Sermon Tone Analysis

*Alêtheia Christian Fellowship ~~ 012008 ~~ Romans 1c*

 

*Romans 1:18-20 ~~* 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

 

       The *righteousness of God* is tied to His wrath - He       must do both or neither.

There *cannot be salvation* if there’s nothing to be   saved from!

 

       *Mark 3:5 ~~* Jesus entered a synagogue and        there was a man whose hand was withered.

The Pharisees were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the      Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

Jesus said to them, “On the Sabbath is it lawful to do good or evil, to    save a life or to kill?”

But they kept silent.

*5*After looking around at them with *ange**r*, grieved at     their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out      your hand.”

And he stretched it out, and his hand was     restored.

The Pharisees went out and immediately began        conspiring to *kill Jesus*

 

    ojrgh, is not punishment of sin but God’s *attitude*       towards it – *Frustration* over people destroying    themselves and keeping others in the same boat.

By *destroying the Light* = metaphor for Truth

 

       The truth here is *not the gospel*; it is the 1st Truth –

 

       *John 1:4&5, 9-11 ~~* 4In Him was life, and the life was  the Light of men.

5The Light shines in the darkness, and    the darkness did not *comprehend* it.

*9*There was the true Light which, coming into the world,     enlightens every man.

10He was in the world, and the    world was made through Him, and the world did not       know Him.

11He came to His own, and those who were       His own did not receive Him.

 

       *comprehend* = kate>laben – forcefully hold down or       destroy – also apprehend or acquire (*overcome *RSV,     *extinguish *NLT, *put out *TM ~~~~~~ *understood* NIV,     *comprehend* NASB & KJV ~~~~~~ *mastered* NET,      *apprehend* DARBY & ASV)

 

19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

*evident within them* = in their hearts and conscience.

All mankind is *inherently religious*

 

20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

What a paradox, *invisible* things which are *visible.*

Man, able to reason on the basis of the law of *cause   and effect* is forced to the conclusion that such a   *tremendous effect* as the universe, demands a Being of eternal power and of divine attributes.

That Being must    be the Deity who *should be worshipped*.

*1 Corinthians 2:9* (quoting Isaiah) but just as it is    written,

       “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

       And which have not entered the heart of man,

       All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

 

       *Hebrews 11:1* Now faith is the assurance of things    hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

qeio>thv, means Godhead as in divine, not a personal      God and is used by Paul of Jesus in *Colossians 2:9*,       “For in Him all the fullness of *Deity* dwells in bodily      form.”

He can be *recognized by creation -* His divine        attributes, His majesty and glory can be known from His      works,

        but He can be understood or *known personally only       through the revelation of Himself in Jesus.*

Mars Hill, a]reiov pa>gov, Areopagus

        Although Corinth was the actual capital of Achaia (uh-kay-yuh) Athens     was the cultural capital of the whole ancient world.

Academy of Plato b427, (Socrates b470 council condemned 399)

        Lyceum (Lie-see-um) of Aristotle b384

        Porch or Stoa of Zeno 300

        Garden of Epicurus 300

       

       *Acts 17:23-28 ~~* 23“For while I was passing through and        examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’   Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim   to you.

24“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell       in temples made with hands; 25nor is He served by        human hands, as though He needed anything, since He      Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;       26and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their    habitation, 27that they would seek God, if perhaps they   might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far      from each one of us; 28for in Him we live and move and  exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For        we also are His children.’

Thus, through the *light* of the created universe, unsaved       man *recognizes* the fact that there is a God who      *deserves *obedience, respect, thanks, love and       adoration.

*Psalm 19:1*The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The     skies display his craftsmanship.

*Without excuse* literally means without a defense       because there is no acceptable, reasonable explanation.

*Romans 1:21-25 ~~* 21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.

Amen.

21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

timh> & qeo>v

 

       Cause and effect… *reject God* and your cogitating or       deliberating with yourself becomes futile or *without*        *achieving anything of value*.

*Proverbs 9:10*“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of       wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is   understanding.

22Professing to be wise, they became fools,

 

       Fools is mwrai>nw, moron

 

       Vain thinking is the nou~~v, mind, spirit.

Foolish heart is kardi>a, will, soul, yuch>.

Fools (act foolishly) is body, soma> sa>rx

 

       *Everyone thinks that they are wise* and yet anyone claiming such things is a fool.

*Proverbs 18:2*A fool does not delight in understanding,   but only in revealing his own mind.

23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Incorruptible is *without decay~/change*.

Descending        *order of idols* ~~ Satan is depicted as a serpent.

24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

paradi>dwmi, hand over to entrust to the care of another.

To the *natural course* – cause & effect.

God’s sovereign choice is to allow people to choose!

Lusts is epiqumi>a a passionate irresistible craving,        longing or desire of the heart, i.e. the place of will, not the mind.

People play *mind-games*, but this *desire is who we are*       and cannot be easily resisted – it is by definition a     *predisposition or addiction*.

*It’s not how God made you*!

It is the depravity you        wallow in and *can be broken* by right relationship with God.

Most *Gays* either reject Christianity altogether or change    it to be an abomination – either way they reject God’s        revealed Truth, the only thing that can save them, and go *deeper into the jungle*.

25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.

Amen.

Creature can be *creation in general* to include        everything from the tree hugger religion to Carl Sagan-  Esq.

astrophysics.

Creature can refer to *idols.*

*Ultimately the creature worshipped is self.*

26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,

 

       Female and later male, not women and men.

Men full of testosterone and drunk with power mistreated   women

             Women’s Liberation

                    Birth control

                           Promiscuity

                                 Abortion

                                        Divorce and now we’ll all pay.

God has given us over to pa>qov, even more intense.

Pathology is now the study of disease, but it was        originally the study of passion and some passion is pain   and suffering brought on by disease.

A person’s *passion is consuming* – you can’t just turn       it off!

 

27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

Sexual use of females and “*intensely burned*”

 

       Actually *Men in men* – indecent is ajschmosu>nh,       meaning *disfigured~/deformed* not normal and in this      sense shameful because it didn’t happen to you, you are *doing it to yourself*.

Men *abandon family responsibility* and act like kids.