Romans 1 now. Romans 1. What
a chapter. This is so full. You've heard
me say this before. I heard my pastor say it, that
if someone were to ask me where to read in God's Word, if you
want to understand something, at least in your head, of who
God is, and what man is, and who Christ is, and what salvation
is, read Romans. And here in this first chapter
are all of those things. In the first chapter, this chapter
clearly explains or declares why the world is as it is. Scriptures calls it this present
evil world. Now that was 2,000 years ago.
It was evil then, and it's evil now. It's not more evil, it's
just more widespread evil. You understand? There's just
more people here. This is why I think, I know, we are in the
very last day. Our Lord said, as in the days
of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be, right before
the flood that destroyed everyone except those in the ark. It says the whole earth had corrupted
God's way and was filled with violence. Those two things. The
whole earth. And then God repopulated it through
those eight souls. Well, now the whole earth is
filled with people again, isn't it? And the Gospel, our Lord
said in Matthew 24, when the Gospel is preached throughout
the world for a witness, for a testimony, then He's coming. And as in the days of Noah, the
whole earth today is filled, is corrupted God's way. Man is
clearly corrupt through and through, isn't he? Not just the United
States of America, but Europe and everywhere, isn't it? This
clearly, clearly declares why the world is as it is. God has
given over so many people. Well, it begins, though, with
the gospel. God is so merciful. God is so gracious. This book
begins with the gospel. It's written not to the world,
but it's written to us. The world doesn't receive these
things. John read in 1 Corinthians 2, the natural man receiveth
not the things of God. We did read that the world doesn't
believe what we're doing, what we're believing, what I'm preaching. They don't believe it. You just
read that with me. We do. Why? Because God has Chosen
us, called us, and revealed these things to us. So this is written
to the called of God, to the chosen of God, to the saints
of God. I once entitled it, verse 7, to all that be in Rome, to
all that be in Rocky Mountain. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. which he promised the four by
his prophets in the Holy Scripture. This gospel is not new, is it? God purposed this before the
world began. His purpose and grace was ordered
in all things and sure before the world began. Christ was the
lamb slain before the foundation of the world, before the earth
even existed. God purposed, was the architect,
and Christ was made the author and the finisher of this gospel. It's concerning the gospel of
God because it's concerning His Son, the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
our Lord, which was made of the seed of David. God was manifest
in the flesh. You believe that, don't you?
We believe it. We know it, Sam. We saw that Sunday. Simon Peter
in John 6 said, We believe, we're sure. We don't only believe it,
we're sure of it. And He's declared to be the Son
of God with power. How much power? All power. He said, all authority is given
unto me in heaven. As God has given me all power
over all flesh. That's what that means then.
This is the Christ of Scripture that we believe, we know. According
to the Spirit of holiness, He's declared to be the Son of God
because He's the only real holy man to ever live. Sinless. Sinless. Justified in the Spirit or seem
to be holy. And by the resurrection from
the dead, God raised him from the dead,
proving that he's his son, by whom, verse 5, we receive grace
and apostleship for obedience to the faith, that is, to preach
the gospel. In Christ's name, among whom
are ye also the called." He said, we've been called to be apostles
and you're called of Christ to be saints. Verse 7, all that
be in Rome, beloved of God, for love of God, called to be saints.
You're a saint. You're a saint. Saint. Saint. Karen. How long have I known
you now? Why is that? St. Karen. St. Michael. You know, Michael the
archangel is no more saint than him. Isn't that right? St. Michael. St. Mindy. That's something
that sanctified one. Set apart. Bound to give thanks
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through What? Sanctification of spirit and
belief of the truth. You believe everything you read
tonight and everything I want to declare. You believe it. There
was a time you didn't. I want to try to keep quoting
this all night. And such were some of you. And
such were some of you. But God, and such were some of
you. So we're not going to lift ourselves up in pride over these
blind over the wicked world because God had mercy on us. And we pray
for them, hope He will, but it doesn't mean we can't, we don't judge righteous judgment. Right? Like God did. He said, at the
end of this, He said, they receive in them things that just recompense.
It's what they deserve. That's what we deserve. But God. So you've been called to be saints.
You've been called to believe. Grace to you. Oh, my marvelous,
infinite, matchless grace freely bestowed. I'll change the words
to that. Freely bestowed on all who believe.
No, freely bestowed. And now you believe. You believe
because of His grace. Peace from God our Father. God
is angry with the wicked every day. The wrath of God, we're
going to say, abides on the ungodly and is revealed every day. Not
on you. There's no condemnation. Don't
you love Romans? There's no condemnation in there
in Christ, like Noah and his family, in that ark. From God
our Father. He's our Father, the Lord Jesus
Christ. First, I thank God. through Jesus
Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout
the whole world. Same with this little group. People know this
church. It's been around a good while.
Like Ephesus and Philippi and all that was known. So is this. Your faith is spoken of. Men
love to come preach here. They really do. God's my witness,
whom I serve with my spirit and the gospel of his Son, that without
ceasing I make mention of you always, all of you. in my prayers, and I do too.
Making requests that by any means, now at length, I might have a
prosperous journey. Paul had never been here and
he never came to preach the gospel until, now this is the way God
works, until he was put in prison. And
then people came to see him in prison. And the Romans and different
ones came to see him in prison. That's where he preached gospel.
But he wanted to come, but he said the will of God wasn't the
will of God. See, everything is according to the will of God. Everything. We believe that,
don't we? We know it's so. God worketh
all things under the counsel of his will. Whatever you do,
it's God's that worketh in you, both the will and do. Not of
him that willeth. Free will is a lie, and that's
what people believe in. That's what everybody, everybody,
except God's people. God's people are the only ones
that don't believe in free will. Free will means you can do what
you will. Whatever you will to do, that's what you can do. That's
preposterous. Man can't do it. Man has a want
to. Only God has a will. Free. He says, I will do it. He said, I've spoken. I will
do it. I've purposed it. It's going
to come to pass. Didn't it? We can't say that.
We have to say, God willing. In fact, James tells us to do
that. Don't ever, we need to catch
ourselves, don't we? I'm going to go, hold on, God willing.
So it wasn't the will of God for him to come to them. And let me go on down here. He says, I want to comfort you,
verse 12. The gospel is such a comfort
to God's people and the world hates it. And there was a time when you
didn't have any interest in the gospel. Gospel, the word of God
didn't convict you, it didn't convince you, it didn't pierce
your heart, it didn't bless you, it didn't do anything, just water
off a duck's back. I remember seeing some of you
first come in here, and I remember thinking, what's going through
their minds? They can't get out of here fast
enough. Why are they coming? I know why they're coming. It
was God's blood. In His good time, in the fullness
of time. God sends his son, the seed,
and says, live. So he said, and now you're comforted. And he said, it comforts me.
We're comforted together. We have this mutual faith. Sometimes
he'd tell me, that's a good message. And I'd say, I know. Because
I'm experiencing it too. I'm enjoying every minute of
it. Not the actual standing up here, I wish it was somebody
else. I really do. But this gospel, I love this gospel. And I love
it when we get together and hear it and read it, and I love it.
There's nothing better. Better than life. There was a time when I couldn't
wait to get out of here. So, verse 14, he says, I'm a
debtor. I'm the Greeks and barbarians,
unwise and unwise. I want to preach the gospel to
them and you. Paul said, he said, I'm the chief of sinners. I was
a blasphemer, a persecutor. I'm the chief of sinners. I'm
not fit to be called disciples. I'm not worthy. He never got
over his persecution of the church and watching Stephen being stoned. Yeah, it hit him harder. Oh,
man, can you imagine living with that the rest of your life? The
whole crowd got around You didn't believe this gospel, and they
had Brother John Davis down, just beat him to death, killed
him right there. And you were going, yeah, kick
him. That's what Paul did. He never got over that. And he
said, I'm not fit to be called an apostle. I'm less than the
leader. I'm the chief of sinners. But he says, God willing, I'm
going to go all over this world and preach this gospel that I
persecuted before. I remember when the Lord first
dealt with me and I, before he dealt with me, I refuted everything,
tried to refute everything my pastor prayed. I remember plainly
telling people that I thought I was smarter than him, you know,
that all of this was old-fashioned foolishness and that I could
disprove it. I remember saying that. You know,
I was about 19. I was a 19-year-old know about
anything. Well, anyway, then God, in great
mercy, like Paul, dealt with me. So I went around, tried to
find my old friends and tell them, you know what, that's a
fool. I did. I had the opportunity. I told them. I retract everything
I said to you. I now believe this gospel. I
was a fool. So he said, that's why he said,
I'm a debtor. I owe it to the mercy and grace
of God and the people I persecuted to preach this gospel. He said in verse 60, I'm not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ. This is the gospel of God and
the gospel of Christ. Which is it? Yes. They're one
and the same, aren't they? No separate persons, yet they're
one. It's the gospel of God concerning
His Son, the gospel of Christ. That's the gospel, and He is
the gospel. He is the good news of salvation
for sinners through His blood and His righteousness. The gospel
of Christ and God is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believes it. The power of God. That's what
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1. He said, God sent me to preach
the Gospel. Preaching of the cross is foolishness
to the world, but to those that are saved, it's the power of
God. I told you, I said, I thought it was foolishness. And then one day, God said to
me, no less than Saul of Tarsus, Paul, You're the fool. It's not the gospel. It's the
power of God. It's the voice of God, isn't
it? It pleased God in 1 Corinthians
1, by the foolishness of preaching, what the world calls foolishness
of preaching. Why? The gospel. It's not just
preaching. It's preaching the gospel. Because the gospel is the power
of God and salvation. Christ is the power of God, the
wisdom of God. And the foolishness of God, what
men call foolishness, is wiser than men. They ganged up on Stephen
right before they stoned him and said they couldn't resist
the wisdom by which he spoke. They couldn't answer anything
he was saying. Why? Because what men call foolishness
is infinitely wiser than any... For man professes to be wise,
but his wisdom is so foolish. First Corinthians 1. In the wisdom
of God, man by wisdom knew not God. Hath not God made foolish
the wisdom of this world? Changes all the time, doesn't
it? You see that now, don't you? He didn't. He didn't. So the gospel is the power of
God. And he uses the preaching of
the gospel. Why? Because he did. Because
he does. No other answer needed, right?
Preach the whole message on that, why God uses preaching. God's
son was a preacher. Well, he said, I'm not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ, of God, because it's the power of God
and salvation to everyone that believe it, the Jew first. Why
do we believe? Believe according to the working
of His mighty power. It's not of yourselves. It's
a gift of God. It's the power of God. Like I
said, you say, I don't believe this. And then one day God says,
yes, you do. And you do, don't you? And nobody
can make you unbelieve it. Right? No man convinced you,
but what when God convicts you and convinces you? You're convinced.
Paul said, I'm persuaded. Fully persuaded, because I know
whom, because it's a person that spoke to Paul, and it's a person
that speaks to him. All right, read on. It says in verse 17, therein,
in the gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith, the faith of Abraham to Zerubbabel, or Abel. We looked
at that in Rescue California. Hebrews 11. Don't you love Hebrews
11? People just like us, Abel, the first example of faith, what
did he bring? What did he come to this holy
and righteous God bringing? Blood. Cain, who thought he was
smarter than God and everybody else, brought his word. What
happened? God rejected Cain. God accepted
Abel. Why? Because of Abel's goodness?
No. Blood. And the world says that's foolish,
barbaric, old-time, bloody religion. It's bloody all right. Because
without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sin.
You believe that, Kara? Flesh and blood didn't reveal
that to you. But your Father which is in heaven. Amen. The righteousness of God, that's
His essential righteousness, His holiness. Man doesn't believe
God is that holy. He requires perfection. Man thinks
that's just too strict, that's just requiring too much. Look
what one sin did to this world. And that's the essential holiness
and righteous character of our God, but especially it's the
righteousness of God by Jesus Christ imputed to God's people. And men and women hate that. Sinners don't. God's people don't. But Pharisees and religious people,
no. Paul hated that. Saul of Tarsus
hated that. He said, I've kept the law from
my youth up. I was blameless. I don't need
a substitute. I don't need someone else's righteousness.
I've worked one out myself. I quit this. I quit that. I do
this. I do that. Like that publican or that Pharisee
in the temple. Surely I'll go into heaven because
this righteous life that I've lived. No, you won't. Leviticus 22, 21. It shall be
perfect and be accepted. And thought, word, and deed. God looks on the heart. Doesn't
He? And that's why Romans 3 verse
19 says, What things the law saith, saith every one under
it. All the world is guilty, as charged, of breaking, if not
committing it, he thought about it. And it was only the grace
of God, the restraining grace of God, that kept us from committing
every single sin. That's it. And we know that now. The righteousness of God, by
which we are, let me just read it to you. The righteousness
of God without the law, that's keeping it, is manifested, witnessed
by the law. It's the righteousness of God
which is by faith of Jesus Christ. Unto, imputed to, and upon all. Like that prodigal. Put it on
him. Don't offer it to him. Put it
on him. Isn't that right? Isn't that
what it's saying? The Word of God is so perfect.
Aren't you glad? There's no difference. All of
sin comes short of the glory of God, but we're justified freely
by God's grace through the redemption. That's where? That's in Christ
Jesus. We're not redeemed with corruptible
things, such as silver and gold, our vain conversation. No, no. About that precious blood. You
ever get tired of hearing that? God's people don't. But like,
like Satan put into Peter's mind. Oh, let's not talk about that.
Let's go on to other things. No. This is what they're singing
about in glory right now. John read 1 Corinthians
2. He said, I'm determined to know
nothing among you. came to Corinth to see the politics and arts
and crafts and science and technology and sports. And just like the
United States of America, it was the center of all that. Athens
and Corinth, Greece, the Greeks thought themselves to be white.
And Paul said, I'm not going to talk about anything while
I'm here save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He could have. He could have debated with them
over everything. and refuted it all by the Word of God. But
he didn't. He said, that's a waste of time.
I'm going to tell you about Christ. Because the time is short. Alright, look at verse 17. It's written that just to live
by faith. I just read to you, his faith.
You're going to live before God. You're going to live with God
someday because Jesus Christ was faithful. to God and to us. Not your faithfulness, His. Isn't
that right? All God's people, it says, are
called, chosen, and faithful. Why are we faithful? Because
we're kept by the power of God. We're faithful because He's faithful
to us. Verse 18, now the wrath of God
is revealed from heaven. against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men who hold the truth, suppress the truth, God's Word, the Gospel,
in unrighteousness." That is for wicked reasons, mostly money. You know, the love of money is
the root of all evil. And religion is the worst. The next chapter
is all about religion, false religion, unsaved religious people,
Jews. That's the next chapter. He says
there's no difference. between the unbelieving Gentile
world and the professing-believing Jewish or Christian world. If
they don't believe this gospel and this God and the truth, there's
no difference. They're all under the wrath of
God. That's what it said. But they suppress the truth for
unrighteous purposes, for money's sake. Religion is the worst.
It says the wrath of God is revealed from heaven every day. The wrath
of God somewhere is revealed from heaven, isn't it? Just the
other night, did you hear that thunderstorm? Were you afraid? No. No. Fear not. That's our Heavenly Father speaking
to us. What's He saying? I have both glorified it and
will glorify it again. The Word of God, let me read
this to you. In Psalm 29, Brother Eric Floyd
preached a message so good that he brought out so many things
about the waters, the voice of the Lord upon the waters. The
God of glory thundereth. The Lord is upon the many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is full
of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars, makes
hines to calve. The voice of the Lord shaketh
the wilderness. The Lord gives strength to his
people. But the voice of the Lord, the gospel,
his words show power. The wrath of God, that's what
I was dealing with. Every day, somewhere, some natural disaster,
they call it natural disaster, happens upon Earth. Every day,
without exception. Floods. And is it not on the
increase? Some of you are in your 80s.
It is, isn't it, John? Far increased. Doubled and tripled
in what it was back in the 40s and 50s. Isn't it? Some of the
things you're seeing. I remember 20 years ago that
a flood would come. They'd say, that's a 100-year
flood. It only happens every 100 years. Well, three years
later, it happened again. Did you hear what I just said?
I remember them saying that. This is that 100-year flood.
It only happens every 100 years. Three years later, it's higher. We've got our time, mister. 100
years. It's more and more frequent.
Just this just clearly shows us. We read that our Lord said
to the Pharisees, can't you discern the sign of the times? Can't
you? At night time when the sky is
red. Storm coming. So clearly like
the plagues in Egypt before the people of God were taken out
of there. People of God clearly saw that as the wrath of God,
didn't they? The world doesn't see it that
way. They call it natural disasters. Mother Earth. Because they worship,
verse 25, the creature more than the Creator. They worship man,
they worship Mother Earth. Mother Earth sure is angry. Do you see why God gives people
over? Why should He speak to these
rebels? Read on. It says, that which may be known
of God, verse 19, the knowledge of God manifests shown to them,
God has shown it unto them, the invisible thing of Him from the
creation of the world clearly seen by the things that are made. His eternal power and God, Him,
men are without excuse. You and I, Sister Polly, see
the thunder and the lightning and the creation and all that
as clearly as the hand of God, don't we? We hear His voice.
We see His glory in these things. We see His power. We love it.
We glorify Him in these things. His eternal power and Godhead. Men without excuse. And they
suppress these things, scientists, geologists, I've got a book,
somebody was talking about evolution, somebody was talking to this
sister about evolution and saying the world is billions of years
old. No, it's not. It's 6,000 years old. Right? That's Genesis 1. And I've got
some books written by believers, men that knew the truth, that
absolutely makes this evolution thing the most absurd thing you've
ever heard of. And I'll just tell you this much,
that all the fossilized things that they put together to make
these skeletons of men, you can fit them in a small box about
half the size of this table over all the year. I'm telling you
a fact. They'll get a jaw of a pig that
they found in lower Africa and construct a whole skeleton out
of it and call it, Who'd want a man or something?
And he's, how old is it? I don't know, let's, you know,
let's, billion, six, three, give or take a billion or two. You've got to be a blooming idiot
to believe all that. And what it is, is God sends
strong delusion that they believe a lie. They don't receive the
love of the truth, and so God blinds their minds, and they
won't believe no matter what they say. no matter how clear. Doctors operating on this human
body. How in the world can you believe
in evolution and look at the inside of this, this complex?
David said, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. And man
creates computers and man thinks he's something, these computers,
and I admit they're, they're amazing, aren't they? Computers
are amazing. Well, what made the computer? The brain? What made the brain? Did a computer just happen? That's
what I believe. You know, that's what I believe.
One day out in space, there were keys and screens and circuits
and all that's just flying out in space. Bang, bang! Then you
have a computer. That's what they believe about
this complex world. This brain just evolved from
mud. No, the mud is in their brain
right now. But God has given us the mind
of Christ. And beside, brethren, to believe
any of that is to reject God. To believe any of that is to
say that Jesus Christ who came is not God. Everything he said,
everything he did was useless, that he's not wisdom, he's not
wise, he's just a man, he's just maybe a good man, but he's not
God, and he's just like the rest of them. Don't believe any of
that. That's what men say. They reject
God, they reject God's Word, they reject God's Son. You have
to call Jesus Christ a liar. That's serious. That's serious. Some men are without excuse. Barnard used to say, you better
be glad I'm not God. Isn't that right? They knew God, they didn't glorify
Him, verse 21, as God. Neither were thankful. Brothers and sisters, aren't
you so thankful? Every day, don't you find something
to be thankful for? I just, I never cease to be amazed
at what God has done for man. And I don't deserve any of it. Their vain and their imagination,
foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves wise, they
became fools. Changed the glory of God, His
person, His work, the incorruptible God, the unchanging God. Oh, religion is the worst, isn't
it? Made like man. The image, that
image of that so-called Jesus is blasphemy. It's an abomination. Anybody that has those is ignorant.
They don't know God. They don't fear God. Read on. God gave them over, verse 24.
God gave them up. That doesn't mean He gave up
on them. I mean, He couldn't do anything with them. That's
not what that meant. Well, He couldn't save them, so He just
gave up trying. No, no, no. God doesn't try anything. He gave them over. In Psalm 81,
let me read this to you real quickly. This is where this came
from. Paul's not writing anything new. He said, I'm the Lord God
which brought you out of Egypt. My people wouldn't hearken to
my voice. They wouldn't know me, so I gave
them up to their own hearts. They walked in their own counsels.
He said, gave them up. Okay. Do you want your will? Do you want your way? I'll give
it to you. That's what he did. And surely this is telling us
that in the last days you know, things like homosexuality are
more prevalent than ever. Brother Matthew Henry pointed
out that most of the Greek philosophers were homosexuals. Plato, Socrates,
and all that. Verse 25, they changed the truth
of God into a lie. Brothers and sisters, This Armenian
freewill works religion, this gospel today that is not the
truth. It's a lie. It's Satan's lie. It started in the garden. You
know these things. You're so blessed. You know what
Satan said to Eve in the garden, don't you? He questioned God's
word. That's the first thing he did,
didn't he? Hath God said? Is that what that really means?
No, no, you won't die. And then he flat out denied it.
You're not dead. You have free will. That's exactly
what it started. Isn't that where it started?
And anything that talks about, no, you're not dead in sin. You
just need to exercise your faith. You just exercise your free will. Just make your choice. Make your
decision. That's a lie. It makes people, you know, women
love to be empowered. We're empowering women. Listen,
we're removing all the power from men and women. This gospel. And telling them that all powers,
all hail the power of Jesus Christ. It ain't everybody prostrate
for. So God gave them over. They worshiped
the creature more than the Creator who's blessed forever. Verse
26. God gave them up. Let's just read down through
here. brief comment. God gave them up. You know, homosexuality is savable. In 1 Corinthians 6, it says,
such were some of you that you're washed, you're sanctified, you're
justified in the name of Christ. But when it becomes widespread
and the whole society thinks no ill of it, it's like Sodom,
isn't it? When the cry of Sodom came up
in the ears of God, they didn't suppress their, they didn't hide
their sin anymore. They declared, Isaiah 3, they
declared their sin like Sodom. And God said, okay. If you brazenly,
the whole world is shaking their fist in God's face. Okay, the
end is about to come. You understand? You know that.
We're talking about these signs we see and you think it can't
get any worse. Don't you? Each time you think
it can't get any worse. You see that little Jesus people
carry around in their pocket? A little Jesus doll this big? What do you think about that?
Does that make you mad? You know, it's hard to feel sorry
for that kind of blasphemy. It angers you. You think it can't get any worse.
Well, verse 27, and he says, men, women with women, men with
men burning in their lusts toward one another, that which is so
unseemly and wicked, and receiving in themselves that recompense
of their error, which was meat, receiving in themselves. I remember
when AIDS cropped up. Oh, was everybody
scared of AIDS? Everybody, like the plague a
few years ago. Oh, everybody. You were. Yes,
you were. You can say it can be transmitted
by saliva or touching this, touching that, and blood, and the health
care professional. AIDS was rampant. Remember, it
was just killing people left and right. People, it still is. But nobody's talking about it.
You understand me? And it started out, it was a
homosexual disease. And they brought this on themselves.
That's what God said. Receiving in themselves that
just recompense. Right? But God saves some people out
there. And they know that if he left
them alone, they'd have got what they deserve. In verse 28, they
didn't like to retain God. Nobody likes to talk about God,
except God's people. I'm going to have to think about
it. God gave them over to a reprobate mind, a mind void of any judgment
to do these things. So they're filled with. If God
removes his restraining grace, mankind will do anything. It'll
just get worse and worse. Filled with all unrighteousness.
Look at the first thing it talks about. What? Fornication. Our society's eaten up with this.
The F word. It's no coincidence that fornication
is now shortened in a four-letter word and starts with F. And it's
on everybody. And nobody thinks a thing about
it. And it's filthy. Filthy. Men have taken something
that God made holy and beautiful and wonderful between a man and
his wife to produce alive and made it filthy. And it's on everybody's
mouth and on everybody's mind. Isn't it? Is there any wonder
God's going to say that's it? Is it? There's no wonder of that.
And such were some of you. Weakness, covetousness, maliciousness. Malicious. Full of envy. Wanting what? Don't have enough,
want more. Murder. People even love to read
about it, talk about it, think about it. Why is there this fixation
with skull and bones? You see that? See that, Doc? It's everywhere, isn't it? Not
just on motorcycle helmets, but everybody, everywhere, wearing
skull and crossbones. Surely that's an omen. Death is coming. It waits. Murder, debate, deceit, malignity,
whisperers, backbiters, haters of God. That's where that's written.
Do men hate God? They sure do. The carnal mind
is enmity against God. That's Romans 8, verse 7. It's
just so. They hate the God of the Bible. They don't hate the God of their
imagination. They don't hate this modern religious God who
loves everybody and wants to save everybody. Nobody hates
that God. Byron preached the message that God nobody hates.
Nobody's mad at. That's it. The God that nobody's
mad at. Who's that? The one that loves you and Jesus
died for and he's just hoping you'd let him save you. Nobody's
mad at him. But they hate this God. And such were some of you. But
God, you've received the love of the church. Lovers of God. Read on. It says in verse 30,
boast proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient
to parents. No authority. If you don't have
a God, you don't have any authority. You have no respect for any authority.
That's right. And surely there's never been
a generation of young people that are so rebellious and so
against parental authority. And parents try to placate them
and make them happy about buying them things and keeping them
busy, keep them in their room so you don't have to disobey.
It's a sad generation we're living in. Verse 31, without understanding,
they don't understand. Romans 3 says, they don't know
God, they don't know the way of peace, no fear of God, and
none that understandeth, none that seeketh after God. And such were some of you. But
we understand, don't we? Not because of us, because the
Son of God is coming, giving us an understanding. that we
might know Him as a traitor. We seek God, don't we? Why? Because
He sought us. We love God, don't we? Yes, we
do. And why? Because He first loved us. That's right. Without understanding covenant
breakers. Without natural affection. Oh,
man. They give up their young for
money. Implacable, that is, you can't deal with them. You can't
reason with them. Unmerciful. Who, knowing the
judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy
of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them to
do them. Consent with them. Just condone all this stuff that
goes on. Oh my, and you who were dead
and trespassed in sin, just like that, and walked according to
the course of this world, prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worked within the children of disobedience,
you were children of wrath even as others, but God sent the power
of God. the gospel of God, concerning
the Son of God, concerning the righteousness of God, to make
you understand the knowledge of God and His Son. Oh, how God has been so good
to us. And we do pray, hope and pray,
that God will reveal Himself to others. He must, because they're
blind, aren't they? They're dead. Okay, stand with me.