Romans Chapter 2:17-24

Why is a basically good person. Most of the 10 Commandments, and we gone through it before but nobody has kept up, and don't commit Jesus as you know you money and left them in your heart you committed adultery. Jesus was looking for them than just actual storage of attitudes welcome to cross the bridge with the date, is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. As hard as it would be to keep the 10 Commandments Jesus raise the bar in the New Testament to include our attitudes as well.

Fortunately he also gave us a solution find out that solution today is Pastor David continues in the book of Romans chapter 2. But before we get into phase 2.

From beginning to end.

The Bible shows the special nature of God's relationship with the nation of what does that have to do with Romans chapter 11 tells us that God's covenant relationship with Israel has huge implications for you to help you understand more. Pastor David wants to see video record in the home called his Bible. This powerful resource will encourage and strengthen you as you learn how connected you are God's chosen Bible and is our gift to think more donations to help this station and beyond cross the bridge from death. Visit us the bridge.com to request again next cross the bridge. Now, here's David again with this teaching be changed.

Turn with me to chapter 2 of Romans were reminded that Paul wrote the book of Romans. At this point, Paul has not actually been to Rome so we we're peeling back a few years from the close of acts where we find them in Rome and is writing these people about spiritual truth and things that is learned and where to pick it up in verse 19's of Romans chapter 2 verse 19, well you know what, let's back it up to verse 17 actually for context for 17th indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law and make your boast in God, and you know his will, and approve the things that are excellent been instructed out of the law and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind alight to those who are in darkness so looking at verse 19 understand that God has blessed at this point. History is as friendly, blessed the Jewish people.

He's blessed them I given them the law or the Hebrew Scriptures.

The Old Testament referred to as is. Given all this rich spiritual heritage, the temple, the priesthood, wonderful land and many many many blessings, but it in and it it's what they did or didn't do with the blessings that really matter and I think there's a lesson probably in there for us because we are so glassed in this country and so glassed in this church. But the reality is, what do we do with those blessings doing just come week after week, say yes blessed me Lord blessed me with the teaching that reveal more about you reveal more about the Bible.

Just continue to soak it in or do we continually look for places the port out Street on verse 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. So what Paul is dealing with here is is because of their familiarity with the Bible. Their knowledge of the Bible.

They begin to possibly take some pride in that. Now we should be careful with this because of what we can do is we can begin to take pride in knowing the Bible.

Now, obviously. Here teaching verse by verse. We want to know the Bible. I would encourage you to know the Bible okay but be careful about taking pride in knowing the Bible we should make sure that we know the author is the important part to be careful about, you know, I know this and I know that because again, what is it's what you do with what you know that really matters is people and seminaries and Bible colleges know a lot about the Bible, but the question is, are they really living in a and making a difference in this world we can see that the more you learn, the more you should be doing and what we see over and over in the Bible that God really doesn't care about empty shallow rituals. This is where some of us run in the trouble because the church a long time, as picked up these rituals and at first her deep in meeting but then I become this empty ritual and what happens is in there just going through the motions in your net literally walking out what you're learning about and certainly that the charge of hypocrisy comes into being them understand we use this work hypocrisy. People treat these in the Greek it is not that internal struggle that every person is following Jesus has, because we all have that struggle to flesh versus the spirit.

In other words, part of you filled with the spirit. God wants to do good part of you is told to do wrong. Think everybody has that inner conflict, so that's not being two-faced. He proclivities it literally is a mask where meaning you're pretending to be something you're not so going to be careful that we don't do that in an you know, at the same time understand that there can be times as a believer where you're going to be. You're going to do things you don't feel like doing you know eat maybe 90% of the time you feel like coming to church on Sunday morning 2% out. You might not feel like coming and you could go out to be the group because he knew of a goat.

I don't really feel like going that sometimes you have to overcome those feelings and do what you know to do not know what to know that what is right and do what is right and now on the flip side of you never feel like doing the right thing. If you never feel like going to church. You know that there might be a problem there. So it to following God is again work or not were not big on religion were big on relationship and that's what Paul is talking about is we need to have a relationship with the Lord and certainly in others. There may be times when you don't feel like sitting down.

The family dinner and talking about everything.

Are you may not feel like going to a family holiday event. But you go through it because you know it's the right thing to do and so there's a commitment that you made in your heart that's important. Verse 21 says you therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself, you who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal so there's the aspect here and we talked about this a little bit before of the Hebrew concept of the open school in the closed fool others. Several versions of the fool in the Hebrew but again we would focus on the to open fully closed fool the closed voice writing doesn't know but doesn't want to know and and doesn't even think they should, but the open fool understands there are things that he doesn't hear. She doesn't know and needs to learn is important for us to stay that open fool to always stay teachable and thin. One of the things that really benefited me not only as a believer but as a pastor is the stay teachable. I have a copper plaque in my office that says that in Cora and power which means always learn and Michelangelo at 87 that I'm always learn.

I'm always learning and service. I think we always need to be teachable. We always need to be learning.

Learning isn't just something we didn't school the whole life journey is about learning, so wait we learn throughout our life and I've learned a lot about the Bible. I'm still learning about the Bible.

I consider myself not a scholar of the Bible, but a student of the levels because I will I would always be learning never go. I got the whole thing scoped out and I am still applying what I'm learning as well.

And so when I read the Bible, I see myself revealed in the Bible and I don't just look around, go out, she, that that person over there. They really need to be doing is sometimes a you get your point here an elbow start finance for you honey, thanks for you, you know, I'm so glad you're here. We hear a sermon will go.

All this would be so good for so and so. I wish they were here to hear it and the word here and were the ones with here in it and we should be applying. I understand unit as we learn more and more not to be honest, I'm not really impressed with what I know or what has been revealed to me. I want to live these things out. I will not. I don't want to say OT. This is an academic knowledge of God. I want to experience God through my mind and through my heart and coming back always to the revelation that unit without God, I'm dark, I'm hopeless, I'm weak and frail, with God I'm in the light of hope. I'm strong staying teachable is important and also you know as you learn the Bible. Understanding that you may have picked up things along the way that one exactly scriptural and you may need that altered your beliefs or concepts of God according to the Bible. Obviously there's some very clear absolutes about God, the devil, Jesus, heaven and hell, all these things and I but understand you might be wrong about the other things about perhaps our or even about those things and have unscriptural attitudes or wrong about what you think about another person. There's an acronym that I've learned to just love it's it's fast FAS T and it stands for faithful available spirit filled and teachable faithful available spirit filled and teachable were supposed to stay teachable. All of our Christian life and one thing that can really mess us up as we think know absolutely there's nothing to learn here anymore and and Jesus. He remember that was one of those accusations with the Pharisees as a you know you you're blind in your leading other people. Now imagine something here that about stealing and less understand because he speak and the people who are Pharisees who are zealous for the law and you would think will will what are these guys going out and they are are they shoplifting or they go into the marketplace in agreement things and took him under their coat or something are the robe know that's not what Jesus was talking about and loose sense of the word and and that's what not what Paul is talking about here, but was interesting because they used what they referred to as legal loopholes in order not to tie or give God is due. They say will you know if this is a gift that I don't have to tithe off a gift and so yeah they got into this complex systems they give each other gifts and then you know they would actually have to tithe off of understand. Paul brings us point out that according to the Bible. If you don't, that is, in essence stealing from God's not my words, what the Bible says must understand the Hebrew word means test Malachi after three verse eight will a man rob God. Yet you have robbed me, but you say in what way have we robbed you and ties and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me even this whole nation bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house and try me now in this, says the Lord of host if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it to God, says this is only here in Scripture got to test. Test me in this do this. I will rebuke the devour for you and let's look at this in the new living translation and met and Malachi chapter 3 verse eight it says should people cheat God. Yet you've cheated me. But you ask, what he means when did we ever cheat you give cheated men of the tithes and offerings due to me, for you are under a curse for your whole nation is been cheating me bring all the ties of the storehouse so that there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do, says the Lord Almighty. I will open up the windows of heaven for you and I will pour out a blessing so great that you won't have enough room to take it in trying it. Let me prove it to your crops will be abundant from the garden from insects and disease in your great shirt will not shrivel before they arrived to the Lord Almighty is his amazing thing God says do this test me and that I will pour out the blessings only answer members. We can step out in faith and trust to go. I don't understand I can't live on 100%. How do I live on 90% but God's as you don't test me and try me and you know if you ever stepped out in faith to time and you know that God can be trusted in you will be blessed but let's look at other parts if you don't do this. It is a quite in the Bible to stealing from God. Now imagine what you would do is you know you are on your way and are your only way out in somebody's back at one of these joy boxes in there in there and there they got a screwdriver in the frying it up and they're digging in their infant going to the cash and try to pull some cash out. What would you think think what's wrong stealing. According to God according to his word. That's what you doing you don't time is a heavy word and understand that, but this is what Paul is in reference here and so we need to understand that in some people goal.

I don't understand why God is not blessing me more God says here's a key to blessing one of the keys. The blessing is tithing. What percentage of born-again Christians, do you think, what percentage would you think 9% 9% of evangelical born-again Christians. Todd never was 9% of all the people trust God, believe in his word enough to do what he said in front to make. That's amazing to me that is amazing to me that that percentage is not more now. I believe we have a higher percentage than that. Here, but I still don't think that it's and it's a majority percentage to be on track and I would see don't really know for sure to prepare unit if somebody sobbing a menu that is either W-2 next week will not kick or not start having you bring your W-2s and I want to encourage you in this I have as a believer. I've gone through seasons where I didn't have suffered. To be honest, I did not have the blessing I got talked about here and there seasons where I did an email somehow by remembering God and placing him first. I was blessed to have more. I don't understand how it works with the average Christian gives about 2.5% of their income. 2.5% of their income. Nine I started thinking, sorry running the numbers and interestingly enough in the United States about $1.7 billion is given the churches at 2.5%.

What it does all the Christians just in America. Time to understand that instead of 1.7 billion we would have closer to $7 billion 6.8 somewhere in $7 billion from think of how that could impact the world with the gospel. Think of those people don't have Bibles in their own rent languages.

Suddenly innovative churches would spend it on the missionaries like we do here. We have understand.

I believe so strongly. This concept this church invest a minimum of 10% missionaries and outreaches and stuff like that so think of the impact why you know at this church.

When the income was four times what it is now, we would have so many missionaries so many more missionaries 20 current trust God in your 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 and 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, this is Pastor David McGee with cross the bridge and want to thank you for listing the cross the bridge also want to tell you about an exciting website.

The website is lost loved ones.org and it works very simply like this you go to the website you put the first names of up to 10 people that we begin praying that they get saved.

That takes two things to get same presentation and prayer, and what were offering is prayer and also there's different tools there to help you present the gospel to them. So were there with you, helping you with the presentation helping you with the prayer.

There's over 920 people that belong to the prayer team on lost loved ones and you can join the prayer team as well and help us to pray for others who don't yet know Jesus and together we can see a huge revival starting with your lost loved ones. Now back to today's teaching verse 22 you who say, do not commit adultery, do you commit adultery you who abhor idols, do you rob temples scan interesting because in these three verses you've got no stealing, which is a kind of obviously it is not having sinned against God, your stealing from other people. Your sin against them. You see idolatry against sending against God.

Adultery actually in the Bible talks about sending against yourself and so and and also the all sin is really against God but us defining this relationship who were affecting through our disobedience in verse 23 says you make your boast in the wall do you dishonor God through breaking the law. What interesting thing you make your boast in the wall do you dishonor God through breaking the law. Paul is writing it would seem to the Jewish people, in particular those who are involved in Judaism, not just messianic Jewish people, but those who would not yet received Christ as the Messiah must understand that a lot of the Jewish people had received Jesus as the Messiah. The Bible bears that out. You may have heard differently. But the Bible says many Pharisees came to belief in Jesus. Paul himself was a rabbi who came to belief in Jesus disciples were Jewish etc. etc. why think you want them because a basically good person Must the 10 Commandments and we've gone through it before but nobody has kept the 10 Commandments.

As you know we we deal a lot with actions. Jesus was doing a lot with attitudes attitudes and and said that's what he raise the bar a little bit when he said you know whatthe murder but if you hate somebody you call him a fool and stuff your guilty of murder is a known commit adultery in Jesus. As you know, if you looked on somebody and lasted them in your heart you committed adultery. Jesus was looking further than just action storage attitudes so that leaves us in a place were desperate for God to come in and change us from the inside out that we all stand in that place. There's not one person and there's not one person listening or watching who is righteous in them in their own selves.

In the book of Romans chapter 3 verse 10 it says this as it is written, there is none righteous, no not one. So if you feel like you're in here and you are righteous through your obedience. The to the 10 Commandments and you basically say in this verse is wrong. God is a liar and your righteous no matter what the Bible says that's fairly arrogant place to be. Romans 323 says that's for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God for all have sinned all you know what you know all means integrate means all so everybody here was a couple people at the other service that no one can know all means all affect goes even stronger in Isaiah chapter 64 verse six says that we are all like an unclean thing, for all our righteousness are like filthy rags. We all fade as a leaf in our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away with interesting here in the in the Hebrew notices in the Hebrew there. The word filthy rags.

The meaning is a used menstrual clause.

That's our righteousness before the Lord before the Lord is interesting that that that's our righteousness, and yet some would say okay this is acceptable to God.

God's words as know your righteousness and of yourself is not acceptable.

God centered reflection we all fall short of that. And Paul is reminding people of this innocent Haley look what your attitudes and any got a change from the inside out to give you more love for God and and, specifically, in this chapter more of a love for people and you realize how much God is love. Jude becomes easier to love people.

Verse 24 says for the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you as it is written so everyone stands guilty Jew and Gentile, and pulsing.

Be careful about standing high and mighty before those who have yet believed in the Lord because what you're doing is you're blaspheming swimming to be careful about being hypocritical.

I remember one time we yells in a restaurant in an was listening to this lady just break the waitress and and feel so bad for the waitress and you know when the lady got up, she had this big God button thing on me.

You know she complained about her food ate half her food and one Senate back that's an big problem for Christianity. That's a big problem for us that we would blaspheme God in the way we treat other people the way we interact with other people. Many people call themselves Christians, who really are totally disregard the teachings of Jesus and what it does is it, it provides a convenient excuse for people not to come. The Lord I say excuse because it really is no reason in the sense of the Bible says were all guilty were all in righteous so is my consensus. Jesus was a Christian, and yes all you do some wrong thing on. I'm still I'm not perfect. I'm still wanting to follow the Lord. The Lord still at work in my life. I'm trying to deal with these issues. Please forgive me Reading to what I was really wrong and down to we might be the excuse should never really be the reason that somebody doesn't come to friend 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.

God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you.

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 could 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 it 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.

So 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 thank you for your donations to help more people on this station and beyond cross the bridge for the death to life servers across the bridge.com now to request will Be sure to join us next time across the bridge with David to hear more from the book of Romans will see you