Book of Romans: God Gave Them Over

Bob Schwahn | Lead Pastor | February 4, 2024

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
― A.W. Tozer

Exodus 34:5-7

Romans 1:18

Romans 1:24-32

God Gave Them Over…

Romans 1:
v.24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity…
v.26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts…
v.28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind…

Romans 1:32

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

Matthew 27:45-46, 50-51a (NIV)
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which
means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)…
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV)
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 2:1 (NIV)
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

Reflection Questions:

Why is our view of God so important? How can we develop inaccurate or caricature views of who God is? How do we develop accurate views of who God is?
Do you tend to see God as more of a God of love (grace) or a God of judgment and wrath (truth)?
How do we define the wrath of God? What do you think of when you hear that God is a God of wrath?
Why is understanding God’s wrath important to understanding and experiencing the gospel as beautiful and as good news?

Read Romans 1:24-28
5. How is God giving us over to our own desires a form of punishment and experience of his wrath?
6. How have you experienced the consequences of going your own way and not living out God’s plan and purpose for people?

7. How is the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 a picture of God giving people over to their sinful desires? How is the wrath of God revealed in this story? How is the gospel revealed in this story?

8. If the intention of God’s plan and purpose is for people to thrive and flourish, why would obedience always be in your best interest? Even when obedience is challenging and counter intuitive?

9. When we look at Paul’s list of vices that are evidence that people live outside of God’s design, where do you see yourself? Why is it important to see that we are included in that list? Why are we tempted to want to see others in that list and not ourself?

Read Isaiah 53:4-6
10. When we understand the wrath of God toward sin and evil we understand what was accomplished on the cross of Christ. What your thoughts about the gospel when your reflect that Jesus took the wrath of God that you deserved?

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Notes Page: https://journeybozeman.com/sermons/notes/2024.02.04.pdf