Let's turn to Romans chapter
1. We're going to continue on with a study in Romans. Last
week we looked at verses 21 and 22 and this week it's verse 23. Romans chapter 1. And let's read verses 21 to 23. It says, Because that when they
knew God, they glorified Him not as God. Neither were thankful,
but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools. and changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man
and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things." Now that's exactly what this
world has done. That's exactly what religion
has done. They've changed the glory of
the uncorruptible God. That's exactly what has happened.
In their minds, in their thoughts toward Him, they have changed
His glory. Alright, now what is His glory? Go over to Exodus chapter 24. Exodus 24, look at verse 15. It says, And Moses went up into
the mount, and a cloud covered the mount, and the glory of the
LORD abode upon Mount Sinai. And the cloud covered it six
days. And the seventh day He called
unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud, and the sight of the
glory of the Lord was like..." This is what the glory of the
Lord looks like. "...the sight of the glory of
the Lord was like devouring fire." On the top of the mount in the
eyes of the children of Israel. That's what the glory of the
Lord looks like. Devouring fire. Now go over to
Exodus 33. You have to wonder how many churches
this morning are talking about devouring fire. Really. Really. Exodus 33, look at verse
18. It says, And Moses said, I beseech
thee, show me thy glory. And God said, I will make all
my goodness pass before thee. And I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee. and will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. That's the glory of the Lord. It's His sovereignty. His sovereignty, it's His majesty. I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious. And I will show mercy only on
those that I want to show mercy to. That's His glory. Peter said, we were eyewitnesses
of His majesty, the King. All right, now turn over to John
chapter 1. John 1, verse 1 says, in the
beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And this is so important. The Word was God. Verse 14 says, and the Word was
made flesh and dwelt among us. And John said, we saw what God
looks like. We beheld His glory. And this is what God looks like.
The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the glory of God. Now back over to our text in
Romans 1. Verse 22 says, "...professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into
an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed
beasts and creeping things." Our God is uncorruptible. I'm so thankful for this. I'm
just so thankful for this. He is uncorruptible. Now, what that exact word means,
it's the only time it's in the Bible. There's incorruptible,
but this is uncorruptible. What it means is He cannot decay. That's what it means. He cannot
decay. He cannot wither. That's what that word means.
That means that His glory that we just read about way back in
Exodus is still His glory today. It has not changed. He said,
I am the Lord, I change not, Therefore you sons of Jacob are
not consumed by this devouring fire. And it's because He will
show mercy on whom He'll show mercy. It says He is the same
yesterday and today and forever. He is uncorruptible. He's pure. There is absolutely
no sin in Him. He's uncorruptible. Now listen
to this, he cannot be influenced. He's uncorruptible. He can't
be influenced. But verse 22 right here in our
text says, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools
and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image. Made like two corruptible men
and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. That image
is in their mind and in their hearts. It's what they think
about Him. It's what they think of Him. Men and women who don't know
God, who do not know who He is, they've brought Him down in their
mind. They're convinced that He's a
certain way. And they've brought Him down
to their level, and they've made Him to be a figment of their
imagination. That's who God is today. They call Him Jesus. And that is His name. That's
God's name. But they're not talking about
the same Jesus that we're reading in this scripture. talking about
another Jesus. Now turn with me over to 2 Corinthians
chapter 11. 2 Corinthians 11, look at verse
3. It says, I fear, lest by any
means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth
another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another
spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel which you have
not accepted, you might well bear with him." You might well
bear with him. This other Jesus is not the God
of the Bible. Our text, Romans 1 verse 22 says,
"...pervessing themselves to be wise, They became fools and
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping
things. This man Jesus, this other Jesus, He's preached all
over the place and He's believed all over the place. And He's just a man like me.
That's who that Jesus is. They've changed the glory of
this uncorruptible God into an image just like me. Corruptible man. First of all,
they believe that He was made. It says they changed the glory
of the uncorruptible God into an image made. Look over at verse
3 here in Romans 1. It says, "...concerning His Son
Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David
according to the flesh." That word made means He became flesh. It doesn't mean He was created
like verse 20. That's a different word made.
Look at it. Verse 20 says, For the invisible
things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal
power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. He was. He existed before it. and He became flesh. That's the important thing to
know about our God, Jesus Christ. He was in the beginning and at
His appointed time, He was made flesh. He did not begin. There is no beginning to Him.
Verse four in Romans one says, he was declared to be the son
of God with power. Jesus the Christ was not made,
not made. I see movies that I wish I hadn't
seen. I hear things I wish I never heard.
I'll see a movie and I'll think it's just the greatest movie,
and then they'll say something that just ruins it for me. They'll
disgrace our God, you know, making fun of Him being a little baby,
cute little baby. A child is born, but you call
Him the everlasting Father. He was not made. Turn over to
John chapter 8. John chapter 8, look at verse
56. It says, Your father Abraham
rejoiced to see My day. This is the Lord Jesus Christ
talking. And He said, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day.
And he saw it and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him,
Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, before
Abraham was, I am. Before Abraham was, I am. Our God, the Lord Jesus Christ
is eternal. Now there was a man named Jack
Shanks. Have you ever heard of his name? A preacher from Houston,
Texas, Jack Shanks. And he had a real Texas Southern
drawl. And he was preaching to a group
of kids. He was doing a Bible study to a group of kids. And
he said, God is eternal. And a little boy raised his hand
and said, did you say God is eternal? And he said, no, no. God is eternal. He's eternal. From everlasting
to everlasting. But our text, Romans 1 verse
22 says, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools
and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image
made like two corruptible men. Most people think He's weak. They wouldn't say that, but that's
what they think. They think he's weak. They think
those mean soldiers, those just awful mean soldiers, they were
stronger than he was and they grabbed him and they nailed him
to that cross. And that's just not so. He nailed himself to that cross. He said, no man takes my life
from me. It's not possible. I lay it down. Many people believe that He can
be influenced like corruptible man. If you take the first step,
that's going to influence Him, and then He'll take the second. He said you can't take a step
at all. You're dead in your trespasses and sins. You're dead. If you're
going to walk in newness of life, I've got to give you that life
in the first place. Many people believe he was a
good man. This was a good man. Good humanitarian. Everybody wants to go on a mission
trip. We're going to go down to New Orleans and we're going
to build some houses for the poor. And the church is going
to do it. We're doing it in the name of
God. We're on a mission trip. That's not a mission trip. That's
a humanitarian trip. That's what it is. There's no
gospel in that. Now, if you're going to go somewhere
and amidst all the ruins declare who Jesus Christ is, that's a
mission trip. But to grab a hammer and nail,
that's a humanitarian trip. We're going to do this in the
name of Jesus. He was a good man. He was a good humanitarian. He was a good example. He had
a good plan. Of all the ways, His was the
best. He was a good plan. He had a
good goal. He tried real hard. What they
don't know is every single thing He did was according to purpose. And when he went back to glory
after everything that was written about him, and he sat down at
the right hand of the majesty on high, he said, Father, the
work that you gave me to do, I finished it. Nothing left undone. No more to do. It is finished. Our God is absolutely nothing
like us. Isn't that the best news you've
heard all day? I am so weak. I'm so tired. We've been up late
every night this week. I'm exhausted. I'm weak. My flesh is weak. My God is nothing
like me. My God is able to, in spite of
me, take His Word and bless His Word. He used a donkey. He can use this old sinful piece
of flesh. In spite. Of that, this unbelieving world,
verse 23 says, has changed the glory of the uncorruptible God
into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds. Birds are harmless. They're harmless as doves. They're just fragile little creatures.
They fly around, they just sing, they're just so sweet. And many
people believe Jesus is harmless. He's harmless. He's just a fragile
little creature. He's just so sweet. Smile. God loves you. We'll put it on
the sign. He wants you in His family. Church couldn't be church without
you. Couldn't spell church without you. He loves you. Does he? Are you sure about that? Apparently
they never read Exodus 15 three, which says the Lord is a man
of war. We just read in Exodus 24 that
He's a devouring fire. Put that on the sign. Run. Jesus is a devouring fire. He said in Matthew 10.34, Think
not that I am come to send peace on the earth. I came not to send
peace, but a sword. How many people do you think
really know that? Really? It is such great mercy
to know that. That's mercy. To know that, verse
22 in Romans 1 says, professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an
image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed
beast. I couldn't help but think of
a sheep or a cow just standing in the field, just standing there. What's he doing? Waiting. Just waiting on you. He's just
standing there. He don't have anything to do.
He's just standing there. You're the one living life. You're
the one doing things. He's just waiting. He'll just
be there when you need Him. Listen to Colossians 1.
You don't have to turn there. This is Colossians 1, verses
16 and 17. It says, For by Him were all
things created that are in heaven and that are in earth. visible
and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him, and He is
before all things, and by Him all things consist." The only reason I just took my
last breath of air is because Jesus Christ allowed me to. That's
the only reason. He commanded it. Breathe. Breathe. Verse 22 says, Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man
and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. So many people have God reduced
down in their minds to a beggar. That's what they think He is.
A creeping thing. Crawling on His belly, begging
people to let Him save them. Won't you let Jesus into your
heart? What's wrong with you? He wants
to save you if you'll let Him. No, He doesn't. He sure doesn't. He does not want to save you.
He doesn't want to do anything. If He wants me to be saved, I'm
saved. Turn with me to Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43, look at verse 11. I, even I, am the Lord, and beside
me there is no Savior. I have declared and have saved,
and I have showed when there was no strange God among you.
Therefore you are my witness, saith the Lord, that I am God. Yea, before the day was, I am
He, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. I will
work, and who shall let it? Who's gonna allow it? Or who's
gonna stop me? That is our God. That's our God. By the grace
of God, only by His grace and mercy to us. We don't want to
change the glory of the incorruptible God, do we? He is perfect. I don't want to change one thing.
I can't. But if I could, I wouldn't change one thing. I love, we
all love the glory of God. We love His sovereignty. We love His majesty. We love
His power. We love the fact that He's nothing
like us. That's the thing I love about
Him the most. We love the fact that He's able to keep us. We
love the fact that our lives are in His hands. And in spite
of us, He will do what He's purposed to do. I cannot mess it up. In spite of me, He will do what
He's purposed to do. We're about to see that in the
next hour. In spite of me. So because of His glory and because
of His majesty, let's not degrade Him with religious images made
like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts
and creeping things. Turn with me, or let me just
read it to you. Exodus 20, this is verses 4 and
5. It says, Thou shalt not make
unto thee any graven image, that's an image for religious worship,
or any likeness of anything that's in heaven above or that's in
the earth beneath, or that's in the water under the earth,
thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them. For I,
the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate me." Let's get rid of the doves with the
olive branches in their mouths. Let's get rid of that. Let's
get rid of the cross that has some man hanging on it who could
never represent our suffering Lord. His visage was so marred
more than any man. That beautiful man they've got
hanging on that cross, he's a handsome man, isn't he? That's not our
Lord. His visage was so marred more than any man. It is so un-glorifying
to Him to put some guy on a cross. Let's get rid of the fish decals
on our cars. All they're doing is bringing
glory to us, saying, look how religious we are. We cannot worship
God in spirit when we worship idols made with hands. It's not
possible. They become God's to us. They do. Those things become
God's to us. May our true and living God be
merciful to us and reveal Himself to us and cause us to say this
with the Apostle Paul, Now unto the King eternal, immortal, Invisible,
the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen. All right, you're
dismissed. One, two, three. Thank you.