Respectable Sinners (Romans 2:1-16, Jeff Kliewer)

Cornerstone Church

1 view

June 17, 2024

Sermon Notes: notes.cornerstonesj.org Respectable Sinners

09:41: All right, good morning, everybody, and happy Father's Day to all the dads.
09:49: Yeah, there we go. Because of Father's Day, there will be no prayer meeting tonight, so no 6 o 'clock prayer meeting.
10:00: We want you to be with your families, honoring the dads. Vacation Bible school this year, mark your calendar.
10:07: It is August 5th to 9th. So even if you don't have kids in that age group, you're going to want to be praying, so make sure you know
10:15: August 5th to 9th is VBS. Last week, we did not have the water slide for the kids at the picnic, the baptism picnic.
10:26: So what we've done is we have brought it back next week.
10:32: So next week for the little kids, there's going to be the water slide, and the reason for that is we're having a congregational meeting.
10:40: So adults, you're going to be in here. You don't get to go. Eric, sorry, you can't go sliding. Sorry. Yeah, the water slide for the kids, we'll have a couple of volunteers out there watching, but we're going to be in here talking about some exciting stuff, which includes an announcement
10:58: I'm about to make. So get on the edge of your seat because it's good news. Graduates or parents of graduates, please let
11:08: Tim Robinson know if anybody's graduating. Next week, we're going to honor graduates, so we don't want to miss anybody graduating from middle school, high school, college, master's, doctorate, whatever it is.
11:21: We want to honor the graduates, so please let Tim know, and next week we will do that.
11:28: So before I give the big announcement, first thing we want to do today is honor the dads.
11:35: And I just saw a dad walk in with a little baby. There we go. Kevin. All right. So what
11:41: I'd like is for all of the kids in the room that wouldn't mind helping running our gift,
11:47: I thought about giving the dads a flower like the moms got, but that's not good, right? That's not going to work.
11:54: We're not doing that. Even a tulip in honor of Calvinism. No, we're not going to. We have a different gift.
12:00: Phil, would you stand up and show what we got? We have a pen for every father.
12:07: So kids, if you'd come on up. Dads, if you'd stand up. We need some people to help. Come on up.
12:12: Derek, I need you. Come on. I need the kids to help run pens. Yeah, Phil could just throw them out.
12:20: Get a handful of those, and we're going to. And then go ahead and bring a pen.
12:25: Now, guys, every pen. Oh, thank you. Every pen has a Bible verse on it.
12:31: So whatever the Lord wants you to hear this morning is what you're going to get. They're different. Mine is always pray and never give up.
12:40: Luke 18 1. And Phil, you can keep those in the back.
13:15: There's going to be more dads coming in. So leave that with the ushers back there. Guys, as people come in, give them a pen.
13:22: If they look like a dad. You can tell. They've got the dad bods. All right.
13:39: We are going to pray for the fathers in all seriousness. Let's take a moment and pray for the dads. And then we have two more exciting things.
13:47: One is a big announcement. And then secondly, we're going to hear from Neal and Wani Thompson in a missions moment.
13:53: But let's pray first. So gracious Heavenly Father, thank you so much that you are such a good, good father to us.
14:00: And you show us what fatherhood really is. Thank you for your love. Lord, we want to pray for the dads in this room.
14:07: That we would be like you. That we would love as you do. And care and provide and protect as you do.
14:14: Help us to lead well as we are led by you. Let us first of all be led as fathers.
14:20: So that we can lead well. God, we also pray for those who have lost a father on this day.
14:26: There is grieving. There is deep mourning. For those who have lost their dads. And so we pray
14:31: God that you would give comfort. As only you can do. Comfort those who are grieving today.
14:37: And we thank you that you have given us comfort through your Holy Spirit. So Father, we thank you for this
14:43: Father's Day. We thank you for our dads. It reminds each one of us that everybody has a father,
14:48: Lord. So we thank you for our dads. And Lord, we also thank you for the gift of being a father.
14:54: Those of us who have that incredible, indescribable privilege of raising kids.
15:00: Being dads. We thank you, Lord, for our kids. And for this privilege. Help us,
15:05: Lord, to do well as fathers. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. So, I said in my pastorgram that we have some exciting news.
15:18: It is in regard to the woods that we have behind us.
15:25: Because of the Department of Environmental Protection. The potential of there being a long -eared bat.
15:34: Would mean that they would give us a 150 foot buffer from the wetlands.
15:39: Which basically would take up half of this field. That you wouldn't be able to build. But can you tell by the fact that I'm smiling that I have some good news?
15:48: Yeah. I'm trying to make a short story long here. And build up to the exciting announcement.
15:54: So, the board commissioned a study from DuBois Environmental Services. Brian DuBois actually sits on the board for getting variances from these kind of things.
16:04: And they did an acoustic study in our woods. With five monitors that were able to hear the specific call of a long -eared bat.
16:16: And they recorded the results. And sent them to the DEP. Along with our application.
16:22: And the great news is. We have no long -eared bats. It's possible that we had long -eared bats.
16:32: But because we were praying so much. The Lord just scared them all away. When the tests were being done. But in any case.
16:38: That is really, really good news. Because our desire is to build right here. A new sanctuary.
16:45: And that would. This gives us the opportunity to do that. Unless you get some like crazy DEP person.
16:51: Just out of college. Who doesn't know how to read the rules right. But in any case. We could fight that. So, it looks like.
16:57: Because we don't have long -eared bats. The path has been cleared for us to do this.
17:02: So, let's give glory to God for that. Thank you Lord. All right. With that. That's exciting news. We also have an exciting missions moment.
17:10: So, Neal and Wani Thompson. Will you come up and share. Neal is
17:15: Rick Thompson's brother. And Rick is one of the founding fathers of Cornerstone Church.
17:21: And you guys have been here as missionaries for quite a while as well. So, yes.
17:26: Neal. Thank you very much Jeff. It's a thrill to be here. And to recall your commitment to missions over.
17:36: Ever since you were born over 40 years ago. My motto has been
17:42: Psalm 96 .3. Declare his glory among the nations. And that's what we're doing.
17:49: We're with OMF. We work in East Asia. And with East Asia peoples around the world.
17:56: My favorite thing. My passion is medical missions. And not quite as passionate as I am about life.
18:05: But it's really up there. And I'm working on a talk that I'd like you to pray for. I'll be giving a talk on medical missions at a large church in Southern California.
18:15: Irvine, California. In just two weeks. So, I'm putting the finishing touches on that. I'm going to appreciate your prayers.
18:22: There might be people there who would actually like to become healthcare missionaries. Somewhere in God's world.
18:28: Where was I? Yes, please pray for that.
18:36: Last month, Moni and I were in Chiang Mai, Thailand. OMF was doing a new leadership conference.
18:44: Only not focusing so much on leadership as an art or leadership itself.
18:50: But how to develop leaders. It's called LDL. Not the cholesterol.
18:57: Although ours is both high. High on a different kind of LDL. Leaders developing leaders.
19:04: Basically, older leaders who have led in the past. Helping to mentor with coaching a younger group of people.
19:13: A younger group of leaders. So, they chose us. We're very thankful. We went there and met the couple that we're going to be working with for the next year and a half.
19:23: Their names are Tom and Angie. They're from Iowa. They have four boys. And after they were in our candidate course just 15 years ago at OMF's headquarters in Colorado.
19:35: They made their way to southwest China. And were working with a people group there.
19:41: The Buyi people. And living winsome lives.
19:47: Finding opportunities to build relationships and share with people. And after they had been in China for about five or six years, they were kicked out.
20:01: And then they went back to North Thailand. And Tom was asked to be the facilitator for all those reaching unreached people groups.
20:10: The tribal groups in that area. And so, I'll be working with Tom. And Juanita will be working with his wife,
20:18: Angie. They choose areas in which they want to develop. Over the next year and a half.
20:24: And we walk with them, encourage them, pray with them. And most important thing, trying to ask good questions as to where they are in this process.
20:34: Thank you. I think the area that Neil was talking about, there are so many areas in their lives that would like to grow.
20:42: For example, in organizational or in personal life, family life, or anything like that.
20:48: They chose the area. And then we talk about it. And it's not just like talk.
20:54: We have a goal for them to grow. So, it's not, if you just talk and do nothing, it's not going to happen.
21:01: You're not going to grow. So, we keep them accountable. There's an area to grow. So, the commitment is a year and a half.
21:08: So, Neil was talking about his passion in medical mission. And my passion really is to see people grow and love
21:15: God a little bit more. And I work in OMF as short -term program coordinator.
21:23: And that is a way for me to really invest in people, to help them grow, to use that gift that God has given them to serve the
21:30: Lord. So, short -term program for OMF is to send people here to go over there, overseas.
21:37: I'm not a travel agent, so I'm not sending you to see the world. The trip has to mean something, has an effect, and not just go and see it.
21:48: Not that. We want the trip to really impact your life, to grow. So, to do that, we do a lot of training before you go.
21:55: And you go on the trip, and you come back. We debrief. And then what did you learn? What did you see? What did you hear? And then what's next after all of this experience?
22:04: So, Neil was talking about, we were in Thailand. So, we came back, and after we came back from that trip, three days later,
22:11: I flew to the training, what we call pre -field training. So, there were eight people in this training.
22:20: So, all these people, they're going to Ireland to study, to learn about youth ministry there so that they could come back and use it here.
22:28: Another couple going to Thailand to help with the student ministry. Not student ministry.
22:37: So, children's program. So, they're both engineers, and they apparently make a lot of money.
22:42: But they said that the material of this world do not really satisfy them.
22:48: So, they want to use their gifts and skills to glorify God. So, they are there to help with the children's program, to bless the missionary attending the conference.
22:58: At the same time, get a chance to talk to the missionaries, see what is out there.
23:03: What's available? How can they use their gifts in engineering and management to glorify
23:09: God? So, they're looking and searching. There's another kid from Moody. He was a firefighter.
23:15: He said he was called to be missionary, but he doesn't know, like, what can he do?
23:21: So, he's out there to also help with the children's program. At the same time, learning what is out there, because he has to come back and finish his study before he go.
23:31: There's another lady. She's from Hawaii. She took an early retirement to take care of her mom.
23:40: So, and then she said now that her mom is in a nursing home, she has more time. Her passion is to share the gospel with Japanese people.
23:50: She doesn't know how. So, she's going to Japan on a prayer journey, vision trip to learn.
23:57: And then, so hopefully when she comes back, she will have more time and go back there long term. We don't know.
24:02: So, there are also churches that went to teach English in Thailand to learn about student ministry and stuff like that.
24:10: So, at the same time, I think we have another guy. I don't know how old he is.
24:17: Must not be old. He is applying to med school, but at the same time, he would like to be a missionary.
24:25: So, he's going to China to learn the language for one year while applying for med school. So, we'll see how it goes.
24:32: And I have another doctor. She's doing her residency in Chicago, but she wants to go to China.
24:40: She wants to know that what is it like to serve in China in medicine. So, she just went.
24:46: She came back. So, we just talked about it. But her husband is still doing the master's degree.
24:51: So, there are a couple of years before she can actually go. So, anyway, these are all my work, what
24:57: I do. And thank you so much for investing in me so I can invest in other people to serve
25:03: God. When you pray for us, pray for them. Thank you. Gracious Heavenly Father, your word says that the harvest is ripe, but the workers are few.
25:17: Pray, therefore, for laborers into the harvest field. Lord, we pray that you would make this work successful.
25:23: That people like this one from Hawaii and from Moody going out to the ends of the earth, that there would be more and more workers sent out,
25:30: Lord God. We pray a blessing on this ministry. We also pray for Neil as he's about to bring an important talk to this
25:36: Korean American church in California. We ask that you would bless him with the words to say and the power of the
25:42: Holy Spirit to speak according to your word, Father God. And we thank you, Lord, that missionaries went to Korea and reached
25:49: Korea with the gospel. And now there's a Korean American church sending missionaries still further into the ends of the earth.
25:56: So, Lord, keep doing this. We give you all the glory and all the praise in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you guys so much.
26:03: All right. Thanks. Let's stand.
26:21: Let's start with a prayer. For when the goodness and loving kindness of God our
26:28: Savior appeared, he saved us. Amen, Lord. We thank you for your goodness, your kindness to us,
26:36: Lord. And our greatest need was for that of a Savior to be saved from our sin.
26:43: Lord, you fulfilled that in becoming flesh and living that perfect life and walking that life on the earth that we could not.
26:53: God, you filled that need. You are our Savior, Lord. And by grace, we have been saved through faith,
26:59: Lord. Let us just sing about the great and amazing gift of grace that you've given us this morning.
27:13: Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt.
27:20: Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured.
27:26: There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled. Grace, grace,
27:35: God's grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
27:45: Grace, grace, God's grace.
27:51: Grace that is greater than all our sin.
28:09: Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
28:15: What can avail to wash it away?
28:22: Look, there is flowing a crimson tide.
28:28: Wider than snow you may be today. Grace, grace,
28:37: God's grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
28:46: Grace, grace, God's grace.
28:52: Grace that is greater than all our sin.
29:10: Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace.
29:17: Freely bestowed on all who believe.
29:23: You are longing to see His face.
29:28: Will you this moment His grace receive?
29:36: Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
29:47: Grace, grace, God's grace.
29:53: Grace that is greater than all our sin.
29:59: Grace, grace, God's grace.
30:05: Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace,
30:15: God's grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin.
31:13: Worthy of every song we could ever sing. Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring.
31:27: Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe. We'll live for you.
31:40: Jesus, in name of love, every other name. Jesus, the only one who could ever save.
31:54: Jesus, the only breath we could ever breathe. We'll live for you.
32:02: We'll live for you. In holy, there is no one like you.
32:13: There is none beside you. Oh, open up my eyes in wonder.
32:22: And show me who you are. And fill me with your heart.
32:29: And lead me in your love to those around me.
32:52: Jesus, in name of love, every other name. Jesus, the only one who could ever save.
33:07: Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe. We'll live for you.
33:15: We'll live for you. In holy, there is no one like you.
33:25: There is none beside you. Oh, open up my eyes in wonder.
33:34: And show me who you are. And fill me with your heart.
33:41: And lead me in your love to those around me.
33:56: We'll build my home upon your love.
34:04: It is a firm foundation.
34:10: And I will put my trust in you alone.
34:18: And I will be shaken.
34:25: And I will build my life upon your love.
34:33: It is a firm foundation.
34:39: And I will put my trust in you alone.
34:46: And I will not be shaken.
34:53: In holy, there is no one like you.
34:58: There is none beside you. Oh, open up my eyes in wonder.
35:07: And show me who you are. And fill me with your heart.
35:15: And lead me in your love to those around me.
35:39: All my words fall short. I've got nothing new.
35:49: How could I express all of you?
35:58: I could sing these songs. As I often do.
36:08: But every song must end. And you never do.
36:18: So lock your eyes. And praise you again and again.
36:26: Cause all that I have is a Hallelujah.
36:36: Hallelujah. And I know it's not much.
36:41: But I've nothing else before thee. Except for a heart singing
36:49: Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
37:03: I've got one response. I've got just one move.
37:13: With my arms stretched wide. I will worship you.
37:22: So I throw up my hands. And praise you again and again.
37:30: Cause all that I have is a Hallelujah.
37:40: Hallelujah. And I know it's not much.
37:45: But I've nothing else before thee. Except for a heart singing
37:53: Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
38:13: So come on my soul. Oh don't you get shy on me.
38:19: Lift up your song. Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs.
38:26: Get up and praise the Lord. Oh come on my soul.
38:35: Oh don't you get shy on me. Lift up your song. Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs.
38:45: Get up and praise the Lord. Oh come on my soul.
38:55: Oh don't you get shy on me. Lift up your song. Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs.
39:05: Get up and praise the Lord. So I throw up my hands.
39:20: And praise you again and again. Cause all that I have is a
39:27: Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
39:37: And I know it's not much. But I've nothing else before thee.
39:45: Except for a heart singing Hallelujah.
39:55: Hallelujah. And finally be strong in the
40:17: Lord. And in the might of his strength. Put on the full armor of God.
40:22: That you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
40:30: But against the rulers, the authorities. The world forces of this darkness. The spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
40:39: So therefore take up the full armor of God. That you may be able to resist in the evil day.
40:45: And having done everything to stand firm. You stood before creation.
41:13: Eternity in your hand. You spoke the earth in two months.
41:24: My soul now to stand. You stood before my failure.
41:40: And carried the cross for my shame.
41:47: My sin lay upon your shoulders.
41:53: My soul now to stand. So what can
42:01: I say? And what can
42:09: I do? But offer this heart, oh
42:18: God. Completely to you.
42:30: So I'll walk upon salvation. Your spirit alive in me.
42:45: I'll have to declare your promise. My soul now to stand.
42:56: So what can I say? And what can
43:06: I do? But offer this heart, oh
43:15: God. Completely to you.
43:25: And what can I say? And what can
43:34: I do? But offer this heart, oh
43:44: God. Completely to you.
43:54: So I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned.
44:26: In awe of the one who gave it all.
44:33: And I'll stand my soul, Lord, to you surrendered.
44:39: All I am is yours. I'll stand.
44:46: So I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned.
44:54: In awe of the one who gave it all.
45:01: And I'll stand my soul, Lord, to you surrendered.
45:07: All I am is yours. I'll stand.
45:14: So I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned.
45:22: In awe of the one who gave it all.
45:29: And I'll stand my soul, Lord, to you surrendered.
45:35: All I am is yours. So what can
45:45: I say? And what can
45:52: I do? But offer this heart, oh
46:01: God. Completely to you.
46:11: And what can I say? And what can
46:20: I do? But offer this heart, oh
46:30: God. Completely to you.
46:43: Amen. Please be seated. Gracious Heavenly Father, we do offer our hearts completely to you.
46:51: You are worthy of everything that we could bring you. And what can we bring?
46:57: Lord, you have given everything for us. And we come with no righteousness of our own.
47:03: We come with empty hands. But hearts that recognize our need.
47:10: And faith that the Son of God died and bled and suffered on our behalf.
47:19: That he rose from the dead. Help us now to hear your word and give ourselves completely.
47:26: For some of us who sang that song, the words aren't true. Some of us are singing words, but we don't mean them in the depths of our hearts.
47:35: Help us, Lord, now by the preaching of your word. To offer ourselves completely to you.
47:41: In Jesus' name. Amen. Why do people love stories and books about other people's extreme sin?
47:50: There are shows on TV about swindlers like American Greed. People who just swindle obscene amounts of money from others.
48:01: There are shows about sexual crimes and sexual sins. Things like Law and Order and other shows.
48:10: What Jerry Bridges warns of, and he's one of my favorite authors. What Jerry Bridges warns of is what he calls vicarious immorality.
48:20: That there might be an interest in some of these things just to live almost vicariously through the sins of others.
48:27: People love to read and hear stories about murder. Remember Murder, She Wrote?
48:33: I'm dating myself there. Murder, She Wrote. But there's Murder on the Nile, Murder on the
48:41: Orient Express. There are these books and stories about other people's sins.
48:46: I think one of the reasons that people enjoy hearing about notorious sinners is because it can make a person feel better about themselves.
48:55: At least I'm not like that guy. Compared to him, I might be doing okay.
49:03: I was a missionary in, my wife and kids were missionaries in inner city
49:09: Philadelphia for 12 years. From 2004 to 2016. And in the inner city, there is oftentimes depravity that's more on display than in the suburbs.
49:23: Open drug use on the streets of Kensington. I've seen shootings with my own eyes and heard the gunshots at night.
49:31: And seen the mobs and lived a reality for 12 years.
49:37: There was one time in the city where we were throwing an evangelistic festival.
49:42: And we had about 2 ,000 people on Frankfurt Avenue. Right there in Kensington between Allegheny and Clearfield.
49:50: We had water slides and inflatables. And we had food, Christian wrappers, which sadly did include me at least one time.
49:59: But then we left it to the pros after that. But it was a glorious festival until this man who was wearing nothing but short jean shorts.
50:09: And those were sagging at that. Began to go down the water slide with the kids.
50:15: He was clearly inebriated or on some kind of substance. And people from our team would go up to him and try to get him to leave that area, the kids area.
50:26: But he would get aggressive. So someone came and got me and said, hey, there's this guy on the water slides.
50:31: You've got to come do something about this guy. I was the host of the festival, so I had to figure it out.
50:36: And as I was walking over there, I was praying for God's grace. And for some reason, it might have been something he had said earlier that got in my brain or something.
50:45: But as I walked up to him, I yelled, cuckoo, ca -choo. And when he heard that word, it was like a trigger in his mind.
50:57: He came running over to me and he said, I am the walrus. And he began to walk with me.
51:03: And I said, yeah, tell me about that. And so we started walking. And this guy's just going along with me, telling me about these old songs and whatnot.
51:11: Next thing he knows, we've walked out of the block party, around the corner, and about half mile down the road when we sat down on a step.
51:21: And I said, hey, I want to tell you a little about Jesus. And I invited him to church. And then I asked if he would let the kids have their day on the water slides.
51:29: And he graciously left. I never saw him again. We've always called him cuckoo, ca -choo ever since then.
51:35: But I tell this story because next week, we're going to have a water slide out in the yard. And if any of you adults try to go down the slide, we're going to have to take a walk.
51:46: We'll walk you over to the Catholic church. You can leave you at St. John Newman's or something. Just kidding. Bad joke.
51:56: But I tell the story for a different reason. When you see egregious behavior, outward sins of others that go before them,
52:05: I think of 1 Timothy 5, where Paul says some people's sins go before them.
52:12: They're obvious to everyone. But others' sins come and show themselves later.
52:20: They reveal themselves later. It's easy to look at people who have been given over to sin.
52:27: There's even documentaries about Kensington now and YouTube videos where people will go through and they'll take video of people doing drugs openly and other things that happen in the city.
52:37: And I think those videos are so popular now because people like to see the horrible sins of others so that they could feel better about themselves.
52:50: These are the notorious sinners, which makes me more of a respectable sinner.
52:58: My favorite author, outside of the authors in the Bible, is Jerry Bridges.
53:04: I've told you that my favorite book outside of the Bible is Trusting God. If you struggle with trusting
53:10: God, get the book and read Trusting God. It will change how you think. Trusting God by Jerry Bridges.
53:17: He also has the pursuit of holiness and the practice of godliness. He's always trying to teach us to live the
53:24: Christian life by the word. But one of his books, I think he passed in 2016. This book was before that, clearly.
53:31: It was called Respectable Sins. In Romans chapter 1, we heard about the sins of a debased mind.
53:42: It says three times that they were given over to their sexual sins. And then they were given over to unnatural desires.
53:51: Passions that are against nature itself. And then we're told they were given over to a debased mind.
53:57: And we hear about murder and strife and all kinds of horrible sins. 21 examples listed in Romans 1, 29 to 31.
54:08: We hear about people given over to sin. And what
54:13: Paul is doing in Romans 1 is exposing the sins of paganism. But it's really a setup for the majority of people who consider their sin something less offensive.
54:30: What Jerry Bridges would call respectable sin. Turn with me to Romans chapter 2.
54:38: The idea of being given over in chapter 1 is key to understanding chapter 2.
54:46: Because what we have here is a contrast with these notorious sinners.
54:53: And that contrast is addressed to the religious type. The ones who are supposedly the moral majority.
55:03: When in truth, the majority is not, after all, moral. It's for the well -put -together folk, the religious class.
55:12: The same root issue that characterizes Romans 1, 18 to 1, 32 falls under the same banner as addressed in 1, 18.
55:26: The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness.
55:33: Paul will begin with these horrible sins, the notorious sinners.
55:39: And just when you're starting to say to yourself, you get them, Paul! Get them! He flips the script, and let's begin reading in Romans 2.
55:50: Therefore, you have no excuse,
55:56: O man. And this refers to every man, every one of you who judges.
56:05: For in passing judgment on another, you condemn yourself. Because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
56:16: We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. It's easy to get on your high horse and see them and see their sin as listed in Romans 1.
56:27: But in verse 3, it says, do you suppose, O man, you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?
56:41: Let's pause here and begin to consider the first three verses. Paul learned this from Jesus.
56:49: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds people of the law of God and compares it with what the
56:56: Pharisees had said. But he points out that the one who thinks he's not an adulterer or a murderer is very well an adulterer and a murderer at heart.
57:08: Most people will say, I've never committed adultery. I've never murdered anyone. But Jesus says, if you've even looked with lust in your heart for another woman, you violated the deeper meaning of thou shalt not commit adultery.
57:22: And if you've even had the more respectable sins of irritableness and contempt and anger seething in your heart, you violated the deeper meaning of thou shalt not commit murder.
57:38: And so when Paul says to every man, O man, every one of you who judges that you practice the very same thing, he's learned that from the
57:46: Lord Jesus. Each one of us, even those who practice the more respectable sins, are guilty of sin.
57:57: Jerry Bridges mentions a whole list of things that we tend to think are no big deal.
58:05: And therefore we can judge other people with the more dramatic sins. Meanwhile, we may be entangled in unthankfulness, irritability, pride, selfishness, lack of self -control, impatience, envy, jealousy, gossip.
58:27: How prevalent is gossip? Among Christians even, lying, slander, harsh words, sarcasm, critical speech, or greed.
58:39: These are the respectable sins, but Paul has now taken aim directly. And we were saying with him for a little while, you get them,
58:46: Paul. And then all of a sudden in verses one to three, it's go. Uh -oh.
58:52: I'm talking about you. Paul Washer was preaching to a bunch of teenagers at a festival.
58:58: And all of them were just cheering for him with everything he said. Until all of a sudden he said, why are you clapping?
59:03: I'm talking about you. And then silence fell over the stadium.
59:09: And the gospel could be heard. People were open to hear about their own sin. It's very easy to hear a sermon and think,
59:16: I hope my wife is listening. I hope my husband is listening. But it's much harder to say, what is
59:25: God saying to me from this text? And that's what Paul has done here. He's pulled the rug.
59:31: And in verse four he says, do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience?
59:39: Not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.
59:45: You see, this is the hardest part about the gospel. Go out on the streets and tell someone about God's kindness.
59:52: And they'll say, amen. Tell them God is patient. They'll be fine with that.
59:59: No problem with your message. Tell them that God is forbearing. But call someone to repentance and see the hackles go up.
01:00:09: Tell a sinner that he needs to repent. And there will be wrath towards the messenger.
01:00:16: You can tell an artist, hey, this looks great. But if you tell them, hey, I think that's a little out of proportion.
01:00:22: All of a sudden the artist doesn't like you so much. Tell an athlete, that was a great play when you cut baseline and dumped on someone.
01:00:31: But tell them, you know, you really are letting your man get by you every other possession. It's the hard news, the bad news that people don't want to hear.
01:00:41: And this is what Paul understands. That the gospel can only be good news to those who know their own sin.
01:00:48: And so he set them up with the most egregious sins that everybody sees. A person given over, completely overtaken by sin.
01:01:00: Only to flip the script and say that you who just presume on his kindness without repentance, you're just as lost as they are.
01:01:11: In verse 5, but because of your hard and impenitent.
01:01:16: That word impenitent refers to repentance as well. It's the one who will not repent.
01:01:25: The impenitent one doesn't feel the need to repent. And so it says they are storing up wrath.
01:01:34: On the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
01:01:41: Wrath is delayed. If you just got struck by lightning, the moment that you sin, you wouldn't make it very long.
01:01:51: But say you survived the lightning strike, you'd be very careful not to commit that sin again.
01:02:00: But in this world, wrath is not dealt out according to what we justly deserve in the moment that we sin.
01:02:09: Notice in verse 5 that wrath is delayed. This is an important principle of the gospel that there's coming a day of judgment.
01:02:17: Each sin with the impenitence of a hard heart, without turning to Jesus that is, stores up wrath.
01:02:27: It's being piled up on the accounting of one's life.
01:02:33: And it's being held for a certain day. The day of wrath.
01:02:40: Now that day, of course, refers to judgment day. In Matthew 25, the sheep and the goats are separated.
01:02:48: The sheep will be surprised to learn about the good things that God noticed them do. Because what made them sheep is that they had faith in the good shepherd.
01:02:57: They were followers of Christ. And the good shepherd had laid down his life as a sheep in their stead.
01:03:03: And so the sheep get really good news when we go to the Bema. The sheep go to the
01:03:08: Bema, that's the judgment seat of Christ. The moment that we die, our spirit departs and we hear, well done, good and faithful servant.
01:03:16: And we're surprised by that. Was I that good? Did I do well? All of your sin is covered under the blood.
01:03:23: And now you're rewarded for the time you wrote a letter to a prisoner. For the time you gave food to a poor person.
01:03:31: And every good work that you did for the sake of his name is rewarded. Conversely, the goat is surprised because he thought he was good.
01:03:41: He was one of the religious ones, the respectable ones. And come judgment day, the day of wrath, this pile of sin is still on his shoulders.
01:03:53: And there's nothing but wrath on that day. There's no more opportunity for repentance.
01:03:59: Esau prayed for repentance and wanted to repent, but for him it had become too late.
01:04:06: He couldn't even find repentance in his heart at that time. There will come a day that is too late for repentance.
01:04:13: The judgment day. And notice that impenitence refers to refusing to repent.
01:04:23: The gospel in verse 4 is, it's a metonym, it's one word standing in for the whole.
01:04:30: It's in that word repentance. Paul has already given the gospel in the very opening verses of Romans 1.
01:04:38: The full content of the gospel is given in Romans 1, 1 to 5.
01:04:44: And he's called for the obedience of faith. What has them in trouble at this point is that they're refusing that.
01:04:52: He's preaching to Jew and Gentile alike. Most Jewish people don't want this message because they think they're okay.
01:04:59: They're religious. They don't need to repent. And Paul is now pounding down that door.
01:05:06: Open the door of repentance. You're not okay. There's a day of wrath coming unless you repent.
01:05:12: And now verses 6 and 7 have many Christians confused because it sounds kind of anti -gospel. And the answer to that, for many interpreters, is to say that Paul doesn't mean anybody by it.
01:05:28: That it is a hypothetical that actually applies to no one. I don't take that view, if you can't tell.
01:05:37: I think he's describing what the obedience of faith looks like. Consider it as an opposite of Romans chapter 1.
01:05:46: In Romans chapter 1, people are more and more given over to sin. And on that trajectory, there is more and more debasement of mind.
01:05:55: Follow me? Cain rebelled against God by offering the wrong offering.
01:06:04: After that, sin was crouching at the door desiring to have him. To master him.
01:06:09: This is the trajectory of sin. To be more and more enslaved. Conversely, the one who repents and truly begins to seek
01:06:19: God is on a completely opposite path. This lazy river that goes to hell.
01:06:27: And this pursuit of God. The pursuit of holiness. The practice of godliness.
01:06:33: That's the dichotomy here. It's between the one who is saved and by the obedience of faith is regenerate.
01:06:39: And so he seeks glory and honor and immortality. And conversely, there are people who think they're fine.
01:06:49: Respectable or not, they're drifting toward a day of wrath. So in verse 6 and 7.
01:06:55: When it says he will render to each one according to his works. He's not prescribing a way to be saved.
01:07:05: He's describing those, verse 7, who by patience and well -doing seek for glory and honor and immortality.
01:07:17: It's a description of a truly saved person. Which means there's a lot of people who are not truly saved.
01:07:27: Because they don't seek glory and honor and immortality.
01:07:34: Does something in you rub a little wrong when you hear Paul say that the genuine
01:07:41: Christian seeks glory? Doesn't that sound wrong?
01:07:48: He's seeking glory and that's a good thing? That's the one that you want to be? C .S.
01:07:54: Lewis dealt with this in his book, The Weight of Glory. My favorite quote in The Weight of Glory.
01:08:00: And of everything that C .S. Lewis wrote. He said that if you think that way, that pursuing glory is bad.
01:08:07: That's because you've been influenced by Immanuel Kant. And the Stoics.
01:08:15: C .S. Lewis said, we are half -hearted creatures.
01:08:23: Fooling about, making mud pies in the slum. Because we don't know what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea.
01:08:32: What does he mean by that? Our pursuit of glory is really just settling for fame or recognition.
01:08:43: Or power or the pleasures of the flesh. And we don't realize we're just fooling about making mud pies as we live in a slum.
01:08:52: But there is a glory offered to us in Jesus Christ. When we live for His glory.
01:08:58: That we begin to shine with a glory that is like His. Ever -increasing glory. 2
01:09:04: Corinthians 4. Turn with me, so you don't just trust C .S. Lewis. Turn with me to Colossians 3, 1 -4.
01:09:14: C .S. Lewis said, God finds our pursuit of glory not too strong, but too weak.
01:09:25: We're settling for the mud pies in the slum. Because we don't know what this glory is.
01:09:31: This eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4, 17. That far surpasses everything this world offers.
01:09:39: Colossians 3, verses 1 -4. Says, if then you have been raised with Christ.
01:09:53: Seek things that are above. Where Christ is. Seated at the right hand of God.
01:09:59: Set your minds on things that are above. Not on things that are on the earth. For you have died.
01:10:06: And your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears.
01:10:14: Then you also will appear with Him. In glory. Do you see that?
01:10:21: We're to seek this appearance with Christ in glory. We're living for not this world and the things below.
01:10:28: But the things above. There is a sharp and dramatic difference. Between the one who has beheld the glory of Jesus.
01:10:39: Who then is willing to die to this world. To attain to that world.
01:10:46: And the one who is still in the flesh. Living for this world.
01:10:54: And entangled and lost in sin. That's the distinction of Romans chapter 2.
01:11:02: Let's go back there. Verses 6 and 7. Then it says in verses 8 to 11.
01:11:14: For those who are self -seeking. That is seeking the fame.
01:11:21: The riches. The power. The things of this world. Without regard to others. And without regard to the glory of Jesus Christ.
01:11:30: And notice here that it's not a hypothetical person. But it's one who does not obey the truth.
01:11:36: They hear the gospel but they won't repent. Many people hear the gospel.
01:11:42: But they refuse to repent. Instead they obey unrighteousness. There will be wrath and fury.
01:11:49: This is the weight of this passage. There is actual wrath and fury.
01:11:56: For the respectable sinners. There will be tribulation and distress.
01:12:06: For every human being. Who does evil.
01:12:12: The Jew first and also the Greek. But glory and honor and peace.
01:12:18: That's a parallel to what describes this person in verse 7. They pursue these things and they're going to get it.
01:12:25: They're going to get that glory. And they will be honored and they will experience peace. Who gets that?
01:12:32: Everyone who does good. Not everyone who earns righteousness. But can be described as genuinely pursuing
01:12:39: God in their life. For God shows no partiality.
01:12:46: Many people assume that their religious pedigree will get them glory.
01:12:52: Get them to glory. They go to church. Jerry Bridges. My favorite author.
01:12:58: Tells the story of a little boy being raised in church. And parents you remember when the real little ones are sitting with you in church.
01:13:07: They're very squirmy. They're antsy. And this kid kept standing up on the pew.
01:13:15: And the mom would tug the shirt and pull him back down. This happened three or four times. Until finally the mom pulled him down and whispered harshly in his ear.
01:13:27: If you stand up one more time. Such and such is going to happen to you when you get home.
01:13:34: And so the boy sat there for a moment. Until of course that energy is stirring. He wants to stand up.
01:13:40: But he knows what will happen to him. And so to please his mom.
01:13:46: But not really to please her. To avoid the punishment. He doesn't stand and he begins to squirm and shift.
01:13:55: And finally it just overtakes him. The angst of the moment. He doesn't stand up. But he whispers back into his mom's ear.
01:14:04: I may be sitting on the outside. But in my heart I am standing up.
01:14:15: Do you understand? His heart was never converted. Not yet. And we pray that it would be.
01:14:20: Right? Every little child who comes into the world. They're advantaged to be raised in church.
01:14:27: And to hear the truth. But so many people are part of a church.
01:14:32: They're religious. In this case the Jewish synagogue made them feel religious and righteous.
01:14:39: But here also in churches all across this country. Raised in church. And they've learned how to outwardly conform.
01:14:47: They can come every Sunday. They can even listen and pay attention. But the problem is.
01:14:55: Their heart has not repented of their own sin. And from the inside turned to Christ for mercy.
01:15:03: God have mercy on me the sinner. Romans 2 verses 12 and 13.
01:15:09: For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
01:15:20: For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God. But the doers of the law who will be justified.
01:15:31: It's not the man in the back of the church. Who prays God thank you that I'm not like that guy
01:15:38: I saw trying to go down the slide. With his pants hanging down. Thank you that I'm not a wicked sinner like those people over there.
01:15:47: Or even those in pride month celebrating debauchery. Thank you
01:15:52: God that I'm not like them. But it was the man who on the front row.
01:15:59: He had come forward because he knew his sin. And he beat his chest and what did he say?
01:16:05: God have mercy on me the sinner. Every person must come to that point. Because until you've repented that's the issue.
01:16:14: You've not been born of God. Repentance is the point.
01:16:21: In verses 14 and following and we're almost done. It says for when Gentiles who do not have the law.
01:16:27: By nature do what the law requires. They are a law to themselves. That doesn't mean they get to invent their own morality.
01:16:36: And morality is subjective rather what does Paul say? Even though they have not they don't have the law. Verse 15 they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts.
01:16:49: While their conscience also bears witness. God has put a conscience in every man.
01:16:55: So even if they don't have the written law of Moses. Their conscience is this rudder to steer the ship.
01:17:02: Conscience. Conscience. Con with science knowledge. There is in every person.
01:17:11: This knowledge that is with you. That what you're doing is either right or wrong.
01:17:20: The conflicting thoughts will either accuse you or even excuse you. Do unsaved people do good?
01:17:30: Well yeah. There are plenty of not in the absolute sense.
01:17:36: But there are plenty of dads who love their kids and they're not Christians. Being celebrated today on Father's Day.
01:17:43: They do something good and their conscience reminds them. Hey that was really good what you did. But here's the pressing point.
01:17:53: Everybody has been accused by their conscience as well. And they know what it is to violate their own conscience.
01:18:01: Even if they've never heard the Ten Commandments. The command against coveting. They know what it is to covet.
01:18:08: Because at some point in their life they too have coveted. So their conscience accuses them. And then what happens with the conscience?
01:18:14: This is a sermon for another day. But it's just really important to mention real quick. The conscience can be seared.
01:18:24: Every time we sin against conscience. We deaden the effect of conscience to our minds.
01:18:33: This is why conscience is so important in Romans 14 23. Even if you have no. There's no objective reason not to eat vegetables.
01:18:41: Or to worship on a certain day. Paul says if it's against your conscience. Don't do it because the conscience has to be protected.
01:18:49: It can become deadened. Every time you sin you're deadening your conscience.
01:18:55: It's easier to do it the second time than the first time. So you've got to be so careful with your conscience.
01:19:01: Because it can be deadened. Scar tissue can form. A great picture of how sin spreads.
01:19:10: Is the disease of leprosy. It's malignant.
01:19:16: It might start off as a small spot. But it will spread. The conscience deadens and sin takes over.
01:19:24: The point here in verses 14 and 15. Is that every person even if they don't have the law.
01:19:31: Has gone against the law of conscience. And knows their sin. And so they too must repent and trust in Jesus Christ.
01:19:40: And Paul finishes this section in verse 16. Reminding us of his gospel.
01:19:47: And the man Christ Jesus. On that day. That day of wrath. When according to my gospel.
01:19:55: God judges the secrets of men. Everything laid bare. It is done by Christ Jesus.
01:20:03: God will judge the world by a man. This means that there is a sin atoner.
01:20:11: One who died for sin. Whose name is Jesus Christ. The good news is.
01:20:18: Those who come to him now and repent. Turn from sin. You will find him to be a perfect savior.
01:20:25: Now is the day of salvation. You don't want your secrets exposed. On that day.
01:20:32: No one will be righteous in that way. It's too late at that point. But you can come now.
01:20:41: To the religious I say. Respectable sinners. Are only respectable in their own eyes.
01:20:49: And maybe in the eyes of others. You might have someone convinced. But what does that matter before the holy
01:20:56: God. Each one must give an account of himself. Before God. God is no respecter of persons.
01:21:07: He will not judge the egregious sinner. And let pass the respectable ones.
01:21:14: Our secret sins. The thoughts of our hearts. And the attitudes of our minds.
01:21:20: Will one day stand before the judgment seat of God. How much better to come now. John Calvin said.
01:21:27: When a person is in Christ. Christ treats them. Not as a judge.
01:21:32: But as a physician. Why not come to the physician now.
01:21:39: Rather than face the judge later. He is willing to forgive any sin.
01:21:46: So rather than reassuring yourself. That you are not that bad. Compared to other people. Come to Jesus.
01:21:54: Repent of your sin. Stop justifying it. And rationalizing it.
01:21:59: And thinking it's not that bad. It kills you. Or you kill it. The description that Paul gives.
01:22:07: Of a truly saved person. Is one who is seeking glory. And immortality.
01:22:14: That means his mind is on the next life. Not just this one. That ends when your heart stops beating. And honor.
01:22:21: You're living to bring honor to Christ. Does that describe you? Do you think about that?
01:22:28: Or do you just want to hide. In shame. Come out of the dark. Today is a day of salvation.
01:22:35: Today is a day of good news. For all of us. Salvation in the blood of Jesus.
01:22:41: Is offered to you right now. Let's close our eyes. Let's bow our heads. If you would judge yourself.
01:22:51: You will not be judged. Examine your heart. And see if you are in the faith.
01:22:59: Think about the secret sins. That you alone know. And realize that these sins.
01:23:07: Will be brought before God. On the day of wrath. Unless you repent now.
01:23:17: So in your heart. Confess these sins to your God. Ask him to forgive you.
01:23:30: On the basis of Jesus' blood. Pray something like this. God I am a sinner.
01:23:35: Lord have mercy on me. The sinner. Nothing respectable.
01:23:41: About my sins. I deserve wrath.
01:23:46: On judgment day. But I believe
01:23:52: Jesus died for my sin. I believe
01:23:58: Jesus. Rose from the dead. Jesus please forgive me.
01:24:07: Please cleanse me. From all unrighteousness. Take over my life.
01:24:15: And change me from the inside out. That I would seek you.
01:24:21: With my whole heart. Be my Lord. Thank you so much for your indescribable gift.
01:24:33: In Jesus name. Amen. Church let's stand up and sing. You make it easy for all of you.
01:24:52: You are good and you are kind. You bring joy into my life.
01:25:02: You make it easy to trust you. You have never left my side.
01:25:13: You've been faithful every time. And all
01:25:19: I want is you. Jesus all
01:25:28: I want is you. You are the refuge
01:25:37: I run to. You are the fire that leads me through the night.
01:25:46: I'll follow you anywhere. There's a million reasons to trust you.
01:25:58: Nothing to fear for you are by my side.
01:26:04: I'll follow you anywhere. Oh Jesus you came to my rescue.
01:26:16: You took my place upon that cross. You redeemed what
01:26:24: I had lost. Now my whole world revolving around you.
01:26:32: You're the center of my life. You're the treasure, you're the prize.
01:26:41: And all I want is you.
01:26:49: Jesus all I want is you.
01:27:00: You are the refuge I run to. You are the fire that leads me through the night.
01:27:11: I'll follow you anywhere. There's a million reasons to trust you.
01:27:23: Nothing to fear for you are by my side.
01:27:28: I'll follow you anywhere. Wherever you lead me.
01:27:40: Whatever it costs me. All I want is you.
01:27:48: Jesus all I want is you. Wherever you lead me.
01:27:58: Whatever it costs me. All I want is you.
01:28:06: Jesus all I want is you. All I want is you.
01:28:19: Jesus all I want is you.
01:28:29: You are the refuge I run to. You are the fire that leads me through the night.
01:28:40: I'll follow you anywhere. There's a million reasons to trust you.
01:28:52: Nothing to fear for you are by my side.
01:28:58: I'll follow you anywhere. Follow you anywhere.
01:29:13: Don't forget next week is a congregational meeting so everybody is invited to stay after for the congregational meeting.
01:29:19: We're going to talk about building plans and all kinds of fun stuff. But kids there will be a water slide so parents bring bathing suits for the little ones and we'll close with this benediction.
01:29:31: And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. To which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful.
01:29:40: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. Singing praises, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
01:29:53: And whatever you do in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the