Reference

Romans 1:18-27

Rules of engagement:

1. Honor the Lord (Jn. 13:35; Col. 4:6)

2. Commit to learning together (listen to understand, not respond)

3. Be respectful of one another

4. Believe the best in one another, not the worst

Sermon Notes

I. The _______

A. The progressivist ____

B. The _________ of progressivism

II. The _____ (Romans 1:18-27)

A. Sin disorders our ______ (v. 18-20)

B. Sin disorders our _______ (v. 21-23)

C. Sin disorders our _______ (v. 24-25)

D. Sin disorders our _______ (v. 26-32)

III. The ____ ____ (Romans 3:21-25)

IV. The Christian ________

A. Hold to the _____

1. Take a _____

2. _____ the truth in love (Eph. 4:14-15)

B. _______

Going Deeper

  1. In the 1960’s, author Michael Foucault did not agree with Hegel and Marx’s progressivism. Tim Keller says Focault saw “not a sequence of ascending stages but a series of ruptures in which a new era is different from the previous – particularly different in who has more power and who has less – but not necessarily better.” -Tim Keller, Hope in Times of FearIn what ways is progressivism a problem in our culture?
  2. Carl Trueman says, “Calling on the language of ‘Jim Crow’ and segregation provides powerful rhetorical ammunition for the LGBTQ+ cause and indeed makes public criticism of its political demands very, very difficult. Yet the civil rights movement of the 1950s and the sexual identity rights movement of the present day, in fact, rest on entirely different premises, the former grounded in a notion of dignity based on a universal human nature, the latter on the sovereign right of individual self-determination.”On December 13 the “Respect for Marriage Act” was signed by President Biden. This included same-sex couples and interracial couples. How is this evidence of Trueman’s words?
  3. In the Book of Common Prayer marriage has a three-fold purpose: 1) Lifelong companionship, 2) mutual sexual satisfaction, and 3) procreation. The first two might be claimed by the gay community, but the third is a physical impossibility. Carl Trueman: “Gay marriage actually demands a fundamental revision of the ends of marriage and therefore of the essence of marriage.” The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self
  4. Read Romans 1:18-20. How does sin disorder our belief?
  5. Read Romans 1:21-23. How does sin disorder our worship? How have you found yourself worshiping other gods? Of the four root idols which do you struggle with most?1. Power: a longing for influence or recognition 2. Control: a longing to have everything go according to my plan 3. Comfort: a longing for pleasure 4. Approval: a longing to be accepted or desiredWhat are some ways you will reject these idols to worship God alone?
  6. Read Romans 1:24-25. How has sin disordered our desires?How has our culture exchanged the truth for tolerance?
  7. Read Romans 1:26-32. How has sin disordered our behaviors?How have you exchanged God’s authority for your autonomy?
  8. Read Ephesians 2:1-9. What is the bad news? What is the good news?
  9. Living faithfully today requires living differently. Tim Keller: “Christians see that in Jesus, the way up is down, and the way to true power is to give up power in order to serve, the way to true riches is to be radically generous with all you have, and the way to lasting happiness is to not seek your own happiness so much as the happiness of others. This was how he saved the world and changed your life, and now it becomes our way of seeing and living.”J.D. Greear: “We [as Christians] represent an entirely different kingdom with entirely different values and under an entirely different authority. Becoming a Christian in America means you’re not only going to have to drink a few cups of crazy milk; you’re going to have to buy the whole crazy cow.”Kevin DeYoung: “Worldliness is whatever makes sin look normal and righteousness look strange.” How will you live differently (look strange) this week?
  10. Read Bible passages that address homosexuality. Gen. 19 (the Sodom and Gomorrah story, with a related passage in Jude 7), Leviticus 18, 20, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:9-10, and Rom. 1:18-27. How are these passages tied to the creation account in Genesis 1-2? How do homosexual acts go against God’s design and sacred order (Gen. 1:27; 2:24)?
  11. One of the most common objections that homosexuality is a sin: Jesus never openly condemned homosexuality. 2 answers: 1. Jesus also did not openly condemn spousal abuse or incest. Of course, Jesus does not support these acts. Silence doesn’t equal acceptance. 2. Jesus affirmed the Torah (the law: Genesis-Deuteronomy) and homosexuality is so clearly against both God’s design and God’s law that Jesus did not have to address it in his ministry.
  12. How will you speak the truth in love this week? Why is it so important to speak the truth in love according to Eph. 4:14-15?13. How will you make your beliefs the “engine” and your feelings the “caboose” this week? What is your identity in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17)? How can you preach the truth to yourself, despite what your feelings might say?

Additional Resources