Starting with God: The Path to Renewal

Devotional

Day 1: The Root of Humanity's Troubles

Humanity's troubles stem from failing to start with God, leading to self-centeredness and moral decay. This is evident in the first act of disobedience in Eden, where humanity chose to glorify itself rather than God. The solution lies in returning to God and recognizing His glory. [31:02]

"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." (Romans 1:21, ESV)

Reflection: Consider an area in your life where you have prioritized your desires over God's will. What steps can you take today to realign this area with God's glory?

Day 2: Evidence of God in Creation

The evidence of God's existence is clear in creation, leaving humanity without excuse. Despite this, people have failed to glorify God, resulting in a darkened heart and a foolish mind. This has led to a society that worships creation rather than the Creator, causing moral decay. [32:21]

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20, ESV)

Reflection: Spend time in nature today and reflect on how creation reveals God's character. How can this awareness deepen your worship and gratitude towards Him?

Day 3: Lessons from the Fall of Civilizations

The decline of great civilizations, like the Roman Empire, was due to moral corruption, not military failures. This serves as a warning for modern societies that prioritize self over God. The gospel offers a solution by starting with God and addressing humanity's ultimate need. [33:51]

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on the values that your community or nation prioritizes. How can you, as an individual, contribute to a culture that honors God and upholds righteousness?

Day 4: The Transformative Power of the Gospel

The gospel is not about politics or law but about the transformative power of God's wisdom and love. It offers forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal through Jesus Christ, providing new life and power to those who believe. [48:24]

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you need transformation. How can you invite the power of the gospel to bring change and renewal in this area today?

Day 5: The Sacrifice of Christ

God's love is demonstrated through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who bore the punishment for our sins. This act of love offers forgiveness and redemption, allowing us to be reconciled with God and experience His transformative power. [55:28]

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone in your life who needs to experience God's love and forgiveness. How can you be a vessel of Christ's love to them this week?

Sermon Summary

In our world filled with distractions, arguments, and self-centered pursuits, the fundamental issue lies in humanity's failure to start with God. This is the root of all our troubles, as we often prioritize ourselves over the divine. The Bible's message is clear: all human suffering, heartache, and moral decay stem from turning away from God and placing ourselves at the center. This began with the first act of disobedience in the Garden of Eden, where humanity chose to glorify itself rather than God. This self-centeredness has led to a distorted view of ourselves and a lack of moral foundation.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, emphasizes that the evidence of God's existence is evident in creation, leaving humanity without excuse. Yet, despite knowing God, people have failed to glorify Him, leading to a darkened heart and a foolish mind. This has resulted in a society that worships creation rather than the Creator, leading to moral decay and societal collapse. The decline of great civilizations, like the Roman Empire, was not due to military failures but moral corruption.

The gospel offers a solution by starting with God. It reveals the glory of the Blessed God and addresses humanity's ultimate need. The gospel is not about politics or law but about the transformative power of God's wisdom and love. It is the only thing that truly works, offering forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal. Through Jesus Christ, God has provided a way for humanity to be saved, offering new life and power to those who believe.

Key Takeaways

1. centeredness and moral decay. This is evident in the first act of disobedience in Eden, where humanity chose to glorify itself rather than God. The solution lies in returning to God and recognizing His glory. [31:02]
2. The evidence of God's existence is clear in creation, leaving humanity without excuse. Despite this, people have failed to glorify God, resulting in a darkened heart and a foolish mind. This has led to a society that worships creation rather than the Creator, causing moral decay.

3. The decline of great civilizations, like the Roman Empire, was due to moral corruption, not military failures. This serves as a warning for modern societies that prioritize self over God. The gospel offers a solution by starting with God and addressing humanity's ultimate need.

4. The gospel is not about politics or law but about the transformative power of God's wisdom and love. It offers forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal through Jesus Christ, providing new life and power to those who believe.

5. God's love is demonstrated through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who bore the punishment for our sins. This act of love offers forgiveness and redemption, allowing us to be reconciled with God and experience His transformative power. [31:02]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:55] - The Need to Know God
[29:24] - Starting with God
[30:34] - The Fall and Its Consequences
[31:21] - Old and New Testament Insights
[32:03] - Evidence of God in Creation
[33:11] - Moral Decay and Society
[34:06] - The Role of Law and Authority
[36:30] - The False View of Self
[39:36] - The Lack of Moral Foundation
[42:01] - Humanist Perspectives
[44:00] - The Need for Cultural Reshaping
[46:16] - The Gospel's Unique Solution
[48:08] - The Power of the Gospel
[50:43] - God's Wisdom and Love
[55:14] - The Sacrifice of Christ

Sermon Clips

"all men's troubles ultimately arise from his failure to start with God the gospel is different I say because it starts with God and it starts with God because man's troubles all of them arise eventually from his failure to start with God as I say man always starts with himself and that is exactly where he goes wrong" [00:29:24]

"everything that is true of mankind this evening all our troubles all our heartaches all our pains our problems our illnesses our diseases everything is due to the fact that mankind is turned away from God that it doesn't start with God but it starts with itself and puts itself in the supreme position" [00:30:34]

"the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is Manifest in them for God hath showed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made" [00:31:34]

"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 professing them elv to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible god into an image made like to corruptible men and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things" [00:32:33]

"the great Roman Empire went down the decline and fall of the great Roman Empire why did she go down was it a military reason it wasn't it was a moral reason this sort of thing went on and down she went is Brit and following even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind" [00:33:51]

"the moment man starts with himself instead of God and the moment man ceases to glorify God certain things follow immediately and of necessity because Modern Men doesn't believe in God he's got a false view of himself that's M's trouble at the moment he's got a wrong view of himself it's a very inflated one men thinks he's very big and very important" [00:37:36]

"he's got no standard to decide how he's going to live as a man thinks so he is so he does if my view of a man is that he's just an animal whose CTIC has developed a little bit more than in most animals but still essentially an animal well then of course if that's my view of myself I will act accordingly" [00:40:00]

"man when he starts with himself and when he doesn't glorify God and puts himself up as the ultimate standard of everything always ends not only in sin but in complete lawlessness not only in immorality but in amorality nonm Morality with all the perversions and all that is unnatural and foul it's invariable" [00:41:21]

"the whole trouble today is the total failure of society to provide any alternative basis for Morality she says that's our trouble she says we no longer believe of course in the Christian doctrines she says our trouble is we have completely fail to provide any alternative basis for Morality" [00:42:01]

"unless we reshape our culture particularly our very traditional education sufficiently to Grapple with the irrational forces in human nature which now so largely dominate the public mind and thus dictate policy our relatively free western Society cannot survive it will either be extinguished physically by which he means the letting off of the hydrogen bomb" [00:44:00]

"the gospel is the record and the account of what he has done and what he offers to anybody who's prepared to listen to it it is here you see all the great characteristics of God revealed its glorious attributes first is wisdom what is this message well it is God's way of saving men it's God's wisdom it isn't human theorization" [00:48:24]

"God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life God so loved the world the world that had sinned against him the world that had rebelled against him the world that had turned its back on him the world that had put itself up in his place" [00:55:28]

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