Longing for the Creator: The Transformative Power of the Gospel

Here are the selected quotes from the sermon transcript:

1. "So I mean, even in idolatrous cultures, and I'm not just talking about America, or if you think about Athens, when Paul came in Acts chapter 17 and says, wow, I see your city is full of idols. Wow, I wish you just knew the unknown God, and I want to reveal that unknown God to you. But even in the past, reading a little bit of a book, I've read it many times, but Don Richardson's got a book called Eternity in Their Hearts. And he mentions this group of people, the Santal people of India." [00:27] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "Savior Jesus Christ as we announce this message people say well that's what we've been looking for the creator God has revealed himself he's made himself known and has drawing us to himself and through the work and for the person of Jesus Christ well when it seems like when people seek more light God gives them more light and when they seek darkness they just keep going into darkness it seems to be the pattern of humanity and so we're asking for a revelation of God among our friends how many of you ask that God would be revealed in your friends and family members hearts like I just show up show up show out show off be be gracious to them right and as we think about the Santal people that then grew and grew and grew and then we need more missionaries we need more support we need more workers because this just grew and grew and grew as you think about this we need more missionaries we need more support we need more workers because this just grew and grew and grew and grew and then we need more missionaries we need more workers because this about that account and think about what Paul is saying in Romans chapter 1 he's saying even in a world of darkened minds the gospel has the power to illuminate and transform so I'm going to read a passage here in a minute that's like oh wow well nothing could ever happen how could how could anything go right after something like that and he's actually saying remember he's saying I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ because the power of God unto salvation for all who believe to the Jew first and also to the Greek and then he's going to go into the gospel of Christ and he's going to go into the gospel of Christ and he's going to go into the gospel of Christ and he's this other passage as like that's the solution to this decline that I'm just about to talk about so I kind of want you to hold the power of the gospel here even as we talk about the wow wow it could never get better it could never get better he's he's putting the gospel front and center and then talking about the wow wow wow the decline because there is hope for transformation this longing for resolution revelation and the and we'll look at the the light of revelation contrasted with the desire for darkness people people like that want to sin prefer darkness rather than light typically until the end of the regression or progress or whatever we call it but then there's a revelation of wrath" [02:14] (134 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "so here's my deep conviction when God addresses the core problems in you and in your country and your city and your society and your family when God addresses the core problems in you this is good news oh you're going the wrong way your darkness, your sin your rebellion is just going and when he offers the good news in the face of that that's awesome when God convicts you of sin causing you to turn to him this is amazing news you should want that you should court that is there anything more you could say to me because I want that when God treats you as children and disciplines you that's a Hebrews 12 passage if you're not a child that is being corrected by God you're an illegitimate child and he doesn't care about you you're an illegitimate child so no discipline is pleasant but" [06:45] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "know it's painful but later on it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained up under it like don't you want to be treated as children or just like hey whatever whatever whatever so this is a good thing when he retreats from you that's the worst news ever when God backs away his loving presence his face turns away whoa when he backs away and leaves you to your own devices that is not good news when he gives you over to your own darkened thinking this is terrible news and we'll see that Paul says this is the revelation the apocalypse of his wrath the apocalypse of his anger is the backing away the giving over let's listen to it it's one of those passages that doesn't need a lot of explanation and maybe we next week I'll go through the passage again and we'll pull out another theme so just know I know there's going to be a lot left on the table but Paul is just saying look this is what's happening here the wrath of God is apocalypse" [07:46] (73 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "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, listen, with all manner of unrighteousness. Evil, covetousness, malice. They're full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. Now, in case you were wondering, this is not the same, like, so if you give yourself over to unnatural sexual desires, then you become envious, murderous, strife. He's talking about when you worship other gods, they will twist you according to your disordered desires." [22:59] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "And exhibit A is, hey, guys, this is disordered. This is not rightly related to God, even to yourself, certainly not to others, and certainly not into the creation and the created world. But now we're seeing some other distortions, too. Now we're talking about, full of, like, all kinds of unrighteousness. Evil, covetousness, malice. I mean, we could kind of push on those terms a little bit, but evil, right? I think we got that. Covetousness. Really desiring. This is more of the Ten Commandments stuff. Now I want what they have, and I gotta have what they have. And it's not just keeping up with the Joneses and appearances. It's like I can't sit well unless I have, what that person has. Malice. Really desiring ill and speaking ill of other people." [23:48] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "When God gives people over, this is a form of His wrath. The withdrawal allows us to experience the full consequences of our choices. Now, when I was a kid, I'm sure my dad looked out the window and said, well, that's just dumb. What I was doing. But he was also a dad. Now, my mom would say, we've got to stop it. Understood. My dad would just be like, this will be interesting. He's built a ramp for his bike. This is just going to be interesting. I'll see how this, see how this, see how this goes." [26:04] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "Think about it this way. So I've been thinking about the flood, the narrative of the flood. This is early in Genesis. As one of those moments where God has done the work in creation and he separated the waters. The water comes to here and no further. And the land goes to here and no further. And God separates the waters. But then wickedness is so bad. Everybody does what's right in their own eyes and evil all the time everywhere. And he says, you don't want me? What happens if I step back? What happens to the flood? What happens to the waters, right? Just kind of an image of the apocalypse of his wrath is to just..." [27:13] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "And behold, what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called. sons of God. Now we're grafted into this story. One thing to be looking for, and it's not the most noticeable here, but it's something I have my eye on as we're going through Romans, is that Paul, the apostle, might be thinking that in order to get all of the 10 tribes back, we're just going to have to go to all the nations because they're all mixed in there anyway. And so maybe the restoration of Israel is just the gospel message to the Gentile nations. And that's how this whole picture, and in this way, all Israel will be saved. It's possible as we move forward. We're a few chapters behind that right now, but we'll take a look." [28:50] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "So this is the solution. This giving over state, like the gospel is the solution to this. He's been given over, given over, given over. Just halt the problem. In the progress of the cancer, you respond to Jesus as Lord and Savior. So I guess the main point is this, and what I'm trying to say is that we've got this idolatry, which is the rejection of God. So 10th commandment, number one, you shall have no other gods before me, resulting in a spiral of moral and then social decay. Okay." [29:52] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)