The Plowman

Introduction:
What do you need to live the Christian life?  What is required for you to live in obedience to Christ’s commands and walk humbly before Him?  It is clear there is more to the Christian life then just accepting a set of doctrinal beliefs.  There is more to it than to intellectually agree that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.  It is not enough even to believe that He died on the cross or even that He died on the cross for your sins.  It is not enough to believe He died and rose triumphantly from the grave!  You must believe in Him.  You must put your faith and trust in Him.

To believe or to trust is to rely upon Him.
It is to say, “I am trusting wholly in Christ.  I have no backup.  If He can’t save me I’m lost.”
Okay, that’s what is means to be saved but what about holiness?
What about living the faith?

Well that’s where the Holy Spirit comes in and the church and Bible Study and prayer and discipleship and fellowship and accountability groups and the gifts of the Spirit and all of those things that God promises and gives.  Be careful!

If you are thinking along these lines you are dangerously close to heresy.
You are close to stepping over the line.
You see the problem is when you say there is something else you need you are suggesting Christ is not enough.

In essences you are saying, “Being saved is great.  That gets you ‘in the door’ but it’s nothing compared to the victorious life or the spirit-filled life.”  Such talk puts Christ in second place and that is a dangerous thing.  I don’t believe that any Christian would intentionally downgrade the Lord Jesus but we do it unintentionally when think or say we need something more than Christ to be all God wants us to be.

When something is sufficient it “meets the need.”  It supplies all that is missing.  Now, is Christ sufficient to restore our relationship with God?  Is Christ all we need to put us in right standing with the Creator of the universe?  Or is there something more?

What do the Scriptures say?

• Colossians 2:9-10
• Romans 8:9
• 1 Cor 1:30

Whoever accepts me, Jesus said, accepts the one who sent me (John 13:20).
All that you will ever need to live the Christ life is given to you in Christ.
You do not need a “second blessing.”
You do not need a subsequent experience.
You need Christ.

Wait!  No Christian is as wise as he should be, nor as dedicated, nor free from sin.  Isn’t that proof there is something more?

That is a logical question but it fails to recognize something else plainly taught in the Scripture.  We are not born full grown!  Our need to grow in these areas demonstrates that God gives out His good things over our lifetime.

That is why we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ - 2 Peter 3:18.
And we all grow at a different pace and to different degrees.

What harm is there in thinking there is something more?

What was the problem at Galatia?
They were preaching a Jesus plus theology.
They were looking for something more.
It is God’s will that Christ rescue us from this present evil age (1:4).

Paul was writing to a church that was drifting from the Gospel.  They were drifting toward something more.  How did Paul address the crisis?  He preached Christ.  It was not his place, it was not his job to determine who is and is not saved.  It was his job to preach Christ.  The rest is God’s business.

What is the work of the Spirit?

John 16:14-15

The work of the Spirit is to lead men to a greater appreciation of Christ.  To make an experience with the Spirit a step beyond Christ is to miss the point entirely.  “He will bring glory to me,” said Jesus.  There is no knowledge higher than the knowledge of Christ.

The writer of Hebrews says Christ is the means of our holiness - Hebrews 10:16; 13:20-21.

Christ is all we need.

Wait!  If God guarantees our progress, why all the commands and why am I to strive to be holy?

We are not machines.
It is relational.

We do not all progress at the same rate.
God uses commands as one of the means of accomplishing His work.

Conclusion

To seek something more than Christ is heresy.
But what do we do when the battle is too heavy?
What do we do when the sledding is tough and we just can’t make it?

Jesus answers that for us: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Christ is all you need!

Introduction:
It is an excellent strategy.  It is used all the time by magicians and illusionists it is called diversion or misdirection.  I want you looking over there while I do something over here.  It is also used effectively by those who really don’t want to answer questions or deal with the truth.  “You asked me about this but I’d rather talk about that.”  We all know who likes to use such tactics!  It’s politics 101.  Just once I’d like to hear a politician say, “Look, this is a press conference the last thing I want do is answer a bunch of questions.”  In stead you hear something like, “That is an excellent questions.  That’s why I have my people looking into…” then they go off on something that’s not even remotely related to the question asked.  But as good as politicians are with “spin” I’ll tell you are the real masters of spin.  They are the folks who love to talk about “religion” but who don’t want to deal with their sin or come to grips with the gospel.

Do you remember the story recorded in John chapter 4?  The story of Jesus and his encounter with the woman at the well?  It’s a classic example.  Jesus made a point to pass through Samaria.  It was noon, the hottest part of the day, and he sat down at Jacob’s well and waited while the disciples went into the village for food.

A woman approached who was, without a doubt, a woman of questionable character.  She came to draw water and Jesus struck up a conversation with her.  Jesus asked her for a drink.  She was surprised that Jesus, as a Jew, would ask her for water.  Jesus said, “If you knew who is was you would be asking me for water.  And I would give you living water.”  She was “hooked.”  “You don’t have a bucket and this well is very deep.  How would you get this water?  Are you claiming to be greater than our father Jacob?”  Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again.  Whoever drinks of the water I give - will never be thirsty again.  In fact that which I give will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  “Sir give me this water,” she exclaimed.

Jesus said, “Go, call your husband and tell him to come here.”  The woman said, “I don’t have a husband.”  “You’re right,” said Jesus.  “You’ve had 5 husbands but the man you’re currently living with is not your husband.”  That’s when it happened.  She was pleased to have the conversation up to this point.  She was fascinated and intrigued.  She wanted to know more.  But know she says, “I perceive you are a prophet.  I’ve always wondered…where’s the best place to go to church?”  Divert!  Move away.  Let’s talk about something else.  Let’s talk about anything else.

If you’ve tried to talk to others about the gospel.  If you’ve ever tried to move the conversation toward confronting an individual’s sin and their need of Christ then you’ve experienced “diversion tactics.”  You’ve been hit with the Crusades and all the evil that’s been done throughout history in the name of the church; you’ve been hit with the poor, innocent heathen in the African bush and the lowly villager in China who have never heard the gospel or the name of Jesus.  Is that brought up because they’ve always had this burden and wanted to know the answer or is it because they are not comfortable dealing with the gospel up close?  I suspect it’s the latter.  I imagine they don’t really want to deal with their sin and thus their condition before God it’s much safer to talk about the heathen in Africa or what happened 1200 years ago.

That’s what Paul is dealing with in our text this morning found in Romans chapter 3.

Text: Romans 3:1-8

The key to this section is found in 3:8 - “Their condemnation is just.”  Their condemnation is right, is fitting, it is appropriate.

That is highlighted in our text by revealing the depth of our sin.  The depth of man’s depravity is seen in that…

Thesis: Man’s wicked heart will go to any extreme to avoid dealing with God’s sovereign, wise and just judgment.

1. Man’s depravity is seen in that he tries to use his own unfaithfulness as grounds for charging God with unrighteousness.  (3:1-4)
2. Man’s depravity is revealed in that he seeks to justify his own wickedness as a means of glorifying God.  (3:5-8)

At first glance this text seems out of place and an unnecessary side track.  Paul why go down this road?  Why muddy the waters with a somewhat confusing rant?  But it is not a rant at all.  It’s not even out of place.  It’s purpose is to underscore the wickedness of man’s stubborn, sinful, heart.

It is given to declare yet again man’s destiny is hopeless apart from the mercy and grace of God in Christ.

Introduction:

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God.
(Refrain)

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
standing on the promises of God.
(Refrain)

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God.
(Refrain)

The guy that wrote that must have been some kind of nut!  Is he kidding?  When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail…I shall prevail?  Overcoming daily?  Is that your experience?  Oh, its a great song.  I love to sing it but come on - when I sing it I know I’m lying.  Do you ever feel like that?  Do you ever feel like a hypocrite because your confession bears little resemblance to your actual life?

I hope you know I have my tongue firmly in my check as I make these comments.  But my point is we all struggle with living our faith consistently.  I want to deal with this because I don’t wont you to misunderstand what I’ve been trying to say for the last 5 weeks on Sunday evening.  Please don’t hear me say, “You must be perfect or you are not a Christian.”  Or, “You must trust Jesus and you must remain faithfully committed all the time or your faith is a sham!”  No, that’s not what I’m saying.

• I’m saying it is not enough to say you are a Christian.
• It is not enough to say you are trusting Jesus.
• Genuine faith, saving faith, is followed by works.
• Salvation is conversion - it is change.

If you say you believe but your life is no different, your desires do not change, sin does not break your heart, you have no hunger or thirst for righteousness - there is a problem!  You would do well to explore that problem and test your faith to see if it is in deed genuine.

• What are we to do?
• How do we find our way through this mess?
• Let me just remind you again this evening of some of the things God has said about his children.
• All of which serve to remind us, “Christian take heart!  God is at work in you.”

Ephesians 2:19-22
Or consider Colossians 2:19

Let me give you what I think is the most important thing you can learn as a Christian related to spiritual growth and development.  God does not ask His people to initiate the work in their own lives.  Rather He calls us to fall in with whatever He is already doing.

Listen to Philippians 2:12
Look at the next verse 2:13 - for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Paul is confident you can work out your own salvation because God is already at work in you to do that very thing!

Or Romans 6:13
How?  6:14

But how can I be sure I’ll do that?

6:22
1 Thessalonians 2:12-13
1 Thessalonians 4:9-10

God is at work in you.
We find the same themes in Paul’s prayers - 2 Thessalonians 1:11; Philippians 1:9-11.

Because God is at work in us we come across some strange passages in the NT.  Consider James 1:2.  That makes no sense unless God is at work in us.

What has God said?
“You have been set free from sin” - Romans 6:22
“We see in you the things that accompany salvation” - Hebrews 6:9
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome [false spirits]” - 1 John 4:4
Why?
“Because greater is He who is in you that he that is in the world.” - 1 John 4:4

Christian take heart!

Introduction:
Shocked.  Stunned.  Outraged and offended.  That’s the only way to describe the crowd’s response to the sermon.  For some it was the most outrageous thing they had ever heard.  It was unimaginable.  Others were frightened by what the preacher had said.  There were no, “Amens” in fact there was nothing but silence as the end of the sermon hung in the air.  It was a terrifying prospect - the thought of hearing the voice of God thunder, “Depart from Me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you!”  You might expect such if He were speaking to thieves, murderers or adulterers but listen, “Lord we prophesied in your name.  We cast out demons.  We did many mighty works in your name.”  Depart from Me?  I never knew you?  If He had said, “Liars!  You did no such thing.”  He did not dispute their claims He just said, “I never knew you.”  No wonder the crowd was astonished at His teaching.  Is it possible?  Could it be that there will be those who have “believed” the truth, worked in the church, labored for the kingdom who will be damned?  Is it true that there will be some at the judgment who will genuinely be shocked to learn that they are not included in the heavenly band?  Our text this morning is found in Romans chapter 2 beginning with the seventeenth verse.

Text: Romans 2:17-29
The apostle Paul is building his case for salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone.  He begins by driving home the point that we are all sinners in need of salvation.  Unless we understand we are sick - we feel no need for a doctor.  Unless we understand the sickness we have no need of a cure.

• Paul says God has revealed himself.
• He had made himself known.
• Creation screams, “There is a God!  He is powerful, majestic and awesome.”
• But man has suppressed that revelation - he has pushed it down.
• We refuse to acknowledge God as God.
• We do not honor Him as God or give him thanks.

Instead we pervert the truth and eventually exchange the truth for a lie and worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator.  That leads to a depraved, condemned, abandoned mind that in turn leads to profound sensual perversion, an endless variety of sin and a twisted morality.  Thus Paul addressed the openly flagrant sinners at the end of chapter 1.
At the beginning of chapter 2 he address the “righteous sinner.”  Both the moral pagan and the Jew for their hypocrisy.  Those who think themselves righteous and treat others with contempt.  Railing against sin while failing to recognize their own wickedness.

In our text he address the most difficult group to reach with the gospel - the religious sinner.  I say most difficult because it is difficult to convince earnest, sincerely religious people that they are “lost.”  But the Bible is very clear on this.  You can believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, confess all the doctrinal truths of the faith, and be a member of the church and miss heaven by 18 inches.  Because it never got from your head to your heart.  Your association with the truth, your exposure to the truth even your knowledge of the truth may prevent you from dealing with the heart of the matter.

My purpose is not to create doubt or to confuse but to deal honestly with what Paul says in this chapter.  I do want to make it clear, salvation is not the same as church membership.  Salvation is not to be equated with orthodox belief.  Salvation is about the work of God in the heart of the believer enabling the believer to understand the truth, desire the truth and surrender to the truth.  Salvation comes from trusting in Christ and in him alone!

As we walk through the text you’ll see why that is important.

First, knowledge of the truth may prove to be deadly.  (2:17-23)

• Part of the problem is their sense of privilege - (17-18)
• The problem of deadly pride and presumption - (19-20)

Thus, this is important, “Professed religion will not save a man from Divine judgment!”

Knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
Let me point out another truth from verse 24.

Betrayal of the truth is damning.  (2:24)

Embodying the truth is essential.  (2:25-29)

I have to pity the man who trusts in his religion to save him.  The man who thinks his church membership will get him to heaven or thinks his doctrine will get him there is sadly mistaken.

It is not enough to be near the truth; or to be associated with the truth; or even agree with the truth.  The truth must be embraced and lived out!

Introduction:
Even though I grew up here in Tulsa, the Charismatic capital, I was not confronted with the issues of being “Spirit-filled” until I was in college.  It just wasn’t an issue in the crowd I ran with.  But in college as we were seeking to understand the Faith and come to our own convictions about what the Bible taught we started reading books and listening to tapes by some folks who were not part of “our crowd.”  This was in the late 70s and early 80s as the charisamatic movement was making its way out of Pentecostalism and into mainstream.  The Jesus Movement of the late 60s and early 70s was beginning to have a larger impact.  Peter Wagner and the church growth movement out of Fuller Seminary was talking about “spiritual gift inventories” and other tools to help people discover their gifts and find places of ministry in the church.  There was a movement among Southern Baptist begun by some men who had had an “experience” with the Spirit.  Fulness conferences featured men who wanted Southern Baptist to understand that the miracle working God of the New Testament hadn’t gone away.  He was still in business and His power was great.  Books, tracts and tapes were in abundance telling how you could be filled with the Spirit.  Was there excess?  Of course, there always will be when certain aspects of truth are “rediscovered.”  I have to say I greatly benefited from many of those teachers.  On the whole I think it was good for us.  For too long Southern Baptist were so afraid of getting out on a limb with the Holy Spirit - we wouldn’t even get in the tree!

As “people of the book” we have nothing to fear from the third person of the Trinity.  Any movement or teaching that causes us to go back to Scripture and seek understanding is a good thing.  But what about this question of being “Spirit-filled?”

Are their Spirit-filled Christians and then regular Christians?
Is there a “second blessing” subsequent to salvation?
These are important questions and they are deserving of honest, biblical answers.
I Googled “spirit-filled” and found there were 121,000,000 related items!

I was greatly comforted to find a site that walked me through some simple easy steps to being “Spirit-filled.”  Of course the sight began by explaining that there are three kinds of people: the natural man - he is the lost man without Christ in his life; the spiritual man with Christ on the throne of his life directing and empowering all things; and then there is the carnal man - the man who “allows” Christ in his life but he (the man) is on the throne and Christ is off to the side.

I don’t believe such a division is biblical but we’ll come back to that a little later.

Let’s start with some definitions.

Are all believers Spirit-filled or is it only certain believers?

That’s not a simple answer.  By that I mean it is not a yes or no kind of answer.  I say that because the Bible speaks of “filling” in a couple of different ways.  There is a filling for service and a filling for sanctification.  They are different and they have a different purpose.  Let’s look at each.

The Filling for Service.

Filling for Sanctification.

WAIT A MINUTE - WHAT ABOUT EPHESIANS 5:18?

What About Fruit?

Introduction:
As he walked confidently into the Temple he was very aware of all who were present. He was shocked and a little bit offended by the man he saw over in the corner. A traitor. A Roman sympathizer. No doubt a thief as were all tax collectors. Having surveyed the room he took his stance in a prominent place and, in the words of Jesus, he “prayed to himself” saying, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get…” Meanwhile the tax collector could not bring himself to look up, overcome with grief he cried out, “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” It was the tax collector who went home justified in the sight of God not the other. Jesus told this parable to those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt. How are we made right with God? Just what is required for us to be at peace with our Maker? That’s what the gospel is all about and the gospel is the focus of Paul’s letter to the church at Roman.

He was writing a letter of introduction. He wanted them to know what he was preaching. His great desire was to come to Rome that he might minister there. He desired to see a harvest in the capital city of the Empire. He also desired to be ministered to by the folks in Rome. He said to them, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” It is in the gospel, he said, that the righteousness of God is revealed. This righteousness that God provides is obtained by faith thus the just shall live by faith. Paul’s gospel, his good news, is that God himself provides all that is necessary for your salvation. His point being that you and I could never be good enough on our own. Why? Because we are sinners. Now the easiest thing in the world is to get someone to admit that they’re a sinner. “Well, no one is perfect,” they will say. The problem is most have no idea what that really means. Actually the problem is twofold. First we don’t understand that God is holy. We don’t understand that He is distinctly different from us, transcendent and perfect, pure and righteous. And second, we don’t understand the depth of our sin.

In Romans chapter 1 Paul pulls back the curtain and reveals man’s natural condition. He exposes our depravity. God has revealed himself in the creation. Nature screams, “There is a God!” But we suppress that truth. We push it down refusing to acknowledge God as God. We do not honor Him as God or give Him thanks. In fact we exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. As a result God gives us over to a depraved mind. A rejected, condemned and abandoned mind. One that leads to profound sensual perversion, an endless variety of sin and a warped, twisted sense of morality. Paul paints a dark picture of the heart of man. He is laying out that piece of black velvet against which the gospel will shine in all its brilliance. Having dealt with the flagrant, openly corrupt heathen he now turns his attention to the “righteous sinner.” Our text is found in Romans 2:1-16.

Text: Romans 2:1-16

There is some question concerning what group Paul is talking about in this section.
Is it the moral philosophers of Greece and Rome?
The moral pagans?
They looked down on “idol worshipers” as unsophisticated and crude.
They taught the principles of virtue and sought an ideal life through reason.
Others believe that he has turned his attention from the pagans to the Jews.
Certainly he does address the Jews directly but that is not until 2:17.
I think it best to understand he is addressing the hypocrite both Jew and Gentile!
He is address that person who thinks things are just fine between them and the Almighty.

Let’s work our way through the text and see what we find along the way.

• First, we discover that a respectable life of merely external holiness invited the full fury of God’s wrath. (2:1-5)
  You may be tempted to cry, “That’s not fair.” Paul anticipated that objection and he addresses it beginning with verse 6.
• God, the righteous Judge, knows all things and judges accordingly. (2:6-10)
  Let me point out quickly the last thing we note in our text because it is directly related this one…
• God’s judgment is informed, enlightened and impartial. (2:11-16)

So where does this leave us? What is it we need to understand?

• If you are a Christian - if you’ve turned from your sin and thrown yourself on the mercy of God in Christ - you ought to give thanks.
• If you are not a Christian - you’ve never turned from your sin and trusted wholly in Christ and in Him alone - you must flee to Christ now!

Introduction:
I remember during my college years a time when the latest and hottest teaching among evangelical believers was that of “positional” truths.  The truth of who you are in Christ.  That positionally you are one with Christ.  You died with Christ.  You were raised with Christ.  You are seated with Christ in glory.  No matter what you might think, how you might feel, what you might experience - you are holy, you are a child of God, you are forgiven, pure, and righteous.  You are not just a sinner saved by grace you are a son of the living God.  The problem with such teaching was that it separated those who were Christians from those who were “really Christians.”  You had those who walked in victory and power and then you had those who just survived in the Christian ghetto.  It was a variation on a theme.  Another manifestation of this same notion was the “Deeper Life Movement.”  In the Deeper Life Movement you had those who were saved but they played in the shallow end of the pool.  Others launched out into the deep and toiled with the deep and wonderful things of God.  Or you might talk about those who “trust Jesus as their Savior” and those who “make Jesus Lord.”  Two distinct groups within the Christian family.

I certainly understand this desire to explain how you have these distinctions within Christianity.  Among those who name the name of Christ there is a wide discrepancy.  There are those who are actively in pursuit of spiritual knowledge and who desire growth in holiness and other the other hand you have those who are “satisfied” in their faith and see no need for growth and have no desire to increase in holiness.  How can that be?  As we have come to think of salvation in terms of “decision” rather than “conversion” we have to find an explanation for how some can be saved and yet have no love for or interest in the church.  We have to explain how a person can be saved and yet give no evidence of new life.

The answer must be that you have two kinds of Christians.  If that is not the answer we would have to accept the idea that there are many “false professors” on our rolls.  It is easier and more palatable to believe the former.  Unfortunately truth cannot be determined by whether or not it is sweet to our palate.  Truth is determined by what God has declared, revealed or made known.  In dealing with matters of truth we must always ask, “What do the Scriptures say?”  “What has God said?”

• An often misunderstood and misapplied text: John 15:4-5.
• Are there abiding and non-abiding believers?
• A word of caution and conclusion.

Introduction:
The prophet in ancient Israel once described the wickedness of the nation by saying the people had, “lost their ability to blush.”  Sin and corruption had become so commonplace that nothing shocked them anymore.  No amount of perversion caused them embarrassment.  I’m concerned because I think we are there.  I remember the day in 1984 when a friend called me early in the morning and asked if I had read the morning paper.  I said that I had not, why?  He told me that a very popular preacher in Waco, one we had heard many times at several conferences, had been forced to resign his church due to a longstanding practice of homosexual relationships.  Now, 25 years later, when I hear such news my response is, “Really who was it this time?”  It’s not that I don’t care.  Not that it is not devastating to a pastor, his family, the church, and the Gospel but I’ve grown accustom to hearing it.  The real grief is the grief of recognizing the hardness of my own heart.  I was watching the news one day last week when the story broke about the house in Cleveland, Ohio were they went in to arrest a man suspected of rape.  He was not home but they found 6 bodies in varying stages of decomposition.  I believe the count is now 10 bodies and a skull and they are still looking.  You turn on the radio and hear there has been another drive by shooting - another young person dead.  Or there is a report of a teacher, a pastor, a priest, coach or trusted individual who is suspected of molesting children.  Or there is breaking news of a business leader or politician involved in scandal.  The story usually begins with something like, “Shocking news this evening…” but it’s not shocking.  “A grizzly discovery late this afternoon…” but it’s nothing we haven’t heard before.  Jaded, hardened, unfeeling due to the fact we’ve come to live with and accept wickedness. Even worse, we don’t even call it wickedness - it’s just life.

That’s the problem with living in darkness.  After a while you don’t notice the absence of light.  Your eyes adjust and you make do.  Our world is dark and the darkness is increasing.  Sin is never satisfied.  It is ever devolving.  It grows more depraved.  It tightens its grip.  The only thing holding it at bay is the grace and mercy of God.  That’s what makes the judgment of God so frightening.  It is frightening because according to Romans 1 - the judgment of God begins with His removing the restraint on sin and giving man over to his own wants and desires.  But wait a minute if God gives man what he wants - won’t that make him happier by allowing him to indulge himself in his own desires?  One might think so but sin destroys.  Sin cannot bring lasting happiness, only God can do that.  Man getting what he wants proves to be disastrous.  That is the point of our text found in Romans 1 beginning with verse 24.

Text: Romans 1:24-32

• Paul is writing a letter of introduction.
• Outlining his gospel - the message he has been given to proclaim.
• In chapters 1-8 he deals with sin, salvation and sanctification.
• Chapters 1-3 come to the conclusion that, “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.”

Romans 1 is a disturbing passage because he plunges immediately into the depths of sin and perversion.  Why?  Why start here?  Because the brilliance and glory of the good news of God grace is best displayed against the backdrop of the darkness of man’s soul and the depth of his depravity.  Have you ever gone into a jewelry store to look at a ring?  They usually will place the ring on a pad covered with black velvet.  Why?  To make the ring sparkle.  To play its brilliance against the darkness.  That’s what Paul does with the Gospel.  In order to fully appreciate the glory and wonder of the Gospel you need to see it against the backdrop of sin and corruption.

Paul’s point in our text is clear…

Thesis: When God gives up on man, allowing him to pursue his heart’s desire, it leads to disaster both now and forever.

Let me point out a couple of things.

• Unrestrained sin leads to profound sensual perversion.  (1:24-27)
• Unrestrained desire give birth to an endless variety of sin.  (1:28-31)
• Unrestrained desire poisons the heart and mind with a twisted understanding of right and wrong.  (1:32)

Why would God give us up to such wickedness?

He does so because when darkness prevails, when despair and violence are widespread men and women are most recognize the depth of their sin, the hopelessness of their condition and flee to Christ.  He gives us up to such despair so that we might give ourselves to His grace.

Do you remember the promise of Isaiah?
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

The first century world had sunk into the darkness of despair.  Men had turned from the true God to gods of their own making.  Suddenly one night against the black sky surrounding Bethlehem declared the coming of light in the person of the Lord Jesus, the righteousness from God had come as the remedy for the unrighteousness of man.

That’s the Gospel and it is for you.