Kyle Jones | The Pride of Unbelief

My name's Kyle want to say thank you for being here today.

If you're visiting special, thanks to you.

We were going to be in Romans chapter 1 today, Romans chapter

Romans 1 · chapter mention Romans 1 · chapter mention

1. So if you have your Bible, you

can grab it. Open it up to Romans 1.

That comes to mediately after acts.

Anyway, today we're getting into what, what you would call as a

polemic series Tech. Sorry, not serious, but sermon.

Just a one-off sermon and we're going to we're going to make a

stance known today in light of what's coming next month.

And so I'll start that by saying this New Life Community Church

holds the position that God's word is divinely inspired that

it is infallible and that it is inerrant.

God's word is divinely inspired and Fallible and in Aaron's.

Therefore it is the Supreme standard by which all human

conduct Creeds and opinions shall be tried the Supreme

standard by which all human conduct Creeds and opinions

shall be tried. So, the word of God is our

ultimate Authority. In other words, it is our

ultimate Authority and everything on.

On Earth, including our own Hearts, our own opinions, our

own, wishes and desires everything on Earth.

Must be Tried by it, but the world doesn't see it this way.

The world thinks differently and it approaches it in a different

way. The world is going to eagerly

and is actively actually eagerly attempting to make God's word

uninspired, to make it fallible, to make it errant question, the

authority. Ultimately, what they're

attempting to do, is to make God's word Irrelevant for

ordering creation, ordering our lives and they're doing it by

the pride of their own unbelief doing it by the pride of their

own unbelief. So God's word gives us the

answer to, why are these things happening?

Why does the unbelieving world participate this way?

Why do they play the game in this way?

Why do they behave this way? This way in Romans 1:16 through

Romans 1:16–32

32, if you would, would you stand for the reading of God's

word today? When I finish reading, I'll say

this is God's holy word and you will respond.

Thanks, be to God. We want to show that God's word

is higher than any other thought, we have here.

Romans 1:16 for. I am not ashamed of the gospel

Romans 1:16

for it is the power of God, for salvation to everyone, who

believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek for in it.

The righteousness of God is revealed from faith for Faith as

it is written. Righteous shall live by faith.

For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all

ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their

unrighteousness suppress the truth for what can be known

about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them

for his invisible attributes. Namely, his eternal power, and

divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the

creation of the world. And the things that have been

made. So they are without excuse verse

21 for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or

give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking

and their foolish Hearts were darkened claiming to be wise,

they became fools and exchanged, the glory of the immortal.

God for images, resembling mortal man and birds and animals

and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up and

the lusts of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of

their bodies among themselves because they exchanged the truth

about God, for a lie and worshipped and served the

creature rather than the Creator.

Who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason, verse 26, God gave them up to dishonorable

passions for their women, exchanged natural relations for

those that are contrary to Nature and the men likewise gave

up national now Natural relations with women and were

consumed with passion for one. Another men committing Shameless

acts with men and receiving in themselves.

The due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit

to acknowledge, God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do,

what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner

of unrighteousness, evil covetousness, malice, they are

full of Envy murder Strife, deceit, malice Asha sness.

They are gossips slanderers. Haters of God insolent Hadi

boastful, inventors of evil disobedient to parents, foolish

faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though, they know God's

righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to

die. They not only do them, but give

approval to those who practice them.

This is God's. Holy word.

Thanks be to God. Let me pray for us.

You have a seat Heavenly Father. We thank you for today.

We thank you for your word o God.

We know that it has come to us and true that it reveals to us

faith for Faith. So that We might know who you

are father that we might follow you and walk with you and walk

in a manner, worthy of the Gospel which we've received and

we thank you, Father. That the gospel is the power of

God unto salvation, for all, who believe.

So, father is men and women and boys and girls in here.

I pray that you help us to believe wholeheartedly your

gospel today or that we would trust in you and in you alone.

And Lord, we pray that you would use.

Use your gospel to save. Sinners to save those of whom.

We once were father to relieve them, Father of their

oppressions, the sin and to help them to know true Freedom In

Christ Alone. Lord help us to be bold in this

message. Help us to be bold.

And this hour of our day of our time that we live in Lord help

us to fight for truth and to stand on it.

Wholeheartedly unreservedly boldly.

It's in Christ's name. I pray, amen.

You may be seated. Half of you had already see that

half of you had not well, we'll try by the end of the service to

walk together. More fully.

Alright. More in unity.

The unbelieving world lives by the changing tide.

Of individualism. And by this changing tide, what

I mean is that it can go from one place to the next very

quickly just simply based on feelings and by individualism

what they're doing is, they're forming their conduct, by

whatever they decide is true. They form their conduct the

things they do, they form their Creed's, The Things, They

believe, the things they profess, and they form their

opinions on what is right or wrong.

The truth is, Is subject to change its subject to

perspective? It's subject to the one who

holds it. And not subject to God, there

their Mantra, if you will their Creed, if I could write one for

them would be, if it feels good to you than do it, it seems

right to you, then do it. Christian's, however, must form

their conduct and Creeds and their opinions by the gold

standard of God's. Holy word, we must stand on

Truth, our Mantra. If I could write one Forest must

be what God instructs, that we shall do, what God instructs

that we shall do. Another way we might sum up.

What? Romans 1 is saying to us today?

Is this unbelievers boast in their sins while Believers boast

in their savior? Unbelievers, boast in their

sins. Why Believers boast?

And their savior, there is a pride of unbelief as a pride to

this. This is what Paul is writing in

Romans 1. It's all about the pride of the

man, the pride of the person and perhaps this is not more

evidence than what we were seeing regarding beliefs on

marriage and sexuality and gender.

The world is engaged in active combat against what God's word

says. Is about marriage and sexuality

and gender. The world has set itself against

God's word, but this is not new. This has been going on for

Millennia. One glaring example of this

comes to achieve each June, one, glaring example of this comes

flying in our face. Each June with pride months

pride month is set aside each year.

This Is How They word. It is set aside each year to

promote the listen to these words.

The self-affirmation dignity equality and increased

visibility of the lgbtq+ community.

The point of what they're saying.

Is that they're taking pride in their chosen way of life, rather

than filling, shame, that's literally why they call it pride

month to be proud of who you are.

Again, if it feels good to you then do it.

Don't withhold this from yourself.

They proudly say this to one another while the rest of the

world cheers them on including Lately many ill-informed

evangelicals many Christians, Advocates of Pride falsely

believe that this is a step forward in the liberation of the

lgbtq+ community. However, the scriptures are

showing us here that it's simply a giant leap in further

hardening, their hearts toward God and His holy word, which

ironically is the only thing that promises true liberation.

Ian, the only thing that promise is true salvation and so

thanking they're free, they're becoming more bound becoming

more and slave to their sins. So what has led men and women to

do this for Millennia? It's Pride.

Just good old-fashioned Pride. Romans 1:18 through 25 for the

Romans 1:18–25

wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness

and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness

suppress the truth for what can be known about God is plain to

them, because God has shown it to them for his invisible

attributes. Namely, his eternal power, and

divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the

beginning. Sorry, the creation of the world

in the things that have been made.

So they Without excuse for, although they knew God, they did

not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became

futile in their thinking and their foolish Hearts were

darkened just rereading this and get it in our minds.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools.

See essence of Pride, isn't it? Claiming to be wise, they became

fools and exchanged, the glory of the immortal.

God for images, resembling mortal man and birds and animals

and creeping things, therefore God gave them up to the Sorry

God gave them up in the loft. Of their hearts to impurity to

the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.

Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and they

worshipped and served the creature rather than the

Creator. Who is blessed forever, amen.

So Paul is saying here that God has shown himself to the world

but in creation we clearly see God's eternal power and divine

nature nature or creation is a witness to the divine nature of

God. It's a witness to the eternal

power of God that God has created and when you look at

creation it should it's meant to cause you to see that there is a

creator. The world knows God because he

has made himself known God does in other words God does not

believe in atheists as one man has said God is not a believer

in atheist, right? He's saying I have revealed

myself to man they know me and so there is no one excused from

this knowledge of God, God has revealed himself in creation and

so from the rising and setting of the Sun to the Colorado

Rockies. You can see God from the genders

to the formation of a child in the womb, you can see the hand

of God from the tiniest insect to the largest animal.

You can see God. All of it and everything in

between, which is we haven't nearly exhausted all of Creation

in my poor examples there. But everything in between all of

those things, testifies to the glory of God and his creation,

and they Know this. Yet they suppress the truth and

their unrighteousness. Now, the idea of suppression

here is really, it's really interesting and it's what helps

us get to the idea of apologetics and what we're after

in apologetics what we're after in proclaiming the truth.

So, the idea of suppression is this.

It's that you're holding something down.

All right. So it's summertime, maybe.

Some of you have had the opportunity to be in a pool

already. Maybe you've played with a beach

ball in the pool, right? Right?

You take a beach ball and try to push it under the water.

I remember as a kid trying to sit on a ball in the water,

right? And your kind of wobbly and it

just pops up flies out of the pool.

This is the idea of suppression is that you're pushing down,

they are pushing down in there. Unrighteousness truth And

they're just holding it and they're they're praying if they

pray there they're hoping against hope.

That truth will not fly out of their hands up into the air for

all to see. They are suppressing truth and

so on apologetics one way to do, apologetics one way to talk to

an unbeliever who is suppressing truth one way is to give them

more beach balls. It's to say, hey, here's more.

Truth or to make the beach ball larger right to where it becomes

harder and harder to suppress the truth.

This is one way you can do apologetics you can continue to

give evidence of God. Another way to do apologetics is

to figure out how you might pry fingers away from the beach

ball. And so in unraveling their

worldview, you are removing their hand from the beach ball

so to speak. And so, the beach ball by the

power of God, hopefully will come to the surface and this

will lead to their understanding of their need for a savior.

So make sense. So this is what this is.

The indictment, from Paul, the Assessing the truth.

In their unrighteousness has rendered their thinking useless,

but that's what he means by feudal.

That their thinking has become becomes futile in their, in

their thinking and their minds. What Paul is saying is they

think they're wise but they're fools, they think that they have

truth but they're actually suppressing truth and they're

showing that by suppressing their truth, they don't know

anything. Their futile in their thinking,

actually. It's really a sad thing.

To behold I don't stand here today pridefully gloating over

unbelievers, it's heartbreaking. That God has been made known to

them and yet in their unrighteousness, they choose to

suppress the truth about God and to run headlong into their own

idolatry. But Paul is saying here, their

arguments are nonsensical. They don't make sense.

They're claiming to be wise if they became fools.

Why? Because they exchanged the glory

of the immortal God for images, resembling Creation.

In other words, they're created to worship God.

And God has made himself known in creation that they might be

able to find God. And ultimately, you find.

God has revealed himself naturally, but he's revealed

himself supernaturally through his word and so we ultimately

come to know God. Intimately through his word as

he saves us from our sins, reveals himself to us and we're

in right relationship again. But what they've done is even in

nature, they're looking into it and they're saying, no, the

creative order from God is wrong.

And so they've making themselves wisely become fools.

The way God has designed, it is not the way we want to live.

And so we ignore it and the created to worship, God, created

to walk and fellowship with God. And yet in unrighteousness they

worship, man, they worship themselves worship animals and

all sorts of things, and you see this over and again and

unbelievers, it's not just with gender and sexuality in

marriage. Let's one Giants battle.

That's one that Paul sets. Aside here is one of the

greatest evidences of someone who's been given over.

To their unnatural Passions. But that's not the only battle.

There's many bibles out there, there are many things, many

instances I should say where creation is put over God where

we worship the creation rather than the Creator.

Their pride is the center of their unbelief.

The pride is the center of their unbelief in Pride, the claim to

be wise, it boasts in their sins believing themselves to be

liberated. Yet they are fools and fooled

themselves by buying into the LIE of the garden.

The same lie that the serpent tells to Eve.

If you will eat of this fruit, you will be like, God, And so

they take the fruits of their own unrighteousness and they eat

it and they offer it to others who eat also.

And they cheer one, another on, as they eat the fruit that is

leading to impending death. Unbelievers, boasts in their

sins while Believers boast in their savior.

Furthermore, after versus 20 after verse 25, Paul makes it

clear that their sinful behavior is so far removed from Freedom

by showing that it really is the righteous Judgment of God.

We see that they are under God's judgment as they think they're

free. They seek to remove themselves

from the rule of God yet. So ironically, they have run

headlong into his righteous judgment.

Romans 1:26, or 32, for this reason, God gave them up to

Romans 1:26

dishonorable passions for their women, exchanged natural

relations for those that are contrary to Nature and the men

likewise gave up natural relations with women and were

consumed with passion for one, another men committing Shameless

acts with men and receiving in themselves.

The due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit

to acknowledge, God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do.

What ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner

of unrighteousness, evil covetousness malice, they were

full of Envy murder Strife, deceit.

Maliciousness, they are gossips slanderers.

Haters of God insolent Hadi boastful, inventors of evil

disobedient to parents, foolish faithless, heartless, ruthless,

There's really none of us who are left off this list.

Though, they know, God's righteous decree that those who

practice such things deserve to die.

They not only do them, but they give approval to those who

practice them. So again, claiming to be wise to

become fools, their minds are darkened yet, they believe that

their minds are enlightened, their hearts are dark, and yet

they believe they're living the enlightened experience.

The following, however, their own lust-filled, passions has

landed them, squarely under God's righteous.

Judgments God gave them up. We read to dishonorable

passions. That is the idea of him, giving

them up to. It means he's surrendering them

to them. To give something up is to be

surrendered to someone or to some thing gave them up to

dishonorable. Passions got a surrendering them

over to their dishonorable passions.

They did not want his authority, they wanted to be their own

authority and so they got what they want.

They got what they wanted. They sought it out.

They suppress the truth. And made themselves wise, they

claimed that God was a fool. It's obvious.

However, back to this idea of pride month, it's obvious in the

anatomy of a man, and a woman that they are made to fit

together that they were made to be one flesh that they are made

for the purpose of being fruitful and multiplying not

only in having children, but that's one of the ways.

However, the world chooses to ignore God's creative order the

world chooses to establish their own order because they see

themselves as God, like, they are their own God.

So in their dishonorable passions, men are perversely

drawn to men and women are perversely drawn to women.

It's an Abomination. It it abhors.

God's word by its actions and it's Proclamation.

Yes, we must be clear on that. God has established the order of

the Sexes. He did this at creation Genesis

Genesis 1:27

1:27, we read. So God created man in his own

image. In the image of God, he created

him male and female he created them.

Just a few verses later, a zoomed in picture of what took

place at creation. God creates man from the dust of

the ground and breathed into him life and then he says that it's

not good, that man should be alone.

And so he creates a woman from the side of the man from the rib

of a man of the man. And in verse 24 of chapter, 2 of

Genesis, we read this therefore a man shall leave his father and

his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one

flesh. Again, it's clear.

The creative order here and it's clear how the world has turned

it upside down. From these two verses alone, we

can rightly conclude that God created mankind male and female

in his own image and God created marriage to be between a man and

his wife. But the unbelieving world hates

these truths. That's the product of pride, in

their unbelief. But remember G, what Jesus said,

we just read this last week but I'm going to remind you again,

what Jesus said about the lithe and the lovers of Darkness John

John 3:9–19

3:9 through 19, through 20 Jesus, talking to Nicodemus, he

saying that the light has come into the world.

But they hated the light he says this is the Judgment that the

light has come into the world and the people loved the

darkness rather than the light because their Works were evil.

For everyone. Who does wicked things hates the

light and does not come to the light, lest his work, should be

exposed again, it's the same principle here, they are lovers

of themselves, their lovers of their own sinful desires, their

lovers of their own darkness and foolishly.

They think that their darkness is light.

They think that they're dark This is Liberation, they think

that their darkness is freedom. And yet they're bound to walk in

the darkness until the light is revealed to them, but the

judgment is that the light is here.

Truth is here. God has made himself known in

the face of Christ Jesus. In him, we have the radiance of

the glory of God. He's the exact imprint of the

father. And he has made known to us

truth. His Apostles have made known to

us Truth by the spirit of God who instructed them after

Christ. Ascended into heaven.

And so we see that God gave has given them up to dishonorable

passions as an act of judgment. We also read that God gave them

up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

They are the word debased. Here means morally,

reprehensible, Which we see in their perverted views of gender

sexuality in marriage, but it's also seen in their character

again. These verses they were filled

with all manner of unrighteousness.

I won't read the whole list again but it's evil.

Malice murder Strife, deceit, maliciousness, gossips

slanderers, haters of God hottie.

Boastful foolish faithless, heartless ruthless.

You get the points. All manner of unrighteousness

and so there is nothing righteous in them which Paul

will go on to say explicitly in Romans 3, just two chapters

later he'll say that there is none righteous.

No not one. There is none who seeks the

Lord. And so, there's nothing

righteous in them. They've gotten exactly what they

wanted. That's part of the Judgment,

they know, God's righteous decree.

They know that those who practice such evil deserve to

die. And yet not only do they do

them, but they give approval to those who practice them.

Misery loves company. There's always room at the table

of the unrighteous scoffer, there's always a seat there.

That unrighteous golfer wilda ride you and your high view of

God's word. Hilda ride, you and your

attempts to be obedient to the word of God especially when you

fail. That's scoffer will try every

way he can to break you down. and to draw you in, if he can to

his own evil actions to his own scoffing, But I tell you that

Psalm one promises, the man who will stand on the righteous,

decrees of God, the man who will stand on God's instruction.

There's a promise there for him and and for her.

But the one who will trust God's word, the one who will meditate

on it day and night. The psalmist says that he will

become like a tree that is firmly planted beside a flowing

stream that bears fruits and do season.

It is unshakable, he will not be moved and he says he will not be

moved because God knows his way. In other words, God keeps him in

safety because the righteous one has hidden himself in God.

This is what you're doing. When you stand on the word of

God is you're hiding yourself under the safety of the Trinity,

you're hiding yourself under God, you're placing yourself

under his care and under his provision and you're saying,

father, my life, I count, not my own, I am yours and I trust you

fully. I'm going to stand on your word.

Regardless of what the world around me does.

I'm going to walk with you? And so, I urge you brothers and

sisters do not be swayed by the ways of the world, do not be

swayed by the cunning attempts, the cunning arguments, the

attractiveness of it, all that we should preach and all

inclusive message. That God Saves everyone.

Whether they believe or not. That all roads lead to Heaven as

long as you're a good person. I'm telling you deny those

things stand on the word of God because no one's getting into

heaven believing those things. It's unloving to affirm people

and such foolishness. Do you hear me?

It's unloving to affirm people in that.

You cannot say that you love your neighbor and support their

sins. You can't do that.

It's unloving to do this. It's unloving to dismiss

scripture for your neighbor and to say sure do what?

Feels right, there's no love in that.

You might sound loving, you might feel loving.

But the truth is, there's no love in it at all.

Ephesians 4 tells us to speak the truth in love so that we are

not. Those kind of people who are

tossed to and fro by every cunning argument, every wind of

Doctrine. Every foolish belief.

So, as to speak the truth in love, so that every member

talking now about the body of Christ, every member is

strengthened, every member is given the ability to grow.

And so if I'm standing on foolish, doctrines, And my dear

sister, Miss Tracy comes to me and says Kyle, I love you but

you're being an idiot right now. I need to hear that.

Right. And this is what the body of

Christ is for. And so I'll ask well how in what

ways and she'll explain them to me.

And I pray that the Lord would open my eyes to hear about from

eyes to see open my ears to hear his truths and those moments of

reproof of rebuke. This is part of what the body of

Christ is for. So, I'm encouraging you today.

Do not be swayed. You're not soften your stance on

the trustworthiness and the faithfulness of God's Eternal

work. I want to attempt to provide

some further Clarity by reading to you some affirmations and

denials of a statement that we've signed as a church, is

called the Nashville statement on biblical sexuality.

You can find this on our website under our beliefs.

I don't know if you've read this or not.

It's, we've had it up for a while now well over a year but

there's some affirmations in denial here that will help

clarify what we're saying and I'm going to read some of these

to you. These are things that we Believe

as an elder team, these are things, we believe as a church.

We affirm that God designed marriage to be a covenant will

sexual procreative lifelong Union of one man and one woman

as husband and wife, and is meant to signify.

The Covenant Love between Christ and his bride.

The church amen. We deny that God designed

marriage to be a homosexual polygamists or polyamorous

relationship. We also denied that marriage is

a mere human contract rather than a covenant made before God.

We affirm that gods revealed will for all people is Chastity

outside of marriage and Fidelity within marriage.

We deny that any affections desires, our commitments ever

justify sexual intercourse before outside marriage nor do

they justify any form of sexual immorality.

We affirm that God created, Adam and Eve the first human beings

in his own image equal before God as persons and distinct as

male and female. We deny that the divinely

ordained differences Between male and female render them

unequal and dignity or Worse. We affirm that divinely ordained

differences between male and female, reflect God's original

creation, design and are meant for human, good and human

flourishing. We deny that such differences

are a result of the fall or are a tragedy to be overcome.

We affirm that the differences between male and female

reproductive structures are integral to God's design for

self-conception, as male or female.

We deny that physical anomalies or psychological conditions

nullify the god-appointed link between biological sex and

self-conception is male or female.

We affirm that those born with a physical disorder of sex.

Development are created in the image of God and have dignity

and worth equal to all other image.

Bearers, they are acknowledged by our lord Jesus.

And his words about eunuchs who were born that way from their

mother's womb with all others. They are welcome as faithful

followers of Jesus Christ and should embrace their biological

sex insofar, as it may be known. We denied that ambiguities

related to a person's biological sex, render one, incapable of

living a free. Fruitful life and joyful

obedience to Christ? We affirm that self-conception

is male or female, should be defined by God's holy purposes

in creation and Redemption. As revealed in scripture, we

deny that adopting a homosexual or transgender self-conception

is consistent with God's holy purposes in creation and

Redemption. We affirm that people who

experience sexual attraction for the same sex may live a rich and

fruitful life pleasing to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

As they like all Christians, walk and purity of life.

We denied sexual attraction for the same sex as part of the

natural goodness of God's original creation or that it

puts a person outside, the hope of the Gospel.

We affirm that sin, distort sexual desires by directing them

away from the marriage, covenant.

Towards sexual immorality, a distortion that includes both

heterosexual and homosexual immorality.

We deny that an enduring pattern of desire for sexual immorality,

justifies sexually, immoral Behavior.

We affirm that it is sinful to approve of homosexuality

immorality or transgenderism and that such approval constitutes

an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and

witness. We deny that the approval of

homosexual immorality or transgender is Ism is a matter

of moral indifference about which otherwise faithful

Christians should agree to disagree again.

Unbelievers boast in their sins. Why Believers boast in their

safe of the truly sad, part of all of this?

Is the unbelievers attempt to liberate themselves by their own

Passions. Because in it, they are bound.

They are as bound as they've ever been, and maybe more about

maybe more. So, Only the Gospel of Jesus

Christ promises, Liberation and freedom from sins.

The gospel alone is the power of God unto salvation.

Paul began this section with a reminder to these Roman

Believers. He says, for I am not ashamed of

the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it, is the power of God, for

salvation to everyone, who believes to the Jew, first into

the gents I are into. Also, to the Greek verse 17 for

in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for

Faith. As it is written, the righteous

shall live by faith. And so what Paul is saying, is

the gospel is the saving power of God.

God and which the righteousness of God is revealed to capture

the gravity and the weight of what Paul is saying of this

statement to these Believers in this first century moments.

We, you must consider the context here that the Christians

who are in Rome. Paul is writing to their living

under the rule of Rome's, power and their influence.

And because Rome's power and influence was far and wide and

it was brutal toward Christians and many ways.

Many Christians, lost their lives at the hands of Roman

soldiers. Under the rule of guys like

Nero. In that moment as your brothers

and sisters are literally being torn, limb from limb, or set on

fire, it would be very tempting to be ashamed of the Gospel, due

to the lack of your own size, the lack of your own Fame, and

the lack of your own honor. It would be very easy to say,

well, let me just hide my little light under this bushel here.

But Paul statements. Reminds these Roman Christians

that they possess a power that is greater than the power of

Rome. Which is that the one that is

executing them. They possess the Gospel of Jesus

Christ. And Paul says, this is not going

to finish it. We'll start over.

I've been fighting it. Thought I could make it.

They possess. The power of God in the Gospel

of Jesus Christ. And Paul says, this is the power

of God which is able to save sinners.

It's able to save all of those who believe.

And verse 17, he reminds them that by the proclamation of the

Gospel faith is revealed for faith.

Our faith is revealed unto faith, we might say salvation by

faith. Alone comes from the gospel

alone. Paul makes this point.

Very, very clear in Romans chapter 10 where he says out

Romans 10 · chapter mention

loud, he's riding this for them to read and and he says this, he

says, how will they believe unless One carries the good news

and how will the good news be heard?

Unless someone preaches the good news and then he says that Faith

Comes. He's talking about saving faith,

faith comes from the hearing, and the hearing comes from the

word of God. And so, the gospel is the power

of God unto salvation, to all, who believe and it must be told

so that it must be heard. So that it might be believed.

If you today or alive in Christ as we looked at over the last 12

weeks or so, it was longer than that.

If you are alive in Christ today, it's because of your

belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It's because of Salvation by the grace of God, that's come to

you. And so you are truly alive, you

have eternal life now and I I want you to walk in that life

each day God has called Adieu to New Life that you might walk

with him Among The unbelieving World.

God does not save you and take you. he saves you and

commissions, you To go into all the world.

And to proclaim the good news of Christ.

The teach all that He commands. Baptizing believers.

Your commissioned by God to do this, because it's by that

message and it's by that faith, that people will be saved you,

and I must receive the same truth today.

That Paul is telling the Romans here, As the World Turns had

long and runs over the Cliffs of self-expression and

individualism you, and I You and I must refuse to make gods of

man and take up the flag of the gospel and runs forward

faithfulness to God. Run toward eternal life.

How many of you have seen the Patriot Mel Gibson the Patriot?

Not the, Never mind, I can't remember his name, but I almost

said, Sylvester Stallone, but the other guy, the the karate,

man. What's his name?

Jasper? You know, movies.

Anyway. What?

Yes, Steven Seagal. Yeah.

Then when the in a movie called The Patriot or something, also,

I don't remember anyone, not important, but in the Patriot

with Mel Gibson, the one that really matters right now, No

Gibson plays. A guy named Benjamin Martin,

who's a militia leader, and and he didn't want to even join the

war, but he joins the war because his sons are brutally

killed in front of him. And so at the end and that in

the final battle scene of this movie, the Redcoats are

advancing their winning the battle.

The bluecoats are beginning to retreat and Mel, Gibson's kind

of surveying the scene as he's coming to and he's looking

around and and the movies playing The Slow Mo, you know,

to capture the, all of that. And Martin goes, and he grabs a

patched-up American flag, and you can probably see the visual

in your mind. If you see anybody, he begins to

run toward the battle. it just grabs the flag, he takes off,

running toward the floor, toward the battle, he's running office,

it of these Warriors who are retreating But in doing so he

inspires them to turn and to keep fighting.

But that's the kind of faith that you and I are to have in

this age of unchecked pride. You're to have the kind of faith

that goes against the grain. That goes against.

The afraid, the fearful, the worried, the scared the nervous.

It goes against all the ones who were running away because the

world's attacks are too much. You're to have the kind of faith

that is strong amid a time when there is little faith.

And your to run against the grain, your to carry the flag of

the Gospel. In this time, You're not alone

in this. if you need courage, for this read Acts, Read

Philippians read first and second Peter.

Read 1st 2nd 3rd. John read revelation.

Read the gospels read. All of the Epistles, read your

new testament is what I'm saying today.

Your brothers and sisters, who started this whole thing.

When you now stand on the shoulders of have been fighting,

this battle fought, this battle long before us and we are well,

equipped by the word that God gave them for us.

We are well, equipped by the same spirit of God, that was

alive and them is alive. And us the same spirit of God,

that raised Christ, from the dead, is our spirit.

It's the one who dwells in us. We are his Temple.

You can fight the fight with boldness.

You can run the race without fear and Paul in Philippians

Philippians 1:27

1:27. He's writing from prison.

And he's encouraging the church at Philippi.

In the midst of their great persecution that their enduring

and this is what he says in verses 27 through 30.

He says only let your manner of of Life be worthy of the gospel

of Christ. Another one live in such a way

that you show you believe going to be worthy of the Gospel

you've received he says so that whether I come and see or in my

absence. I may hear of you that you are

standing firm in one spirit. With one mind striving side by

side for the faith of the Gospel listen to verse 28 and not

frightened in anything by your opponent's not frightened and

anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of

their destruction but of your salvation and that from God,

what's a clear sign? The fact that you are walking

worthy of the Gospel if you're standing firm in one spirit with

one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

And so you are not frightened. You're not frightened by. and

when the world looks on, when your opponent's look on,

Declaring themselves wise, thinking you to be a fool and

they see a church, a people who are immovable because of their

belief in the gospel of Christ. It's a billboard for them of

death. it's one way, one more way that the Lord might arrest

their attention and so save them Not frightened and anything by

your opponent's. This is a clear sign to them of

their destruction, but of your salvation.

So again, in standing firm striving side by side with one

mind. It's a confirmation that you are

in Christ. And so, it's important that we

have one another in these kinds of days.

And then in verse 29, he says, for it has been granted to you.

That for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him

but also suffer for his sake. So this is one more way you can

take joy in your trials is James says, in chapter one, is knowing

that your trials, your sufferings have come to you from

God. So that you can suffer for the

sake of Christ, which is one more identity Mark that you are

in Christ. If you are living a life, that

is free of suffering and always you experience, no suffering at

all. No Kickback for your beliefs.

Then you need to ask yourself, am I really standing for

anything? I'm not saying you go out and be

intentionally disruptive and try to stir up stuff, but if you're

not cowering amid conversations with co-workers and employees,

or friends or roommates or spouse children, whatever, and

you're going to experience some friction for your beliefs in

Christ. And so if there is no friction

there, maybe they're maybe not much evidence outside of in your

heart, to your belief, you should be more bold, should take

a stand. And he says, you're engaged in

the same conflict that you saw I had.

And now hear that I still have and so by engaging in these

things you are identifying yourself with Christ with the

Apostle Paul and with all those who have gone before you, you do

not stand alone. It's in Hebrews that we read

about the great cloud of witnesses that we have.

To these truths into the things that we stand for.

And so in light of God's verdict on Humanity as we've seen in

Romans 1 today, the gospel must gain urgency in your life.

It must gain urgency in your life behind the good news of the

Gospel lies, the tough news, the difficult news, the bad news, if

you will, that all people are implicated in Acts in the

attitudes that God has promised to punish unless his means of

Grace are embraced. So, the gospel is the antidotes.

Because it's through trust in Christ.

That Obedience of Faith Comes which is the kind of believing

that God requires Obedience of faith.

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who

believes. So as you look on the pride of

unbelief that is on display in our world today, do not envy it.

Do not support it. But stand firm on the gospel of

Christ. Pray for the Salvation of

Sinners by the grace of God, as you boldly witness to the saving

power of the Gospel with unbelievers.

Again, here's some affirmations, just a few more affirmations and

denials from the Nashville statement on biblical sexuality.

In regards to how we live with these truths.

We affirm that our duties. We affirm our duty to speak the

truth, and love at all times, including when we speak to or

about one another as male or female, we deny any obligation

to speak in such ways that our God's design of His Image

bearers as male and female. In other words, refused to use

the pronouns refused to We affirm that the grace of God in

Christ gives both merciful pardon and transforming power

and that this pardon and power enable a follower of Jesus to

put to death sinful desires and to walk in a manner worthy of

the Lord praise God. We deny that the grace of God in

Christ is insufficient to forgive all sexual sins and to

give power for Holiness to every believer who feels drawn into

sexual sin. We affirm that the grace of God

in Christ and able Sinners to forsake transgender self

conceptions. And by Divine forbearance to

accept the god-ordained link between one's biological sex and

one's self conception is male or female.

We deny that the grace of God in Christ sanctions self

conceptions. That are at odds with gods

revealed. Will we affirm that Christ?

Jesus has come into the world to save Sinners and that through

Christ's death and Resurrection. Forgiveness of sins and eternal

life are available to every person who repents of sin and

Trust In Christ Alone as Savior, Lord, and supreme treasure.

We didn't, I love this one, but the Lord's arm is too short to

save or that any sinner is beyond his reach.

Amen. The gospel is the power of God

unto salvation believe in brothers and sisters for

claimants. It is the thing that liberates

Sinners, finally forever. Amen.

Remember unbelievers are going to boast and their sins.

But our duty is to post and our savior.

Would you stand and pray with me today?

Gracious. Heavenly Father we have heard

your words today. Now, help us to receive your

word. Lord, would you buy your spirit?

Allow us to believe your word wholeheartedly.

To remember it, to process it to live.

It father, help us to be the kind of men and women who

understand That unbelievers, running headlong into their

lustful, behaviors desires. Are actually under your

judgments. And that this is.

A terrifying thing. Father.

Would you give us an urgency to proclaim the gospel to friends

and to family members? To those around us who we know,

do not know you. Would you open a door for us?

Father, to talk about our God. To talk about your salvation, to

talk about the freedom. We now have from sin.

The ability, we have to hide ourselves in Christ.

Our sins are forgiven, our sins are washed away.

We are free forever from their guilt and the shame.

Father, we ask That you would use Christians around the world.

But Christians in our nation, A Remnant, father of Christians

who will Proclaim your word who will stand for truth.

Who will save people from the deranged behavior?

That is being applauded today. The things that are being done

to children in the name of this movement or unimaginable.

The places that this has yet to go.

If we keep running down this road, Are unthinkable.

Lord, we need you. We need a move of your spirit.

Heavenly Father, use your people for that.

Use us begin at here. In Columbia County, help us Lord

to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Christ Faithfully.

Lord, we thank you that you've commissioned us to go.

You've commissioned us to live in this world as Christians.

And Lord, not only have you commissioned us but you've

equipped Us by your spirit to do just that help us to raise the

flag, to raise the banner of the Gospel.

Hi that all may see it, but Sinners may be drawn into it and

receive salvation in Your Name. Lord, we love you.

We thank you for the Salvation. We have forgive us, Lord of

timidity. Forgive us Lord.

Where we have lacked. Boldness, or where we have

thought that, we don't know enough to say anything, forgive

us, Lord, for the Times where we have just tried to get along.

Or none of that is going to save sinners.

Help us father help us Lord to be to be Soul winners.

For your name. Lord, we pray these things.

According to the name of Christ who has saved us.

We ask that you work them into us.

Amen. Amen.