Human Rebellion and Ruin

I notice some visitors out there that I have not met before welcome you and for

those who may be visiting online this morning welcome to you as well I will

ask if you would like to if you're here and you have not filled out one of these

they're out back there in the sound booth when service is over if you'd like

to put your information down here even a phone number or an email I can reach out

to you and then you'll have my contact information as well if not that's okay

too but you're encouraged to fill that out we're studying the book of Romans

and we are going to be finishing chapter one today the Lord willing

unless something happens to me between now and then you never know what a day

may bring or what an hour may bring forth and we need to live in light of

eternity as we consider this text we consider the title is human rebellion

and ruin human rebellion and ruin

we look at this and we say what is Romans 1 all about and especially when we get to the end of

these the text here in verse 28 through 32 the human race in ruin human rebellion and the

desperate need for the remedy which is the gospel of Jesus Christ we get to the bottom of the barrel

here in verse 28 through 32 we get to the the

residue we get to scrape off the the other things the bottom of depravity as it were the very depths

of depravity described for us and we consider a society as well that is given over by God

and we see this manifested in society let's just begin in verse 18

let's be reminded of where we are and then we will start in verse 28 for the wrath of God is revealed

from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth

in unrighteousness because that which is known about God is evident within them for God made it

evident to them I'll pause remind you everyone knows God exists those who say that they do not

they are suppressing the truth

in their unrighteousness the Bible tells us so right here

for since the creation of the world his invisible attributes his eternal power and divine nature

have been clearly seen being understood through what has been made so that they are without excuse

for even though they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks but they became futile

in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened professing to be wise they became fools

and exchanged their faith in God and their foolish heart was darkened and their foolish heart was

changed the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in a form of corruptible man and of birds

and of four-footed animals and crawling creatures therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their

hearts to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among them for they exchanged the truth

of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed

forever amen for this reason God gave them over to degrading passions for their women exchanged

the natural function for their lives and their lives for their lives and their lives for their

for that which is unnatural in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the

women and burning their desire towards one another men with men committing indecent acts and receiving

in their own persons of the due penalty of their error and here we are in verse 28 I'll ask God

once again for help God it is true of the hymn I need you every hour I need you right at this time

hide me behind this pole

let your word be unleashed help me to preach as if this were my last sermon help those to hear

as if this is the last truth they would ever hear for your glory in Jesus name amen

I want to start by reading a little bit from Daniel Doriani's commentary on this text on this

section of scripture he says we face two dangers when we approach Romans chapter 1 verse 24 through

and I say here for us this morning verse 28 through 32 the first danger is to fail to address

the sins of the age the second is to speak of those sins as the failures of others and then

denounce them but we must take this sin list to heart as believers and if we don't we have

failed right off the bat he says we are envious boastful foolish and heartless at least the

truth is that we have failed to address the sins of others and we have failed to address the sins of

others and we have failed to address the sins of others and we have failed to address the sins of

to Jesus in faith is also to turn away from sin and repentance and that is true of us as Christians

when we sin we confess our sins we repent of our sins and we are back on the road to uprightness

once again when Romans 1 comes to a closure there is a bit of a change of pace that takes place

the focus earlier was on idolatry and the sins and consequences that flow out of the idolatry

a trickle-down effect a trickle-down immorality a trickle-down sin that flows out of idolatry

now beginning in verse 28 Paul continues a theme of divine abandonment

total depravity described and the consequences of rejection of God

leading to this list of vices as it's called

you

in scripture we have lists of virtues and lists of vices we find this in Ephesians

chapter 4 is one place and Colossians chapter 3 is another

the deeds of the flesh verse walking in the spirit

who we used to be and who we are now called to be by God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit

here we have an overriding

of these vices the impure immorality the impure form of viu

and a moral description of the severity of these vices these sins and what is striking here is that

immorality is not specifically mentioned as this trickle-down effect continues as it was laid out

and what is striking here is that immorality is not specifically mentioned as this trickle-down effect

continues as it was laid out before when we study these previous verses

and this list can be categorized as first sinning against God and second sin against our fellow man

and one of the things that we can remove from this discussion of immorality is that most of the verses in the Bible

also describeowo

personal lustning as a sin against God and message L-ates verses I read and none of these verses which would at least be considered libel in對不對 yourself as a sin against the law and then a Suddenly sin against God.

the first point this morning is an outpouring of depravity there's about five or six points

this morning all starting with the letter o here is outpouring of depravity

verse 28 and again as we consider this and as these sins are laid out these vices laid out

some of these i will go into more detail with because some of these are what we call or what

is known as bridges calls respectable sins which so easily can overtake us which we can ease so

easily step into and as christians as we look at this as we read over this as we study this

out we must consider the contrast to these sins like unrighteousness the contrast is

walking in righteousness

but we find in verse 28 an outpouring of depravity

and just as they did not

see fit to acknowledge God any longer. God gave them over

to a depraved mind to do these things which are not

proper. Those things which are

not proper. Look at that phrase, God gave them over. This

is the first, second, third, fourth, third or fourth time we

see this. God gave them over. God gave them over. God gave

them over.

A continual refusal

and rejection of God leads to being turned over by God to a

depraved mind. A depraved mind is a

debased mind, a reprobate mind. First we see in

verse 28 the rejection of God by men. Then we see the abandonment

of God towards men. God giving them over.

And then verse 29 through 31 is the

result.

This verb, God gave them over

in the Greek is the same verb that's used in Romans chapter 4

verse 25 and Romans chapter 8 verse 32. I'm just going to reference

one of them. Romans chapter 4 verse 25. He, being

Jesus, who was delivered over because of our transgressions

and was raised because of our justification.

This giving them over. Seeing that

Pilate gave him over

to be crucified.

Jesus given over to judgment

for our sins.

The text here, given over to a reprobate mind

is to have a mind that is incapable

of rational, sound thinking.

Pause on that for a moment.

Consider our society. Consider many things that we see in this world today,

specifically in the United States of America. And we say, how in the world

could that be? We say, two years ago, no way.

Ten years ago, no would not, could not be.

How could someone think this way? We find the answer right here in the Word of God.

God gave them over a reprobate

mind, incapable of rational, sound thinking.

And this did not happen overnight. Let's consider

the little bit of history of the United States. Some of this I was not around for, but

nevertheless, the 60s. The sexual revolution

in the 60s. And then the acceptance and

promotion of homosexuality and lesbianism. And then same-sex

unions. Same-sex marriage, as it is called.

Well, we have gone way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way.

Same-sex marriage, as it is called. Well, we have gone way,

beyond that as a society now we have transgenderism gender-neutral bathrooms

males allowed in female bathrooms males allowed males allowed celebrated to

participate in female sports promotion of the use of different pronouns that do

not present represent one's gender destruction of the family demasculation

of men the rise of promoting masculinity and women certain drugs

given to children to alter their hormones certain surgeries to remove

intimate organs this is not clear thinking this is reprobate minds the

problem as we consider a child going through this

the problem is those who promote it and assist in it and give heartily approval

to it as the text of scripture says in verse 32 hearty approval to those who

practice them they give high-fives fist bumps to that type of thing encourage it

some of us witness down there at the or up there at the outside of the abortion

clinic on

fridays and you see people come by to those who would lead those in there to

have an abortion in their outfits who stand there and who mock the entire time

mock the christians and you see people come by just walking by and high-fiving

them shaking their hands one lady even bowing like this recently giving hearty

approval to such things

it's championed in the highest offices of our land celebrated and promoted

so this is just not something that is well lower level this is highest level imaginable

what it was what is moral is now immoral what is immoral is now moral good is called evil evil is

called good

capital punishment for murderers is wrong yet murder of babies in a room is encouraged

celebrated and called a reproductive right that is reprobate mind that is reprobate thinking

it's an outpouring of depravity

secondly outfitted with unrighteousness outfitted with unrighteousness

all of these sins described here in romans one describe a lost

depraved humanity

but none of these sins should ever described a saved redeemed people of God

so let's look at these one by one some of them again as i will focus on more

one actually forgot to put to put in my notes as i was going through us and i I

think it was evil and I just listed it but we all have an understanding of what

that means being filled with all unrighteousness for the ESV says all

manner of unrighteousness

To be filled with all unrighteousness is to be dominated by it.

It's to have a state of completion.

Filled to the brim with unrighteousness.

Now, all that is right is determined by God.

This term unrighteousness denotes all that is opposed to what God says.

The one filled with unrighteousness is overflowing with a gleeful embrace of the sins that follow in this list.

Being filled with this is to be uncontrolled with it.

It takes up occupancy of the mind and the heart.

Not only filled with unrighteousness, but also with wickedness.

Which is also another way of putting it.

It's badness.

And maliciousness.

Never thought of that word badness before.

That I can recall anyhow.

And not only filled with unrighteousness and wickedness, but also greed.

Greed.

Greed like covetousness.

Lusting for more and more, even if one has more than enough.

Which, by the way, is a direct violation of the 10th commandment.

Which is summarized as you shall not covet.

When greed and covetousness are connected, we have a problem.

A serious, perfect storm.

Covetousness is described in 1 Timothy as the love of money.

It's interesting in the conversion of the Apostle Paul.

One sin in particular was one that brought him to his knees, so to speak.

Look at Romans chapter 7.

7 through 9.

We'll be back to 1.

1.

And then I'm going to take a brief.

A brief detour into James and just cite James chapter 2, verse 10 and 11.

You won't have to turn there.

Just giving you a fair heads up.

Romans 7.

And verse 7.

Look what Paul says.

What shall we say then?

Is the law sin?

May it never be.

On the contrary.

I would not have come to know sin except through the law.

For I would not have known about coveting if the law had said you shall not covet.

But sin take an opportunity through the commandment produced in me coveting of every kind.

For apart from the law, sin is dead.

I once was alive apart from the law.

But when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died.

We just pause there and you consider that verse.

Consider covetousness.

Paul was a blameless man in many ways, but he was not a sinless man.

It was covetousness that got him.

That the law came and pierced his heart.

Covetousness and greed and envy are closely connected.

And we'll see examples of scripture.

But we consider the law of God.

And someone would say, well, I'm not one who covets, so I'm covered.

Or I'm not one who murders, so I'm covered.

I don't get angry, so I'm covered.

So I'm good with that.

Well, the book of James says,

Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of all.

He who has said, do not murder, also said, do not commit.

Excuse me.

He who has said, do not commit adultery, also said, do not murder.

Now, if you do not commit adultery, but you commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

You'll hear more of this if you're going to the evangelism workshop.

Because the law does a work in the lives of a person, an unregenerate person.

Holy Spirit of God uses that, specifically the Ten Commandments,

just as we saw in the Apostle Paul's life, to drive him to his knees.

And to say, I see it.

I'm a coveter.

I see it.

I'm a murderer at heart.

What must I do to be saved?

No one came up to Paul and said, Jesus loves you.

This I know.

He's got a wonderful plan for you.

He's got a wonderful plan for your life.

Now, covetousness, greed, and envy, closely connected.

I'm going to give you several scriptures here.

And evil is deliberate wickedness, delighting in, doing harm, maliciousness.

Evil, we could describe that.

We could go on and on and on and on.

But let's consider being full of envy.

In the third point here.

Well, first was outpouring of depravity.

Second, outfitting.

Third, obsessing and ostracizing here.

Now, think of envy.

Envy is related to greed, but goes beyond.

Envy is a foe or an enemy to love and joy and gratitude and grace.

The right disposition for us to have as Christians is described here.

I'll give you these verses.

Hebrews 13.

Verse 5.

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money.

Be in content with what you have.

And Romans 12.

Verse 15.

Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

Being able to rejoice with those who rejoicing is the opposite of having an envious spirit about us.

Saying, oh, they have this and I want it.

And now I'm going to have a bitter spirit towards them because they have it and I don't.

1 Timothy 1.5.

The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

These are some descriptions of what we must be, what we ought to be, what our disposition ought to be.

Not envious.

Not full of envy as the scripture describes here.

And 1 Corinthians 13.

Verse 4 through 7 is another text for you to look at later.

Not to be.

As Galatians 5 says, let us not become boastful.

Challenging one another and envying one another.

James again tells us, chapter 3.

I'll read this for you as well.

Verses are 14 through 16.

Again, we're looking at Romans chapter 1.

But we want to see how some of this applies to us and what we must stay away from as Christians and what we must do as believers.

Chapter 3, verse 14, 15.

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie to the truth.

This wisdom is not which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

So James is saying here, this bitter jealousy, this arrogance, this envy, this is not from God.

Colossians 3, 5.

Consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil, desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

Envy gnaws at the person because of another's privileges or pleasures.

As Christians, we ought to rejoice with the happiness and blessings of God upon others.

But often we...

We can be like jealous children and want what they want and pout if we do not have it.

And that is not the heart disposition that a Christian ought to have.

And if that be in us, we must change and seek for the God to change us in that, to repent of that.

Listen to what Thomas Watson says.

I'm just going to list these out for you, speaking of covetousness.

He says,

Covetousness is the root of discontent, the root of theft.

It is the root of treason.

It made Judas betray Christ.

Covetousness is the root of murder, the root of perjury, the root of idolatry.

Consider Cain and why he murdered his brother out of envy.

And envy leads to other sins, such as those listed here in Romans 1.

Such as murder.

Surely, some of the depraved would escape this mark against them.

Would escape being a murderer, as we see here in Scripture.

We say, well, not everyone is murderers.

But we say, not so fast.

There are many ways murder is committed.

Listen to this from whatever happened to the Ten Commandments by Ernest Reisinger.

He says,

The Sixth Commandment is very broad.

Many ways in which murder is committed.

Murder can be committed with...

With the hands.

With the mind.

With the tongue.

With the pen.

Or we would say with the keyboard.

By plotting the death of another.

By consenting in another's death.

By not executing the law upon capital offenders, he says in his opinion.

Also, I add, assisted suicide.

Or abortion.

Prominent in our society.

So we understand murder is not just the act of taking someone else's life.

It's of the mind.

It's of the tongue as well.

And Jesus said something in Matthew chapter 7 on this.

Taking it to the heart.

It's...

Our society is very much pro-uncertain.

Unjust murder.

And against just defense.

And as we see in scriptures, we do not have to take physical action to be guilty of breaking the Sixth Commandment.

Which says you shall not murder.

Hatred in our hearts.

1 John 3.15.

I'll just read that for you.

Don't turn there because I'm not going to stay there.

1 John 3.15.

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer.

And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

See, some of these sins listed out here of depravity describe us as Christians at times.

At least in the heart or at the tongue.

The mind.

The next one is strife.

Contention.

Quarreling.

Deceit.

To trick.

Bait.

Fraud.

In order to ensnare.

Which leads to stealing.

Which is a violation of the Eighth Commandment.

You shall not steal.

Theft.

Robbery.

Extortion.

Bribery.

Withholding what belongs to your neighbor.

Lying.

Giving false evidence.

Calling good evil and evil good.

Violation of the Ninth Commandment.

Which is you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

And then there's malice listed here.

The habit of evil against others.

So we see here, Paul is just, he's laying it out for us.

All of these sins.

All of this way that, these consequences.

What it looks like when someone is given over by God.

Not acknowledging God.

God gave them over to a depraved mind to do these things.

Which are not profitable.

And being filled with this.

And having this type of disposition.

Fourthly.

Overrun with pride.

These next sins here.

Are specifically related to pride.

They are gossips.

This word in the Hebrew.

Is related to that of a snake.

So think of that hissing sound.

Or the whispering.

In to tell.

Spreading in secret.

Harmful to the reputation of others.

Slandering.

Defaming.

Which is defaming, insulting, backbiting.

It goes further than gossip.

These are both deadly sins.

Destructive to others.

And are described in a list of.

Ones who do not know God.

And they should not be named among us as Christians.

Proverbs 18 verse 8.

The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels.

And they go down to the innermost parts of the body.

Both of these are condemned severely in scripture.

And I borrow once again from.

What James says in chapter 3 verse 6.

The tongue is a fire.

The very world of iniquity.

The tongue is set among our members.

As which defiles the entire body.

And sets on fire the course of our life.

And is set on fire by hell.

You want to destroy someone.

With your tongue.

All day long.

Remember that phrase.

That was a lie.

Six and stones may break my bones.

But words will never hurt me.

The lie from the pit of hell.

Because words destroy.

Words can kill.

Words can harm and maim.

Some of us.

Have a lot of baggage from that in our years.

Of having this.

Things said to us.

Or perhaps we were the ones saying such things.

And God has.

In his mercy and grace.

Forgiven us.

And gossip and slander are everywhere.

And millions and millions of dollars are made from it.

By way of media and publications.

They should not be named among us.

But it's so easy for us to slip into.

Haters of God.

It's an interesting thing to find that description in the middle of all of this.

I think it was Lawson who described this as the hub of the wheel.

Being a hater of God.

All of these vices or sins point to this.

They hate God.

Their disposition is also because of this.

An enemy of God.

The mindset is at times of one who hates God is.

How could God do this?

How could God let this happen to me?

One either hates God or loves God.

One is either in a right standing with God or not in a right standing with God.

The next one.

They are reflected on the path ofия.

And psychopathy,

five times happy,

or negative.

When one tries to alleviate,

and it's!」

Like checkout,

it's'

the.

Bull.

High

a violent.

A certain unique form of pride that sets one self against God.

to seek admiration by claiming to be or have what they actually are not

or do not possess.

We've all met someone like that, or perhaps we've been like that before,

bragging and bragging about things,

and those don't even describe who we are or what we have anyway.

The next two are linked.

They are two word phrases in Greek.

Both signify the depth of evil.

Inventors of evil.

You know, we consider technology and things,

and we marvel at these things that are created today,

and they can do a lot of good in society when used rightly.

Modern medicine or modern electronics used rightly

can really be helpful and beneficial.

But inventing evil

is quite a lot of good.

Quite another thing.

As if previous evil acts were not enough,

new forms of evil are thought up.

New evils to provoke God.

This is another level of evil.

This is taking things beyond

and inventing things

that the rational mind can say,

how in the world would someone even consider this?

Another level of evil.

Very creative in depravity.

Things that are unimaginable become regular.

And that's the trajection of society.

Things that are unimaginable, we say, no way, no how.

Two, three years later, we say,

oh, those things are accepted now.

Disobedient to parents.

That's one that's in the middle of this.

A violation of the fifth commandment.

Applications that will go beyond

our natural fathers and mothers.

The rupture of family relationships.

And this pattern that's encouraged in the home.

A pattern that's encouraged by society.

You don't need your parents' permission for this.

It's okay.

They don't need to know.

No regard for authority.

No regard for superiors, for the law.

And then anarchy would reign.

Everyone did what is right in their own eyes.

Fifthly,

outspoken and outpouring support of depravity.

So we have an outpouring of depravity

and outfitted with unrighteousness,

obsessive, ostracizing,

overrun with the devil,

and outspoken and outpouring support of depravity.

And although they know,

verse 32,

although they know the ordinance of God,

that those who practice such things are worthy of death,

they not only do the same,

but also give heartily approval to those who practice them.

The ordinance of God is referring to the moral law of God,

which is summarized in the 10 commandments.

The moral law of God is written by the finger of God.

The work of the law written in the heart of man,

Romans 2, 14 and 15.

Gentiles without the Mosaic law to guide them

were fully aware of that law

because the work of the law written in their hearts.

We know what is right.

We know what is wrong.

God has given us the right to do it.

God has given us a conscience.

And although they know the ordinance of God,

those who reject God,

those who say no to God,

they know the ordinance of God.

And that those who practice such things,

such sins described here,

they know that those who do such things are worthy of death.

But they not only do the same,

but they give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Hearty approval.

This is off the charts approval.

It's not just saying,

well, you know, I really want to love this person

and I'm going to try to overlook this.

It's very hard.

No, this is like ushering it in.

This is high-fiving.

This is encouraging it.

This is promoting it.

This is putting money behind it.

And we don't have to look far to see these things.

Verse 32 describes people that realize the consequences

deserve for their sin being death.

They still give hearty approval.

Not sudden passion approval.

Not heat of the moment approval.

But continual approval.

A settled, impassioned conviction of approval.

Cheering on those who practice such evil.

Here's what Tom Schreiner says.

The full extent of the rejection of God

becomes evident in such an attitude.

His judgment is known,

yet people are encouraged to pursue evil anyway.

The hatred of God is so entrenched

that people are willing to risk further judgment

in order to carry out their desires.

These verses describe lost people,

various levels of depravity,

and in many ways describe the nation we live in.

Humanity without Christ.

So how do we respond?

What do we do in light of this fact?

Well, I've said it before.

I'll say it again.

We don't hunker down.

We don't hunker down and hide out.

We don't picket, protest, or lobby to change hearts.

Not saying that none of those are legitimate forms

of exercising one's rights,

but we do not change hearts that way.

Elections, voting people will not change all of this,

although we have stewardship given to us

to exercise our rights as Americans.

Yet we are citizens

and can work within a system at times.

God has put the systems that God has put in place.

But what is our focus?

What are we to do?

We must realize what is happening.

We must not sugarcoat it.

We must call it what it is.

And you must pray for me to continue

to call it what it is

and to not shrink back,

for this is a war,

this is a war,

this is a time, culturally.

We are fish swimming against the tide,

but we're called to swim.

We cannot sit back, kick back.

We must be in the race and in the fight.

We must be all in,

standing for truth and standing against evil.

Romans 1, verse 16 is where we started,

and that must be our heart cry.

That must be our anthem.

When we consider verse 18 through 32,

we consider that we live in such a society as this.

We say, I am not ashamed of the gospel

for it is the power of God for salvation

to everyone who believes,

to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

I'm going to give you another quote by Daniel Doriani.

I thought it profitable.

I wanted to share it with you.

Someone once said,

if you want to know what the Lord is saying to the church today,

read the parts of your Bible that aren't underlined.

If that is right, we need to hear Romans 1,

since we don't want to dwell on sin, wrath, and judgment.

But how can we explain Jesus' agony into Gethsemane

or his cry of dereliction,

why have you forsaken me?

Unless we know that sin prompts God's righteous wrath.

Jesus bore that wrath on our behalf so that we would not.

The gospel does not say,

the gospel declares an atonement

that addresses God's proper wrath towards sin.

If Romans 1, verse 18 through 32,

cries for the gospel,

it also calls for repentance.

No half measures will suffice.

The problem is bigger than mistakes,

weaknesses, illnesses, regrets,

or inappropriate behavior.

If we simply make mistakes,

we do not need a savior.

We need a coach.

But if the problem is transgressions,

the cure is repentance and a plea for forgiveness.

David's word in 2 Samuel 12, verse 13,

is simply, I have sinned against the Lord.

He said no more, and God replied,

the Lord has taken away your sin.

One more point for us.

The opposite of being sustained in a courtroom

is being overruled.

And all of this in Romans 1, verse 18 through 32

is overruled by God.

We were made in God's image.

Yet our image is marred because of the fall.

And instead of becoming more like God,

in our lives, as we grew,

we became more like Satan in some ways.

Humanity given over to the sin that is desired

became more like beasts than humans.

Yet Christ died for the ungodly,

Christ came to this earth,

taking the form of a man,

lived a perfect life,

and died a sacrificial death.

Those who place their faith in Christ,

turning from their sin,

are now creatures created in Christ Jesus.

The list of sins in Romans

will not describe you anymore

because the power of God has changed you

and is in the process of changing you,

which is called sanctification.

Whatever sins are in you,

they are described here.

We are to do the exact opposite.

Instead of being unrighteous,

we are declared righteous,

and we are to walk in righteousness.

We are to be people of goodness,

generosity, godliness,

full of love, forgiveness, compassion,

be truthful, full of joy,

being tight-lipped rather than loose-lipped,

lovers of God,

humble, boasting in the Lord only,

doing good, trustworthy,

loving,

merciful,

and standing against evil.

Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit

comes convicting the world

of sin, righteousness, and judgment,

and we must speak of these things.

Christ will return.

He will sort everything out.

Justice will be served.

He will receive His bride.

He has conquered, and He will conquer.

Every knee will bow.

Every tongue will confess.

Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.

Jesus Christ will overrule and overtake every other kingdom.

He has conquered the enemy, Satan, at the cross.

He has conquered death when He rose from the dead

on the third day according to the Scriptures.

He will return with the fierce wrath of God.

He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

He is now the faithful witness,

the firstborn of the dead,

and the ruler.

The kings of the earth.

Christian, it is Christ who loves us

and has released us from our sins by His blood.

He now calls us by His authority

to go out into the land of Romans 1, verse 18-32

as His soldiers

with the living Word of God,

knowing that by us doing so,

God will conquer hearts.

He will release captives from their sins,

and He will build,

He will build His kingdom,

and the gates of hell will not prevail.

So go on, Christian soldier.

To God be the glory.

Let us pray.

Oh, God.

By the power of the Spirit,

help us to walk in newness of life.

Help us to have compassion to the lost

and those who are wrapped up in these sins

described hook, line, and sinker.

If it wasn't for Your grace,

this would be us.

And let this not be named among us,

O Lord.

Please have our hearts be turned to You.

Our minds turn to You

more and more at this moment

as we consider communion,

the Lord's table as our brother will lead us.

Be with Him.

Your hand be upon Him.

We pray, O God,

that You would,

save anyone this day

who is without Christ

for Your glory.

In Jesus' name, amen.