Romans Chapter 2:1-4

See I can set up there all day. Talk about hellfire and brimstone. But if that's all I say to you, you can receive the gospel if I just leave you dangling over the fires of hell is okay. Don't you feel Betsy, what about the anything nothing. I have to get to that point the goodness of God or everything I've said this is the no value welcome to cross the bridge with the is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina Scripture we find your luck and not so much in judgment and condemnation. Find out how we can do that today is Pastor David continues in the book of Romans chapter 2 but before getting to from beginning to end. The Bible shows the special nature of God's relationship with the nation. What does that have to do today.

Romans chapter 11 tells us that God's covenant relationship with Israel has locations for you to help you understand Pastor David wants to see this teaching video recorded in the holy land of Israel Bible.

This powerful resource will encourage strength and learn how connected you are with God's Israel Bible is our gift donations to help more people on this station and beyond across the bridge from death's visit cross the bridge.com to request again cross the bridge.

Now, if your stated to his teaching judgment.

Romans chapter 2 verse one says therefore you are inexcusable, old man, who ever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself for you who judge practice the same things. Verse two but we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things and do you think this old man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same that you will escape the judgment of God bless understand something, not only deals with our actions. But if you just deal with your actions that leaves you will blow friend you can be hypocritical if you just deal with your actions. We tend toward emphasizing action got to show I want to go deeper than that. I will go to the heart to do with your attitude when Jesus talked about hey you know you told not to kill somebody.

But if you have hatred and anger towards her money. It's like murder now.

Probably a lot of us in here have not committed murder but is there anybody in here is never been angry at somebody or been hateful toward somebody probably not. Maybe read that listing alive, never committed adultery. And yet Jesus says if you ever lasted somebody in your heart and your mind you've done as much is committed adultery I will show hands.

The snow everyone understands guilty that point because Jesus is going to the heart sing. Look, have you had these attitude when you start to look at your heart and start to look at the Entergy go hand, not the person I should be, but I hope you can add friend praise the Lord left person I used to be God's doing something in me, and he continues to do.

Jesus spoke about this judgment issue in Matthew chapter 7 and he says this is just stop judging others, and you will not be judged on the stop there because this is probably one of the most quoted verses in the Bible.

They usually use the King James version.

Judge E Judge not lest ye be judged are don't judge me as kinda interesting that you know they can't leave out other scriptural cons with less freedom for others will treat you as you treat them.

Whatever measure you use in judging others. It will be used to measure how your judge, why worry about us back in your friends when you have a login year old. How can you think of saying, let me help you get rid of that speck in your when you can't see past the log in your own verse five is very important for contact say hypocrites first get rid of the log from your own then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with us back in your friends a skin. Interesting that verses in their it's not quoted.

Usually when people say judge if we get, but according to this passage. It says hey if you've already dealt with an issue or an area of your life. Now you've been set free to help somebody else with one of those issues. But why you're still struggling in the area you're probably not in a position to really help somebody. In other words, if you give your struggle with alcoholism and you're still drinking.

You can't really minister to somebody that's drinking but once God has the let you know you you accepted God's deliverance and you're no longer drinking then you're in a very special place to minister to people that are still struggling in that area so there is a sense of spiritually speaking that you can sense right and wrong and then you can help somebody else be in overcome her in that area. But if you're still struggling in that area you're not in a position to speak to somebody else's life about that that that center that area, but less understanding and there is a sense that the Bible talks about iron sharpening iron as as we interact as we have a relationship there's friction because it is my peer teaching talking about these issues and and and you know were being prepared to for life journey were being prepared.

If you will for battle and part of this as we go through the Scriptures is go out you know I'm still I'm still struggling in that area. This is still an issue.

The word brings were preparing each other for battle and we can sense what is right. So, understand when were talking about this type of judgment were talking about condemnation, not discernment is important for us to realize because the next life lessons. The Bible plainly teaches us that we can know right and wrong and that will love Porton statement with love. We can teach others what is right and and while I should not continue.

People I can discern if I'm talking to someone ago. All yeah yeah you know I did that whole born-again thing. I pray that little prayer and they're not in fellowship or not attending a church like the Bible talks about their not having financially given to a church like the Bible talks about serving others and serving God like the Bible talks about in that conversation. I can't say what absolutely you're still going to hell, even though you tell me you've been warning it, but I can discern that there's not fruit is not condemning them.

That's not saying that you're going to hell, even though you asked Jesus to forgive you your sins, but I can say you know what I discern.

There's not a lot of fruit and you that's not condemning that discerning first Corinthians 215 says this, but he who is spiritual judges all things he who is spiritual judges all things that that's not judgment in the sense of condemning that's judging in the sense of discerning judging in the sense of discerning and that's something that we need to do and should do what the passages point out is that you know according to the law. We are all condemn whether were unrighteous or self-righteous scene.

That's a thing is God begins to work in her life.

There is a tendency to develop spiritual prime when he be careful in this area from because everyone is how how how are we going escape this so why just of a judgment. This standard, God has of perfection for that none of us can meet. How do we escape because the usual ways of thinking that you can escape maybe get beyond the powers of extradition you do something in this country there certain countries you can go to that they will call you back here less.

I really gonna work with God is maybe once were incarcerated.

Maybe once were in jail or were in prison we can escape is not work either. And there's only one real plan of escape is Jesus is only one way out. When you realize that all of us stand condemn. There is only one way to be pardoned before the Lord, and he's given us that way. He's given us his son so that we can be declared innocent, and we can be set free, but if you reject that for your choosing to be condemned as interesting there certain people you know we look at history you not mention Hitler and Stalin recently.

We look at those people go yeah they should be judged. Absolutely they did wrong things and they should be judge, but not me or not malevolent, or not my friends but the reality is friend is that if God judge them and didn't judge other people than he would not be a righteous and fair judge if he looked at those two guys and said absolutely you guys are guilty. Everybody else can go free. God is no longer a righteous judge, credible God doesn't lower the standard or dismiss the charges. God sentences himself to pay for our sin's amazing amazing you're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be back with more powerful insight from God's word in just a moment but first, God's grace and mercy is greater than any of us could ever fathom. That's why he's been so faithful to the nation of Israel throughout the ages.

He's not finished. He's promised to remain true to them to the end. We want to show you what God's faithfulness toward Israel says about his relationship with you by sending you Pastor David's teaching video Israel the Bible and you in this exciting teaching recorded in the heart of the holy land. Pastor David unpacks important truths from God's relationships with Israel that impact your life today.

Israel the Bible and you is our gift to thank you for your donation to help more people on this station and beyond cross the bridge from death to life.

So visit cross the bridge.com to request yours again. That website is cross the bridge.com. Now back to today's teaching verse four or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance. I love that verse. That verse changed the way I thought of the gospel in the goodness because it really is as a messenger of the gospel is a proclaimer of the gospel you Angeles oh the Greek word, we get our word for evangelism teller of good news. It is the goodness of God that leads people to repent leads people to come to.

I know there's some ministries and some people that would argue this point, but they're really arguing with the word of God. Now, does this mean we should never say anybody's done anything wrong or we stand guilty before the Lord, absolutely not. Again, the beauty of the verse by verse teaches. We just came out of chapter 1 where all of us stood condemn, and in the chapter 2 with a self-righteous stand condemn and there in the balance of it is pulsing but is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. See I can sit up here all day and talk about hell fire and brimstone. I could, I can yell pulling screen could go get on the street corner and yell out y'all going to yell for syllables here in the state North Carolina have been born and raised near my family dinner 281 years I from out-of-state. You can't say that only but if that's all I say to you, you can't receive the gospel you can't receive the goodness if I just leave you dangling over the fires of hell. It's okay, don't you feel better. See what about anything.

Nothing sooner or later. In that conversation, I have to come to the goodness of God that he loves us so much and he is willing to be merciful to and extends his hand. The fellowship and forgiveness of I have to get to that point the goodness of God are everything I've said is is to no value now again some people absolutely you have to deal with in question because every now and again you come up with some money will be talking to some I will actually argue with you over whether a center not and again the large majority of those people are in church. Strangely enough, but it keeps coming back to the goodness of and I know you know is it is a time I was a backslidden lukewarm that's probably give myself too much credit. Believer that was doing my own thing going only the other believers are coming up to me and you know encourage me with such Scriptures as you remind me I can talk to his vomit is Proverbs talks about food like a fool returns to his folly. A dog returns to his vomit. If you have a dog. You understand the analogy we got a video and I did not fire truck release.

That meant doing that when people said that to me in a want to be honest I could so just yeah whatever didn't really get them off our what did get to my heart with my grandma. Grandma McGee who love the Lord and she would come to me in the midst of you know, just all this confusion and darkness and and everybody else condemning means anything she come to me saying I want. I love you and I'm praying for you and every tongue should say that man my heart just and it would get to me while she was showing me goodness she was only love she was showing mercy and it was as a backslider. It was a lot easier to deal with the condemnation of people than the deal with her love and goodness that she was show and even though she passed away, even in her passing. She wound up bringing me back toward because of that goodness because of that goodness. Romans 24 and the new living translation says don't you realize how kind, tolerant and patient God is with you. I don't to care. Can't you see how kind he is been given it's time to turn from your sins from your sent when you begin to think about how God how good God is. How how much he loves us and how Jesus died for our sins and about how God even loves you why you were being hateful to them about how when you were lost and wandering God was following you calling to you inviting you to come back to him. When you begin the understanding and contemplate the goodness of God friend that just does something to. That's why every every time you witness, you should make sure that you include the goodness of God. Again, Paul sets the balance everything he's talked about the rapidly talked about the judgment. I know what a lot of times that absolutely has to be included in discussion. A lot of times people actually understand their already condemn they understand their already guilty before God and then you get to come in and share the good news ministered in places and there was one time in particular, what walked up to a situation he was talking to another believer, actually my wife nor in the said hey what's going on. I guess it I don't want to go to hell. I need to go through his unrighteousness. I didn't have to ministered to him about the wrath and the judgment of God. He already knew that. He stood condemn model at that point was to talk about the goodness of God because of what Jesus did on the cross he could come to the Lord and be forgiven, I think, to be honest I think most people stand, and it can. We've talked about how we can walk them through most people know that life is hard and then there washing their fear and they they know they've done wrong things. I know they've messed up they know that there guilty there, filled with shame I don't have a dealer that they don't have the processes occurring their guilt around. They don't know what to do with guilt and interesting thing. Where does guilt come from, why do you feel bad when you do something wrong, the great question and it's one psychiatrist in psychologist to deny God deny the truth of the Bible have never answered all obscene.

Their answers are just their nonsense that we and fill it. We invented a guilt complex, I'm sorry.

Why in the world would we invent a guilt complex to do something that we think that we want to do engage in wrongdoing. It really really doesn't make any sense and understand you know and as God waits on you waits on somebody else to repent. It's his goodness. Of course we don't really think that God waits too long on us right grateful that he's waited so long on us and were grateful that he's waiting on some of us this morning, but we do sometimes think he waits too long for other people and sometimes it tells in our prayers that as a young Christian raise the price of the silliest prayers Nazi semi that really want to get saving their struggle or whatever. Not proud to God, you just go ahead and you judge them, God, you just judge them it's okay with me.

You just judge them and send them down our road. I never prayed that prayer for me mercy for me, Lord, mercy. Thank you for your mercies are new every morning judge and we won't mercies for us, but judgment brothers are you just go ahead you let him have it there so when you let me know what I don't want to read all that hot. So curses our parents gave us remember that your child be as evil as you still got me quaking in my boots is in there with a troubled lad. I will mercy from the Lord mercy for others thing goodness of God that wound you send goodness a God that will woo them because you know you can talk about a lot of things but only remember notices when you start talking about semi that's in pain and shame and guilt about the goodness of God. That's hard for. That's when they start throwing up all their smokescreens will people haven't heard what about these people. What about that before. What about that, what about prophecies. What about the different versions of Bob because they have no reply to the love and goodness of God. It draws us to the Lord, the goodness of God. This kind of blows away the a lot of us, especially if you grew up in church, sometimes in churches you can get the wrong picture of God. You can feel like God is somehow to be some big sniper in the sky and you're on the path and he's just wait.

He's got you in the crosshairs brother you get a step out alive is what the Bible says is that the picture that this verse paints of God.

The big sniper in the sky wait for you to get Alonso taken takeout.

Think about I thought about different times and thought about how many and what I would've done about God. We can both rejoice that I'm not as I know what I adamantly ate the fruit I told you not to eat the fruit very day they ate it start again wiped out. Okay and able things will fall apart. Anyways, I'm just taking out early God comes annoyances no man in the world is messed up and here's what can happen your to build our and then he waits 120 years. Over and over and over in the Bible we see this played out Judas betrayed the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. He shows up in the garden of Gethsemane known had been there and then the Lord and Judas came up to me, that would not been good. I get audited. Peter get tinier sort Judas ferment though exhortation correction but go on with her brother Judas ever thought about this the last supper when Jesus sits around and says so might overtraining the disciples did know was think about this friend. How did they not know what I know we all get this mental image of Judas you know that he was the God in the dark sunglasses the dark cape who left with a weird weird left that would've made it easy to tell Judas was right. When Jesus said so might overtraining thing on the docket sunglasses were left but evidently was one of the more religious of the group member when when the woman with alabaster box breaks it in juices all week sounds great we can do given that to the poor and one of the writers of the Gospels, as we said that because he was ripping off the treasure, but they didn't know Jesus knew who it was but he didn't treat Judas differently than the other 11 what a challenge. I know that in my life I've treated people differently because what I thought they might do. Jesus knew not only didn't treat them differently but it's extended grace and mercy every point, even when he came to the garden of Gethsemane Jesus says Fran why have you come. Jesus knew I was there. It was mortal wattage through the why did you choose this route instead of accepting migration. You can bring that into the present day all the stuff is going on with the world. All the hate in the war and all these things, and yet God is still the God is merciful God is gracious God is good friend.

You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend.

If you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can call us toll-free at 877-458-5508 to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ before we go, we want to encourage you in your faith so that you can experience more of the grace and love of God for you.

That's why we like to send you Pastor David's teaching video recorded in the heart of the holy land called Israel the Bible and you this encouraging look into the history of Israel and God's covenant faithfulness to his chosen people will help you take bold steps in your relationship with Israel. The Bible is our gift to you for your donation to help more people on this station and beyond cross the bridge from death to life. So visit cross the bridge.com now to request it. Be sure to join us next time across the bridge with David to hear more from