A World Condemned: Pt. 2. When God Says Enough. Series

Salvation: Why? and How?

or, SALVATION: ITS NEED AND PROVISION

Romans Chapters One to Five

Calvary Baptist Church

Series Begins Sunday, September 30, 2012

Sermon 5: When God Says "Enough"

November 11, 2012

Romans 1:24-27

INTRODUCTION:

• In our 1st three sermons, we were in the section of Romans that I have called the salutation (1:1-17).

• Last week we moved into the section of Romans that we call "Sin."

• Paul is laying the foundation of showing the need of salvation.

• This part of Romans is divided into three parts.

• In Section 1, found in Romans 1:18-32, Paul reveals that the Gentiles are lost and condemned before God.

• Then, in Section 2, found in Romans 2:1-3:8, Paul writes that the Jews are lost and condemned before God.

• Finally, in Section 3, Romans 3:9-20, Paul concludes that all the world is condemned.

• We are preaching this first section, the condemnation of the Gentiles, in two parts.

• Last week, we looked at the reason for condemnation.

• God is a just Judge, He is not arbitrary in His judgment.

• Today, we begin looking at the results of condemnation.

• It will take us two sermons to move through this portion.

• While this is no topic for a motivational speaker type preacher, it is necessary for a pastor to teach these truths to the church.

• One final note by way of review, it is very important that we remember the theme of last week's message:

1) God Revealed (In Nature)

2) God Rejected (By Idolatry)

OPEN

• Like most conservative Christians, I went to bed with a heavy heart on Tuesday night.

• Our country made a choice that moved it farther away from God.

• I know that we didn't have the best choice available to us, but America chose the worst choice.

• I will have more to say about this in a different setting.

• In such a situation as we now have, we must remember that Paul ministered under a government far more hostile to faith than this one.

• We must remember that Christianity spread through a world filled with horrible vices.

• We must remember that even in Israel, a theocracy, Kings persecuted the prophets and true faith was often pushed into the corner, even into hiding.

• So we must be salt and light.

• I am very worried about the fiscal situation in America.

• But my greater concern is for marriage and for the unborn.

• We must look back into the source of Gods' truth (His Word) and hear from God afresh today.

The Judgment of God: When God Says "Enough"

ILLUS: When Hispanic women say, "Bastante!" to their children.

Romans 1:24-27 (KJV) 24 Wherefore God also gave them up

to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up

unto vile affections:

for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly,

and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

I. The Causes of God's Judgment

A. Because of God Revealed and God Rejected (Cf., 1:23)

24 Wherefore - dio - Therefore, for this reason.

This word looks back to verse 23 (the list of types of idols) and we must look at verse 25, where we see that they worshipped the creature. (humanism)

• Man is accountable.

• All through this text we see his responsibility for this judgment.

B. Because of Their Trading of the Worship of God for the Worship of Man (25)

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie,

CHANGED metallasso - To exchange. To stop one thing and start another.

This verb repeated in vs. 26 below.

truth of God -

apposition - the truth, that is, God.

* subjective - the truth that God revealed.

objective - the truth about God.

a lie - better, "the lie."

believe the lie (2 Thess. 2:11)

NOTE: "The Lie" is that the creature can be worshipped in place of the Creator.

and worshipped

WORSHIPPED sebadzomai - to express in attitude and ritual one’s allegiance to and regard for deity—‘to worship, to venerate.' (Louw and Nida)

NOTE: Only NT use. Paul, in dealing with this sin, uses rare vocabulary. In this passage, the words worshipped, burned and lust occur nowhere else in the N.T.

and served

SERVED latreuo - To perform duties or services for. To serve in worship.