God Vs. Man

Good, good, good evening. Good to see everyone. Glad that you are here tonight. It's good that we can come together on Wednesday night and pray. It just something about being together and pray and we could all pray at home by herself, but it's something about being with other Christians and praying and it is good to hear about Jenny starting to work Marco Marco. I said, I'm going to text her tomorrow about the lunch. Would you like me to bring you some lunch, A working woman like that working out hard 9 to 5:30 like that. So so I may do that may do that tomorrow. Alright. Well if you have your Bibles turn to Romans chapter 3, And this is the last sermon on the bad news. We've been looking at the bad news ever since the Romans 1:18. And Tonight is the last message. On the bad news, and I have entitled this message tonight. God verse Humanity. Because what I want you to do today, I just don't want you to think of this as a courtroom scene. That's the kind of mention that throughout. And Paul is kind of the prosecuting attorney here. And so, you know, Paul has been telling us that there's something wrong with humanity and he started with the Gentiles or the he started with the Heathen and then he went to the Hypocrites and then he went to the Hebrews, so that covers all of us that covers the Gentiles and covers the Jews and everyone in between and so that covers us all. And so as I said before, it's the bad news that makes the good news. Good. So before we can appreciate the good news, we need to understand the bad news. And Paul was kind of making sure that we understand the gravity of sin. So you may think that Paul was kind of a little bit morose or maybe cruel and how he writes about Sin. And of course, he had a generation that didn't want to hear about Sin and we have a generation that you don't like to hear about seeing at least from the pulpits and places like that. But if you study the book of Romans correctly, you going to hear about seeing. So, first of all, he talked about the sin of the Heathen, then he went to the Hypocrites, and, of course, then he went to the Hebrews who thought that? Because they were God's chosen people that somehow seeing did not affect them. So he's going to sum it up in this chapter, and this is what he's going to do. He's going to he's going to read the indictment. He's going to give evidence of why the indictment is against, man. So he's going to give the indictment been. He's going to give the evidence and then he's going to give the verdict. Now, what happens after the verdict, the sentence? And after he gives the verdict, he's going to give the sentence. And when you hear the sentence, it's going to be a surprising since it's not going to be what you think. So this is this is what makes this really. I think fun to study and to look at. So Paul is in the courtroom. He positions himself as the prosecuting attorney. And he's bringing human mankind. He's bringing us up to the Judgment bar of God, and now will man be found guilty, or will he be found innocent? And then he's going to make a surprise move at the end. So let's look at it and in Romans chapter 3, and I'm only begin tonight. In verse 9. And the first point that we want to look at is the indictment. Now based on everything Paul has said so far. This is his conclusion verses 9 and 10. He says, what then are we better than they? He says not at all. For we have previously charged, both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written. There is none righteous. No, not one. There's indictment right there, Jews Gentile everybody in between. Are guilty before God and there is none, who is righteous. No, not one. And then He says. Well, we'll we'll we'll look at this and just in in just a moment. He says in verse 11, that let's just go ahead and look at that. He says, there is none who understands there is, none who seek after God, they have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is none. Who does good? No, not one. He says that they're all under seeing. He says, understand what does it mean to be under seeing in verse 9. It means to be dominated by sin. It means to be ruled by seeing. It means to be subjugated to send. He said, every single person has ever been born is under sin. Right is ruled by sin. In other words. We are slaves to sin and the indictment includes everybody in from the perspective of Judaism, and Paul day. They were just two people, two classes of people Jews and not Jews. And that was it. And Paul was saying, well, there's none righteous. No, not one. Well, a comparison game, of course, you would think would be inevitable here, but the standard is the glory of God. And Paul says, in verse 23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. He says all have sinned now when non-christians resist going to church And a lot of times they'll say, well, I'm just as good as those people down there that church will see, that's the wrong way. To look at it. We shouldn't say I'm just as good as those people at the church. What we ought to say is I'm just as bad as though people at the church because that's what Paul is saying here. So people who don't go to church to say why I'm just as good as those people are looking at it at the wrong, the wrong way. The Bible says, all of us are Totally depraved. Now, people don't like that word to pray. This is what Paul is saying here, that every person is totally depraved. Well, what does that word depraved mean? When somebody calls someone else to pray, that kind of kind of get next to them. People get angry when they say, wear your depraved because of many times when we hear that word, people think we're, that means I'm just a mean honoree violin, Wicked person, but that's not what depraved mean. The word depraved means that we have all been infected by the disease of sin and it has it has affected every single part of our life. Psychologically, spiritually physically, it doesn't matter relationally. It has affected everything. I mean, you can lay a twisted oak on a giant saw and cut off the outer portion. But when you get to the enter, guess what? You? Going to get you going to get it twisted, though. It's still going to be twisted. So, straightening up the outside doesn't necessarily mean that the inside is straight at all. So, that's the indictment right there. There is none righteous. No, not one. We are all understand. So that's been. All of humanity. Is guilty of total depravity. Well, I can imagine the Jews, the Jews would say. Well, what do you mean by that? You need to give me some examples? You need to give me some evidence? Well, that's exactly what he does. In the second Point here. And that is the evidence. So guilty of total depravity and I have on the slide here. Five, things hear that Paul gives as evidence, that man is totally depraved and I want you to look at this. The first one is this. Man. Man's corrupted wisdom. His wisdom has been corrupted. Look at it in verse 11. He says there is none who understand? I want you to think about what he's saying their man's mind. His wisdom has been warped by sin. What did Paul say? And remember what he said in First Corinthians all things? Chapter Tuesday, the natural man. Receiveth, not the things of the spirit of God for, they are foolishness to him and neither can. He know them? Because they are spiritually discerned, a person who is unsafe.

May have a Ph.D., They may be a doctor or scientist. A banker doesn't matter how smart in the awards in the degrees that they have attained, if they are unsafe, if they don't have the spirit of God living on the inside of them. Paul says that they are spiritually ignorant. They do not understand. I just think about the Brilliance of mankind. Think about computers today. Think about your phone today, just bought a phone. Can do, you know, and you have computers and Medicine in space travel and communication. I mean, it's almost inconceivable, but when it comes to spiritual thing, Eternal thing, those who are unsafe, Paul says, they're just a bunch of ignoramuses is what he is saying, you see, the average man thinks he can go to heaven without being born again. Well, when we think that there's another way to heaven other than Jesus Christ, that, that tells me, there's two things wrong with us in our thinking and here's what they are. Number one. We don't understand how sinful we are. And number two. We don't understand the Holiness of God. If we think we can go to heaven without going through Jesus Christ. If we think we can keep some rule or regulation and God's going to be pleased with us. We don't understand total deprived. Whatsoever. We don't understand the doctor saying, we don't understand how sinful we are. And we do not understand that God cannot look on since we don't understand the Holiness of God. Well, then that just makes you spiritually ignorant, and that's what Paul was saying, man's corrupted wisdom. But I tell you something else, he says has been corrupted and that's the wheel of man look at it in the South part of our slamming. He says there's none who understands? That's that's a man's mind. A woman's mind that wisdom then look what he said. There is none who seeks after God. There's no one who even tries to seek God. You would think that man would seek God. But this verse says, they don't at least, not the true God man, and all over the world seeks other gods of his own imagination. Remember that in in Romans 1 and 2, but they don't seek the god of the Bible friends list in the only way, the only reason that anyone begins moving in God direction is because God first seeks you out. The reason you came to Christ. The reason all the sudden you started thinking about God and well, maybe I should make this since it was Jesus and I mean what is all? And we started thinking about the only reason we started thinking about it. It's not because one day we come to our senses and said, you know something I think I'm on the seat and try to find God know, it was the Holy Spirit, that was moving a pond. That was bringing up toward God. That's the only reason that we would see ever since the Garden of Eden man has been running and hiding from God with Adam and Eve. Seeing what did they do? The first thing they did and when they found God was it. God, come walking and calling out to them or did they go looking for God? No, God found them. He sought them out. Is what it did in the Bible. Makes it clear that we love him because he first loved us. And what did Jesus say in John chapter? I think it's 6. He said no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draws him. No, man can come to me unless the father draws him to me. Now. We here a lot, maybe not as much today as we did 20 years ago, but all these big mega churches. They were called Seeker churches. And what they would do is they would preach kind of a watered-down message and their idea was they wanted to get people who were kind of thinking about God. That's who they wanted to get in the church and there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, you, that's who the people you want to, to get saved it off, but they caught him Seeker services for friend. If we had a, if you truly understand that if there's no way you can have a secret service. Because the Bible says there is none who seek God. No, not one. No one seeks God. He had a secret service and have an empty church. The only Seeker is Jesus. He's the one who seeks us. That's he's the only one and one thing about if you think about a sheep. When a shape when a sheep leave the flock and gets lost, the Sheep doesn't think about and say, when, you know something, I think I'm lost. I've got to go back to the shepherd. That's not what happens. What happens to Shepherd, has to go, find the sheet. And that's the same way with lost people. And Paul says that every person has gone out of the way, not doing any good at all. And he says, they're, they have together become unprofitable. What does that mean? Without Greek word, unprofitable, referred to milk or meat? That was spoiled. What do you do with something spoiled in your refrigerator? You throw it out? He said they're no good. They might as well. Just throw them out. None seek after God. None do good. They're good for nothing. Just throw them out. Wisdom corrupted man's wheel corrupted. He's presenting the evidence here. Then he says that man's words are corrupted. Look at it in verses 13 and 14. He says their throat is an open Tomb. With their tongues, they have practice, deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness? Well, what would you expect if the outside is bad or the inside is bad outside? Going to be back at, you know, and so corrupt words right here just goes right along with everything else that he said so far. So when he says, man, when he says he reversed 13 to throw is an open Tune. He saying he said, there are there words is like, is like a grave? In other words, people. Sometimes their words can produce death, you know, we can say some things that would encourage people in produce wife, or we can destroy a relationship with our words. He said their word is like death. He said they're like a snake. Deceitful poisonous full of cursing and bitterness. Have you ever heard such person as you hear now on TV on the movies that they show Bones music? It don't matter what it is. And sometimes they'll be, they'll have a microphone around some ball player or the press or something like that and they'll say something, they don't know that their own air or something, and they'll just cuss a Blue Streak and all, it's just absolutely everywhere. It's so evil speech, is simply a barometer of the heart. What did Jesus say those things with your seat out of the mouth come forth from the heart? So it tells us something about our heart and it's everywhere now and there's no sense for them to show a clip of someone talkin. And every few words. They bleep it out. Everybody knows what they're saying. Anyway, no sense in bleeping it out. Everybody knows man's Wisdom will and word corrupted. Medina verses 15 through 17. We see that man's corrupted ways. Look what it says here. Their feet are Swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in their ways and the way of peace. They have not known. That's man's ways. He's talkin here. Shedding blood, read the newspaper, get on the internet today, all across the world. What do you read about war and violence, and child abuse in abortion, and War? And feel all of that man's Wicked Ways as turn this world into a madhouse? And if we don't, if we can't see the wickedness in the mirror, where we'll see it on the evening news and the afternoon talk shows. And then lastly let me just say this man's corrupted worship. Look what it says in verse 18. There is no fear of God Before Their Eyes. What did we say? This past Sunday? When we was preaching about a great church, a great church, one of the ways, you know, you're great churches. You have what great fear a reverence and respect for God here. He says there is no fear of God before their eyes. None whatsoever. After being named guilty of all the other sins, you would think that mankind, would fall to the ground and ask the Lord to have mercy on me, but not involved in the rhaetian and not ours. Either, the world is full of people who are strutting their way to hell just running toward hell, cause Mini have never discovered the fear of God. So in summary Paul was saying, this is what he saying. That the worst form of Badness. Is human goodness performed outside of God? The worst form of Badness is human goodness exercise. Apart from God. There is really nothing. That man can do. That is not tainted by sin. That's the meaning of total depravity. Just look at it. Wisdom will words ways worship. That's total depravity. Not that we were as bad as we could be, put that sin has affected our whole lot. Everything. That's total depravity. Well, that's that there was the indictment. And that was the evidence that he gave. Why we're all guilty. Well, what's the bird? What is the verdict? Look at it in vs. 19 and 20? Now we know that, whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law. that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God there for by the Deeds of the law. No flesh will be justified. If you just try to live a good life, a good moral life and try to keep the Ten Commandment and you do people favors and you just you can go to church. You just live a good moral life. If you don't know price friends, you are still unsaved and outside of the family of God, no matter how good you can be because you can't keep the law perfectly. Now, watch what he says. He says. No flash will be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Now, what does he mean by that? Well, the verdict is guilty. We have been condemned by the law of God. You see the law was not given to save us. The law was given to condemn us and two conductors. That's that's what the Bible does. You can't keep the law perfectly. We've all failed. We've all sinned. We've all fallen short of the glory of God. So there has to be another way since mankind, cannot keep it, but it was never given to us to keep he gave us his holy law, but the law was given to show us that we're sinners. And then when we see look in the mirror and see that we're Sinners. What are we do? We fall before God, and ask for his mercy and Grace. That's what salvation is all about. Now. Look how Paul says in verse 19. He says we know that whatever the law says, it says, those who are under loan. I watch this next race that ever mouth. Maybe stop. What is he saying? He saying, stop giving excuses. Every man woman boy and girl cannot say a single word when they stand before. God, he saying just shut up at MIT that you guilty and fall on the grace and mercy of Jesus. That's what he saying. He said, every Mi may be stopped. We're never going to be saved until we stop making excuses and admit our guilt before. You remember, when the Pharisee, and the Publican was in the temple praying? And the Pharisee prayed about how glad he went like this man over here? That was playing this. I'm so glad I'm not like him. I give my money every week and I pray three times a day and I do all the I'm so glad I'm not like him. And what did the Publican say in his prayer? God be merciful to me a sinner. And God Justified that Publican. But that Pharisee is strutting his way to hell, because he would not admit his own sin. He would not do it. You say, it's the people who agree with God, that gets saved. Not the people who disagree, the people who get saved, are the ones who shut up and throw themselves on the mercy and grace of God. Not the one who are constantly giving excuses. Why do this? And I do that. And maybe I have done this wrong, but I'm just as good as so-and-so friends. You're not safe. You're not safe when you do that. So, just shut up. Please guilty and let the verdict come down and take yourself and fall at the feet of Jesus. Well, what's the sentence? Well, if I was guilty All those things that we listed if man is totally depraved. Surely. The penalty, is the death penalty. It couldn't be anything else, but it is something else. God, the judge. He makes a surprise move here because instead of sentencing us to death, what he does. Is he offers us grace, and mercy, that's what God did not know what I want. I want it. I want you to understand, it's really, really good.

I am so thankful. Thank God. Is not a fair God. He's not fair. I'm thankful for that. You know, why? Because if he was fair and I'm this guilty. The only verdict could be condemnation life apart from me in hell. If he was fair. We don't serve Affair. God. Thank God. We serve a just God. He is just he provided a way out. No, God's not fair. He's not fair. If he was fair. He would send us all to hell but he didn't do that because we are all guilty, we would be condemned but see he's not being fair here. He's being just. But if you spend your time, whining about God's, not fair, he's unfair, they ought to be more than one way to heaven. It's not right that we can only go through Jesus. We're being, that's not going to get you anywhere. If you, if you want God, to be fair. You better be thankful that he's just that he has provided away. Now, how do we know that? He's just? Well, he says whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be quite safe. Whosoever. So he can close his argument here. And I want you to see this in verses 22 and 24. He gives the sentence and he gives it in five preposition. You know what you in school, memories School, prepositional phrases. I want you to look that sentence is not death. But the sentence is righteousness in Christ. Now, look at it. If you will five prepositions here. Number one. He says the righteousness of God. Look at it. In the first part of verse 22. He says, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. What does that mean song about justification? Justification is the way that God declares us righteous. In other words. He puts Christ's righteousness into our spiritual bank account, and he takes our sin and placed it on Christ on the cross. So we are saved by God's righteousness. That's his justification, but not only that, not only That righteousness. But righteousness, by faith. Look what he says, even the righteousness of God, through faith. Hear that hear. It is Faith In Jesus, Christ's righteousness by faith. We exercise, Faith everyday don't want. But sometimes when things gets hard, we're kind of hesitant to place our total faith and cry, but it's the only way to receive God's righteous it. We are saved by grace through what safe, so, he says it right here, not only the righteousness of God, but the next little prepositional phrase through faith. In Jesus Christ, and then he says the righteousness is for everyone. Look at it verse 22 to all and on all who believe he said, the whole, the whole world is guilty. Now he says to all and on all who believe, not only is old-world guilty, but the whole world can be the whole world righteousness to all it's available to everyone. Friend. Listen. There's nobody so good that he doesn't need to be saved. And there's nobody that's so bad that he can't be saved. Anyone is for everyone? It is for all, that's three. Number four. He says righteousness by Grace, look at it in verse 24. He says being justified freely. By RJ represent by his grace. What's the most beautiful word in the Bible other than Jesus? Grace. The most beautiful word in the Bible is Grace. That makes God's love that. He loved the unlovely. We're not love because we're valuable. We are valuable because God loves us. That's what it is not by works. But by his grace and then, lastly, look what he says righteousness in. Jesus Christ. Look at the last part of the earth, 24 through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The last prepositional phrase, hear Jesus is the key to our Redemption to God's justice. And he's the key to our receiving Mercy from God, if Jesus had not died on the cross. And if he had not fulfill the demands of the law, we would all die in our sins and we will be condemned, but Jesus made it possible for God to be just rather than fair. And that's why we're saying they meant, let's pray father. We thank you tonight. Lord that you've given us, you made it so clear tonight. Lord, I wish the entire world population could understand this teaching that we went over tonight that we are all guilty. That we are all totally depraved sin. Has infected. Every part of us are mind and I are, will the words. We say the ways that we live in speak and talk and even our worship. It is infected it all. Lord. We're all guilty we stand before you guilty or waiting for the death sentence. But instead you gave us a sentence of mercy and Grace and righteousness based on what Jesus Christ did. Lord help us to understand this and apply it to our hearts and lives in live as if we know. That because of Christ we have life eternal that we can defeat the power of Satan that the penalty of sin has been counseled. And one day you going to come back and get us. And you were going to do away with the presence of sin and will live forever with you in heaven. In Christ's name. I pray, amen. All right, but thank you all for being here. Not everybody doing doing well on your little while prayer challenge there.