Scary Words Bumper Video

Welcome back to Redemption Church in Plano Tx. Greetings in Jesus name! My name is Chris Fluitt and I am excited to have people in the room and people not in the room but connecting through technology, all receiving the Word of God together.

Welcome to the 2nd week of our Spooky Sermon Series – Scary Words

Scary Words

We are going cover to cover to find the scariest words in your Bible.

Last week we told you about the word Ichabod, which means “the glory has departed.”

If God’s presence & blessing were to withdraw from our life it would be very scary.

The children of Israel where not aware of God’s gradual goodbye in Ezekiel 10.  We need to be aware of God’s presence everyday of our lives.

Today I want us to turn together to Romans chapter 1 where we start reading at verse 16.

Romans 1 is a scary chapter.  We could spend multiple weeks digging into the scary warnings of this chapter.

Romans 1:16-17 (NIV) 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Righteousness Revealed

Good news! Through the Gospel (good news) the righteousness of God has been revealed!

The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and on through this gospel is the righteousness of God revealed.

Do we understand the word righteousness?

Righteousness = Right Standing with God

From the Strong’s concordance, righteousness means “the state of him who is as he ought to be; the condition acceptable to God”

You, as you ought to be is righteous.
You, as you were created to be is righteous.
You, in your best possible condition is to be acceptable to God.

Righteousness Revealed

The gospel of Jesus Christ reveals the righteousness of God.

Righteousness is not a secret mystery.

You do not have to go through life wondering how to be the best version of you.  Righteousness is revealed in Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:18 (NIV) The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

Wrath Revealed

Paul teaches the people of Rome good news about a righteousness revealed, and he then teaches them something scary!  Paul teaches them about the wrath of God being revealed.

Wrath is a scary word.  I could have easily made it our scary word for this sermon. I have another scary word to share with you today, but wrath is a word that we must understand.

Do we understand what wrath is?

Wrath – Holy Revulsion of Unholy Acts

Wrath (Greek word Orge) Strong settled anger and opposition to evil. Holy Revulsion to that which is against His Holy nature.

God must reject the things that are against God’s holy nature.

God cannot smile upon evil and still be good.
God cannot hangout with unholy behavior and still be holy.
God cannot make a truce with sin and be pure.

Evil, unholy behavior, and sin is not just to God’s disliking… it is not an unpleasant tasting entre that God sends back to the kitchen.

Evil, unholy behavior, and sin are against the very nature of God.

It is not that God would simply prefer you to act different.
It is not that God has certain house rules.

Our sinful acts are against the very Holy nature of God and he must be opposed to our sin.  This opposition is called wrath.

Romans 1:18 (NIV) The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

The Bible speaks of a day of God’s wrath, when he removes those who are unholy from His holy presence. This day of wrath will come… BUT in Romans 1 Paul is not saying that one day the wrath of God will be revealed. Paul is saying wrath is being revealed now.

In a few verses Paul taught us about a righteousness revealed, followed by a wrath revealed…

Where is Paul going with this Bible study?

Romans 1:19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Righteousness is revealed.
Wrath is revealed.
God revealed

Verse 19 says the knowledge of God is plain. God has made His existence and knowledge plain.

This is not a recent development in the time of Paul…

Verse 20 says “since the creation of the world…”  God has been revealing Himself since Genesis 1:1. The creation of the world reveals the creator.

If you didn’t have a Bible where you could read about the creation account, you could still look up into the night sky, look upon the beauty of nature, see the plants and animals and have God the creator revealed to you.

Verse 20 continues to tell us that the INVISIBLE QUALITIES of God – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen.. being understood… so that people are without excuse.

Righteousness Revealed

Wrath Revealed

God revealed

And this brings us to our scary word.

Anapologētos – Without Excuse

This Greek word means inexcusable and indefensible.

Have you ever gotten in trouble, but you had a good excuse?  You had a good defensive argument that helped you avoid punishment.

Teacher, the dog ate my homework.
Officer, there is a medical emergency.
I know it looks bad, but there are extenuating circumstances.  I have an excuse…

 

Here is a list of popular excuses.

I’m too old.
I’m too young.
I don’t have enough time.
I still have enough time. I can start later..
I’m too busy.
It is my personality… I’m impatient. I’m an introvert.
I don’t have the resources.
I had a rough childhood.
 

Oh the excuses we tell ourselves.

The #1 thing keeping you from a better life is your excuses.

An excuse is the #1 thing keeping you from…
A better marriage
A healthier body
A more successful career
A powerful ministry

The #1 thing keeping us from better, is ourselves.

If you could defeat your excuses today, there is no telling what could happen in your life.

 

On that great day of judgment, there will be a great white throne. God the judge will sit on that throne. Your Bible says that all the dead will rise again to stand before that throne.

Revelation 20:11 (NIV)Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

People are going to be asked, “why did you steal?” “Why did you murder?”  “Why did you blaspheme God’s name?”

“Why didn’t you love?”  “Why didn’t you serve others?” “Why didn’t you obey God?”

On that day I predict the number one excuse presented will be…

I didn’t know.
 

I didn’t know there was a God.
I didn’t know the Bible was true.
I didn’t know Jesus was your son.
I didn’t know what I was doing was sinful.
I didn’t know about the gospel.
I didn’t know about repentance.

“God how can you punish me for something I never knew about?”

It is the old “ignorance is bliss” argument.

 

Someone help me today. When someone stands before the great white throne judgment and says “I didn’t know,” will that work as a defense? Will that be a good excuse on judgment day?

The I didn’t know excuse will not hold up in God’s court.

Righteousness is revealed.
Wrath is revealed.
God is revealed.

Romans 1:20 (NIV) 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

The power of a creator is clearly seen.
Rule and order are clearly seen.
God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and nature – are clearly seen.

We are all without excuse.

Anapologētos – Without Excuse

The Buddhist will not be able to stand on that day and say they didn’t know.
The atheist will not be able to testify that they were unaware.
The person who lives a degenerate lifestyle will have no excuse.
The person who tries to live a moral lifestyle will also have no excuse.

No pardon.
No defense.
No excuse.

On this day of judgment it will not help to pray.
On this day of judgment it will be too late to repent.
On this day of judgment it won’t help to quote scripture.

I don’t know the day or the hour when the Lord will return. I do not know the day of that great white throne judgment. BUT here is something I am sure of…

If you are making excuses today, you may try to make excuses on that day.

Are you making excuses today?

When you are confronted with your sin, do you repent or do you make or an excuse?
There are next steps you need to be making in God, or you making those steps or are you making excuses?
There is a God purpose for your life, or you fulfilling that purpose or are you making excuses?
Are you growing as a worshipper? Or do you make excuses that you don’t want other to see you.

When the Word of God is preached we either make a change, or we make an excuse.

What will you do today?

 

As we get ready to talk to God today, I want us to take a moment and imagine a scary moment.

I want you to imagine the great white throne judgement.

White Throne Judgment

I want you to imagine a multitude of people larger than anything you have ever experienced.

You want to be anywhere else, but there is no where else to go.  The earth and sky have fled away from the presence of this throne.

One by one people stand before that great white throne… the one who sits upon that throne is so bright you can barely make out his features. And yet you know immediately that it is God who sits on this throne.

One by one people stand at that throne and books are opened. One book we know the name of – it is “the lambs book of life.”  There are other books and we are judged by what is in them… Some of these books may be the Word of God. It could be the 66 books of the Bible laid open to see how your life compares to God’s commands.  There are also books that inside are written the things we had done in life…

As people go before this throne, all you can think about is the life you have lived and what might be written in those books.

Your name is called and you suddenly stand before the brightest light you have ever seen.

 

All your life is laid bare for all to see…
The times you stole.
The times you cursed and lost your temper.
The secret sins that you did your best to hide in your life… those sins are now dragged out into the light for all to see.

 

In the books it said you were to love God… and you did not.
You were to love your neighbor… and you did not.
You were to not worship other gods… but you did… you worshipped yourself the most.
You murdered people in your heart… you committed adultery in your heart…

Your mind goes back to moments where you could have made a change.. but only made excuses.
Some on this day remember times they were in a church service and a pastor pleaded with them to come pray.

What written in Romans 1 is 100% true.
God’s righteousness is revealed.
God’s wrath against sin is revealed.
God’s presence is revealed.
And you are anapologetos – without excuse.

Anapologētos – Without Excuse

You cannot defend yourself.
You cannot excuse yourself.
You cannot save yourself.

Friend, does this scare you?  It should.

None of us can save ourselves.  We all deserve the wrath of God.

 

But there is one more book… the lamb’s book of life.

If your name is in that book… you have a defender.
If your name is in that book… you have someone who has pardoned you.
If your name is in that book… you have a savior.

Are you excused by the one who gave his blood for you on the cross?

Ephesians 1:6 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Will you make a change, or an excuse today?