Well, if you'd like to get your Bibles, turn to Romans chapter 1.
I've lived in Chatswood now for just over 13 years, and I can still remember vividly
my first experience of moving to Chatswood.
One of those experiences was rain.
Amazingly, rain for me was weird in Chatswood because it came from every direction.
My experience was rain always came from the west until I moved here and it came from
any direction, unpredictably.
Secondly, I noticed the noise never stopped.
Thirdly, I remember not being able to sleep well because it was so bright at night.
I was wondering who had left lights on in the house.
Light pollution is a very real thing, and it's a real thing in Chatswood.
It's not good for sleeping, but it is good if you want to go for a walk at night and
you've forgotten your torch.
The major downside is we miss something that is so glorious and spectacular.
I have never experienced the wonder glittering night sky in Chatswood.
Never.
In 13 years, never seen it here at all.
You've got to go west to experience the wonder of the universe and to sense your smallness.
I've never seen the Milky Way or a shooting star in Chatswood.
Every light I see in the sky in Chatswood at night is on track to land at Sydney Airport.
Or it's on flashing the top of a building of a crane or something like that.
What makes the heavenly lights so bright is and so attractive is that it's set against the scene of the ink blackness of the sprawling universe.
That's what makes them stand out and so glorious.
The night, the brighter the stars, and it's the same with the gospel.
It's the same with the core message of the Christian faith.
Last week, Romans chapter 1, verses 16 and 17, we investigated the Apostle Paul's thesis in a nutshell about the Christian faith.
Why is that so glorious and spectacular?
Why is that such great news?
Why is receiving God's righteousness through Jesus Christ the only way to have a right standing with our creator God?
We get the answer to that in verses 18 through to chapter 3, verse 20.
What we have here is a devastating critique of human nature.
It is a dark picture of humanity that shows us why we cannot earn, deserve, or attain righteousness ourselves.
And yet it is against this spiritual backdrop of blackest night that the light of the good news of the gospel shines even brighter for us.
So you've got an outline that will come up on the screen.
Three major points.
I'm going to kick off with revealing righteous anger.
At the end of last week's text, it's as Paul's summary.
His gospel nutshell, if you like, the heart of Christianity.
He says, he writes here,
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.
For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed.
A righteousness that is by faith from first to last.
First to last.
Now in the original language, verse 18 begins with the word for.
That is, it's connected, deeply connected.
It flows directly on from verse 17.
The connection is showing us that the gospel is necessary.
Not just simply to make us happy or in John Piper's words, to give us a ticket out of hell.
It is necessary because we have a big, big problem that needs to be resolved.
And Paul's confidence, joy, and passion for the good news is resting on the assumption
that all human beings, apart from Jesus, are under the righteous, justified anger of their creator God.
Without a clear understanding of God's righteous anger,
then the gift of his righteousness to us in Jesus will never thrill us,
will never empower us, and it will never transform us.
God's anger against human sin is a settled, fair, right, and a present reality.
In verse 18, we are told that God's wrath is being revealed.
It doesn't say that it will be revealed, but that it is being revealed.
It's a reality now.
And so it prompts two questions.
The why question and the how question.
Why is it being revealed and how is it being revealed?
Verse 18 tells us that God is angry because of humanity's godlessness and wickedness.
Godlessness is a word that summarizes, if you like,
a disregard for God and a breaking of relationship with him.
Wickedness is a word that summarizes disregard for people and breaking relationship with people.
That is, it captures both our vertical and horizontal relationships.
Mark chapter 12, verses 29 to 31 tells us the greatest commandment.
It's to love God, love people, vertical and horizontal.
Verses 19 and 20 says that the breaking of relationship with God and with people
is something that all of us are responsible for.
Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them,
for since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities,
his eternal power and his divine nature have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
So the beginning of verse 21 goes as far as saying that all human beings,
everywhere and at all times, know God.
They know God.
God has made himself plain to them since and in the creation of the world.
God reveals a God of eternal power, a being of divine nature,
a God to whom we are utterly dependent and completely accountable.
Now, creation doesn't reveal everything that we need to know about God.
God is not.
But it's not hard to conclude that if the universe is great,
then there is something greater that is behind that universe.
It philosophically does not work to hold to the view
that there is a spectacular universe that happened by accident.
It does not philosophically work to say that a God of order does not exist,
but to point to scientific evidence at the same time.
Scientific evidence works on the assumption of order and not chaos.
But I'm not here to argue all those points.
Verse 18 says that we suppress that truth.
If we suppress that truth,
we will never understand who we are
or why the world is as it is.
And so Paul says we are without excuse.
As verse 21 says,
every human knows God,
but no human glorifies God or gives thanks to him.
That is, God's issue with humanity
is not so much that we're rude
and that we've got bad manners.
You know, I'm really cranky with people
because they forgot to say please and thank you and pardon me.
It's not that.
The issue is that we are glory stealers.
We are glory stealers.
We take what God has made
and we pass it off as if it's our own.
Ours.
Which really is another way of saying
that we don't acknowledge our dependence upon our creator
and we claim independence instead.
We live under the illusion
that we call the shots
and that we can decide what is right
and what is wrong.
What's interesting in these verses
is what it says
about how we practice
this suppression of the knowledge of God.
We push it down.
We hold it down.
We are people
made in the image of God
and we are made to worship God.
And when we reject God,
we don't by nature stop worshipping.
We transfer our worship to another thing.
That's what we do.
We simply shift at the object of our worship.
Have a look at verse 23.
They exchanged.
It's a key word here in this text.
Exchanged the glory of the immortal God
for images made to look like a mortal human being
and birds and animals and reptiles.
It's there again in verse 25.
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie
and worshipped and served,
created things rather than the creator.
So people are created for worship
and if they don't worship their creator God,
then they worship something else.
They don't stop worshipping.
They just worship something else.
There must be something which captures our attention,
which shapes our hope
and in which we put our security.
It becomes our centre of our being.
This thing we must have
for our sense of validation
and for our worth
and whatever it is, we serve it.
You can generally tell what it is
because when I kick it for you,
you get angry.
When someone challenges it in any kind of way,
your response is an angry response.
We give ultimate affection
to a created and a good thing
rather than the God who alone
is worthy of ultimate affection
and ultimate worship.
Rather than worshipping the immortal,
we worship what he has made.
That's why he is angry
against humanity.
But Paul also explains
how God's anger is being revealed
in the present here.
Verse 24.
Therefore, God gave them over
in the sinful desires of their hearts.
The two words sinful desires there
in verse 24
comes from a single word
in the original New Testament language
which literally means an over desire.
An over desire.
That is,
it means an all controlling drive
and longing and passion.
The main issue for us
is not so much
that we have desires
for evil and bad things,
but that we have over desires
for created good things.
Over desires.
Controlling passions for those things.
We turn good,
created things
into ultimate God things.
We go from good things
to God things.
We just take an O out
is what we do.
They go from being good things
to God things.
And those good things,
when they become God things,
turn into being evil things,
bad things,
destructive things.
The worst thing that can happen to us
is to be given
what our hearts desire
if it's not God.
As Oscar Wilde,
not a Christian himself,
summed it up well,
when the gods wish to punish us,
they answer our prayers.
They answer our prayers.
God's judgment on godlessness
and wickedness
is to give us
what we want.
And that ultimately
is the picture of hell.
Every person who will be there
will want to be there.
It's what we have chosen
for ourselves.
Since our hearts
were made to be centered
on God
and since he is our creator
and our provider,
the provider of our satisfaction
and our significance
and our identity,
every alternative
that we set our hearts on
ultimately will not satisfy us.
God gives us over
to whatever it is
that we have exchanged
worship of God for
and we will worship
and we will serve those things.
They will control us
because they are not God
and they will control us
because they are not God.
They will never satisfy us.
They are created things.
They are less than us
and they will always control us.
They will enslave us.
We will always want more.
The tragedy of humanity
of which I am one.
I want you to be clear about this.
I am deeply in this text.
The tragedy of my life
and your life
and humanity
is we strive for
and we fail to find
in creation
what we could simply receive
and enjoy
from our creator.
We suppress the truth
which would free
and satisfy us.
But the tragedy is
what the heart loves
the will chooses
and the mind justifies.
What the heart loves
the will chooses
and the mind justifies.
Secondly
revealing the consequences of sin
until verse 24
Paul's been focusing
on humanity's
vertical relationship
with their creator.
While not everything
about him
is obvious
from creation
he has made
his presence
and his power
known in the fabric
of what he has made.
Sin
is where
instead of
honouring him
by living
independent
gratitude
we suppress the truth
and we give honour
to created things.
But sin
doesn't just ruin
relationship with God
it ruins
everything else
as well.
Damaging our
vertical relationships
with God
also damages
our horizontal
relationships
with people.
As I said previously
and I'll say it again
the word exchanged
is key
in understanding
what sin is
in verse 23
and 25
we exchange
the created God
for created things
we make those things
our God
instead
that is
what we have here
is an upheaval
of the created order
this exchanging
and disordering
of creation
continues
because of our
fractured relationship
with God
it flows on
from there
and so in verses
26 and 27
because of this
God gave them
over to shameful lust
even their women
exchanged
natural sexual relations
for unnatural ones
in the same way
the men also
abandoned
natural relations
with women
and were inflamed
with lust
for one another
men committed
shameful acts
with other men
and received
in themselves
the due penalty
for their error
and this is one
of the more
controversial passages
in the Bible
it's the longest
passage on the Bible
on the issue
of homosexuality
let me say
that more recently
many have attempted
to suggest
that the
historic
traditional
understanding
of these verses
has been mistaken
for instance
there is a suggestion
that these verses
refer to people
who act against
their own nature
rather than
the nature
however
there's a number
of pushbacks
against that
the reference
to unnatural
relations
in verses 26
and 27
is literally
against nature
in the original
language
that is
homosexual practice
and I'm talking
about practice
here
not orientation
homosexual practice
is a violation
of the nature
the created
nature of God
Paul does not
here
state
these people
exchanged
their nature
their orientation
that is
they're not going
against their
personal orientation
the nature
of their personal
orientation
but they are
going against
the nature
of sexual
functioning
there is no
reference here
to natural
or unnatural
feelings
it is to
natural
and unnatural
function
that's the
reference
and the context
matters too
Paul is outlining
here
a scathing
critique
of pagan
society
as a whole
he's not
referring here
to the sexual
preferences
of some
members
of that
society
but society
as a whole
he's addressing
human nature
and not the
nature of
certain
individuals
he's not
judging
sexual
immorality
on the
basis
of an
inner
disposition
of the
individual
but in
accordance
with
biblical
revelation
on the
natural
functioning
of humans
from
created
order
now
some
have
suggested
that the
word
nature
here
means
convention
meaning
that
it's
against
the
generally
accepted
practice
in
certain
times
and certain
places
that is
it's
against
the
cultural
practice
of Paul's
day and
age
so it's
against
the
society's
acceptance
of it
the reality
is that
is just
a misreading
of
entire
misreading
of history
he is
arguing
against
homosexual
practice
not because
it was
accepted
culturally
unacceptable
culturally
then
homosexual
practice
was
acceptable
practice
in his
day and
age
he is
writing
this letter
from
Corinth
sin
city
people
had
sex
in
the
streets
in
broad
daylight
he is
writing
from
here
where
it
was
both
acceptable
in
Corinth
and
in
the
Roman
Empire
to
have
both
a
wife
and
your
family
and
a
homosexual
lover
at
the
same
time
openly
another
argument
is that
Paul is
only
referring
here to
promiscuous
homosexual
practice
and not
against
long-term
settled
relationships
long-term
settled
relationships
homosexual
relationships
in the
Roman
Empire
was also
acceptable
practice
it was
culturally
acceptable
and there
is nothing
in this
text that
suggests
even for
a moment
that he
only has
certain
practice
in mind
and not
others
Paul
had
access
to
language
to
distinguish
between
certain
things
and
certain
practices
in his
day
access
to
language
that
Greek
philosophers
like
Plato
themselves
used
to
distinguish
Paul
doesn't
use
any
of
them
here
even
though
he
had
access
to
all
of
it
all
of
it
if
he
had
certain
practices
in
mind
he
could
have
easily
had
access
to
that
language
and
implanted
in
the
text
and
he
doesn't
as a
cultured
and
travelled
Roman
citizen
Paul
would
have
been
very
familiar
with
long
term
stable
loving
relationships
between
same
sex
couples
and
yet
that
does
not
stop
him
here
from
identifying
them
as
not
the
creator's
intention
for
human
flourishing
Paul
is
saying
here
is a
way
in
which
God
has
in
his
righteous
settled
just
anger
for
human
sin
given
people
over
to
over
desires
and
to
experience
its
consequences
and
that
is
how
the
end
of
verse
27
should
be
understood
the
reference
there
to
due
penalty
for
their
error
in
verse
27
is
just
really
simply
the
reaping
of
the
results
of
exchanging
God
for a
lesser
thing
which
is a
biblical
definition
of
idolatry
the
due
penalty
for
their
error
is the
consequence
of
idolatry
this
means
that
whatever
due
penalty
is
in
verse
27
it
is
not
restricted
to
homosexual
practice
the
due
penalty
stuff
in
verse
27
is
not
restricted
to
homosexual
practice
this
is
due
penalty
for
all
sin
all
human
beings
suffer
the
due
penalty
for
the
rejection
of
God
and
we
carry
it
in
our
lives
every
day
now
the
Bible
is
clear
and
I'm
very
mindful
this
is a
politically
charged
subject
and it's
not just
politically
charged
it is
deeply
pastoral
and
personal
for
many
people
including
dear
friends
of
mine
the
Bible
is
clear
both
in
the
Old
Testament
and
the
New
Testament
that
practicing
homosexual
sex
as a
settled
unrepentant
pattern of
behaviour
is indicative
of an
attitude
of rejection
of Jesus
Lordship
and
according
to
1
Corinthians
6
this
leaves
a
person
outside
of
his
kingdom
but
hear me
say
this
never
ever
outside
of his
reach
of his
mercy
never
now
there's
much more
that could
be said
on this
subject
but I do
want to
make two
observations
lengthy
observations
firstly
notice that
the first
thing that
Paul
highlights
in these
verses
is
heterosexual
sex
is that
all
sex
outside
of a
biblical
definition
of
marriage
in
verse
24
is
sin
and he
says that
before he
gets to
homosexual
sex
in verses
26 and
27
that is
both
result
in
and are
an
outworking
of
God's
giving
over
in
judgment
all
forms
of
sex
outside
of a
marriage
covenant
between a
man and a
woman
are in
view
here
not just
some
all
are a
form of
exchanging
God's
good
order
and
are
therefore
idolatry
and all
result
in
due
penalty
let me
take this
a bit
further
on this
issue
elsewhere
in his
letters
Paul
mentions
other
examples
of
idolatrous
behaviour
he doesn't
just think
of sex
as idolatrous
behaviour
other
examples
of idolatrous
behaviour
for instance
in
Colossians
3
verse 5
he calls
greed
idolatry
that is
greed
is an
over
desire
for more
more
my sense
of worth
validation
is in
my bank
accounts
and my
possessions
that is
greed
is just
as
indicative
of
idolatry
and a
giving over
as sexual
immorality
is
I'll go
even further
Galatians
4
verses
8
and 9
Paul
addresses
Christians
who have
been pagans
before they
became
Christians
in Jesus
and who
are now
tempted
to take
on
Jewish
religious
laws
in order
to be
saved
this is
what he
says
formally
when you
did not
know
God
you were
slaves
to those
who by
nature
are not
gods
but now
that you
know
God
or rather
are known
by God
how is it
that you
are turning
back to
those
weak
and miserable
forces
do you
think
do you
wish to
be enslaved
by them
all over
again
Paul's
point
there
is
that the
seeking
of blessing
and salvation
through
biblical
morality
through
religious
practice
is
just
as much
of an
idolatry
as
greed
and
sexual
immorality
we
worship
whatever
we think
will give
us a
sense
of
identity
worth
validation
and a
sense
of
fulfillment
if we
do not
worship
our
creator
God
then we
will
worship
something
else
it could
well be
sexual
gratification
increasing
our wealth
and our
possessions
or
practicing
religion
the point
is
none of
these
things
and this
is absolutely
essential
for us
to get
none of
these
things
are
more
or
less
serious
than
the
others
this
leads me
to the
second
observation
while
I want
to
declare
that
homosexual
practice
is a
sin
with
all
sexual
immorality
as a
sin
it is
not the
worst
sin
it is
not the
worst
sin
all
sexual
immorality
is
sinful
including
you
married
men
who are
engaged
in
pornography
it's
sinful
sexual
immorality
and
Paul
will in
a moment
go on
and list
a whole
bunch
of sins
in the
following
verses
and he
calls
all of
these
acts
wickedness
that flow
out of
rejection
of the
truth
of God
so
friends
what I
want to
do
here
the
line
I
want us
to walk
as a
church
is to
have such
confidence
in God
and his
word
that we
call sin
what he
calls sin
I do
want to
avoid the
error of
some
churches
possibly
for some
in a
desire for
relevance
and to
be welcoming
and loving
for those
of the
homosexual
community
and others
and I
embrace
that idea
but what
they've done
in that
they have
downplayed
or denied
the clear
teaching of
scripture
on this
issue
I also
at the
same time
want to
avoid the
error of
those who
take the
Bible
seriously
on
homosexuality
but do
so
from a
very
self
righteous
way
for them
this is
the sin
that really
matters
they may
not do it
overtly
and you
may not do
it overtly
but they
speak and
live
as if
this is
it
this is
the sin
they do
not seek
to love
and welcome
gay people
but they
seek to
love and
get alongside
their Hindu
neighbours
or their
friends who
are committing
adultery
or some
other sexual
sin
Romans 1
is not
doing either
of those
things here
Paul is
not saying
it doesn't
matter what
you do
God's
okay with
it so
get along
with it
and be
happy
he's not
saying that
but he's
also not
saying what
you do
matters so
much
that I
don't want
to love
you
I don't
want to
witness
to you
and if
you are
somehow
that's as if
somehow you're
beyond the
gospel
or that you're
beyond God's
mercy
or you're
beyond the
welcoming and
embracing
of the local
church
can I say
that you
can always
tell if the
latter is
ultimately your
attitude
because you
will see
sexual sin
and in our
day and age
you will see
homosexuality
as a
perversion
but you
do not see
your gossip
your greed
your rampant
materialism
your slandering
of another
your anger
you don't see
any of those
things a
perversion
you don't
feel the
weight of
any of
that
how can
you possibly
think
that one
sin like
sexual sin
is a
perversion
but your
impatience is
justified in
any way
we do
not have a
hierarchy
of sin
there is
no gospel
breakthrough
for any
of us
until we
feel the
weight of
our sin
not someone
else's sin
our sin
and so
that is the
first step
needed to
break through
to gospel
hope and for
a joy and
freedom
is to be
confronted by
our own
sinfulness
our own
sinfulness
we need to
come to
that place
where we
realize like
the apostle
Paul in
1 Timothy
1 15
I
I am
the worst
sinner I
know
me
if you
can
specifically
outline
a history
of people's
sin
against you
but you
cannot go
clearly to
your own
sin
and if
one makes
you angry
and the
other one
doesn't
break you
you haven't
yet had
gospel
breakthrough
you're living
in Chatswood
with light
pollution
you can't
see the
glory of
the stars
if Jesus
would come
and die
for my
sin
then there
is no
one he
would not
die for
I've already
jumped into my
third point
seeing ourselves
here
that's my
final point
we see
ourselves
in this
text
Romans 1
is not
about some
people
it's about
all of us
one way or
another
verses 28
to 32
we have
this
unsettling
list
not an
exhaustive
list
but an
unsettling
list
of an
outworking
of idolatry
it's the
outworking
of the
suppression
of the
knowledge
of God
of not
thinking it
worthwhile
to retain
the knowledge
of God
the list
is an
all
encompassing
list
even if
it's not
detailed
that is
it includes
economic
disorder
in verse
29
with greed
in getting
verse 29
social
disorder
with murder
and strife
and deceit
and malice
in verse
30
we family
disorder
with disobeying
parents
in verse
31
further
relational
disorder
with senselessness
and faithless
and heartless
and ruthless
the point
this all
points to
what is
known here
as
historically
the Christian
doctrine
of total
depravity
it touches
everything
it means
that sin
has touched
every single
part
of who we
are
and everything
that we
do
it doesn't
mean that
we're
that human
beings
are as bad
as they
possibly
could be
because God's
grace to
all of
humanity
is that he
doesn't just
hand us
over to the
full extent
of our
sin
he by his
grace
restrains
so much
wickedness
hell
is where
he lets
go
and you're
on your
own
right now
we exist
with the
blessings
of his
gracious
hand on
our lives
this here
chapter is a
dark view
of humanity
but
it fits
so well
with the
reality
of the
world in
which we
live
every
religion
and system
of thinking
must account
every religion
and system
of thinking
including
secularism
must account
both
for the
awesomeness
of the
universe
and at
the same
time
of the
sorry
the awesomeness
of the
universe
the goodness
of that
human beings
are so
capable of
and at
the same
time
the brokenness
of our
world
and our
bodies
and our
lives
and our
hearts
and our
relationships
holding both
of those
things in
tension
the scriptures
the christian
message has
got a clear
understanding
of how those
two things
connect
why is there
so much beauty
in this world
and yet
why is it
so flawed
the bible's answer
is god
god
in the beauty
of the world
we are to see
god's existence
and in the
brokenness of the
world we are to
see his
justice
this
this ultimately
takes us
to the cross
both of those
things
take us
to the cross
of jesus christ
where
with both
those things
the ugliness
and the beauty
collide
for the display
of god's
mercy
towards us
the ones
who have
rejected him
this
dark
view of
humanity
in this text
draws us
into it
every single
one of us
there is no
them and us
these verses
blow away
self-righteous
pride
if that doesn't
do it for you
then come back
next week
come back next
week as the
apostle paul
turns his guns
and does a
devastating
rebuke
on the
self-righteous
those who
are pursuing
a self-righteous
morality
the religious
you see the
thing is
self-righteousness
and if this
is you at
the moment
let me just
say self-righteousness
is always
without
failure
it is
always
self-condemnatory
always
and it's the
playing field
of the
moralist
the gospel
does not
shine brightly
brilliantly
in our
lives
until we
see the
darkness
of our
hearts
but this
view of
humanity
must be
read in
the light
of verses
16 and
17
and considering
those verses
we do
we do not
need to
fear
God's
righteousness
because we
can receive
his
righteousness
the gospel
is the
motivation
and the
freedom
and the
power that
we need
to stop
suppressing
the truth
through
idolatry
and instead
finding our
greatest
sense of
satisfaction
and worth
and identity
in him
so that
we might
give God
the praise
and the
gratitude
that he
deserves
so let me
swing this
back around
this church
under my
leadership
seeks to
be a safe
place
for everyone
we are
a hospital
for rescued
sinners
none of us
are more
needed of
that rescue
than anyone
else
some of us
are not just
in the waiting
room
and some
of us
in ICU
we're all
in ICU
all of us
if you
don't see
that yet
gospel
breakthrough
awaits
for you
where you
can live
with joy
and freedom
this gospel
calls us
to be a
welcoming
church
for all
people
who are
listened
to
with
humility
patience
love
but we
are also
a discipling
community
following
Jesus
as our
Lord
this gospel
calls us
to be a
welcoming
community
but not
an affirming
one of all
positions and
lifestyles and
choices
people
can be a
no
21
or
them
Budget
school
all
in
«
»
zost
lo
«