Sermon Notes on Romas 1:18-31

I thought that it might be a good idea to write down on here what I learned from the sermons or other Bible studies that we go to not only to help me think about it more, but also hoping that others can be encouraged or learn from it as I have. I feel like so often today that we as Christians have conversations that are so much on the surface. I am not saying these conversations are bad, but why would we not have just as many conversations about Scripture or deeper things that God is doing in our lives? I definitely am guilty of this, but we should not be ashamed of the gospel or too shy to speak about it to others (especially with those that we are closest to).
Our pastor just started preaching through Romans. This Sunday his sermon was titled "Sinner's Island" where he talked about how living a life that is stranded in brokeness feels like home to us b/c we do not treasure God's glory. We, as sinners, hate God's glory and don't want it because it is hard and complicated and means that we have to submit to Him. But the gospel is that God is stubborn and jealous for His glory. He, therefore, will not let us be satisfied with anything less than Himself- His glory and beauty. Instead of living like we are loved by this glorious God, we live like we are judged by having to submit to Him. He talked about also how when we have God's glory, that is what should flow out of us into this dark world- our lives should be different, our families should be different, our neighborhood should be different, and our city should be different b/c of this glory which changes us. The gospel teaches us that we are broken shells, but Jesus loves us in our brokeness then His glory fills us with His beauty. How amazing is that!
At another point he talked about goodness being one of God's attributes and said that ALL God gives to us is good even though it often (or usually) seems so mysterious and complicated. This was comforting because I was thinking of difficult situations that God puts in our lives that seem so complicated such as one of my good friends, Anje, giving birth to a stillborn baby a little over halfway through her pregnancy, and what David went through with his professor at SMU that still makes no sense and changed his whole career, and the list could go on with difficult situations that I am sure many of you have experienced- but God is still good and all that He gives us is good! That is always a good reminder for me.