Romans 091: Romans 1 - Think You're a Good Person? Think Again!Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church…my name is Pastor Rory Clark.
The people who consider Barah Ministries home are Christians. The Person we worship is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He is God. He is the only Person ever resurrected from the dead. John, Chapter 11, Verses 25 and 26 say…
JOH 11:25-26 Jesus said to Martha, “I (the Lord Jesus Christ) am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
The people who consider Barah Ministries home do believe this. We are not religious, because Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in Him, and we have an unbreakable relationship with Him. He makes us Christians…this Christ…the Messiah. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 10…
EPH 2:10 For we (believers in Christ) are His workmanship, created in (union with) Christ Jesus for good works, which God (the Father) prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (as a lifestyle).
Our confidence is in CHRIST.
Barah Ministries is a church. A church is not a building. A church is a collection of people who choose to come together for worship. Guests are welcome to worship with us and we hope you choose to become a part of this body of believers, if this place of worship is a fit for you. Make that decision based on how the Word of God hits your soul.
When we come to worship, we listen to the Word of God together…and we let its truth transform our minds…Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 2…
ROM 12:2 …do not be conformed to this world (Satan’s system of thinking), but (keep on) be(ing) transformed by (God in the) the renewing of your mind…
Revelation, Chapter 2, Verse 7 tells us how to renew our minds…
REV 2:7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what (God) the (Holy) Spirit says to the churches.’
The Word of God makes us of one mind…and shows us how to reflect the Lord’s unconditional love. Colossians, Chapter 3, Verse 14 says…
COL 3:14 Beyond all these things put on (unconditional) love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Our unity as a body is expressed as CAMARADERIE. We hope you find Barah Ministries to be a friendly and edifying collection of imperfect people with whom you can bond.
To demonstrate our worship of the Lord, we look to serve others. Our Lord encourages us with these words…in Matthew, Chapter 23, Verse 11…
MAT 23:11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant.”
Therefore, as a body, we look for opportunities to serve our COMMUNITY.
That’s what Barah Ministries stands for…
BARAH MINISTRIES
Christ - Camaraderie - Community
Welcome to a place dedicated to the things the world detests. MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
Shout to the Lord
We begin our worship service today by worshipping the Lord in song. The opening song is SHOUT TO THE LORD.
SHOUT TO THE LORD
My Jesus, my Savior Lord, there is none like You! All of my days, I want to praise The wonders of Your mighty love!
SHOUT TO THE LORD
My comfort, my shelter Tower of refuge and strength Let every breath, all that I am Never cease to worship You!
SHOUT TO THE LORD
Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing! Power and majesty, praise to the King Mountains bow down and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name! I sing for joy at the work of Your hands Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand Nothing compares to the promise I have in You!
SHOUT TO THE LORD
My Jesus, my Savior Lord, there is none like You! All of my days, I want to praise The wonders of Your mighty love! SHOUT TO THE LORD
My comfort, my shelter Tower of refuge and strength Let every breath, all that I am Never cease to worship You!
SHOUT TO THE LORD
Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing! Power and majesty, praise to the King Mountains bow down and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name! I sing for joy at the work of Your hands Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand Nothing compares to the promise I have in You!
SHOUT TO THE LORD
Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing! Power and majesty, praise to the King Mountains bow down and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name! I sing for joy at the work of Your hands Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand Nothing compares to the promise I have in You!
SHOUT TO THE LORD
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You Nothing compares to the promise I have in You Nothing compares to the promise I have in You
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful Heavenly Father for the privilege of studying the absolute truth...the Word of God…
Help us to be comfortable with our total depravity…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit...in Christ’s name... Amen.
TODAY’S STUDY Romans 1: Think You’re a Good Person? Think again!
In our passage of study, Romans, Chapter 1, verses 24 to 32… GOD GAVE THEM OVER are the haunting words directed to unbelievers…
ROM 1:24 Therefore GOD GAVE THEM (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) OVER in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
ROM 1:25 For they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator (who created the creature, and), who is blessed forever. Amen.
ROM 1:26 For this reason (the worship of the creature 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)…
The bible makes it clear that women take the lead in sin…it started with Eve in the Garden…
ROM 1:27 …and in the same way also 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 of their error (visible to the eyes of all).
ROM 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 do (to practice) those things which are not proper (conduct unbecoming of a human being)…
ROM 1:29 …being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips…
ROM 1:30 …slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents…
ROM 1:31 …without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful…
ROM 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.
What are the things that human beings do when GOD GIVES THEM OVER? Human beings leave all normal instincts behind and engage in those things that are not natural.
What are the things human beings engage in when they are disobedient to God? They engage in a series of increasingly depraved things, making “mankind is getting better” and “mankind is improving” and “mankind is basically good” always a lie. IBM…we’re making a smarter planet. Yeah right! Were it not for the restraint of God the Holy Spirit, everyone would destroy himself.
Which of these depraved things that we’re about to review have you been guilty of in your lifetime?
When GOD GIVES THEM OVER, what is the path of depravity that unregenerate man takes?
Unrighteousness Direct disregard for God’s laws…selfishness…against the rights of others
Wickedness Hosts who engage in hostile activity and destructiveness
Greed The itch for more, especially more than what is due to you…making gains from the losses of others…
Evil Malicious conduct…the desire to injure
Full of Envy Hatred toward those above us…hatred toward those who have things we don’t have…hatred toward those who are what we are not…hatred toward those who choose an effective path which we have rejected.
Murder Taking someone’s life.
Strife Beating others down in wrangling and contention.
Deceit Guile…using bait to suck people in for the purpose of tricking them.
Malice Taking all things in an evil sense.
Gossips The magical murmurings of a snake charmer…one who peddles evil reports designed to damage people or their reputations…secret slanders who invent a design to charm others into believing things which are false or contrived.
Slanderers Those who speak out publicly against someone…one who seeks to incriminate…oral defamation
Haters of God To show and to feel a contempt toward God.
Indirect haters of God direct their hatred to institutions to make themselves feel better about their hatred. For example, some hatred toward God is directed toward Pastors or toward “religion,” but it is really hatred of God.
Insolent People who take pleasure in insulting others.
Arrogant A sense of superiority, self-importance, or entitlement.
Boastful To speak with exaggerated and excessive pride about self.
Inventors of Evil Conjuring up wicked schemes in the mind.
Disobedient to Parents Not able to be persuaded by parents.
Obedience to parents brings blessing…turn in your bibles to Ephesians, Chapter 6, Verses 1 to 3…
EPH 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is (the) right (thing to do).
EPH 6:2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment [request from God to children] with a promise [attached])…
EPH 6:3 …(and obey your parents) SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND(God’s promises, as a result) THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH (God extends your life).
And for those who disobey their parents, God has a promise as well…
PRO 30:17 The eye (of a child) that mocks a father and scorns (holds in contempt and ridicules) a mother (will die with his body unburied, and), the ravens of the valley will pick it (the eye) out (using it for food), and the young eagles will eat it.
God is just downright creative sometimes.
Without Understanding Having no moral discernment…no comprehension of spiritual things
Untrustworthy Someone without intention to carry out an expressed promise
Unloving Without affection…conditional in approach to love and people
Unmerciful Not willing to consent to a truce
Take a five-minute break.
BREAK Great is the Lord When I Think About Home
Welcome back.
All of these sins, progressive in nature are being attributed to unbelievers.
ROM 1:29 …being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips…
ROM 1:30 …slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents…
ROM 1:31 …without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful…
Yet we, as believers in Christ, need to remember that we can do the deeds of the flesh…we can choose to listen to our dead sin nature…turn to Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 19…
GAL 5:19 Now the deeds of the flesh (the fruit of the sin nature) are evident (and can be clearly seen), which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality…
GAL 5:20 …idolatry, sorcery (witchcraft), enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions…
GAL 5:21 …envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things (unbelievers) will not inherit the kingdom of God (these things practiced are evidence of unbelief).
These are deeds of the flesh for believers, and deeds of the heart for unbelievers because they are the only practice unbelievers know. In contrast, here is what God wants to produce through us believers…Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 22…
GAL 5:22 But the fruit of (the production of God) the (Holy) Spirit (not the fruit of a believer) is (unconditional) love, joy, peace, [toward self]…patience, kindness, goodness, [toward others]…faithfulness (immutable…trustworthy)…
GAL 5:23 …gentleness (submissive to the Word of God), self-control (obedient) [toward God]; against such things there is no law.
GAL 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
We are identified with Christ’s death and His resurrection life through the baptism by God the Holy Spirit.
GAL 5:25 If (1) we (believers in Christ) live by (the influence of God) the (Holy) Spirit (and we do), let us also walk (have a lifestyle directed) by (God) the (Holy) Spirit.
GAL 5:26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
Do this. Don’t do that!
And here’s the rub…even when unbelievers, those who practice ungodliness and unrighteousness…those whom the bible calls sinners…even when they know the penalty for their deeds is death…even when they know the penalty is the Lake of Fire…they practice these things anyway. Why you ask? Why is it, that when the way of blessing and the way of cursing is so clear, why would anyone choose the path of sin? Don’t ask this of others…ask it of yourself! Why? Jeremiah tells us, in Jeremiah, Chapter 17, Verse 9…
JER 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it (the heart)?”
Remember the words of the song Indescribable? You know the depravity of my heart and you love me the same…you are amazing God! The Lord Knows us…Jeremiah, Chapter 17, Verse 10…
JER 17:10 “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”
Romans, Chapter 1, Verses 24 to 31…now complete…
ROM 1:24 Therefore GOD GAVE THEM (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) OVER in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
ROM 1:25 For they (those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness) exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator (who created the creature, and)who is blessed forever. Amen.
ROM 1:26 For this reason (the worship of the creature 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)…
ROM 1:27 …and in the same way also 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 of their error (visible to the eyes of all).
ROM 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 do those things which are not proper…
ROM 1:29 …being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips…
ROM 1:30 …slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents…
ROM 1:31 …without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful… ROM 1:32 …and 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 hearty approval to those who practice them.
These sins are evidence of a lack of God in the life.
Believers, please don’t say this does not pertain to you…this IS the meat. Know that this IS you, without the grace of God, is critical in your development as Christians. It's the only way to truly appreciate what you have from God…when you remember where you came from.
The Promises of the Lord Jesus Christ
PRO 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord (Jesus Christ) 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 How Great You Are
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
THANKS INTERCESSION PETITION
And we pray that You continue to shape the messages from this pulpit that are a reflection of Your unconditional love, Your Magnificent Person, Your perfect thinking, Your impeccable work, and Your indescribable 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!
www.barahministries.com |