Jan. 26, 2025

Series: Transformed    1-26-25

CURING CHRISTIAN NARCISSISM

(Romans 1:18-25)

                I.  GUILT OF THE ____________________: (Rom 1:18-32)

                II. GUILT OF THE _________________: (Rom 2)

Romans 1:18-20 ¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 

• The evidence for God is all around you and it should lead you to __________________ a quest for GOD!

Theology Lesson #1:

_____________________ revelation vs. 

_____________________ revelation

• Will people who have never _____________ about Jesus be in Heaven?

Romans 10:12–15 ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” 

HOW TO DO IT GOD’S WAY:

                   1.  __________________ GOD

Romans 1:21 For although they knew God… their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

• “Know” - ginṓskō - (either, you already Know or you’re beginning to Know. The tense of this verb indicates a beginning sense.)

2 Corinthians 5:18–20 ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors (representatives), as though God were making his appeal through us.

• We __________________ Jesus, He doesn’t represent us!

Titus 1:16 ¹⁶ They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him.

Romans 1:21 ²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

• Many people today use God to __________________ who they are!      

                   2.  __________________ GOD

                   3.  GIVE __________________ TO GOD

Romans 1:22–25 ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles… ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

                   4. __________________ GOD

                   5. __________________ GOD 

• Even Jesus can be an Idol if He’s not the ________ of the Scriptures.

Matthew 7:21–23 ²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.’”

Isaiah 55:8–9 ⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. ⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

• We are representatives of the ____________ in the Scriptures. 

• We must change our _____________ to conform to His ways if we      want to please Him

• Where’ve I made Jesus to be like me, instead of me becoming like Him?

Theology Lesson #2:

                        EISEGISIS – “to read _______________”

                        EXEGISIS – “to read _______________________”

James 1:22–25 ²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

• The cure for Christian narcissism is to humbly be ________ to change!

• The Challenge: to evaluate my life and identify where the Holy Spirit has been convicting me to change, but I’ve been too __________________ or too afraid to acknowledge that God has been trying to get me to change. 

• It can’t be both ways… it’s either YOUR way, with His name on it… or HIS way with your life showing it… which is it going to be?