No Excuses

Notice that when we have a car accident is always the other drivers fault when marriages fail it sir spices fault. When a business fails. Since our partners are our employees fault when we fail in the exam is because the teacher of the professor teaches properly when our children get into trouble. It's always their friends fault or the school's fault or someone else's fault ride back from the garden. The right back to the Garden of Eden.

The story of humanity is that we love to make excuses and we love to blame others relevant to point the fingers at others as a little boy said in Sunday school, when the Adam sinned. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent in the serpent and have a leg to stand on, and from then on that. We been pointing the finger at others. I we seem to have all of us have an inbuilt excuse maker. We always have excuses last week.

As we look at Romans one verse 18 we saw that God's wrath.

The rise of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness against all sin. And as we look to that text last week. You may say, as is often said that God isn't fair and what about people who have never had the gospel. What about people who don't have the Bible is that unfair that the wrath of God than the judgment of God should be on such people. After all, they've never had a chance. And so the justice of God than the integrity of God's questions while in the passage this morning. Romans one verses 19 through 23 Paul with great penetration is focusing particularly on pagan Gentiles who do not, who did not receive the Mosaic law on people who don't have the holy Scriptures and if you ask the question and is a good question. Surely of God is just, he will not judge such people are text will provide great help to us have called this morning's message no excuse and select stand and reader text as defined in Romans chapter 1 verses 19 through 23 as we continue our study of this fascinating will bring bring this with me please for what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them for his invisible attributes, namely has a terminal power and divine nature had been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made, so they are without excuse for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things, and please be seated.

We want to see. First of all, preventers 19 and 20.

But God has revealed himself to everyone in creation that is in creation.

God reveals himself to every one is not what Paul is saying in verse 19 for what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

Paul is saying something very very important that this God is eternal God is God to whom we are all accountable.

This God who is going to send his wrath on us unless we repent of our sin is God has revealed himself, your sometimes asses I'm sometimes asked does God exist.

Yes, we save and frantically.

Of course God exists. How do we know that is a God. Paul tells us here in verse 19 for what can be known about God is plain to them you say about what is plain what is evident to people while is evident that something exists in this God who exists has revealed himself ever wonder why there's something rather than nothing is clear that something exists and how can something come from nothing quitted the something come from something exists. And Paul is saying that the evidence for the existence of God is self evident, that is the invisible God has made himself visible in his creation.

Explain this hidden God has revealed in verse 20 and the things that have been made. God saw this in the video. God has clearly revealed himself in his creation. God's fingerprints, as it were. Throughout creation, whatever you look at the existence of God.

Paul is arguing here the existence of God is evident to every person and every country and every age ever since the creation of the world. It is a picture of Jupiter. As you know, it's the largest planet in our solar system. It has at least 50 moons is a winded religion Jupiter come from.

Listen to David writing 3000 years ago on this very subject. Psalm 19 verse one the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day Portside speech, and night to night reveals knowledge that isnot other words whose voice is not apparent God is speaking to us in his creation. In this world, what this word blasts revelation of God is constant and it is universal wherever you are in the world you can look up and see the sky. Everyone in every age and every society, however sophisticated and however primitive, can look up and see the stars can see the mind can see something of the planets true for the sophisticated and educated person true for the individual who lives all of his or her life in a small remote island in the middle of nowhere who never has the Bible who has never had the truth of God from revealed in Scripture.

It is true that as we look up into the sky that God has given us an objective valid rational revelation of himself. Verse 20 for his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature had been clearly perceived as a policy clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made, so they are without excuse and creation we see something of God's eternal power. The part of the ocean.

The part of the seasons, the part of the weather. As we saw recently the growth of a tree. The growth of the baby growing in his or her in her mother's womb. Think of nuclear power God's power.

His divine power to his eternal power is clearly seen in his creation explained to everyone. Can you argue against that Paul is saying think of God's power and the size of the universe. Our universe is so large the most brilliant of astronomers can hardly describe the size of the universe. Our errors is a mere speck in the universe. The circumference of our earth is 25,000 miles know if we were able to travel at the speed of sound hundred and 86,000 mi./s. That's faster than it was in children for every second with traveling Ada with traveling hundred and 86,000 miles. If we were traveling advancement. How long would it take us to go to find their what we could go around the earth 7 x 4 times in one second. If were able to travel at the speed of light is hundred 86,000÷25,000 which is you know is approximately 7.4 by traveling fast. No, how long would it take us to travel across our own galaxy, I heard an astronomer recently say that there were at least $2 trillion choice not to 2 trillion stars but 2 trillion galaxy that blows the mind is in the and through the wonder of the Bible telescope. I also had recently added an astronomer, saying that they know believe that out as many stars in the universe as grains of sand is almost unimaginable was the thinkable of the sand that they're saying in the universities are secular scientists and sadly most of them probably if he is saying that out as many stars either as there are grains of sand, so let's just take one of these galaxies and there's more than 2 trillion of them, let's take our own galaxy. How big is our galaxy. If we were traveling at the speed of light hundred and 86,000 miles every second know how long it would take us to cross our galaxy, 100,000 years that blows the mind doesn't the very size of our universe, it sure which. Think of the handiwork of God in as Paul says here in verse 10. In verse 20 in the things that have been made's power, his eternal power. Who in the beginning, created the heavens and the earth, but narrow it down a little bit.

Let's think of some God's of God's creation. Here is I got these three examples from the 2017 welcome image awards here is first the unraveled DNA in the human lung at your lung. Smokers with a black and it but there it is with light showing the beauty of the lung. Here is a picture of a splint. Not just any squid. That's Hawaiian bobtail squid as many of you immediately identified and so we are munching on your calamari and Italian restaurants. Just think of the beauty of the squid you think a squid is a very beautiful think of the beauty of that created by the good hands of God. Here is the African product a great product.

The blood vessels of a parent is just a part to see the intricacies of the blood vessels.

You might say of an ordinary African parent, as we see these things.

Surely we see the evidence of the divine power and creativity of our God, as Paul says here God's eternal power and divine nature of the beauty of the of the mountains of the ocean of a son's side of the waves pounding the short think of the amazing radar system of about the mighty wings of an eagle, the intricate design of a snowflake the other day when Groner and I were walking in our neighborhood. I saw this incredibly beautiful spider's web, which is spider right in the center of tiny little creature you think I could hardly do anything that's fun. I don't know how long it took between a couple of branches this incredibly intricate web from a tiny tiny creature with a surely a microscopic brain and could design something like that, that any architect would be proud of the wonder of creation, the wonder of a newborn baby. Think of your shipment. I which were told can handle half a million messages at one time simultaneously got automatic payment focusing aperture adjustment. It has 113 million receptor cells to differentiate between light and dark in color your eye cleans itself maintains itself as God's revelation is all around us in creation and creation we see God's existence is wisdom is creativity.

His eternal power and his goodness to us and this revelation the Scripture is saying this revelation and creation is not just given to some people. This revelation as it speaks without words, the very heavens declare the glory of the Lord day after day, night tonight. God is speaking, God is revealing himself to us explained to us. Paul is saying it's evident is self-evident you really want to argue against that Bible says in the beginning God created the heavens and the I do believe that you believe in God you believe in the existence of God. I noticed what happens. Paul is saying now in verses 21 and 23. Can you think of if that is true, what should be our response. Verse 21 for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. God's revelation in creation is rejected. Mind rejects the truth faced with the truth. Jackson followed side of the end of F-18 that because of our ungodliness and unrighteousness.

We suppress the truth. Not only do we reject the truth is we will learn next Sunday we degenerate as people.

The rejection of the truth has disastrous consequences for us and for others.

But Paul's point here is that no one can claim ignorance of God. Everyone is without excuse.

Verse 20 the wonderful design wonderful design of our universe points to a designer to the problem is not lack of knowledge problem is not A lack of evidence. The problem is not lack of information problem, as Paul defines it, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is a spiritual problem. The problem that we have is not lack of evidence.

The problem that we have is a moral one.

It's our ungodliness and the right and the out unrighteousness, which causes us to suppress the truth refused to acknowledge the evidence and we suppress the truth.

Faced with the reality of the evidence of God.

We turn from that Paul is saying in the verses I just read that we refuse to give God the glory and the honor and devotion which belong to him in virtue of the perfections which the visible creation itself makes no so what about those who never hurt the gospel to those who don't have the Bible. Paul's point here is a very important one is that everyone has knowledge of God.

Although they tighten from that knowledge he saying here. Rather than acknowledge God as God. What do they do besides here, their foolish verse 21. Their foolish heart where darkened rather than following God is light rather than following Jesus Christ to is the light we turn and prefer the documents don't just think about the man in the middle of the jungle somewhere who's never had the gospel think of yourself as anyone here that would say that in all of their life because of who God is and because of his revelation that that produces.

This produces enough humility so that we love and side of God. The reality is based on the evidence that you have you reject that you want to be God in your life and you is not why you said you think you know better than God. You don't want God telling you what to do. Got the Bible you know what's right you know what's wrong but you took from that you make yourself as your little God won the world to revolve around you so that life is comfortable. Life is good and you pursue your own ideas and in so doing you reject God. You don't want a holy God is in control of your life do you really really want God in control. So many people in our society last for the miracles in the Bible there ridicule the Bible the ridiculous truths they mark God.

They deny the existence of God. Although the evidence for the existence of God is all around them, and in fact in them yet faced with a evidence of God, the rejected, yet without any evidence they may well believe in the life in outer space. I was find the intriguing here is someone who says that an atheist, they say there's not enough evidence to believe in God but many of the same people believe in some extraterrestrial being that there might be life somewhere else. The same people who emphasize the random nature of evolution can't explain why the seasons occur in the same sequence year after year.

By the way, don't run from the atheist engage him engage remember you speaking to them might be angling might be aggressive and mighty. But remember, God has revealed his truth to them. Maybe the reason they're so argumentative is because of terms from the truth, love them, engage them speak to them listen to them try to understand the point of view and point them to God, who is the creator. Not only was the creator, but lingering love has sent his son Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world that Paul also says and I find this intriguing. Verse 21.

Although they knew God through his creation. They did not honor him as God or give thanks to him when you say this lack of thankfulness is one of the characteristics of Rh people and thankful and even we who are followers of Jesus Christ that often so quick to complain slow slow slow to give thanks CS Lewis writes the tragedy of the man who denies that there is a God when he finds himself faced with the glory of creation and everything in him wants to praise and say thank you.

He can't watch that video.

When you get to your feet.

Praise God worship God. Think of the atheist who faced with the evidence, can't respond with thanksgiving and praisePaul, rather than worshiping God, rather than praising God they tighten from God and the reasoning degenerates into futility. Stephen J Gould brilliant physicist rights human beings arose as a kind of glorious cosmic accidents resulting from the consternation, the linking of thousands of improbable event, is not side why would you put glorious in front of a cosmic accident.

I kind of glorious cosmic accident. All of these improbable events somehow come together and you got this wonderful creation result of it. This wonderful product, not creation the wonderful product of humanity to really believe that when the atheist really believe that we are the improbable product of a cosmic accidents. What a sad way to look at life, John Paul Sartre, the French existentialist rights. The world is not the product of intelligence really does he see what we see her deceased. I think the Hawaiian bobtail squids has he thought about his own eyeball. No he says this world is not the product of intelligence it meets our gaze as would a crumpled piece of paper what is man, but a little puddle of water whose freedom is as the barrenness of existentialism is the Bible says some 14 verse one the fool says in his heart there is no God but is what Paul says here in verse 22 claiming to be wise, they became fools. Why is it that intellectual so many intellectuals are atheist, but so few children answer claiming to be wise to become. And it gets worse. Man chooses idols rather than God falling short of the glory of God, as Paul is going to say in his conclusion, the chapter 3 verse 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Here is the inevitable result noticed the exchange in verse 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for what for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles look at the exchange. In verse 25 that will think about next week because the exchange the truth about God for all I and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator foolish verse 26 here's another exchange. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.

For their women exchanged the use of the word and women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature man exchanges the glory of God with these he substitutes his own idols, and of these idols of course are always changing. What happens when we reject God. What happens when we abandon God. What does it lead to leads to idolatry. It leads to foolishness and it leads to false religion, your religion is not man seeking God religion and the results from man rejecting the true God and devising his own foolish game.

I'm not going to worship this God I'm going invent my own got angling the I'm going to worship the sun. I'm going to to worship this animal is not progress, is that you regress coming from the true God and rejecting God's revelation. The consequence of our sin is that we abandon God we turn from God rather than seeking God then we worship our own idols. We reject the evidence we reject the true God and in place of the true God reinvents out on idols. Things were going to worship materialism, money and friends whose God is the British burned or the American dollar price within the four success for them is defined by how much money they make. That is success that is there God materialism things stuff others pleasure. My God is that of a good time.

My daughter slithered up. My God is to squeeze every bit of juice from life. I need to experience life and I want one new experience after another. It's all about making myself happy by God is my pleasure or entertainment, sports, idolatry, results from verse 21 futile, thinking that leads to our foolish hearts. Paul says here in verse 21 becoming doctrines that in turn leads to moral depravity and corruption as will see next week rather than worshiping the true majestic God rather than responding with all humility in the light of the evidence that is self-evident before us whether you look up to the sky or with realtor newborn baby or whether you were to arose or whether you look to the Hawaiian bobtail squids instead of that promoting worship and the fear of the Lord, that we must know this God who not only made the rose and the squid that made me no return from the we worship false gods. Notice what Paul says is all right.

In verse 25. The sound of the creature rather than the create tour, the more excited about worshiping mother Earth than God our father. That was a conclusion I've already read it in verse 20 the end of verse Wednesday, so they are without excuse before God. Everyone is without excuse. This is going to be Paul's painstaking argument in Romans one Romans two and the first part of Romans 340 presents the gospel and is going to say in chapter 3 that whoever you are, whether he is a pagan Gentile. Whether you're a model religious person, whether you're in fact a Jew makes no difference. All have sinned and at the end of the day, every month will be stopped. There will be no excuses, no excuses from the pagan no excuses from the religious person who's in church every Sunday.

No excuse from the pious Jew every single month is going to be stopped. No excuses what are we going to say you are without excuse. It's clear that God exists. The evidence is plain and when we suppress the truth, we demonstrate that we desire of the wrath of God and God will judge everyone justly Genesis 18 verse 25. The judge of the earth shall do what is right by different. Don't worry about how God is going to judge someone in the future.

Who's never had the gospel you be concerned with how you are going to stand before God. No one gets into heaven. You should go to hell. No one goes to hell he should be in heaven. God is just. God knows everything about everything. He is a perfect God and his judgment is perfect and Paul is going to embellish that in chapter 2 God is holy. He's just as righteous and but here is the point we are responsible to God for the revelation which we have received every single person is responsible for the revelation which they've received those of got the law will be judged according to the law. Those who don't of the law will be judged apart from the law.

Paul is going to see in chapter 2 God not only of course gives us his revelation and creation. He has given us his conscience. Paul is going to point that I did. Chapter 2 in this we sit here at Calvary church this October 2017 God has given us a special revelation in his word and in our Lord Jesus Christ using one of my to do your to do what every person in the universe is to do. You are to seek God with all of your heart. Listen to the word of God first Chronicles 28 verse nine and you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every plan and thought if you seek him, he will be fined of your but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever again Jeremiah Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 13, you will seek to me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart I will be fined by you, declares the Lord Jesus said seek and you will find you here today and you say on the seeker after truth.

Not sure if there's a God or not, but I'm not sure of Jesus Christ as the son of God. I'm not sure about many things, but I'm really seeking the truth that is wonderful.

All that's true, it is the promise of Scripture.

If you seek God. Notice with all of your heart be serious if there is a true God and if he has revealed himself in creation and if he has revealed himself perfectly in the sun. The most important thing that any of us can do is to seek God with all of our heart and he is promised if I seek him with all of my heart, I will find those who seek God, God will reveal his truth to them, but as he says to Solomon, if not, you're going to be cast away forever. You see the end of the day. You cannot blame God. You cannot blame God for your eternal destiny for what can be known about God is plain to all of us and accountable to God and all of us as we stand before God will be without excuse, every single month will be stopped. The be no excuses though we know about what-ifs will be ignored.

I'm a special case, God, I'm Jewish. I'm religious.

I went to Calvary church. I'm a pagan. I didn't get a fair chance to be none of that God is just this perfect and you of God's revelation. You know there's a God was in the astronaut John Glenn.

I don't think you can be up here. This is the photo taken at the time. I don't think you can be up here to look out the window as I did the first day and see the are from this vantage point to look at to look after this kind of creation and not believe in God to me is impossible.

It just strengthens my faith.

I wish there were words to describe what it's like truly awesome. Well said John Gardens revealed himself creation is revealed himself in his precious word is revealed himself supremely in our magnificent Savior, who now calls us in this Lord's supper to remember him. What are we to do with to humble ourselves before God. The more you understand the greatness of God.

The more you understand his greatness in creation. Then there's greatness and redemption that will promote in you more and more humility. That will mean that you'll turn from your sin as I asked you to do this morning to turn from your sin and to open your heart and your life and to receive Christ as your Savior and Lord. And when you do that Christ will come will cleanse you and will save you because this God is not only great in power is also in love and grace and forgiveness. We buy with me within the setting and then we prepare our hearts for communion this morning and this is a wonderful time was we been confronted with a payload of God in creation for you to humble yourself. Do you realize that you, like everyone else of trying to live your own life and of rebel against God, and to no surrender your life to Christ – Christ to come to clincher father and the God we thank you for your power with Mike to God, you are something, say you are Almighty God is indeed you are you can do all things. Think of your power in creation, whether it's in the size of the universe, or whether it's in a microscopic drop of water, little snowflake.

We see your handiwork and all creation calls us to worship you and to love you and so we humble ourselves and return from a person. We thank you that the goal we rebelled against you. You sent Christ to come in to save us, and to cleanse us so that we would know you and love you as we get ready to break bread. Father, we ask that you open her eyes to her sin and open her eyes to the beauty of our sin. The Savior in whose name we pray