Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. If you wish to follow along,
turn to Romans chapter 10 again. And again, just for the sake
of a little more, you know, the overall context, I'll kind of
overlap, but I want to start in verse 13. Romans chapter 10
and verse 13. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call
on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of
them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings
of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. For Esaias, or that is Isaiah,
for Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But
I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily their sound went
into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke
you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish
nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and
saith, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest
unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, all
day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and
gainsaying people. I say then, hath God cast away
his people? God forbid, for I also am an
Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God
hath not cast away his people, which he foreknew. which he foreknew. What, ye not, what the scripture
saith of Elias, or that is Elijah, how he maketh intercession to
God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets,
and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek
my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved
to myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to the image
of Baal. Even so then, at this present
time also, There is a remnant according to the election of
grace. My title this morning is this,
Israel's Dilemma, Much Hearing, No Perception. Israel's Dilemma, Much Hearing,
No Perception. Now in our text, Paul is continuing,
and let's not forget this. Let's stay with the context here. In our text, Paul is continuing
with his sadness over national Israel's spiritual emptiness.
You know, they had a lot of zeal. They had a lot of zeal. But it
was not according to knowledge. Think about just a few things
here. First of all, they had the word of faith. Chapter 10,
verse six, seven, and eight. And they had that even when Moses
was alive. Because Paul is quoting from
Moses. As a matter of fact, they had
the gospel. Hebrews says, concerning those
people who went through the wilderness, that they had the gospel preached
unto them. The same gospel that's preached
unto us, but that gospel preached did not profit them, not being
mixed with faith in them that heard it. So they had the word
of faith. Israel had godly zeal, but no God-righteousness knowledge. Chapter 10, verses two and four.
So remember, Paul is talking here about national Israel in
particular. That's what he's talking about.
Third thing, they had heard the gospel, but they had not obeyed
the gospel. Chapter 10, verses 16 through
18. And then, of course, Hebrews
chapter four. I mentioned that, but let me
read that. Hebrews chapter four. And this is something that it
seems as though today's so-called Christian religion seems totally
ignorant about. They think in Israel's time,
back in what we call the Old Testament time, that all they
ever heard was sacrifice and do's and don'ts, but they did
hear those things. They heard the thunderings coming
down from Mount Sinai. They seen Moses with the tablets
of the Decalogue written by the finger of God on those two, two
tables of stone, but they still had the gospel preached to them.
Now look at it, verse four, or chapter four, I'm sorry, of Hebrews.
Let us therefore fear, lest the promise be left us of entering
into his rest. Any of you should seem to come
short of it. Like old Scott Richardson used
to say, I used to be prayed up, packed up, and ready to go. He
said, God's rocked my boat a little bit now. I'm not so sure like
that now. In other words, we don't take the grace of God for
granted. Look, for, here's why. For unto us was the gospel preached,
as well as unto them, the people who did not enter into God's
rest. The people that God swore would not enter into his rest
because of unbelief. For unto us was the gospel preached,
as well as unto them. So I take God's word for it.
When men say, well, there was no gospel back then. There was
gospel right after man fell. And as a matter of fact, the
gospel was already established by God before man even fell. Because Christ is declared to
be as the Lamb slain even before the foundation of the world.
Before there was a sin, there was a Savior. For and thus was
the gospel preached as well as unto them. But the word preached,
do you see it? They heard it preaching. Moses
preached of that one that was to come. But the word preached
did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that
heard it. So remember, they had the word
of faith. They had a godly zeal, but no God-righteousness knowledge. They didn't truly know God's
righteousness. Thirdly, they had heard the gospel,
but they had not obeyed the gospel. Now let me say this, there's
a lot of people today that think they're saved because they come
forward, they prayed some prayer, they shed some tears, they acknowledge
certain historical events concerning Jesus Christ. But believing Christ is obeying
the gospel. The gospel calls for obedience
to Christ. But here's the fourth thing.
But Israel's not alone in this emptiness. It's easy to point
the finger at those empty Jews, right? This is not anti-Semitic. This is the facts. This is the
facts. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. That's not
anti-Semitic. Even Paul says in chapter 11,
I say that if God cast away his people, God forbid, I am a Jew. I'm a real bonafide 100% Jew. But back to chapter 10. Brethren,
my heart's desire, prayer to God for Israel is that they might
be saved. For I bear them record, they have a zeal of God, but
not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
But turn to 2 Thessalonians for just a moment. If you're following
along, 2 Thessalonians. And this is what the Apostle
Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3. Finally, brethren, pray for us,
that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified
even as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable
and wicked men, for all men have not faith. You see that? Also,
turn to Ephesians. I know this is familiar, but
turn to Ephesians. Again, I say, Israel's not alone
in this emptiness, Ephesians chapter two. And you, hath he
quickened, who were dead. Do you see that? who were dead. Now these were mainly Gentiles.
You read the context, you'll see he's speaking mainly to Gentiles. You'll read that in the context
if you read all of chapter two. And you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past you walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air. We were under satanic influence. But we weren't good people that
the devil tricked into being bad. We were just bad people,
ungodly people, sinful people that love to have it that way.
The prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh
in the children of disobedience. Our disobedience was not just
out here. It was in here. in here, do you
see it? The spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
way of life, our conversation in time past, do you see it?
Israel's not the only people that had spiritual emptiness,
this spiritual deadness, huh? In the times of the past, the
lust of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath. We hated
God like everybody else did. Even as others. But then we read
this next phrase, and I'll just read just the short part of it.
But God, who is rich in mercy. Isn't that glorious? But God,
who is rich in mercy. Let's do it. Hearing the gospel
is essential. I mean, it's absolutely essential.
I mentioned that somewhat last week, but again, I want to emphasize
that this morning. Hearing the gospel is essential. Look, verse 13 of Romans 10,
for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. But that don't mean you just pronounce some name. How
then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? This is not God being stuck with
these means. This is God ordaining these means. It pleased God. It pleased God. God was not constrained to do
this other than in his own pleasure. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching. And there's a couple of ways
in which it's foolishness. You got an ungodly sinner standing
here speaking to you the words of God. Nothing more at best
than a clay pot, Mac, a night jar. A thing that people put
under their bed to where they didn't have to get up and go
outside in the middle of the night if they had to relieve themselves.
Just nothing but a clay pot, but God ordained it that way.
How shall they preach it? How shall they, let me read it.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they
preach? except they be sent. Now this is to preach a certain
message, the gospel of peace. To announce glad tidings of good
faith. There's a lot of preaching out
there that is not the gospel. Paul says it's not even a gospel.
He said you're, he told the Galatians, I marvel you're so soon removed
from him that called you into his grace to another gospel.
and he's quickly moved by the Spirit, which is not another,
but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel
of Christ. That's sad, that's dangerous,
yea, even damning, but it's so nonetheless. So again, hearing
the gospel is essential. Hearing the gospel always precedes
faith in Christ. You can't believe in a person
you've never been informed of. But it's much more than just
being informed of him. This is what religion does today,
so-called professing Christianity. We just need to let the masses
know who Jesus is and what he did. Now, a couple problems.
One, they don't tell people the truth about who Jesus Christ
is and what he actually did. That's one of the problems. But
the other problem is this is not, you do not educate people
into the kingdom of God. They have to be born by God into
the kingdom of God. So again, hearing the gospel
is essential. Hearing the gospel always precedes
faith in Christ. Hearing by preaching manifests
faith, but physically hearing the gospel preached is no guarantee
of faith. You see verse 16? But they have
not obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath
believed our report? But I say, have they not heard?
Without a doubt, they heard. As a matter of fact, this gospel
has went all over the world. You see that? But I say, have
they not heard? Yes, truly, their sound went
into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world. but Israel still, as a nation,
did not believe. Okay? Is there a conundrum here? It would seem as though there's
a conundrum here, right? There is no conundrum here. Now
let me read you, Penny sent this to me this morning. This is a
quote by Spurgeon, and she knew a little bit about where I was
going with this, but we hadn't talked about it in a lot of detail,
but this fits perfectly with what I'm trying to point out
this morning. Our point is this. that when the Lord Jesus Christ
visits us, he actually brings light to our darkness, really
leads us into the way, and makes that way a way of peace to us. Put all together and remember
what the Lord has done for you. You did not know the way once,
and all the preaching in the world would have made no difference
would not have made you know it if Jesus had not by his spirit
visited you as the day spring. Now, while Paul himself doesn't
deal with that here in the immediate context, I'm saying this, this
book teaches that before anyone ever believes the gospel, God's
got to do a work of grace first. Just the preaching of the gospel
itself, though it is God's ordained means, and do not think I'm belittling
that, I'm not. I am telling the truth about
what we are by nature. All the preaching in the world
only adds to our condemnation apart from an act of mercy and
grace and compassion from God. And somebody says, preacher,
sounds like to me you're saying it's all up to God. I hope you
get that out of it. I hope you're getting that out
of it. There's no conundrum here. Thank God that his grace does
not depend on the hearers. But Esaias is very bold and saith,
I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto
them that asked not after me. Aren't you glad it don't depend
on us? because if it depended on us,
if it's just like David Dotson text me yesterday and said the
church that he goes to said the preacher preached at the end,
he said now, and he said this, God's done all he can do, now
it's up to you. He said it just totally destroyed everything
that he at least tried to say beforehand. But that is the mentality
of so-called professed Christianity today. God's not done all he
can do. God has done what had to be done.
God's preachers are preaching, they're not preaching do, they're
preaching done, done, done. I thank God it doesn't depend
upon the hearers, even amongst the Israelites. Again, look at
it. I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid,
for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe
of Benjamin. He talked about Jews here, right?
Israelites. God hath not cast away his people,
which he foreknew. Now, what are we talking about?
Remember chapter eight? Everyone he foreknew he predestinated
to be conformed to the image of his son. That's who we're
talking about here. Not just being an Israelite, but being
a foreknown Israelite, okay? God hath not cast away his people
which he foreknew, what ye not? What the scripture saith of Elijah,
how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, said Lord,
they've just ruined it all. Lord, they've killed thy prophets,
they dig down thy altars, I'm left alone, they seek to kill
me. But what did God say? I've reserved to myself. God didn't get lucky there were
7,000 men, Jack. God chose 7,000 men. You see
it? But what saith the answer of
God unto him? I have reserved to myself 7,000
men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so
then at this present time, amongst the Israelites, amongst Jews,
that's the main context here. Even so then at this present
time also, there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. Thank God for that. God's grace
don't depend upon the hearers. Now God's purpose that men hear,
women hear, and hear they must. But here's the sixth thing. God
must first give spiritual ears to hear. Just physically hearing
it in our eardrums and making this mental contact with it,
Mac, that's not enough. Turn with me to Matthew chapter
13. These are Lord's own words. This is the master himself. This
is the master himself. Matthew chapter 13 and verse
13. Therefore speak I to them in
parables, because they seen, amazing phrase, because they
seen, see not. Almost sounds to be a contradiction,
and it is if all you're thinking about is physically hearing.
but a man or a woman's got to be able to spiritually hear these
things. Therefore speak I to them in
parables, because they seeing see not, and hearing they hear
not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the
prophecy of Esaias, which saith, by hearing ye shall hear and
shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive. Remember what I said, Israel's
dilemma, much hearing, but no perception. But I'm saying we're
shut up under God's mercy and grace for that perception. It
takes an act of God. Look what he says. I understand
and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive for this people's
heart is wax gross. Now this is not God doing rough
things to good people. We're bad by nature. We're rebels
by nature, Jew and Gentile. Paul said, I proved before that
Jew and Gentile were both, what, all under sin. For this people's heart is waxed
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have
they closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and should understand with their
heart. That's what we're talking about. Understand with their
heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed
are your eyes, for they see. You see it? And your ears, for
they hear. For truly, or verily, I say unto
you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those
things which ye see, and have not seen them. And to hear those
things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Hear ye, therefore,
the parable of the sower. Long story short, The good seed
is the good word of God. It's the word of faith which
we preach. It is the message of the person and work of Jesus
Christ. But it will have no true spiritual lasting effect. The
seed has to fall onto good ground. The ground don't make itself
good. God's the one that gives that good heart. The good seed
has to come into contact with good ground. Aren't you glad
God's ordained some good ground? because we'd all perish if God
didn't ordain that. So again, thank God. Thank God
His grace does not depend upon the hearers. God must give spiritual
ears to hear, and He does, but it's at His sovereign pleasure.
It's at His sovereign pleasure. Jew or Gentile, Israel's dilemma
is my dilemma. Israel's dilemma is your dilemma. Israel's dilemma is the same
dilemma we have by nature. We're no worse than they are,
we're certainly no better than they are. Much hearing, but in
and of ourselves, no perception, no perception. There can be much
hearing, and there is, sadly, much hearing. I mean, Jesus Christ,
though some men Don't tell the truth about it. The name of Jesus
Christ has went all over this globe. You understand what I'm
saying? I mean, when we look online,
we look up sermon audio, Paul, we've got a way we can do that.
We have people from all kinds of the country, all over this
world, all over this Tanzania, Algeria, places out of the way
where idolatry and superstition runs rampant, yet there are people
who are listening even to the preachers of this small group.
But it still takes an act of God in the soul and in the heart
and in the mind to give eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart
to perceive. Number seven. God must act, I've
done said it, but I wanna emphasize it, God must act in free grace. Yet God is still never unjust
or aloof to his creatures. But to Israel he saith, that's
God says, all day long have I stretched forth my hands. You see that? Come, believe, repent, bow, submit,
right? All day long. God is not being aloof. The book of the Revelation even
says, you remember the woman Jezebel? I forget which local
assembly it was in. Does anybody have it right off
the top of your head? That woman Jezebel was a case now. And God said, I gave her space
to repent. And she repented not. God's not insincere in that.
If any man or woman in this world would just bow down to Jesus
Christ, they shall be saved. God sends this message all over
this world and people hear it. But they say, I will not have
that man reign over me. Oh, they may accept him as their
personal savior, but that ain't it. That's not God's ordained
way. They will submit to Jesus Christ
as the righteousness of God and quit trying to work out their
own righteousness. God must act in free grace, but
God is never unjust or aloof to his creatures. Turn to Acts
chapter 17. Acts chapter 17. This is the apostle Paul here
preaching. Acts chapter 17, let me find
my spot. Nope, that's not it. Well, we're
probably not gonna have to, I'm gonna have to just give that
to you. Well, I got the wrong reference
down. Let me just, I'll just put it
to you this way. The Apostle Paul was preaching, and he was
preaching mainly to start with to Jews, to Israelites. And he
told them that through this man, that's Jesus of Nazareth, is
preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And all that believe
Him are justified from all things by which ye could not, by which
ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. God's sent
preachers don't offer forgiveness of sins. They preach that through
Jesus Christ, there is forgiveness of sins. And if you're a believer,
it applies to you. But beware, lest you're not a
believer. Beware, lest you do not believe
these things, though a man declare them unto you. God, again I say,
must act in free grace, yet God is never unjust or aloof to his
creatures. In him we live and move and have
our being. He sustains us and to some degree
lets us enjoy the wonders of this world, though it's under
the curse and the fall. I understand that, but he lets
his creatures enjoy the bounty of his world. It gives us life
and breath, sustenance. But we say, I will not bow to
his son. Here's number eight. And yet,
and yet, let me read it. Chapter 10 of Romans. For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.