No More Excuses
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Last week we studied what evil looks like, what evil people look like.
We see that Gods Judgments are true and righteous. We talked about Moral suicide. Personally, up to and including globally.
Romans does not mince words, it lays it out simply and is crystal clear.
If the church in Rome had a problem with it, they have a bigger problem and it isn’t Gods problem. It boiled down to a sin problem.
At this point Paul brings believers into account and says don’t approve or practice sin. Examine yourself before casting stones.
Lets Read
1 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.
3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
6 who will render to each person according to his deeds:
7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;
8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,
10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
11 For there is no partiality with God.
12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;
13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
1. When we look at these passages, we must not forget Gods nature.
He does not wish any to perish
He is full of compassion even when we cannot understand it.
God is Love - by definition.
Gods judgement is one part of the story. It is fair it does not show favoritism.
Wrath comes to the aware and the unaware
Thank God for the Word which makes us very aware. We get what brings it about. We can expect it to come, but we need to thank God it doesn’t come to quickly or most of us would not be here - AMEN
We understand wrath could have serious consequences affecting many a one time. EX Sodom and Gomorahh, or what about in WW2
When dropping the bomb on Hiroshima the world should have been in great despair. This was mans wrath, not righteous wrath just wrath. Paul Tibbetts the pilot who dropped the bomb said basically, “when you kill people, you have to leave the moral issue out of it.”
He was a well trained killer.
The difference between men and God in this illustration is, God never leaves the moral issue out. He leaves no issue out.
Paul is now saying, God has leveled the playing field. There is ;
no immunity
evil = wrath
good= glory
For the believing Christian
Sin is dealt with by way of repentance, by way of the cross
Christ broke down the barrier so all can come near to him and be saved - AMEN
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We need a savior, a deliverer and we got one - JESUS.
As Christians ( or in this case Paul is talking to the Jews)
2. We must be careful not to show contempt, thinking we are something special because we are chosen or redeemed but we must not treat others as “less than”
Have you ever been in church and everyone stares at the one who walks in a little on the rough side. They say that person needs Jesus. We turn it into an us and them thing. How many of you know it is only by Gods grace you are saved AMEN
Everyone is in need of a savior, not everyone else.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Paul is challenging the Jewish believers
Sometimes they can become very harsh and critical. We forget that Gods wrath is very serious business, we should be deeply concerned for those on a path of destruction, many wandering like sheep without a shepherd. Beat up by Satan, their flesh and life itself. No future and no hope.
We need to be concerned with the lost and those who think they are not .
Don’t presume that just because you said a sinners prayer that you got a ticket that you can stash away in your safe and pull it out in the end. Your actions and your heart condition should reflect your decision.
There is a difference between needing the gospel and using the gospel.
William Booth said, “we should want to crawl on glass to the moon to save the one going to hell.”
If that is what it would take. To me William Booth and his wife who started the salvation army, really understood the heart of God.
3 Another thing we must be careful not to do is put faces to extremes. It allows us to say to ourselves , we are not like them so we are OK. It makes us feel good and say I’m basically a good person it it will work out ok for me.
When we think evil we picture people like Hitler or Bin Laden. It allows us to distance ourselves to the point where all are good except for a few bad apples.
We can also do this with who we feel are Holy, like Mother Theresa or Billy Graham.
Philip Yancey in his book, “The God I Never Knew” said we have to be careful with making God human - like he is Mr Rogers or a glorified Santa or the mean judge that sits on the throne ready to squish people.
Back to God’ Nature
GODS KINDNESS LEADS TO REPENTANCE
Let me read this from the passion bible
10 The day of the Lord will come and take everyone by surprise—as unexpected as a home invasion. The atmosphere will be set on fire and vanish with a horrific roar, and the heavenly bodies will melt away as in a tremendous blaze. The earth and every activity of man will be laid bare.
11 Since all these things are on the verge of being dismantled, don’t you see how vital it is to live a holy life? We must be consumed with godliness
12 while we anticipate and help to speed up the coming of the day of God, when the atmosphere will be set on fire and the heavenly bodies consumed in a blaze.
13 But as we wait, we trust in God’s royal proclamation to be fulfilled. There are coming heavens new in quality, and an earth new in quality, where righteousness will be fully at home.
14 So, my beloved friends, with all that you have to look forward to, may you be eager to be found living pure lives when you come into his presence, without blemish and filled with peace.
15 And keep in mind that our Lord’s extraordinary patience simply means more opportunity for salvation, just as our dear brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.
In the Greek there are two words for kindness and Jesus represents both of them. One is always kind. the other is kindness in the result of rebuke, correction and punishment.
How many of you have experienced the kindness of the Lord? What about his mercy and Love.
He says in vs 10 we have
Glory - defined as divine radiance- We will have heavenly beauty
Honor - worth, dignity and recognition- also heavenly
Peace - a state of favor with God- Peace with GOD, AND ONE ANOTHER
Conclusion (HOPE)
In the midst of all this we have to grasp eternity.
“Like drowning men who gasp at straws, men confronted with the divine judgement clutch hold of any possibility of its not happening” Briscoe
We need the gospel
We need Gods grace - Amen
Only the Gospel saves - All need deliverance
We have eternity in our hearts.
There is life in this life and in the one to come...