The Replacements Series

The Replacements

Romans Series

CCCAG June 14th, 2020

Scripture- Romans 2 (Melanie Reading)

Good morning everybody.

Last week we had a really difficult sermon that looked at that deadly slide that will happen as people turn their backs on genuine faith. If you were not hear, I’d strongly recommend you listen to the podcast because it will help frame what we are collectively going through today as a nation.

This morning, I want to look at a few of the traps that people who want to follow Jesus can fall into.

Let me start off by asking a question-

Does anyone hear remember what was significant about the 1987 NFL Football season?

The replacement players.

The league and the players unions couldn’t agree on a contract, so the players went on strike thinking they would force the league to accept their version of the contract because the league and the owners would lose millions in revenue if the teams were not on the field playing games.

The league and owners responded by hiring replacement players.

Many of these men had decent college football careers, but frankly there was a reason they never made it to the big time. Multiple mistakes, interceptions, turnovers, series after series of the ball not moving at all made the fans a little grumpy and they demanded the that the real players come back. Eventually, the NFL caved to many of the players demands and they were back in time for the play-offs.

What we can learn from this is this lesson- there is nothing like the best.

God feels the same way. He set before us a plan of salvation, and God has no other options for us to choose if we want to come into relationship with HIM and eventually go to heaven.

This is the subject of today’s lesson- looking at some of these replacement plans, or players if you will, and seeing why they don’t measure up to God’s perfect plan for us.

I want to remind you of something we should remember throughout this series on the book of Roman’s.

Paul is presenting a legal argument.

How many people hear have watched a TV show about lawyers where they give closing arguments?

That’s what Paul is doing here. He starts in chapter one describing the basics of salvation- that man can become righteous only through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He then describes humanity apart from the presence of God, and how they will eventually slide into the worse evil imaginable.

Now Paul brings it home. He knocks on the door, plops himself in our spiritual living room, and starts pointing out a few things.

Like a good attorney, Paul is presenting his argument in a way that his audience will understand. In Rome, the church was mostly made up of converted Jewish people, so he starts toppling some of their deeply held beliefs that are holding them back from really knowing Jesus and coming into salvation.

Call Melanie up

That’s the background of what we will be reading and going over this morning.

Melanie will be doing our reading

Rom 2

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.