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Sermon Outline Prepared by Joseph
P. Metoyer, Jr., Pastor/Teacher August
19, 2001 Text:
Romans 2:4 Title: Are
You In Contempt? Introduction: In a court of law one can be found in contempt for several actions or even certain attitudes. When we decide not to corporate with truth we are in contempt of God. God who is the Judge could bring severe justice upon us immediately but He extends His grace and allows Paul to instruct us on how to repent. If we do not come to true repentance we, become a hoarder of wrath against the day of God’s wrath. The figure of speech is most striking. The picture is that of a miser who saves odds and ends of wrath, and who tucks all his collection away, unwilling to comprehend that he is like a man who is collecting the eggs of serpents, bringing them into a warm room where they will some day hatch at the same moment, and destroy him.[1] We have been instructed by the Apostle (1: 29-32) To
deal with defiance, and to acknowledge that there is no excuse, and no
escape for judging when we practice sin also (2:1-3).
I. If we do not repent we are in contemptA. What is repentance? “Repentance is the act of turning from sin and to Christ for forgiveness. Repentance is a military term meaning “About face”. To turn 180 degrees away from the direction or what you were facing. The Apostle Paul is addressing a sin act (Vv. 1-3). He is not forbidding a righteous judgment but he is saying that we need to look at ourselves first before we accuse another of a sin. Perhaps even the same sin we are guilty of. B. Why should we repent? (v. 3b) Because without turning away from a lifestyle of sin “you will not escape the judgment of God”. Some despise the riches of His “forbearance” (v.4). “Forbearance” is God holding back His wrath. (Joel 2:13) “So rend your heart, and not your garments; For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.” Without repentance God will
release His wrath on sin and the sinner. Look
at (Rom. 2:5) when we do not repent we store up the very wrath that God is
holding back in His “forbearance”.
If we call ourselves judging the sin lifestyle of others while we
continue in sin ourselves, in other words we are in a non-repentant state
ourselves, then we must know that God is going to deal with us; (v.5b) Says
“in the day of wrath”. This
means that if we choose not to repent and continue in sin, rejecting God’s
forgiveness in Christ, we are accumulating more of God’s judgment against
ourselves. “Vengeance is mine, I
will repay says the Lord” (Romans 12:19b).
(Nahum 1:2-6) paints this picture clearly for us; God is
jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious.
The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath
for His enemies; The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at
all acquit the wicked. The Lord has
His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His
feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the
rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither,
and the flower of Lebanon wilts. The
mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth heaves at His
presence, yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is
poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. Don’t forget that Paul is
writing to the Church at Rome and some were saved and some were not.
Some Jews displayed some racial prejudice and were judging that the
Gentiles were less than them. (Romans 2:5-6) let’s us know that sooner or later
the continued rejection of “God’s goodness” will bring us face to face
with judgment, according to the deeds we have done, in “the day of wrath”.
(Revelation 20:11-15) John says, then I saw a great white throne and
Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.
And there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were
opened. And another book was
opened, which is the Book of Life. And
the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were
written in the books. The sea gave
up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were
in them. And they were judged,
each one according to his works. Then
Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death. And
anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. II.
The goodness of God leads to repentance We must stop rejecting God’s goodness and His
forbearance and REPENT? (Rom. 2:4b) (Romans 11:22) Therefore
consider the goodness and severity of God:
on those who fell, severity, but toward you, goodness, if you continue in
His goodness. Otherwise you also
will be cut off. A.
What is the “goodness of God [that] leads you to repentance?
The “goodness of God [that] leads to repentance” is in (Col.
1:24-27) called “riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles:
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. 1. Past goodness is the moment that Jesus Christ sacrificed His life on the cross for the remission of our sins. Peter in preaching to the lost on Pentecost said (Acts 2:38) Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit. The “goodness of God” was extended to us when He gave “His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. 2.
Present goodness
(Eph. 3:14-19) For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that
He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened
with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able
to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and the length and depth and
height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be
filled with all the fullness of God. 3.
Future goodness is displayed in (Eph. 2:7) “In
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus”. Application: The
“goodness of God leads us to repentance”.
Think about what your sins look like. Make an about face! I know it’s hard to do and it does require effort. Sin can take: That which is Godly and turn it into that which is Devilish… That which was intended to be a Blessing and cause it to become a curse… Beautiful memories and twist them into haunting night-mares… A tongue filled praises and worship, and degrade it into a vicious and poisonous weapon… A marriage filled with mutual love and understanding, and defile it with jealousy and selfishness.
Let me ask a question, what is better for you remaining
in the position of facing your sinful situation or turning away from that
lifestyle and turning your heart toward God? God’s goodness is His mercy and grace!!! |
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