Romans chapter two. The need for the gospel. Is there a need for the gospel today? Yes. Amen.

Yes, there is. There is a great need for the gospel today. Was there a need in Paul's day? Yes. Yes.

There was a need in Paul's day and there remains a need today. Paul identified himself in Romans one as the servant of Jesus Christ and he was proud and happy and excited and gloried in the opportunity God had given him to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was also an apostle and he was privileged, privileged to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. One specifically appointed. In his case, appointed as a missionary to the Gentile world.

And then he was separated unto the what? Under the gospel of God. Under the gospel of Christ. It says in Romans one sixteen, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Paul says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

Well, why was he not ashamed of the gospel? Well, one, because he wasn't ashamed of his savior. He wasn't ashamed of Jesus Christ who came and gave his life for him and none of us should ever be ashamed of Jesus Christ and what he did for us and that he is our savior, our friend, and our Lord. We should never be ashamed to tell others about him. We should never be ashamed to take a stand for him.

We should never be ashamed to claim the name of Jesus Christ as Christians. He was also not ashamed because it was the power of God under what? To salvation to all. He wasn't ashamed of the gospel. He wasn't ashamed to preach the gospel.

Why? Because it was the means by which people would hear the news that Jesus came. He died on the cross according to scriptures. He was buried. He rose again the third day according to scriptures that through faith in him, they might be what?

Saved. From sin and hell. Whether they be Jew or whether they be Greek or Gentile or whatever they be, as long as they be human. Jesus died for them. And whosoever will may come.

That is the good news of the gospel. He then takes forth in the remainder of Romans one and chapters two and three To do two things to explain the gospel and to explain the need for the gospel because sad to say there's a lot of people out there that don't see the need for the gospel. They do not need to be saved in their eyes. They do not need Jesus Christ. They are good enough in their eyes on their own.

But they're not good enough in whose eyes? God's. In God's eyes. He spends the latter half of Romans one we looked at last week speaking to the hidden, to the peoples and nations that and individuals that have just completely turned their back on God altogether. Have no use for the true God of heaven have turned instead to idols.

To money to false religions, to all types of perverse immorality, in order to fill that void in their life, that only Jesus Christ can fill. Who have no need in their mind for the Lord or for his word or his law or his righteousness. And sad to say, I think that's probably more descriptive of where we are as a culture today than ever before. There are so many have been raised in our culture to believe they're nothing but animals and so therefore, what do they act like? Animals.

They've been brought up to believe that there is no god or there is no true God to whom they are accountable who will judge them and so they live according to their own desires. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. There is When everybody does what's right in his own eyes, it leads to where? Death. Death and destruction and ruin.

Today, we're going to talk about, we're going to look in chapter two and Paul addresses a different group of people beginning in chapter two. Not the hidden who have gone after idols and have no morals and have become completely perverse and reprobate in their thinking. Today, Paul is going to speak to the moralist, to the Jew, to the religious person, concerning their need. Because sad to say, there are too many people sitting in pews on Saturdays and Sundays all around this world. Who think they're okay with God.

But they're not. And their faith will be the same as the heathen. In chapter one. If they do not, do something about it or go to the person who can do something. About it.

Let's read again the first five verses of chapter two. Therefore, thou art inexcusable, oh man. Whosoever thou art that judges for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself. For thou that judges doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things and thinkest thou this old man that judges them which do such things and do us the same that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation, the righteous judgment of God. Let's pray. Dear Lord, thank you for your word today. Thank you.

Has we saw last week as we see again this week as reminded throughout the word of God, there is a remedy. There is a way of escape. There is a solution to man's problem. His sinful condition. His eternal punishment and that solution is Jesus Christ.

The righteous one who came and took our place. So, that we might be robed in the righteousness of Christ. So that we might be forgiven through the death and suffering that he took on himself. For the sins of mankind. We pray Lord today if there's one here that thinks they're getting to heaven by their own good works.

That you help them to see today. That they may be better. Than someone else. But they don't measure up to Jesus Christ. They fall very very short and they too need a savior.

In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. So, what about the religious or moral person? The one who plays by the rules, the good old boy if he grew up in Virginia. The Protestant, the Jew, the Catholic, the JW or the Mormon, who go to church, they give money, they're faithful to their families, their work, and their church.

Aren't they okay with God? Certainly, God is not angry with them. Certainly, God is not going to punish them. They believe God. They're not reprobates.

They're not heathens like others are. They've never been arrested for anything. They're not thieves or murderers or idolaters or adulterers or drunkards or wife beaters or drug addicts. They have nothing to worry about, right? Wrong.

This represents the thinking of the Jews in Jesus in Paul's day who imagined they were good enough in the eyes of God to warrant his favor. We call them the self righteous because they believe that their righteousness, their goodness, their good works, were sufficient to get them into the kingdom of God. But remember Jesus said to Nicodemus, except a man be what? Born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God.

Their defense is, I'm not as bad as the other guy. Ever heard that? Oh, I've heard that. I have heard that more times than I've heard. I trust when I ask, are you going to heaven?

I think so. Why do you think so? Well, I'm pretty good. I'm not a thief and I'm not a idolater and I'm not a murderer and I'm okay. I'm better than those other people.

So, certainly God's going to be okay with me. That's their defense. The case of the prosecution, are you really? Is that so? God says, you too are without excuse.

You see, the moral, the religious person, the good deed doer, the rule keeper, the self righteous judge tends to have a blind spot in regards to his or her own shortcomings and sins. Ever noticed that? Yes. They recognize the sins of others particularly the hidden whose sins are not hidden but open in public and they're very quick to condemn. If you read through the New Testament, the gospels, there's a group that's mentioned over and over again.

They're called the Pharisees. We are describing them today. They had a blind spot in regards to their own sin. They were very quick to recognize the sins of others. However, they're less public or more socially acceptable sins, white lies, gossip, malice, hatred, greed, pride, jealousy, wicked thoughts, particularly those sins of the heart and mind which others do not see.

They justify or they ignore or hide which makes them what? Why do we call the Pharisees? Starts with an H. Hypocrites. Hypocrites.

Hypocrites. Because they know deep down that they're sinners too. But they try to deny it. They try to suppress it. They try to hide it.

But in reality, you know it. They may hide their sin from others but they cannot fool who? God. They can't fool God. Whose judgment is based on the truth of who we really are.

That no one else sees. So, point number one this morning is this, God's first basis of judgement is the truth, the truth. You see in verse two, but we are sure the judgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. Not according to what other people see, not according to the mask or the face that you put on when you go to church. But who you really are and God knows.

It says in verse one, therefore, thou are excusable man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest who? Thou condemnest thyself who do the same things. Let's see. I skipped ahead on there. There we go.

Matthew seven one and two, judge not. This is Jesus speaking particularly to the Pharisees but to whoever was listening that day. Judge not that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you shall be judged and with what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you again. Be careful about your judgment about the sins and condition of others.

First, make sure of your condition and your standing before who? God. Before almighty God, before you go judging and condemning others. He goes on in the passage to say, if you have a log in your own eye and you see a person that has a speck in theirs, well, why don't you get the log out of your eye first before you go trying to take the speck out of theirs? You hypocrite.

And indeed, to a certain extent, even we that know the Lord can sometimes be a bit hypocritical if we're honest. Can we not? And we need to always be on guard for that. We need to first examine ourselves. Before we start examining others.

But in the case of the Pharisees and others who knew not the Lord, their hypocrisy would someday land them in the lake of fire. Because they deem themselves worthy and others unworthy. The fact is we are all what? Unworthy. Unworthy.

It is only Jesus who is worthy. Amen. And who by his grace makes us worthy. Stop and think before you open your mouth to sing your own praises and condemn others. Make sure that you are not convicting yourself.

That your thoughts, words, and deeds are truly better than those you condemn. Remember, God knows, you might hide your real self from others but you cannot hide your real self from God. Turn if you would. Hold your place in Romans. Turn back to Matthew five if you would.

Matthew chapter five. It's part of Jesus' sermon on the mount. We read the introduction to the last third of it, Matthew seven one and two. This is in the first part of that same message. Jesus Christ says in verse 20 of Matthew five, verse 20 of Matthew five, for I say unto you that except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Now, that was a tall order in the minds of his disciples because they all looked up to the Pharisees as the pious people among them. The ones who kept all the rules and they they thought, boy, that's that's an awful tall order. Indeed, it is a tall order. So tall that the only one who scales that is who? Is Jesus Christ.

If you look, Jesus goes on in verse twenty one and twenty two to say this, but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council, but whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. What does he mean by that? Well, look up in verse 21. You have heard that was said by them of all time, thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall it be in danger of the judgment. So, they say, well, hey, I'm not a murderer, right?

So, I'm okay. God's fine with me because I'm not a murderer. Seems like a bit of an odd justification for getting to heaven but hey, some people almost think that way. God says, now, wait a second, you say you're not a murderer but you murder people where? In your heart.

When you are angry and you hold on to that anger and you let it boil and brew and you become bitter and vengeful and you wish injury and harm upon them. Maybe you don't go as far as to actually do it. But you'd be happy if it happened. You too are guilty in the eyes of who? In the eyes of God.

First John three fifteen, it says, whosoever hateth his breath, hateth his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Look if you won in Matthew five twenty seven, Matthew five twenty seven. You have heard it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Amen. Look if you would over to verse 31 and it hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement but I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, divorce her, for let's see, saving for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery, and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery.

So, again, to the Pharisees, to the self righteous, Jesus says, okay, you say, hey, I'm okay. I don't commit adultery but you commit adultery in your what? In your heart because you fantasize and lust after those to whom you are not married and who are not rightfully yours. And yes, you don't commit adultery but instead, you you find the legal way around. You just what?

You just divorce this wife and you get another and when you're tired of that wife and you see this one, you divorce her and you take another and God's okay with that, right? Just. No. No? No, he's not.

No, he's not. You too have sinned against God. How on theft? You say, well, I'm not a thief. I don't steal things.

What's interesting in Mark seven twenty two, where it lists a list of sins, things that God condemns, it leaves lists thieves and right after it in the list, it lists those who are covetous. Thieves and covetous. What is a covetous person? It's a person who wants something that belongs to somebody else, They just don't have enough gumption to actually go and what? Go and take it, okay?

But they're a thief where? In their heart because they're not content with what they have. They want what somebody else has. And God says, they too have sinned. Exodus twenty seventeen.

It says, there thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife nor his man servant nor his maid sir nor his ox nor his nor anything that is thy neighbors. And you know something? That is the last of the what? 10 commandments.

Ain't that something? That is in the 10 commandments. And we we we talk about adultery and murder and thieving and and idols and all of that and all that's terrible. Well, so is this. So is this.

For it is sin too. The Bible says, love your neighbor as what? Yourself. Yourself and yet in the story of the good Samaritan, the religious leaders that Jesus talked about, the Levite and the priest when they saw the man lying half dead in the street rather than stopping to help them, they went to the other side of the road and they went on their merry way. Righteous not in the eyes of who?

Not in the eyes of God. Yes, you are guilty also of many of the same sins. You're just better at avoiding the consequences or keeping them under wraps. Fully not only others but also who? That's what it says here in first John.

If we say, that we have no sin, we deceive who? We deceive ourselves. You're not deceiving God. You may be deceiving others but that really doesn't matter. What matters is you're deceiving yourself by deceiving yourself into thinking you're okay.

You are in big, big, big trouble. That's right. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteous and you know, this is also true about the Christian and that's whom John was writing to here as Christians, we better also be willing to examine our life and see when sin crops up there and deal with it because denying it only causes us trouble. God said, I will cleanse it.

I will give you victory over it. I will take it I will clear the path to fellowship and blessing. But you need to be willing to what? Confess it and not hide it or deny it or justify it. And I'm afraid sometimes as Christians, we make that same mistake.

Sadly, the lost who are trusting in their good works and in denial about their sin will have all eternity in the lake of fire to think about it. No. You know, God knows again what you really are. You need to be willing to see it yourself. Jesus said to the Pharisees, it is the sick who needs a doctor, not the well.

The well people don't go to the doctor because they don't think they need one. Just the sick. Jesus said, I've come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. Now, you see, the problem wasn't that the Pharisees were not sinners. The problem was they did not see it and that was their problem but God does, God did and God does.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good. First Samuel sixteen seven, but the Lord said, unto Samuel, look not on his countenance on the height of his stature because I have refused him for the Lord see it not as man see it. For man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the heart. You know, God sees your heart. He knows what's going on there.

Sometimes, we'd rather he didn't. But if you don't know the Lord you can be sure. You may have everybody else fooled but you do not have him fooled. Amen. And you will have to deal with his judgment.

Says in Hebrews four thirteen, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open under the eyes of whom we have to do. Back if you would to Romans, back if you would to Romans chapter two, I want you to notice I want you to notice again verse three Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. So, here's the problem. There are some in our world today that are doing their own thing and they think, well, hey, I must be okay with God because he doesn't seem to be doing anything. I seem to be getting away with it and so it must be what?

It must be okay or they think, well, you know, I I I go to church and I put money in the offering plate and I'm nice to my neighbor and and so, I must be doing well enough because hey, it's going pretty good. God isn't striking me dead. So, I must be okay and so they think the what they see is the inaction of almighty God means that things are just honky dory between them and God. But what we're being warned about here in this verse is that what we perceive as God not caring. What we perceive is the permissiveness of God.

What man may perceive as the condoning of God. It's not always the case. Instead, what they are seeing and they don't recognize it is the long suffering of God. Is the mercy of God. Amen.

God could take everyone of us at a moment's notice and if we should die without Christ, we would wake up in a place called hell. Because we are unworthy of heaven. But God is long suffering because he doesn't want anybody to wake up in a place called hell. He doesn't want anybody to spend eternity in the lake of fire. God wants everybody to spend eternity in heaven but the choice is up to you.

It's up to us. Do not mistake the goodness and long suffering of God towards you as disregard for your sinfulness. God is giving you time to see the truth and what? Change. Repent.

Repent. That means come to him. In faith. And choose Jesus over sin. Choose Jesus as your savior from sin and hell.

Second Peter three nine. One of my favorite passages. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise. That means the Lord always keeps his what? Always keeps his word.

As some men count slackness, but his long suffering to us were not willing that any should perish, that's die in their sin, but that all should come to what? Repentance. That is that all should find salvation in Jesus Christ. That all should come to the point that where they choose Jesus over self and sin and hell. God is long suffering.

So, don't mistake. Don't mistake the long suffering, patience, and mercy of God as disregard for your sinful condition. He is giving you time to what? To figure it out. But you don't know how long that time will what?

You don't know how long that time will be. It could be a lot shorter than you would imagine. Praise God in some cases, God is very patient. Kho San is not here this morning. So, I'll pick on him.

You can tell him when he comes tonight. He'll be here tonight. But Khosan came here from Thailand when he was about 20 years old. When he came here from Thailand at the age of 20, he stayed in the home of some Christians, some believers. But he was in background kind of a Buddhist slash agnostic.

And he thought it was interesting but he didn't do anything about it. And so year after year, decade after decade, he he ran into Christians along the way who reminded him, who left a testimony before him, who planted seeds of the gospel and watered them, but he didn't come to Christ for salvation. Forty years later, he shows up at the gate out there. And he says, my name is Khoan and I have a need. I won't tell you what his particular need was but he was struggling with something in his life and he was looking for answers.

And he came to the right place to get them. That right place was not me, that right place is what? The word of God, Jesus Christ and eventually, not that day, it was still, I think, a few weeks later, after we met several times that Kosan chose to put his faith in Jesus Christ to the saving of his soul. Praise God. He was what?

Long suffering. And forty years, he waited and he kept watering the seed until Kosan came to know Jesus Christ as savior. But do not think that you know how long you have. Because it may be forty years or it may be four days or forty hours. We do not know.

Praise God for the mercy he does show. Amen. Do not mistake that. For his as disregard for your sin or as acceptance of it. Do not reject the truth and let pass your opportunity for repentance and salvation.

The Jews in Luke 13 came to Jesus and they said, they pointed out this wicked group and what happened to them and they pointed out this wicked group and what happened to them and they expected Jesus to say, oh yeah. Yeah, those bad people, they got what they deserve and those bad people, they got what they deserve but Jesus said this instead and he said it twice. He said, oh, I tell you, nay or no, but except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. You need to get this. You're wicked too.

You're a sinner too. You need a savior also and unless you repent and turn to the Lord, you will suffer the same eternal fate. As they do. So, don't pass by the day of grace. Do not pass up your day of grace because of an unrepentant and hard heart refusing to bow in humble repentance of sin before the righteous judge who will come and before whom you will stand.

Hebrews nine twenty seven, it is appointed unto man once to die but after this, the judgment. Let's close this morning in Revelation chapter 20. Revelation chapter 20 and let's look at the judgment. The judgment this morning. Revelation chapter 20 verse 11 and I saw the great white throne and him that 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 stand before God and the books were opened and another book of was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the book of lights according to their works And the sea gave up the dead which ran and death and hell delivered up the dead which ran them and they were judged every man according to their works.

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. First, you must recognize that none of us, not one of us is good enough. To earn a spot in heaven. Amen.

The only one who is good enough is Jesus Christ and he left heaven to come to Earth for you. Amen. He died not for his sins but for ours. The just, for the unjust that he might bring us together with who? With God through his sacrifice on the cross.

That he might make a way of salvation for you. I beg of you, do not pass it up. Do not pass it up because you are thinking, well, I'm better than they are. Instead of comparing yourself to sinners, compare yourself to Jesus. For there is none righteous, no, not one.

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Amen. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Is your name written? In the book of life.

If it is, you won't stand at this judgment. But if it isn't, you will be here. And you will be condemned. And you will be cast into the lake of fire. But understand, it won't be God that chose that end.

It will be you. Today, you can choose another. Today, God pleads with you to choose another, to choose Jesus, and he will save your soul. Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you Lord for Jesus Christ, our savior.

We thank you for what you did on the cross of Calvary in our behalf. Lord, help there, if there be one here today that's trusting in their own good works, in their own morality, in their church membership, in their Christian home, whatever it may be to get them through the gates of heaven. I hope you will help them to see this morning that there's only one way through those gates and that's hand in hand with Jesus Christ, our savior. Who took our hell on the cross, who paid the price for our redemption, and who will usher us into heaven, robed in his righteousness. Lord, I pray.

If there be one here today that's unsure of their eternal salvation, that as we sing this hymn of invitation just as I am, they would come in faith and receive you today as the Lord and savior of their life. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.