1
00:00:00,370 --> 00:00:01,029
Romans chapter 2.

2
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:09,220
This is kind of a little side thought

3
00:00:09,220 --> 00:00:11,580
I had from a study earlier in the

4
00:00:11,580 --> 00:00:13,580
week, but what we're going to read here

5
00:00:13,580 --> 00:00:20,880
in Romans chapter 2, and we'll begin it

6
00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:21,920
for the sake of time.

7
00:00:22,620 --> 00:00:23,480
Verse 21.

8
00:00:25,820 --> 00:00:28,220
It says, Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest

9
00:00:28,220 --> 00:00:29,500
thou not thyself.

10
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,320
Thou that preachest a man should not steal,

11
00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:33,240
dost thou steal.

12
00:00:34,420 --> 00:00:36,300
Thou that sayest a man should not commit

13
00:00:36,300 --> 00:00:38,200
adultery, dost thou commit adultery.

14
00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,880
Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege.

15
00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,440
Thou that makest thy boast of the law

16
00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,740
through breaking the law dishonorest thou God.

17
00:00:49,460 --> 00:00:51,660
For the name of God is blaspheme among

18
00:00:51,660 --> 00:00:55,600
the Gentiles through you as it is written.

19
00:00:57,100 --> 00:01:00,760
It's a very solemn statement that what Paul

20
00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:02,680
is writing here is that those that were

21
00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:04,459
claiming to keep the law and to honor

22
00:01:04,459 --> 00:01:06,780
God, they were breaking the law and dishonoring

23
00:01:06,780 --> 00:01:11,720
God, and in their hypocrisy the name of

24
00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:13,180
God is blasphemed.

25
00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,000
Now we'll go to 1 Peter.

26
00:01:15,060 --> 00:01:17,640
We're going to read a contrast really in

27
00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:18,500
chapter 2.

28
00:01:23,140 --> 00:01:32,700
1 Peter 2 and verse number 10.

29
00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,220
1 Peter 2 verse 11.

30
00:01:38,860 --> 00:01:41,160
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and

31
00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,000
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against

32
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,540
the soul, having your conversation honest among the

33
00:01:47,540 --> 00:01:48,220
Gentiles.

34
00:01:48,540 --> 00:01:50,820
Now remember in Romans it was dishonest.

35
00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:52,820
They were teaching and preaching one thing, but

36
00:01:52,820 --> 00:01:53,640
they were doing another.

37
00:01:54,620 --> 00:01:56,660
And here it says this, having your conversation

38
00:01:56,660 --> 00:02:00,260
honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak

39
00:02:00,260 --> 00:02:03,700
against you as evildoers, they may by your

40
00:02:03,700 --> 00:02:07,120
good works which they shall behold glorify God

41
00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,260
in the day of visitation.

42
00:02:11,700 --> 00:02:14,080
And that'll suffice for the time that is

43
00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:14,600
at hand.

44
00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:17,700
Really what we have here is you've got

45
00:02:17,700 --> 00:02:20,740
in Romans, you've got the hypocrites of the

46
00:02:20,740 --> 00:02:22,720
law are causing the name of God to

47
00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,000
be blasphemed by their own sin.

48
00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,940
Here you've got those that were doing right

49
00:02:27,940 --> 00:02:31,260
and Gentiles were speaking evil against them that

50
00:02:31,260 --> 00:02:33,960
by their good works they might glorify God.

51
00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:35,140
Glorify.

52
00:02:35,260 --> 00:02:36,820
It's kind of a contrast.

53
00:02:37,180 --> 00:02:39,980
And really when it comes to testimony, when

54
00:02:39,980 --> 00:02:42,220
it comes to your testimony or your assembly's

55
00:02:42,220 --> 00:02:44,920
testimony, it's not a good testimony or a

56
00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:45,580
bad testimony.

57
00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:47,020
It's either true or it's false.

58
00:02:48,780 --> 00:02:50,040
That's the way we have to look at

59
00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:50,420
testimony.

60
00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:52,700
We always talk about you're going to ruin

61
00:02:52,700 --> 00:02:54,440
your testimony or you're going to lose your

62
00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:56,700
testimony, and we understand what that means.

63
00:02:57,100 --> 00:02:59,460
But when it comes to giving testimony, Jesus

64
00:02:59,460 --> 00:03:01,440
Christ is the faithful and the true witness.

65
00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,760
And what the Lord Jesus said, the way

66
00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,660
he acted, the way he behaved was just

67
00:03:07,660 --> 00:03:10,640
exactly how God himself would have done in

68
00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:12,900
any situation because he is God manifest in

69
00:03:12,900 --> 00:03:13,420
the flesh.

70
00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,740
He always gave true testimony.

71
00:03:17,660 --> 00:03:20,540
But we live in a, maybe it's just

72
00:03:20,540 --> 00:03:21,320
the flesh too.

73
00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,160
We want to be people pleasers.

74
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,440
We want to have the appearance of being

75
00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:26,800
righteous.

76
00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,060
We want to be people impressors.

77
00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:30,340
We want to be people pleasers.

78
00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,560
And we're doing these things for our own

79
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:33,220
reputation.

80
00:03:33,980 --> 00:03:36,880
And when we do those things like Romans

81
00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,760
says, and we say these things and we

82
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:41,700
don't do them, then people are going to

83
00:03:41,700 --> 00:03:43,060
be quick to point the finger and they're

84
00:03:43,060 --> 00:03:44,080
going to blaspheme God.

85
00:03:45,620 --> 00:03:47,480
So what we have just done is at

86
00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,020
the expense, the extent of our own glorying

87
00:03:50,020 --> 00:03:52,740
before people and in our own failure, we've

88
00:03:52,740 --> 00:03:57,640
given people a reason to blaspheme God.

89
00:03:57,720 --> 00:03:58,300
We are the cause.

90
00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,620
It says through you, because of you, people

91
00:04:01,620 --> 00:04:02,740
blaspheme God.

92
00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,340
Now that's not a testimony, is it?

93
00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:06,360
Yeah, it's a false testimony.

94
00:04:07,220 --> 00:04:08,580
It's a wrong testimony.

95
00:04:09,500 --> 00:04:10,620
And that happens.

96
00:04:11,060 --> 00:04:12,340
That's why it's written in there.

97
00:04:13,540 --> 00:04:15,519
So if you're going to claim to do

98
00:04:15,519 --> 00:04:16,760
something, you've got to do it.

99
00:04:17,339 --> 00:04:19,079
If you're going to say God says this

100
00:04:19,079 --> 00:04:20,180
and you're going to teach it and you're

101
00:04:20,180 --> 00:04:21,460
going to preach it and you don't do

102
00:04:21,460 --> 00:04:23,900
it, what do we do?

103
00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,120
We're giving reason for people or through our

104
00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,460
actions, they're going to blaspheme God.

105
00:04:30,820 --> 00:04:34,020
And the purpose that we're here for has

106
00:04:34,020 --> 00:04:35,800
absolutely been turned upside down.

107
00:04:35,900 --> 00:04:37,720
We're here to bring glory to God and

108
00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:39,300
now here people are blaspheming God.

109
00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,040
Now we're going to be false accused.

110
00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,520
If we're going to suffer, it better be

111
00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:45,960
because of false accusation.

112
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,260
And the world is looking for any opportunity

113
00:04:49,260 --> 00:04:51,760
and every opportunity to point the finger at

114
00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,580
God, to discredit God, to eliminate God, to

115
00:04:54,580 --> 00:04:55,340
cancel God.

116
00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:57,160
And when he can do it through God's

117
00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:58,860
people, it's a double win, isn't it?

118
00:05:00,990 --> 00:05:02,510
And so if they're going to talk bad

119
00:05:02,510 --> 00:05:04,570
about God, it dare not be through us.

120
00:05:08,930 --> 00:05:09,770
And that happens.

121
00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:14,380
You think of Peter when he wept and

122
00:05:14,380 --> 00:05:15,200
he denied the Lord.

123
00:05:16,820 --> 00:05:18,600
What would the people say about the Lord

124
00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:20,880
because of Peter's reaction to what was taking

125
00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:21,360
place?

126
00:05:21,980 --> 00:05:24,540
Well, they can say, well, he's a follower

127
00:05:24,540 --> 00:05:27,800
of Christ and then he's ashamed of Christ.

128
00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,840
Well, then Christ must not be what he

129
00:05:30,840 --> 00:05:31,600
claims to be.

130
00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,940
Because if this man is the Messiah, why

131
00:05:34,940 --> 00:05:36,500
would a man be afraid and ashamed of

132
00:05:36,500 --> 00:05:38,400
the Messiah in front of his own people?

133
00:05:40,140 --> 00:05:41,520
Just a simple illustration.

134
00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,940
And so we preach that being a Christian

135
00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:51,840
is true living.

136
00:05:54,410 --> 00:05:56,310
It's really the best life a person can

137
00:05:56,310 --> 00:05:56,510
live.

138
00:05:56,570 --> 00:05:57,290
And we believe that.

139
00:05:57,890 --> 00:05:59,510
Or don't we believe that?

140
00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:04,580
But then we mope and we're sat around

141
00:06:04,580 --> 00:06:06,460
for things of everyday life that everybody else

142
00:06:06,460 --> 00:06:06,940
goes through.

143
00:06:07,140 --> 00:06:08,980
And we have a greater reaction to adverse

144
00:06:08,980 --> 00:06:10,480
things than someone who's not saved.

145
00:06:13,050 --> 00:06:14,370
And then they say, well, that life isn't

146
00:06:14,370 --> 00:06:14,850
worth living.

147
00:06:15,690 --> 00:06:17,950
If that's what Christianity is, I don't want

148
00:06:17,950 --> 00:06:18,170
it.

149
00:06:19,750 --> 00:06:21,570
And maybe you've been like me, and maybe

150
00:06:21,570 --> 00:06:23,470
you've got the same rebuke from someone who's

151
00:06:23,470 --> 00:06:24,110
not saved.

152
00:06:26,010 --> 00:06:28,490
If that's what Christianity is, I don't want

153
00:06:28,490 --> 00:06:28,750
it.

154
00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:34,540
If that's the case, and you've heard that

155
00:06:34,540 --> 00:06:36,860
remark, hopefully it's because of the way you're

156
00:06:36,860 --> 00:06:39,740
living, afraid of sin.

157
00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:42,860
The way you're living, trying to live righteously,

158
00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:45,540
but not because of our hypocrisy.

159
00:06:47,990 --> 00:06:51,190
So the reality of a testimony is vitally

160
00:06:51,190 --> 00:06:51,690
important.

161
00:06:53,570 --> 00:06:59,150
Either we're speaking and living the truth, or

162
00:06:59,150 --> 00:07:00,670
we're speaking and living a lie.

163
00:07:01,410 --> 00:07:02,990
Speaking the truth, living a lie.

164
00:07:03,750 --> 00:07:04,930
Any of those combinations.

165
00:07:06,350 --> 00:07:09,690
And really what spoke to me was when

166
00:07:09,690 --> 00:07:13,110
you come to Peter, their conversation was honest

167
00:07:13,110 --> 00:07:14,230
among the Gentiles.

168
00:07:15,110 --> 00:07:17,070
Whereas they're going to speak of the Christian

169
00:07:17,070 --> 00:07:20,770
as an evildoer, but by their good works,

170
00:07:21,510 --> 00:07:25,690
which they see, they'll glorify God in the

171
00:07:25,690 --> 00:07:26,590
day of visitation.

172
00:07:28,330 --> 00:07:31,690
They'll have to glorify God in a day

173
00:07:31,690 --> 00:07:35,970
to come, because what you did was right.

174
00:07:37,050 --> 00:07:37,650
Think of that.

175
00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:43,620
So that in the day when the fingers

176
00:07:43,620 --> 00:07:45,660
are being pointed, and the accusations are being

177
00:07:45,660 --> 00:07:48,720
made, and through your good works, you prove

178
00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:50,060
that what you said is true.

179
00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:52,260
And you prove that who God is, is

180
00:07:52,260 --> 00:07:52,620
right.

181
00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,560
By what you do, and the way your

182
00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:04,340
life matches your word, and that the word

183
00:08:04,340 --> 00:08:07,940
of God, they will bring glory to God.

184
00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:14,560
They'll be forced to, because the truth will

185
00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:15,100
come out.

186
00:08:17,470 --> 00:08:18,770
And I thought, what a contrast.

187
00:08:20,290 --> 00:08:23,570
That I have the power to cause God's

188
00:08:23,570 --> 00:08:28,480
name to be blasphemed, or I have the

189
00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,900
power for God's name to be glorified.

190
00:08:33,940 --> 00:08:35,480
It will be one or the other.

191
00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:38,840
There's no neutral ground.

192
00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:42,940
What I do, what I say, where I

193
00:08:42,940 --> 00:08:44,920
go, is it going to blaspheme the name

194
00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:46,160
of God, or is it going to glorify

195
00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:46,880
the name of God?

196
00:08:48,900 --> 00:08:50,480
That sums up life.

197
00:08:52,140 --> 00:08:57,540
It either brings glory to God, or it's

198
00:08:57,540 --> 00:08:59,600
a shame for us to do.

199
00:09:01,180 --> 00:09:03,460
Now, this is really short and really simple,

200
00:09:04,060 --> 00:09:06,780
but it's one or the other.

201
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:15,060
To give the people a justified reason to

202
00:09:15,060 --> 00:09:16,860
blaspheme the name of God by the way

203
00:09:16,860 --> 00:09:20,930
I live, that's pretty heavy.

204
00:09:22,290 --> 00:09:29,060
But at the same time, to have glory

205
00:09:29,060 --> 00:09:35,280
brought to God by Peter, they speak against

206
00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:35,880
you as evildoers.

207
00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:38,880
They may by your good works, which they

208
00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:42,860
shall behold, glorify God in the day of

209
00:09:42,860 --> 00:09:43,280
hesitation.

210
00:09:43,340 --> 00:09:45,020
You see, they'll notice those good works.

211
00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,920
They want to deny those good things, but

212
00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,240
they will see them, and they will glorify

213
00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:55,020
God, and your life will then have the

214
00:09:55,020 --> 00:09:57,840
meaning and the purpose that God intended it

215
00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,320
for his glory.

216
00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:00,820
And the Lord bless his word.