Man’s Catastrophe

Rom 3:10-19

History’s Greatest Catastrophe

The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe Ever killed 50 million people in the 14th century, or 60 per cent of Europe’s entire population

All the citizens did little else except to carry dead bodies to be buried [...] At every church they dug deep pits down to the water-table; and thus those who were poor who died during the night were bundled up quickly and thrown into the pit. In the morning when a large number of bodies were found in the pit, they took some earth and shovelled it down on top of them; and later others were placed on top of them and then another layer of earth, just as one makes lasagne with layers of pasta and cheese.

Ridding a Guilt Catastrophe

According to Associated Press, a new product appeared in the market place in USA. It was a pack of ten brown paper bags.

You ask what is new about a pack of brown paper bags? Well, these carried the title “Disposable Guilt Bags” and were printed with instructions: “Place the bag securely over your mouth. Take a deep breath. Blow all your guilt away. Secure bag. Dispose of bag.”

The bags were priced at $2.50 per pack of ten. The surprising thing is that, according to the Associated Press article, the initial stock of 2500 kits sold out very quickly.

This tells me that a lot of people must have a problem of dealing with guilt, and have a desperate hope that a psychological exercise could be a remedy.

I’m sure many people wish they could dispose of their guilt so easily. However, there is NOTHING on this earth powerful enough in itself to dispose of our guilt. We cannot fix ourselves. We cannot wipe out our guilt. We are doomed.

Romans 3:10 (AV)

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Ps 14:1-3

Ps 53:1-3

FOOL- the idea of withering like an old dried out wineskin

“The withered heart hath said there is no God”

- HEART - Using his mind or using his own judgments

- When he says there is no God other parameters kick in

- He becomes numb not knowing his condition

The Withered Heart

v. 10 – No Righteousness

v. 11 – No Understanding

v. 11 – No Desire for God

v. 12 – No Goodness

v. 17 – No Peace

v. 18 – No fear of God

v. 19 – No Defense

Sample of a Withered Heart - Sodom & Gomorrah

Genesis 13:13 (AV)

13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

- Gen 19 - Destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah

What Is Sin

Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.

Man calls it a blunder; God calls it blindness.

Man calls it a chance; God calls it a choice.

Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.

Man calls it an error; God calls it an enmity.

Man calls it a fascination; God calls it a fatality.

Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it an iniquity.

Man calls it a luxury; God calls it a leprosy.

Man calls it a liberty; God calls it lawlessness.

Man calls it a mistake; God calls it a madness

Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a tragedy.

Man calls it a weakness; God calls it willfulness.

—Moody Monthly

Our Lives Are Polluted

a. Sin dominates our minds

b. Sin dominates our will

c. Sin dominates our emotions and our affections

- What we say v. 13-14,

- Where we go v.15

-What we do v.16

- Sin Goes From Bad to Worse

v. 20 - There is no escape – JUDGMENT ONLY

Guilt & Judgment Removed

The Living Bible | ‎Ro 3:21–22

But now God has shown us a different way to heaven—not Guilt & Judgment by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.