Impartial Judgment.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] All right, go ahead and have a seat welcome to Village Church if this is your first time here [0:04] My name is Steve [0:05] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church and as always I’m glad to see each and every one of you if you have [0:11] Your Bibles go ahead and open them to Romans chapter 2 will be returning there this week [0:16] We’re going through the entire book of Romans as a church and it’s probably going to take us a [0:22] Year or more to get through this text and if you’ve been with us since the beginning you’re like, yeah, no joke

[0:28] It’s taken a while [0:29] but the reason that we’re doing this is honestly so that this can become more than just [0:35] Something that we come to and hear a message from God’s Word [0:38] But rather so that we can learn how to study the Bible for ourselves each and every week as we unpack [0:44] The meaning of the text we’re gaining the ability to go into our Monday through Saturday and [0:51] Learning really just how to read the Bible how to gain the knowledge that’s in there and how to

[0:56] Understand the text so that it can become more than just a service but rather a lifestyle of [1:02] Ingesting the scriptures and learning how to read the Word of God [1:07] Thus far we’ve been going through it and it’s a story of Christianity [1:11] But since about halfway through chapter 1 and what we’re gonna see till we get towards the end of chapter 3 [1:16] Is that Paul is taking his time to explain to us the why the how and the what of? [1:23] Christianity of why do we need to be saved? What do we need to be redeemed from?

[1:29] How is it that God is going to save us for himself? [1:34] And so he’s spending a lot of time to convince us of one very important fact [1:39] And that is the fact that we are sinners in need of salvation and over the past few weeks [1:45] We’ve been taking a look at that and last week as we went through the first five verses of chapter 2 [1:51] What we saw is that one way that we attempt to show our righteousness is by judging others [1:57] But the standard by which we tend to judge others is ourselves

[2:01] The standards that we have set up and Paul showed that that is completely [2:05] Off base because you can’t reach your own standards number one [2:10] And then God has even higher standards and no one has met his standards save himself [2:16] And so he shows us [2:18] And the standard by which we judge others is bunk [2:21] It’s not real it’s bad and that if we want to have any hope of knowing what real judgment is we have to understand Jesus

[2:29] He must be our standard [2:31] he’s the only one that has ever completely and perfectly obey God obeyed God and [2:37] Therefore he’s the standard by which we can be judged and rather by which we can judge our actions and by which we can see [2:44] Where the world’s going and whether or not we should go in that direction because we should only go in the direction that Jesus is in [2:51] And he showed us that the problem with the world isn’t simply what’s going on outside of ourselves that sin is not as much [2:59] Something that someone does to me

[3:02] But rather it’s more and it starts to find understanding when we understand how sin has affected the core of who we are [3:08] And that while baggage from what other people have done and pain is real because of what others do [3:13] The greatest enemy that you will ever have where sin is concerned is yourself [3:18] It’s a sin that is within you that hinders the life that you need to live [3:23] And then he showed us in Romans chapter 2 verse 4 this amazing truth and that in light of all of the wrath [3:30] That God has for sin. He also shows this

[3:34] overwhelming kindness and the fact that he doesn’t desire to simply pour his wrath on us for eternity [3:41] But rather he has sent his son Jesus Christ to redeem us [3:46] But it’s only in light of God’s judgment that we can ever hope to understand his kindness [3:52] And it wouldn’t be kind if there wasn’t judgment rather. It would just be the way that it is [3:58] But even in light of the sin [4:00] That so easily tempts us the sin that so easily lures us into following it

[4:08] We still have this inclination [4:11] Inside of us to attempt to excuse ourselves or to attempt to show that we’re better than other people and what that really is [4:18] Is us trying to get God to be partial [4:21] To me I mean trying to get God to look my way rather than someone else’s way [4:27] Have you ever had a moment of pain or a moment where life is just not going the direction that you’re you want to go? [4:33] And you go past the why me to this point where you say I deserve better than this

[4:40] Think if we’re all honest, we’ve had those moments where it’s like, you know what? I’m a pretty good person [4:46] And yet this terrible thing is happening to me or this terrible thing has come into my life or this great pain that I [4:52] Don’t want to go through is happening to me in this moment of distress and I deserve better God [5:00] and in that moment

[5:04] You’re looking to God and you’re trying to steer him to be partial towards you because you believe you’ve earned [5:11] some benefit from him [5:13] The reality of what Paul is going to unpack for us today [5:17] Is that when we take an honest look of our at our lives every moment of our personal? [5:23] Consideration in light of how much righteousness God has and how no righteousness we have we must ask [5:30] The question why would God be partial to me?

[5:35] Why would he? [5:37] Let’s look at the text and see what Paul has to say about that starting in verse 6 [5:42] The Apostle Paul writes he God will render to each one according to his works [5:48] To those who by patience and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality [5:53] He will give eternal life [5:55] But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness there will be wrath and fury

[6:02] There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil the Jew first and also the Greek [6:09] But glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good the Jew first and also the Greek for God [6:18] shows no [6:20] partiality [6:22] When you first read through that text [6:25] I don’t know this jumps out at you

[6:26] But what you’re seeing here between verse 6 and verse 11 are really two different sayings [6:32] He says two different things he says God will render to you [6:37] Good if you obey him and then in verse 11. He says [6:40] God’s not partial

[6:44] But if God did render to you according to your deeds and your deeds are better than someone else’s deeds [6:51] And he did look to you and give you the eternal life then he would be a partial God he would be partial to you [6:58] and so verse 6 only measures up to what verse 11 is telling us if [7:03] This is true. And that’s point number one this morning is that no one has works worthy of eternal life [7:11] No one has works worthy of eternal life [7:15] So God’s judgment is real. I

[7:20] Think about the judgment of God that will ultimately according to scripture fall on us one day [7:25] We think of it as mythic we think of it as an analogy and it’s very hard to [7:29] Understand that there’s more to life than what I’m experiencing right now [7:33] And there’s something else for me to worry about in the future [7:35] But his judgment is real and his judgment is going to last forever. Here’s how John Piper states about this verse [7:43] He says whatever else this text teaches and it teaches many things

[7:47] One thing is abundantly clear and immeasurably important for us and for our mission in this modern secular world [7:54] Namely when your life is over on this earth and this present age is over on this planet [8:00] God will give you either eternal life or wrath and indignation [8:04] You will receive either glory and honor and peace or you will receive tribulation and distress [8:12] heaven or hell awaits you when you die and [8:15] Both will last forever

[8:19] You know we need to live in light of the reality that there’s more to life than just right now [8:27] There’s more to life than what you’re experiencing in this moment in this place at this time [8:33] There’s more to life than what you experienced yesterday [8:36] There’s more to life than what’s going to happen to you tomorrow [8:41] We get caught up in a moment of distress in a moment where it doesn’t seem like there’s any hope in a moment [8:47] Where it doesn’t seem like there’s any better and so we struggle to see past where we are

[8:52] Right now and that is what Paul is really trying to get us to keep light in this moment is that there’s more [9:00] Than here there’s coming a day and none of us really know when it is [9:06] Where God will [9:08] With great finality [9:11] lay judgment [9:13] On me there’s going to come a point where his judgment will be final and that’s it and that’s what defines forever

[9:22] For me [9:24] This continues Paul’s train of thought [9:27] From chapter 1 that everything around us is a revelation that there’s a God everything around us is a revelation that I’m going to go [9:34] Towards him someday every moment of soreness is a reality that this body is weak [9:40] And I’m headed closer to death now than I probably was yesterday

[9:46] But when we read verse 6 [9:49] There’s a temptation when it says that he will render to each one according to his works [9:54] We understand first that that term he will render [9:57] That’s a term of judgment in other words that what you have earned is what God is going to give you [10:04] That he’s going to judge you and he’s going to judge you according to what you’ve done

[10:10] There’s a wrong way to see the rest of the verse and the way that we could see the rest of the verse when he [10:14] Says he’ll render to each according to his deeds [10:16] That we can read that and think of it as being a text that stands alone [10:22] And say okay [10:23] Then I can in some way through my works

[10:29] earn salvation [10:31] If I do a little bit more good I can kind of cancel out the bad [10:36] It’s like you know the Halloween candy that you ate this weekend [10:40] You think if I just spent a little more time on the treadmill I can cancel out the Reese’s peanut butter cups

[10:46] But that’s not what Paul is saying at all [10:50] Why because of the rest of the text and the rest of the Bible? [10:56] The reason that we can know that is because of what he says in verse verse six rather it can be seen totally in verses [11:02] Seven and eight when he gives us three things that he’s already given us [11:07] This is to the one [11:09] Who in patience has sought glory?

[11:13] honor and immortality he’s gonna give eternal life [11:17] What a strange grouping of words like we kind of expect when he’s talking about who deserves eternal life for him to throw something [11:23] At us and say to him who has obeyed everything that God has told us that’s the one that’s going to get eternal life [11:29] Why does he use these three words honor glory immortality because he’s already used those three words in chapter one [11:34] And he’s simply seeking to remind us of something that he’s already stated look at chapter 1 verse 21 through 23 [11:41] Here’s what he says for although they knew God they did not honor him as

[11:48] God or give thanks to him [11:49] But they became feudal in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened claiming to be wise they became fools and exchanged the glory [11:57] of the [11:58] immortal [11:59] God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things as Paul lays out in chapter 2 verse 7 [12:08] The reality of what he’s already unpacked in chapter 1 verses 21 through 23 and that is that no one

[12:14] Gives God the honor that he deserves you knew you should and you didn’t you tried to take it for yourself [12:20] No one has given God the glory that he deserves and we’ve exchanged the glory of the immortal God for [12:25] mortal man and images resembling that which is mortal and so none of us have truly in every moment of every day sought [12:34] honor glory and [12:36] Immortality from God he’s already pointed out in chapter 1 that we’ve gotten that upside down [12:41] And we’ve attempted to point those things towards ourselves

[12:44] Even though we don’t have them and only God has them we have not sought those things as his point [12:50] And so no one [12:53] deserves eternal life

[12:59] So what we feel in that moment should be [13:04] distress [13:05] What we feel in that moment should be kind of a sort of sadness that comes over [13:11] us and an understanding that I cannot get salvation from God for [13:18] My self it should hurt us but in our [13:23] seeking to constantly be

[13:25] optimistic about absolutely [13:29] Everything we rarely slow down to deal with this [13:33] What I want you to do in this moment at least is I want you to allow the full weight that you have [13:40] Disobeyed God you have not honored him you have not glorified him [13:45] You have not given him the praise that the immortal God deserves [13:49] I want you to not be optimistic in this moment, and I want you to understand the

[13:56] immeasurable pessimism [13:58] That a statement like that should have [14:01] the overwhelming [14:03] That it should cause you to know that there is a God and you have attempted to rob him of his glory [14:12] Through everything that you’ve done in your life [14:17] We sing praise songs and optimistic tones like the one you know has the dear pants for the water

[14:25] It’s not a happy song [14:28] The psalmist writes that as a person who’s struggling to feel the presence of God because of his great sin [14:35] Against him he’s writing with an attitude. I just ran a marathon and I am thirsty. I am [14:41] Dehydrated I need water and there’s none I [14:45] Can’t find any [14:48] You know we sing it as though it’s happy

[14:51] It’s not happy [14:53] Because it’s what reality is when God is out of reach [14:58] When you can’t have his glory when you can’t see his honor when immortality is not what you feel in every day [15:05] But rather your sin is crushing you under the weight of your heavy [15:08] mortality and the reality is that you are going to die and stand before him and he is going to judge you according to [15:17] The deeds done in your body, and you did not do any good deeds

[15:25] We read that [15:27] We think to ourselves well then I better turn this ship around [15:31] I better start seeking some honor. I better start seeking some glory [15:35] I better start seeking some immortality so that I can save myself you’ve already failed in that moment [15:42] Why who were you trying to save yourself?

[15:49] Yourself-seeking

[15:51] Even your attempt to save yourself robs God of his gloriousness

[16:00] It’s all about me [16:03] And so any attempt to save myself I’m immediately found bankrupt [16:09] I’m immediately found to not be able to save myself [16:14] In light of what I have taken from God in light of the fact that I’ve never been able to give him the glorious [16:22] righteousness and immortality that praise that he deserves [16:28] You know we realize in this moment of very bad news

[16:35] Point number two tells us is that sin puts us all on equal ground

[16:41] And thus the gospel puts us all on equal ground [16:47] If every one of us [16:50] Has sinned against God if every one of us has not measured up to God if every one of us are going to be judged by the deeds [16:55] That are done in the body [16:58] Then we’re all the same so at least we’ve got that [17:02] Look at verse 8 tells us

[17:05] But for those who are self-seeking which we just proved that you are [17:09] Even the fact that you’re like I got to save myself from this wrath well self-seeking

[17:17] And do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness there will be wrath and fury [17:22] When you read that it doesn’t very set well with you [17:25] This isn’t the kind of bedtime story that you tell your children at night because they won’t sleep if you do it’s like well [17:30] Hey, buddy you deserve wrath and fury nighty night sweet dreams [17:37] It doesn’t feel good especially the term fury that just feels terrible [17:42] Well, that’s what it’s supposed to feel

[17:45] Because he’s leveling us he’s saying that you’ve done this you’ve sinned against God you’ve sought your own good [17:52] He says there will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil the Jew first and also the Greek [18:00] But I don’t want this to put me on a level playing field because what I’m used to doing is I’m trying to prove that [18:05] Everyone else is just a little worse than me [18:07] I watch the news at night and I see people that are doing terrible things all over the world and my inclination is to say [18:13] Well, I’m better than that guy

[18:15] I’m better than those people so much so that somebody should probably do something about that [18:19] Somebody should probably go get them [18:21] What Paul wants me to see is is that this puts me on a level playing field with everyone in the world because I’ve done evil

[18:28] Everyone that’s done evil and what is his definition of evil? Well, it’s verse 7 [18:35] So every one of us are on equal playing field when it comes for salvation [18:39] And the only hope of salvation then is if someone else’s righteousness is put into my account [18:45] Because I clearly don’t have any [18:49] So to use kind of an analogy of nets of economics is that I if I have a bank account where righteousness is concerned [18:55] I am completely bankrupt in that account more than that. I’m at a deficit

[18:59] I’ve got so many overdraft fees that there’s no hope of me ever even getting back to the sum of zero in my account [19:07] I have no righteousness [19:10] I need to understand that my real condition is one of someone that has complete bankruptcy because of my sin [19:18] I owe a debt I can never repay to God

[19:25] You know Isaiah 64 6 kind of helps us understand our true state when it tells us the reality that we’ve all become [19:34] Like one who is unclean and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment [19:41] We all fade like a leaf and our iniquities like the wind take us away [19:49] The prophet there he’s explaining to us that our sin has completely ruined us [19:57] It’s made us completely unclean and that when you attempt [20:02] To make your life right under your own power when you say I’ve been sinning. I’m going to stop sinning

[20:10] I’m going to clean my life out and I’m going to do so much good in my life now that it’s going [20:16] Disqualify all of the bad things that I’ve done if the scripture says I’ve done evil. I’ll just stop doing evil [20:21] I’ll begin to do good [20:23] The analogy that he uses of the polluted garment is one in which you take a rag [20:29] And you say you know what? I’m going to go and I’m going to clean my tires with that rag [20:34] I’m going to clean the brake dust off of my wheels and my hubcaps with that rag

[20:39] And then I’ll the stuff that’s left around it [20:41] I’m going to clean that up with this rag and then I’m going to go into my backyard [20:46] I’m going to go into the shed and get all the cobwebs out of the shed with that rag [20:50] I’m going to clean the cement floor that I’ve got mud all over with that rag [20:54] I’m going to go in the house and I’m going to get behind the toilet where I haven’t cleaned in like six months [20:59] I’m going to clean all that nonsense up back there

[21:02] And if you’re laughing because you haven’t cleaned your toilet in six months shame on you go home immediately clean your toilets [21:07] But he says you’re going through the house hitting every part that you haven’t hit in maybe months maybe years [21:14] And then you’ve got at the end you’ve got this filthy rag and you say to yourself my windows are also a little dirty [21:19] So you go and you grab a bottle of Windex and you spray those windows and you take that dirty polluted disgusting rag [21:28] And you begin to wipe the Windex all over that window [21:31] And all that you’re doing is smearing mud and grease and filth all over your windows

[21:38] And in your attempts to clean your windows you’ve actually made them dirtier [21:43] Now you can’t see through them at all and what Paul and the excuse me the prophet Isaiah are saying together is [21:50] That is what you are doing when you are attempting to clean your life up where God is concerned [21:58] You cannot clean dirty with dirty

[22:05] You cannot take a polluted garment and hope to clean anything with it [22:13] The best of intentions you cannot make yourself right

[22:21] There’s a way of reading this text [22:24] We’ve got to understand that the answer to disobedience is never an obedience that acts as a karmic bleach to remove the stains of your sin [22:35] You cannot do it

[22:39] But it’s also true if you’re a follower of Jesus [22:44] I think many of us have understood Isaiah 64 6 to describe ourselves before we come to faith in Jesus [22:51] But once we come to faith in Jesus our righteousness is worth something, our good deeds earn us something

[23:00] We believe that Jesus forgives us just enough to clean us up and then we earn our keep after that [23:08] This is a blend of karmic Christianity in which God responds to your good deeds with blessings [23:17] And your bad deeds with judgments [23:20] That’s wrong and will only serve to exhaust you and build resentment in your life towards others as well as towards God [23:33] Because you will simply spend your life trying to prove that you’re as good as someone else [23:41] Or trying to get everyone to prove to you that they’re as good as you are

[23:47] You could do thousands upon thousands of good deeds and it would not be righteous [23:54] And that is as true before you came to faith in Jesus as it is after you come to faith in Jesus [24:00] Your righteousness will never be as worthy as Jesus’ righteousness no matter how hard you try [24:09] Stop trying to prove how good you are

[24:15] Stop using your obedience as something to leverage God’s favor in your way [24:20] It’s worthless [24:21] It’s filthy rags

[24:27] Stop living in Christianity [24:29] It’s like what the theologian Ron Burgundy says, hey everyone come see how good I look

[24:36] It’s a filthy polluted rag

[24:43] Jesus has done everything that will ever need to be done for righteousness

[24:53] You do not possess the righteousness inside of yourself to wield God’s favor in any direction [25:04] And your attempt to do that

[25:10] Likens Jesus to a cosmic genie that reacts to your obedience [25:17] That is a God of partiality [25:24] The Gospel of Jesus is different [25:28] It builds a dependence on God that obeys because of what he has done [25:34] And never out of a motive to get something done [25:38] All of what God commands of the Christians stands to reveal God’s power

[25:44] An absolute forgiveness to the undeserving that will never deserve no matter what they do

[25:55] So in light of that you may be thinking well what then is the point of obedience [26:03] So let’s just go home [26:06] So nothing needs to be done [26:09] Why are we all here? We could have slept even longer [26:13] You got an extra hour by the end of the day [26:15] I know some of you were late

[26:16] I’m like what’s the deal with that? You got an extra hour [26:19] I’m kidding not really I do want to know just kidding [26:22] Filthy rags [26:24] What can I say?

[26:27] So is it hopeless? [26:30] Can we ever live up to what verse 7 tells us is God’s ideal?

[26:39] Reality is that this text does not teach hopelessness nor does it teach that your works are insignificant [26:45] It actually teaches us quite the opposite [26:48] It holds the reality that your works matter more than you actually think that they matter [26:54] Eternal life or eternal condemnation swings at the balance of every moment, every decision, every action [27:02] When God says you will be judged for the deeds in the body [27:06] He’s not kidding, he’s not just throwing that around as some type of mythic spiritual thing

[27:11] But it’s actually real that what you do in the body actually matters [27:15] And the gospel holds out always constantly the necessity of repentance [27:22] That through Jesus, God gives you the hope of turning from your sinfulness [27:29] And living a life that actually matters for eternity [27:32] A life of obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ [27:37] When we turn from the radical corruption of sin realizing that our lives matter to God

[27:44] When we’re tempted to think that we’re good enough on our own [27:48] The gospel is always there to reveal to us that we need the power of God in our lives [27:54] When we think about this repentance in Romans chapter 2 verse 4 [27:58] The Bible clearly tells us that the kindness that God gives us in the gospel [28:02] What he redeems us through in Jesus [28:04] It actually serves to cause repentance to happen in my life

[28:08] So what is repentance? [28:11] It comes from two different Greek words that literally mean a change of mind as to why you exist

[28:21] You change the way that you think [28:23] If you understand the way that we work as humans [28:26] If you change the way that you think [28:28] Change the way that you believe [28:30] Change your mind [28:31] You’re going to necessarily then change the way that you actually live

[28:35] We are not disconnected in the way that our minds and our bodies work [28:40] What you do is going to come from your mind [28:44] So if you change the way that you think because of the gospel [28:48] You will then necessarily change the way that you actually live [28:54] In Matthew chapter 16 verse 27 [28:57] Jesus is speaking to his disciples

[28:59] And he says for the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father [29:04] And then he will repay each person according to what he has done [29:09] Even in that text Jesus is putting us all on the same level [29:14] But what deeds will he look at? [29:16] Some of us may see that when Jesus is speaking of his second coming in that text [29:22] We may see that and we say well if I follow Jesus he’s not judging me

[29:29] Yeah, he’s going to judge you [29:32] He’s going to judge all sinners [29:35] And I think we’ve proven that you are a sinner [29:38] You do not possess through your morality [29:43] You do not possess through your morality any type of sainthood that you think you may have built up [29:47] Because of some good deeds that you have done

[29:50] I don’t care if you’ve come to church over and over every single week [29:55] I don’t care if you’re praying or reading your Bible every single week [29:59] Jesus is going to come and he’s going to judge you [30:04] Because so often what we do in that is we show that our motives are impure [30:08] Because we come to church and we say well I’ve been to church more than that guy [30:14] I prayed every single day this week

[30:17] I’m in God’s good graces [30:20] You just misdefined grace in that statement

[30:28] Jesus is going to come and judge the deeds of repentance towards him [30:35] In trust and a lifestyle of absolute dependence upon him [30:41] In trust and gratitude [30:43] Always realizing that we are earning nothing and receiving everything that he is for us [30:51] To return to our analogy of our bankruptcy [30:54] When our bankruptcy is so severe that we realize that we are at a negative balance with him

[31:00] Jesus does not come and then take us back to a zero sum [31:07] And then give us a new leaf to turn over to prove our goodness [31:10] He does not give us a second chance as many of us like to say [31:16] He fills our bank account with infinite worth [31:20] With infinite value of righteousness [31:23] And then simply says live

[31:26] Because you will never lose that righteousness [31:29] Because Jesus came, lived a completely perfect life [31:32] And then on the cross he credited his eternal righteousness into our account [31:39] Filled it to the level where it could never be filled anymore [31:43] And when you have that reality in your life you understand [31:48] I can never earn any value in his kingdom

[31:52] Because Jesus has infinite value and he’s given it all to me [31:57] And so I simply live in light of who he is [32:00] Not seeking to get people to look at how obedient I am [32:03] Not seeking to get everybody to look at my worth [32:06] Not seeking to show how much better I am than you are [32:10] Not seeking to show hey I’m so much more obedient than you are

[32:13] Why don’t you just take my example? [32:16] No, when you’re living in light of what Jesus has done [32:18] You’re constantly pointing people to him [32:22] Saying if there’s any good in my obedience it’s because of him [32:24] If there’s any value in what I’ve done it’s because of him [32:28] It’s a complete dependence upon Jesus and understanding that I earn nothing

[32:39] Jesus alone has the righteousness that my bankruptcy needs [32:45] When I trust in Jesus, just understanding that he gives [32:53] But it’s always his [32:57] That’s grace [33:01] The righteousness is never yours

[33:08] Any good that I’ve ever done in my life [33:15] Was not because of me

[33:19] It’s because of him [33:21] It’s not because I’m smarter [33:24] It’s not because I’m better [33:26] It’s not because I’m more moral [33:29] It’s not because I’m prettier, that’s for sure [33:33] It’s because of the overwhelming worth and value of the one God, Jesus Christ

[33:44] And he has in infinite love an amazing grace that will be unending [33:52] Credited every ounce of who he is as if I did it [33:56] But I have to live with the understanding [33:58] It’s as if I did it, but I didn’t do it [34:03] And when you begin to think, even for a moment [34:10] That you’ve earned your keep in his kingdom

[34:14] In any way

[34:18] You begin to undo the gospel in your life [34:21] And build a gospel of self-righteousness [34:25] And when you build that type of gospel, you’re building a false gospel in your life

[34:32] And you’ll begin to look at the bad that comes into your life [34:35] And you’ll begin to say, did I not read my Bible enough? [34:39] Did I not pray enough? [34:40] Did I not do enough for you? [34:44] And in that moment you’ve turned God into a ruthless dictator [34:47] And you’ve turned yourself into the righteous one in that moment

[34:52] That’s not Christianity at all

[34:58] Jesus gives, and it always is [35:04] When you live a lifestyle of dependence on Jesus for absolutely everything [35:08] Understanding is overwhelming worth, is overwhelming value, is infinite righteousness [35:13] It changes the way that everything is done in your life [35:17] Because it all becomes about Jesus [35:19] It all becomes about pointing yourself to him and then pointing others to him

[35:23] But I want you to consider two things this morning [35:26] The reality of not earning your keep [35:29] The reality of your righteousness being worthless and his righteousness being valuable [35:33] How it will change the way that you do these two things [35:36] And the first one I want to look at just for a moment is prayer [35:40] Consider the act of prayer

[35:42] You cannot pray unless you know you are bankrupt [35:47] If you aren’t in need, then what use is a posture of dependence? [35:55] Because that’s what prayer is [35:56] It’s this posture of, I have needs and you have those things [36:01] And you are the giver of all good things [36:04] Therefore, I need you

[36:06] That is dependence [36:09] Prayer is not you bringing anything to the table [36:12] Prayer is God brings everything to the table [36:15] And you need what he has [36:18] Prayer is a response to an undeserved gift [36:22] Seeking more undeserved gifts

[36:25] And praise of the God who supplies [36:28] That is grace [36:31] It’s understanding who you are in light of who God is [36:37] Especially in the person of Jesus [36:39] And when you see that, it is kindling to a dependent prayer [36:45] In which you look to God for absolutely everything

[36:50] Do you have a problem with prayer in your life? [36:52] Do you have a problem with understanding why you need to pray? [36:55] Do you have a problem with it? [36:57] That’s why [36:59] Because you have ceased to see yourself as someone totally dependent on God [37:03] For every moment, every breath of air

[37:06] When you get to the reality that every breath of air that I breathe in [37:10] Is literally an undeserved gift from God [37:14] In that moment you understand the purpose of prayer

[37:19] We have nothing but need

[37:24] And he can meet every need [37:30] Then consider, secondly, the mission of Jesus [37:35] We talk a great deal about the mission of Jesus here at Village Church [37:40] But when you see who you are in light of who God is [37:44] You begin to think and see the mission of Jesus differently [37:47] It’s something that God is doing through you

[37:51] Rather than something you are trying to make happen in your life [37:56] It makes it all a work of grace [37:59] Instead of trying to build up in your life a desire that isn’t there [38:07] And trying to get yourself away from the things that you really want to do [38:11] So that you can do things for the mission of Jesus [38:15] You begin to understand that all of life is about the mission of Jesus

[38:19] That every moment is the mission of Jesus [38:23] When I go to work, when I come home, when I go to bed, when I eat, when I think [38:28] When I consider how I’m going to pay my bills, when I consider how I’m going to spend my money [38:32] When I do everything in my life, those moments are moments for the mission of Jesus [38:37] And it all becomes a work of grace in which I look at the work of Jesus in my life [38:43] And instead of saying, man, I really need to go tell people about Jesus

[38:47] You don’t have to just whelm that up in your life [38:50] Because all you can talk about is the work that Jesus is doing in your life

[38:55] It defines who you are [38:57] Therefore, how could you not speak of the mission of Jesus? [39:01] How could you not tell those who don’t believe about the good news [39:04] Of the fact that Jesus has done everything for you? [39:07] When you consider your absolute bankruptcy [39:10] And the one who filled your account of infinite value

[39:14] Then it just defines who you are [39:18] Instead of going to your calendar and attempting to mark off days [39:21] In which you can evangelize, in which you can actually live for Jesus [39:24] It becomes your calendar [39:28] Because you cannot help but enter into environments [39:32] To grow this desire, to grow this passion, to get this joy

[39:38] Because it is your joy [39:40] And you cease to believe the false gospel [39:43] That you must leave what is joy to sacrifice [39:46] So that maybe God will give you joy [39:48] And you understand that there is no other joy other than that which Jesus gives

[39:54] And you think about everything differently in your life [39:57] When you consider what do I deserve from God? [40:02] And then what does God actually give me? [40:05] He gives me grace [40:07] That is repentance [40:10] Many have said

[40:13] The gospel is not opposed to effort [40:17] The gospel is opposed to earning [40:20] Because you can never earn anything [40:23] But you will put forth great effort [40:26] When the joy and gratitude of the God who saves in your life [40:30] Gives you everything so that you can just live

[40:36] What that leads us to [40:38] In verses 10 and 11 [40:40] Is the reality that Jesus is the only one [40:44] Who has ever done any good [40:47] Look at verse 10 [40:53] It kind of throws a wrench at you

[40:58] It says, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good [41:02] The Jew first, the Jew’s second [41:03] The Jew first, also the Greek [41:05] And then he throws the curve ball [41:07] And he says, for God shows no partiality [41:12] That’s two totally different things

[41:14] I don’t know if you catch this, but he says, if you do good [41:18] God will be partial to you [41:20] God shows no partiality [41:26] Because when you understand [41:28] That he’s going to give glory and honor and peace [41:32] To everyone who does good

[41:34] That would literally mean that he’s partial to people who do glory [41:38] Honor and peace

[41:42] But he’s trying to help you get to the realization [41:45] That you need to in order to be saved [41:48] That is the realization [41:50] That you have never done any good in your life [41:56] Because if you had [41:58] God would be partial to you

[42:00] But since God is not partial to anyone [42:02] You understand that no one has ever done any good [42:06] Except for the one who saves [42:08] That is Jesus [42:10] God is partial to one person [42:15] That is the only person that has ever done any good

[42:19] And that is God [42:21] Jesus Christ [42:24] And that you need what Jesus has [42:29] Jesus is the how of repentance [42:33] When you trust in Jesus [42:35] It is the realization that I can’t do any good on my own

[42:39] The triumph of the cross and the resurrection [42:43] Is the good deed of all time [42:47] Jesus is the only person who ever lived that [42:50] Even in the last days [42:51] Even in his hardest moment [42:53] Jesus acted completely unselfishly

[42:56] Everything turned toward the honor, glory [42:59] And immortality of God for Jesus in that moment on the cross [43:03] This is the ultimate act of worship [43:06] That will echo in eternity for all time [43:09] So in that moment I have to understand [43:12] That I will never top Jesus

[43:15] So what’s the use in trying [43:16] Have you ever risen from the dead [43:20] To the glory of God? The answer is no

[43:26] So you will never top that [43:28] You will never do better than Jesus [43:31] Here is the crazy part [43:33] That is great news

[43:39] Because God is not asking you [43:43] To do better than Jesus [43:45] When I look at this entire text [43:49] I understand one thing [43:51] And one thing alone [43:53] That is Jesus is the only one that has ever done any good

[43:58] And unless I repent [44:00] Towards Jesus I will be hopeless [44:03] But if I repent towards Jesus I build a life [44:06] On the reality of verse 7 [44:09] Repentance turns to [44:12] Exalt that eternal good

[44:15] Repentance seeks to obscure [44:18] Any self-glory that I could ever attain [44:22] Because I realize that all of my glory [44:25] Is worthless [44:27] Repentance turns my focus off of myself [44:30] And places it directly towards Jesus

[44:33] Friends turn from yourself and focus on Jesus

[44:39] You know [44:41] If we are very honest [44:43] We all want God to be a little partial [44:47] I mean I will be frank here [44:48] I want God to be partial to me [44:52] Every moment

[44:54] I don’t want any of the bad to ever happen [44:57] But understand that if he were partial [45:01] To my righteousness it would undo the gospel [45:05] If God were partial to any person [45:08] People group or anything [45:10] Or anyone other than Jesus

[45:13] It would undo the gospel and we would all stand condemned [45:17] The kindness of God [45:20] Through Jesus is the only thing that leads [45:23] To the change that you need [45:25] It is also the only thing that will ever save you [45:28] From the judgment of your deeds

[45:32] You know you cannot have [45:35] Eternal life [45:36] If you are judged for your deeds [45:39] Only Jesus can have eternal life [45:42] But that begs the question how in the world is that kind? [45:46] Well Paul answers that in 1 Corinthians 15

[45:48] In dealing with the resurrection [45:50] Here is what Paul says starting in verse 50 [45:53] He says I tell you this brothers flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God [45:57] Nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable [45:59] That is bad news

[46:03] That tells us that none of us can enter the kingdom of God [46:06] Then he continues in verse 53 [46:08] He says the perishable body must put on the imperishable [46:12] The mortal body must put on immortality [46:14] When the perishable puts on the imperishable and the mortal puts on immortality [46:18] Then shall come to pass the saying that is written

[46:20] Death is swallowed up in victory oh death where is your victory [46:23] Oh death where is your sting? [46:26] The sting of death is sin [46:28] The power of sin is the law [46:30] But thanks be to God [46:33] Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ

[46:38] If I am perishable I cannot have eternal life [46:42] I need what is imperishable [46:45] And Jesus gives me his imperishable body [46:49] And that moment on the cross [46:52] When he gave me his righteousness and he took my sin [46:56] He gave me that which is imperishable

[47:00] He then rose from the dead [47:02] Gave me a new life [47:04] And when I trust in him I am on a trajectory of eternal life [47:08] In Jesus

[47:13] Even now [47:15] We have to ask ourselves the question [47:18] So what am I to do with that? [47:21] What specifically do I do? [47:24] Well you don’t obey God [47:28] Because of what will earn you

[47:30] You don’t do it because it will make you look good [47:34] You don’t do it because you will prove [47:37] You are better than anyone else [47:40] You do it because that is where Jesus is [47:43] You do it because Jesus loves you [47:46] And not so that he will love you

[47:48] You do it [47:51] In seeking to turn your life to God [47:54] In trust and action [47:57] So that I can grasp how bankrupt I am [48:00] And just how gracious God is [48:02] My efforts will always fail

[48:05] But his grace will always redeem and restore [48:10] You may still be thinking even in this late moment [48:14] What good is my obedience?

[48:20] It’s not

[48:23] That’s the point [48:25] Only Jesus’ obedience is worth anything [48:30] But the astounding thing [48:34] About the grace of God [48:37] Is that Jesus allows his obedience [48:41] To flow

[48:43] And to be able to do it [48:43] Through my life [48:46] To be praised to God [48:49] Right here [48:52] And right now [48:54] As the band comes up

[48:59] In this moment that we turn [49:01] To reflect in communion [49:03] The Lord’s Supper

[49:07] I want to talk to those of you [49:09] Who maybe don’t believe in Jesus [49:12] Maybe are struggling in this moment [49:14] And you say I’ve been trying to earn my keep [49:17] And it’s not working [49:19] Or you’re saying I’ve got nothing but sin

[49:22] So what do I do with that? [49:24] You understand that you can never undo [49:27] All of the bad that you’ve done

[49:32] You can never rid yourself of the stain [49:37] That your sin [49:39] Has done to yourself [49:42] You’ll never be good enough [49:45] And you’ll never earn your keep with God [49:48] But the reason this morning that I can tell you

[49:51] That that’s good news is because God has not asked you [49:54] To do that [49:56] God himself came down [49:59] Lived a perfect life [50:01] Because you can’t [50:05] And then he died on the cross

[50:07] Taking the penalty that you deserve for your sin [50:10] On to himself [50:14] And the answer to your sin this morning [50:16] Is to trust the one who sacrificed his life for you [50:20] And gives you his righteousness [50:22] And that’s Jesus Christ

[50:24] So this morning if you want to be saved [50:27] If you want to be redeemed from your sin [50:29] Trust in Jesus Christ [50:32] Trust him to save you [50:34] Trust in his righteousness [50:35] Trust in him alone

[50:38] And give him glory by having faith in him [50:43] For those of you that are Christians in here [50:45] I invite you in just a moment [50:47] In one of the six stations around this room [50:49] To reflect on the crucifixion [50:52] On the death of Jesus through communion

[50:54] And when you do that understand that you bring absolutely nothing to the table

[51:01] You don’t deserve [51:04] God’s grace [51:06] And he’s so good [51:08] And he’s so loving [51:09] That he invites you to take his life [51:14] Into your life

[51:16] And he will make you good [51:19] Because he’s good [51:22] And then when you leave [51:25] Take that message to the world [51:28] That desperately needs it [51:31] There’s only one who’s good

[51:32] And that’s Jesus [51:34] When you’re ready, come