we live!

Action Points:  It is a harsh, but true reality that those who reject God will ultimately be rejected by God. There is a price to pay for rejecting Him.

If you are in that shape, let me invite you to come to Jesus for salvation this evening.

It may even be that you are saved, but have allowed some of these sins mentioned in these verses into your life. You need to get that dealt with right now. I invite you, saint of God, to come to the Lord and seek a fresh, renewed walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you know someone in this shape, let me challenge you to pray for them.

 Millions of people are under the wrath of God this evening. Our duty is to tell them about a Gospel that can set them free!

Resource: Adapted from the message of Allan Carr