ROM-458-240128 - length: 86:17 - taught on Jan, 28 2024
Class Outline:
Our gracious God only responds to sin one way.
If you're in the resident congregation, turn off your electronic devices and put them away.Let this be a place where you aren't distracted by the world.
Welcome To
BARAH MINISTRIES
Rory Clark
Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact.My name is Pastor Rory Clark.Thanks for listening to this Bible lesson!
OPENING AGENDA
You may be wondering some things about Barah Ministries…
Who is the God we worship?
What is our source of truth?
Who is our enemy?
On the night before He was crucified, the Lord Jesus Christ prayed that God the Father would edify His believers by constantly giving them the truth…and He identified the source of truth…John, Chapter 17, Verse 17…
JOHN 17:17
Sanctify believers in Me in the truth, Father…Your Word is truth.
It's no trouble to remind you over and over again at the beginning of each lesson who your God is…the importance of His Word…and the cunning His enemy uses to ruin you.
Who is the God We Worship?
We worship a Triune Godhead.There is One God who expresses Himself to mankind as three separate, distinct, co-equal, co-infinite, co-eternal Persons…God the Father…God the Son… and God the Holy Spirit.
GOD THE FATHER is the author of the Triune Godhead's plan for all creatures.God the Father rescued us from the kingdom of darkness…He provides ALL our needs…He has blessed us in eternity past with EVERY spiritual blessing…blessings He stores for us in the heavenly places.Why would God the Father do all these things for us?Because He loves us, of course… Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8…
ROMANS 5:8
God the Father DEMONSTRATES His own unconditional love toward all mankindin that while we were sinners (while we were unrighteous, ungodly unbelievers)…the Christ died a sacrificial deathfor us.
GOD THE SON (the Lord) volunteered to execute God the Father's plan.For those who say Jesus Christ is just a man…can you imagine a man saying this?Matthew, Chapter 11, Verses 28 to 30…
MATTHEW 11:28
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I (the Lord Jesus Christ) will give you rest."
MATTHEW 11:29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me…for I am gentle and humble in heart…and you will find rest for your souls."
MATTHEW 11:30
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Only God could make such a statement and then be able to deliveron it.Jesus Christ is God, and there is ONE AND ONLY ONE WAY to heaven.You invest your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, asking Him to save you.Jesus is the Christ… the Jewish Messiah…and by believing in Him, you instantly have the resurrection life…eternal life…in His name.
We worship GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.He is our Mentor and Teacher, a guide who is the rudder of a Christian's life.God the Holy Spirit places all believers into an irreversible union with Christ from the moment of salvation…the baptism of the Spirit…He is the agent of the virgin birth…He speaks to the world through our human spirit…He even interprets our prayers for God the Father…Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 26…
ROMANS 8:26b
…God the Holy Spirit helps our weakness…for example, we do not know how to pray as we should…but God the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words...
God the Holy Spirit is a Person.He is not a "ghost" as some like to call Him.He is every bit the equal of God the Father and God the Son.
What is Our Source of Truth?
As Christians, we can develop a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the
entire Godhead through the study of THE WORD OF GOD…THE BIBLE.The Bible is the mind of Christ…it is God-breathed…it does not come from man…it is a lamp for our feet that lights our path.In Colossians, Chapter 3, Verse 16, the apostle Paul encourages you to…
COLOSSIANS 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you…which demonstratesspiritual wisdom…use it for teaching and admonishing one another (for instructing, advising, and warning each other)…with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God the Father.
The Bible is our source of truth.
Who is Our Enemy?
GOD HAS AN ENEMY…Satan…whom God made 'the ruler of this world' for a finite period.He is the enemy of believers in Christ as well.Satan is so arrogant he boasts of an ability to wrestle the universe out of the Lord's hands in Isaiah, Chapter 14, Verses 13 and 14…
ISAIAH 14:13
"But you (Satan) said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the third heaven…I will raise my throne above the stars of God…and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.'"
ISAIAH 14:14
"'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds…(taking over the function of God)…I will make myself like the Most High.'"
This is a puny boast by a puny creature.In Psalm 2, Verses 4 to 6,the Lord chuckles at such a thought…
PSALM 2:4
The Lord who sits in the heavens laughs (at those who conspire against Him)…the Lord scoffs at them!
PSALM 2:5
Then God the Father will speak to them in His anger…and terrify them in His fury saying…
PSALM 2:6
"But as for Me…I have installed My King (my Son…the Lord Jesus Christ) upon Zion…My holy mountain."
The Lord is the one and only legitimate King of the universe!
Just as Satan seeks to disrupt divine history, he disrupts a Christian's life.Yet we have the victory in this spiritual warfare.We are on the Lord's team, and it's ALWAYS the winning team.Stand fast in the freedom of victory and never again be entangled in slavery, especiallyslavery to the devil's encouragement to sin and torebel against God.Rebelling against the Lord is fruitless, and He laughs at rebels.No one will ever be successful against Him.
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON
Are You the Target of the Wrath of God?
LESSON INTRODUCTION
In a word?No.You the not the target of God'swrath.Your sin is the target of His wrath.God loves the sinner, but He hates sin.If you're an unbeliever…and all of us were at one time…this should be very worrisome to you.If you don't have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father will direct His wrath toward your sin just as He did when He directed His wrath toward the Lord on the Cross as He paid for the sins of the whole world with His blood.
This is seldom a concern for unbelievers because they ignore the truth they know.In today's lesson is a sobering reminder for unbelievers that in their time on earth, they will appear to get away with things as God overlooks their sins because of Christ's work at the Cross.But the day of judgment is coming according to Hebrews, Chapter 9, Verse 27…
HEBREWS 9:27
...it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment…
On that day, all those who reject God's grace will receive God's wrath in their very persons.It is a promise from God that no one would wish on his worst enemy.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let's hear some music! How does it feel to know the entire Godhead knows you by name?How does it feel to know you are the object of their constant concern?How does it feel to know God loves you just the way you are, no matter what?How does it feel to know the truth of Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 28…
ROMANS 8:28
And we believers in Christ know that God the Father causes all things to work together for good to those who love God the Father…to those who are called according to the Father's purpose.
Our God weaves a tapestry of success for His children. Let's celebrate His Person as Sandi Patti prepares us for this lesson with her song HOW MAJESTIC IS YOUR NAME.
MUSIC
OPENING SONG
Let's Sing the Lord's Praises
HOW MAJESTIC IS YOUR NAME
Sandi Patti
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We're grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Father, thank you for being our refuge and our strength…a very present help in times of trouble…You protect us…You are our place of safety…we gladly praise You for Your lovingkindness in the storms of our lives…You prosper us in so many ways…thank you for making us aware of how much we underestimate Your unconditional love for us and Your desire for us to have the desires of our hearts through Your power and not our own…
…arm us to do Your will…help us to have an eternal and divine impact on others by sharing Your gospel message…teach us not to shy away from giving the bad news…the consequences of unbelief…before we give the good news…the benefits of believing in the Lord Jesus Christ…keep us focused on eternal things instead of on the things of this world…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ's name...Amen.
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON
Are You the Target of the Wrath of God?
LESSON PART ONE
We continue our study of the first chapter of the apostle Paul's letter to the believers in Christ at Rome.Here is the structure of Romans Chapter One…
ROMANS CHAPTER ONE
The Salutation (Verses 1 to 7)
The Affirmation (Verses 8 to 13)
The Main Message (Verses 14 to 17)
The Indictment Against the Whole Human Race (Verses 18 to 32)
Today,we'llstudy God's indictment of the whole human race.If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and you have an ounce of compassion, this sobering passage may depress you. You'll be thinking about all the people you love to whom these verses apply. Let's listen to the passage together…Romans, Chapter 1, Verses 18 to 32…
ROMANS 1:18
For the wrath of God the Father is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and against all unrighteousness of unbelievers who suppress the truth of the gospel in unrighteousness…
ROMANS 1:19
…because that which is known about God the Father is evident within those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness…for God the Father made the knowledge of God evident to them.
ROMANS 1:20a
For since the creation of the world the Lord Jesus Christ's invisible attributes…His eternal power…and His Deity…have been clearly seen by all mankind…
ROMANS 1:20b
…being understood through everything that has been made in the entire created universe…so that all mankind (especially those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) are without excuse in the matter of knowing God.
ROMANS 1:21
For even though those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness KNEW God…they did not honor Him as God nor give Him thanks…instead, those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness became futile in their speculations… and their foolish heart was darkened.
ROMANS 1:22
Professing to be wise…those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness became fools…
ROMANS 1:23
…and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image…in the form of corruptible man…in the form of birds…in the form of four-footed animals…and in the form of crawling creatures.
ROMANS 1:24
Therefore, God the Father gave those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness over…in the lusts of their hearts…to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among them…making their sins clearly visible.
ROMANS 1:25
For those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness exchanged the truth of God for a lie…and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator…He who is Blessed One forever.Amen.
ROMANS 1:26
For this reason (the worship of created things rather than the Creator) GOD GAVE THEM OVER to degrading (shameful) passions…for their women exchanged the natural (sexual) function for that (sexual function) which is unnatural (homosexuality)…
ROMANS 1:27
…and in the same way, the men abandoned the natural function of (sex with) women and burned in their desire toward one another…men with men committing indecent (sexual) acts (homosexuality) and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error (visible to the eyes of all).
ROMANS 1:28
And just as (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) did not see fit to acknowledge (that there is a) God any longer (atheism)…GOD GAVE THEM OVER to a depraved mind…to practicethose things which are not proper (that is, conduct unbecoming of a human being)…
ROMANS 1:29
…being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil…full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice…they are gossips…
ROMANS 1:30
…slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents…
ROMANS 1:31
…without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful…
ROMANS 1:32
…and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of the sentence of death, they not only do the same but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
As we begin the journey of sucking all the marrow out of what God has given us in this passage, it's important to remember who we were, even though now we are believers in Christ.Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 4…
EPHESIANS 2:1
And you believers in Christ WERE spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins…
EPHESIANS 2:2
…in which you formerly walked according to the curriculum of this (Satanic) world (system)…according to the direction of the prince of the power of the air (Satan)…having the same spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (unbelievers).
EPHESIANS 2:3
Among them we believers in Christ too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh…indulging the desires of the flesh and the desires of the mind…and we were BY NATURE CHILDREN OF WRATH…even as the rest (of the unbelievers were).
As believers in Christ, we are saved, but we have nothing to boast about.We had a choice to accept grace or to face wrath.We chose grace.We had a choice between spiritual life and spiritual death.We chose spiritual life.We had a choice between justification and condemnation.We chose justification.Yet, there is no merit in us that makes us special for asking for God's mercy.The merit is in the God who granted us mercy.
John, Chapter 3, Verse 36 speaks to the gravity of the situation for all of God's creatures…
JOHN 3:36
"He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment…but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the WRATH OF GOD remains on him."
We are born with wrath on us because of sin…and if we don't ask the Lord to
handle it for us, we will handle it ourselves.Ouch.Ouch.
Let's begin our study of this passage with a story. As you probably know, men have a prostate gland. It is a favorite target of cancer in men. About 34,000 men die each year as a result of prostate cancer. Although it can be aggressive, it is usually a slow-growing cancer. However, pathologists who perform autopsies indicate that prostate cancer is a frequent finding in males over fifty who have died.
There is a test used as an early warning sign of prostate cancer called a prostate-specific antigen test (PSA). It'sa blood test to help detect prostate cancer.The test is not perfect and will not find all prostate cancers, but it is the way most prostate cancer is detected.A score higher than four on the test is an indication that more extensive testing, like a biopsy of the prostate should be performed.
Between 2016 and 2019, my PSA score had elevated to 11.I had a biopsy during that time, which was benign, but the number kept elevating.My urologist decided a second biopsy was in order…this time, an MRI prostate biopsy, which is a more detailed way to inspect for cancer.Needless to say, I was worried.No…I was scared.I expected bad news.
After the biopsy was completed and assessed, the call came in from Mayo Clinic.My urologist left a message.I sat in the Nordstrom parking lot.I played the message.I expected the worst.He said benign!This was the word I longed to hear.I just erased that message recently.I kept it for five years.
Come to find out, I have a prostate gland that is genetically five times larger than the average male prostate gland, so the worrisome score for me on the PSA test is 20…five times four.That was great to know as well, and I wouldn't have known it if I hadn't bothered to get myself into one of the most renowned medical systems in the world at Mayo Clinic.My doctors know what they are doing.
What's the point? It's always great to get good news.
We are born with the spiritual equivalent of prostate cancer.We are born physically alive and spiritually dead. That's really bad news.If you are spiritually dead at the moment of your physical death, by your own choice, your sins are the target of God the Father's wrath.God provides you with the gospel message…the good news about the Lord's salvation offer, and if you reject it your sins are the target of God the Father's wrath.
So, we continue our study of Paul's letter to the Romans in Chapter 1, Verses 18 to 32.Remember, the first three chapters of Romans communicate the bad news to all of us about our condition at physical birth.Without the bad news, there would beno need for good news.If there is no need to be saved, why would we concern ourselves with salvation or a relationship with the Lord?The truth?We wouldn't.Yet most people who communicate the gospel message don't want to say anything about the gravity of the bad news.We don't want to offend anyone.Well, the truth can be quite offensive for those who don't want to hear it.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 18...
ROMANS 1:18
For the WRATH OF GOD THE FATHER is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and against all unrighteousness of unbelievers who suppress the truth of the gospel in unrighteousness…
Ungodliness is a direct disregard for God and His Word.Wrath is the action of God…divine anger directed at sin…at the rejection of His Son…at the rejection of the Lord'swork at the Cross…at the rejection of the Lord's shed blood…at the rejection of a relationship with the Lord. God the Father says, "Unbelievers…here are the consequences of your actions…WRATH!
If God wanted to comment on the rejection of salvation and all its benefits in song, He would call on Fleetwood Mac…you can GO YOUR OWN WAY!Acts, Chapter 17, Verses 31 says…
ACTS 17:31
…God the Father has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man (the God-Man Jesus…the Christ) whom God the Father has appointed…after having furnished proof to all men (that Jesus Christ is God) by raising Him from the dead.
While they are on the earth, unbelievers may think they are getting away with something because God is letting them have a fair trial.But in the end, there is judgment.Sin will be judged harshly…with WRATH.Believe me.It is never a good idea to poke the bear of God's wrath.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 19...
ROMANS 1:19
…because that which is known about God the Father is evident within those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness (unbelievers)…for God the Father made the knowledge of God evident (very plain) to them.
All of us are the same from the moment of our physical birth.We are indicted.
What is an indictment?
INDICTMENT
A formal accusation for a serious crime…indication that a situation is bad and deserves to be condemned.
In this case, the formal accusation is spiritual death.It deserves condemnation.It applies, as Southerners would say, to all y'all.What did Jesus tell the Pharisee Nicodemus?John, Chapter 3, Verse 3…
JOHN 3:3
Jesus told Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I (the Lord Jesus Christ) say to you…unless one is born again (the spiritual birth) he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Many biblical passages let us know our condition as unbelievers.No creature is righteous…all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…there is no distinction between any of us…we were born lost…we were born as sinners…we don’t seek a relationship with God…He seeks us.Jeremiah tells us why men don't seek God in Jeremiah, Chapter 17, Verse 9…
JEREMIAH 17:9
"The heart (of man) is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick…who can even understand it?"
None of us really enjoy seeing ourselves as we are…yet the Bible makes who we are from physical birth VERY CLEAR.Our only hope comes from the Lord through the cleansing of the Blood of Christ and regeneration by God the Holy Spirit.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 20...
ROMANS 1:20a
For since the creation of the world the Lord Jesus Christ's invisible attributes…His eternal power…and His Deity…HAVE BEEN CLEARLY SEEN BY ALL MANKIND…
ROMANS 1:20b
…being understood through everything that has been made in the entire created
universe…so that all mankind (especially those practicing ungodliness and
unrighteousness) are without excuse in the matter of knowing God.
EVERYONE knows that Jesus Christ is God.Unbelievers deny it.They pretend it isn't true.Yet everywhere they look, they see the Lord. Psalm 19, Verse 1…
PSALM 19:1
The heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Yet unbelievers say there is no God after seeing a hurricane…after looking at the Grand Canyon…after marveling at the sun and the moon and the stars moving in completely predictable patterns…after seeing rainbows…after viewing the Northern Lights.They are witnesses of the infinite…yet they are not convinced.
Unbelievers want to edit God out of everything because they don't want to hear what He has to say…they don't want to know the truth.But they DO know the truth.They are not ignorant.Unbelievers do their best to suppress the truth about God, yet they are NOT successful.
When we return from the break,we'll take the offering, and then we'll continue our study of the final passage of Romans, Chapter 1.Before you take your break, notice the words of the Christ Tomlin song…INDESCRIBABLE…and hear all the things unbelievers must reject to hold to their opinion that there is no God.
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK
INDESCRIBABLE
Chris Tomlin
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON
Are You the Target of the Wrath of God?
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
Nike has it right about athletics…JUST DO IT!At Barah Ministries, we have it right about generosity…JUST GIVE IT!In Proverbs 3, Verse 9, the Lord says…
PROVERBS 3:9
Honor the Lord from your wealth…and from the first fruits of all your produce…
The Lord doesn't need us to give…He wants you to WANT TO give. Don't ever underestimate the power of your giving.The enemy of God,Satan, influences you to be reluctant to give. "What are they going to do with the money?" "Why are they always asking for money?"
When you give to Barah Ministries, you change lives.You may not get to know how you make a difference while you are here on earth, but God knows the impact you make and will share it with you when you get to heaven.
Let's welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING
Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
GALATIANS 6:2
Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
OFFERING SONG
WORTHY
An Instrumental by Elevation Worship
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON
Are You the Target of the Wrath of God?
LESSON PART TWO
Welcome back! Let's continue at Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 21…
ROMANS 1:21
For even though those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness (unbelievers) KNEW God…they did not honor Him as God nor give Him thanks…instead, they became futile in their speculations…and their foolish heart was darkened.
The word that comes to mind to describe the unbeliever's attitude toward God is ingratitude.Charles Spurgeon, a Baptist preacher in the 1800s who was considered to be the prince of preachers, describes unbelievers this way…
CHARLES SPURGEON ON UNBELIEVERS
Man's ingratitude against God is shocking! There is nothing worse you can say of a man except that he is not grateful to those who have been his benefactors.
Amen?All of us are indebted to God, but not all of us are grateful to God.You can say the reason God allows people to go to hell is because they don't worship or acknowledge the Son.The real reason is that God hands them over to their own desires. "I don't want a relationship with God!" God says, "Fine.Live for all eternity in a place where there are like-minded people!" Where is that place?The Lake of Fire.Those who end up there go there by choice.
There is unity in the Lake of Fire.All are one in their disdain for God, to their own destruction. That's how stupid people can be.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 22…
ROMANS 1:22
Professing to be wise…unbelievers who practice ungodliness and unrighteousness became fools…
What do the "supposed" wise indulge in instead of a relationship with God?
Philosophy…horoscopes…psychics…the occult…idols…witchcraft…
Darwinism…and psychology, among other things.The apostle Paul is using the first three chapters of Romans to communicate to all mankind how depraved we really are.
As believers in Christ, when we see the way unbelievers operate, we say, "I don't understand people!" Yes, you do.You know deep down in your heart that most people are selfish beyond comprehension.You don't want to believe it despite the evidence.The selfish…those unconcerned about God…are fools.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 23…
ROMANS 1:23
…and unbelievers exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images to worship…in the form of corruptible man…in the form of birds…in the form of four-footed animals…and in the form of crawling creatures.
Idolatry insults God.When people don't worship God, they ALWAYS worship something else.Acts, Chapter 7, Verse 41…
ACTS 7:41
At that time, the Jews in the desert made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
Over the years, people have worshipped cows and bulls, and serpents…practices that are still followed to this day.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 24…
ROMANS 1:24
Therefore, God the Father gave those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness over…in the lusts of their hearts…to impurity…so that their bodies would be dishonored among them…making their sins clearly visible.
The Greeks and the Romans were brilliant, but they were totally depraved.They used their smarts against themselves.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 25…
ROMANS 1:25
For those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness exchanged the truth of God for a lie…and worshiped and served created things rather than worshipping and serving the Creator…He who is the Blessed One forever.Amen.
Gold, silver, wood statues, and carvings are not God.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 26…
ROMANS 1:26
For this reason (the worship of created things rather than worship of the Creator) GOD GAVE THEM OVER to degrading (shameful) passions…for their women exchanged the natural (sexual) function for that (sexual function) which is unnatural (homosexuality)…
Paul zooms in on one sin as an example because it was a prevalent sin in Rome.As you'll see shortly, he doesn't stop there.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 27…
ROMANS 1:27
…and in the same way, the men abandoned the natural function of (sex with) the woman and burned in their desire toward one another…men with men committing indecent (sexual) acts (homosexuality) and receiving in their own persons the due penalty (the compensation) of their error (visible to the eyes of all).
Men become effeminate…women become hard.If you say none of this applies to me…these things are impossible for me…you deceive yourself.As people, we can be talked into anything.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 28…
ROMANS 1:28
And just as (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) did not see fit to acknowledge (there is a) God any longer (atheism)…GOD GAVE THEM OVER to a depraved mind…allowing them to practice those things which are not proper (conduct unbecoming of a human being)…
What do unrestrained individuals do?Romans, Chapter 1, Verses 29 to 31…
ROMANS 1:29
…and they became filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil…they were full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice… they are gossips…
ROMANS 1:30
…slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents…
ROMANS 1:31
…without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful…
These are all things an unconditionally loving God does not hold against us, yet humans show how unmerciful they can be by holding all these things against others.Romans, Chapter 1, Verse 32…
ROMANS 1:32
…and although THEY KNOW the ordinances of God…that those who practice such things are worthy of the sentence of death…they not only do these things…they also give hearty approval to others who practice these things.
Are you the target of God's wrath?You sure don't want to be. It's a good idea to accept God's salvation offer, and you won't have to worry about it.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
The Good News of Jesus Christ's Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The closing moments of this lesson could be the ten most important minutes of your life. You'll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life.We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU!
He Wants You to Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
If you don't yet have a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God considers you to be a spiritually dead sinner who needs a Savior.Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23 says…
ROMANS 3:23
…all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 10 says…
ROMANS 3:10
…it is written,"There is no creature who is righteous, not even one…"
First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a
…all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human being) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…
Your condition at physical birth IS NOT YOUR FAULT, but it is your circumstance.
By your own choice, you have a chance to be precious in God's sight…Psalm 116, Verse 15 says…
PSALM 116:15
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones (His saints…believers in Christ).
The fact that GOD WANTS YOU is a great thing to know, especially as you get older, because no one gets out of this life alive. What's going to happen to you when you close your eyes in this life?Will you go to heaven, or will you go to hell?
God has an enemy…Satan…the ruler of this world…and he creates counterfeit lifestyles to blind your mind called RELIGIONS that are designed to mislead you into thinking you're saved when you're not.Roman Catholicism is one of those counterfeits.Here is an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church…
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (Paragraph 2010)
Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can MERIT FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OTHERS the graces needed for our sanctification…for the attainment of eternal life.
Satan wants you to think you can work your way to heaven, earning your own salvation.You can't.He wants you to think you can pray for the salvation of others after they have died. He's lying.You can't.Hebrews, Chapter 9, Verse 27 says…
HEBREWS 9:27
…it is appointed for men to die once…and after this comes judgment…
The bad news is that you can't do a thing to save yourself.
The Lord provides you with the Bible to illuminate the path to heaven…John, Chapter 20, Verse 31 says…
JOHN 20:31
…these things written in the Bible have been written so that you may BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ…the Jewish Messiah and the Son of God (the Lord…who took on human form)…and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life (eternal life) in Hisname.
The Bible contains the Lord's exact thinking.It is your "owner'smanual"
for life.The good news is the Lord Jesus Christ did something about your sin problem.He has a plan for your salvation because He doesn't want anyone to be at the wrong end of God the Father's wrath…he doesn't want anyone to go to The Lake of Fire…Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 says…
SECOND PETER 3:9
The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of...instead He is patient toward unbelievers…not wishing for any to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
So, how can you get to heaven?RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT, RIGHT NOW,
you can tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you.Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31
"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved by God, you and everyone in your household who also believes."
The ONE WAY…the ONLY WAY to get to heaven is through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ…John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…
JOHN 14:6
Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, "I am the way (to salvation), and I am the truth (through the Word of God), and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me."
Who is this God who saves you?The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3
For I (Paul) delivered to you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4
…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
Believing in Jesus Christ is your acknowledgment that you can't do a thing
to get to heaven on your own.You confirm that being "a good person" does not get you to heaven. It's wiser to let God save you because once God does something, He never changes His mind!John, Chapter 10, Verse 28 says…
JOHN 10:28
"…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) give eternal life to believers in Christ, and they will never perish…and no one will snatch them out of My hand."
You can't lose your salvation.If ANYONE tells you that you can lose your salvation, they are lying to you.
Many people in the world think they don't need a Savior because they are "basically good people." These people are like those who defend themselves in a lawsuit.The joke in the legal community is anyone who represents himself in a lawsuit has a fool for a client.Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12 says…
ACTS 4:12
"…there is salvation in no one else…for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ)."
Reject a relationship with Christ?In Matthew, Chapter 25, Verse 30,the Lord shares the consequences…
MATTHEW 25:30
"Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness (the Lake of Fire) … and in that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
So, heed the warning and accept the invitation in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…
JOHN 3:36
"He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God remains on him."
You can join me and a host of your believer friends in heaven when you close your eyes in this life!Choose it now!
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let's close with music! In Satan's kingdom, the Lord is always painted with a punishing brush…as someone who is waiting to come down on us.The Bible paints a dramatically different picture.After the apostle Paul expresses his dismay that despite his best efforts, he can't meet God's standards in his own power, the Lord makes something perfectly clear in Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 1…
ROMANS 8:1
Therefore, there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are IN UNION WITH CHRIST JESUS.
Here is June Murphy to remind us in her song IN CHRIST THERE IS NO MORE CONDEMNATION.
MUSIC
CLOSING SONG
Let's Sing the Lord's Praises
IN CHRIST NO MORE CONDEMNATION
June Murphy
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father…
…thank you for helping us understand the importance of the gospel message… thank you for giving us a taste of what Your wrath entails…thank you for not giving us over to our depravity so that we avoid self-destruction…
..as we go out into the world this week, let us share this message with the unbelievers we know so the bad news of rejection of Jesus Christ becomes the good news of the Lord's salvation offer…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ's name...Amen.
DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE
Join us Live or on ZoomImmediately Following the Lesson
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Ask the Pastor
pastor@barahministries.com
KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for listening!
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