TEXT:  Rom. 1:24, 26, 28

INTRODUCTION:

A.      TEXTS SUGGEST THAT GOD HAS GIVEN UP ON SOME.

B.      MOST PAINFUL - Dean Rogers and pulling the plug.  Lost children.

C.      GOD HAS DONE IT IN THE PAST:

          1.       Noah's generation( Gen. 6 ).

          2.       Sodom and Gomorrah( Gen. 19 ).

          3.       The Israelite nation( Matt. 21:42-44 ).

          4.       Great nations of the past( Acts 17:26;  Prov. 13:34 ).  Gentiles( Rom. 1 )

D.      WHAT WILL THE LORD FIND IN US AS INDIVIDUALS OR AS A GROUP?

I.      THEY TRUSTED IN MAN'S WISDOM( vs. 22 ).

A.      THEY WERE WITHOUT EXCUSE( Rom. 1:18-20 ).

B.      IN SPITE OF THIS THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE( vs. 21-23 ).

C.      AN OLD LESSON NEEDED TO BE LEARNED.

          1.       Jer. 10:23.  Human wisdom has limitations.

          2.       True wisdom is based on a knowledge of God( Prov. 1:7 ).

          3.       God reveals himself in the gospel( 1 Cor. 1:18, 21 ).

          3.       "Vain in their reasonings( Rom. 1:21;  1 Tim. 6:20 ).

II.     EXCHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR A LIE( vs. 24-25 ).

A.      ONLY THE TRUTH CAN SAVE FROM SIN( John 8:31-32; 1 Pet. 1:22 ).

B.      GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH( John 17:17 ).

C.      GOD GAVE UP GENTILES BECAUSE THEY PREFERRED THE LIE

          ( 2 Thess. 2:10-12 ).

III.    SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND PERVERSION( vs. 26-27 ).

A.      MARRIAGE IS GOD'S ANSWER TO MAN'S PROBLEM( Gen. 2:18-25 ).

B.      GOD PLANNED SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS TO BE HONORED IN MARRIAGE( Heb. 13:4 ).

C.      JESUS GIVES GOD'S INTENT FROM THE BEGINNING( Matt. 19:5-6, 9 ).

D.      THERE IS NO PLACE FOR PERVERSION.

          1.       Woman made for man's needs( Gen. 2:18, 22;  1 Cor. 11:8-9 ).

          2.       The sin of Sodom( Gen. 19:1-5;  Jude 7 ).

          3.       The Old Law( Deut. 23:17-18;  Lev. 18:22; 20:13 ).

          4.       Vile passions?( Rom. 1:26-27, 31-32 ).

          5.       1 Cor. 6:9-10.

                   i.  Effeminate, malakos,"soft, soft to touch, men who are voluptuous"(Vine ).

                   ii. Abusers of themselves with men, arsenokoites( 1 Tim. 1:10 ).  "a male

                             homosexual" ( A&G page 109 ).

IV.   REFUSED A KNOWLEDGE OF GOD( vs. 28-32 ).

A.      A RESENTMENT OF THE INTRUSION OF GOD'S LAW UPON THEIR

          LIVES( Matt. 13:14-15 ).

B.      MANIFEST BY MOCKERY( 2 Pet. 3:1-4 ).

C.      AND PERSECUTION( 1 Pet. 4:3-4;  2 Tim. 3:12 ).

D.      THE RESULT?

          1.       For us( Matt. 5:10-12 ).

          2.       For them( 2 Pet. 3:5-7).

CONCLUSION:

A.      A FEARFUL THING THAT GOD MIGHT GIVE UP ON US.

B.      HE HASN'T GIVEN UP ON YOU( 2 Pet. 3:9;  Rev. 3:20 ).