full
Good Judges Hate Sin (Romans 1:18-23) | Louis Azuma
02:30 The Righteousness of God's Wrath
04:02 General Revelation: Evidence of God in Creation
09:54 Suppressing the Truth About God
12:22 No Excuses: Everyone Knows God Exists
15:04 The Heart Issue: Ignoring Evidence of God
17:37 Everyone Worships Something Instead of God
20:25 The Heart of Sin: Devaluing God
22:10 Sin's Personal Offense to God
26:38 The Deceptive Nature of Sin
31:42 Fighting Temptation with God's Promises
35:22 Closing Prayer and Reflection
Transcript
something that you might not know about me.
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:Is that I, I love kids movies.
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:I love kids movies.
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:My favorite movie is Penga I
Madagascar, um, Tanga Madagascar.
5
:Um, and so knowing that I love
kids movies, my, my wife, my
6
:lovely wife was like, we need to
watch how to train your dragon.
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:It's awesome.
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:It's so good.
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:It's the best.
10
:So, so we sat down and we're gonna
watch how to Train Your Dragon,
11
:but one thing that you also
might not know about me is that.
12
:I hate dumb protagonists.
13
:Like when the, when the
main character in the movie.
14
:Is just like they don't
know what they're doing.
15
:Right.
16
:When they're like making bad decisions,
they're, they're just really cringey.
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:Like, I, I, I hate it.
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:I can't stand it.
19
:That's like my least
favorite part of any movie.
20
:So naturally, when I, when I watched
this movie for the first like 70% of the
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:movie, I was just like, this is terrible.
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:This dude has no clue what he's doing.
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:Like, what?
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:Why, why did you keep the dragon?
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:Why, why, why did you, why
didn't you get rid of the dragon?
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:Why are you trying to hide the dragon?
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:Why aren't you doing a better
job of hiding the dragon?
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:Why don't you make a better
wing for your dragon?
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:Because you decide to make
this wing that's super flimsy
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:and falls off and what?
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:Anyway, I was like, this is terrible.
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:What are you doing?
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:It, it just, it bothers me.
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:I get upset about it.
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:You can even tell right now.
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:I'm, I'm like, this
is, this is a bad idea.
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:But the rest movie was great.
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:The like last 20 minutes were awesome.
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:Um.
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:Anyway, I, I hate dumb movie protagonist.
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:Right?
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:And see what you get mad at
says a lot about you, right?
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:What, what you get upset at says a lot
about who you are, the kind of person you
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:are, the kind of things you like, right?
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:It's, you can learn a lot about
someone by what makes them mad.
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:And see when we see what makes God mad,
what God directs his anger, his wrath.
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:At, it tells us a lot about him and
what we're gonna learn tonight in Romans
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:chapter one is that God's anger, God's
wrath, shows that he is a good judge.
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:He's righteous.
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:God's wrath reveals his righteousness.
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:See God, he gets angry
at the right things.
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:God gets angry at the things that
you're supposed to get angry at.
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:He gets angry at.
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:Unrighteousness and see that
there's a problem there.
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:And that's because God
gets angry justifiably.
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:So God should get angry at you and me.
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:God should direct all of his holy
fury at you and me because we are
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:unrighteous and that's what we're
gonna see tonight, is that everyone
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:deserves God's wrath, everyone.
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:You do.
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:I do.
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:Pastor Rod does.
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:Everyone deserves God's wrath.
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:So turn with me.
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:Romans one 18 to 23, we're gonna see
that everyone deserves God wrath.
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:God's wrath, but good judges hate sin.
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:But before we get there, remember,
remember this slide from like.
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:Three or four weeks ago about how the
gospel is all about God's righteousness.
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:This is like kind of our
roadmap for Romans, right?
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:So last week, remember that thesis
statement we talked about, like when
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:you're writing essay, you have to write
your thesis and it has to have everything.
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:And you got your whole diagram, right?
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:Your thesis.
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:So Romans one, 16 to 17 is
like Paul's thesis for Romans.
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:So then we're, we just finished that.
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:So we read the thesis.
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:Now we're in like the
first paragraph, right?
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:The first, the first body paragraph
that he's gonna talk about.
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:So that's gonna be.
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:Chapter one 18, all the way to three 20.
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:So what we're gonna be learning
about is that the gospel shows that
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:God's wrath against sin is righteous.
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:It's the right thing, it's
the right response from God.
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:God should show his wrath towards sin.
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:It's a good thing.
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:And if you wanna put that into a question,
this is what your question would be.
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:Why does God send people to hell?
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:So this is what we're gonna
be covering for a while.
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:The gospel shows that God's
wrath against sin is righteous.
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:Okay?
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:So grab your Bible, read along with me.
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:In verse 18 of Romans one, for
the wrath of God is revealed from
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:heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men who by their
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:unrighteousness, suppress the truth.
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:So we talked about God's
righteousness a lot, right?
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:And now what do you see?
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:Unrighteousness.
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:Unrighteousness, right?
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:God's wrath is revealed.
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:It's shown from heaven
against unrighteousness.
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:The opposite.
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:And that's why we see that
God is righteous because
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:God hates unrighteousness.
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:And that's how we see that he's righteous.
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:You see the opposite?
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:God, it, it's like a,
it's like clarity, right?
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:Like you know how when you see like a
diamond ring, it's always on like a black
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:background 'cause it makes it pop, it
make it, it helps you see it clearer.
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:God's wrath shows his righteousness
'cause he directs his wrath at.
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:Unrighteousness at the opposite.
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:And then verse 19, four.
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:Remember when you see
four, it means because.
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:So how come God does that?
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:How?
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:Why does God show his wrath
against unrighteousness?
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:Well, what can be known
about God is playing to all
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:of these unrighteous people.
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:It's obvious because God
has shown it to them.
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:Why?
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:How?
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:Verse 20 for his invisible
attributes, namely his eternal
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:power and divine nature.
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:So the fact that God is powerful and
he's God, they've been clearly perceived
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:ever since the creation of the world
in the things that have been made.
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:So God made a bunch of stuff and
that shows us that God, who, God
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:is, he's God and he's powerful.
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:So God made a bunch of stuff right,
the things that he made, creation.
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:Shows us something about
God, what does it show us?
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:His invisible attributes, his
namely, his E, eternal, his eternal
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:power, and his divine nature.
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:And the conclusion is that no excuses.
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:Everyone can see that God is God.
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:Everyone can see that.
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:So that leaves us without excuses.
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:What this verse is saying is that
everyone, and we'll, we'll see you later.
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:Suppresses the truth of God's existence.
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:Everyone tries to ignore God.
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:Everyone does it.
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:That's what Paul is trying to
establish, that God shows himself to
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:everyone, but everyone ignores it.
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:So our first point tonight is abandon
your excuses for ignoring God.
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:Abandon your excuses for knowing God.
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:Leave him behind.
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:Paul is saying that we don't
have any excuses because it's
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:obvious who God is is obvious.
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:It's plain.
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:Now, maybe you've been wondering,
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:well, everyone deserves God's wrath.
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:Like everyone, like every single person.
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:Are you sure?
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:Like that was your main
point, Louis, everyone really.
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:What about someone who maybe
doesn't have the Bible?
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:Uh, do they deserve God's wrath?
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:Well,
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:does this say that you need
the Bible to know about God?
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:His invisible attributes, his
eternal power, his divine nature?
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:Where does it say that God shows who he is
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:in the things that have been made?
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:That's how people know.
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:That's how everyone knows that God is God.
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:The fancy word for that that
you can use to impress your
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:parents is general revelation.
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:It's everywhere.
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:General revelation.
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:If you, if you're reading a, a,
a Christian book, you might find
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:that word, general revelation.
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:The things that have made creation, and
the reason it's called general is not
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:because it's a high ranking officer in
the Army, but because it's for everyone.
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:It's obvious.
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:General revelation.
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:So the way we know that God is,
God is because we look at creation,
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:we look at things that like, oh
wow, you couldn't just randomly
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:by chance come up with something
so complicated like a human being.
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:Or why do humans have consciences?
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:Why do you feel bad when you lie?
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:That's not because you
evolved from a monkey.
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:That's 'cause someone made you.
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:There's no reason for you to
feel bad if you've just evolved.
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:So things like that, they
show us that God is God or how
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:did, how did we even get here?
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:Why, why is the earth so specifically
designed so that it's not too close
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:to, the sun will re burnt up, but
it's not too far from the sun.
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:Will we freeze?
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:And the tilt of the earth is at the exact
angle where the, the sun comes and we
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:get seasons and things grow and the the
moon protects us from asteroids and it
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:helps the tides do all this cool stuff.
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:And how does that so perfectly designed?
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:How does that happen?
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:It can't just be, oh, well, you know,
a bunch of stuff flew around and hit
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:each other and then boom, here we go.
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:Right?
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:That's where we came from.
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:I'm oversimplifying it, but creation
shows us that God exists, and so we have
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:no excuse to ignore him because anyone
who's living in the world who's created.
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:God has shown them that He exists.
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:Right?
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:Not just, oh, you figure it out.
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:No, God has shown them this.
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:This is active.
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:This is something God did.
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:God made the world so that
you could see that he exists.
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:You don't need the Bible
to know that God exists.
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:That's what, that's what Paul is
saying here in these verse few verses.
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:It's obvious that God exists and
what we do instead, and what he's
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:gonna say later is that we suppress
the truth, that word suppress.
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:I always think of this, the best way I've
ever heard it explained is he's like,
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:you know when your trash can's too full?
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:And you're like, I don't
wanna take that out right now.
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:So you suppress it, you push it down.
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:That's what people do with the truth.
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:That's what you and I do with the truth
of who God is, is we suppress it, we
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:push it down, we try to ignore God.
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:We plug our ears.
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:We say, I right that, and you
see this all around us, right?
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:People come up with all sorts
of creative ways to ignore God.
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:Maybe you have.
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:Friends who, who tell you, well, you
know, we know that that God doesn't exist
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:because of evolution or because of the
Big Bang, or because of the fossil record.
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:Or we know that God doesn't
exist because actually he spoke
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:to a man named Joseph Smith.
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:Or maybe you hear that, oh God,
doesn't we know, or things like that.
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:Maybe you say, well, we know that
the Bible isn't true because of this.
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:So people come up with all sorts
of ways to ignore God, but God
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:has come, has revealed himself.
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:He's shown who he is.
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:Through creation and through
your conscience, right?
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:You feel bad for stuff.
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:There's no reason for you
to feel bad for stuff.
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:If you're just a smart monkey, there's
no reason for you to feel bad about
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:anything because you're living for you.
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:But why do you feel bad?
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:Because it's pointing you to something
that, that God wants to show you.
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:So many of you maybe are, you
actually have been shown more
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:things about God than just creation.
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:Because you've grown up in a church
or in a home where you hear about
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:God through his word, and maybe
you're still suppressing the truth.
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:You even have more evidence for God.
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:You have parents who've
taught you the Bible.
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:You've, you've heard about arguments
like apologetics and things like that
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:for the existence of God or for the,
the reality of the Bible, and many
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:of you are still trying to ignore it.
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:You're still trying to say, well,
I don't really know if that's true.
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:Or I don't really know
if the Bible's true.
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:I don't really know if, um, Christianity's
the only way, or I don't really think this
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:is, you come up with all these excuses.
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:Or when I'm older, then I'll do it.
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:Or, uh, when I learn a
bit more, then I'll do it.
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:Or when I stop sinning
this much, then I'll do it.
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:We come up with all sorts of excuses for
ignoring God, but also as a Christian, if,
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:if, if you're a Christian in this room,
this was you, before you came a Christian,
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:you were unrighteous, you weren't just.
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:Okay.
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:And then God saved you.
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:You weren't just, well, I,
I wasn't a terrible person.
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:Maybe I was a sinner,
but everyone's a sinner.
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:No, you were unrighteous
not righteous at all.
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:And God saved you.
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:Right.
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:We're, if you're a Christian, maybe
you're gonna be like, why are we learning
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:about God's wrath for two months?
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:Well, because it tells us who
we were before we were saved.
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:And we need to be honest about that.
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:'cause it helps us
appreciate God's grace more.
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:It helps us.
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:Have more compassion for unbelievers.
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:So Christian, this was you before Christ,
you were ignoring God, and then you
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:said, oh, God got your attention, right?
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:The gospel came to you.
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:God revealed himself to you through
the gospel, through His word, and you,
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:he gave you the faith to trust him.
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:So
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:we all come up with reasons
to ignore God, right?
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:And and you often hear
the argument, right?
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:Like, well, if Jesus just appeared
to me, then I would believe.
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:Him.
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:Right?
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:Maybe you've heard that before.
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:Maybe you've said that If I had a
vision of God or if I lived when
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:Jesus lived, I would definitely be
a Christian, but I just can't really
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:know for sure anymore 'cause I, I
didn't see God, I didn't live with him.
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:What this passage is saying is
that the problem is not evidence.
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:The problem is your heart.
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:The problem is not the amount
of evidence you'd get because.
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:It's already clear and you just
come up with reasons to ignore it.
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:So I had a friend in second grade or
third grade, I can't remember, and
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:he, I remember we were talking about
Christmas and Santa came up and I was
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:like, oh yeah, you know, my parents
pretended to be Santa, whatever.
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:He's like, no, no, no.
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:Santa's real.
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:He's like, no, like
Santa's definitely real.
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:And I was like, wait, you really think
he like comes down people's chimneys.
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:He's like, well, who says he
comes down chimneys anymore?
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:And I was like, whoa, okay.
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:Like you are committed to this.
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:You really, you really
believe in this Santa guy?
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:Like, and here's the thing, right?
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:I could give him all the evidence.
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:You know, well, well, Santa didn't
come to my house because I knew
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:'cause I stayed up all night.
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:Or because our fireplace is boarded up.
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:Or what about places that
don't have fireplaces?
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:What about apartment complexes?
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:I, you know, you could give
him all the evidence, right?
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:But he wouldn't, he, he would
still believe that Santa existed.
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:Why?
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:Because of his heart, right?
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:He, he loves Santa.
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:He wants Santa to exist, right?
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:So whatever evidence you give him.
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:He's gonna suppress the truth.
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:He maybe he could even stay up
all night and be like, well, maybe
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:Santa just didn't come this year.
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:Right.
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:Or, or maybe Santa, you know, whatever.
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:Right.
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:He could come up with any argument.
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:He could come up with any excuse to
ignore the evidence that I gave him.
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:Right.
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:And that's a funny example, but that's
what happens to a lot of unbelievers
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:and maybe to some of you, is, is people
give you evidence for why the Bible's
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:true or why God existed, or how we
know that God made the world and.
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:The more evidence you hear, you
just, you just keep pushing it down.
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:You keep pushing it down.
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:And that's because the
evidence isn't the issue.
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:Your heart's the issue.
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:You don't want God to exist.
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:You want to be in charge of your life.
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:And so you say, I don't
care about the evidence.
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:So you ignore that.
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:What you, you don't
need better information.
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:It's already clear.
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:That's what Paul's saying.
333
:So you don't have any excuse,
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:and that's what.
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:That's the condition of everyone.
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:Before salvation, every single person
is naturally bent to ignore God.
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:And so even for you Christians in
the room, you need to be careful
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:that you're not just stacking up
information because the information
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:only helps you if, if it changes you.
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:That's the problem with, with the people
that Paul's talking about here is, is
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:they, they have all the evidence they
need and they, they don't want it.
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:They ignore it.
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:And so even if you're a Christian,
you still have this tendency to hear
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:information and not be changed by it.
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:To hear sermons and not do anything
about them, to read your Bible and
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:not forget all about it, you still
have this tendency to accumulate
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:information and, and ignore it.
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:So it's not enough just
to seek out information.
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:You must also be changed by the
information, because what Paul is
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:saying is, is it's a heart issue.
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:It's not an evidence issue.
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:It's not a, it's not a head issue.
353
:It's a heart issue.
354
:But the main thing he's saying is
that this is why God can judge people.
355
:This is why God can send people
to Hell because there's no excuse.
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:They should know better.
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:They should know that he exists.
358
:It's obvious.
359
:It's okay for God to do that, right?
360
:Maybe you've had that question come up.
361
:Why?
362
:How can a loving God send people to hell?
363
:He's a good judge.
364
:If you're guilty, a
judge should punish you.
365
:And what Paul is saying is that
everyone's guilty, no excuses.
366
:It's obvious.
367
:No one's gonna be in hell
and be like, you know what?
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:God, I would've believed
you if fill in the blank.
369
:No excuses.
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:That's what God is saying.
371
:It's.
372
:I, God has done everything he needs
to show his existence to people,
373
:so everyone should know better.
374
:But also the reason everyone should know
better is because everyone's in this.
375
:In this camp of not worshiping God,
if you wanna, this whole passage,
376
:1823 in one sentence is everyone
worships something instead of God,
377
:and everyone should know better.
378
:That's the whole passage.
379
:In one sentence, everyone worships
something instead of God, and
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:everyone should know better.
381
:So this was the everyone
should know better part.
382
:And then now we're gonna, we're
gonna look at the, everyone
383
:fails to worship God part.
384
:Everyone has enough evidence to worship
and thank God, but instead we turn away.
385
:From God.
386
:So that is, we're gonna see
right here in verses 21, 23, read
387
:along with me, 21 through 23.
388
:So Paul just said, people
are without excuse.
389
:Why?
390
:So then he, he keeps going.
391
:Verse 21, 4.
392
:Although they knew God, so everyone,
he's saying all these people,
393
:they knew God through creation.
394
:They, they saw his work in creation.
395
:They knew God.
396
:They did not honor him as
God, or give thanks to them
397
:Him, but they became futile.
398
:That means like kind of useless, futile.
399
:Think about like trying
to grab smoke, right?
400
:You try to grab it and it's just gone.
401
:They became futile in their thinking
and their foolish hearts were darkened.
402
:Verse 22, claiming to be wise,
they became fools and exchanged the
403
:glory of the immortal God for images
resembling mortal man and birds
404
:and animals and creeping things.
405
:Now, all this part, you notice
there's like a, a descent here.
406
:We start with God, and then we go
down to, to people, and then we go
407
:even lower to, it's like there's
the reverse order of creation.
408
:You see that birds, animals, and then
you get like the, this is sometimes
409
:translated like reptiles, like the,
the, the ugliest animals, right?
410
:The worst ones.
411
:Um, so it's like a downward spiral.
412
:And in the rest of this chapter, we're
gonna see the downward spiral more.
413
:We're gonna see more, more and more
sin that happens from rejecting God.
414
:When you know God and reject him, then
it creates this downward spiral of sin.
415
:But remember how we talked about
the issue is your heart, right?
416
:The issue's not your head.
417
:The issue is your heart.
418
:This is why God punishes sinners.
419
:This is why God sends people to hell, not
because they murder people, or they're
420
:un or they're, um, atheist or whatever
the reason that God sends people to hell.
421
:Is because they don't honor him
and they don't give thanks to them.
422
:You see that the problem is not
just, oh, well, you did bad things.
423
:Sin at its root is saying
something else is better than God.
424
:Something else is better than God.
425
:Everyone worships things besides God.
426
:That's what sin is.
427
:You see that right here?
428
:They didn't honor God
or give thanks to him.
429
:And instead what did they do?
430
:They wanted something else.
431
:They exchanged God.
432
:They said, God, I don't want you.
433
:I want these things.
434
:And this is, this is
an allusion to Exodus.
435
:You know when the Israelites
made the golden Cavs?
436
:After they came out of Egypt and
then Moses went up on the mountain,
437
:they're like, oh, Moses probably dead.
438
:We haven't heard from him in a while.
439
:Let's make some bulls and worship them.
440
:Right?
441
:That's what happened.
442
:So that's what this is an
illusion to is they, they said,
443
:we don't want Yahweh anymore.
444
:We want Golden Bull.
445
:So that's what we do, except
we don't worship golden Bulls.
446
:We worship things like money or power or
pleasure or myself, or autonomy, right.
447
:Doing whatever I want.
448
:We worship those things instead
of God and what we're doing.
449
:What, what really the, the problem
here is, is we're saying that
450
:those things are better than God.
451
:So the reason sin is sin
is because it devalues God.
452
:The reason sin is sin is because it
says God, you're not very important.
453
:You're not worth it.
454
:You're not worthy of worshiping,
you're not worthy of living
455
:for you won't satisfy me.
456
:You can't make me happy.
457
:You're not trustworthy.
458
:That's what sin says because you
say, I want that instead of God.
459
:And that's what makes it.
460
:Sin is not the, is not necessarily
the the thing you want, but the
461
:fact that you don't want God.
462
:You're saying, God, you're not important.
463
:You're not valuable.
464
:So point number two, admit
you're devaluing of God,
465
:right?
466
:Be honest that when you sin.
467
:You are saying, God, you're not
important, or God, you're not
468
:trustworthy, or God, you're not good.
469
:So Right.
470
:You can tell how much someone
values something by seeing how much
471
:they'll give up to get it right.
472
:What they'll trade for it.
473
:That's, that's how you see how much
someone values something, right?
474
:Like if I stole your phone.
475
:You'd be like, here, take everything.
476
:I want my phone back.
477
:Right?
478
:Give me, like, you would,
you'd be offering everything.
479
:You'd be being like, oh,
here's my younger sibling.
480
:Here's here.
481
:You'd gimme everything.
482
:You'd be like, gimme my phone back.
483
:I need that right now.
484
:Because you really
value your phone, right?
485
:So what that says is that your phone's
really important to you, right?
486
:Because you're willing to
give up anything to get it.
487
:But imagine if I took something that
wasn't that important to you, right?
488
:Let's say I, I took.
489
:Your younger sibling and you
were like, yeah, that's fine.
490
:You can keep 'em.
491
:What does that say about
your younger sibling?
492
:You're devaluing them, right?
493
:You're like, well, I'd rather have all
this stuff than my younger sibling.
494
:That's what you're saying.
495
:That's what happens when you sin.
496
:You're saying, I'd rather
have this than God.
497
:You're devaluing God.
498
:You're saying God's not important.
499
:God's not worth it.
500
:God's not good.
501
:God's not beautiful.
502
:God's not something that
I treasure and I cherish.
503
:That's what you say when you sin.
504
:What makes sin wrong is
what it says about God.
505
:It's what it says about God.
506
:Is that not worth my time, not worth
my energy, not worth my self-control.
507
:Not worth my morning.
508
:Not worth my thoughts.
509
:That's what sin says about God.
510
:The root of sin is preferring
other things to God.
511
:So I want you to think about
what your sin says to God, what
512
:your sin says to God, right?
513
:Like, um, when you're, when you're
anxious, when you're saying to
514
:God is God, I don't trust you.
515
:You can't take care of me.
516
:You can't keep your promises.
517
:I don't believe you.
518
:That's what you're saying
to God when you're anxious.
519
:Right?
520
:And that changes it.
521
:Right?
522
:That makes you not wanna be
anxious because you're like,
523
:man, I if, especially if you're a
Christian, you're like, I love God.
524
:I don't wanna tell God.
525
:I don't trust him.
526
:I wanna tell him I do trust him.
527
:And that's how you fight anxieties.
528
:You live that way.
529
:You say, okay, yeah.
530
:Like, I don't wanna do that.
531
:Or maybe.
532
:Take discontent, right?
533
:Maybe you're, you're not happy
with something, you're, you're
534
:discontent with your life stage.
535
:You're discontent with
your class schedule.
536
:You're discontent with your family.
537
:You're discontent with, with how
talented you are, the way you look
538
:or the clothes you have that says,
God, you're not enough for me.
539
:I need more.
540
:God, I need you to give me
more stuff to make me happy.
541
:And it says that, God,
you've given me everything.
542
:You've given me your son, but
that's not enough to make me happy.
543
:I need that.
544
:I need to be dating someone to be happy.
545
:I need to have these clothes to be happy.
546
:I need to make this team or
get these grades to be happy.
547
:And you're saying, God, you're not enough.
548
:I need more.
549
:So see how that changes
what sin really is.
550
:'cause it makes it personal
because it is personal.
551
:Sin is a personal offense to God.
552
:So
553
:think about what your sin says to God.
554
:Take any sin that you struggle with.
555
:Just think about what does this say to God
556
:that is really gonna change
your view of that sin.
557
:And also that shows
you that you know what?
558
:God is righteous to punish sin because
this sin is terrible to God, right?
559
:This sin is disgusting.
560
:This sin is gross.
561
:This sin is really, really,
really offensive to God.
562
:It makes sense that God would,
would punish sin, that God would
563
:show his wrath towards sin.
564
:Something else our verse said
though, was that your sin tricks you,
565
:that your sinful heart tricks you.
566
:You see that right here,
claiming verse 22, claiming
567
:to be wise, they became fools.
568
:Right?
569
:When you sin, it's not like, oh, it's a
terrible idea, but I'm gonna sin anyway.
570
:That's not how sin works.
571
:You think you are smart when
you're sinning, you're think, you
572
:think you're making a good idea,
otherwise you wouldn't do it.
573
:If you didn't think your sin was
a good idea, you wouldn't do it.
574
:You'd be like, oh, well
I don't need to do that.
575
:But you think it's wise, right?
576
:You think it's helpful.
577
:You think it's important.
578
:You think you need to do it.
579
:You think it's good for you, and so you
do it, but really you're being foolish.
580
:Isn't that crazy?
581
:You're, you're being a fool when you
sin because you're making a bad trade.
582
:That's what's happening is you're
saying, I'm trading God, right?
583
:God, he's beautiful.
584
:He's glorious.
585
:He's all satisfying.
586
:He keeps his promises.
587
:He's faithful.
588
:He's wise.
589
:He's always who he says he is.
590
:I'm trading him for whatever, for sin.
591
:You're making a bad trade, and so
you're being a fool, but you, what
592
:happens is, is you, you trick yourself
into thinking it's a good idea.
593
:And that's what, that's what happens
when you're tempted, is you have, you
594
:have to decide, what am I gonna do here?
595
:And you have to, that's why
God gives you promises, right?
596
:So your, your sinful heart tricks
you into to thinking you're making
597
:a good decision when you sin, right?
598
:You're, you're making a bad trade.
599
:And speaking of, of bad trades, right?
600
:This happened.
601
:Um,
602
:and sorry, Josh, I had to, um, it's
too, too good to pass up, right?
603
:But apparently, apparently someone
thought this was a good idea, right?
604
:Someone, at least one person in the
world thought that this was a good idea.
605
:Right.
606
:Because otherwise they
wouldn't have done it.
607
:If they didn't think it was a good
idea, they wouldn't have done it.
608
:And when you're on the outside
of it, you're like, oh, that's,
609
:that's a terrible decision.
610
:I can't believe that they did that.
611
:I can't believe that, that they
would trade this guy for whatever.
612
:Right.
613
:Two first round picks,
Kenny Clark, whatever.
614
:I don't even care.
615
:Right.
616
:Bad decision because you, you think
about how valuable this guy is, right?
617
:That this is what they named
the awards after, right?
618
:MVP most valuable player.
619
:So
620
:what's happening is when you are, when
you're, when you're devaluing God in your
621
:sin, is is you're saying that I, when you
step outside of it, it's like, oh yeah,
622
:well, duh, I wouldn't choose God over sin.
623
:Like, and everyone here would be
like, oh yeah, that makes sense.
624
:I'm not gonna sin because
I'd rather have God.
625
:But in the moment.
626
:It's different, right?
627
:Because like this moment,
allegedly, this is personal.
628
:Allegedly this is personal because his
agent was offended by the owner, right?
629
:This was personal.
630
:And see that's what happens with
our sin, is it, it's, it gets, it
631
:gets complicated, it gets personal.
632
:Our, our desires, they blind us.
633
:And so you have to fight to
see things the right way.
634
:Because the reason that trade was made
is because someone probably didn't see
635
:things the way they should have seen 'em.
636
:Someone was like, well, my ego
is more important than my team.
637
:That's basically what happened with
this trade, and that's what happens
638
:when you sin is something happens
and you're blinded to something.
639
:That's true when you're, well, I'm,
I'm gonna use anxiety 'cause it's so
640
:easy to to see this, but when you're
anxious, you're blinded to the fact
641
:that God's gonna take care of you.
642
:Because now there's all these
things coming at you and you're
643
:like, well, what about this?
644
:What if this happens?
645
:How, what, what about this?
646
:Uh, I don't know how this is gonna
work out, or This person might do
647
:this, or, or this could happen.
648
:And so you're blinded, and that gets in
the way of seeing how things really are.
649
:You're blinded to reality, right?
650
:Your heart, and as the pastors
say, is being darkened.
651
:You, you're not seeing things the
way you're supposed to see 'em.
652
:And so.
653
:On the outside it might look foolish,
but when you're in it, it seems
654
:like, whoa, that's really hard.
655
:So in the moment you have to fight to
see what your sin really is, right?
656
:Your, your sin is essentially is
making you a really bad trade offer.
657
:And you have to see through the,
the promises, the the fake promises
658
:of sin to say, you know what?
659
:That's not a good trade.
660
:And then not trade your two first
round picks or not trade your best
661
:player for two first round picks and.
662
:Some random guy no one's
ever heard of, right?
663
:Not that bad.
664
:But, so I want you to think about that.
665
:When, when you, when you're
tempted to sin, right?
666
:Think about your temptations
to sin this week.
667
:You, you're gonna be tempted to,
to watch that video or, or make
668
:that joke or be lazy or to dis be
disrespectful when, when your parents
669
:tell you something you don't wanna do.
670
:And, and think about it in
advance when you can see clearly.
671
:So that you can say, oh, you
know, in the moment, right?
672
:I, I start feeling the pressure, but
I, I've, I've prepared myself, I've,
673
:I've prepared myself for battle, right?
674
:I've, I've thought this through,
so when the trade offer comes,
675
:I can just say, no, I'm good.
676
:I know what I already have, right?
677
:I know that, that God is better.
678
:I know that the promises of my
God are better than the promise
679
:that this sin is offering me.
680
:Don't fall for the, the foolish trait
of exchanging the glory of God, right?
681
:'cause sin separates you from God, right?
682
:Sin, even if you're a Christian, it
hinders your relationship with God.
683
:You're not as close with him as you
could be because His holiness it.
684
:It makes you feel uncomfortable
when you're in living in sin.
685
:And so
686
:don't fall for the, the
bad, the bad trade offer.
687
:And fight to see clearly fight
to see, oh God is, is really the
688
:one in control in this situation.
689
:God is really worth my time.
690
:God can really make me happy, happier than
this thing or obeying God is better for me
691
:than following after the world than what
my friends do, or using my words to build
692
:someone up is better than gossiping or.
693
:Sharing the gospel with that
friend is better than, than
694
:never telling them about Jesus.
695
:So fight through those temptations
to see the, what's really happening,
696
:to see who God really is and what
he really says, and ultimately even
697
:play out the situation in your head.
698
:Okay, if I do give into the
sin, what's gonna happen?
699
:Right?
700
:If I, if I, okay, if I do go
to this party and hang out with
701
:these people, what's gonna happen?
702
:If I do say these words and respond
in anger, what's gonna happen and, and
703
:see what, what it really is, because
in, in the moment it's gonna look good.
704
:But that's where you use God's
promises and who God is to, to
705
:fight back against those things.
706
:So think about about how
your sin impacts God, right?
707
:The reason sin is sinful is
'cause what it says about God.
708
:That's why God is right to show his wrath.
709
:So we saw that everyone
should know better.
710
:Everyone should know that God exists.
711
:But the problem is that everyone
worships something else instead.
712
:And so if that's, if that's you tonight,
if you are currently suppressing
713
:the truth, you know, just another
sermon that you've, you've heard
714
:about, or you know God's real and you
keep pushing it down, you keep, I'm
715
:not gonna talk to my leader at all.
716
:I'm not gonna turn from my sin.
717
:I'm not gonna confess
that I've been doing this.
718
:Don't keep pushing it down because God's
wrath is being stored up against you and
719
:your sin, and one day you're not gonna
be able to suppress the truth anymore.
720
:It's gonna be obvious and clear,
and you're gonna stand before God
721
:and you're gonna see, you know what?
722
:I tried to ignore it
and it, and it's real.
723
:It's, it's, it's real.
724
:God is real.
725
:Heaven is real.
726
:Hell is.
727
:So don't push it back anymore
if that's you tonight.
728
:Alright, let's pray and
we'll go to small groups.
729
:God thank you that you have given
us a way to escape your wrath.
730
:That we don't have to suffer
the punishment for our
731
:sin because you love us.
732
:And so you have sent Jesus to
die on the cross for our sin so
733
:that he could absorb your wrath.
734
:For us and that we could get his
righteousness so that we could
735
:be good enough to go to heaven.
736
:Not because of what we do,
but because of what he does.
737
:So I pray right now, God, that you
would help us to, um, not suppress
738
:the truth, even if we are Christians
and we're convicted about something.
739
:I pray that we wouldn't suppress
that conviction, but we would rather
740
:respond to that conviction by coming
to you with confession and repentance.
741
:Trusting that killing sin
is better than hiding it.
742
:Pray all these things in Jesus name.
743
:Amen.
