WELCOME TO O’Neal CHURCH OF CHRIST O’Neal church of Christ, Athens, Al. 9/19/13

 When  God  Gives  Up  On  Men

 Ezikiel 14:14 If Noah, Job and Daniel, these three were in the land, I would spare them for their righteousness but destroy the people who had sinned!. Israel was God’s people!  Gen. 19:26; Luke 17:32 Lot’s wife. Don’t look back. She looked back and became a pillar of  Salt. She was the wife of Lot, a godly man!

 Uzzah. Don’t touch the ark!. Uzzah touched it.  He died instantly. 2 Sam. 6:6,7  Nadad and Abihu. Lev. 10:1-2 Offered strange fire to the Lord.. Both died. They were Aaron’s sons.  Ananias and Sapphira. Both lied. Acts 5:1-11  They were Christians, disciples of the Lord!

 The world in Noah’s day!. Every thought and immagination was only evil continually.  God gave them up. Flood destroyed everyone  Except Noah and his family. 8 I Pet. 3:20,21

 My people hearkened not to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, that they might walk in their own counsels (Psalms 81:11,12).  The martyr Stephen likewise said,  But God turned and gave them up to serve the host of heaven (Acts 7:42).

 Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved; and for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 KJV).

When God Gives Up On You….  Gen. 6:3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”  It doesn’t matter who you are, God is no respecter of persons…(Acts 10:34,35) 

Paul was ready …  Paul was ready to preach and to serve (Rom1:15)  Paul was ready to suffer (Acts 21:13)  Paul was ready to do unpleasant work  ( 2Corinthians 10:6) Paul was ready to die (2 Timothy 4:6)

Rom. 1:16,17 He was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ  For therein is the righteousness of God from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”  Rom. 10:17 So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

v. 18 For the Wrath of God is revealed from heaven against  All unrighteouusness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;  V.19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath shewed it unto them.

These people are without excuse because…  God  Showed  Them  the Truth!

 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:  21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

How did God show them?  By the things that are made….  Creation demands a  Creator!!!

 They  had  NO  excuse!!

 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, changed  23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

They Changed-----  They changed the Living God, Eternal God,  uncorruptible God.. To a corruptible God…  Idolatry!!  Made God … like corruptible man,  Made God like birds,  Made God like fourfooted beasts,  Made God like creeping things… 

God gave them up….He gave up on them!...  24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

They changed…..  Worshipped and serve the Creature  more than the Creator 

 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:  for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

They did not want to retain God in their knowledge…..  28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  About 23 things are mentioned!!

 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

God gave them up  V.24 Wherefore God also gave them up ….to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves..  V.26 For this cause God gave them up into vile affections:  women change the natural use into that which is against nature  men,leaving the natural use of the woman,burned in their lusts one toward another;men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet

 V.28 …And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient:

v. 32These people knew the judgment of God concerning these things… ,,,that they which commit such things are  worthy of death,  Not only do the same,  but have pleasure in them that do them.

Being filled with all unrighteousness  fornication; which sometimes includes adultery,beastiality, homosexuality..  wickedness; or mischief, by which a man is inclined and studies to do hurt, to others, as Satan does: covetousness; which is idolatry..(Col.3:2)

 maliciousness; desire of revenge in men, for which some are very notorious: envy; at the superior knowledge and learning, wealth and riches, happiness, and outward prosperity of others: murder: crime of deliberately killing a person :

 debate; strife about words more than things, and more for vain glory, and a desire of victory, than for truth: deceit; making large pretences to morality, when they were the vilest of creatures: malignity; malice, meanness, spite, vicious… whisperers; who made mischief among friends, by privately suggesting, and secretly insinuating things into the mind of one to the prejudice of another

 Verse 30. Backbiters,.... Who more publicly defamed the characters of their neighbours, and hurt their good name, credit and reputation, though behind their backs: haters of God; as all workers of iniquity are; this expresses their sin, that they were deniers of the being and providence of God.. proud; of their natural knowledge, learning, eloquence and vain philosophy, pride

 boasters:, of their abilities, wisdom and works; all which they attributed to themselves, inventors of evil things; of evil schemes of morality and philosophy, and of evil practices, as well as principles: disobedient to parents; which was acting contrary to the light of nature.

 Verse 31. Without understanding,.... Of God, of his nature and worship, of things divine and even moral, being given up to a reprobate mind: covenant breakers; had no regard to private or public contracts: without natural affection; to their parents, children, relations and friends:

 implacable; when once offended there was no reconciling of them: unmerciful; had no pity and compassion to persons in distress.

They are worthy of Death!!  V.32 They not only do those things, but have pleasure in them that do them!  They do those evil things and  Supoport those who do those things!  These are alarming things stated by the  Aged Apostle…

 Where does all this violence, immorality, cruelty and degradation come from?  Men have abandoned the true knowledge of God.  The state of society is a reflection of God’s judgment upon them for this.

One of the key verses in this section:  V. 21 When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful: but became  Vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened… Man’s simple ingratitude against God is shocking.  Man’s simple ingratitude against God is shocking. “I cannot say anything much worse of a man than that he is not thankful to those who have been his benefactors; and when you say that he is not thankful to God, you have said about the worst thing you can say of him.” (Spurgeon)

They did things which were not fitting… “socially acceptable”  “socially acceptable” sins (such as covetousness, envy and pride, gay)  are included right along with “socially unacceptable”  “socially unacceptable” sins (such as murder, rape, gay (although acceptable by  some)).

God calls on people to change… to turn to Him.  2 Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  God does not want anyone to be lost…  But if a person chooses to turn away from  God, and stay in that condition…he will perish!

 I Cor. 6:9-11 ‘and such were some of you…but  You are washed, but you are santified but you are justified …in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

You give up on God  become a reprobate  become a reject  become unfit for the kingdom of God…  and won’t listen, won’t do anything about  Your soul…God will give you up….Lk. 9:62  It’s all up to us……What will you do with the rest of your life….?