The example of that we have in the context of verse 22 is
Pharaoh. What if God, willing to show
his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? Now, not all of the vessels of
God's wrath are put on such a display as Pharaoh was. He was in front
of the whole world at that time.
He was put on display and God's power made known in him in a
spectacular way. And though it's not always that
way with the vessels of wrath, the same is true of them. However God deems to display
that in their lives, their hatred of God is evident,
just like Pharaoh's was. They refused to, as Pharaoh said, who is this
God that I should listen to him? That's what people say every
day. Why should we do anything but what we wanna do? And the same is true in the reverse
too. God hates them. They're vessels of his wrath.
He's not trying to beg them to do something for him or fretting
over their destruction. Just like with Pharaoh, he said
from the start, I'm gonna destroy him. He's gonna let you go, just
not yet. And though they fight, all of
the vessels of wrath fight against God's authority all of their
lives, it's not a contest. God laughs at sinful man's rebellion
and defiance, Psalm 2. And he calls his people out from
among them. Not that some of the vessels
of wrath are his people, but he calls his people out from
them. Let's read Psalm 2, and I think it'll help us with our
text a little bit. To remember these words. Think about the children of wrath as we read this. Why do the heathen
rage? Why do the people imagine a vain
thing? You see, that's what happens.
That's where false religion comes from, the imagination of sinful
man. They imagine a false God that
they like and that fits well with them
being really God, being able to manipulate him and everything that they imagine is what they,
Attribute to their God and then the kings of the earth set themselves
and the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against
his anointed Let us break their bands asunder and Cast away their
cords from us. That's what they say the heathen
they say that that word bands is is bonds in the original Hebrew
and then the word cords is ropes and Let's cast their restraints. And he's talking about the Lord
and his anointed. That's who they are, the Lord
and his anointed. Let's cast their restraints from
us. We've got no need for that. We don't need anybody to tell
us what to do. But he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. God's
not trying to get them to do anything. They're fighting against
God. It's not a contest. The Lord
shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them
in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure, yet. You see what their vain imaginings
are. They imagine a vain thing. What
is that vain thing? Well, I think we get some insight
into that in verse six. Yet have I set my king upon my
holy hill of Zion. They imagine that they call the
shots. They come right out and say it, don't they? We call the
shots. The God's already got a king
and it ain't you. It's not me. I will declare the
decree, verse seven. The Lord has said unto me, thou
art my son. This day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a
rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's
vessel. But look at this, even in this harsh indictment of those who defy God, we have
the sweet language of the gospel. Because maybe some of those who
consider themselves the king, they consider themselves Lords,
they consider themselves to be in control. Maybe not all of
them are vessels of wrath. Be wise now, therefore, O ye
kings. Be instructed, ye judges of the
earth. And I say maybe not from God's
standpoint. He knows who's who from the beginning.
So he's speaking now to the remnant, isn't he? He's speaking to those
of whom the scripture says there is no difference. We're not describing
bad people here. We're describing all people.
It's just that there are vessels of wrath among them and there
are vessels of mercy among them. And he says, serve the Lord with
fear. You see how that goes with the
rest of it? The kings of the earth. That's not just talking
about people that sit on actual physical throne. That's talking
about sinners. What was it Satan whispered in
the garden? You shall be as gods. That's who he's talking about.
But he's saying, no, no, no, serve, serve the Lord. Quit talking about what you're
gonna do and what you need to do, what sinners need to do and
serve the Lord that God put on the throne with fear, with reverence,
get off your high horse. Get off your little plastic throne
and get on your knees before the son of God. That's what he's
saying here. And rejoice with trembling. Rejoice
that he calls you to come and to bow and to serve and to find
rest, to find peace. Kiss the son. Kiss the son lest he be angry
and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled, but a little
blessed are all they that put their trust in him. So it's not a contest. Those
who are the true vessels of wrath and they just insist on being
God, even in their religion, especially in their religion,
they insist on being God. It doesn't worry him. God laughs
at that. He has them in derision. So why is there this harsh indictment
and then the sweet language of the gospel together? Because
the vessels of mercy by nature are also those that defy God.
We're right there in the number of those. We're right there with
them. There is by nature no difference. God makes the difference. If
our text teaches anything, it teaches that, doesn't it? If
there's any difference among sinners, It's the potter that makes one
and another. There's one lump. It's the potter's
mighty and gracious hand that made us vessels of mercy. God
is said here to endure with much longsuffering the vessels of
wrath. And that's generally true, isn't
it? In the scriptures we see that. Wasn't Pharaoh told over
and over? How many times did Moses come
and say, thus saith the Lord? He was told to bow, he was told
to stand down. Let my people go over and over
again. Wasn't he shown over and over
the power of who he was dealing with? It wasn't just talk, was it? God showed him what he could
do. and who he was. But did Pharaoh not harden his
heart over and over, just like God said he would do? No man
can. We can't do otherwise by nature.
He insisted, what did he insist on? His own free will. Why should
I do what he tells me to do? I've got my own free will, I'll
do as I please. He rejected the will of God.
in favor of his own so-called free will. That's what sinners
do now. Little kings and lords in the
earth, you know. You better kiss the sun. We're not the Jews as a nation
given every outward advantage, Romans chapter three. What advantage
then have the Jews? Much every way. The oracles of
God were committed unto them. God came with them as they traveled
In the desert, he communed with them on the mercy seat. He gave
them a high priest to offer sacrifice in their place. And yet they refused to glorify
God, Romans chapter one. When they knew that he was worthy
of all glory, they wouldn't give it to him. They have no use for
God. And that's not, isn't that not,
is that not what it always boils down to in our studies? Who's
God and who's not? It always comes down to that.
Who's God and who's not? That was the issue in the garden.
And it still is today, to this very night. Isn't it interesting, and I guess
ironic, that in this truth, the truth
of God's electing grace, of God's choice and not man's, the truth
of God's sovereignty and salvation, in that truth, which regards
who's God and who's not, the objection raised against that
truth in verse 19 is answered by Paul this way in verse 20. He's God and you're not. That's the answer to the rejecting,
those who reject the truth of him being sovereign and you're
not. The answer to that objection is he's sovereign and you're
not. We should take you to that now.
Don't get into a debate with people. Paul deliberately avoided
that here, and it's deliberately forbidden elsewhere in Scripture. Don't start crossing T's and
dotting I's and pointing out error. It's very simple, the
situation. He's God and you're not. We're
not. There's nothing to argue about
in that. When Gamaliel spoke, to the Jewish
council in Acts chapter five. Remember this, when they were
taking council, what they were gonna do with the disciples.
Them preaching the gospel was ruining the business of the religious
Jews. And it was an affront to their
authority, who's God and who's not. So they were trying to decide,
they had arrested him, they were trying to decide what to do.
And Gamaliel, wise and well-respected, stood up and said to them in
verse 38 of Acts 5, listen to it. He said, now I say unto you,
refrain from these men. Don't you hurt them, don't keep
them in jail, let them go. Refrain from these men and let
them alone. You remember the reasoning he
gave? For if this counsel or this work be of men, It will
come to naught, but if it be of God, you cannot overthrow
it, lest happily you be found even to fight against God. Where did Gamaliel get the idea
that fighting against God was a bad idea? God showed that from the start,
didn't he, in Pharaoh? to make his power known. That's
why he did what he did with Pharaoh. God has taught that in a spectacular
way from the very beginning through Pharaoh, through Cain, through
Sodom and Gomorrah, through the Philistines when they defied
the armies of the living God. Defying God is a bad idea. And
I'm deliberately saying that by way of understatement. To
make the point, it's a real bad idea. And all those without excuse,
all those examples in the Old Testament without excuse, look
what God said to Cain. Look at Genesis chapter four
with me. This is just God being God and
people finding out. That's what it is. Genesis 4
verse 3 In process of time it came to
pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground and offering
unto the Lord and Abel and He also brought of the firstlings
of his flock and of the fat thereof. I wonder where Abel got the idea
to shed blood in order to bring an offering to God. That's how
God covered the sins of his parents, of our parents, by the shedding
of blood. And Cain knew that. His brother,
he's his brother. They were taught the same things. And the Lord, last part of verse
four, the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. He
didn't have any respect unto Abel. He had respect unto Abel
and his offering. God can't have anything to do
with any sinner except in Christ. But verse five, unto Cain and
to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth and his
countenance fell. What we're talking about here
is Cain was without excuse before God, without excuse. His countenance
fell. And the Lord said unto Cain,
why art thou wroth? And why is that countenance fallen?
This is before Cain killed his brother Abel. God let Cain know
in no uncertain terms that you're not accepted. This is not acceptable. A bloodless sacrifice is not
acceptable. Why is that countenance falling?
Look at verse seven. If thou doest well, shalt thou
not be accepted? You think God was being disingenuous
to say that? Since God knew God knew what was going to happen.
He knew that Cain was a vessel of wrath. But look at the longsuffering
of God and the lack of excuse on Cain's part. If thou do well, clearly doing well is offering
the blood of an innocent victim because God didn't have any problem
with Abel and his offering. So what does he mean by doing
well? Honoring Christ. He that honoreth not the Son
honoreth not the Father. If thou doest well, shalt thou not
be accepted? We're accepted in the beloved.
If you want to be accepted of God, if you realize that He's
not up for your acceptance and rejection, and you want God to
accept you, look to Calvary. And if thou doest not well, which
obviously what he did was not well, he offered his works. If you don't do well, it's your
sin. And I don't understand this,
but we could talk, we could do a series on what I don't understand. But it's so clear in the scripture.
If you go to hell, it's because of your sin. You can't blame
God for it. Sin lieth at the door and to
thee shall be his desire. This is a continuation of if
thou doest well, then you'll be accepted and Abel will look
to you. Thou shalt rule over him. And
Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they
were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and
slew him. Not only did Cain know better
from the start before God ever spoke to him about that, but
then God, in his long suffering, explained exactly to Cain what
was wrong. It's your sin. You can't come
to me in your sin. There's got to be the blood of
an innocent victim. The only way that sinners are
acceptable in my sight is by the blood of my Lamb. And by
faith in the Lamb of God, doesn't it say in the New Testament that
by faith Abel offered the more excellent sacrifice? That's how
you're accepted with God. So he knew that from the start,
and then God told him again. What was his response to that?
He killed his brother. He couldn't kill God, so he killed
the one that represented God, the one that loved God, the one
that God accepted without excuse. Remember what the Lord Jesus
said in Luke 13. You know this, but let's turn
over there anyway. I don't want to quote anything wrong, even
a little bit. Luke 13, 34. What we're saying here is that sinners
are without excuse before God. You're not going to blame it
on God. Luke 13, 34. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which
killest the prophets and stonest them that are sin unto thee,
how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen
doth gather her brood under her wings, and you would not. This is God we're talking about. This is God we're talking. Who
art thou that replies against God? Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate because you would not. The problem is your
will. Is that what he said? That word would has a very simple
and straightforward definition. It means to will. Just like the Lord told the Pharisees,
you will not come to me that you might have life. But notice the words in that
passage, how oft, how oft. How oft. Let's look back at verse
23 in our text. Men try to blame God now they
want to, We haven't resisted his will. If you hadn't made us like this,
we wouldn't be like this. Verse 23. And that he might make known
the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had
aforeprepared unto glory. Who could we find as an example
of that? If Pharaoh is the clear example
given in the context of this, of a vessel of wrath, can we find a vessel of mercy
in that same story? Moses. He was a wretch too. He was hiding from God when God
came where he was. But Moses is an example of this,
though he's not mentioned by name in the text and all those
vessels of mercy in the scripture and in our experience. Think of it, God, God went to
a mighty throne, perhaps the throne of the world at that time. and made a vessel of wrath. And where did he go to make a
vessel of mercy? To a little basket woven out
of reeds floating down the river. And he says, I choose the things
which are not to bring the things which are. God showed Pharaoh
his terrible wrath. God showed Moses his glory. You
remember that? That what if in verse 22, what
if God willing to show his wrath, that declares God's right to
do this. Just as a potter has the power
of choosing over the clay that he forms. The clay belongs to
the potter. The Lord says, shall not I do
with mine own what I will? Different context, different
circumstances where he said that in that parable, but the same
principle, he does as he pleases with his own, with that which
belongs to him. And isn't that the powerful message
of the cross? Isn't that the theme throughout
salvation, what God did, what God was pleased to do? It pleased
Him to crush His Son. That's salvation. The Lord Jesus
said it pleased Him to lay down His life. He said, nobody takes
it from me, I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it
down, I have power to take it again. All of salvation from
start to finish has to do with what pleased God. Paul said,
when it pleased God, He revealed His Son in me. He said to Jeremiah, before I
formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. By the same power that
he declared in laying down his life and taking it up again,
he made me. He made me what I am. I am what
I am. How? I'm a vessel of mercy. How? By the grace of God, before he
formed me in my mother's belly, he knew me, he hath from the
beginning chosen me to salvation. Second Thessalonians 2.13. The
reason sinful man rejects and rebels against this glorious
truth is because we still insist that we are God and have a free
will, free from the restraints, the bonds and ropes of God, His
sovereign will, His sovereign purpose, His sovereign providence,
His sovereign power. That's what our text declares.
It's what pleased the Lord. That which pleased the Lord,
that's what He did, the scripture says, in all, in heaven and in
earth and in all deep places. Try to cast the bonds and ropes
of God from you is literally ridiculous That's what the word
derision means in Psalm 2 for to be ridiculed It's ridiculous
He's God and you're not And I'm not Men love to ask a lot of other
questions besides the one in verse 19 of our text. They say, well, what if... That's
certainly always one of them. That's one of the questions they
always ask. If God's determined all this, if this is all according
to His will, how can He hold me accountable for what was His
will? That's a common question. The only scriptural answer. This
is why I say, don't ever get wrapped up in a debate with somebody.
If somebody wants to hear who God is, tell them who He is.
But don't ever get caught up in strifes over vain, vain strifes
over words. Because here's the thing, the
only scriptural answer to that question, how can God hold me
accountable if it's all according to his will? The only scriptural
answer to that is he is God and you are not. Remember verse 20,
that's what Paul's saying, isn't it? Nay, but O man, who art thou
that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? He's God. He's the one that formed you
and you're the thing formed. That's why you need to shut up.
Not because I know more than you and can out-argue you. You
need to shut up about this because he's God and you're not. But there's other questions they
like to ask. Also, they ask this, if all things
are predetermined, then why do anything? If God's already decided
the outcome, it's settled already by God, And why preach? Why pray? I had somebody actually
tell me at work one time, I'm gonna stop praying because the
scripture says God already knows what you're gonna pray before
you pray it. I said, well, what about pray
always, pray without ceasing? Have you read that part? That's the crazy ideas that people
get when they try to be God. When we try to be God and think
like God, and determine things like God, and judge things like
God, and make decrees like God, and come to conclusions like
we're God, it gets ugly. It gets really ugly. Why preach? Why pray? The answer is ultimately
the same. He's God and you're not, that's
why. He's the one who ordained the ends, and he's the one who
has ordained the means, not you. Don't second guess him, lest
happily you be found to even fight against God. We have a wonderful illustration
of this, and I wanna close with this, but it's a long close,
so don't get too excited. But look with me at 2 Samuel
chapter five, 2nd Samuel chapter 5 This is a glorious illustration
Of how this question is answered in Scripture that the ultimate
answer of course is he's sovereign He does as he pleases and if
he tells you to pray then you pray if he tells you to preach
then you preach But look at this beautiful 2nd Samuel Illustration of that of a living
Somebody living that and not just saying it. We've got to live the truth,
don't we? Be doers of the word and not hearers only. Don't just
agree with the doctrine. Act like he's God and you're
not. All the time. 2 Samuel 5, verse 17. Look at this beautiful passage
of scripture. But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed
David king over Israel, look at the type here. David's clearly
a type of Christ. The Philistines heard, wait a
minute, David's king? You mean the Lord Jesus, you
mean Jesus of Nazareth is the king of the Jews? That's not
acceptable. We're not gonna have this man
reign over us. When they heard that he was king,
look at their reaction. All the Philistines came up to
seek David and they weren't coming to congratulate him. They weren't
coming to wish him well or to donate to his political campaign. And David heard of it, the last
of 17, David heard of it and went down to the hole. And the
Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephium. And David inquired of the Lord
saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver
them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David,
go up. Because you never know what's
going to happen. That's not it, is it? I've already determined the outcome.
And he didn't say it's already settled. It's already been decided. So just stay home. Don't worry
about it. I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. Go up. You see that? That's why I'm standing here
tonight. That's why the word of God goes
forth. That's why the battle is fought. And David came to Baalperazim,
and David smoked him there. And look what he said. Boy, we really whooped him today. Now the Lord hath broken forth
upon mine enemies before me as the breach of waters. Therefore
he called the name of that place Baalperazim. And there they left their images
and David and his men burned them. They had a God, they had
the God, but they weren't looking for another one. There's a whole
lot in that story. Why, if the outcome was already
predetermined, why did David go up? Well, there's a real easy
answer to that in there. God said, go up. God said it
and that settles it. Go ye into all the world and
preach the gospel. You ask me why preach if it's
all already decided? Because my savior said, go ye,
go ye. Secondly, because what a privilege,
what an honor to serve the Lord. to serve the Lord. Paul said,
the glorious gospel of the blessed God was committed to my trust. What a truly awesome thing that
is. David said to Goliath, you come
unto me with a sword and a spear and a shield, but I come unto
you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies
of Israel, which thou hast defied. That's why we go, in His name,
for His glory, for His cause. Is there not a cause, David asked?
There is, and God has told us about it. He's told us that by
the foolishness of preaching, it pleases Him to save them that
believe. Go and preach. And what an honor. What a wonderful honor You know,
those that serve God in any capacity, the scripture says, we don't
entangle ourselves in the affairs of this life that we may please
Him who has chosen us to be a soldier. Thirdly, because it's a triumph. I like to win, don't you? I like
to win. If you don't wanna win, then
what are you fighting for? Why fight? If you don't want to win,
just sit on the sidelines. And you know where I'm going
with that, 2 Corinthians 2.14. God always causes us to triumph in Christ. It's always a sweet-smelling
savor of Christ unto God. And then fifthly, think about
this. What a comfort and an encouragement to know that God decides the
day. Do you wake up every morning
thinking that, with that understanding? God is gonna decide this day. My times are in his hand. What
a comfort that is. When he said to David, I'll doubtless
deliver them into your hand. He's, you know, I'm sure the
Philistines were pretty fierce and David saw that, but he didn't
bother. He sees a good man fall and he
doesn't worry. Do we? He fights with confidence and
assurance and God give us grace to do that. Discouraged at times, Paul said,
but not in despair, cast down but not destroyed, and this is
why, because our God is on the throne. And he delights to show
mercy to sinners. I know that when I preach too.
I think about that. And the victory is already won
by our Lord Jesus Christ. He finished the work of salvation
for his elect on the cross. He just, I'm just here to tell
you about it. If you're one of his, God sent me to tell you
that you're one of his. And to call you to himself. The fight now is all for his
glory. It's all for his glory. It's
all for his glory. His glory is I'll have mercy.
How does he do that? by the foolishness of preaching,
he saves. I'll tell you this, if I thought
for one second that this was up to me, or if it was up to
you, if it was up to any sinner, I would surely quit. Where's the hope in that? What
would be the use of preaching then? That's the question. But we preach
because this is how, and look at this beautiful language of
our text. We'll look at this next time.
But did you see where we read where it says that God, in those vessels of mercy, in fashioning a vessel from a
sinful, wretched lump for the purpose of pouring his mercy
into that vessel. David said, I'm full, my cup
overflows. You know what he's showing when
he does that? On the vessels of wrath, he's making his power
known, his sovereignty, his authority. He'll do what he will with you.
He'll do whatever he wants to with you. You need to understand
that. But if you ever see who he is,
what he did for you, If indeed he did, you know what he's showing
when he has mercy on you? The riches of his glory. The riches of his glory. Are you gonna question that or
are you gonna say by God's grace, Lord, let me in on that? Every time David's sword flashed
in the sun and every clang of that sword upon another declared
the glory of God, the glory of the God of the armies of Israel.
That's the sixth reason for his glory. Is there any greater reason? The glory of God is seen in the
face of his son. That's why we preach his son. And when we pick up a so much
more powerful sword and declare the triumph of our
Savior's cross, it's a sweet-smelling savor of Christ unto God and
them that are saved. That's why He did it. That's why we do it. By His grace,
we're in on it. And we rejoice to worship such
a God Amen, let's pray.