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Those who reject God… vs. 18-21 (2 things)
- 1st – Have no excuse… vs. 19-21
- 1st – Men are destined for the judgment and wrath of God… vs. 18
- Those who reject God – only live to please themselves…
- Without Jesus they do not think about sin – they just do what they want…
- They have no other choice – do not know any better – they are by nature sinners…
- They do not think about God – or about righteousness – they are bound to sin…
- When they sin – they do not care – sin does not bother them!
- Those who reject God – wander aimlessly through life…
- Without Jesus to guide them they have no direction – no purpose…
- They go wherever the world – motivated by satan – tells them to go…
- Every new idea – they blindly followed after – not knowing where they are going…
- If someone said they should go gamble – they go / or to a Disco – they go…
- No thought of consequence/no plan – following the world/satan without question!
- Those who reject God – are the enemy of God…
- James 4:4 – “Friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”
- And because God is opposed to them – they are under the wrath of God…
- The only thing they deserve – is to be judged by God and sent to hell!
- With every sin they sink deeper into ‘debt’ – a debt they have no way to repay…
- Only living to please themselves – destined to face the wrath of God…
- Men on death row – just waiting to pay the ultimate price for their sin…
- This is the fate of those who reject Jesus – those who do not live by faith!
- Those who reject God – only live to please themselves…
- 2nd – Men know God exists… vs. 19-20
- No one needs to tell us there is a God – we already know…
- God has written the knowledge of Himself on our conscience…
- No one has to tell us lying / murder / stealing is wrong – we just know it…
- You do not have to tell a child there is a God – they already know…
- But you do have to send an adult to school for years to convince him there is not!
- God has also revealed Himself to us through His creation…
- Psalm 19:1 – “The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his… craftsmanship”
- The incredible design of the world around us – required a powerful creator!
- When you look up at the stars at night – when you see a picturesque sunset…
- In your heart you know – it is not an accident – there is a God who created this!
- Bottom line – men know God is there – no one can claim they are ignorant…
- No one will be able to before God and have the excuse they never knew!
- You might ask – since Jesus is the only way to heaven – I Timothy 2:25
- How can someone call on the name of Jesus if they have never heard of Him…
- But Jesus is not hard to find – the Gospel message is everywhere…
- The problem is people have a half hearted attitude when it comes to salvation…
- It seems that church is on the bottom of the list for most people…
- If there is a disco / a party / a boxing match / a sport festival – they are there…
- Pretty much any event is more important than attending church!
- If someone is looking for God – the WILL find Jesus…
- Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
- God sent Philip into the desert to share with the Ethiopian – Acts 8
- God sent and Angel / and then Peter to share with Cornelius – Acts 10
- So its not a matter of not being able to find Jesus – people just are not looking!
- No one needs to tell us there is a God – we already know…
- 3rd – Men know the truth – but they hide the truth… vs. 21
- Even though men know God exists – they do not worship Him or thank Him…
- They give no credit to God for His amazing creation – are not thankful for their life…
- Instead they hide/deny what they know – because of their sin!
- Suppose you stole bananas from your neighbor – and he saw you do it…
- Then the next day you saw him – you would feel extremely embarrassed…
- Unless you went to him and repented – you would likely try and avoid him!
- That is what happens to those who do not come to God in repentance…
- God saw their sin – therefore they are extremely embarrassed to be around Him…
- They try and avoid Him – some even try and deny God even exists…
- Because by denying God – they can fool themselves into denying their sin!
- Even though men know God exists – they do not worship Him or thank Him…
- 1st – Men are destined for the judgment and wrath of God… vs. 18
The man who is justified – the man who walks by faith!
2nd – The consiquences of rejecting God (3 things)… vs. 21-32
1st – Perversion of your spirit… vs. 21-23
When men reject God – their thoughts became foolish – their hearts darkened…
In Biblical times that meant – rather than worshiping the God who created them…
Men worshiped things they had created – grotesque idols of animals and beasts…
How foolish to think something you created – created you!
We think we are far wiser than that today…
Today the smartest – most educated men in the world – believe in ‘Evolution’…
There are only two possibilities for the origin of life – design or accident…
Because they choose to deny the creator – they instead believe life is all an accident…
I wear a watch on my wrist so I can tell the time – it is relatively simple device…
But suppose I tried to convince you it was the result of an accident…
I threw up some gears up in the air – and they fell down as a working watch – foolish!
How much more foolish to think we are an accident – deny the God who created us!
Psalms 14:1 – “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
These fools (morons) claim to be the wise men…
The common convention today is – if you want to be wise then go to college…
Yet more often than not today – universities are turning out fools!
Because they are not teaching the Bible / about the consequences of sin…
Instead the students are told there is no right or wrong – it is all relative…
There is no sin – as long as you think it is ok – it is good!
Judges 21:25 – “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Do not mistake knowledge for wisdom – universities might give LOTS of knowledge…
But the knowledge of men – if we listen – can blind us to our need for Jesus…
That is not wisdom – that is foolishness – because it keeps us from God!
As a result of people rejecting God – God rejects them…
God does not force anyone to love Him – he gives men the choice…
If I had asked Jen to marry me – with a gun in hand – it would not have been love…
Love requires a choice – and God loves us enough to let us choose…
But if we choose not to love God – we are in danger of spiritual/eternal death….
But there are also direct consequences to rejecting God – both physically and mentally!
2nd – Perversion of the body… vs. 24 / 26-27
Those who reject God – follow their lusts – and dishonor their bodies…
Without God in their lives to guide them – they are left to figure things out on their own…
As a result those who reject God are often driven by their sinful lusts…
God created us with a very natural – obvious – design for marriage (one man one woman)…
But lust can lead men to reject God’s design – give them over to the un-natural…
A perversion of the sexual desires – sexual lusts – unnatural relationships!
Women having sexual relations with women / Men burning in their desire for men…
Homosexuality is a result of people following lust – without God to correct them!
A knew a man in college – he was caught up in pornography – at first just women…
Over time the picture could not satisfy his lust – and it perverted into pictures of men!
The Bible is extremely clear on this subject – homosexuality is sin…
Homosexuality – according to the OT – is a sin punishable by death – Leviticus 18:22
It is the physical result of a heart that has rejected the knowledge of God!
We are pressured today to accept homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle…
There are even some churches that are ordaining homosexual pastors…
There are those who try to argue people are born that way (no scientific evidence)…
Yet God makes it VERY clear that it is an abomination – it is sin…
We are not to conform – we are not to condone sin – through we love the sinner!
Homosexuality comes with a price – the penalty which is due…
The penalty is emotional – for those who reject God – and turn to homosexuality…
Unlike the contentment and fulfillment that comes from a marriage relationship…
Homosexuals burn with lust – and are never satisfied – never content…
Because that is not how God has designed us to work!
The penalty is physical…
Very apparent today – with diseases like AIDS – 40,000 new cases each year!
An incurable – lethal – disease that runs rampant in the Homosexual community…
All because they rejected the knowledge of God!
3rd – Perversion of the mind… vs. 28-32
As they refused to acknowledge God – God gave them over to a wicked mind…
Since they chose not to fill their lives with the love of God / the hope of Jesus…
The void that should have been for God – is filled up with wickedness…
They become filled with evil (Perfect/Passive/Participle) – completely filled to the very top!
Paul gives us a list of 23 things that define the mind of the God rejecting man…
Unrighteousness – anything contrary to the commands of God – the things that are right…
Sexual immortality – pornea – any sexual act or thought outside of marriage…
Wickedness – a desire to do evil – to do things they know are wrong…
Greed – always wanting more – no matter what you have it is not enough…
Maliciousness – the desire to hurt others – either by words or by actions
Full of envy – desiring other people’s things – denying God has given you what you need…
Full of murder – hating so one so much you wish they were dead – Matthew 5:22
Full of arguments – argue for the sake of arguing – being difficult…
Full of deception – out to take from others – lie / cheat / steal to get what you want…
Evil minded – they have a bad character – rotten to the core…
Gossip – whispering in the ear – gossip – cannot wait to tear down one another…
Backstabbers – speaking evil of one another when they are not around…
Hate God – because they do not want to be accountable for their sin!
Violent – verbally – hurling verbal insults at others – mocking – insulting…
Proud – arrogant – thinking they are better than others…
Boasters – brag about who they are / what they have done / love to over exaggerate…
Inventors of evil things – come up with news ways to sin – invent new ‘evils’!
Disobedient to parents – they do not obey their parents – rebellious…
Refuse to understand – they are unwilling to admit the foolishness of their lives…
Break promises – do not keep their word – they are liars…
Unloving – astorgos – do not care about/love their family…
Unforgiving – they will not let go of the past – they hold on to their hurts…
Unmerciful – unwilling to help others who are in need – no mercy!
The list is not exhaustive – it represents what happens to a mind without God…
When you put God out of your mind – there is no end to the sin that will consume you…
Our mind is going to be full of something – and if we do not choose to fill it with God…
Then it is going to fill up with the evil and filth of this world…
Not that you wake up one morning and plan to dive headlong into sin…
It is a gradual slide into more and more sin – farther and farther you get from God!
People know the righteous judgment of God – death for those who do these things…
Yet they encourage others to do them as well / they convince others to join into their sin!
It is not enough that they are going to be judged – they drag others down with them…
They want you to join into their wicked ways – so they are not convicted…
Because if you are following Jesus – it reminds them of their sin!
Therefore be careful of your example – what you are watching…
Do not put up the poster of the half naked Tanduay girl on the wall…
Do not watch the TV show with the gay parading himself across the screen!
Do not watch a pornographic movie – cause although you may not be having an affair…
By not standing up against these things – you are in fact supporting them!
God calls us to stand – and speak out against a God rejecting world…
Ephesians 6:13 – “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Be an example of someone who loves the Lord – a man who is full of Jesus …
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