Romans 083: Romans 1 - The Lord Will Give You Your Day in CourtWelcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church…my name is Pastor Rory Clark.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
We Fall Down
As God prepares your soul to receive refreshment, let’s turn the cares of our lives over to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our God…the living Word…the Light of the World…the Savior of the Universe and everyone in it…and let’s prepare to hear the Lord’s exact thinking through the written Word. We begin by worshipping the Lord in song. The opening song is WE FALL DOWN.
WE FALL DOWN
We fall down…we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus The greatness of, mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy We cry Holy, Holy,Holy And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb
WE FALL DOWN
We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus The greatness of, mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy We cry Holy, Holy,Holy And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb
WE FALL DOWN
We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus The greatness of, mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy And we cry Holy, Holy,Holy And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb
WE FALL DOWN
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy And we cry Holy, Holy, And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful Heavenly Father for the privilege of studying the absolute truth...the Word of God…
Thanks you for the Lamb of God, Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who takes away the sins of the world…thank you for raising Him from the dead…thank you for using Him to restore the relationship between Your creatures and You…thank you for providing salvation to anyone who asks You for it…
We pray that this message reaches deeply into the souls of the hearers You have provided on this day…we pray that those hearers may understand their relationship with You, as a creature would understand His Creator…we pray that the hearers who have not requested a relationship with You do not turn down Your personal appeal to them on this day…we pray that You give them the strength and the courage to act on their own convictions and to not be swayed by the opinions of others concerning what they should do in the matter of a relationship with You…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit...in Christ’s name... Amen.
TODAY’S STUDY Romans 1: The Lord will give you your day in court.
To the resident members of Barah Ministries and to the soon-to-be resident members of this ministry…to all those who listen to Barah Ministries lessons who are currently dispersed far and wide throughout the world…and to all of our welcome guests who pass within earshot of this ministry from time to time…grace and peace to you from the Triune members of the Godhead…from God the Father…the author of the divine plan for all creatures…from God the Son, who voluntarily went to a Cross to pay the punishment for the ungodliness and unrighteousness of all creatures, so that all creatures might be saved through Him…from God the Holy Spirit who makes the free gift of salvation and the need for salvation apparent to all creatures…and from the manifest member of the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only One ever resurrected from the dead, 100% God and 100% true humanity in One Person forever. I pray, that unconditional love may flow in abundance from you to others…I pray that you may abound in real knowledge and in real discernment of all things true and spiritual…I pray that you may be found blameless before God the Father when the Lord Jesus Christ evaluates all creatures personally…and I pray that the fruit of righteousness which comes through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God the Father, may be spoken readily from your lips and reflected in your concern for the salvation of others.
Turn in your bibles to romans, Chapter 1, Verse 18…we are introducing a passage under study…Romans Chapter 1, Verse 18 to Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 20…we begin with the first part of this passage…Romans Chapter 1, Verse 18 to Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 23…
ROM 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and (against the) unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…
ROM 1:19 …because that which is known about God is evident within them (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness); for God made it (knowledge of God) evident to them. ROM 1:20 For since the creation of the world His (the Lord Jesus Christ’s) invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature (divinity), have been clearly seen (by all mankind), being understood through what has been made (the entire created universe), so that they (all mankind, especially those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) are without excuse (in the matter of knowing God).
ROM 1:21 For even though they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) knew God, they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) did not honor Him as God or give (Him) thanks, but (instead) they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
ROM 1:22 Professing to be wise, they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) became fools…
ROM 1:23 …and(they) exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and (in the form) of birds and (in the form of) four-footed animals and (in the form of) crawling creatures.
Unless you were born under a rock, and unless you have stayed under a rock for the bulk of your life, nothing that you have just heard in this passage should be a shock to you. You’ve heard that there is a God…you’ve heard that God has wrath…you’ve heard that God directs His wrath toward creatures…you’ve heard that there is a thing called ungodliness…you’ve heard the word unrighteousness…you’ve heard about sin and you know what sins are…and you know that there seems to be something spiritual in play in the universe. And maybe, as Deacon Elliott Clark suggested in a lesson last week, you just haven’t been curious…or perhaps as Deacon Caleb Alburn intimated in his lesson last week, maybe you’re not committed to your life…maybe you’re not all in…maybe you are content to just “see what happens” in this life…and as long as you don’t hear a passage like the one you just heard…as long as you don’t put yourself within ear shot of a disturbing passage like this by “going to church” … because maybe you’re one of the crowd who proclaims, “I don’t like church” …and “I’m not religious … and“the only reason I ever went to church is because someone made me go when I was a kid” … maybe you’re content to ignore these things you’re hearing about, and instead busy yourself with other things that have no effect on your eternal future. Maybe you’ve never stopped to ask yourself why this life…and why we have a fear of a thing called death…and why we get so sad when it happens…and why we hope it never happens to us…and why we strive for peace in a world where there is no peace…welcome to a place which asks you to open your soul to the questions of your very existence.
This passage under study, Romans Chapter 1, Verse 18 to Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 23…exposes your soul to an indictment of the entire human race…of every creature. When you stop listening to this message today, I hope you don’t see people the same way or yourself the same way ever again. If you’ve ever been arrested, you know what I mean…it exposes you to a world you never knew about…to treatment you have never experienced…all of a sudden people aren’t so impressed with your “act” …all of a sudden people who are supposed to treat you as if you are innocent until proven guilty, instead treat you with a suspicion that is almost offensive.
If you’ve been following this study for a period of time you’ve heard me say that you’re about to hear an indictment of the entire human race. I want you to now what that means, and this week I took a disturbing look at that life…the life of a criminal…to share with you a few things that are in play here in the biblical world that are being taught to us through other means in our physical world.
You reside in a country that is under government…an institution of enforcement…if you’ve ever had taxes taken out of your check, you know what I mean. You're told the money goes to the government. You may protest, but you say okay.
Because you live under government, you must abide by the laws of the land, an objective system of rules enforced by an institution of enforcement for governing your conduct, for maintaining order, and for ensuring fairness in all matters, especially in criminal and civil matters. I’m sure it’s a bet you wouldn’t take, but I’ll bet you have no idea all the laws that you are under. But I do know you know this…if you break one of the laws and get caught, there’s hell to pay! Why?
It’s because you are a citizen, a person to whom the law applies.
Because you are a citizen, you have rights, the fair and equal treatment that is due to all persons who are under the law.
As a citizen, you have a choice…you can obey the laws of the land, which carries with it the reward of liberty, at least in these United States for sure…or you can choose to commit a criminal act by breaking the law which carries with it a penalty, which may include incarceration…the confiscation of your freedom.
Your rights exist in writing…here’s one example…
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…
If you break the law, and you are caught, you are placed under arrest, which means to stop, to catch and to hold.
As a citizen, when you are arrested, you still have rights…and thanks to a ruling called Miranda vs. Arizona in 1966, the Supreme Court of the United States held that when you are arrested, it must be proven that your rights have been announced to you.
When you are arrested, there is a written complaint registered against you listing the reasons for the charges…its a written assessment of your violation of the law.
Once the complaint is written, it is announced, and this announcement is called an indictment…it is a formal accusation against you.
At a point, you will be in court, a place where cases are heard and a place where disputes are settled. In court you will meet a judge, a prosecutor, and you are the defendant.
The judge is an independent, objective party who decides a case. The prosecutor is the one who brings charges against you, who explains the crime you committed, and who details the evidence that incriminates you. As the defendant, the accused party, you must refute with evidence the charges against you.
You will be called before the court to answer the charges. This requestto answer theindictment, the formal charges against you, is called an arraignment.
At the arraignment you are required to enter a plea…guilty or not guilty?
During your court case, two parties, the prosecution and you, the defense, offer versions of the set of events that lead to your arrest, and argue separate versions of the events.
It’s up to the judge to render a verdict in your case, determining your guilt or innocence through an examination of the evidence presented in the two arguments. If you are found not guilty, you are set free. If you are found guilty, you are incarcerated.
The passage under study, Romans Chapter 1, Verse 18 to Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 20, follows the exact same reasoning you just heard. So let’s recap…<reveals>
Government
The Laws of the Land
Citizen
Rights
Obey the Law…Freedom
Break the Law…Incarceration
Break the Law = Arrest
Miranda Rights
Written Complaint
Indictment
Court Judge Prosecutor Defendant
Arraignment
Argue Your Case The Prosecution The Defense
The Judge Renders a Verdict Guilty or Not Guilty
If Guilty…Wrath
Take a five-minute break.
BREAK Friends in High Places When I Think About Home
Welcome back.
In the spiritual realm, you are under the same system.
Government…The Lord Jesus Christ
The Laws of the Land…Detailed in the Bible
Citizen…Creature
Rights…Volition
Obey the Law…Freedom Believe in Christ
Break the Law…Incarceration Reject Christ
Break the Law = Arrest Evangelism
Miranda Rights The Gospel Message
Written Complaint Romans Chapter 1, Verse 18 to Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 20
Indictment You Knew!
Court Judge…The Godhead Prosecutor…the Lord Jesus Christ Defendant…You…The Whole Human Race
Arraignment Believe in Christ for Salvation? Don’t Believe in Christ?
Argue Your Case The Prosecution The Defense
The Judge Renders a Verdict Guilty or Not Guilty
If Guilty…Wrath
Romans Chapter 1, Verse 18 to Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 23…
ROM 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and (against the) unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…
ROM 1:19 …because that which is known about God is evident within them (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness); for God made it (knowledge of God) evident to them.
ROM 1:20 For since the creation of the world His (the Lord Jesus Christ’s) invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature (divinity), have been clearly seen (by all mankind), being understood through what has been made (the entire created universe), so that they (all mankind, especially those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) are without excuse (in the matter of knowing God).
ROM 1:21 For even though they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) knew God, they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) did not honor Him as God or give (Him) thanks, but (instead) they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ROM 1:22 Professing to be wise, they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) became fools…
ROM 1:23 …and (they) exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and (in the form) of birds and (in the form of) four-footed animals and (in the form of) crawling creatures.
We have been parked at Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 18 for a period of time. And the word we see in that verse that shakes us to our very core is the word WRATH.
ROM 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and (against the) unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…
It’s important for you, whether a believer in Christ or an unbeliever, to understand that God has wrath and He directs it. It’s also important for you to see that God has an enemy. Among the many titles by which he is identified in the bible, he is called Satan. Satan has a strategy against the human race. It’s called religion. It gives creatures the false hope that they can create their own laws, that they can disregard God’s laws, and still be pleasing to God. Isn’t it the same when a person smokes marijuana, let’s say, which is an illegal substance, all the time convincing himself that’s it’s perfectly okay even though the laws of the land say it is illegal?
Because we lie to ourselves about the laws of the land when we want to break them, doesn't exempt us from the law. Lack of knowledge of the laws of the land doesn't exempt us from the law. When we break the law, the indictment says, “You knew…and you decided to do something else.” This is the message of the first part of our next passage in Romans. You knew. You decided to do something else. As a result…WRATH.All creatures, however, must take comfort in this one fact about God…Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9…
2PE 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise (of salvation), as some count slowness (as some accuse Him of), but is patient toward you (unbelievers), not wishing for any to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all to come to repentance (a change of mind about Christ).
God wants a relationship with you. God does not want you to experience His wrath. If he wanted you to experience His wrath, you’d already be destroyed. He’s patient toward you…and He let’s you make your own decision about Him…so who doe you believe? Do you believe God? OR do you believe the deception of His enemy. Here’s God’s plea to you…John Chapter 3, Verses 16 to 19…
JOH 3:16 “For God (the Father) so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten (uniquely born) Son (the Lord Jesus Christ), that who(so)ever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
JOH 3:17 “For God (the Father) did not send the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
JOH 3:18 “He who believes in Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) is not judged; he who does not believe (in the Lord Jesus Christ) has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten (uniquely born) Son of God (the Father).”
JOH 3:19 “This is the judgment, that the Light (the Lord Jesus Christ) has come into the world, and men loved the darkness (like religion) rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”
John Chapter 3, Verse 36…
JOH 3:36 “He who (obeys God’s request and) believes in the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ)has eternal life; but he who does not obeythe (request of God the Father to believe in the) Son (the Lord Jesus Christ)will not see (the resurrection) life (eternal life), but the wrath of God abides on him.”
CLOSING VERSES
PRO 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him (Jesus), And He will make your paths straight.
DEU 31:8 The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed
ISA 30:18 Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.
CLOSING SONG I Will
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
THANKS INTERCESSION PETITION
And we pray that You continue to shape the messages from this pulpit that are an accurate reflection of Your unconditional love, Your person, Your thinking, Your work, and Your essence...we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit, in Christ’s name, Amen.
Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening!
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