Romans 1:18-32
Getting on the Same Page as God about His Wrath
Introduction
A. Ohh boy, this should be a fun one
B. I like to preach about God’s love, God’s Power, God’s Forgiveness
C. Those topics are enjoyable to preach on
D. When you are studying a book of the Bible, in our case Romans, you have to preach on what the books says
E. Some days that is no problem
F. But then you get to our passage today
G. You can not skip the passage, you can not sugar coat it, you have to hit it straight on
H. So with that in mind if you have a problem with what we are talking about, hey don’t blame me, God inspired Paul to write it!
I. Today we are going to look at 3 reasons we will face God’s Wrath
a. Failure to respond to the light
b. Failure to believe in the light
c. Failure to live in the light
I. Failure to Respond to the Light (18-20)
A. Explanation
1. We are now in the fall season
2. It is very nice outside, you feel that crisp cool air
3. Soon the leaves will be turning very lovely shades
4. And you will be driving and look off to the side and say something like “Isn’t God great”
5. Now why do you naturally start thinking about God at the moment?
6. Because He created the beauty that you are enjoying
7. If you were to go to a museum of art and look at the painting you would look at them and say that is nice, but when you look at God’s creation, you just say wow
8. This world that we live in is a constant reminder of God.
9. Everything in this world was made by God
10. We know that God is God because we can see His work
B. Application
1. Now what does that mean for us?
2. It means that men are without excuse
3. Excuse for what?
4. Excuse for not following God
5. When we sin, and we all sin, we are not following God
6. When we do not follow God, because of God’s holiness, there can not be sin in heaven
7. Because God is Justice – Justice means receiving what we deserve,
8. We all will face the Wrath of God
9. You can not use the excuse, “I didn’t know the rules, I am new here”
C. Illustration
1. When Phil and I were growing up and Mahaffey we had a little run in with the Mahaffey Security. Like normal boys we did not want to get in trouble so we told the security guy, “We’re new here, we didn’t know the rules” Well of course the guy knew my dad and knew that we were not so new and that we did now the rules, well to make a long story short we Got in trouble
2. To say that “We did not know the rules” or better put “no one ever told me about God” is an invalid response
3. God reveals Himself. If we do not respond to God, as much as I wish it were not true, we will face the wrath of God
II. Failure to Believe in the Light (21-25)
A. Explanation
1. Since we established that fact that God has made Himself known
2. What happens to the person that rejects Him, that refuses Him?
3. Vs. 21 – 24 gives us a description of what these people are like
4. Paul tells us that these people are in it for themselves
5. This is the type of person that probably does not fit in the category “atheist”
6. Probably would be better of be called a “apathic” They just don’t care, it means nothing to them, which by the way I would say represents a very high population here in America
7. So what does Paul say will happen to them?
8. Look at 24 and 25, God lets them do it.
9. Now it does not say God turns His back and doesn’t watch what they will do
10. There will have to pay because
11. Justice demands payment
B. Application
1. What does that mean in our lives?
2. Most people that we meet are not atheist we have to get that straight in our head
3. Most people are apathics they just don’t care. That is the sad reality of it.
4. So they will go off, do whatever they want
5. And it will seem like there are having a good time
6. It will seem like the “enjoying the pleasures of the world”
7. But it will all come crashing down
8. Sooner of later everyone will come to recognize God’s justice
9. And because Justice demands payment
10. The wrath of God will be evident
C. Illustration
1. When I am talking to people who do not know Christ as their savior it is really sad, most of them will believe in God, most of them understand that prayer works, but they are not willing to obey God.
2. My heart goes out to them, I try and tell them about Jesus and how he made the payment that Justice demands
3. Ultimately if they do not accept that, they have to face the wrath of God
4. Knowing that is tough, I keep praying for those people I meet, I don’t want them to have to face God’s Wrath
III. Failure to Live in the Light (26-32)
A. Explanation
1. The next classification is the people who know the truth but flat out reject it
2. Look at vs. 26-32
3. Obviously in Verse 26 and 27 we are talking about homosexual activity
4. The Bible does not say that they were born this way but choose to follow these evil desires
5. Understand something very clearly, the Bible does not just condemn homosexual activity, there is plenty more
6. Greed, wickedness depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossips, slanderers, God haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful, disobey parents, invent ways of doing evil, senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
7. That is a pretty long list mentioned there
8. Understand those who participate in these such things know it is wrong
9. After all we are all born, like it not, with a cautious to tell us right and wrong
10. But they continue to do these things anyways
B. Application
1. What that mean to us.
2. First of all homosexuality is wrong, the Bible is clear about that
3. But the Bible does not stop there
4. Look at the list of sins mentioned in 29-31
5. Your probably looking at it saying well I am not a God hater, I love God, I am not a murder – you can check my police file
6. Unfortunately for us, there are more then just those ones
7. Ones that were guilty of, stuff like gossiping, stuff like arrogant and boastful, being heartless towards a fellow believer
8. The Bible does not rank sin, sin is sin not matter what
9. Because of God’s Justice – Payment must be made for those sins
10. No matter the sin is still needs Payment or has to face the Wrath of God
C. Illustration
Conclusion
A. Naturally we do not like to talk about the wrath of God very much
B. We do not like to think about these type of thoughts
C. But there is good news
D. Just as justice requires payment the payment has been made
E. The payment for our sins was made by Christ coming here dying of the cross, rising again, taking away our sins
F. All we have to do is ask and He will forgive
G. Maybe you are here today and you have fail to respond to the light
a. You know there is a God, but you haven’t done anything with it
b. If that is you, I ask that you will come here and talk to me right now
H. Maybe you are here today and you know God is true but you just never cared and you realize today you are wrong
a. If that is you, I ask that you will come here and talk to me right now
I. Maybe you are here today and you failed to live in the light, there is sin active and present that you need to deal with
a. If that is you, I ask that you come here and deal with it now
J. We are going to celebrate communion
K. Communion is remembrance of What Jesus did for us
L. By offering us payment for our sins so that we might be able to avoid the wrath of God
M. Before we take communion examine your life, see if there are areas you need to confess before taking communion
