Romans Chapter 1:16-21

God gives us the power of choice and you get to choose where they are following a war whether or not following Lord even this teaching this morning as I have the opportunity to say what I reject that I received the lid back in human history are darkest hours of human history hasn't been because of religious it's been those people who deny God and deny the validity of welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. Each day as we read the word.

We have a choice. We got something to us. We have a choice to receive.

Find out more. As David McGee continues in the book of Romans chapter, but before we get into today's teaching from beginning to end. The Bible shows the special nature of God's relationship with the nation.

What does that have to do.

Romans chapter 11 tells us that God's covenant relationship with Israel has huge implications for to help you understand pastor David wants to see this teaching video recording is the Bible. This powerful resource will encourage strength and how connected to God's chosen Israel.

The Bible is our gift donations to help more people on this station and beyond across the bridge from the visit cross the bridge.com to a question again cross the bridge. Now here's dignity is teaching God is God.

Romans chapter 1 verse 21 is because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened. Verse 22 professing to be wise, they became fools as we study the word. It's interesting and and we take Megan we take that verse by verse approach to what happens is we get to sections of Scripture and and the be and count of the sparks fly view.

In other words, it every person in here at some point as we go. Verse by verse. The Bible will be challenged and what they think or they believe and and as we go through it, then you got the decision well do I cling to my ideas or my concept, open to the Lord speaking to me through his word and glorified God as God.

Verse 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image main like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things change, the glory of God into an image made like man see the Bible indicates that we are supposed to be. We were both created in his image and will be been conformed to his image.

In other words, we want to be more and more like Jesus. We went up worship Jesus when a given glory and seek your gonna worship something that's just reality folks, you are going to worship something worship something was probably a passion and a bandit. Now you get to select what you get to worship, but let me assure you, if you don't worship God worship something your worship materialism at your gonna worship people. We are not worship actors, actresses, rock star worship something. As I look around the landscape of the things that we can worship in understanding that the conceptually. You become what you worship on worship God.

As I look around people you know sometimes I meet people I am impressed with nobody's like Jesus. Nobody's ever impressed me like Jesus the life we live the way he lived the way he loved people.

I want to be like Jesus but that's not blasphemous statement.

I want my life to more represent Jesus in my life and I worship him and so I want to be conformed to his image. Rather than saying God I want you to fit into my Ma see understand God in this book has revealed himself and so when you come head-to-head with something that describes God in this book, you have to make a decision. Is it my way, or is it God's way is it interesting as pastor. We see a lot of people come to the Lord here on a weekly basis is just in the hallway and young teenage boy came in cement was awesome services morning. I just got saved, and that service please God was awesome and you always get excited about that.

We see that ever get dated November look down your there's only seven this morning. Don't ever do that, you know, I think it be cool if some morning nobody came because everybody that's in here already knew that. Probably not going to happen. Hopefully were doing our job together might be want to know about Jesus always be people coming forth Leno as pastors in the counseling staff when people come to the Lord and they've never been in church before you think all you pastor you got our job that could you tell more about Bob Thomas about me help you. Oftentimes that's an easier task than when somebody has grown up in the church in their head and their heart has gotten filled with all sorts of stuff that's unscriptural and un-biblical and we gotta walk them through God's like this will know that's not what the Bible says people like this will that's not what the Bible's think this is the right thing to do with some of the bottles because you have to make up your mind. Is this the word of God, the living word of God that speaks to us. Are you going to try to conform this book. What you think should be in there which it Jefferson it said, collected a Bible, where he took verses out that he really liked and then left the stuff he didn't like. Well, I don't think you really afforded the luxury of the beautiful things really about the model of ministry, the teaching style here is it verse by verse chapter by chapter will skip around we don't leave anything out so I can get to get to our cargo who less difficult well, some people are going to like that.

Just get the Romans for pickup without chapter notes the topical is when I come up with a topic I found versus the reinforcement will teach that way. I'm guessing that's a bad way to teach obviously am passionate about. Verse by verse teaching that it is I believe the best way to approach the word of God. The see what he has said and so there's this concept of theological terms. You may be curious, but that is called exegesis and ISA Jesus exegesis is when you try, you take the text and you extract the meaning from it. Meaning this is what God was. We believe was saying from this. This is the meaning extract ISA Jesus I means you are putting your meaning into the so obviously as you go. Verse by verse or protection and there can really rip it out of context and are doing verse begin to what really means this because of your Teradata contact you first before that and say that then lead up to. So that's important thing is we go through you now verse 20 forces. Therefore God also gave them to uncleanness and lust of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, there's three God gave them up. This is the person God gave them up to these things now understand this is God gave them a God gives us the power of choice.

Each person in here has the power to choose and you get to choose where they are following the work where they are not following war even this teaching this morning as I go verse by verse. You have the opportunity to say what I reject that or I receive that because here's the thing you look back in human history are darkest hours of human history. Some of Bill Myers of like that hasn't been because of religion. It's been those people who deny God and deny the validity of Scripture to go back in the back 2000 years look at Nero was alive at this time, incredibly bad leader, schizophrenic, all these things used to to like Christians on fire in his garden so he could visit it a night and they would provide the line dark dark man, even in the last hundred years, look at Stalin, a communist, deny the power of God. The nondelivery of Scripture look at Hitler mentioned you look at Chairman Mao. These people do not God and they not only were they darkened, but the societies that they were late were leading were also dark for needing to understand both the individual and corporate effects of sin, because at some point you will sit and you will hear something ago like that you may hear some is more like that and you have the choice you have the freedom say I reject that you also have the freedom say you gotta feel like you're trying to shine a light in a portion of my life. I need to hear from you so we all have that will have that decision. But understand when you start to walk away from the Lord.

When you start to choose pick and choose the Bible pick and choose what you believe about God and the senses of the Bible.

I like that.

Why don't like that but I like that but I don't like that you know what, there's dark places in your heart to the life lesson here. The farther you turn away from God the darker your path becomes again. You can sit here this morning to waddle like that are like this with again what you're doing is you're saying God I don't want the light of your word to shine on this portion of my life were told that the Bible is a lamp to her feet and a light into her path, so that we can see where were going and how were supposed to go the way in which will walking but of course we can choose not to receive these things. Verse 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, interesting praise and worship and serve the creature rather than creator who is blessed forever.

Amen. Again, you can worship something and you know if you not worship God and you're probably going to result resort to either worship in animals worship in nature worship and people other people why I love people I don't really never met anybody I felt like was worthy to worship outside Jesus. I met some impressive people but none so impressive. Again, this is Jesus is interesting, for this is here believe the lie. Now what is the lie beyond his friend when it talks about worship and the creature after one of its going back to the garden because initially the you know the enemy said to Eve, said, you can be like God, you can be God really is, what he was saying and I believe that's probably the lie that continues. Certainly in some New Age philosophies Bible says you can be filled with the spirit of the bottles that you can be filled with the power of God, but to understand there there taken a huge quantum leap in saying you can be God. But in some of these New Age philosophies that happened in the garden certainly have the Mormons that say you know if you do this and you do that have enough children not only in a you get your own planet and then then you become God. If you're sitting there thinking will one day I'm to become God being that that's not what the Bible says that's not what it teaches. God is God, you have to figure out if you can assert them as God not serve now sit here go well. I know that you know I like this like that you're here now trying to get God to conform your image and you have to figure out who you're going to serve instead of all of us can always rationalize her behavior. Anything that you want to do. You can rationalize you read in the paper all the time people do this they do that they say will is this because of that likely can really come up with a good reason why they killed like 12 people or something like that can really explain it away that's that's not justification, but at the same time understand to when I read these things of people doing things like that.

I don't think she how horrible a person I think you know except by the grace of God that could be me if I had made those same decisions that led to that act that could be me understand you listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be back with more powerful insight from God's word in just a moment but first, God's grace and mercy is greater than any of us could ever fathom. That's why he's been so faithful to the nation of Israel throughout the ages.

He's not finished. He's promised to remain true to them to the end. We want to show you what God's faithfulness toward Israel says about his relationship with you by sending you Pastor David's teaching video Israel the Bible and you in this exciting teaching recorded in the heart of the holy land. Pastor David unpacks important truths from God's relationships with Israel that impact your life today. Israel the Bible and you is our gift to thank you for your donation to help more people on this station and beyond cross the bridge from death to life's visit cross the bridge.com to request yours again. That website is cross the bridge.com. Now back to today's teaching verse 26 for this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, verse 27 also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. As we look at this, we have to understand we have to come to a decision about how do we tell right from wrong. Do we determine right from wrong by our culture by our society by the Supreme Court to determine right and wrong by this book. I look to this book. It's timeless it's it's relevant it it tells us what's right and wrong, not really subject to my opinion and time after time I am to come back to this book with my opinions with my thoughts and say what does the Bible have to say about this. How does the Bible speak to this and so I have to look to the because culture society in 100 years ago they told us.

A woman was a piece of property could only obviously that was wrong. The government at one time told us the world is flat.

When the Bible 26 700 years ago the world was a sphere. Interesting enough, sometimes what we judge right and wrong by. I've heard this before. What I felt good about the right thing to do, then a lot of things in my life I felt good while I didn't that were entirely wrong so what does the Bible teach about these things. This women and women and men with men, well let's agree to look at the Bible and understand before I even get into this Jesus always welcomed anybody and everybody but when they came to him, they would leave differently than when they came to understand because his word guy tell you what I think in and what the more important it really doesn't matter what I think. What does the Bible teach. We need to understand what were looking at the biblical concept of what it says now when I look at the way churches are treating same-sex relationship. I see there's there's errors on two sides. There's one error and that some churches will say will.

If you've ever committed any sort of physical activity of a same-sex nature. You're now a reprobate. There is no salvation for you even though you come to the Lord, you can't be forgiven. I reject the totally reject that you cannot show me that about Camillus look at the other extreme, there are churches out there that say well we don't feel like it's wrong and we don't feel like it's a seven and not only were not going to say it's wrong for that physical relationship with a man a man or woman, a woman, but were also can actually recognize the union same-sex unions and were also actually put people in the office of priest or pastor or whatever, who were engaged in these. I believe from the Bible that is wrong as well understand and legal and full disclosure.

What I did and in looking at this chapter is I did a lot of digging and I looked in the sum of the differently church is because I want understand scripturally how they supported the position and an evocative come across an email and an end and it would've questioned my stance I would've prayerfully sought out. Unfortunately, what I found is there was some torching of the data and have an understanding greetings of the Hebrew was unfortunate while giving those words exegesis I see Jesus a lot of ice with Jesus. A lot of putting their meaning into the text instead of trying to get the meaning out of that.

Celeste, let's look at a couple places in Scripture speak Genesis chapter 19 verse four and five, we have the issue of Sodom and talk about that little bit but let's go and read the passage as they were preparing to retire for the night. All the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house.

They shouted a lot where the men who came to spend the night with you.

Bring them out so we can have sex with painted in a negative light. Some said well that's because it was rape and not a loving union. You moved to Leviticus 1822, it says you shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination and in looking at some of the nicest Jesus is been done to this verse it said. Well, that means that you don't man with man in the same bed that a man with a woman live you looking at the Hebrew you you you can't get that from the text.

Leviticus 1822 says do not practice homosexuality as a detestable sin but it is 2013's is the penalty for homosexual acts is that the both parties that committed a detestable act are guilty of a capital offense before you get carried away with its capital for you and understand same Levitical law is that your child gets rebellious. You need to kill so that's not a good idea so that understand the context of Levitical law that the we don't practice Levitical law on this culture and the society now. Okay, that's Hebrew Scriptures wears in the New Testament it's in their first Corinthians chapter 6 verse nine says, 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, or sodomites nor thieves or coverages not dunkers or revolvers or extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God to what we see and there's a couple more verses but what we see in the light of this clear scriptural teaching. It was prophesied second Timothy chapter 4 verse three is for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires because they have itching ears, they would heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.

Growing up I had some really really good teachers was really blessed someone just really stuck it stuck with me as I was challenging but the best teachers are those that challenge me, not the ones I just had a meal that is a good boy so probably everybody in here and you understand what I'm mean in a moment will be challenged by this portion of Scripture because here's the thing. So we got our IRI okay so when we do this will some would say we you you you can't allow people that are in same-sex relationship to be a part of the church or to temperature really you think that because it's sin and it's wrong.

You think that will let's do this to keep out anybody that's engaged in any form or any type of sin no bigger next week sent me. I couldn't be here either.

I can be here so we were not about to say will know you and you can come later. Listen, here's what I know there are people in this fellowship that are struggling with this issue.

There are people in same-sex relationships that are want to hear the truth of God and the grace of God because we love them. I get up the bat to talk about the things I'm talking about the day see we don't have a membership here that would bring in another difficult moment you introduce a membership then you gotta decide who gets in and who gets out and you know what I don't see membership in that book. Other than that when you come to God. God forgives you of your sent begins to change your life.

You part of the family got in your ear I want to hear you're sitting here and you're an atheist.

I want you here so that I can talk to you about the goodness of God and the truth of God. Some of you will all know, but only with bobble scissors and abomination.

It does with what look at that word abomination and see if you can get out here on skate because Obama points out that there's more than one or two things that are abomination Proverbs 16 five says every one out in hearts is an abomination to the Lord.

Though they join forces. None will go on but it Ribbentrop you think the rest of us just got hit right every one of us is meant that that was an abomination to God will that that got Jones gave them a very thorough couple more to Proverbs 2023. Since diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord, and dishonest scales are not good what to think.

Have you ever charge somebody more than something is worth for nine abomination ever paid somebody less an item is worth according to the Lord. That's an abomination I'll redo it would brag about. Olga grew up and ripped them off of the boat about we tell others out would agree. Do we direct well if you if you think you are unscathed in the first two glider seated. Proverbs 616 says these six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, one who sows discord among brethren.

So I think at this point is fair to say we've all done things that God considers an abomination. What we do with that. Thank God for grace and come to say Lord I need your help. Understand, Paul is writing here is writing to the Romans and the Romans believed that it was okay. The Greeks believed it was okay and and Paul here Sam it's not okay were living in a culture in a society that says it's okay.

The Bible says it's wrong. It's so weird. We were really figure out where to address. To me it's like any other issue than any of us struggle with in the sense that we come to God and God against changes from the inside out and for us to sit here and say and you don't let me go ahead say I am glad I am pleased that people who might be struggling this area are coming to this church. I am pleased that disturbs you. Praise God. It disturbed because I want to chance to teach them the truth of God and show them the love of God I got a beautiful note that if you're in here. Don't get nervous about a review your identity or anything. I got a beautiful note.

A week ago Thursday I was sure some of these things, beautiful. One of the best notes ever received in ministry from a person that's in a same-sex relationship with the Lord's call and out of. She thanked me and think Josh said this church is love me and I've come to realize that the truth of God's is he's calling me out of this relationship and I'm not the area want to thank you for loving me and not sugarcoat the truth and tell me what is a huge win huge win for and you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry.

Please forgive me of all those things.

Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness.

Those who were sick, not the righteous to congratulations free and you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can call us toll-free at 877-458-5508 to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ before we go, we want to encourage you in your faith so that you can experience more of the grace and love of God for you. That's why we like to send you Pastor David's teaching video recorded in the heart of the holy land called Israel the Bible and you this encouraging look into the history of Israel and God's covenant faithfulness to his chosen people will help you take bold steps in your relationship with Israel.

The Bible is our gift to you for your donation to help more people on this station and beyond cross the bridge from death to life. So visit cross the bridge.com now to request it. Be sure to join us next time across the bridge with David to hear more from the