The Plowman

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.

Bertrand Russell said in his Why I Am Not a Christian, that there was one serious defect in Christ’s moral character – He believed in hell.  The idea of a God of wrath and judgment is offensive to a great many people.  Thus there are many who do not like the first chapter of Romans.  As Paul introduces his message he begins with stating man’s sinfulness.  As he outlines the gospel in chapters 1-8 he deals with three great themes: sin, salvation and sanctification.  Our focus in chapter 1 is on man’s sinfulness and the fact that it is the object of God’s wrath.  Our text is found in Romans 1 beginning with verse 18.

Text: Romans 1:18-25

I think it important to note that truth cannot be determined on the basis of whether a notion is popular or well accepted.  Truth exists outside of us.  It is objective rather than subjective.  It is not a matter of what I want to be true but rather what is true.  Second we must note that truth can and ought to be “tested.”  Truth is reasonable and thus will withstand scrutiny.  This is important because when we deal with something like God’s wrath we don’t want to believe it.  We want to find an alternative understanding.  But the question is not whether I like it but whether it is reasonable and consistent with what I know to be true?

Look at verse 18: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Paul make one thing very clear – God is a God of wrath or anger as some translations have it. But be careful – what is meant by “wrath?”

• Why is it God’s wrath is aimed at us?
• According to 1:18-20 we suppressed the truth.
• According to 1:21-23 we refuse to honor Him as God.
• Note the fruit our choices – God’s judgment 1:24-25.

Conclusion:
Why does the Gospel matter?  Why do you need the Gospel?

• You need the Gospel because of God’s wrath.
• God’s wrath is holy and just because He has plainly revealed himself yet you have refused to acknowledge the truth of who He is and you’ve failed to honor Him as God.
• In fact, you have chosen to worship and serve that which is not God at all.

The Bible says if you have not yet believed in/trusted the Lord Jesus you stand condemned.  Why?  Not because you’ve not “accepted Jesus” but because you are guilty.  Because you’ve suppressed the truth, you’ve perverted the truth and thus you stand under His wrath without excuse.

Introduction:
This morning we come to gather around the Lord’s Table.  As one of the two ordinances given to the Church it is a high and holy moment.  We as Baptists believe this to be a memorial meal.  It is a symbol of the body and blood of our precious Savior.  We do not believe that the bread or the juice is somehow transformed into the actual body and blood of the Lord but that it symbolizes both.  We also differ from some of our brothers and sisters in that we do not believe that grace is dispensed through the elements.  Partaking of the bread and the cup does not impart saving grace or any other grace.  Rather it is a time of remembrance and reflection.  It is a great mistake however to believe that it is a “mere” symbol.  It is not something to take lightly or carelessly.  This is to be a time of solemn remembrance.  It is also important to note that this is a “church” ordinance.  It is something to be done by the church gathered for worship.  It is not an individual act – it is a communal act.  We do this together as the church.

I know that the church has fallen on tough times.  Church attendance is down across the board and church loyalty is all but gone.  It seems many are of the mind that the church is no longer relevant.  Some seem to think that the church has run its course and its time for something else.  Well, the church has not “run its course” but perhaps our style of church has.  The church in the New Testament is describes as a body, a family, a temple, the habitation of the Spirit and even a marriage.  The modern church looks more like a cattle drive, a pageant, a circus and a Fortune 500 company!  The church, in the beginning, was not about programs, budgets, goods and services but rather about relationships.  It is was about living the faith together.  It was a sharing of life and growing in holiness.  This morning as we gather around the Table I want to take just a moment and reflect on what the church was meant to be.  To do that I want to explore Paul’s introduction in his letter to the Roman church.

Text: Romans 1:8-17
Paul writes to the church in an attempt to introduce himself and his doctrine.  He did not start the church in Roman but he had heard great reports about it.  He for some time had long to visit the church and have some ministry there.  So he writes this letter outlining the message given to him by God.  Here is the gospel.  He began by stating that he sees himself primarily as the slave of Christ.  One called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.  In this section he expresses his desire to come to Rome, his prayer on behalf of the Roman Christians, his indebtedness to all the world and his confidence in the power of the gospel.

If you look carefully at what he says I think we can see the church as God intends it. There are three things I want to call to your attention.

1. The church is to be a place of mutual encouragement and growth.  (1:8-13)
2. The church is to be consumed with a sense of indebtedness.  (1:14-15)
3. The church is to be emboldened by the wonder and the power of the Gospel.  (1:16-17)

The church is to be a place of mutual encouragement and growth.  A place consumed with a sense of indebtedness.  A place emboldened by the power and wonder of the Gospel.  Such a place is not outdated or irrelevant.  Far from it – it is desperately needed as we seek to live out our faith together.