Man's Rebellion — Don McClure

God's Wrath Revealed Against Suppressed Truth

Verse 18. Romans chapter 1. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Who hold the truth and unrighteousness? Because that which may be known of God is manifested unto them for God has showed it unto them.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. Being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead. So they are without excuse. Because that when they knew God They glorified him not as God neither were they thankful, but they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise they became fools and they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image Made like unto a corruptible man and two birds and the four-footed beast and the creeping things.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie and they worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator who was blessed forever.

Amen. Father we thank you for your word and we ask that as we look at it tonight that you would help us to understand very clearly what you Have all heard from the world what they think is right and wrong.

But what you and how you define sin and What it is that troubles you? So much about it. May we understand it and see it clearly we ask it in Jesus name. Amen. You may be seated. Here is Paul gives to us essentially and as I already said a biblical definition to me of sin.

Now most people would define sin as doing something wrong. And then maybe they'll pick up things like the Ten Commandments and they'll point to something there or another place. But essentially Webster actually he defines sin as a transgression of divine law.

And here in Romans chapter 1 Paul gives to us kind of not Webster's but his definition of a Transgression and it begins. I'm going to give you a series of words because I love those type of things. They help me a lot, but the process here that as we go through them I think Paul through the rest of this chapter, which I hope to get through tonight Paul breaks down for us Very simply in powerfully the processes of sin and how it what it is really all about.

Insurrection: Suppressing God's Right to Rule

The first he gives to us in verses 18 through 20 and over those I have the word Insurrection essentially here but in verse 18 It says for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in Unrighteousness because that which may be known of God has manifested unto them for God has showed it unto them.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. Being understood by the things that are made even as eternal power and God had so they are without excuse Paul's first in Critical sin here.

I suppose the the fundamental sin. I suppose that there is in all of the Bible there's a lot of people that they look at sin and Sometimes that there are sins that you look at and that seem to be Very bad or terrible they have immediate repercussions about them and then there are some sins I suppose it might be a little less obvious.

Some though that are much more deadly and almost much slower to take effect but here Paul gives to us the most fundamental of all sins and these sin from which all other sins essentially Project all stem.

They're all rooted in this if a person is guilty of this sin. There's no capacity at this point to do anything but sin and that is the very first thing here. Is that when somebody there that because they know who God is.

What is known of God has been manifested unto them? God has revealed himself to men his right to rule and reign over men and they've denied it to him. Simply as he says there in verse 18 that the unrighteousness of men and it says there who hold the truth in Unrighteousness or you may have in your translation there that men have or suppressed the truth in unrighteousness and that's Exactly what it means essentially to suppress something perhaps you've you know seen in legal terms when you know somebody, you know.

The you know, the police go about a raid and it's wasn't legal. They didn't have a you know proper warrant, you know to go into somebody's house or do something. They get all the evidence of what somebody did but they didn't have a proper warrant or they didn't read people their rights.

So they some point of law they failed at and all the information they gathered now the attorney goes to suppress it. He goes now even though it's there. It's obvious. It's clear to anybody that looks at it, but because that it wasn't gained, right?

Now he goes to the judge and he says you can't look at any of this information and they suppress it. They willfully choose to say yes, it wasn't collected, right? So therefore we are not going to acknowledge it even though we know they they did it.

They willfully choose to ignore what they what they know for some legal means. We hear what essentially what Paul tells us is that men suppress? They know who God is. They know his right to rule and reign in life the invisible things of God.

He says they're clearly seen they're known by all. They've been manifested to them. God has shown he's revealed himself to the world and is clearly seen and they're being they're understood. Here the Apostle Paul says there's not a human being in the world.

It doesn't in his heart of hearts know when no matter how he wants to collect and gather information. Make his decisions, but at the very core of it. He knows that God has a right to rule and reign his life.

He knows the invisible things of God have been revealed to him, but he has chosen Insurrection he has chosen essentially I'm moving out from surrender to God from yielding my life to God and there is a deliberate Insurrection of the spiritual life of the man that has removed himself From God, that's the fundamental sin of all sins as soon as somebody is guilty of that doesn't make any difference essentially now that they've denied their very identity and their very rightful master.

Whatever else they do Now is I can decide I want to go change my name. And I and I do that. I don't decide I don't like the name Donald Ricker McClure and it's Scottish. It's a wonderful Scottish name.

If you laugh it just shows your ignorance to tremendous names, but it's something there that a Lot of ignorant people here aren't there but anyway. But it's something there to where if I decide I'm gonna go out and make up another name and Choose another identity.

Whatever it is that I do is now fraud. It may be there I may be you know help little old ladies across the street I may do all sorts of wonderful things and build and you know Buy park benches for the city park and do wonderful things.

But nonetheless if I have denied my real identity Known I rejected and go off into another life whatever else comes out of it is fraudulent because that person that I now pretending to be simply does not exist and as far as God is concerned when a human being has removed himself from him.

He is guilty of insurrection. Now whatever else he does Is wrong. He is deliberately suppressing the truth in In unrighteousness God's right to rule and reign within his life. That's the sin from which all other sins are going to follow and As soon as you take away real identity you're in trouble.

I I Drive a General Motors car. It's a Buick. It's about six years old. It's got about 60 ,000 miles on it, but it's fine car. Very good car. I'm very happy with it. But the day that I forget it's a Buick.

The day I forget it's made by General Motors. Now I'm in trouble anytime anything goes wrong with it, and I want to get something repaired. I go to a Ford dealership or You know Maserati Dealership or a Ferrari or a Volkswagen or any other dealership and I go in there with my Buick.

And I don't you know take it to its rightful manufacturer. No matter what if they're gonna look at this thing and and there's a our service department. We don't have those parts. We don't deal with those parts.

We don't even know the part numbers or anything else for it. We're a Ford dealership. What do you bring it here for and I said, well, I want it to be a Ford today. You know or whatever else. I mean, it's something there that they look well, we don't have the manufacturing specs or you know the things for we don't service them here and and it's essentially as soon as man forgets who made him and Who it is that created him and he's decided I'm gonna you know, take everything off the car that says General Motors.

I'm gonna take everything off. It says Buick and I'm gonna be something else then they're in trouble and essentially that's where all sin starts when man forgets Who he is and who he belongs to? The tragic thing is essentially where it is rooted in he tells us in verse 21.

It says because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God. The fundamental reason for insurrection is in piety. That is somebody there and an impious person is somebody there that was refuses to give God the glory.

That is do his name in their life. That they refuse to surrender over to say God you made me you created me. You've got the right to rule and reign and lead and guide and fill and bless and control my life.

From stem to stern from bumper to bumper. It's all yours and I give it to you and as soon as I stop, you know I remove myself from the manufacturer and the reason is is I've chosen not to submit to the manufacturer.

I don't want to go on with it. You know with him and and here have been men are guilty of him of impiety because they won't glorify God. They won't let him rule and reign within their life. The result of that is Going to be the next step as Paul goes into it.

It says because that when they knew him as God they glorified him not as God and neither were they thankful. The next thing here that you start off with insurrection. It'll result in impiety and that'll impose the result in ingratitude.

Ingratitude and the Loss of Thankfulness

Now there is somebody why in the world would anybody be thankful to a god? They don't acknowledge as the right to rule and reign their life. They won't glorify him. He didn't make him in the result is they're not going to be thankful to him there.

It says neither were they thankful? They see once you deny God his creative right and identity to rule and reign and I forget that I forget that he exists. I don't give him any glory then. I'm not gonna be thankful to him for anything either.

And I suppose this is one of the where when we really begin to experience in our own lives. The real tragedy begins to settle into us we oftentimes don't think of it in its initial stages when in our pride in our arrogance we take over our own life and and Rule it and reign over it and glorify ourself.

But then what it begins it the the effect is is that now there's a person that they lose the true gratitude of life the thankfulness of Life that they ought to have within them. You see real thankfulness as far as the Bible is concerned.

Real gratitude it ought to come from a simple realization tonight every one of us ought to be filled with a tremendous thankfulness a Tremendous sense of gratitude only knowing only needing to know that God made me that he loved me Created me he designed me and even when I failed he forgave me.

He sent his son. He has a right to rule and reign within my life and I've given my life to him and for that and that alone is where real gratitude ought to be it ought to come from that simple and wonderful realization that we love him and We glory in him.

We give him the throne. We give him the kingdom of our life and that in itself God, I so thankful that I have you I'm thankful. I have you with me to lead me and guide me and to work within my life and so often though, unfortunately That isn't the source many times of gratitude.

In fact, sometimes I think maybe tonight if you're Christian and you're thankful. Oftentimes we're still thankful for the wrong things and if you're not thankful We're usually again not thankful as well for the wrong things in a sense.

Sometimes we look around and I'm thankful if I if I feel good today God, I thank you. I feel good today. And if I don't feel good, well, then I'm no longer thankful or something or I'm thankful I'm in good health.

I'm Thankful. I have a good job I'm thankful that my wife and children rise up and call me blessed, you know or something but then when they don't. You know, we lose our sense of gratitude. In other words a lot of our of a real sense of gratitude is external.

It's conditional it has to do with people and events and feelings and Careers, and I'm not saying that we shouldn't be tremendously thankful for God's hand in his work in his blessing in our lives for these things.

But ultimately they'll all fail us. Ultimately all human things around us will lose our health will lose our sight will lose our our Senses, you know in many ways. We'll lose many many things but if we have acquired in life a sense of who God is and his right to rule and Reign and to be supreme and to be my king for that.

I can be thankful all the way and run wavering Every day of my life God, I'm thankful. I'm never without you that even in trials and tribulations. In persecution or whatever else will you stop and think you're over a million and I'm sure that many of them wonderful wonderful Christians already have been killed this year for their faith and you know for one reason or another around our country around this world around this globe the Persecution that goes on and the terrible things that happen to wonderful people that you can't figure but at the same time The the gratitude for every one of us whether tomorrow we may be called upon in our country.

And to go through potential, you know persecution or whatever or we can lose many Christians in other countries. They lose their job. They lose their benefits. They lose Relationships they come to Christ and they pay a tremendous price, but their gratitude God.

I'm so thankful I've come to know who you are and it's worth losing all the externals for the eternal all the finite for the infinite and Here real gratitude is one there to realize there that God that we can look in there's there there's no insurrection.

There's no impiety and if there's none of that there also won't be in gratitude. But if but when we realize God, I'm so thankful for who you are. And then he goes on he says neither were they thankful in verse 21, but they became vain in their imagined imaginations.

Ignorance Through Darkened Hearts

And their foolish heart was what was darkened and professing themselves to be wise they became fools. Here now the thing is is that you start off just with insurrection not notice not big it results in impiety.

Impiety results in ingratitude and ingratitude results in ignorance. Now you got somebody that they're strutting around there. They become vain in their imagination. They're foolish heartless dark and professing themselves to be wise.

They're fool. They have just slit their own throat in their ignorance and didn't know it. They just cut themselves off from God as they the insurrection happened the impiety happened. They're now moved away from his glory and his right to rule his right to reign.

They've lost gratitude and that turns into absolute ignorance. You know one of the most amazing things I suppose about our generation today is we've probably got many of the most brilliant minds in history.

Geniuses our colleges and our universities the things that we've invented the things that we've been able to do the medicines that we have the Space flight the things that we've done in science. They're absolutely Amazing and yet at the same time the ignorance spiritually that has happened and essentially within our World around us it says there they became futile vain in their imagination.

The foolish heart was darkened, you know see here essentially you sin against the spirit. There this first it starts off with God's spiritual right within our life to rule and reign to be glorified as God and I'm thankful for him that I have him but if I sin against that a sin against the spirit is now going to result essentially in a sin against the soul and You rob yourself for your maker and now you've robbed your soul of the of the the life it needs.

To lead it and guide it and fill it and anointed and bless it and here you lose the capacity to reason you've Disconnected yourself from your creator. There's an absence of spiritual truth. Now that's going to result in an absent of intelligent truth.

And you're gonna find yourself while you profess yourself to be wise. You may have an IQ of 180, but you're a fool as far as the eternal things are concerned. You've deprived your soul of spiritual life professing themselves to be wise.

They become fools. What a tragic mistake. You've literally got me mean now. We we live in a world today where evolution is so taken over. We have a generation of people that are convinced that they are their own imagination and their own Creation essentially we literally go around there and we live in a world now where people actually think they made themself.

You know, I'm a self, you know, you are I suppose we've all heard of the self-made man who worshipped his creator. And that's what a lot of people do. I Worship me because I made me, you know or something essentially, but it's I mean, it's the the most foolish thing in the world.

If I go take my car out there and I decide it's not a GM. Not a General Motors. And I take that off of it and I any insignia any suggestion if I take the word Buick off it everywhere and Somebody looks at my car.

That's a nice car. What is it? And now I've got it. Well, I don't want to credit who really made it. And so I gotta find somebody else that's gonna come up with it and I decide instead of a GM. This is a DM.

That's what it is. They say what's that stand for? Dumb machine. Well kind of it's actually Don McClure. But anyway, not much difference, but the point of it is is they look at this thing say wow, you made yourself.

Yes, I did, you know and that's that's something until something goes wrong. And now I go down to the auto parts store and I need a part and they immediately say well, what kind is it? Let's say it's a DM.

And they look there and it says we don't have a DM. We don't know anything about a DM never heard of a DM and Then they said, you know, I because we don't even know where to get parts and what to do with the thing.

I suppose you just try to go down to the junkyard and pull off any parts. You can't off something looks like it might fit. In all of a sudden you're just left to the most ludicrous ways to figure to fix yourself.

You have no manufacturer. You're no creator. You have no designer. You have nobody to do anything in the ignorant ways that people now live. Intelligent human beings that have cut themselves off from God become fools as the Bible says.

I mean here to have a car where there's tens of thousands of employees. That have these a you know all the parts all the equipment's all the thing that would literally repair and reproduce my entire car from one end to the other and Today and they literally say I don't care.

I'm gonna ignore them. We wouldn't do that with a car, but we do it with ourselves every day. While back I need I only had one ignition key and I need to go get down and so I went down to Buick and And I said I need an ignition key and he said well.

That's why I got a little resistor thing in it. So nobody can steal it and you got it and so they told me the I said we need the number the vehicle Identification number the VIN number if you'll give that to us which says it's not only it says it's a Buick.

They literally told me the day it was manufactured the day it rolled off. They told me the color of it the paint the interior. Everything about that specific car what equipment it had how it was designed all by that one number specifically for my car and they literally told me what the key design was what the number for the resistor and they produced a key without me even having to give one they charged me for it, but anyway, the but but you but you talk there and you realize here when you go to the manufacturer that has made something and You know it that is not a that's the most intelligent thing you can ever do essentially is when there's a problem you go to the maker and There you just you know a while back.

I had another Buick. I like Buicks and This one that I got had a warranty still on it, and they transferred it over to me. Which is wonderful because during the life of that car it had on board computers on it two of them went out.

There were a thousand dollars each they had a bunch of gears that went out rearview mirror motor broke on it. Or there were hundreds and hundreds of dollars. I just took it in they pulled up the information and for a twenty five dollar deductible fixed everything.

Just said we'll take care of it. And the wonderful thing is all you got to do just confess the maker. I Just wouldn't go in there didn't they said it's warranted. We'll take care of it. Well, that's that's the way God is when somebody knows who God is and they go in and confess God.

I'm your child God. You made me God. I want you to rule and reign within my life. I got an accident. He says well, it's alright. I ensure my kids, you know, and I there's a warranty on you. I'll fix you.

I love you. No deductible zero. It's all paid already at the cross. That's what we celebrated tonight. It's all paid for just bring the car in. But I did a dumb thing with it. I ran into a telephone pole.

That's alright I ensured dumb stuff, but I ran over my wife and kids while I was in the tell you to do on the telephone. Yeah, you ran off at the mouth didn't you? Yeah, I did it kind of bulldoze. We'll bring them in with you and we'll fix you all.

But it's something there that God looks at man and how ignorant we are of a God like this. Who is so awesome professing themselves to be wise that foolish terrible things. You know that that happened and as soon as you foolishness it turns into idolatry for in verse 23 It says they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the image made like unto corruptible men into birds and four-footed beasts and Creeping things.

Idolatry: Worshiping the Created Instead of the Creator

Now, you've got somebody again. It's all these are just little teeny steps from one to another. Insurrection to impiety not big in piety doing gratitude not big in gratitude. You know, you know there to to ignorance not big Ignorance now to idolatry the next you know, you got an ignorant guy doesn't he's forgotten who created him.

Doesn't know how to glorify him. Doesn't turn his life over to him. Won't let him do the work within his life. Well, he's got to follow somebody. He's got to find some the thing to worship someone there to identify with someone there to draw some energy or hope or direction or way to direct his life or fill his life or enjoy his life.

And the next thing you know is you find the Amazing things that people will do in their ignorance. How ignorance will result in idolatry. That they'll change the glory of the incorruptible God in the image like unto a corruptible man.

What a tragic thing. Isaiah 44 I Identifies idolatry for us wonderfully. You might turn to it because I want to read a little of it. Verse 9 Defines idolatry. Essentially says they that make a graven image all of them vanity and their delectable things shall not profit.

They are not their own witnesses. They see not nor know that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a God or a mold an image or graven Image that is profitable for nothing or anything. Behold all his fellows shall be ashamed in the workmen.

They are men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up yet. They shall fear and they shall be ashamed together. The Smith with tongs no relation to Chuck, but anyway actually related to K.

But I won't get into that but no I'm just kidding. The Smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals. Fashions it with hammers worketh it with the strength of his arms. Yay is hungry. His faint is strength faileth.

He drinketh no water and his faint the carpenter stretches out his rule. He marks it out with a line. He fits it with planes. Here's a man making his God. Here's literally whether it's a you know, an ironsmith or silversmith or a carpenter is carving it out.

But here is they're making their own God. They're getting exhausted doing it. Their arms are wearies hungries strength fail. He drinks no water. He's faint the carpenter stretches out his ruling marks it out with a line fits it with planes.

Marks it out with a compass makes it after the figure of man according to the beauty of a man that it may Remain in the house. He hewn him down cedars and taken a Cypress and the oak and he strengthened it for himself among the trees of the forest.

He planted an ash and the rain does nourishes it. Then shall it be for a man to burn and he will take thereof and warm himself. Yay, he kindled it and he baketh bread and yay. He maketh a God. He works it worships it and he makes a graven image and he falls down there, too.

He burneth part in the fire and with part thereof eateth flesh. He roasts the rose is satisfied and he warms himself and he says aha. I am warm. I have seen the light. Or fire but light essentially in the residue the thereof he makes a God.

Even his graven image he falleth down to it and he works his bit and he prays and do it and he says deliver me. For thou art my God. Here he just got through making it and now he literally turns around to it and he says deliver me.

You're my God when he made it. Now, it's supposed to deliver him. Have they not known or understood for he has shut his eyes. They cannot see with their hearts and they cannot understand and none considers his heart neither is their knowledge nor understanding.

He goes on verse 20 he feedeth on ashes a deceived our heart hath turned him aside. He cannot deliver his soul nor say is there a lot of lie in my right hand? Here you look at something very pagan that we would normally look at and say well that is pagan to think they're a guy going out and making himself a little God out of you know gold and silver and Fashioning it and heating it up and they you know The goldsmith doing it or he carves it out cuts down a tree there and makes this God.

But the interesting thing, I mean most people in our country. We look at that thing and said that's idolatry. That is really idolatry because now he's turning around to it after he just made it and he's telling it deliver me and Yet at the same time when you stop to think here when you look at this.

Here's somebody that goes out and he works and he works hard. He sweats and he's tired and he's thirsty and he's exhausted and he's making something but after he's made it. You know the rain came down that grew in whatever else.

The the elements around it blessed it somewhat there and it grew and the rain nourishes it. But then thereafter this guy he poured his energy into something he built it and his sweat was there and then other Circumstances came around and it grew up around him and the next thing.

You know, he takes part of it and it says there and he makes a fire part of it there. You know. He bakes his food with part of it he worships and then he but here's somebody essentially to me just a picture almost in our 20th day America a Guy goes out and he works and he works hard and he's got this little business or this little company but he sweats and works and puts in the hours and then with time and other Processes and the elements and the conditions of the economy around it gets blessed and nourished and it grows up and he's got enough now.

He can go build a house and he's got enough there. He can pay his utilities and he can heat him warm himself and he can pays for his food. And he's got cooked food to burn or to eat and he makes himself a meal.

And then after he makes himself the meal he sits down there. He warms himself and he says, ah I've seen the light. Look at this and then he turns around with essentially his career. His job his world that he's fashioned and he's formed and he says to it.

He makes it a god. He falls down. He worships it. He prays to it and he says deliver me. Take care of me. Watch over me. That's idolatry. You see this is what happens to a human being and now finds another form of security and stability and deliverance.

The place that God ought to have within the heart and that this is whether we look over it. You know a pagan society and we understand idolatry with it. But we don't realize idolatry is just as rampant in our country as it is any other place in the world.

If not more so. Only it's it's when it just isn't seen as clearly but it's there and the result of that. Is it now because of the idolatry in verse 24 says wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between Themselves and here now God looks at man.

He says because of the insurrection against me the impiety the ingratitude the ignorance and now the idolatry. Now as he is he looks him. God gives him over there now essentially there when somebody is now Sinned against the spirit and now it results in in a sin against the soul.

They lose a consciousness of God and the soul is now left to itself. It isn't long until the soul will now produce sin within the the body. And now what has happened is men now they find themselves there to where?

The end the the uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies. Between themselves and now a sin against the soul is now resulted in immorality. Now what has happened? Is it you know, I?

Idolatry essentially is usually the parent. To immorality you look at in most of the idolatrous come countries to where they find themselves around their gods and their goddesses as soon as they build one and Now they have something there to worship you go through all of history.

Idolatry will always result in immorality they find it there to be an opportunity for a sexual in you know, an immoral sin and The the spiritual realm sin results in the soulish realm and the soulish Rome Realm soon you'll be over into the physical realm and here we have God as a result.

It says for this cause he gives them over again. There's another line. They caught there's a line between the Spirit-in-the-soul and then and then they sin within that now God gives them over into another line.

They cross over and for this cause God gave them up to vile affections for even their women. Did change the natural use? That which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another.

Men working that which is unseeming and receiving themselves that recompense of their error, which was meat and now immorality Results in iniquity and it seems like usually when you go through most societies immorality is usually also the parent to to homosexuality and here it's Which is again a society you just watch the processes through which it it happens in how it goes and You know as soon as I turn myself away from God and he doesn't exist and I'm not accountable to him.

And I'm not thankful to him. And then I'm not and that results in in ignorance and the ignorance results in idolatry and the idolatry results in immorality. Immorality will turn into Homosexuality and iniquity a grosser form of of sin where there's another line that is crossed.

Immorality is essentially a a sin against God but not against nature. And what I mean by that is in a sense for a man to To be with a woman is is is a natural thing if it's spiritually, right? But if you move away from God and now you just move around from one woman to another.

You're still doing a natural thing in a sinful way. But now though when now you go from a from the natural sin Now to even an unnatural sin as it's called here where you lose it's a sin against nature is what is now going on essentially in homosexuality and The reason for that I suppose is is because if you make yourself The object ought to be to please yourself.

I suppose if God made me then I have to please God. But if I made me then my job now is to make myself happy and whatever makes me happy I suppose I ought to do it to thine own self be true is Is what the the natural man will be if there is no God to answer to and the only one to answer to is me.

Now I just decide that in my own selfish nature what satisfies me. I've just got to say I don't care about anything else. What? satisfies me. Which opens the door from Immorality homosexuality and you see because one of the things that's different About homosexuality from other sins is not I don't want to get graphic here at all.

But they got to explain a little. I suppose in 1st Corinthians 7 the Apostle Paul explains there He says for the husband's body was made for the wife. And the wife's body was made for the husband. They were never made for themselves.