Go, and Tell This People

Q: What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty in judgment?

The Bible teaches that God exercises sovereignty in judgment, allowing people's hearts to be hardened as a consequence of their rejection of Him. In Isaiah 6:9-13, God commands Isaiah to deliver a message of impending judgment to a people that willfully reject His Word. This passage illustrates God's sovereignty, as He declares that the majority will not believe, and He actively hardens their hearts, making them unable to understand or hear the truth. This hardening is not arbitrary; it reflects a judicial response to their persistent unbelief and rebellion. Similarly, in Romans 1:24-28, we see God giving people over to their sinful desires as a form of judgment, showcasing that divine sovereignty entails not only salvation but also judgment. The message is clear that rejection of the gospel leads to dire consequences, illustrating the severity of willful disobedience to God.

Q: How do we know God's electing grace is true?

God's electing grace is evidenced throughout Scripture, with clear references to His choice before the foundation of the world. The doctrine of God's electing grace is rooted in Scripture, as seen in Ephesians 1:4-5, which states that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. This clearly shows that God, in His sovereignty, chooses whom He will save, apart from any human effort or merit. Romans 9:10-13 also highlights God's sovereign choice, as He loves Jacob and hates Esau before they were born or had done anything good or bad. Moreover, in 2 Timothy 1:9, we see that God 'saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace.' This emphasizes that our salvation is grounded in God's will and purpose, not in our own actions.

Q: Why is understanding the doctrine of total depravity important for Christians?

Understanding total depravity helps Christians realize their complete need for God's grace and the inability to save themselves. The doctrine of total depravity asserts that every aspect of humanity is affected by sin, rendering us unable to come to God on our own. This foundational truth roots our understanding of salvation in God's grace rather than human effort. In Genesis 6:5, it states that every intention of man's heart is only evil continually, which highlights our inherent corruption. Romans 3:10-12 reinforces this by declaring there is none righteous, no, not one. Recognizing total depravity compels us to acknowledge that we need a Savior who can save us from our sins and restore us to fellowship with God. This understanding fosters humility and dependence on Christ, reinforcing the necessity of divine grace in our lives.

Q: What is the significance of the remnant in Scripture?

The remnant signifies God's faithful people who are chosen to receive His grace and ultimately be saved. The concept of the remnant appears throughout Scripture to denote a faithful group of individuals chosen by God amidst widespread apostasy or judgment. In Isaiah 6:13, God speaks of a 'tenth' that will survive, indicating that while many may reject Him, He preserves a remnant according to His purpose. This remnant is vital because it reflects God's promise to maintain a people for Himself, as shown in Romans 11:5, where Paul explains that even in his day, there is a remnant elected by grace. The remnant is significant because it assures believers that God will always have a people who will respond to His call, illustrating His unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises.

In Isaiah chapter 6 and verse
8, Isaiah answers the voice of the Lord. Also I heard the voice
of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I, send
me. Our text this morning deals with
the message which God would have Isaiah deliver to the nation
of Israel. And this would prove to be a
prophecy that pointed directly to the state of the Jewish church
in the days of the Messiah, when Christ came. When he would come
unto his own and his own would receive him not. And this is
the most dreadful judgment a nation, and more intimately, the most
dreadful sentence that can be passed upon an individual sinner. What I want you to see this morning
is the Lord's message which Isaiah was to deliver was the message
of sovereign judgment toward a people who willfully rejected
the gospel of God. And it was also the message of
God's triumphant sovereign grace which saves those that He has
everlastingly loved. Now, we'll read the text, Isaiah
6, verse 9. And He said, Go, and tell this
people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye indeed, but perceive
not. Make the heart of this people
fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord,
how long? And he answered, until the cities
be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and
the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men
far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the
land. But yet, in it shall be a tenth,
and it shall return, and shall be eaten. as a teal tree, and
as an oak whose substance is in them when they cast their
leaves, so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof." We
begin here, and the Lord told Isaiah that the majority of the
people to whom he preached will not believe. They will not believe
him. He says here in verse 9, Go and
tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye
indeed, but perceive not. Isaiah was sin of God. He's God's man. He's God's prophet. He's sent to declare God's word.
He's not saying his own word. He's sent to declare God's word
to the people. And he's just a man. All they
see is a man come before them telling them this, declaring
this message to them. And here's what he said, ye hear
indeed, but understand not. Ye see indeed, but perceive not. You hear without ceasing, but
you don't discern what you hear. You see without ceasing, but
you don't acknowledge what you see. They had the law of Moses. They had the priests in the temple,
the oracles of God. God sent His prophet to them.
And the Lord says to Isaiah, they hear continually, and they
see continually, but they will not heed Me. They will not bow
to Me. They will not trust the Holy
One of Israel. Turn over to Isaiah 42. Isaiah
42, verse 18. This is the same Lord speaking
through Isaiah the prophet. And here Isaiah says this, the
Lord's word. Hear ye deaf and look ye blind
that ye may see. Now listen to it. Who is blind but my servant? Who is blind but my servant? Who's as blind as one who calls
themselves my servant? who claim to serve and worship
me, yet they will not confess that they can do nothing and
cast themselves on me. There are none more blind." That's
exactly what he's saying. Who's as deaf as my messenger
that I sent? Who's more deaf than those prophets
who falsely claim to be sent by me? Who's more deaf than the
priests who claim to be called by me? The preachers who claim
to be my messengers, yet tell men that they can earn a righteousness?
that holiness is by their own obedience to the law instead
of declaring Christ my son. He says there's none as deaf
as these men. Whose blind is he that is perfect
and blind as the Lord's servant? Who is as blind as these worshipers
and leaders who claim to believe, who claim to know, who do not
truly confess that sin is all that they are? Before conversion
and after conversion. They won't shut sinners up to
Christ declaring to them their absolute need of God. Who is
blind is he that claims to be perfect by the strength of his
own flesh? There's none so blind and none
so deaf. Seeing many things, but thou observest not. Opening
the ears, but he heareth not. Most hear the gospel as if it
were a tale that is told. Is that how you hear the gospel?
Is this how you hear this message this morning? Is it like a fictional
story to you that's being told? Is it like a, you sit here and
it's like a bad movie and you just try to suffer through it,
try to make sense of it. None of the plot doesn't line
up and the characters don't make sense and it just, it's like
a tale that's just told. Hearing with the natural ear
and seeing with the natural eye does not equal true faith in
God. And Christ, proof is this, even
though you hear this solemn truth, still, for those who don't really
understand, those who don't truly hear what this gospel is saying,
you will not lay it to heart. Even though you hear this message
that none but those whom God has given ears to hear and eyes
to seek and hear this, even though you hear that and in your own
self say, I don't really understand that. Proof that you can't know
and you can't hear and that you don't know and you don't hear
is you will not ask God. will not cast your care on the
mercy of God alone. That's what the Lord told them
first. They won't hear. They'll come and sit under you.
They'll come and listen to you, Isaiah, without ceasing. They won't understand a word
you say, and they won't hear a word you say. Not in the heart. Not in the heart. Now that'd
be tough. That's what God tells me. Majority
of folks I'm preaching to aren't going to hear me. Majority of
folks that come are going to come a while and go. They're
just not going to hear. It takes God's grace to make
a sinner hear. But when they hear, I could use
some means and methods that might get you to stay here But I don't
wanna use those, you know why? Because if you stay here, it's
gonna be by the power of God. It's gonna be God gave you a
heart for Christ. Because I don't intend to say
anything to make your heart swell up in pride. That'll happen anyway. That's what he says next here.
Since they willfully go on in their haughtiness and pride,
he says, by my gospel, I'm gonna harden their hearts. Now listen,
verse 10, Isaiah 6, 10. Make the heart of this people
fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert and be healed. What did the Lord
command Isaiah to do to make the heart of this people fat,
to make their ears heavy, to make them close their eyes? What
did the Lord send Isaiah to do to make them do this? just declare
the Holy One of Israel. Just set forth God, the Messiah,
the Holy One of Israel. And don't say anything to tickle
their ears. Just preach Christ. And Isaiah
was simply to preach Christ. And here's what the Lord said
of him. In Isaiah 29, 13, He says, This people draw near Me
with their mouth, And with their lips do honor me, but they've
removed their heart far from me. And their fear toward me
is taught by the precept of men." He says, therefore, I'll proceed
to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous
work and a wonder. For the wisdom of their wise
men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be
hid. Now look over at Isaiah 30. Isaiah
30, verse 8. Here's, I want you to see this.
It's not that they weren't coming to here. It's not that they weren't
a religious people. But the Lord said, I'm gonna
harden their heart. I'm gonna make their heart fat.
Look here. Isaiah 30 verse eight. Now go, write it before them
in a table and note it in a book that it may be for the time to
come forever and ever. That's what we're reading right
here. That's exactly what Isaiah did. He wrote it down. And we're
reading it this morning. He said that it may be forever
and ever, that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children
that will not hear the law of the Lord. They will not hear
the word of the Lord. They cannot hear what my word
is saying. Which say to the seers, see not. And to the prophets,
prophesy not unto us right things. Speak unto us smooth things.
Prophesied deceits get you out of the way turn aside out of
the path cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us
We don't want to hear about him Talk about us all day long. We
don't want to hear about the Holy One of Israel Through Isaiah's
gospel the Lord declared he'd do the following he'd make the
heart of this people fat and swell their heart with pride,
because they think themselves secure by their act of seeing
and hearing. They went to church. They went
to church. They came and they heard, but
like the sun hardens the clay, so God says, My word will harden
their hearts. It's going to harden their hearts.
And he said, and make their ears heavy because they would not
hear, they would not listen to God, they would not seek God. He says, I'm going to make it
so they can't hear. This is God speaking. This is
holy God. And he says, and shut their eyes. They have willfully shut their
own eyes against all evidence of the Messiah and the truth
of his doctrine. They're given up to a judicial
blindness. God said, this is serious business
now. So that now by God leaving them
alone, just leaving them in their sin and rebellion, He says they
cannot see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand
with their heart and convert and be healed. It can't happen.
Turn over to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 10. We read here, it says, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness
in them that perish, because they received not the love of
the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, because
they would not receive the love of the truth, For this cause
God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie,
that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but
had pleasure in unrighteousness." Let's look to whom Christ the
Lord applied these words. Look at Matthew chapter 13. I want you to see something first
in this about what these people did. for God to leave them alone. What they did for God to leave
them alone. And then I'm going to show you something about what
God's going to do in spite of rebellion, the rebellion of His
people. Let's look to see whom Christ the Lord applied these
words. Matthew 13, 1. The same day went Jesus out of the house
and sat by the seaside, and great multitudes were gathered together
unto Him. They came out to him, a great
multitude, so that he went into a ship and sat, and the whole
multitude stood on the shore. And that'd be a good thing, that'd
be a good problem to have, to have to get out on a boat. There's
so many people there to hear you. And get out on a boat so
that they could see you and you could preach to them. That'd
be a good thing to have. And he spake many things unto
them in parables. Now, notice here that they came
to hear and see Christ, and they saw Him with the carnal eye and
they heard Him with the carnal ear. But our true Isaiah, the
true prophet of Israel, the true holy one of Israel, declares
here to them in this parable, this is what he's saying, that
three out of the four types of people, hearers, perish. They're not really truly hearing
God. They don't truly hear God. That's
what he says in the parable. But here's what I want to point
out to you. And he says, and those hearers perish because
of their unbelief. And then the Lord ends this parable
in verse 9, and He says, who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And this whole multitude proved
that they did not have ears to hear, because though they knew
in themselves that they did not understand a word the Lord said,
filled with pride and self-righteousness, which would not allow them to
confess their blindness and their deafness and their sin and their
need of a true spiritual understanding, a true spiritual perception,
not one in that great multitude, sought Christ for wisdom. But, in verse 10, we find out
that the Lord had truly given spiritual ears to some, And we
find what those who have ears to hear do. Look in verse Matthew
13, 10. And the disciples came and said
unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? The disciples
came to Christ because they came confessing to Him. We don't understand
why you spoke to them in parables. They had been given light, and
because they had light and trusted Christ the light, they walked
in Him, in the light, and they knew the only place to receive
more light was from Christ the light. So to Him they came asking.
And they were not as the multitude who esteemed themselves too highly
to bow and say, Lord, I need wisdom. I'm a sinner. I don't
understand. I need to know you. because that
multitude didn't have a ear. They had a carnal ear. Seeing,
they saw, but they didn't perceive. Hearing, they heard Him, but
they didn't hear Him. They didn't understand what He said. But
those that He had given grace to hear Him, they came and said,
Lord, we want to hear You. This Gospel goes forth just like
it went forth right here. It goes forth. To some, it comes
forth as a parable. They just hear it as a tale that's
told. And to others, it goes forth And they understand it. You look at what the Lord said
when He... I don't have time to read it now, but you go back
here at this text and you can look there. See how the Lord
gave this parable at first and the people just didn't understand
it. And then when He says it later and explains to His disciples
exactly what it means, it's so clear, it's so clear. When this
Gospel goes forth, it goes to some and it's just a parable.
But they won't ask God. They won't fall on their face
before God and beg His mercy because they'd have to confess
their sin and confess what they are. And they won't do that.
Pride won't let them do that. But those God has given a heart
for Him. They fall on their face and ask
Him. And as this gospel is going forth, it comes to them just
as clearly as the Lord revealed this parable to His disciples.
It comes forth two different ways. The same message. But now
look, what He answered them when they came, He declares to them
why some come to Him and why others will not. Look here, Matthew
13, 11. And this is going to sound real familiar to you. He
answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you
to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them
it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall
be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath
not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore
speak I to them in parables. because they seeing not. and
hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them
is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing
ye shall hear, and shall not understand. In seeing ye shall
see, and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed. Lest at any time they should
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand
with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal
them. Let's turn to another place. One more place. I want you to
see the attitude of this people who would not hear. The attitude
of this people who would not hear. In John 9.13, the Lord
healed a blind man, gave him eyes to see. And verse 13 says,
they brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
This is the synagogue where the religious elite met. And here
they sit now. And they brought this blind man,
this one that was before blind, in there. And it was the Sabbath
day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then again
the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.
And he said unto them, He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed,
and I see. And therefore said some of the
Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the
Sabbath day." He doesn't keep the law. Others said, How can
a man that's a sinner do such miracles? And there was division
among them. Some said he was a sinner. Some
said he doesn't keep the Sabbath. They said, if he's a sinner,
how can he do this miracle? And they said to the blind man
again, what sayest thou of him that he hath opened thine eyes?
He said, he's a prophet. But the Jews did not believe
concerning him that he had been blind and received his sight
until they called the parents of him that had received his
sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son who you say
was born blind? How then doth he now see? And
his parents answered them and said, We know that this is our
son and that he was born blind. But by what means he now seeth,
we know not. Or who hath opened his eyes,
we know not. He's of age. Ask him. He'll speak for himself. And they said this because they
were afraid they'd get kicked out of the synagogue. They were
afraid to the good First Baptist Church would turn thumbs down
on them. And so they wouldn't stand up for their own son. Therefore
said his parents, he's of age, ask him. Verse 24. Then again
called they the man that was blind and said unto him, Give
God the praise. We know that this man is a sinner.
He answered and said, Whether he's a sinner, I don't know.
But one thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see. Then
said they to him again, What did he to thee? How opened he thine eyes? And
he answered them, I've told you already, and you didn't hear
me. Hearing you heard me, but you didn't understand me. I've
told you already, you didn't hear. Wherefore would you hear
it again? Will you also be his disciples? Will you believe him? Listen to this attitude. This
is the ones that saw now. Then they reviled him and said,
Thou art his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We are
disciples of the law. We know that God spake unto Moses.
As for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered
and said unto them, While herein is a marvelous thing, amazing,
amazing grace. that you know not from whence
he is. You sitting in the chief's seats, you learned, studious,
religious, pious, holy men. You don't know from where this
man has come from or who he is, and yet he's opened my I'm a beggar out in the street.
You fellows wouldn't even look at me when you walked by me.
This man came to me and opened my eyes." And here's what they
considered their sight. Now we know that God heareth
not sinners. What they're saying is, He hears
us because we're not sinners. That's what they're saying to
this man. But if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will, him
he heareth. And that's what we are, they
said. And listen to the wisdom of this
man who's been given sight. Verse 32, he said, Since the
world began, was it not heard that any man opened the eyes
of one that was born blind? If this man were not of God,
he could do nothing. He's telling them, I believe
this man is God. And in the next verse, you're going to hear how
carnal sight speaks and hear how carnal hearing speaks. They answered and said unto him,
Thou wast altogether born in sin, and dost thou teach us?
And they cast him out. But now listen. Now listen now.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and when he had found
him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He's
given him some light. That's all he did at first. Gave
him some light and he went through some affliction at the hands
of some religious folks. Then the Lord comes to him again
and asks him a question. Do you believe on the Son of
God? Now listen to how he answers. Verse 36. He answered and said,
Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? He asked, didn't
he? He asked for some wisdom. Who
is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? His pride's been taken
away. His enmity's been taken away.
He's been given some light, and He walks in that light. And He
says, Who is He, Lord? Now look, that I might believe
on Him. And Jesus said unto him, Thou
hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee. You've
seen Him and you've heard Him. Truly seen Him and heard Him.
And He said, Lord, I believe. And He worshipped Him. Now listen
to what the Lord says. And he that hath ears, let him
hear. And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, that
they which see not might see. And they which see might be made
blind. What does He mean by that? That
they which see might be made blind. And they which see not
might see. What does he mean by that? He
tells us exactly what he means in the next few verses by what
these Pharisees who claimed they saw. They saw but they didn't
see. They heard but they didn't hear.
And here was their response. Look here in verse 40. And some
of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words and said
unto the Lord, Are we blind also? Now listen to what he says, Jesus
said unto them, if you were blind, if you had come to me confessing
that you need sight, that you need to see, that you can't see,
if you were blind, you should have no sin. Not only would I
give you your sight, I'd give you sight to behold that I've
put away your sin. But, now you say, we see. By our own will and our own wisdom
and our own strength, we see." And he said, therefore, your
sin remaineth. You're blind and you're in your
sin. Some person who doesn't care
for religion, who thinks religious folks are a bit spooky, He hears
all this gospel and he says, that's exactly the kind of holier
than thou religious fanatic I don't want to be. Just like those Pharisees. That's why I don't have anything
to do with you church folks. That's why I don't go down there. That's
why I'm telling you not to be so fanatical about this thing
of Christ. Yet he has no idea that he's
saying, am I blind also? That's exactly what he's saying. He's in the same boat. He's saying,
I'm holier than thou. Let me tell you who God is. You
think I'm blind also? You ought to look to me for wisdom.
I don't go down there to those folks. I don't go listen to that
kind of mess. I don't turn into a holy roller. I'm too smart for that. And you're
blind and still in your sin, God said. Hear the word of the
Lord. If you were blind, If you cried
out to God for sight, not only would you have sight, you'd have
no sin. But now you say, am I blind also? Therefore, your sin remains. So, back in our text. There is no way I'm going to
get through this message today. No way. But I'm going to go as far as
I can. Not only would the majority not believe, not only would the
majority be made worse, but the rejection of God's Gospel would
result in their utter ruin. Look here now, Isaiah 611, Then
said I, Lord, how long? And He answered, Until the cities
be wasted without inhabitants, and the houses without man, and
the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men
far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the
land. The direct reference is to the Jewish church and nation. The physical seed of Abraham,
the physical nation Israel, refused to turn from their own way and
trust God alone. Thus by the direct sovereign
hand of God, the Jews were carried away into Babylonian captivity
by enemy nations led by an enemy king. And their rejection of
God and those wars which followed were a foreshadowing of their
rejection of Christ Jesus the Lord when he came into his own
nation and they received him not. And their final destruction
came by the Romans in 70 AD. And he said, it's given unto
you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to
them it's not given. Paul and Barnabas were talking
one day to some Jews, to some children of Israel, and he said,
it was necessary that the word of God should first have been
spoken to you, but seeing you put it from you and judge yourselves
unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
That's exactly what they said when the Lord was speaking. Are
we blind also? Those were Israelites. Those
were Jews. But Isaiah had said a long time before, by God's
own word, I'm turning them over. I'm turning them over to spiritual
blindness and they can't hear. It's not given to them to hear
anymore. Now, this may seem hard, but concerning the nation of
Israel, the cities were wasted without inhabitants, the houses
without man, the land was left utterly desolate. He scattered
men to the four corners of the earth, and God brought about
a great forsaking in the midst of the land of Israel. And all
this came about because the Jewish church and nation willfully hardened
their hearts and stiffened their necks, and thus God destroyed
that nation in judgment. And God's judgment remains upon
that land to this day. This may seem hard, but God says,
those who He sends, who do not corrupt His Word, but speak it
in truth, as of God, in God's sight, and declare this to be
the case, they're a sweet savor unto God, even in them that perish. God is glorified even in them
that perish. So does this mean that God's
not faithful to effectually save all those whom He chose in Christ
before the foundation of the world? Since some do not believe,
And since God says He turned them over here to reprobate mine,
does it mean that God's first plan failed so He went to plan
B? Not at all. It declares to us
that if God had left the least point of salvation in the hands
of men, the eternal just judgment of God in hell would have been
the eternal end of all men. This is a picture of what you
are and what I am right now. by nature. If God left us for
a moment, left any part of salvation in our hands, we would say, I
see! Quit talking to me about Christ.
Tell me about something I can do with my own hand. Look over at Romans 9.6. I'm
going to try to get through it. I can't get through it. Some of you are sitting there
going, go all the way through it. Some of you are sitting there
going, get it over with. Oh boy, I know how it is. Romans
9, 6. Not as though the word of God
hath taken none effect. Listen now. This is what Paul
said about it. Not as though the word of God
hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel. which are of Israel. What does
that mean? It means everybody in that nation
of Israel weren't children of God. Everybody in that physical
nation of Israel, everybody in that physical seed of Abraham
were not the chosen children of God. They just weren't. They are not all Israel which
are of Israel, neither because they are the children of Abraham
are they all children. Was Ishmael He was a child of
Abraham. God said, no, he's not a child
of God. He said, Isaac is because I promised
him, but not Ishmael. But in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. Because Isaac is a picture of
Christ, the promised son, the son given by God, who is God. The son who wasn't by the work
of men's hands, but came himself and worked out a righteousness
for it. He's our Isaac. And in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. That is, they which are the children
of the flesh, by natural generation. These are not the children of
God, but the children of the promise. that promise of God,
these are counted as true children of Abraham. So when God said
Preach to them, Isaiah, and tell them that they see, but they
can't see. They hear, but they can't hear.
Tell them that message because those that are truly my elect
remnant in that nation, I, by my Spirit, will give them a heart.
I'll give them eyes to see that they can't see, that they're
blind. I'll give them eyes like I gave that blind man that says,
Lord, who are you? I need to know who you are. And
he said, I'll give them a heart. You tell them they're depraved
and they cannot come to me and they cannot worship me. And I'll
call them out, and the rest of them, I'm leaving them alone.
Because they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. I save by
sovereign electing grace. I choose whom I will save, God
said. Before the foundation of the
world, He put a people in Christ Jesus. And when Christ Jesus
came to this earth to lay down His life, those are the only
folks He laid down His life for. That's it. Those are the only
ones He laid down His life for. And when He died and purged their
sins, it meant they have to be saved because God poured His
judgment out on them and He won't pour it out on Christ and He
won't pour it out on them a second time. So they're saved. Their
sins are purged. They're put away and they've
got to be brought to Christ. And so, He sends forth His Spirit
into the heart, and He makes them behold with eyes of faith,
to see and to hear Him with a spiritual ear and a new heart that He saves
along. And He said, you just go tell
them, seeing they don't see, and hearing they don't hear,
and I'll save them. I'll save my remnant from out
of them. Look over at Romans chapter 3 with me. I'm not going
to try to finish, but I do want to show you a few things here. Listen. Look at verse 28. Romans 2, 28.
Romans 2, 28. This is what I'm talking about,
about this Spirit coming. Listen to what Paul said. Paul
was a Jew now. Paul was an Israelite, but he
was an Israelite not only according to the flesh, but according to
promise. He was an elect child of God, redeemed by God. And
this is what he says of Jews. This is what he says of who true
Israel is. Listen. Verse 28, He is not a
Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is
outward in the flesh. Just because you're born, he
said before, of natural generation, born of the seed of Abraham,
a child of Abraham, in his family tree, they don't make you a child
of God, he said. Here he says, neither does keeping
the law make you a child of God. That's not what constitutes a
Jew, a true Israelite, one who's truly of God's spiritual Israel. That's not how they're made.
Verse 29, But he is a Jew, which is one inward name, and circumcision
is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter,
whose praise, who, he said, this is who did it, not men, but God. Not men, but God. He makes up
His jewels. He gathers His remnant. And He
brings them together. And they are the holy seed. They
are the substance because they are holy in Christ our righteousness. I'll just read out this last
part. Look back over there. Isaiah 6. And that's what He
said to Isaiah. He said, I'm going to do this.
You just set it forth. But verse 13, He says, But yet
in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten
as a till tree and as an oak, whose substance is in them when
they cast their leaves. So the holy seed shall be the
substance thereof." Now let me just try to say this to you as
quickly as I can. But listen to me. If it wouldn't
have been for this word of grace right here, that there is going
to be a tenth. You know what the tenth was?
the tithe of the law typified and pointed to this very tenth
right here. This tenth, the tenth was that
which was, let me see here if I can find it, the tenth was
that which was It was that which was God's part.
It was His portion. It's called in a place, meat
in His house. It was the portion that He delighted
in. It was the portion that was consecrated
to Him. That was the tenth. And He says,
in Israel, there's going to be a tenth come forth. And He says
here, it's going to be the substance in them. And it's going to sow
the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. Let me tell you something. The Lord said, a man must be
born of the water and of the Holy Spirit, or he can't see
the kingdom of heaven. Everything that the Lord said
about those he saves, he did. The Lord Jesus Christ had to
be born of water. That's the first birth. He had
to be come forth, made of a woman, made under the law. And the Spirit
was poured out upon him upon measure after he came. Listen
to me. That's how these fellows here,
this tenth he's talking about, men like Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach,
Abednego, Elias, men like that. These are men that God kept and
He used them, a tenth. Remember Elias said, Lord, they've
torn down your altars and they've all forsaken you. And he said,
I've reserved to myself 7,000 men that have not bowed the knee
to the image of Baal. I have done that, God said. I
reserved them to Myself. And they haven't failed. They're
My people. They're My remnant. They're the tenth. Because through
them, they couldn't die. Because through them, Christ
is going to be born. And He is the Holy Seed. He's
the Seed in whom they are made holy. And He said, He's going
to be born. And He's My part. He's My portion. He's consecrated to Me. He's
the tenth. He's My part. And all those that
I've put in Him are My part. And He says, they're going to
return to Me. I'm going to have them. I'm going to eat them. I'm going to enjoy them. They're
going to be a savor unto me." And he said, and for that reason,
you just go preach this message, Isaiah. Tell sinners what they
are. It's going to make some mad.
They're going to hate you. They're going to wrap their fist
at you. He said, but I'm going to save my Israel. I'm going
to save them. My spiritual Israel. I'm going to save them. Because
I chose them. I put them in Christ. He poured
out His blood for them. And I'm gonna regenerate them
and bring them to me and they'll come and know me I want to end
with a verse Romans 11 Romans 11 Now when you hear Paul speak
of his people And you hear Paul speak of his
people Listen, Romans 11, verse 1. I say then, hath God cast away
His people? Has He cast away His people?
God forbid. Now, he's speaking here of that
remnant that God said, that tenth, God said, I'm going to save them.
Paul says, has He cast them away? He's not talking about all Israel
now. He said plainly, I've cast the nation Israel behind my back.
But he's talking here about the elect remnant that he would save.
Has he cast away his people in Israel? Paul said, I'm an Israelite. I'm of that physical descendant.
No, those who are truly his tenth in that nation, he hasn't cast
us away. Look at me, I'm proof. He saved
me, Paul said. And I'm a Jew, but I'm one inwardly,
but truly of the child of the flesh of God, because not just
by the flesh, but by His Spirit in me. And he says here, of the
seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God had not cast
away his people, which he foreknew. Can't do that. He put them in
Christ before the foundation of the world That's when he foreknew
him and there he is in Christ and they have to be saved because
the Christ their surety He says what don't you know what the
scripture said about? Elias how he maketh intercession
to God against Israel saying Lord. They've killed our prophets
dig down on altars I'm left alone. They seek my life. But what said
the answer of God unto him? I've reserved to myself seven
thousand men who've not bowed the knee to the image of Baal
even so Then at this present time, among the natural descendants
of Abraham, he said, also there is a remnant according to the
election of grace." The Lord said, I've turned national
Israel over, but I'm going to save a tenth out of them. And
Paul said, even now, that tenth is the remnant. but it's not
because they're natural sons of Abraham. It's not by blood
or the will of the flesh or the will of man that you become a
child of God, but it's by God's grace, by His electing mercy.
And he says, and there, that remnant, according to the election
of grace, remains, and he says, and if it's by grace, then it's
no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more work,
grace. But if it be works, then it's
no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. What then? Israel,
that physical nation, hath not obtained that which he seeketh
for. But the election, God's spiritual Israel hath obtained
it, and the rest were blinded. According as it is written God
hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should
not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day Do you
see that do you see that? And here's what he says to you
Gentiles listen Romans 11 17 and if some of the branches be
broken off and thou being a wild olive tree were grafted among
them and with the natural descendants of Abraham who are the elect
of God, and you Gentiles who are the elect of God, if you
partake with them of the root of Christ and the fatness of
the olive tree, don't boast against the branches. But if thou boast,
thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. God made you one
of his. You don't make yourself one of
his. Don't boast against the vine. Don't vote against Christ. Thou will say then the branches
were broken off that I might be grafted in. Well, because
of unbelief, they were broken off. And thou standest by faith.
Be not high-minded, but fear. For if God spared not the natural
descendants of Abraham, take heed also, lest he spare you
not. You start boasting like that,
you prove you never was his in the beginning. He never had called
you by his grace. Now, verse 25, and I'm done. For I would not, brethren, that
you should be ignorant of this mystery. And this is a mystery
to a multitude. Just like the Jews, when He first
came, just like the natural descendants of Abraham were looking for an
earthly kingdom the first time He came, there's a multitude
in our day who are looking for an earthly kingdom the second
time He comes. Brethren, it's a spiritual kingdom.
It's a spiritual kingdom. Listen to me now. Would not brethren
that you should be ignorant of this mystery lest you should
be wise in your own conceits That blindness in part is happened
to Israel Until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in and
so all Israel shall be saved So it is written there shall
come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness
from Jacob for this is my covenant under them when I shall take
away their sins and As concerning the gospel, they're enemies for
your sakes. He's not talking about all Israel
now. He's talking about the election, as touching the election. They're
beloved for the Father's sakes. That is his elect remnant among
the Jews. That's who he's talking about.
For the gifts and calling of God without repentance. Who he
gave as a gift to his son, he gonna make sure his son has them.
Every one of them, Jew and Gentile. And he says, when the fullness
of the Gentiles will come in, So all Israel shall be saved.
Does that mean he has an elect remnant right now who may be
in Israel? Sure. Does it mean that he has,
just like he has an elect remnant who are Gentiles, but am I saying
that there will be a millennial kingdom, that one day there'll
be a great turning of Jews as well as Gentiles and there'll
be a kingdom here on earth? Not at all, brethren. Not at
all. Through the gospel of Christ,
God turns his people in the heart. What did Paul say? Through this
gospel, he makes you a Jew in the heart. If he makes you a
Jew, what Paul's saying is he makes you his Israel. He makes
you a true son of God, a true Jacob, a true Abraham, a true
Jew, true Israel in the heart. And I believe what he's saying
here in Isaiah is, you just go preach, Isaiah. And he said,
how long? And he said, till the houses be desolate and there
be no man in the land and they just be left to themselves. Just
preach this gospel. That's what I'm to do. And God,
the kingdom comes without observation. He's calling out His elect one
by one in all of this world. And once He's called them out
and brought them out, Just like he did his elect in the day that
the Romans came. Just like he brought his elect
out. He told them, you go to the mountain. Get out of there.
And they were carried out. When he comes, this world's going
to behold, he's left it desolate. He's left us, you know where
hell is? You want me to tell you where hell is? It's right
here where we live. whenever God has taken all his
people out and removed his presence from it and given us the vent
of our will to do whatever we're pleased to do. We're living in
hell right here. You think Satan, there needs
to be some great, great Satan to make it to be hell? Aren't
we enough in our nature? All God's got to do is remove
his restraining hand and you're living in hell. when He saved
His people through this gospel and removed them, there's going
to be a new heaven and a new earth. Not this one. Wherein
dwells righteousness, because everything in that, this earth
right here is cursed because everything in it is the product
of Adam. If there was a kingdom here, I wouldn't want to live
here, would you? That new heaven and that new earth is going to
be where everything there is His creation. All the people
there, it's better than what Adam was. They're not just created
innocent. They've been bought with the
blood of Christ and made the very righteousness of God and
they can never fall. And everything about it is going
to be perfect and righteous and just. That's where we're going
to reign. That's where we're going to see
Him. That's where we're going to be with Him. And all is sure
to be there. All is sure. German Israelites,
and some Russian Israelites, and some English Israelites,
and some Jewish Israelites, and some Gentile Israelites, some
black Israelites, some white Israelites, some slave Israelites,
some free Israelites, some men Israelites, some women Israelites,
It's not you who makes the difference. It's not us who distinguishes.
It's God in sovereign mercy and grace who makes us to differ.
And in Christ, we're one. We're one Israel. We're one nation.
We're one in Him. Don't you see that? Oh, can't
you? They're going to get mad at you,
Isaiah. Just say the truth. I'll call
them out with it. I will birth my nation. I'll
exalt my nation. I'll save my nation. You just
preach the gospel. All right? All right.

Go, and Tell This People

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty in judgment?

How do we know God's electing grace is true?

Why is understanding the doctrine of total depravity important for Christians?

What is the significance of the remnant in Scripture?

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Go, and Tell This People

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty in judgment?

How do we know God's electing grace is true?

Why is understanding the doctrine of total depravity important for Christians?

What is the significance of the remnant in Scripture?

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About Clay Curtis

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