Here's the Problem (Romans 1:18-32) Pastor Daniel Fusco

so I hope everyone got a great night sleep because I'm gonna drop us right in the middle of something I hope everyone had their coffee hope everyone had your coffee and I want to start that way because you know sometimes in life you just have to be willing to embrace the fact that sometimes you just have to talk about things that you really don't want to talk about for me a number of years ago pretty soon after I had taken over for a pastor Bill rich you hear of crossroads you know left up to my own devices given all the stresses of life the one thing that I always do is I won't take care of myself you know just kind of I was I was made to be a doer and so in a lot of ways that when I am under stress or under pressure I just stopped taking care of myself and I remember I started you know I went to the doctor and really Lynn was like you need to go to the doctor and I went to the doctor and you know I saw the doctor and I stepped on the scale and and I had my weight had never been as high as it was and I noticed that when I ate one of my favorite a big fat bacon cheeseburgers I started feeling like almost like heart palpitations and you know all these things were going on and I went to the doctor and he did the whole thing and he's like and I'll never forget it because the my primary care physician at the time never addressed me as pastor before he's like well pastor and I said oh I knew what was going on it's like when you're when your parents call you by your full name you know David's though and he's like well he's like so you know you've gained 20 pounds since the last time I saw your your blood pressure is through the roof you know what I mean and let's be honest you have what would be considered a high-stress job you know there's lots of people involved and he's like so I can either just put you on a blood pressure medicine or you can fix this the good old-fashioned way what do you want to do and I said all fix that the good old-fashioned way say well what's the good old-fashioned way I'm like I got to change my diet I got to start exercising and pretty much that's what I got to do and he's like yep that's it and then he said to me he's like you realize you're the problem and I remembered his sitting there and now I'm from New Jersey so I super appreciated my doctor for saying that because really my problem was me it wasn't everything else it wasn't crossroads that it wasn't you trying to learn a new role it wasn't any of that it was like it had to do with me right and I remember at that moment when he said that I was just like it he just kind of looked at me and I'm I totally get it and he thinks oh you're gonna come back in six weeks and we're gonna we're gonna do redo everything we're gonna see how you're doing and if you don't get this thing under control we're gonna have to we're gonna have to put you on medicines that somebody at your age probably shouldn't be on and so sure enough and and God's good and I knew what I had to do and I did it but hearing that I'm the problem was an important step for me because we live in a day and age my friends that's been as long as humans have been on the earth where it's never us it's always somebody else right it's like as old as the Garden of Eden we blame other people now don't get me wrong other people do lousy stuff right we don't have control over everything but each one of us has to come to terms with the fact that we are a major player at everything that goes on not only in our own lives but in this world now today we are gonna see in the book of Romans that the Apostle Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit is actually a doctor of not only the human soul but of society in general and with laser-like precision the Apostle Paul is going to unpack for us what the problem with our world is and he does it in very succinctly very specifically he does it over you know about 14 verses and what I want to share with you today is so powerful and challenging that I'm gonna be stepping on cultural landmines I'm gonna be stepping on your toes and one of the things that I love so much about the Bible is that the Bible is a book it's it's not overly optimistic or kind of perennial II pessimistic it's just radically realistic right and it's like and the realism that the Bible has challenges us because we live in a world where everything's kind of you know like let's smoke and mirrors a little bit and really today the Apostle Paul gets right down - this is what's going on this is the problem in the world in which we live and so we're just gonna jump on in again I hope you had your coffee and so open your Bibles to Romans chapter 1 Romans 1 we're gonna be picking up in verse 18 of Romans chapter 1 so if you brought your Bibles with you Church so cool if you were with us when we started the book of Romans you know where the book of Romans is it's the fifth sixth book in your Bible so you have the four Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John and then you have the book of Acts then you have Paul's letters and the first one is Romans because it's one of the most famous now if you don't bring a Bible with you to church they don't worry there's Bibles on the seats in front of you I want you to read along with me I'm not just making this up I'm just telling you what the Word of God says so I'll get to Roman's there or of course you have a smart device you can also check the sports scores and your social media feed and all the latest news on the world Wow you read along with Romans chapter 1 now it says this in verse 18 it says for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness because what may be known of God is manifest to them for they for God has shown it to them for since the creation of the world his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse because although they knew God they did not glorify Him as God nor were thankful but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened professing to be wise they became fools now you see like this isn't this is not light stuff here today now what's beautiful about this is Paul had just said that he's not ashamed of the gospel right in verse 16 for it's the power of God in the salvation for all who believe for the Jew first of all for the Greek you know for in it the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith he's saying I'm not afraid of the good news of Jesus because in Jesus God's righteousness is revealed right and and so he's not ashamed of it now that's wonderful but you got to ask yourself why was the gospel even necessary like why did Jesus have to come why would Paul say he's not ashamed of the gospel why is Jesus even important notice what it says verse 6 verse 18 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men now you see this God's wrath God's righteous anger at the world is revealed also so in the gospel you have God's righteousness the good news happens in Jesus but the reason Jesus had to come is because there's a major problem right so not only is God's righteousness being revealed but we're also seeing that God's wrath because God is a perfect God right it's revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men so God's wrath is against anything it's ungodly and ungodliness literally speaks of the brokenness in a relationship between God and a person right the ways that our we are not like God and then unrighteousness is the way that we live into the worlds right and what's beautiful is this ungodliness and unrighteousness is one of the great ways you could break down this entire passage from Romans 1:18 all the way to 32 because from verses 19 to 27 it unpacks ungodliness and then verses 28 to 32 it unpacks unrighteousness so the the reason Jesus is important is because God in His holy perfection looks at a world that has broken and he has righteous indignation he has wrath against it because it's all messed up right now the reason he brings this out cuz Ben when I went to my doctor could you imagine if you go to your doctor and the doctor just says okay I'm just gonna give you this pill you don't even tell him what's wrong with you right United the doctors walked in he looks okay here this this or this rationing prescription II when you walk away wouldn't that make you a little nervous because before you get the prescription you need the diagnosis right so Paul jumps right and he gives the diagnosis is that Jesus is the gospel he's the good news you need to believe in anything I'm not ashamed of Jesus but then he's like now I need to unpack why Jesus is important right and he says why first God's wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness gonna unpack that now from there it says who suppress the truth in unrighteousness now right there you get the first step in this here's the problem we're the problem why are we the problem because we suppress the truth we suppress the truth you know I put it right out of that text who suppress the truth in unrighteousness then you think about I've never been a lawyer I don't play a lawyer on TV but I got family members and friends who are lawyers and they make a motion to suppress evidence now I know that because I love me a good cop drama right so I see I'm a motion to suppress it means to hold something down to keep it from getting out there right now as I unpack this this whole message what I want to remind you is this is that for some of us you're here today and you're already a follower of Jesus now because like the Apostle Paul if you're a follower of Jesus you're not ashamed of the gospel if you really easy to say this is why our world so screwed up and I'm not screwed up wrong okay the only difference between you if your apology isn't somebody who isn't a follower of Jesus is that you're forgiven that's the difference but all the same variables still apply does that make sense like it'd be really easy to hear this message and for you to say well this is why the world so messed up that's why I hate the world is why I only loves Christian people and all the stuff and that's just not true the only difference is that what all these things are at playing all of us the only difference is for a follow up Jesus you're forgiven now if you're here today and you're not a follower of Jesus and I know there's lots of you who are just you're not there this is gonna be I believe one of the most powerful messages for you because you're actually gonna see how the Bible unpacked what's wrong with society what's wrong with humanity right and now you may not agree with all the points but at least you'll know this is what the Bible teaches and the Bible teaches first the problem with humanity is that we suppress the truth we want to hold it down right although we're gonna see there's we know certain things the problem with a fallen humanity is even though we know the truth we don't want to embrace the truth we don't want to live out the truth and I could give you a million examples of this from all of our lives like let me give you an example everybody knows that the Bible is about forgiveness but how many of us struggle to forgive people how many of us struggle to forgive ourselves every single time you four won't forgive yourself for a mistake you make you are actually suppressing the truth of the gospel because you're not embodying what it means Jesus said unequivocally that you should love one another including your enemies now how many of us are doing a perfect job at that exactly it's nasty but every time we choose not to love our enemies guess what you're doing you're suppressing the truth you're holding down the truth because Jesus is the truth every single time we stand in judgment over somebody else because we think we're better than them or more holy than them we are what suppressing the truth because the Bible teaches that there is none righteous no not one except for Jesus the Savior so the problem with humanity is that the truth is evident but we suppress the truth I notice as we suppress the truth what in unrighteousness so this is a pervasive problem we suppress the truth now not only do we find that we suppress the truth we hold down the truth from there it says verse 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them for since the creation of the world verse 20 his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that we are without excuse so not only do we suppress the truth all of humanity no we do we deny or we ignore revelation that's what we do we ignore revelation so see what he says here he says because what may be known of God right is manifesting it's been brought out and displayed it's evident to us because God has shown it to us someone say well where did God show me the truth for since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made see every single human being because we live in this world and we are able to perceive our environment the all of creation what the Bible calls the cosmos all of God's created order actually brings forth God's invisible attributes because God is spirit that is clearly seen in creation so knowingly suppress the truth we ignore the revelation that is all around us every single day everytime you look into the eyes of another person every time you hear somebody's voice every time you have any interaction with anything at all God's invisible attributes are being seen within it so you realize the first problem is that we suppress the truth you say well how did I know if I know the truth because creation teaches us in a general way what the truth is who God is like listen I cannot imagine how you look on out and at a sunrise or a sunset 'you look out on a beautiful day when when the stars are out you think all of this happened by chance like i don't have enough faith to be an atheist and i don't i don't know listen if you're in that spot i've been there before and we're gonna see why people are there but like when you look at usually at constellations like whenever did you ever throw a puzzle 100 piece puzzle on the Granite lands and a perfect the puzzle and that never does that see people always say well I believe in the Big Bang I believe in the Big Bang - but the Big Bang happen because there's a big banger you know what I mean like there's a knock on the door it's because someone knocked the door right and I don't think that's that's not absurd or illogical I had someone save me your position is totally illogical mycological I'm like take the puzzle throw it down is it gonna come in a complete puzzle like what do you see the unicorn and the smiley unicorn oh it's like you have to put this thing together when you look at everything the Sun rises the Sun sets clouds come it rains the whole system works and I'm not I don't have enough faith to say that that happened by half and Stan's like just you know all of the energy in the world wasn't the size smaller paper ended all of a sudden the bang happened and everything fit together like I can't put I can't buy it but you know what it is when you want to suppress the truth you begin to ignore revelation being ignored like you see it but you don't see it you see it but you can't fathom what it is and really what they're saying is that God's because God is spirit his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even the things that have been created like you and I we can understand God's invisible actuates even God's eternal power so God's all powerfulness and his it says in my translation it says a Godhead which literally means God's nature as God his godhood Ness creation declares the glory of God right but what happens is is because we suppress the truth we ignore revelation now what's interesting is is that natural revelation is sufficient to make a person responsible but actually is still insufficient because they can't accomplish salvation so when someone says to me nature is my church I'm like you're wrong because nature declares God attributes but it isn't sufficient to save a person right it's a general revelation but the Gospels the specific revelation that saves a person so don't think and it's a very common thing because I'm a human therefore I am entitled to a glorious afterlife of my choosing that is a lie it's not Starbucks or Burger King you can't have it your way you can't choose your own adventure and get whatever dreams may come for those who remember the movie from the 90s right it was like you get to have the you got to have the afterlife you want wrong there are certain things we don't get to choose so but if you suppress the truth then you ignore a revelation but he doesn't stop there because look what happens next verse 21 because although they knew God they did not glorify Him as God nor were thankful but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened professing to be wise they became fools so first you suppress the truth and then you ignore revelation then finally you deny glory that's what you do you deny glory because although they knew God they did not glorify Him as God nor we're thankful see glory is to declare the weightiness of something someone right and so what happens is when you suppress the truth and then you ignore revelation then you end up denying the glory that is due God and the chief way you deny the glory that's due God is by being on the thankful okay okay how are you doing being grateful today every single time we are ungrateful unthankful for the moment that God has given us for the breath in our lungs for the ability to even have a relationship with anybody of any sort that is something that we should be grateful for and every time we are ungrateful we deny the glory of God because our lives are a gift you see you see this diagnosis is nasty I've never met someone who's always grateful like in our modern political climate today no matter who gets elected the other 50% who's aggravated as mad at the person who's elected but what was the last time you just thankful that you got to vote even if your candidate didn't win a lot of places in the world I'd love to be able to vote for a candidate but see for us we don't even think about these things we're just so busy being angry about everything but here's the thing when you when you suppress the truth that is clearly seen by ignoring revelation and then you deny the glory that God has do as God and your unthankful look what happens you become futile in your thoughts and your hearts become darkened professing to be wise you become a fool that's why I says and brother and sisters right there that is in three steps this is the problem right as you move from suppressing the truth to ignoring revelation that's clearly seen in creation then you end up denying God and you become unthankful than your thoughts become futile and because your thoughts are futile you're dark your heart becomes darkened and then no matter how wise you say that you are no matter how many degrees you have how much work experience how built up your LinkedIn resume is you're still foolish and that's a tough spot isn't it but guess what it doesn't stop there from there now we've seen these three things that happen right and now we see three a three time three-step process that shows why we are where we are today the first step is that human beings choose to make an exchange because we've done all these things we suppress the truth we've ignored revelation we've denied glory right then we make it an exchange right we change something and the second step is that God hands us over to the thing that we have chosen and then the third step is that we end up acting out in real time the decision that we've made in our heart and this is show really the progression of how sin works we choose not to do something or believe something that God has told us is true and when we do that right we make a choice God gives us over to that choice and then we begin to live out the reality of what that choice is and we see this now in this next section three times there's the exchange made God gives us over and then we act out in our real lives what this means look at how it works now if you wanted to see where it is the first one is in verses 23 and 24 the second one is verses 25 to 27 and the third one is in verse 28 now the verses aren't exactly perfect but you'll see how we do this but I know that this is the way this functions because you keep saying that they exchange we've been given over we change there's repetition in the language so notice the first one in verse 23 it says our chef start in verse 22 professing to be wise they became fools and they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds four-footed animals and creeping things therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts to deny their bodies among themselves so what you find is that once this three-step process has happened the next thing that goes on is that there is a brokenness and worship because we've denied God's glory then there is now brokenness and worship they could say well Frisco where'd you get that from look at what it says they changed so this the exchange we changed the glory of the in the God who knows no craft of the perfect God into an image made like corruptible man not only man but birds four-footed animals and creeping things really what this speaks about is idolatry right now don't miss the fact that the problem with humanity is also to be upward inward and outward each one of these exchanges leads us in a relationship with God the way we see ourselves in the world and obviously the upward one is that there's a brokenness in worship because we suppress the truth because we deny revelation and because we deny or ignore revelation and we deny glory because that happens then we begin to worship the wrong things it's a worship problem because by nature we are quote-unquote religious people we are hardwired to worship and you will choose an object to worship they might be saying well so fusco come on I mean we don't really practice idolatry today I love that now isn't first off lots of people have little statues around lots of them and let's just be honest within what you could call Christianity is a lot of people with lots of little statues lots of them right but you go around the world there's lots of people who still worship statues animals all sorts of stuff you see this stuff right but guess what in our day and age you realize that a secular humanistic culture you worship yourself that's your problem that's my problem if I don't allow the incorruptible God to be the center of and the object of my devotion something else will always be and maybe you worship yourself by worshipping somebody who do you think can make you happy or some money or some promotion but something always has to take that place and for you and I all of this leads right to an upward from a god relationship problem and it begins with what we worship as a brokenness and worship listen to Exodus chapter 20 verses 1 to 6 remember the Ten Commandments it began here for a reason notice what it says I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage you shall have no other gods where before me you shall not make for yourself a carved image and he like this of anything that is in the heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I am the Lord your God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the father's on the children to the third and fourth generation to those who hate me at but showing mercy to thousands to those who love me first God says it's the first commandment that you only worship the true and living God and then the second amendment is that you make sure you worship the true and living God in the right way without idolatry now you got to ask yourself because I've been if either to follower Jesus and a pastor for a long enough to realize that I Dollar she's alive and well on the Church of Jesus Christ we worship positions and titles and we worship our theological position and we worship our political persuasions we worship all sorts of things but you see what goes on is that because of our common issue as humans once you begin to suppress truth and once you ignore revelation and once you deny glory and you start being unthankful the futility of what goes on in your heart then leads you to a worship problem and brokenness and worship I'll be honest with you I am often convicted that when it's time to gather as a church that one I am NOT da I can't wait to get in to worship the Lord and I'm also convicted that so many of us think worship is like the warm-up for the sermon if we truly never denied God's glory we would love to worship every prayer meeting would be packed with people every worship time would be he would show up early because God is so worthy of worship isn't he if we don't suppress the truth we don't deny God's glory by holding it to ourselves and if we don't ignore revelation worship it comes flying out of us no matter how bad your day is because you realized who he is but it listen it leads to this exchange when we get it wrong we begin to worship the wrong things but it doesn't stop there you're then in verse 25 look at what it says I'll start back in the end of verse 24 because remember I said the third step is that you end up living it outward what happens the internal decision gets lived outwards notice how it gets lived outwards right he gave them over to uncleanness so because we choose not to worship God gives us over to this uncleanness and in the lusts of our hearts in the unchecked desires of our hearts we begin to dishonor our bodies amongst ourselves so now we the exchange is because we won't worship properly now we start to see our bodies and the union of our bodies with other people in broken waves and then it goes to the next one who exchanged the truth of God verse 25 for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever amen for this reason God gave them up to vile passions for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature likewise also the men leaving the natural use of a woman burned in their lust for one another men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due so what we have next is first it is a brokenness and worship that leads now there's a brokenness in nature and I mean nature not in the created order although there is brokenness in nature I mean in the way we see ourselves human nature how do I know in the first exchange you worship the wrong thing God gives you over to the uncleanness of your heart and then you begin to act it out bodily right then it says because we exchanged the truth of God for a lie and we worshipped and served what was created the creature rather than the Creator now Paul has to worship at that point who is blessed forever amen right so Paul just automatically starts worshiping because he's not gonna deny God's glory and then for this reason what happens God gives them up to vile passions see God gives us over to unchecked desires desires that are broken but now he gives us over to them and when he gives us over to them then there is a brokenness in nature in identity and in a lot of ways guess what this is inward isn't it right the upwards is a broken isn't worship which leads to an identity problem and in the midst of this identity problem Paul uses one example and that is the example of same-sex attraction and homosexuality now I'm gonna splain to you why he uses this right but really what goes on is that God gives over to vile passions and then he says and I'm just gonna read what he says he says for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust for one another men with men can become committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due now why is homosexuality used as an example of the brokenness in personal identity it's simple because God in His creation he created the male and female Genesis 1:27 so God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him male and female he created them and then verse 28 tells you that God's command to them was to what be fruitful and multiply right and so when Paul is seeing the brokenness in a relationship with God it automatically plays itself out in the an identity brokenness and we live in a day and age now where this is in full bloom in our culture like just a couple last week it was National Coming Out Day what was really fascinating to me as I was kind of checking out what was going online is the number of young people who according to all their profiles they're dating some of the opposite they all come out as bi because it's popular right now it's like it's the cool thing everyone's everyone's gender fluid now you can either a this doesn't mean that we should hate everybody because Haiti never saves anybody right it doesn't mean that we should judge everybody but really what you learn from this is what's going on in our culture in this day and age it's not the problem it's a symptom of the problem because the problem is a worship problem and when we choose to not worship the incorruptible God God gives us over to the the brokenness of our heart and then that giving over now we see because we will not retain the truth of God will believe a lie now God gives us over to these passions and this reality now is at play in our culture so here's what I want to tell you the problem is not legalizing same-sex marriage the problem is not some political agenda it's a Jesus Church problem because the reason this happens is because God is giving people over to what they want as for me when I see what's going on in the culture unlike a lot of people I look at what's going on I say you know the problem is the church is the problem because we're so busy fighting about stupid stuff we're so busy arguing about things that don't matter and our culture is falling apart if we would just read Romans 1 what you realize is all the little squabbles that go on the church is so busy in fighting that we're actually not salt and light in the world and the reason people are being ushered in to gender fluidity and identity problems is because people don't know the true and living God and we fight about it we think that if we give money to political campaigns that's gonna change anything and I mean it's how you won't change anything you can legalize it and legalize things or made things illegal will not change a person's heart God does that and the problem for you and I my friends if I could be so bold on my soapbox right now is that none of us want to do any evangelism none of us want to get to know people none of us want to go and embrace somebody in the full blossom of their brokenness just the way Jesus embraced me when I was in the pit stoned drugged up all broken and mangled with a million mistakes Jesus reached on down and grabbed all of my life and I'm so grateful yeah and there were some believers who joined me they're not like me but found me there and loved me and nurtured me and the only reason I'm here today is because the church got off of its butt and got into the commune and stop being political and wrong for as she was the hands and feet of Jesus so what we have in our culture today my friends it should make sense to us that this is happening shouldn't shock us because a worship problem needs to a nature problem an identity problem and the reason Paul says it go doing what is against nature is because although we can make the case that relationships are not only about procreation that is a part of this thing you know I don't wanna give you a birds and the bees talk but you know God you know you you know the story I came so close to go in there with you guys but if you want to add about will explain it to you she's four she understands she's like boys out there fat girls that dance you know and she understands it so you can talk to my four-year-old so explain it to you and if my four-year-old can get it because that's the way biology works now you could make the case that some people say well technology doesn't dictate that you need to that's what it's all about today I'm not saying that that's what it's all about but listen if Adam and Eve didn't have different body parts none of us would be here that makes sense so there is a natural order to the way the god of creation created everything none of me we should hate people who were same-sex attracted to me we should judge them doesn't mean we should look down on them and say oh you're you know really what it is is that's a symptom of a worship problem and there's nothing or I mean you all know this you go to the doctor they treat the symptoms you want to get the route cost reason don't you cuz they give you one medicine they treats that thing but it gives you ninety seven side effects they give you nothing but if you could heal that one thing that everything else gets fixed so we don't want to make the mistake of going after the wrong stuff and and the church has just gotten so backwards in all this like it's like bad theology to believe in doing evangelism worshiping in spirit and truth gathering together growing together being on mission with Jesus knowing that all that we're seeing in our culture is a symptom it's not the problem it's a symptom of the problem but it's not only that because it's upward right so worship it's brokenness in worship and then it leads us inward which is a brokenness in nature or identity it's it's it's it's a passion it's an unchecked passion problem that leads to perversion but then of course verse 28 it says this and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a debased mind to do things which is not fitting being filled with all unrighteousness sexual immorality wickedness covetousness maliciousness envy murder strife deceit evil mindedness they are whisperers backbiters haters of God violent proud boasters inventors of evil things disobedient to parents undiscerning untrustworthy unloving unforgiving unmerciful who knowing the righteous judgment of God that those who practice such things are deserving of death not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them processers a brokenness and worship leads to a brokenness and identity nature which leads to a brokenness in my style that's how it works these two a brokenness and lifestyle now all of a sudden see what you find is that the God giving somebody in their passions over to same-sex attraction right they acted out and actually really what it says there is that them acting it out is actually them living out the brokenness of it that's what he says and then he says for this reason because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge because at that point you're living against what God would have you don't want to keep gods in your knowledge and then God gives you over to the debates nests of your mind you get fully given over and then what happens to do those things which are not fitting and this entire list now moves from ungodliness the problem in our relationship with God and how it relates to us the upward in the inward and now it leads outward how do you live how do you treat other people and then there's this huge list here now I realize I could do this whole list I get to be all three messages if I take everything but look at the list this is what happens when you have when you suppress the truth when you ignore revelation and when you now glory you become unthankful then this exchange happens you trade something in God gives you over to that thing and then it leads out so it leads to a brokenness and worship you begin to struggle with idolatry you worship the wrong things you're gonna worship you worship the wrong things and when you worship the wrong things that leads to a wrong way you view yourself a false view of the nature of God will lead to a false view of the nature of yourself which will always lead to a false view of how you treat other people now what I know is that when I read this list all of us get nailed in this list some of us get nailed in all of those things and a lot of us if we're even remotely self reflected if you're willing to own the fact that you are part of the problem you see yourself in here don't you why because we're given over to a debased mind we then do those things which are not fitting being filled with all unrighteousness see that and then he explains it sexual immorality so any sort of dealing with your body that is not with God's perfect standard of purity not does God allow it but does the good and holy God is this who he is right you have wickedness everything that's not righteous perfect covetousness I think it was Francis of Assisi who said that he had heard thousands of men's confessions but never once the sin of covetousness even though it's in the Ten Commandments looking upon what someone else has and wishing you had it feeling ungrateful for what you have in light of what someone else has right maliciousness everything that's not fully kind full of envy murder jesus said if you hate someone in your heart it's murdered then strife wouldn't it be great if none of us created any strike it wouldn't that be awesome I just wish I could do that for five minutes to see evil mindedness and then what happened they become whisperers backbiters haters of God violent Wow I mean you see those lists see what's funny is you read this list and there's not one of us who are here who are followers of Jesus not one of us who's like yeah I've done that I've done that that's me that's me pretty much every day right like like you go down the list and you realize why the Apostle Paul would say why he would say he's not ashamed of the gospel you know and as you go through the list and for for times sake I just want you to see how all of this unrighteousness lands because don't you have all these bad things they have things like unloving right undiscerning when you're not you know when you're not smart enough to discern what's going on when you're unforgiving when you're unloving so then it gets real general we're like oh I've been unloving I've been undiscerning I haven't been trustworthy all the time right you go down all bliss and just now and then he says verse 32 who knowing the righteous judgment of God that those who practice such things or deserving of deaths not only who do the same things but who approve of those who do so you're saying not only if you do those things but you actually you approve of people who do it you think it's okay no problem yeah no big deal right that because of that you're deserving of death now you see what he does he says look you won't know what the problem is the problem is that when you choose when you choose to suppress the truth of God you ignore God's revelation and you deny as Gordon you're not thankful then these exchanges begin and it begins with a worship problem you have brokenness and worship which then begins you have a brokenness in the way you see yourself your identity your nature and then it leads to a brokenness in my style so I like to say this way idolatry leads to immorality which leads to moral insanity that's what it is upward inward and outward but the beauty is my friends is this is exactly why the Apostle Paul's not ashamed of the gospel that's why I'm not ashamed of the gospel because I've been there I've lived that I've seen it I seen it in real time I've seen myself choose to place all sorts of things as the centerpiece of my life and because of all those things I saw the way that it broke the way that I saw myself in has changed the way she did everybody and that's why Jesus is so important now if you're here today in Europe follow Jesus listen if you're Fonzie instating prone sister you need to really follow Jesus now because when I look at that list I can rattle on within the church or people I've seen violent people in the church lots of proud people in the church me included whispered back you know you ever been at church been constant about don't raise your hand I know all of you have or if you didn't know it you have been because people are messed up people are messed up we've all been ungrateful we've all been unloving see this is not something that when you put your faith in trusted use now button this is all fixed no what it means is when you put your faith and trust in Jesus the power that all this has over you is broken and then we begin a process of every single day learning how do we walk in this but here's the thing for many of us you're a follower of Jesus but you're actually ashamed of the gospel you're ashamed of it you're ashamed of acknowledging that you're part of the problem it's how Satan works it's how the Pharisees got it wrong they thought that they were the only righteous ones it's like you take somebody who's broke in you give me a set of laws they start doing the laws and they start looking down everyone who doesn't do the laws the way they do Satan's greatest move that he does he moves you from brokenness to self-righteousness but here's the thing God wants to do it work in us I always say it God loves us just as we are and God loves us too much to leave us this way so I'm not ashamed of the gospel I could be the most proud person today and quite honestly I probably am in this room right but God's not done with me yet will you let Jesus do OH transformational work in your life listen when my doctor gave me that diagnosis in the prescription I could have fought with him about it or I just acknowledge yeah it's true that is what I am how do we move from there how do we make a change and so wherever you are on that you are where you are and God's not afraid of where you are and I think the reason you're here here and this is because I wants to do work in your life and if you're a follower of Jesus listen let's really follow Jesus then let's not suppress the truth let's live that stuff that is hard Jesus following Jesus is not for the the wimpy it's not for the wimpy it's not for the weak we realize we're weak he's strong but to actually live this stuff out to take him at his word and do it's not easy to do a lot of scary steps of faith you take you do a lot of things you never would have done but many of us are not willing to do that right right when we look outside don't ignore revelation not only is general revelation creation but the specific though we don't ignore God's Word and what it says about the world are we living and don't deny his glory be grateful for all of it every moment you have no matter how treacherous it is and make sure you worship Him alone and make sure you see yourself and the way God sees you through the lens of his spirit and make sure you treat people the way you want to be treated not with unrighteousness about every sort but you actually be the person that Jesus calls you to be now listen if you're here today and you're not a follower of Jesus I realize it's so easy to hear this but that's why I don't believe in Christianity I remember the first time I heard this text before I was a Christian I might get forget that you know it's amazing as well challenge you first you may not like the diagnosis that I'm here to tell you it's absolutely true you'll see it every single moment of your life just open your eyes and look around look at the news look at you can choose whatever sphere you want to look in of our life you will see this you will see it every single moment of every single day because what happened to me when I first heard this something I don't like this at all I don't agree with this I can't believe they would say that that's why I don't like the Bob at all my reasons why until I started looking around I'm like this is totally what's going on in my life and everyone else around me I know and the culture in which I live in but he's our second thing I would say Paul lays this out because Jesus is still the prescription he's like look don't be ashamed of the gospel because in Jesus his righteousness is revealed and you are not right just lets up to your own devices so God sent Jesus on a rescue mission for you with all your issues and all he asks is that we say yes to him and if you're here today and you've never before put your faith in Jesus I'm gonna give you an opportunity to it right now and I'm here to tell you yes the diagnosis is nasty but the cure or Jesus is God's provision for me and for you if you would just say Great Physician God if this is what I have if this is how what fixes me thank you thank you for the prescription that's Jesus power has in our hearts as we pray together

Channel: Crossroads Community Church

Views: 6,551

Rating: 4.8545456 out of 5

Keywords: crossroads

Id: F_TEQPBYz5A

Length: 50min 0sec (3000 seconds)

Published: Tue Oct 23 2018