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When in Rome (Intro to Romans) | Louis Azuma
00:00 Introduction to the Book of Romans
04:27 God's Righteousness Revealed
10:25 The Righteous Wrath of God
15:35 God's Righteous Standard
18:04 The Righteousness of God's Forgiveness
20:35 The Cross and God's Justice
25:03 The Gospel Empowers Righteous Living
27:09 The Gospel Brings Peace and Transformation
29:43 The Gospel Frees from the Law
30:50 The Gospel Guarantees God's Love
32:15 Conclusion and Prayer
Transcript
The book of Romans is where you're gonna be.
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:It's in the New Testament, right?
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:The book of Romans.
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:And we are just gonna be
doing an overview of Romans.
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:Okay?
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:So tonight we're gonna kind
of give you a big picture of.
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:Of what this letter is all about.
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:Now, you might be thinking,
why did you pick this, right?
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:You could have picked
any book in the Bible.
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:You had 64 other options
because we just did Matthew 64.
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:Other options.
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:Why in the world would you pick Romans?
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:Well, I, I want you to know that
this is probably, I think, I think
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:definitely the most important letter
that has ever been written in the
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:history of letters, in the history of
writing, in the history of language.
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:This is the most important letter.
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:That has ever made.
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:In fact, you wouldn't be here if it
wasn't for the book of Romans, because
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:the book of Romans is what started what
we call the Protestant Reformation.
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:The book of Romans started.
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:This, this monk in Germany
who said, you know what?
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:I don't think people are
really saved by works.
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:So he read the Bible, he
read the book of Romans.
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:He was like, that's what God says.
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:God says, we're justified.
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:We're saved through faith not works.
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:And so we're here because
of the book of Romans.
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:So the book of Romans, I hope is
gonna change your life and I'm
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:so excited to be studying it.
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:But the reason that we're doing, Ezekiel
freaked out a little bit on the worksheet.
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:He said Romans one through eight, you're
preaching eight chapters in one sermon.
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:Yes.
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:And the reason we're doing that is 'cause
I want you to have a picture of the
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:whole, the whole book, or in this case,
the first eight chapters of the book.
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:That's what we're gonna
be studying this year.
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:And I want you to, to see what kind
of the whole roadmap is all about.
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:It's kind of like.
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:The first time that I saw Avengers,
the:
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:The first time I saw the Avengers,
I had no idea what this thing was.
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:So, you know the opening scene with
like Loki and the, and he's in that like
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:Shield lab and he comes outta the portal.
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:I had no clue what this was.
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:I was, I didn't see Captain America first.
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:I didn't see anything.
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:I was like, what is the deal with this
blue box and why is it, why is everyone
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:fighting for it and why does it kind of.
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:Seem like it's like a nuke and, but
also not like what is going on, what's
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:happening with this blue box, right?
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:I wanna help you understand this book and
not just jump into it right away, right?
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:I want you to, to, to see the whole
map of, of what everything's, what
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:the context is, what's happening.
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:I want you to see all that so that way
you're not like me watching the Avengers
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:wondering what this blue box is and if
you still dunno what the blue box is.
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:Watch Captain America, and you can find
out, but Romans, what Romans is all about.
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:If you could put Romans in one
sentence, here's what it is.
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:You ready for it?
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:Whole book of the Bible in one sentence.
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:Here it is.
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:Romans is all about the
gospel, the good news.
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:The good news, and the good news
does something, it shows us, it
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:reveals the righteousness of God.
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:The gospel reveals the
righteousness of God.
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:That is the book of
Romans in one sentence.
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:The book of Romans is all about how the
gospel shows us that God is righteous.
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:Now, maybe you've never
thought about that before.
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:God is righteous.
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:I thought righteousness is
something that I need, right?
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:I need to be righteous.
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:But we're gonna look at how God
is righteous and then he gives his
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:righteousness to us through the gospel.
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:But if you don't believe me, one
chapter one, look at verse 16, right?
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:Book of Romans chapter one.
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:Look at verse 16.
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:This is kind of the thesis
statement of the book.
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:So if you've ever.
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:Written a paper, you know, or, or written
a, a paper in school that your teacher's,
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:like you need a thesis statement, right?
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:You need a thesis statement at the
beginning of your paper that tells
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:you what your paper's gonna be about.
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:This is the thesis statement
for the book of Romans, okay?
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:Chapter one, verses 16 and 17.
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:So Paul is writing it, the gospel.
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:Paul is writing book of Romans.
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:He says, for I am not ashamed of the
gospel, I'm not ashamed of the gospel
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:for, because it is the power of God.
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:For salvation to everyone who
believes to the Jew first and
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:also to the Greek or the Gentile.
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:Verse 17, four.
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:In it, the righteousness of
God is revealed from faith.
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:For faith.
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:As it is written, the
righteous shall live by faith.
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:Now, where did, where did this come from?
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:From this?
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:Well, look at this.
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:Paul's not ashamed of the gospel.
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:Why is he not ashamed in it?
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:Power of God has revealed everyone who
believes four, because in the gospel.
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:You see it?
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:What's it?
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:It's the gospel.
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:The righteousness of God is revealed.
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:See that?
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:That's Paul's thesis statement.
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:The gospel reveals it, shows
us the righteousness of God.
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:That's what Rowans is all about.
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:Now, what is God's righteousness?
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:Maybe you've never thought about this.
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:What is God's righteousness?
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:What's two things?
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:It's an attribute and it's an action.
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:It's something about God.
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:It's a quality that God has, and it's also
something that we see in God's action.
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:That's how the gospel shows us.
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:It's something we see
in God's actions here.
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:Look at that.
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:God's righteousness.
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:It's an attribute.
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:So it's his like sense of justice, right?
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:His self-defined moral standard.
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:God always does the right thing.
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:God is just, remember
you've heard that, right?
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:God is just, God is a good judge.
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:God always does the right thing.
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:That's what God's righteousness means.
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:But also, also it's an action.
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:It's his righteous rule it we So right?
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:You can't see God.
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:So how do we know that God's righteous?
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:Well, he does things that are righteous.
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:He rules like a king or a judge, and
his actions also make things right.
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:I think it might be helpful to think
about what's unrighteousness, right?
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:Unrighteousness is
something that's not right.
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:You're like, that's not okay.
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:So for example, let's say you were
playing dodgeball and you were
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:holding a ball, and then someone
threw the ball at you, and you dropped
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:the ball when the ball hits you.
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:Then you're the guy in charge of
the game was like, you're out.
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:Let's say that happened to
you hypothetically, right?
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:Hypothetically, let's say that happened
to you when you were playing dodge ball
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:and you were like, that's not fair.
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:How is that okay?
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:I blocked it with the ball.
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:That's not okay.
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:You would think that's unrighteous, right?
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:That's not fair.
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:Referee, you're not doing your job.
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:Maybe you come out and argue with
the umpire and you're like, what
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:are you doing Is a terrible call.
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:What's going on?
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:Right?
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:See, what you don't understand is that in
a game, right, the referee or in a game
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:in true North, your leaders, your leaders
in this case are always in the right.
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:Whenever we play a true north game,
your leaders are always right.
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:If a leader says, you're out, you're out.
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:Right?
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:This, right?
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:If you, if especially, especially
something like this happens, right?
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:If we did leaders versus students,
and a leader says, you're out.
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:You're out.
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:Right?
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:The leaders.
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:Are are righteous, right?
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:Your leaders are always in the right.
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:Your leaders always make a right
decision in dodgeball, right?
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:If your leader says that you didn't
catch it, it means you didn't catch it.
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:If your leader says that you're
out, it means you're out.
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:If your leader says that they
caught it, it means they caught it.
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:That's kind of the way that God is, right?
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:God is righteous.
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:He always does the right thing.
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:He has a self-defined standard.
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:This is what's right.
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:This is what's good.
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:This is the right thing.
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:God has a standard, and that's
why you have a conscience.
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:You have a conscience.
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:'cause innately, God has put
his standard into your heart.
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:He said, I'm gonna give you
a sense of what's right.
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:And that's why when you get
cut in line, you're upset.
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:You're like, that's not fair, because
God has taken his righteous standard
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:and put it into your heart so you have
a sense of what's right and what's not.
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:So Romans is all about
God's righteousness.
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:Now here's how the gospel in Romans, don't
write this down, don't write this down.
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:Don't write this down.
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:Okay?
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:Uh, I saw everyone
reaching for their pens.
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:I was like, no.
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:So the gospel reveals God's right actions.
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:How to do that?
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:Well, there's five parts to
the book of Romans, right?
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:First part, the gospel shows that
God's wrath against sin is righteous,
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:so that it's actually a good thing.
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:It's the right thing for
God to be angry at sin.
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:God's response to sin is
wrath, and that's a good thing.
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:That's the first part of Romans second
part, the gospel shows that God's
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:forgiveness of sinners is righteous,
and we'll get here in the sermon, but
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:if you believe this, then why should you
believe that God should forgive anyone?
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:If you really believe that God should show
his wrath against sinners, then why should
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:you think that God should forgive people?
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:Right?
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:What?
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:How is it okay that God forgives people?
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:If He, he should do is punish them?
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:How is that okay for God to
just be like, no, it's okay.
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:I forgive you.
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:Romans is gonna show us that
that's actually the, that's,
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:that's a good thing that God does.
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:And it's okay for God to do
that and still be a good judge.
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:Maybe you've never even
had that question before.
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:We're gonna talk about
that in Romans third part.
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:The gospel shows that how God's
relationship with forgiven sinners works.
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:That's five through eight.
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:These are some of the most famous chapters
in the Bible, but it's gonna talk at work.
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:We're, we're gonna talk about
we, how God can relate to someone
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:who's still not perfect, right?
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:Even if you're a Christian,
you've been forgiven of your sins.
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:You're no longer under God's wrath.
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:You're still not perfect.
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:So how can God still have
a relationship with you?
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:What does, how does that work?
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:What does that look like?
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:That's what we're gonna
learn in this third part.
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:And then we won't get to these
parts because otherwise we'd be
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:here for like six hours every night.
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:But the fourth part, the God
the gospel shows that God's
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:plan for Israel is righteous.
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:'cause if you're thinking about
this, you're like, wait, I thought
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:God chose Israel and all that stuff.
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:And then this last part of Romans, the
gospel transforms the way Christians live.
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:And there's a lot of really cool,
practical stuff if you wanna
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:think of these as questions.
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:I already did that for you.
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:Look at that.
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:These are some questions you
probably have had before.
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:Why does God send people to hell?
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:We're gonna be talking about
that Romans one through three.
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:How can God forgive sinners
and still be a good judge?
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:We're gonna talk about that.
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:How does the gospel impact
my relationship with God?
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:Now that I'm saved?
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:What happens?
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:We're gonna talk about that right here.
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:We won't talk about these, but
these are some really relevant
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:questions that you probably have.
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:How can a righteous God
choose whom he saves?
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:How can you save some
people and not others?
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:That's what Romans nine
through 11 is all about.
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:And then how does the gospel
change my everyday life?
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:That is what 12 through 16 are all about.
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:So we're gonna be focusing on
Romans one through eight this year.
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:Okay?
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:Romans one through eight.
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:So the first 60% of what I
just showed you right here.
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:Okay?
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:That's what we're gonna be looking at
today, and I'm gonna give you a brief
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:snapshot of that tonight just to kind of
overview it, see where we're going and
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:what that's all gonna look like this.
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:Is what we're gonna be looking at this
year, all the way until the end of May.
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:So Romans, God is righteous,
and the gospel shows that.
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:And the first thing that we see
the gospel shows about God is
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:that his wrath is righteous.
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:And that's your first point tonight.
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:Point number one, God's
wrath is righteous.
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:God's wrath is righteous.
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:I'm gonna move this way
to help you guys see.
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:And that's the first
three chapters of Romans.
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:God's anger against sin, God's
desire to punish sin is right.
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:It's good.
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:It means that God is
doing the right thing.
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:It's the right response against sin.
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:Now that sound might sound like a
weird place to start a letter, right?
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:If you're the apostle Paul, how
are you gonna start your letter?
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:He's like, well, God's wrath, right?
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:That's what he's gonna do.
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:Why?
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:Well remember.
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:In his thesis statement, I'm
not ashamed of the gospel.
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:For the power of God.
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:For salvation.
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:For salvation.
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:Now, if I came up to you, let's say
you're just like in the lunch line
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:at school and someone comes up to
you and they're like, you're saved.
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:You'd be like, okay, cool.
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:From what?
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:Maybe, right?
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:You'd be really weird.
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:You'd be like, I don't know.
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:I don't feel like I need saving.
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:I don't know what's happening.
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:I, I, cool.
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:Right?
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:What are we being saved from?
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:Well look to verses later.
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:The wrath of God.
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:The wrath of God is
what you're saved from.
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:Maybe you've heard, oh, I
need to be saved from my sin.
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:Well, the reason you need to be saved
from your sin is because God's response,
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:God's right response to your sin is wrath.
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:The right response God should
have against your sin is wrath.
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:And when you think about it, you want God
to care about other people's sin, right?
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:If you want God to do something about
someone who hurts you, you want God
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:to do something about someone who does
evil to, you know, make a really bad
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:person like, like Adolf Hitler, right?
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:You wanna do, you want God to do
something about him, but ultimately
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:we do similar sins, right?
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:In our, in our hearts,
maybe we do the same thing.
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:The wrath of God is revealed.
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:It's shown against sin, and that's
what we need to be saved from.
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:And so that's where Paul starts.
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:He's saying the gospel is the power
of God to save people from what.
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:From the wrath of God.
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:Now, maybe you're sitting there,
you're like, that seems extreme.
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:I don't think God should
be this angry about sin.
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:Or maybe you're thinking, I
don't deserve God's wrath.
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:I'm a good person.
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:I'm totally fine.
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:I, I'm in a good spot.
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:I don't think that God should do this.
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:Well check this out right here.
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:These next three verses, the
wrath of God is revealed from
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:heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of people who, by their
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:unrighteousness, suppress the truth.
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:First, this is like a, like a court
case against all of us, and Paul's
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:starting it right here, that we
all suppress the truth suppress.
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:The best way I can describe it is like,
you know when your trash can's full,
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:you don't wanna take the trash out.
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:What do you do?
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:You suppress it, right?
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:You push it down, you're like, I
don't wanna deal with it right now.
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:I'm gonna push it down and I'm
gonna just pack it in and ignore it.
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:That's what we all have done or
maybe still are doing with the truth.
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:God is righteous and we're not.
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:We're sinners, we're guilty.
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:We're suppressing it.
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:Or we have in the past, before we
became Christians, suppressed it.
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:And maybe that's you right now.
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:Maybe you hear sermons,
you went through revival.
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:You, you come to true North, your parents
teach you and, and you're just like,
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:I don't wanna deal with it right now.
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:Maybe later, I later I'll become a
Christian, or I don't really feel
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:that bad about it, or I'll just go
home and start scrolling and forget
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:about feeling bad about my sin.
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:So he's saying all these people
know deep down and they suppress it.
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:Four, what can be known about God
is plain to them, it's obvious.
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:So it's not like God didn't make it clear.
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:It's obvious because God
has shown it to them.
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:So God did something.
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:He said, here I am, and he's,
he's made himself obvious to 'em.
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:He's made his standard obvious.
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:We all have conscience, right?
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:You all feel bad when you sin.
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:Four, God's invisible attributes,
his eternal power, his divine nature,
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:have been clearly perceived ever
since the creation of the world.
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:So for all of time.
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:People have known God and his standard,
and so you and me we're without excuse.
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:We can't say, oh, but God, uh, whatever.
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:Fill in the blank.
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:Excuse.
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:Paul is saying that every single
person is accountable to God.
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:We all fall short of God's
standard and all of us are guilty.
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:All of us are guilty.
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:You still don't believe me,
but look at Romans three.
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:Look how Paul finishes this section.
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:Just do you think, do you think Paul's
making this point kind of clear?
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:No one, none is righteous.
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:No, not one.
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:No one understands.
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:No one seeks for God.
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:Everyone has turned aside together.
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:They've become worthless.
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:No one does good.
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:Not even one.
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:And in case you didn't get
the point there, verse 23 of
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:chapter three, all has sin.
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:Raise your hand if, if this,
this is talking about you.
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:If you're all, that's you.
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:Everyone has sin.
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:We're all guilty before God.
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:We all fall short of the glory of God.
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:God's standard isn't
just being a good person.
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:God's standard is himself.
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:His righteousness, God's standard
is His glory, his perfection.
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:I heard one time, I've heard multiple
times since then, but I've heard,
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:I remember the first time I heard
it, it really stood out to me.
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:It was in a rap song, funny enough.
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:Um, but this guy, he's, he's rapping
and he's talking about truth and
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:he's talking about God's standard.
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:And he, he starts talking and he
goes, um, if you want God to take
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:away all the evil in the world, right?
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:A lot of people, they say, oh,
well I don't believe in God.
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:'cause there's so many bad things, right?
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:All these bad things happen in the world.
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:Well, how much evil do
you want God to take away?
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:Do you want God to, to put
all the murderers away?
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:Do you want him to get rid of them?
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:Yeah.
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:We want God to, well, what about Jesus
says, if you're angry at someone,
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:you've murdered in your heart.
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:What about those people?
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:What about the liars in the world?
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:Do you want God to get
rid of those people too?
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:Because that means we're
in that group, right?
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:So really we're just saying, well, God,
yeah, I want you to get rid of like
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:the really bad people, but not like the
other really bad people who are just
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:secretly bad and not publicly bad, right?
406
:If your objection is, oh God, I
don't believe in you, because there's
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:so much bad things in the world.
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:Well, if you want God to get rid
of all the bad things, guess who?
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:He's gonna get rid of.
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:Me and you.
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:'cause we're sinners.
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:We fall short of God's glory.
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:We're not righteous.
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:We seek our own way.
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:We put ourselves first.
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:We're selfish, we're liars.
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:We have impure thoughts and impure hearts.
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:We're prideful.
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:You and I all fall in this category.
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:We deserve God's wrath.
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:That's the first section of
Romans that God's wrath, God's
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:response to sin is righteous.
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:It's the right thing.
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:And you want God to do
something about sin, don't you?
425
:Just not yours.
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:And ultimately, if you want God to do
something about other people's sin, God
427
:needs to do something about your sin
too, because he is a good judge, right?
428
:God can't say, well everyone
else, everyone besides Lewis's
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:sin, I'm gonna get rid of it.
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:Right?
431
:That's not okay.
432
:So God's response to sin is righteous.
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:The problem is, is that puts
us in a bad spot, right?
434
:If we all deserve God's wrath and
it's a good thing for God to be
435
:angry at sin and to punish sin, then
we're, we're not looking good, right?
436
:We are under God's wrath.
437
:We're under his condemnation.
438
:We're guilty and headed for punishment.
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:So then what?
440
:What do we do about that?
441
:Well, that is where the next part of
the book of Romans comes in and the
442
:rest of chapter three, and that's
that God's forgiveness is righteous.
443
:God's forgiveness is righteous
444
:and this is a problem that you
may have never thought about.
445
:But I remember I was hearing this
guy, he was talking to a Muslim.
446
:He was talking to a Muslim
and the the Muslim guy.
447
:They were talking about how you can
be sure if you're going to heaven.
448
:Ultimately, the Muslim
guy said, I'm not sure.
449
:I don't know if I'm gonna be in heaven
according to Muslim rules, because
450
:the Muslim God, he doesn't forgive anyone.
451
:He can't forgive you.
452
:You have to earn it.
453
:And so you, if you're a Muslim, you
never really know if you're good enough
454
:because you can hope you're good enough.
455
:You can, you can do all the
right things and really try.
456
:But they believe that their God
is, is just, he punishes sin.
457
:That's what they believe, that they're
God and we believe that about our God,
458
:but they don't have forgiveness because
they believe that God is just, and so the
459
:Muslim lab is actually pushing back on
the Christian, he was saying that, well,
460
:your God doesn't do anything about sin.
461
:He just forgets it and lets it go.
462
:And that's the problem that Romans.
463
:Three answers.
464
:Look at verses 23 through 25.
465
:Romans 3, 23 to 25.
466
:So Paul, right, he's saying
he's, he's made his case that
467
:everyone's sinned, right?
468
:All people have have sinned against God.
469
:We're all guilty.
470
:That's verse 23.
471
:All have sinned and falls short
of the glory of God, but everyone
472
:who falls short can be made.
473
:So in English you don't
see this but justified.
474
:The same root as righteous.
475
:You think righteousness justice, it's
the same, comes from the same word.
476
:So whenever you see justified,
think like righteous aside, okay?
477
:Made righteous right.
478
:So our made righteous by God's grace as
a gift through the redemption that's in
479
:Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as
propitiation, which we'll all talk about
480
:this in like four months, somewhere here
by his blood to be received by faith.
481
:What's the point of.
482
:This is talking about the cross
Jesus atoning work on the cross.
483
:What's the point of that?
484
:It was to show God's righteousness
that God is still a good judge.
485
:Isn't that weird?
486
:Maybe you've never thought about,
oh, the cross was actually to show
487
:something about God, and you've
always thought the cross is about me.
488
:Yes, the cross is for you,
but the cross is about God.
489
:It's to show who God is because
in his divine forbearance.
490
:Now, what does that mean?
491
:You probably never used the
word forbearance this week.
492
:Forbearance that means patient.
493
:Think, see bear, God's like bearing,
he's forbearing, he's being patient.
494
:He's, he's putting up with stuff
he had, what's he putting up with?
495
:He's passed over former sins.
496
:This is kind of linked to, if God
is good, why do bad things happen?
497
:Right?
498
:If you think about for all of human
history, God just let people sin.
499
:God just lets people sin and
doesn't do anything about it.
500
:That's, that should,
that should bother you.
501
:Right?
502
:God just lets school
shooters do their thing.
503
:God just lets people lie and
nothing happens to them, right?
504
:God just lets husbands and wives sin
against each other and nothing happens.
505
:God lets people look at terrible things
online and say really hurtful things to
506
:people and doesn't do anything about it.
507
:Maybe you've never thought about
that, but shouldn't God do something?
508
:Where is God?
509
:What's God doing?
510
:He's being patient.
511
:He's being patient.
512
:That's what he's doing.
513
:And now if you continue on that line,
well, what about, what about Christians?
514
:God never does anything about their sin.
515
:He just forgives them.
516
:Right?
517
:Well, here's the thing.
518
:He does do something about their sin.
519
:He punishes Jesus for it.
520
:That's what propitiation means.
521
:Jesus is punished for the
sins that God overlooks.
522
:Right?
523
:Think about, think about Abraham
Abraham's sinned and didn't go to hell.
524
:Why not?
525
:Because God put Abraham's sin
on Jesus and he waited to show
526
:how that would work, right?
527
:Imagine, I think I, I probably
used this illustration.
528
:Revival.
529
:But imagine if someone came and
stole everything in your house
530
:and then you went to court and
the judge was like, that's fine.
531
:I'm a loving judge.
532
:I'm a forgiving judge.
533
:You're good.
534
:Don't worry about it.
535
:Bad judge.
536
:Right?
537
:That's not okay.
538
:I don't want to go to that court.
539
:That's why Jesus had to die.
540
:'cause God can't just
be like, oh, your sins.
541
:No big deal.
542
:You're lying.
543
:All your selfishness, all your pride,
all your hurtful words, all your
544
:lustful thoughts, not a big deal.
545
:Don't worry about it.
546
:Right?
547
:We don't want a God like that.
548
:'cause what about other people's sin?
549
:That's why God's forgiveness is righteous,
because he's still a good judge.
550
:One John one, nine, God is faithful
and just, he's a good judge to
551
:forgive sin because that sin
that he forgives is paid for.
552
:God's forgiveness is free for
us, but it's not free for Jesus.
553
:Jesus paid for it.
554
:He bought it.
555
:He said, I'll take the payment, the
fine, the punishment that Lewis deserves.
556
:Jesus took my sin.
557
:He paid for it.
558
:That's what redemption means, so
that God could still be righteous.
559
:So God's forgiveness is righteous, and
that's what this passage goes on to.
560
:Say.
561
:God is just, he passed over former sins.
562
:That's, that's a problem, right?
563
:Why didn't God do anything about sin?
564
:Well, he still remains just,
and he's the justifier.
565
:That means that God is the one
who makes people righteous, right?
566
:And, and you all hopefully
have heard that before.
567
:You don't make yourself righteous.
568
:God makes you righteous.
569
:God's forgiveness is righteous.
570
:He's still a good judge
in his forgiveness.
571
:God is still a good
judge in his forgiveness.
572
:So.
573
:First part of Romans one
through three, right?
574
:God's wrath is righteous.
575
:God's response to sin is just, it's
good, it's the right thing, but also
576
:his forgiveness of sin is still okay.
577
:It's still consistent with his
righteousness because Jesus paid for it.
578
:Then this last section, five
through eight, talks about how the
579
:gospel in powers righteous living.
580
:How the gospel isn't just
something for Christians.
581
:When they get saved.
582
:It's something for Christians
for the rest of their lives.
583
:That's our third point.
584
:The gospel empowers righteous living.
585
:The gospel empowers righteous living.
586
:So a lot of you, I think, 'cause
I was here at one point in my
587
:understanding of the gospel, I
thought of the gospel, right?
588
:The good news, Jesus died for my sins.
589
:He.
590
:Gives me righteousness.
591
:He died so that I could have
hope to live forever after I die.
592
:The gospel, I thought the
gospel was kind of like, kind
593
:of like a phone charger, right?
594
:I use the gospel to get
saved and then I'm done.
595
:I'm gone.
596
:Right?
597
:I, I unplug the phone and I'm do the
rest of my day without my charger, right?
598
:Shoot.
599
:But actually the gospel
is more like a battery.
600
:If I asked you what's more important,
your phone's battery or your phone's
601
:charger, they're both important, right?
602
:They're both essential in
some ways, but your phone will
603
:not work without a battery.
604
:Your phone will not survive
literally without a battery.
605
:Nothing happens without
your phone's battery.
606
:I think a lot of us think
of the gospel as a charger.
607
:I, I need the gospel for a little
bit and then I'm done with it,
608
:and I move on the rest of my day.
609
:The gospel is Christian's battery.
610
:The Gospel empowers the rest
of the Christian's life.
611
:Just like your battery
and your phone, char it.
612
:It powers the rest of your phone.
613
:Your phone will not work
at all without the battery.
614
:The gospel is the battery
for a Christian life.
615
:The gospel does everything for
a Christian, not just save them.
616
:So how does the gospel do that?
617
:How does the gospel
empower righteous living?
618
:That's what Romans five
through eight is all about.
619
:First part five, chapter
five, the Gospel brings peace.
620
:The gospel brings peace, and that's
what we're gonna learn in chapter five.
621
:But if you think about this,
the gospel brings peace.
622
:It means I can have confidence
in my relationship with God
623
:because as a Christian, you
need this all the time, right?
624
:If you're a Christian at one point
in your Christian life, I'm sure
625
:you felt, I'm not sure if I'm saved.
626
:Or I'm too sinful to come to God.
627
:How does God still love me?
628
:After I just did fill in the
blank, you need the gospel.
629
:Still, as a Christian, the most
experienced Christian still needs
630
:the gospel because the gospel
is what gives you confidence
631
:in your relationship with God.
632
:'cause the gospel is all about Jesus.
633
:Jesus is the one who justifies you.
634
:That's where your confidence
for relationship with God.
635
:Comes from, it doesn't come from you.
636
:It doesn't come from how your
Bible reading was this week.
637
:Even as a Christian, right?
638
:It's so easy as a Christian
to start depending on, oh,
639
:well, I started doing this.
640
:I stopped doing this.
641
:That all came after you got saved,
that none of that saves you and
642
:none of that keeps you saved.
643
:The, the gospel brings peace
because you can say, you know what?
644
:I'm confident that Jesus represents me
before God, not how I did this week.
645
:Also the gospel, as Romans five will
say, brings peace during suffering.
646
:'cause I can say, you know what?
647
:God saved me.
648
:He will certainly help me when I suffer,
when things don't go my way, when bad
649
:things happen to my family, when I don't
get what I want, when my school doesn't
650
:go the way I thought I would, my friends
leave me or I get hurt or injured or sick.
651
:The gospel brings peace.
652
:That's what chapter five is all about.
653
:Chapter six is that the gospel changes
your identity and your desires.
654
:The gospel changes you.
655
:So you can say, I'm not the same person
and I don't wanna live the same way.
656
:That's what Chapter six is all about.
657
:It talks about being dead to sin, right?
658
:Like in a relationship when you
say, you're dead to me, you're dead.
659
:You're cutting it off, right?
660
:You're dead to sin.
661
:You are not the same person anymore.
662
:You don't, and then because of
that, you don't do the same thing.
663
:So you have a different identity.
664
:The gospel changes who you are, and then
because of that, it changes how you live.
665
:It changes your desires.
666
:Romans six talks about how you
stop being strapped in sin and
667
:now you're free to serve God.
668
:You serve God because you want to,
and that's where chapter seven goes.
669
:Right after that, the gospel
frees you from the law, because
670
:if I'm a Christian, right, what
do I do about all the commands?
671
:What I do about all God's
commands, the, the Old Testament
672
:has 600 something commands in it.
673
:What do I do with all this?
674
:The gospel frees you from the law.
675
:You're free from trying to be good
enough because chapter five, you're
676
:justified, you're made righteous.
677
:You have confidence because of Jesus.
678
:So now you say, you know what?
679
:I don't need to use my good works.
680
:I don't need to use my Bible reading
or my prayer, or my church attendance,
681
:or my Bible knowledge or my.
682
:Or how am I, how I treat my siblings?
683
:I don't need to use that to
make me feel good enough.
684
:I'm free from that 'cause
I just, I serve God.
685
:'cause I love him.
686
:I'm a new person, chapter six.
687
:I love God.
688
:I have new desires.
689
:I have a new heart.
690
:I have new ambitions, I have new motives.
691
:So I don't do the right
things to be good enough.
692
:I do the right things 'cause I love God.
693
:'cause it's who I am.
694
:That's just what I do.
695
:Right.
696
:A lemon tree just produces lemons.
697
:'cause that's what it does.
698
:It's a lemon tree.
699
:That's how it works.
700
:It doesn't do it to
prove to be a lemon tree.
701
:It just says, yeah, I'm a lemon tree.
702
:It's what I do.
703
:So the gospel frees you from the law,
and then chapter eight, the gospel
704
:guarantees God's love for you, right?
705
:You can be a hundred percent certain
that God loves you and is working
706
:for your good because of the gospel.
707
:Chapter eight verse 31 and 32.
708
:Says that if God gave Jesus for you,
if God sent his son to die for you, his
709
:favorite person in the world, how will
he not also give you all things that is
710
:give you what you need, take care of you.
711
:If God loves you enough to save
you when you are a rebel, that's
712
:what Chapter Five talks about.
713
:Then how can you not trust
him to take care of you?
714
:If you can trust God with your eternal
salvation, surely you can trust God with
715
:your career or your school or your friend.
716
:So the book of Romans is gonna show us
that the gospel is for all Christians
717
:forever, not just to get you saved and
then you move on to to better things.
718
:The gospel is essential for all
Christians, no matter how long you've
719
:been a Christian or how much you know.
720
:So that's what the book of
Romans is gonna show us.
721
:It's gonna show us.
722
:All of these awesome things
about God, about his word, about
723
:forgiveness, about how Christians
live, about what Christians do.
724
:And so I'm really excited to
be studying this with you.
725
:And so we're gonna talk about more
of these things in small groups.
726
:So I'm gonna pray for us and
we're gonna head to small groups.
727
:All right.
728
:God, thank you that you came
up with the idea to save us.
729
:You didn't have to.
730
:You weren't obligated to save us.
731
:In fact, the only obligation you have as a
good judge is to condemn us, to punish us.
732
:It would be the right thing for you to do.
733
:But instead, because of your great love,
you decided to save us and forgive us of
734
:our, of our sins if we trust in Jesus.
735
:So I pray for anyone tonight who does
not trust in Jesus, who is trying to be
736
:good enough on their own because of what
they do or, or who their parents are, or
737
:what they've maybe tried to do for you.
738
:I pray that, um.
739
:They would rely on Jesus to save them and
they wouldn't rely on themselves, but they
740
:would put their hope and their confidence
in Jesus to be their righteousness, to
741
:make them good enough to be with you.
742
:And I pray for those of us who are
Christians, that we would continue to
743
:live by the gospel, that we wouldn't try
to go back to living the way we used to,
744
:but that we would remember that you've
changed who we are and so that we would.
745
:Live for you because we love you and
because we know that you love us.
746
:So thank you for just the certainty
we can have that you love your people,
747
:you love your children, you've adopted
us, and I pray that you would make
748
:that even more clear to us as we talk
about these things in small groups.
749
:We pray this in Jesus' name.
750
:Amen.
