02:30 The Righteousness of God's Wrath

04:02 General Revelation: Evidence of God in Creation

09:54 Suppressing the Truth About God

12:22 No Excuses: Everyone Knows God Exists

15:04 The Heart Issue: Ignoring Evidence of God

17:37 Everyone Worships Something Instead of God

20:25 The Heart of Sin: Devaluing God

22:10 Sin's Personal Offense to God

26:38 The Deceptive Nature of Sin

31:42 Fighting Temptation with God's Promises

35:22 Closing Prayer and Reflection

something that you might not know about me.

2

Is that I, I love kids movies.

3

I love kids movies.

4

My favorite movie is Penga I

Madagascar, um, Tanga Madagascar.

5

Um, and so knowing that I love

kids movies, my, my wife, my

6

lovely wife was like, we need to

watch how to train your dragon.

7

It's awesome.

8

It's so good.

9

It's the best.

10

So, so we sat down and we're gonna

watch how to Train Your Dragon,

11

but one thing that you also

might not know about me is that.

12

I hate dumb protagonists.

13

Like when the, when the

main character in the movie.

14

Is just like they don't

know what they're doing.

15

Right.

16

When they're like making bad decisions,

they're, they're just really cringey.

17

Like, I, I, I hate it.

18

I can't stand it.

19

That's like my least

favorite part of any movie.

20

So naturally, when I, when I watched

this movie for the first like 70% of the

21

movie, I was just like, this is terrible.

22

This dude has no clue what he's doing.

23

Like, what?

24

Why, why did you keep the dragon?

25

Why, why, why did you, why

didn't you get rid of the dragon?

26

Why are you trying to hide the dragon?

27

Why aren't you doing a better

job of hiding the dragon?

28

Why don't you make a better

wing for your dragon?

29

Because you decide to make

this wing that's super flimsy

30

and falls off and what?

31

Anyway, I was like, this is terrible.

32

What are you doing?

33

It, it just, it bothers me.

34

I get upset about it.

35

You can even tell right now.

36

I'm, I'm like, this

is, this is a bad idea.

37

But the rest movie was great.

38

The like last 20 minutes were awesome.

39

Um.

40

Anyway, I, I hate dumb movie protagonist.

41

Right?

42

And see what you get mad at

says a lot about you, right?

43

What, what you get upset at says a lot

about who you are, the kind of person you

44

are, the kind of things you like, right?

45

It's, you can learn a lot about

someone by what makes them mad.

46

And see when we see what makes God mad,

what God directs his anger, his wrath.

47

At, it tells us a lot about him and

what we're gonna learn tonight in Romans

48

chapter one is that God's anger, God's

wrath, shows that he is a good judge.

49

He's righteous.

50

God's wrath reveals his righteousness.

51

See God, he gets angry

at the right things.

52

God gets angry at the things that

you're supposed to get angry at.

53

He gets angry at.

54

Unrighteousness and see that

there's a problem there.

55

And that's because God

gets angry justifiably.

56

So God should get angry at you and me.

57

God should direct all of his holy

fury at you and me because we are

58

unrighteous and that's what we're

gonna see tonight, is that everyone

59

deserves God's wrath, everyone.

60

You do.

61

I do.

62

Pastor Rod does.

63

Everyone deserves God's wrath.

64

So turn with me.

65

Romans one 18 to 23, we're gonna see

that everyone deserves God wrath.

66

God's wrath, but good judges hate sin.

67

But before we get there, remember,

remember this slide from like.

68

Three or four weeks ago about how the

gospel is all about God's righteousness.

69

This is like kind of our

roadmap for Romans, right?

70

So last week, remember that thesis

statement we talked about, like when

71

you're writing essay, you have to write

your thesis and it has to have everything.

72

And you got your whole diagram, right?

73

Your thesis.

74

So Romans one, 16 to 17 is

like Paul's thesis for Romans.

75

So then we're, we just finished that.

76

So we read the thesis.

77

Now we're in like the

first paragraph, right?

78

The first, the first body paragraph

that he's gonna talk about.

79

So that's gonna be.

80

Chapter one 18, all the way to three 20.

81

So what we're gonna be learning

about is that the gospel shows that

82

God's wrath against sin is righteous.

83

It's the right thing, it's

the right response from God.

84

God should show his wrath towards sin.

85

It's a good thing.

86

And if you wanna put that into a question,

this is what your question would be.

87

Why does God send people to hell?

88

So this is what we're gonna

be covering for a while.

89

The gospel shows that God's

wrath against sin is righteous.

90

Okay?

91

So grab your Bible, read along with me.

92

In verse 18 of Romans one, for

the wrath of God is revealed from

93

heaven against all ungodliness and

unrighteousness of men who by their

94

unrighteousness, suppress the truth.

95

So we talked about God's

righteousness a lot, right?

96

And now what do you see?

97

Unrighteousness.

98

Unrighteousness, right?

99

God's wrath is revealed.

100

It's shown from heaven

against unrighteousness.

101

The opposite.

102

And that's why we see that

God is righteous because

103

God hates unrighteousness.

104

And that's how we see that he's righteous.

105

You see the opposite?

106

God, it, it's like a,

it's like clarity, right?

107

Like you know how when you see like a

diamond ring, it's always on like a black

108

background 'cause it makes it pop, it

make it, it helps you see it clearer.

109

God's wrath shows his righteousness

'cause he directs his wrath at.

110

Unrighteousness at the opposite.

111

And then verse 19, four.

112

Remember when you see

four, it means because.

113

So how come God does that?

114

How?

115

Why does God show his wrath

against unrighteousness?

116

Well, what can be known

about God is playing to all

117

of these unrighteous people.

118

It's obvious because God

has shown it to them.

119

Why?

120

How?

121

Verse 20 for his invisible

attributes, namely his eternal

122

power and divine nature.

123

So the fact that God is powerful and

he's God, they've been clearly perceived

124

ever since the creation of the world

in the things that have been made.

125

So God made a bunch of stuff and

that shows us that God, who, God

126

is, he's God and he's powerful.

127

So God made a bunch of stuff right,

the things that he made, creation.

128

Shows us something about

God, what does it show us?

129

His invisible attributes, his

namely, his E, eternal, his eternal

130

power, and his divine nature.

131

And the conclusion is that no excuses.

132

Everyone can see that God is God.

133

Everyone can see that.

134

So that leaves us without excuses.

135

What this verse is saying is that

everyone, and we'll, we'll see you later.

136

Suppresses the truth of God's existence.

137

Everyone tries to ignore God.

138

Everyone does it.

139

That's what Paul is trying to

establish, that God shows himself to

140

everyone, but everyone ignores it.

141

So our first point tonight is abandon

your excuses for ignoring God.

142

Abandon your excuses for knowing God.

143

Leave him behind.

144

Paul is saying that we don't

have any excuses because it's

145

obvious who God is is obvious.

146

It's plain.

147

Now, maybe you've been wondering,

148

well, everyone deserves God's wrath.

149

Like everyone, like every single person.

150

Are you sure?

151

Like that was your main

point, Louis, everyone really.

152

What about someone who maybe

doesn't have the Bible?

153

Uh, do they deserve God's wrath?

154

Well,

155

does this say that you need

the Bible to know about God?

156

His invisible attributes, his

eternal power, his divine nature?

157

Where does it say that God shows who he is

158

in the things that have been made?

159

That's how people know.

160

That's how everyone knows that God is God.

161

The fancy word for that that

you can use to impress your

162

parents is general revelation.

163

It's everywhere.

164

General revelation.

165

If you, if you're reading a, a,

a Christian book, you might find

166

that word, general revelation.

167

The things that have made creation, and

the reason it's called general is not

168

because it's a high ranking officer in

the Army, but because it's for everyone.

169

It's obvious.

170

General revelation.

171

So the way we know that God is,

God is because we look at creation,

172

we look at things that like, oh

wow, you couldn't just randomly

173

by chance come up with something

so complicated like a human being.

174

Or why do humans have consciences?

175

Why do you feel bad when you lie?

176

That's not because you

evolved from a monkey.

177

That's 'cause someone made you.

178

There's no reason for you to

feel bad if you've just evolved.

179

So things like that, they

show us that God is God or how

180

did, how did we even get here?

181

Why, why is the earth so specifically

designed so that it's not too close

182

to, the sun will re burnt up, but

it's not too far from the sun.

183

Will we freeze?

184

And the tilt of the earth is at the exact

angle where the, the sun comes and we

185

get seasons and things grow and the the

moon protects us from asteroids and it

186

helps the tides do all this cool stuff.

187

And how does that so perfectly designed?

188

How does that happen?

189

It can't just be, oh, well, you know,

a bunch of stuff flew around and hit

190

each other and then boom, here we go.

191

Right?

192

That's where we came from.

193

I'm oversimplifying it, but creation

shows us that God exists, and so we have

194

no excuse to ignore him because anyone

who's living in the world who's created.

195

God has shown them that He exists.

196

Right?

197

Not just, oh, you figure it out.

198

No, God has shown them this.

199

This is active.

200

This is something God did.

201

God made the world so that

you could see that he exists.

202

You don't need the Bible

to know that God exists.

203

That's what, that's what Paul is

saying here in these verse few verses.

204

It's obvious that God exists and

what we do instead, and what he's

205

gonna say later is that we suppress

the truth, that word suppress.

206

I always think of this, the best way I've

ever heard it explained is he's like,

207

you know when your trash can's too full?

208

And you're like, I don't

wanna take that out right now.

209

So you suppress it, you push it down.

210

That's what people do with the truth.

211

That's what you and I do with the truth

of who God is, is we suppress it, we

212

push it down, we try to ignore God.

213

We plug our ears.

214

We say, I right that, and you

see this all around us, right?

215

People come up with all sorts

of creative ways to ignore God.

216

Maybe you have.

217

Friends who, who tell you, well, you

know, we know that that God doesn't exist

218

because of evolution or because of the

Big Bang, or because of the fossil record.

219

Or we know that God doesn't

exist because actually he spoke

220

to a man named Joseph Smith.

221

Or maybe you hear that, oh God,

doesn't we know, or things like that.

222

Maybe you say, well, we know that

the Bible isn't true because of this.

223

So people come up with all sorts

of ways to ignore God, but God

224

has come, has revealed himself.

225

He's shown who he is.

226

Through creation and through

your conscience, right?

227

You feel bad for stuff.

228

There's no reason for you

to feel bad for stuff.

229

If you're just a smart monkey, there's

no reason for you to feel bad about

230

anything because you're living for you.

231

But why do you feel bad?

232

Because it's pointing you to something

that, that God wants to show you.

233

So many of you maybe are, you

actually have been shown more

234

things about God than just creation.

235

Because you've grown up in a church

or in a home where you hear about

236

God through his word, and maybe

you're still suppressing the truth.

237

You even have more evidence for God.

238

You have parents who've

taught you the Bible.

239

You've, you've heard about arguments

like apologetics and things like that

240

for the existence of God or for the,

the reality of the Bible, and many

241

of you are still trying to ignore it.

242

You're still trying to say, well,

I don't really know if that's true.

243

Or I don't really know

if the Bible's true.

244

I don't really know if, um, Christianity's

the only way, or I don't really think this

245

is, you come up with all these excuses.

246

Or when I'm older, then I'll do it.

247

Or, uh, when I learn a

bit more, then I'll do it.

248

Or when I stop sinning

this much, then I'll do it.

249

We come up with all sorts of excuses for

ignoring God, but also as a Christian, if,

250

if, if you're a Christian in this room,

this was you, before you came a Christian,

251

you were unrighteous, you weren't just.

252

Okay.

253

And then God saved you.

254

You weren't just, well, I,

I wasn't a terrible person.

255

Maybe I was a sinner,

but everyone's a sinner.

256

No, you were unrighteous

not righteous at all.

257

And God saved you.

258

Right.

259

We're, if you're a Christian, maybe

you're gonna be like, why are we learning

260

about God's wrath for two months?

261

Well, because it tells us who

we were before we were saved.

262

And we need to be honest about that.

263

'cause it helps us

appreciate God's grace more.

264

It helps us.

265

Have more compassion for unbelievers.

266

So Christian, this was you before Christ,

you were ignoring God, and then you

267

said, oh, God got your attention, right?

268

The gospel came to you.

269

God revealed himself to you through

the gospel, through His word, and you,

270

he gave you the faith to trust him.

271

So

272

we all come up with reasons

to ignore God, right?

273

And and you often hear

the argument, right?

274

Like, well, if Jesus just appeared

to me, then I would believe.

275

Him.

276

Right?

277

Maybe you've heard that before.

278

Maybe you've said that If I had a

vision of God or if I lived when

279

Jesus lived, I would definitely be

a Christian, but I just can't really

280

know for sure anymore 'cause I, I

didn't see God, I didn't live with him.

281

What this passage is saying is

that the problem is not evidence.

282

The problem is your heart.

283

The problem is not the amount

of evidence you'd get because.

284

It's already clear and you just

come up with reasons to ignore it.

285

So I had a friend in second grade or

third grade, I can't remember, and

286

he, I remember we were talking about

Christmas and Santa came up and I was

287

like, oh yeah, you know, my parents

pretended to be Santa, whatever.

288

He's like, no, no, no.

289

Santa's real.

290

He's like, no, like

Santa's definitely real.

291

And I was like, wait, you really think

he like comes down people's chimneys.

292

He's like, well, who says he

comes down chimneys anymore?

293

And I was like, whoa, okay.

294

Like you are committed to this.

295

You really, you really

believe in this Santa guy?

296

Like, and here's the thing, right?

297

I could give him all the evidence.

298

You know, well, well, Santa didn't

come to my house because I knew

299

'cause I stayed up all night.

300

Or because our fireplace is boarded up.

301

Or what about places that

don't have fireplaces?

302

What about apartment complexes?

303

I, you know, you could give

him all the evidence, right?

304

But he wouldn't, he, he would

still believe that Santa existed.

305

Why?

306

Because of his heart, right?

307

He, he loves Santa.

308

He wants Santa to exist, right?

309

So whatever evidence you give him.

310

He's gonna suppress the truth.

311

He maybe he could even stay up

all night and be like, well, maybe

312

Santa just didn't come this year.

313

Right.

314

Or, or maybe Santa, you know, whatever.

315

Right.

316

He could come up with any argument.

317

He could come up with any excuse to

ignore the evidence that I gave him.

318

Right.

319

And that's a funny example, but that's

what happens to a lot of unbelievers

320

and maybe to some of you, is, is people

give you evidence for why the Bible's

321

true or why God existed, or how we

know that God made the world and.

322

The more evidence you hear, you

just, you just keep pushing it down.

323

You keep pushing it down.

324

And that's because the

evidence isn't the issue.

325

Your heart's the issue.

326

You don't want God to exist.

327

You want to be in charge of your life.

328

And so you say, I don't

care about the evidence.

329

So you ignore that.

330

What you, you don't

need better information.

331

It's already clear.

332

That's what Paul's saying.

333

So you don't have any excuse,

334

and that's what.

335

That's the condition of everyone.

336

Before salvation, every single person

is naturally bent to ignore God.

337

And so even for you Christians in

the room, you need to be careful

338

that you're not just stacking up

information because the information

339

only helps you if, if it changes you.

340

That's the problem with, with the people

that Paul's talking about here is, is

341

they, they have all the evidence they

need and they, they don't want it.

342

They ignore it.

343

And so even if you're a Christian,

you still have this tendency to hear

344

information and not be changed by it.

345

To hear sermons and not do anything

about them, to read your Bible and

346

not forget all about it, you still

have this tendency to accumulate

347

information and, and ignore it.

348

So it's not enough just

to seek out information.

349

You must also be changed by the

information, because what Paul is

350

saying is, is it's a heart issue.

351

It's not an evidence issue.

352

It's not a, it's not a head issue.

353

It's a heart issue.

354

But the main thing he's saying is

that this is why God can judge people.

355

This is why God can send people

to Hell because there's no excuse.

356

They should know better.

357

They should know that he exists.

358

It's obvious.

359

It's okay for God to do that, right?

360

Maybe you've had that question come up.

361

Why?

362

How can a loving God send people to hell?

363

He's a good judge.

364

If you're guilty, a

judge should punish you.

365

And what Paul is saying is that

everyone's guilty, no excuses.

366

It's obvious.

367

No one's gonna be in hell

and be like, you know what?

368

God, I would've believed

you if fill in the blank.

369

No excuses.

370

That's what God is saying.

371

It's.

372

I, God has done everything he needs

to show his existence to people,

373

so everyone should know better.

374

But also the reason everyone should know

better is because everyone's in this.

375

In this camp of not worshiping God,

if you wanna, this whole passage,

376

1823 in one sentence is everyone

worships something instead of God,

377

and everyone should know better.

378

That's the whole passage.

379

In one sentence, everyone worships

something instead of God, and

380

everyone should know better.

381

So this was the everyone

should know better part.

382

And then now we're gonna, we're

gonna look at the, everyone

383

fails to worship God part.

384

Everyone has enough evidence to worship

and thank God, but instead we turn away.

385

From God.

386

So that is, we're gonna see

right here in verses 21, 23, read

387

along with me, 21 through 23.

388

So Paul just said, people

are without excuse.

389

Why?

390

So then he, he keeps going.

391

Verse 21, 4.

392

Although they knew God, so everyone,

he's saying all these people,

393

they knew God through creation.

394

They, they saw his work in creation.

395

They knew God.

396

They did not honor him as

God, or give thanks to them

397

Him, but they became futile.

398

That means like kind of useless, futile.

399

Think about like trying

to grab smoke, right?

400

You try to grab it and it's just gone.

401

They became futile in their thinking

and their foolish hearts were darkened.

402

Verse 22, claiming to be wise,

they became fools and exchanged the

403

glory of the immortal God for images

resembling mortal man and birds

404

and animals and creeping things.

405

Now, all this part, you notice

there's like a, a descent here.

406

We start with God, and then we go

down to, to people, and then we go

407

even lower to, it's like there's

the reverse order of creation.

408

You see that birds, animals, and then

you get like the, this is sometimes

409

translated like reptiles, like the,

the, the ugliest animals, right?

410

The worst ones.

411

Um, so it's like a downward spiral.

412

And in the rest of this chapter, we're

gonna see the downward spiral more.

413

We're gonna see more, more and more

sin that happens from rejecting God.

414

When you know God and reject him, then

it creates this downward spiral of sin.

415

But remember how we talked about

the issue is your heart, right?

416

The issue's not your head.

417

The issue is your heart.

418

This is why God punishes sinners.

419

This is why God sends people to hell, not

because they murder people, or they're

420

un or they're, um, atheist or whatever

the reason that God sends people to hell.

421

Is because they don't honor him

and they don't give thanks to them.

422

You see that the problem is not

just, oh, well, you did bad things.

423

Sin at its root is saying

something else is better than God.

424

Something else is better than God.

425

Everyone worships things besides God.

426

That's what sin is.

427

You see that right here?

428

They didn't honor God

or give thanks to him.

429

And instead what did they do?

430

They wanted something else.

431

They exchanged God.

432

They said, God, I don't want you.

433

I want these things.

434

And this is, this is

an allusion to Exodus.

435

You know when the Israelites

made the golden Cavs?

436

After they came out of Egypt and

then Moses went up on the mountain,

437

they're like, oh, Moses probably dead.

438

We haven't heard from him in a while.

439

Let's make some bulls and worship them.

440

Right?

441

That's what happened.

442

So that's what this is an

illusion to is they, they said,

443

we don't want Yahweh anymore.

444

We want Golden Bull.

445

So that's what we do, except

we don't worship golden Bulls.

446

We worship things like money or power or

pleasure or myself, or autonomy, right.

447

Doing whatever I want.

448

We worship those things instead

of God and what we're doing.

449

What, what really the, the problem

here is, is we're saying that

450

those things are better than God.

451

So the reason sin is sin

is because it devalues God.

452

The reason sin is sin is because it

says God, you're not very important.

453

You're not worth it.

454

You're not worthy of worshiping,

you're not worthy of living

455

for you won't satisfy me.

456

You can't make me happy.

457

You're not trustworthy.

458

That's what sin says because you

say, I want that instead of God.

459

And that's what makes it.

460

Sin is not the, is not necessarily

the the thing you want, but the

461

fact that you don't want God.

462

You're saying, God, you're not important.

463

You're not valuable.

464

So point number two, admit

you're devaluing of God,

465

right?

466

Be honest that when you sin.

467

You are saying, God, you're not

important, or God, you're not

468

trustworthy, or God, you're not good.

469

So Right.

470

You can tell how much someone

values something by seeing how much

471

they'll give up to get it right.

472

What they'll trade for it.

473

That's, that's how you see how much

someone values something, right?

474

Like if I stole your phone.

475

You'd be like, here, take everything.

476

I want my phone back.

477

Right?

478

Give me, like, you would,

you'd be offering everything.

479

You'd be being like, oh,

here's my younger sibling.

480

Here's here.

481

You'd gimme everything.

482

You'd be like, gimme my phone back.

483

I need that right now.

484

Because you really

value your phone, right?

485

So what that says is that your phone's

really important to you, right?

486

Because you're willing to

give up anything to get it.

487

But imagine if I took something that

wasn't that important to you, right?

488

Let's say I, I took.

489

Your younger sibling and you

were like, yeah, that's fine.

490

You can keep 'em.

491

What does that say about

your younger sibling?

492

You're devaluing them, right?

493

You're like, well, I'd rather have all

this stuff than my younger sibling.

494

That's what you're saying.

495

That's what happens when you sin.

496

You're saying, I'd rather

have this than God.

497

You're devaluing God.

498

You're saying God's not important.

499

God's not worth it.

500

God's not good.

501

God's not beautiful.

502

God's not something that

I treasure and I cherish.

503

That's what you say when you sin.

504

What makes sin wrong is

what it says about God.

505

It's what it says about God.

506

Is that not worth my time, not worth

my energy, not worth my self-control.

507

Not worth my morning.

508

Not worth my thoughts.

509

That's what sin says about God.

510

The root of sin is preferring

other things to God.

511

So I want you to think about

what your sin says to God, what

512

your sin says to God, right?

513

Like, um, when you're, when you're

anxious, when you're saying to

514

God is God, I don't trust you.

515

You can't take care of me.

516

You can't keep your promises.

517

I don't believe you.

518

That's what you're saying

to God when you're anxious.

519

Right?

520

And that changes it.

521

Right?

522

That makes you not wanna be

anxious because you're like,

523

man, I if, especially if you're a

Christian, you're like, I love God.

524

I don't wanna tell God.

525

I don't trust him.

526

I wanna tell him I do trust him.

527

And that's how you fight anxieties.

528

You live that way.

529

You say, okay, yeah.

530

Like, I don't wanna do that.

531

Or maybe.

532

Take discontent, right?

533

Maybe you're, you're not happy

with something, you're, you're

534

discontent with your life stage.

535

You're discontent with

your class schedule.

536

You're discontent with your family.

537

You're discontent with, with how

talented you are, the way you look

538

or the clothes you have that says,

God, you're not enough for me.

539

I need more.

540

God, I need you to give me

more stuff to make me happy.

541

And it says that, God,

you've given me everything.

542

You've given me your son, but

that's not enough to make me happy.

543

I need that.

544

I need to be dating someone to be happy.

545

I need to have these clothes to be happy.

546

I need to make this team or

get these grades to be happy.

547

And you're saying, God, you're not enough.

548

I need more.

549

So see how that changes

what sin really is.

550

'cause it makes it personal

because it is personal.

551

Sin is a personal offense to God.

552

So

553

think about what your sin says to God.

554

Take any sin that you struggle with.

555

Just think about what does this say to God

556

that is really gonna change

your view of that sin.

557

And also that shows

you that you know what?

558

God is righteous to punish sin because

this sin is terrible to God, right?

559

This sin is disgusting.

560

This sin is gross.

561

This sin is really, really,

really offensive to God.

562

It makes sense that God would,

would punish sin, that God would

563

show his wrath towards sin.

564

Something else our verse said

though, was that your sin tricks you,

565

that your sinful heart tricks you.

566

You see that right here,

claiming verse 22, claiming

567

to be wise, they became fools.

568

Right?

569

When you sin, it's not like, oh, it's a

terrible idea, but I'm gonna sin anyway.

570

That's not how sin works.

571

You think you are smart when

you're sinning, you're think, you

572

think you're making a good idea,

otherwise you wouldn't do it.

573

If you didn't think your sin was

a good idea, you wouldn't do it.

574

You'd be like, oh, well

I don't need to do that.

575

But you think it's wise, right?

576

You think it's helpful.

577

You think it's important.

578

You think you need to do it.

579

You think it's good for you, and so you

do it, but really you're being foolish.

580

Isn't that crazy?

581

You're, you're being a fool when you

sin because you're making a bad trade.

582

That's what's happening is you're

saying, I'm trading God, right?

583

God, he's beautiful.

584

He's glorious.

585

He's all satisfying.

586

He keeps his promises.

587

He's faithful.

588

He's wise.

589

He's always who he says he is.

590

I'm trading him for whatever, for sin.

591

You're making a bad trade, and so

you're being a fool, but you, what

592

happens is, is you, you trick yourself

into thinking it's a good idea.

593

And that's what, that's what happens

when you're tempted, is you have, you

594

have to decide, what am I gonna do here?

595

And you have to, that's why

God gives you promises, right?

596

So your, your sinful heart tricks

you into to thinking you're making

597

a good decision when you sin, right?

598

You're, you're making a bad trade.

599

And speaking of, of bad trades, right?

600

This happened.

601

Um,

602

and sorry, Josh, I had to, um, it's

too, too good to pass up, right?

603

But apparently, apparently someone

thought this was a good idea, right?

604

Someone, at least one person in the

world thought that this was a good idea.

605

Right.

606

Because otherwise they

wouldn't have done it.

607

If they didn't think it was a good

idea, they wouldn't have done it.

608

And when you're on the outside

of it, you're like, oh, that's,

609

that's a terrible decision.

610

I can't believe that they did that.

611

I can't believe that, that they

would trade this guy for whatever.

612

Right.

613

Two first round picks,

Kenny Clark, whatever.

614

I don't even care.

615

Right.

616

Bad decision because you, you think

about how valuable this guy is, right?

617

That this is what they named

the awards after, right?

618

MVP most valuable player.

619

So

620

what's happening is when you are, when

you're, when you're devaluing God in your

621

sin, is is you're saying that I, when you

step outside of it, it's like, oh yeah,

622

well, duh, I wouldn't choose God over sin.

623

Like, and everyone here would be

like, oh yeah, that makes sense.

624

I'm not gonna sin because

I'd rather have God.

625

But in the moment.

626

It's different, right?

627

Because like this moment,

allegedly, this is personal.

628

Allegedly this is personal because his

agent was offended by the owner, right?

629

This was personal.

630

And see that's what happens with

our sin, is it, it's, it gets, it

631

gets complicated, it gets personal.

632

Our, our desires, they blind us.

633

And so you have to fight to

see things the right way.

634

Because the reason that trade was made

is because someone probably didn't see

635

things the way they should have seen 'em.

636

Someone was like, well, my ego

is more important than my team.

637

That's basically what happened with

this trade, and that's what happens

638

when you sin is something happens

and you're blinded to something.

639

That's true when you're, well, I'm,

I'm gonna use anxiety 'cause it's so

640

easy to to see this, but when you're

anxious, you're blinded to the fact

641

that God's gonna take care of you.

642

Because now there's all these

things coming at you and you're

643

like, well, what about this?

644

What if this happens?

645

How, what, what about this?

646

Uh, I don't know how this is gonna

work out, or This person might do

647

this, or, or this could happen.

648

And so you're blinded, and that gets in

the way of seeing how things really are.

649

You're blinded to reality, right?

650

Your heart, and as the pastors

say, is being darkened.

651

You, you're not seeing things the

way you're supposed to see 'em.

652

And so.

653

On the outside it might look foolish,

but when you're in it, it seems

654

like, whoa, that's really hard.

655

So in the moment you have to fight to

see what your sin really is, right?

656

Your, your sin is essentially is

making you a really bad trade offer.

657

And you have to see through the,

the promises, the the fake promises

658

of sin to say, you know what?

659

That's not a good trade.

660

And then not trade your two first

round picks or not trade your best

661

player for two first round picks and.

662

Some random guy no one's

ever heard of, right?

663

Not that bad.

664

But, so I want you to think about that.

665

When, when you, when you're

tempted to sin, right?

666

Think about your temptations

to sin this week.

667

You, you're gonna be tempted to,

to watch that video or, or make

668

that joke or be lazy or to dis be

disrespectful when, when your parents

669

tell you something you don't wanna do.

670

And, and think about it in

advance when you can see clearly.

671

So that you can say, oh, you

know, in the moment, right?

672

I, I start feeling the pressure, but

I, I've, I've prepared myself, I've,

673

I've prepared myself for battle, right?

674

I've, I've thought this through,

so when the trade offer comes,

675

I can just say, no, I'm good.

676

I know what I already have, right?

677

I know that, that God is better.

678

I know that the promises of my

God are better than the promise

679

that this sin is offering me.

680

Don't fall for the, the foolish trait

of exchanging the glory of God, right?

681

'cause sin separates you from God, right?

682

Sin, even if you're a Christian, it

hinders your relationship with God.

683

You're not as close with him as you

could be because His holiness it.

684

It makes you feel uncomfortable

when you're in living in sin.

685

And so

686

don't fall for the, the

bad, the bad trade offer.

687

And fight to see clearly fight

to see, oh God is, is really the

688

one in control in this situation.

689

God is really worth my time.

690

God can really make me happy, happier than

this thing or obeying God is better for me

691

than following after the world than what

my friends do, or using my words to build

692

someone up is better than gossiping or.

693

Sharing the gospel with that

friend is better than, than

694

never telling them about Jesus.

695

So fight through those temptations

to see the, what's really happening,

696

to see who God really is and what

he really says, and ultimately even

697

play out the situation in your head.

698

Okay, if I do give into the

sin, what's gonna happen?

699

Right?

700

If I, if I, okay, if I do go

to this party and hang out with

701

these people, what's gonna happen?

702

If I do say these words and respond

in anger, what's gonna happen and, and

703

see what, what it really is, because

in, in the moment it's gonna look good.

704

But that's where you use God's

promises and who God is to, to

705

fight back against those things.

706

So think about about how

your sin impacts God, right?

707

The reason sin is sinful is

'cause what it says about God.

708

That's why God is right to show his wrath.

709

So we saw that everyone

should know better.

710

Everyone should know that God exists.

711

But the problem is that everyone

worships something else instead.

712

And so if that's, if that's you tonight,

if you are currently suppressing

713

the truth, you know, just another

sermon that you've, you've heard

714

about, or you know God's real and you

keep pushing it down, you keep, I'm

715

not gonna talk to my leader at all.

716

I'm not gonna turn from my sin.

717

I'm not gonna confess

that I've been doing this.

718

Don't keep pushing it down because God's

wrath is being stored up against you and

719

your sin, and one day you're not gonna

be able to suppress the truth anymore.

720

It's gonna be obvious and clear,

and you're gonna stand before God

721

and you're gonna see, you know what?

722

I tried to ignore it

and it, and it's real.

723

It's, it's, it's real.

724

God is real.

725

Heaven is real.

726

Hell is.

727

So don't push it back anymore

if that's you tonight.

728

Alright, let's pray and

we'll go to small groups.

729

God thank you that you have given

us a way to escape your wrath.

730

That we don't have to suffer

the punishment for our

731

sin because you love us.

732

And so you have sent Jesus to

die on the cross for our sin so

733

that he could absorb your wrath.

734

For us and that we could get his

righteousness so that we could

735

be good enough to go to heaven.

736

Not because of what we do,

but because of what he does.

737

So I pray right now, God, that you

would help us to, um, not suppress

738

the truth, even if we are Christians

and we're convicted about something.

739

I pray that we wouldn't suppress

that conviction, but we would rather

740

respond to that conviction by coming

to you with confession and repentance.

741

Trusting that killing sin

is better than hiding it.

742

Pray all these things in Jesus name.

743

Amen.