Hearing Is Not Enough (Romans 10:14-21)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:05.200 Let's remain standing and hear God's word now from Romans ten, Romans Chapter Ten, 2 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:17.910 I'm going to be I'm reading from verse ten through the end of the 3 00:00:17.989 --> 00:00:25.660 chapter, but focusing a particularly on the last several verses, fourteen through the 4 00:00:25.739 --> 00:00:31.500 end. So we're starting our reading this morning from Romans Chapter Ten, verse 5 00:00:31.820 --> 00:00:43.570 ten. This is God's word, for with the heart one believes and is 6 00:00:43.649 --> 00:00:48.530 justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture 7 00:00:48.649 --> 00:00:55.439 says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame, for 8 00:00:55.560 --> 00:01:00.079 there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord 9 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:06.430 of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone 10 00:01:06.469 --> 00:01:11.829 who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, 11 00:01:11.870 --> 00:01:15.549 will they call on him and whom they have not believed? And how 12 00:01:15.629 --> 00:01:19.620 are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how 13 00:01:19.659 --> 00:01:26.060 are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless 14 00:01:26.260 --> 00:01:30.819 they are sent? As it is written? How beautiful are the feet of 15 00:01:30.939 --> 00:01:37.250 those who preach the good news? But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. 16 00:01:38.290 --> 00:01:42.329 For Isaiah says, Lord who has believed what he has heard from us. 17 00:01:42.609 --> 00:01:46.769 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 18 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:52.799 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed, they have, for 19 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:57.560 their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends 20 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:02.430 of the world. But I ask, did is real not understand? First 21 00:02:02.670 --> 00:02:07.829 Moses says, I will make you a jealous I will make you jealous of 22 00:02:07.950 --> 00:02:10.710 those who are not a nation with a foolish nation. I will make you 23 00:02:10.789 --> 00:02:15.740 angry. Then Isaiah is so bold to say, I have been found by 24 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:22.180 those who did not seek me. I have shown myselves or shown myself to 25 00:02:22.340 --> 00:02:24.939 those who did not ask for me. But of Israel, he says, 26 00:02:24.979 --> 00:02:32.210 all day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. 27 00:02:35.849 --> 00:02:57.919 You may be seated. We have here in God's word, a message 28 00:02:59.430 --> 00:03:05.629 of Hope, a message that tells us of the good news of Jesus and 29 00:03:05.870 --> 00:03:10.150 how it goes out into the world. But it's also a passage that is 30 00:03:10.189 --> 00:03:15.219 a message of warning. We have heard the Gospel and we've heard that it 31 00:03:15.379 --> 00:03:20.780 goes out and by the power of God and unto salvation. But there's a 32 00:03:20.900 --> 00:03:25.340 truth, another truth that must also be admitted, and it is the focus 33 00:03:25.500 --> 00:03:30.969 of the last part of this chapter, and it's this. Not all who 34 00:03:31.129 --> 00:03:39.569 here believe. It's true. Isn't it not all who here believe? Before 35 00:03:39.610 --> 00:03:43.919 we discuss this and think about it from God's word, let me just ask 36 00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:50.599 you a question as we prepare our minds. Why do we have to talk 37 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:53.840 about this? Why do we have to talk about this particular fact that not 38 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:59.389 all who here believe, even if we grant its truth, which of course 39 00:03:59.509 --> 00:04:03.629 we must, from both scripture and observation? Why do we have to talk 40 00:04:03.669 --> 00:04:12.860 about it? Why dwell on such a thing as the evil in men when 41 00:04:12.939 --> 00:04:17.899 we could be considering and focusing instead on the goodness of God? Well, 42 00:04:17.939 --> 00:04:23.860 there's several reasons. One is that it's not up for us to decide what's 43 00:04:23.899 --> 00:04:28.050 in and out of God's word. This is always an important point and something 44 00:04:28.129 --> 00:04:31.290 to remember. It's one of the reasons I preach just verse by verse, 45 00:04:31.410 --> 00:04:36.329 passage by passage, so that I don't get caught up on the places that 46 00:04:36.410 --> 00:04:41.120 I'm afraid to preach or the things that I particularly love to preach, but 47 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:46.000 that you hear all of God's word from beginning to end. And that's true 48 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:48.439 not only for the preaching, but for the reading and hearing of God's word. 49 00:04:49.319 --> 00:04:54.470 We don't decide what belongs and what doesn't belong. If it's God's word, 50 00:04:54.470 --> 00:04:58.310 it's God's word and it's for us all and it's for our benefit. 51 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:03.829 A second reason we have to consider this fact that not all who hear the 52 00:05:04.029 --> 00:05:09.899 Gospel believe the Gospel is that it reminds us that we have an obligation, 53 00:05:10.019 --> 00:05:17.379 an opportunity to snatch people out of the fire. How can we do such 54 00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:23.009 a thing? How can we talk to people with urgency about the need to 55 00:05:23.170 --> 00:05:27.529 hear, the need to believe, unless we have a certain urgency about it, 56 00:05:27.610 --> 00:05:32.170 unless we understand and cant and communicate that to them? We have to 57 00:05:32.250 --> 00:05:38.560 be able to speak truthfully about the heat of the fire, about the nearness 58 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:42.120 of the danger, if we are going to speak truthfully about the Gospel. 59 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:48.800 Another reason is that speaking truthfully about the reality of unbelief may very well open 60 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:57.829 doors. On Open door is for prayer and confession in our hearts. It's, 61 00:05:57.910 --> 00:06:00.149 of course, my hope that all of you here believe and trust in 62 00:06:00.230 --> 00:06:05.860 the gospel of Jesus Christ, but statistics tell us, and experience as a 63 00:06:05.939 --> 00:06:11.860 guide, that that's not always true, that not all believe, and Paul 64 00:06:11.899 --> 00:06:16.860 says that here and he quotes Isaiah the same. And so I preach these 65 00:06:16.899 --> 00:06:20.529 things this morning from the word of God and I ask you to consider them 66 00:06:20.569 --> 00:06:26.730 in your hearts so that if you don't believe, you might repent, that 67 00:06:26.889 --> 00:06:32.639 you might call on the name of the Lord and be saved. So let's 68 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:39.199 consider it. First, consider what it is that is being rejected when the 69 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:46.160 word is rejected. This whole passage starts with this meditation on the salvation that 70 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:50.149 God brings into the world, or rather how he brings it into the world, 71 00:06:50.189 --> 00:06:56.790 and it's based on this understanding that everyone who believes in him will not 72 00:06:56.949 --> 00:07:00.699 be put to shame, as Paul says in verse eleven or verse thirteen, 73 00:07:00.939 --> 00:07:06.259 this inclusiveness of the Gospel message that everyone who calls on the name of the 74 00:07:06.379 --> 00:07:13.019 Lord will be saved, or verse twelve. There's no distinction Jew non Jew 75 00:07:13.139 --> 00:07:17.529 or Jew and Greek. The that for the same Lord is Lord over all. 76 00:07:19.170 --> 00:07:25.129 That's what is being discussed here. That's what's being pointed out. It 77 00:07:25.290 --> 00:07:30.720 shows us, this passage shows us how the confession of repentance and faith comes 78 00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:36.199 comes to us, this confession that we confess that everyone who calls on the 79 00:07:36.199 --> 00:07:40.399 name of the Lord will be saved, that the Lord is the one who's 80 00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:44.160 been raised from the dead, that the Lord is the One Who bestows riches 81 00:07:44.279 --> 00:07:48.389 on those who call on him. This confession is a good confession, it 82 00:07:48.629 --> 00:07:54.949 is a saving confession. But Paul also talks about how it is that it 83 00:07:55.269 --> 00:08:00.699 comes to us, how this confession that comes into our mouths comes into our 84 00:08:00.779 --> 00:08:03.579 mouths, how that happens, and this is what we focused on last time. 85 00:08:05.939 --> 00:08:09.899 God sends preachers so that people would hear and that in hearing they would 86 00:08:09.899 --> 00:08:16.170 believe and in believing they would call and be saved, so that, in 87 00:08:16.290 --> 00:08:22.250 seeing their sins and seeing his righteousness, they would obtain the faith that is 88 00:08:22.329 --> 00:08:28.639 or the righteousness that is by faith. What is it that we receive, 89 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:33.799 Paul says? He says that the Lord bestows his riches on all who call 90 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:39.519 on him. That's what we get when we get salvation. It's another way 91 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:45.470 of putting it. Think about that for a moment as a way to consider 92 00:08:45.549 --> 00:08:52.669 what it is that's being rejected when someone says I don't believe. As a 93 00:08:52.750 --> 00:08:56.620 summary of the benefits that come to us when we believe in Christ, God 94 00:08:56.860 --> 00:09:03.139 says that the same Lord who is Lord of them all is the one who 95 00:09:03.259 --> 00:09:07.980 is bestowing his riches on all who call on them. Let me just ask 96 00:09:07.019 --> 00:09:11.289 you a question as a way to impress this on your hearts. Have you 97 00:09:11.409 --> 00:09:18.450 ever wished that someone would bestow riches on you? That's a pretty a lofty 98 00:09:18.610 --> 00:09:24.480 thing to ask or even to wish. I had a friend in college who 99 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:28.440 was kind of into sports, and basketball in particular, and he would look 100 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:33.919 at these salaries and I remember him saying sometimes of these sports players, if 101 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:39.470 you would just give me a thousand dollars, that'd be so helpful to me, 102 00:09:39.389 --> 00:09:43.230 and he could spare it, you know, thinking of no one in 103 00:09:43.350 --> 00:09:46.710 particular, but just very wealthy people. My friend woulds have thousand bucks. 104 00:09:46.789 --> 00:09:52.820 That would make such a difference to me right now. Maybe you've had similar 105 00:09:52.940 --> 00:10:01.139 thoughts, maybe not of sports people but of friends or family, but if 106 00:10:01.139 --> 00:10:03.779 I could just have a little bit, a little bit extra, that would 107 00:10:03.779 --> 00:10:11.090 make such a difference. What about bestowing riches? Bestowing riches this is not 108 00:10:11.409 --> 00:10:15.250 helping out, it's not a bump, it's not birthday money in a card. 109 00:10:16.210 --> 00:10:20.330 Bestowing riches is a phrase that speaks to a kind of life changing event. 110 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:26.399 I have something great now that I once didn't have, and that's what 111 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:31.360 the Lord offers to those who call on him, to those who believe. 112 00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:39.190 Let's talk about specifics, just from the book of Romans. What kinds of 113 00:10:39.669 --> 00:10:43.830 riches does God bestow on those who put their faith in Christ? Well, 114 00:10:43.870 --> 00:10:50.580 he Paul quotes David in Romans for seven eight and says blessed are those whose 115 00:10:50.820 --> 00:10:58.700 lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Well, that's not money, 116 00:10:58.860 --> 00:11:03.259 is it? But sure is better than money to be forgiven of your 117 00:11:03.289 --> 00:11:11.529 lawless deeds, to not have to be held to account for the things that 118 00:11:11.690 --> 00:11:16.809 you've done. Following from that, Paul says in Romans five one that we 119 00:11:16.889 --> 00:11:22.399 have peace with God instead of standing before God is those who are lawless and 120 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:26.679 deserving of his wrath and condemnation. He says that God bestows on us in 121 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:33.629 Christ peace. Isn't it nice to be at peace with your family or with 122 00:11:33.710 --> 00:11:41.669 your friends or work? We're talking about peace with God, he says in 123 00:11:41.990 --> 00:11:48.139 Romans he said goes on to say in that same chapter that we belonged to 124 00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:54.259 a family of faith. Abraham was promised to become air of the world, 125 00:11:54.299 --> 00:11:58.059 a father of many nations. When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are 126 00:11:58.100 --> 00:12:05.210 brought in to Abraham's family and all the blessings that God promised him belong to 127 00:12:05.409 --> 00:12:13.649 us. We become part of a community, a people. In Romans Five, 128 00:12:13.850 --> 00:12:18.960 God speaks about his love being poured into our hearts, the love of 129 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:26.600 God. Isn't it good to be loved, the love of God poured into 130 00:12:26.679 --> 00:12:28.679 our hearts? Not only the love of God poured into our hearts, but 131 00:12:28.759 --> 00:12:33.029 the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, he says, the love of 132 00:12:33.110 --> 00:12:37.230 God is poured into our hearts, the Holy Spirit, who has been given 133 00:12:37.470 --> 00:12:43.580 to you. God has given to us himself. He has given to us 134 00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:50.940 himself, the Holy Spirit living and dwelling within us, making us holy, 135 00:12:50.460 --> 00:12:56.860 conforming us away from the lawless deeds to the image of Christ. Well, 136 00:12:56.940 --> 00:13:01.009 this righteousness that we have in Jesus, the justification that we have, the 137 00:13:01.169 --> 00:13:11.169 growing sanctification, all leads to glorification, The resurrection of our bodies, life, 138 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:16.440 everlasting future glory. Paul says in Romans eight hundred and eighteen, a 139 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:24.559 glorious new world we will be given and belong to, a new heaven and 140 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:31.590 a new earth that Isaiah and Isaiah sixty seventeen speaks about is so wonderful that 141 00:13:31.750 --> 00:13:39.190 the remembrance of the former things won't even have it. The former things shall 142 00:13:39.309 --> 00:13:43.620 not be remembered, they shall not come to mind. The sadness, the 143 00:13:43.860 --> 00:13:48.340 sorrow, the shame, the guilt, the humiliation, the brokenness, the 144 00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:54.980 disease, the trials. What do you remember it? Because life will be 145 00:13:54.139 --> 00:14:00.730 so good. Scripture talks about this in various places, but you are starting 146 00:14:00.809 --> 00:14:05.850 to get the picture right. When the God says that He bestows riches on 147 00:14:05.929 --> 00:14:11.639 all who call on him, we are talking about a powerful, everlasting and 148 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:18.240 very, very happy salvation. This is what God brings into the world in 149 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:22.679 sending his son, who is a sacrifice for our sins, a giver of 150 00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:31.389 Righteousness, a guarantee of resurrection and eternal life. It's a powerful and happy 151 00:14:31.549 --> 00:14:37.309 Good News, a Gospel message that God continues to send into the world through 152 00:14:37.620 --> 00:14:46.419 the preaching of the word. But now we must speak of difficult things, 153 00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:54.250 of sad things. We must confess as true what Paul says, this apostle 154 00:14:54.450 --> 00:14:58.529 of God and Messenger sent from him, what he says in Verse Sixteen. 155 00:14:58.610 --> 00:15:07.039 They have not all obeyed the Gospel. He makes this point right. The 156 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:13.759 Gospel is sent out through preaching for the sake of hearing, but though many 157 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:20.000 here, not all believe or, as he puts it here, obey the 158 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:24.870 Gospel. Using this phrase, obey the Gospel, he doesn't Mean to say 159 00:15:24.870 --> 00:15:30.549 that the Gospel is somehow some kind of work that we do to gain a 160 00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:35.059 righteous the standing before God, but it's a message that we submit to. 161 00:15:37.100 --> 00:15:41.259 It's that kind of obedience. It's the obedience of faith. You could put 162 00:15:41.259 --> 00:15:46.019 it this way. If a lawyer comes into your family after a wrench a 163 00:15:46.419 --> 00:15:50.409 rich uncle dies, it's always an uncle. I suppose it could be an 164 00:15:50.450 --> 00:15:56.570 aunt, family member dies, comes into the room and the lawyer reads to 165 00:15:56.610 --> 00:16:00.490 you and says this is your inheritance. To access it, here are the 166 00:16:00.570 --> 00:16:03.289 bank account numbers and whatever else. I've not gone through this, but they 167 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:07.519 give you the information. They say here's the gift. receive it. Okay, 168 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:14.000 but then you, let's say, in your unbelief and not trusting this 169 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:18.149 message, you walk out. You say that's a lie. I don't I 170 00:16:18.230 --> 00:16:22.710 don't believe it, I don't want it, it's not for me. Of 171 00:16:22.830 --> 00:16:26.149 course, I suppose that would be your right. I'm you are given this 172 00:16:26.309 --> 00:16:30.909 freedom to take it or to leave it, but you haven't obeyed the message. 173 00:16:30.990 --> 00:16:34.179 In a sense, you haven't submitted yourself to it. You haven't said 174 00:16:34.779 --> 00:16:40.379 that's true, I trust in it and I will believe it. Instead, 175 00:16:40.419 --> 00:16:44.379 you've acted in a way that says that's not true, or I don't want 176 00:16:44.419 --> 00:16:47.929 it, I'm not going to submit myself to it. In faith, and 177 00:16:48.049 --> 00:16:52.529 that's what Paul has in mind here. He's talking about faith right, believing, 178 00:16:52.809 --> 00:16:56.850 calling believing, believing over and over it again. He's talking about this, 179 00:16:56.649 --> 00:17:00.960 and that's what he has in mind here. Not Everyone who hears submits 180 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:07.880 them self in in the obedience of faith. They don't react properly. Some, 181 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:12.960 even many, refuse to submit their hearts to good news and, instead 182 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:25.190 of receiving the blessings through faith, reject the blessings and say no. Now 183 00:17:25.309 --> 00:17:29.349 Paul speaks, is one, and he speaks for the Lord. Is Not 184 00:17:29.470 --> 00:17:33.660 the first one to experience this. In fact, he quotes Isaiah. Then, 185 00:17:34.819 --> 00:17:38.779 in also verse sixteen, he says, but they have not all bade 186 00:17:38.940 --> 00:17:45.450 obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says Lord, who have believed what he has 187 00:17:45.569 --> 00:17:51.809 heard from us? This quote comes from Isaiah fifty three. One which is 188 00:17:52.049 --> 00:17:56.809 significant because this is one of the great chapters that we call about the suffering 189 00:17:56.009 --> 00:18:02.240 servant, these great messianic chapters that speak to us of the Christ, of 190 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:07.319 the anointed one who would come to save and reconcile and bring the peace and 191 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:15.750 riches that we've discussed. But Isaiah says, Isaiah says Lord who has believed 192 00:18:17.509 --> 00:18:21.390 what he has heard from us. Isaiah recognizes what Paul recognizes, that this 193 00:18:21.589 --> 00:18:27.539 message goes out and not all here or not all believe. Rather, because 194 00:18:27.579 --> 00:18:33.660 Paul goes on to say in verse eighteen, making this point, have they 195 00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:38.380 not heard? Indeed they have. Their voice is gone out into the world 196 00:18:38.380 --> 00:18:44.089 and their words to the end of the earth. This is a quote that 197 00:18:44.170 --> 00:18:48.490 comes from Psalm Nineteen, that is about the heavens and the stars declaring to 198 00:18:48.690 --> 00:18:55.450 all the world the glory of God and his handiwork in creation. What Paul's 199 00:18:55.450 --> 00:18:59.400 essentially doing, then, here is he saying justice, the Voice of the 200 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:03.839 Heavens has gone out into the world. So has the preaching of the Gospel. 201 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:11.910 So if you imagine this link of this, if you imagine the way 202 00:19:11.029 --> 00:19:17.269 that the word of Christ comes into the world, kind of like a plumbing 203 00:19:17.349 --> 00:19:22.230 system, right there all these different connections, at points at which the thing 204 00:19:22.309 --> 00:19:29.460 is put together, sending, preaching, hearing, believing, calling each part 205 00:19:29.500 --> 00:19:36.220 jointed together, fitted together. Where's the leak right? Where's the leak happening? 206 00:19:36.339 --> 00:19:38.250 Paul asked this in verse eighteen. Is it because they didn't hear? 207 00:19:38.529 --> 00:19:41.849 Is that where the leak is? Is that why they aren't obeying The Gospel? 208 00:19:41.890 --> 00:19:47.490 And he says no, that's not it. Indeed they have. They've 209 00:19:47.569 --> 00:19:51.970 heard that parts working. Indeed, their voice is gone out into all the 210 00:19:52.089 --> 00:19:55.160 world, or in all the earth, and their words to the end of 211 00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:59.440 the world. Well, how about understanding? Is that the problem? Did 212 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:03.440 they hear but not understand? Well, he goes on to say, speaking 213 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:07.349 of Israel and particular, no, they understood. In fact, Moses says 214 00:20:08.390 --> 00:20:14.230 prophetically, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation, 215 00:20:14.430 --> 00:20:18.190 and with a foolish nation, I will make you angry. What an example 216 00:20:18.269 --> 00:20:26.619 of that. Think about Jonah. Think about God's mercy and salvation being poured 217 00:20:26.660 --> 00:20:34.180 out on the pagan city of Nineveh and Jonah being mad, really really mad 218 00:20:34.220 --> 00:20:41.849 at about it. Jonah understood and he Jonah understood the repentance and mercy that 219 00:20:42.009 --> 00:20:45.410 are the mercy that God would give when people repent of their sins. It 220 00:20:47.690 --> 00:20:51.960 wasn't a problem with the understanding. The problem was with, in his own 221 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:59.799 heart, receiving and believing and trusting God for that himself. No, I'm 222 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:03.839 not saying Jonah wasn't saved or was, or anything like that. I'm just 223 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:08.269 saying, at least at that moment, Jonah had a very serious problem with 224 00:21:08.470 --> 00:21:15.190 believing the Gospel. He understood it, he even spoken, he was the 225 00:21:15.269 --> 00:21:19.140 preacher himself, he was sent, he was preached or he preached. They 226 00:21:19.220 --> 00:21:23.299 heard, they understand and they called out to the Lord, but Jonah didn't. 227 00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:30.819 Instead, Jonah was jealous, angry. Mad Isaiah was so bold to 228 00:21:30.900 --> 00:21:37.369 say, and by bold it means you're confident. He says, I have 229 00:21:37.490 --> 00:21:41.329 been found by those who did not seek me. I've shown myself to those 230 00:21:41.410 --> 00:21:45.930 who did not ask for me. Verse Twenty One. The contrast, then, 231 00:21:47.009 --> 00:21:49.960 with Israel. All Day Long, I have held out my hands to 232 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:59.119 a disobedient and contrary people. Here's an image of that. The father in 233 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:04.109 Jesus is parable of the Prodigal son, standing there way eating, ready to 234 00:22:04.269 --> 00:22:08.990 run to this sinner who's left and taken all the riches of the father and 235 00:22:10.190 --> 00:22:15.230 squandered them and now is living among pigs, standing there holding his arms open 236 00:22:15.269 --> 00:22:25.180 to a disobedient and contrary people, but they remain disobedient, contrary, unbelieving. 237 00:22:26.539 --> 00:22:30.690 Now, in the next chapter, Paul is going to talk about Israel 238 00:22:30.769 --> 00:22:34.690 and particular, and he'll start by asking this question. Has God then rejected 239 00:22:34.769 --> 00:22:40.849 his people? You'll have to come back for that one, but for now, 240 00:22:41.890 --> 00:22:47.400 consider what the Lord is saying when he says that this is true, 241 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:56.400 that not all have obeyed the Gospel. That's bad news, that's sad news 242 00:22:56.759 --> 00:23:03.470 and I don't want it to be true for any of you. Let me 243 00:23:03.509 --> 00:23:10.829 speak to those who may still be dead in their sins, who aren't hearing 244 00:23:11.109 --> 00:23:15.140 the word of the Lord by Faith, and let me ask you directly, 245 00:23:15.380 --> 00:23:21.579 why do you not come to Christ when he's been so freely offered to you? 246 00:23:22.740 --> 00:23:29.650 This is a gift coming from God himself, given directly to you. 247 00:23:29.809 --> 00:23:37.089 You have warrant to believe in the very offering of it. Why not believe? 248 00:23:38.450 --> 00:23:44.200 Some of you don't believe because you are satisfied. You don't think there's 249 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:49.559 a need. You're satisfied in your own righteousness. You are self righteous you 250 00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:55.039 don't need, you don't think, you don't need the righteousness of God because 251 00:23:55.079 --> 00:24:00.150 you have it in yourself. Is that why you don't come to Christ? 252 00:24:00.349 --> 00:24:04.630 Is it be cleeped? Because you believe that your sins, though they be 253 00:24:04.829 --> 00:24:11.980 many and intentional and against a holy and good God, are still no big 254 00:24:11.059 --> 00:24:18.420 deal? Is it because you think that you won't be judged and judged worthy 255 00:24:18.579 --> 00:24:22.500 of hell? Is it that, while you can pick out other people sins 256 00:24:22.619 --> 00:24:29.049 and see how bad they are, you are able still to deceive yourself and 257 00:24:29.170 --> 00:24:36.289 consider yourself fine? If that's how you think about yourself and your heart, 258 00:24:36.329 --> 00:24:41.240 then hear this. Consider the riches of God that come to those who believe. 259 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:47.319 And what is it that they believe that the son of man came exclusively 260 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:52.910 to save. As I said before, he's a doctor who comes for the 261 00:24:53.069 --> 00:24:57.309 sick and not others. If you consider yourself just fine, then all of 262 00:24:57.390 --> 00:25:02.829 these riches, all of these blessed things that I was speaking about, preaching 263 00:25:02.869 --> 00:25:07.940 about at the beginning of this sermon and from the text here, from God's 264 00:25:07.980 --> 00:25:11.660 word, they're not for you, because they come in Jesus, because Jesus 265 00:25:11.700 --> 00:25:15.460 came to save, and you're just fine. You don't need salvation, you 266 00:25:15.579 --> 00:25:21.490 say to yourself. Do you see the deception that's going on inside of your 267 00:25:21.529 --> 00:25:27.329 heart? So it is time for a person, a selfrighteous person, to 268 00:25:27.490 --> 00:25:33.329 see and say, yes, I am sick. It's time to stop pretending 269 00:25:33.450 --> 00:25:40.079 that there aren't problems and to recognize and believe and trust the physician who's here 270 00:25:40.279 --> 00:25:45.200 and ready to heal. If you're not a selfrighteous person, perhaps some of 271 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:51.190 you just don't care, or a pathetic and do you see how foolish this 272 00:25:51.269 --> 00:25:56.190 is? To imagine waking up in the middle of the night, smelling smoke, 273 00:25:56.549 --> 00:26:00.029 hearing screams, feeling the heat of your house on fire, and you 274 00:26:00.150 --> 00:26:07.299 say, you know, I'm just really tired right now. What this is 275 00:26:07.420 --> 00:26:11.460 what God's word tells us. This is why he warns us, to wake 276 00:26:11.539 --> 00:26:18.609 us out of our sleep, to make us care. You cannot be apathetic 277 00:26:18.690 --> 00:26:30.730 about your soul, or can you? If you are sleeping in a house 278 00:26:30.890 --> 00:26:38.480 on fire, consider the danger, consider the reward of leaving the house, 279 00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:45.319 of having life in Christ, and consider also there is an unknown amount of 280 00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:51.789 time before it all comes crashing down upon you. The Lord never promises US 281 00:26:52.630 --> 00:26:56.029 seventy, five eighty years of life each and every one of us have a 282 00:26:56.150 --> 00:27:00.390 fixed amount of time and we don't know what it is. There's no do 283 00:27:00.630 --> 00:27:07.700 date that can be procrastinated. At any moment the Lord may take us and 284 00:27:07.980 --> 00:27:11.700 call us to account from our sin, for our sins. You cannot delay, 285 00:27:11.859 --> 00:27:15.690 you cannot be careless, you cannot be apathetic and turn over and go 286 00:27:15.809 --> 00:27:25.009 to sleep. And finally, I'm sorry to say that some of you know 287 00:27:25.250 --> 00:27:30.160 well the salvation of God, but the fact is that the salvation of God 288 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:36.480 is not yours, because your God is your belly or your bank account or 289 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:40.519 some other thing that you hold on to. You do not come to the 290 00:27:40.599 --> 00:27:45.150 riches of God in Christ because you love too much the riches of this world, 291 00:27:45.990 --> 00:27:56.309 even sin. I remember seeing once hunters trapping baboon by getting the baboon 292 00:27:56.670 --> 00:28:00.660 to taste some salt and then showing the monkey, if baboons are monkeys. 293 00:28:00.660 --> 00:28:07.619 Lost my son later showing this, showing the baboon, I. The salt 294 00:28:07.019 --> 00:28:11.779 being placed in a tree where it can reach its hand in grab the thing 295 00:28:11.890 --> 00:28:15.529 it's wants, but not be able to pull it out because now it's hand 296 00:28:15.609 --> 00:28:21.009 it's too big, and there it's. It's on the tree and the hunter 297 00:28:21.170 --> 00:28:26.130 just walks right up and bags it. There's no guns, no arrows, 298 00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:33.519 no fight, even because the stupid animal won't let go of its salt. 299 00:28:33.079 --> 00:28:37.599 It wants. It's so bad. And some people are like this when it 300 00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:45.549 comes to sin. They stupidly hold onto the very thing that is bringing them 301 00:28:45.750 --> 00:28:53.789 death, even as judgment approaches. But you are not baboons. You are 302 00:28:53.990 --> 00:29:00.140 hearing the word of God. So stop and think, consider what happens to 303 00:29:00.259 --> 00:29:07.859 the one who clings to his sin, and know what God is promising to 304 00:29:07.019 --> 00:29:14.730 you. And what he's promising to you is salvation itself, including power over 305 00:29:15.009 --> 00:29:21.809 the sins that once enslaved you. Love of sin is also enslavement to sin, 306 00:29:22.730 --> 00:29:26.799 and it's hard and it's entrapping and it it's bondage. The Bible talks 307 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:33.960 about it that way. But consider for a moment. It's dangerous and consider 308 00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:40.029 how safe and loving and faithful God is. He you need not face him 309 00:29:40.029 --> 00:29:48.990 in judgment when even now he is offering you salvation in Christ. There are, 310 00:29:48.029 --> 00:29:52.779 of course, other reasons that people don't believe. There are other reasons 311 00:29:52.900 --> 00:29:59.819 people hear the good news and walk away. If any of them describe you 312 00:30:00.460 --> 00:30:06.660 know it in your heart and don't be apathetic about it, don't wait till 313 00:30:06.660 --> 00:30:11.970 another day or procrastinated, but instead hear the word of God as it is 314 00:30:11.049 --> 00:30:21.170 preached to you, understand it and believe. Believe, submit to the Gospel, 315 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:25.640 submit to the Lord God, who is giving you, who wants to 316 00:30:25.799 --> 00:30:36.230 bestow on you the very riches that are his everlasting life, the new heavens 317 00:30:36.269 --> 00:30:42.470 and the new earth, forgiveness of your sins, joy in the Lord and 318 00:30:42.630 --> 00:30:52.180 many more things. Here the salvation of God and believe. Let us pray