Sunday Evening Sermon

Preached by John Gaines at Leonard Street Church of Christ

February 9, 2003

1. We often hear people talk about how bad things are in the world.

2. Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the world has been a bad place. The world is evil because of the sinfulness of its inhabitants.

3. This study, "The Guilt of the Gentiles" is designed to demonstrate from Romans 1:18-32 humanity's need for God and the consequences of living without God.

I. MAN NEEDS GOD!

A. We need guidance and direction from One wiser than ourselves.

1. Romans 1:22 (NKJV) Professing to be wise, they became fools,

2. Jeremiah 10:23 (NKJV) O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

B. Without God, man suffers from the degradation of wickedness [Romans 1:29-32 (NKJV) being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.]

1. Sin-saturated humanity operates with a depraved mind [Romans 1:28 (NKJV) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;] The word "debased" (KJV, "reprobate") means "disapproved. -- not standing the test" A reprobate mind is a way of thinking of which God cannot approve. These people had reprobate (depraved, debased) minds because they refused to retain God in their knowledge.

2. We are given a long list of sins which resulted from such depraved minds:

a. Unrighteousness

b. Sexual immorality (fornication)

c. wickedness

d. Covetousness

e. Maliciousness (malice, evil)

f. full of envy

g. murder

h. strife

i. deceit

j. evil-mindedness (spite, malicious craftiness)

k. whsiperers (gossips, secret slanderers)

l. backbiters (slanderers, talebearers)

m. haters of God

n. violent

o. proud

p. boasters

q. inventors of evil things

r. disobedient to parents

s. undiscerning (without understanding, stupid, senseless, foolish)

t. untrustworthy (covenant breakers, faithless, refusing to keep agreements)

u. unloving (without natural affection, heartless, cruel)

v. unforgiving (not capable of being appeased)

w. unmerciful (ruthless)

x. approve of those who do wrong

C. Man, without God, is lost in the condemnation of sin [Romans 6:23 (NKJV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.]

II. MAN MUST OBEY GOD!

A. This is a universal requirement!

1. Gentiles did not have the opportunities the Jews had but they were still responsible to God.

2. They had a knowledge of God.

a. They had witnesses of God's glory and power [Romans 1:20 (NKJV) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,]

b. On occasion, God's message had been declared to them [Example: Jonah].

c. They were "without excuse" [Romans 1:20].

3. All people today are subject to the Law of God.

a. Some question, "What about the people who have never heard the gospel?" If they are safe, we should never expose them to the gospel because many would hear and not obey. Thus preaching the gospel would result in a great many people losing their souls. Yet, Jesus commanded, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." [Mark 16:15 (NKJV)]

b. God commands all men everywhere to repent [Acts 17:30].

B. God's will today is revealed by the gospel [Romans 1:16-17 (NKJV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."]

1. The gospel must be preached. Note Acts 16:9-10 (NKJV) And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Paul answered the call for help by going and preaching the gospel.

2. Salvation comes when the gospel produces faith unto obedience [Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.]

C. Man refuses the opportunity to be saved at his own risk.

1. The Gentiles had a knowledge of God [Romans 1:21], but they did not like to retain God in their knowledge [Romans 1:28].

2. They did not glorify God and were not thankful for the blessings given to them by God.

3. When people today refuse the gospel invitation, they bring condemnation upon themselves [Revelation 22:17 (NKJV) And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.]

III. CONSEQUENCES OF LIVING APART FROM GOD

A. Consequences for individuals:

1. Apart from God, humans live wicked lives. People do these evil things while they are seeking satisfaction, contentment, and happiness. Meanwhile, they close the door to true satisfaction found only in Christ.

2. They face eternal punishment.

a. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

b. Revelation 21:8 (NKJV) "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

B. Consequences on nations:

1. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their great wickedness [Genesis 19].

2. The book of Revelaiton prophesies the destruction of Babylon (i.e., the Roman Empire) because of its persecution of God's people.

3. What will God's judgment be on our society?

a. If America were on trial for being a "Christian nation," there would not be enough evidence to convict her. Instead, hours upon hours could be spent listed examples of the sinfulness and degradation evident in our nation.

b. We must admit that the description of the wicked Gentiles we've studied in Romans 1 fits when we think of our nation at the beginning of the 21st century.

4. What can Christians do?

a. Recognize that the gospel of Christ has the power to change lives. History tells us that the moral climate in the first century was even worse than it is today. Yet this was "the fullness of time" for Christ to come to earth and for the gospel to be spread throughout the world.

(1) Galatians 4:4 (NKJV) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

(2) Colossians 1:23 (NKJV) if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

First century Christians were effective in spreading the gospel throughout a wicked world.. If they were successful in the environment in which they lived, we too can succeed if we persevere in getting the gospel message out to those who are willing to listen to it.

b. We must always be concerned about the influence of the culture in which we live on ourselves.

(1) Paul warned against evil companions [1 Corinthians 15:33 (NKJV) Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."]

(2) Watch out against the philosophies current in people's thinking today. Remember that depraved, reprobate minds will contain rotten thinking.

(3) We can exert an influence for good in an evil world [1 Timothy 4:12 (NKJV) Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.] From Cotton Mather to Ronald Reagan, American political rhetoric has been filled with the imagery of a city on the hill beckoning to others, showing others the way. That image did not originate with any American, however. It comes from Jesus' statement in the Sermon on the Mount. By living for God, we are like a city set on a hill, letting our light shine forth and causing others to glorify God [Matthew 5:14-16].

CONCLUSION