INTRODUCTION:
There are several popular commerccials that as, "What's in your wallet?" It begs the question that we carry several credit cards with us, right? Today, let's ask ourselves the question, "What excuses have we hidden away in our wallets for those things we wish we hadn't done. . ."
QUESTION:
What is your reaction as you hear more and more allocations of sexual misconduct in the news? What does this tell us about the state of man’s conscience today?
Just iagine that a really bad choice you made 5, 10 or 15 years ago suddenly comes knocking on your door with no way out of it. You're suddenly without excuse!
INFORMATION:
1. OUR CALLING: YOU SEE, EVERYTHING BEGINS AND ENDS WITH THE GOSPEL!
The Apostle Paul shares with us. . .
16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” Romans 1:16-17
Actually, if you want to know what salvation really is, you have to know how bad sin is. Stifler says, “Sin is the measure of salvation.” The wrath of God is God’s feeling, not His punishment of sin. It is His holy anger. (McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 4, p. 652). Nashville: Thomas Nelson).
2. HIS CREATION: THE BEAUTY OF GOD’S CREATION IS GOD’S ETERNAL WITNESS.
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
Yes, God actually gets angry. It was Ghandi and not the Scriptures that tell us "Love the sinner, hate the sin." Now, the good news is that because of the grace of God and the Cross of Christ, it is not God's desire that anyone perish, but that ALL come to Christ in repentance!
BUT. . . there are THINGS THAT ANGER GOD. God does get angry with people. (1:18-21)
WRATH: The word is used of God’s wrath in Matthew 3:7, and is defined by Trench as “a wrath of God who would not love good unless He hated evil, the two being inseparable, that He must do both or neither.” It is used of our Lord when, after healing the man with the withered hand, He observed the hardness of heart of the Pharisees, and looked upon them with anger (Mk. 3:5)
THIS IS GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD SIN – WRATH, RIGHTEOUS ANGER. "DON’T MAKE ME ANGRY…" DR. BRUCE BANNER, THE HULK
Those who suppress the truth (18) We must always remember this statement:
YOUR BELIEFS DRIVE YOUR BEHAVIOR!
ILLUSTRATION:
There are cultures where beliefs that are very different than ours (example: in some countries you can be beaten in public for spitting gum on the ground.)
The scripture shares two types of God's revelation of Himself. The revelation of creation and His written revelation in the Scriptures.
- Who are wicked (18) They knew the truth from creation. (19-20. general revelation) This is NOT a saving knowledge, but a general knowledge.
Where it says "They knew God" (21) wasn’t enough. Knowing “about” God and “knowing God.” Many people know God in their heads, but not in their hearts! That's the difference between heaven and hell.
The demons know and tremble. You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. James 2:19
QUESTION:
But . . . WHAT specifically do people have to know in order to “know” God?
3. CHANGE. LEANRING TO DO THOSE THINGS THSAT GOD LOVES
If the following is a list of things that really anger God from Romans 1, THEN how can we change this into a target list of things that please Him?
o WORSHIP: They wouldn’t worship Him (21)
o GRATITUTE: They wouldn’t give Him thanks (21) they were ungrateful
o ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: They started imagining foolish ideas of God, created their “own god” (21)
o HUMILITY: They claim to be wise (22) They worshipped idols and creations instead of the glorious ever-living God (23)
SO. . . WHAT's IN YOUR WALLET? Excuses people use to avoid walking with God:
"I'm just not ready yet."
"God would never want me."
"I'd have to clean up a whole lot first."
4. CONSEQUENCES, THE RESULT OF AN UNGRATEFUL, RESISTANT MIND
What does this do people? (1:22-32) They became fools (22) God abandoned them to do whatever their hearts desired. (24) God handed them over to their lusts and passions.
ILLUSTRATION
As a substance abuse counselor, one of the lessons I've learned is that each substance addiction has built into it, it's own consequences. The meth addict has a nervios tick, his teeth fall out. Heroin addicts often take years to recover a sense of pleasure from anything other than opiates. Sin has built into it, its own consequences.
CONCLUSION:
WE CAN CHOOSE OUR SIN, BUT WE CANNOT CHOOSE THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SIN. . .
It's time to put aside any excuses we have embraced and come to Christ in repentance and faith. May today be the day we seek Him!
