May the Lord be pleased to bless
us together this evening as we meditate in his word. Let us
turn to the epistle of Paul to the Romans, chapter 10, and we'll
read the first verse. The epistle of Paul to the Romans,
chapter 10, and reading the first verse. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Well I'm sure we should be thankful
that we have such a word as this recorded in the Bible for our
instruction and to realise the concern that the Apostle had
as he lived upon the earth. His great desire and prayer to
God for Israel is that they might be saved and it's quite clear
that the Apostle had some appreciation of what eternity meant and what
it was to those who were not saved that they would spend eternity
in that awful place of hell where there was, where there is no
escape how little really is thought about hell today people pass
over it people are embarrassed to mention it and yet the reality
is that everyone who is born into this world will either spend
eternity in glory with the Saviour or in hell with the devil and
all his angels Well, there's no alternative. There's no grey
areas in the Word of God. There's nothing like the Roman
Catholic Church believing as purgatory, a place in between.
There's no such condition. The Word of God is very clear
and very faithful. And we today are blessed to have
the truth of God before us in our own language to read. Solemn
reality is, therefore, that all of us here tonight are without
excuse. We'll never be able to stand
before that great judgment seat of God and that great white throne
when the Savior sits upon it to judge the whole world and
the things done in the flesh. There will never be any room
for excuses. We will never be able to make
excuses before Almighty God. And so we should be very thankful
indeed that we today are wonderfully privileged to be able to gather
together for worship. You only have to think of the
billions in the world who do not enjoy this great favour. Billions in the world are rushing
around every day and night, pursuing their own aims, their own objectives,
with no concern about the eternal state of their soul now it's
quite clear the Apostle Paul was concerned and it will be
a blessing if you and I are concerned about ourselves and about others
it's no light matter it's a very serious consideration it's really
the most serious consideration that you and I can think upon
and that's the life to come where shall I spend eternity? he phrases it eternity tremendous
sound and again it's very little really spoken about eternity
and it's exactly what it means there's no time eternity is outside
of time when your life ends on this earth time will be no more
eternity will be entered into indeed when the end of the world
comes when the trumpet sound and time shall be no more and
eternity is ushered in and there will be no room for any maneuver
because the Word of God is so true and so solemnly true. And yet today it is our infinite
favour of being able to hear the Gospel, of being able to
hear the truth of God's Word, to be able to realise that although
we are lost and ruined sinners, perhaps of the blackest dye,
there is hope, there is salvation, in and through the merits and
the shed blood of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. So such
statements cannot be assigned to just a figment of imagination. They are the very truth of God's
Word. And we should never treat God's
Word lightly. We should always remember it
is the Word of God. And God does not lie. God never
has lied. He never will and therefore all
that he has seen fit to record in the Bible is the truth. Well the Apostle Paul was concerned
therefore principally in this few verses about his own countrymen,
the Jews. The Jews had been a very, very
favoured nation. The Lord had gloriously blessed
them and many souls had been converted. And yet he's now very
concerned about those who did not believe, those who were ignorant
of the truth of God, those who were relying upon what we might
term as in those days the ceremonial law. To keep that law they considered
was adequate to bring them safe into glory. Well of course it
was not. because they needed not their
righteousness they needed the righteousness of the Lord Jesus
Christ and that is just the same today there are many people today
who think they're on the right track they think they're on the
right road because they're doing certain things which they think
will bring them a merit before God but you see all that we do
naturally is not meritous What we need is the blessed influence
of the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the glory of salvation
in the finished work of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. So here
we have the Apostle's heart's desire and prayer. These two are joined together. They should be joined together
with us. as we may have a desire indeed
I hope we do have a desire for the salvation of souls I hope
we have a desire for those that we meet with those who are amongst
us here today those that we meet with from time to time that our
concern is from our heart they might be saved but it's to be
added and can join with prayer The Word of God tells us that
all will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do these things
for them. Prayer is such a vital ingredient
in our daily life for our own salvation, for our own life day
by day and that others might be brought into the kingdom.
Those who might have themselves revealed as an unworthy sinner
with no hope in themselves and directed to the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Well, he says, brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God. He had faith in God. There was
his trust in God. It wasn't anywhere else. You know, we shouldn't be looking
anywhere else. We should be looking to our God, for Israel, for the
Church of God. And we, of course, today, and
not physical Israel as Jews but we may be classified as spiritual
Israel and yet you see we may not be amongst the true Israel
we may be amongst those who are denominated Christians there
are many many people in the world there's many strip Baptists who
are classified as Christians but in reality are not true Christians
they just have as the Bible tells us a name to live, but are dead,
and more concerned about what people think than what God thinks. And that is the great and important
difference. It was so in Paul's day. The natural Jews were concerned
to be seen doing that which is right, and we have that clearly
set before us in that parable that the Lord Jesus spoke about
the Pharisee and the Publican. The Pharisee was very proud of
his religion. Oh yes, and he was pleased that
people could see what he was doing and what he was saying. Whereas the Publican despised
man. He had smoked upon his breast
and couldn't lift up his eyes, but did pray a real prayer. And it wasn't a long prayer,
it wasn't a prayer to impressed people it was a prayer to God
and the prayer in all its glory and simplicity was very simply
God be merciful to me a sinner and what was the result the Lord
says I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other so how important it is for us today to have the
evidence from God that we are justified that means that we
have a true religion we don't have a false religion we don't
have a religion which is just to impress people that's the
great tragedy isn't it? people come and go from the house
of God and you would think they've been to the theatre or the cinema
or the football match you wouldn't think they've been to listen
to the sermon because they never speak about what they heard you
think perhaps they never heard anything They came and they went. It's a very solemn thing, isn't
it? To be found in such a situation. Because God has granted to us
a wonderful privilege of being able to hear the Gospel proclaimed
and the Word of God read. Just like Israel of old, they
were wonderfully blessed with the ceremonial law which set
forth Christ in all its glory, but their eyes were blinded.
for the most part they didn't observe the wonderful truth which
was to be observed in all those ceremonies which had been carried
out for so many years they just carried them out blindly and
thought they'd done their duty thought they'd satisfied what
was necessary and therefore they would be justified before God
well they were so far short of the mark my friends today many
people like it they think they're justified they think they're
ticking the right boxes they think they're saying the right
things but you know sometimes many things which are said are
just religiosity they talk the right talk but there's no reality
well that was really the concern of the Apostle Paul and I'm sure
it's our concern today that we don't have people coming and
going and as the Bible describes it as the door upon its hinges
and a door can swing on its hinges those with special hinges just
swing in and out go in and out just like people they come in,
they sit down, they sing the hymns sometimes they enjoy singing
the tunes and they think it's very lovely and you ask them
what they actually sang and they won't remember any of the words
all they remember is what they sang in the tune and if you ask
them what was read in the Bible they probably wouldn't remember
either they might remember but they might not and as to the
sermon well that's gone over their head and they've forgotten
about it and of course the Bible describes such characters in
that parable of the sower which is very significant there were
all those types who heard the word and the Lord says let those
who have ears to hear, let them hear they heard the word but
it did not enter into their heart it didn't touch their heart you
might say well what does that mean? I'll tell you what it means
it means when our heart is moved by the Spirit of God to acknowledge
before a holy God that we are black undone sinner and that
we need salvation in fact that we must have salvation prayer
then ceases to be a formality prayer changes perhaps from a
formality to a reality and we pray earnestly that we might
receive answers to our prayers we pray earnestly that we might
have the revelation of God to our souls that he has loved us
with neverlasting love and he has granted us that spirit of
repentance to be truly sorry for our sins and to turn away
from them and to seek to follow the blessed Lord God Almighty
in all the ways that he sets before us in his word. Well what
a favour it will be for us tonight if we can examine ourselves and
don't turn away from that we are encouraged in the Word of
God to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith or
not you do it tonight you go home before God and examine yourself
as to whether you are in the faith or not or whether it's
just a religious act just passing day by day, so that people may
speak and think well of you. That's a very sad condition. It's a very erroneous condition,
because there's no salvation in it. And that's the thing that
you and I most desperately need. Salvation. And what is that? It's the saving of our souls.
So the Apostle says, brethren my heart's desire and prayer
to God for Israel is that they might be saved see how weighty
the consideration was with the Apostle what a good thing if
it's weighty with us individually for ourselves and for others
it's so easy you know to pass by the reality of religion don't
forget the devil who we contend with has always been a deceiver
and he's always spoken lies never listen to the devil never listen
to him when he pretends that everything is going well and
you're doing pretty good examine yourself before God to see whether
that is true or whether it's false because if it's true you
would have the evidence of the work of God in your heart and
that work of God in your heart as I was saying will bring a
softening influence towards the Lord God of Israel you will be
removed from a hard and carnal state that which has possessed
you since you were born what a blessing is when the Holy Spirit
gives us a soft heart a heart that recognises the truth of
God a heart that bows down before God with that true desire to
do the will and purpose of Almighty God it's a great blessing to
have a soft heart do you know what that is? have you experienced
it? it means when the Holy Spirit
comes and melts our cold heart or our icy heart and produces
that warmth and that warmth towards the Lord Jesus Christ see then
it is the blessed Saviour ceases then to just be a name Many people
take on their lips the name of Jesus. Many people blaspheme
the name of Jesus. Many people pretend that they
believe in Jesus, but their lives do not bear it out. Their lives
speak that it's a lie, that it's not in accordance with the will
and purpose of Almighty God. The Apostle, you see, as he goes
on in these first few verses, he illustrates the reality of
this truth. For he says, for I bear them
record. The Apostle wasn't blind. He wasn't deaf. He watched and
he saw the people. He saw the reactions. He saw
how they acted. And therefore he says, for I
bear them record. For they have a zeal of God, but not according
to knowledge. people can pretend to be a true
follower of God and do things in an outward show but what's missing? I'll tell
you what's missing love to the Savior that's what's missing
you see we do all things in vain unless we do all things in love
And that's the great and wonderful influence of the work of the
Holy Spirit, which softens our heart. And that softening of
our heart is produced by the glorious love of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And that's what breaks us down. And that's what melts our hard
and stubborn heart to think that we have such a Saviour who is
so gracious, so glorious, So condescending that he was willing
to come into this sinful world and to die that sin, intoning
death in order to save our souls. Now, what's the effect? I'll
tell you, the effect is this. You will say, what a saviour. What a saviour that should have
looked upon such a hard hearted, wretch as me but you see when
the Lord has set his love upon us it's known it's felt it's realised
and it has an effect and that effect is noticed it's not something
which is hidden because we're a different person we're a changed
person And so the Apostle tells us here, for I bear them record
that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. And that means, of course, spiritual
knowledge. That means true knowledge. It doesn't mean just a natural
knowledge, like the Jews were pretty satisfied with, for the
most part, a natural knowledge of the things of God. And they
went about with their own righteousness. And so he goes on, for they being
ignorant of God's righteousness. Well, today, are we ignorant
of God's righteousness? Are you ignorant of God's righteousness?
There is a great ignorance today in the glorious doctrines of
the Word of God. Justification and righteousness. There's a great ignorance about
those things, and yet they are soul strengthening truths. and when the Holy Spirit instructs
us in them we rejoice in the great truths which are contained
because we've been perhaps going about to establish our own righteousness
and what does he say? we've not submitted ourselves
unto the righteousness of God you see here is a very clear
evidence of the work of God submission to the will of God you know in
your heart whether you have submitted yourselves to the will of God
or whether you're still following your own agenda and thinking
somehow there's some excuse somewhere down the road no, this is a very
straight word from the Word of God have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness God well it's a blessing and it's only
those who have received it understand it because it's produced a difference
in our lives to submit to the will of God to submit to his
righteousness is a wonderful blessing and it means that we
fall down before God we bow down before God and we come just like
the glorious Savior did and said nevertheless not my will but
thine be done submission to God the Jews didn't want to submit
to God they had their own plans they thought they could keep
the religious ceremonies and by so doing they were justified
by so doing they were made righteous but they were so wrong and therefore
the Apostle was so concerned that they might be able to observe
where they were so terribly lacking ignorant of God's righteousness
in going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God well tonight it will be
a great blessing if you and I look in our hearts and whether we
are totally submitting ourselves to God and you know no one can
see into your heart, no one can see into my heart whether that
is true or whether perhaps we we go so far and we think that's
far enough and then we stop it's a blessing when the Lord
comes and really encourages us and truly speaks to us now in
this 10th chapter The Apostle runs through a very wonderful
list of ways that there is the evidence of God's blessing and
God's favour. And this is what he says. We
come down to the 8th verse and he says, And what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in
thy mouth and in thy heart. That is, the word of faith which
we preach and then he says that if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved now that's
not difficult to understand is it? but it is true just listen
carefully if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus
you see people sometimes hide under the position that they
don't speak at all and they're not people that do say things
and they're nervous about saying things and therefore they hide
and don't confess with their mouth and they still think they're
okay they still think everything's working for good but no it's
not we have the Bible as our guide and direction and we should
not think therefore that we somehow have a different path, a different
view this is a very straight statement and we live again in
a sad day when there isn't that confession with the mouth we
know what the mouth is, isn't it? the mouth is used to speak
our tongue is used to speak and he tells us here if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, that's one part and shall
believe in thine heart that's the other part we mentioned that
this morning in that account of the chap the Ethiopian eunuch
who confessed with his heart in answer to the question of
the Apostle and that was very relevant and it's very relevant
for us today that these two things confess with the mouth you see
it's making an open profession before God and before men the
Lord tells us ye are my witnesses many people today seem to somehow
avoid that think that it isn't necessary well of course my walk
speaks about that I remember years ago somebody said well
of course they always know what I do and where I go because I
always come out on a Sunday morning with a black hat on. Well that
doesn't mean anything does it? That's not in accordance with
the Word of God. That's just a mere action. That's what the
Apostle is speaking about here. That's not that which is true
religion. It's a confession with a mouth. And the confession with a mouth
is God honouring. and the confession with the mouth
also brings with it blessing because it brings to us that
freedom that liberty the Lord has enabled us to confess with
our mouth what he's done for our souls is it anything light? is it anything trivial? not at
all it's the greatest blessing that you and I can ever have
the Lord speaks to our heart speaks to our souls with the
evidence of the work of God within us and therefore there should
be therefore that confession with a mouth of the Lord Jesus
that He is the One who has redeemed our soul the One who has come
and forgiven all our sins the One who has shed His precious
blood to atone for them These are great and glorious truths
which are so God honouring and so encouraging to the Church
of God and so wonderful to be able to speak. That God has raised
him from the dead and thou shalt believe, believe in thine heart
that God has raised him from the dead. That means that we
approach today to a risen saviour, a blessed saviour who is in glory
He's not dead, he did die, but he rose again, a conqueror over
sin, death, hell and the grave. Can we rejoice tonight in that
glorious truth that we have in heaven, seated in the Father's
right hand, a blessed intercessor, an advocate with the Father,
a mediator, a wonderful high priest. Does it mean anything
to us? Do we rejoice in it? Do we bless
God for it? And have we spoken with our mouth
and have we believed in our heart that the gracious God hath raised
the Saviour from the dead? And what's the result? As God
blesses us for these wonderful realities, He then says, Thou
shalt be saved. My friends, that's what the Apostle
is concerned about. As he comes and says, Brethren,
My heart's desire and prayer for God to Israel is that they
might be saved. That's the great issue. And it's
a great issue tonight. All of us might be saved. And so the apostle goes on, for
with a heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. Well, that's very clear, isn't
it? don't try and work around it
don't try and think well I don't think that applies to me, well
it does and this is the blessed word of God which so many people
today seem to ignore seem to somehow think it's not relevant,
it is very relevant you and I concerned about being saved, I hope we
are I hope we're really concerned about being found in glory at
last but if we are Are we desirous to acknowledge, to confess our
Saviour? Do we want Him to deny us when
we come before that judgment seat of Christ? To say, I never
knew you. That's a terrible word of condemnation. May none of us hear it. Oh, may
none of us hear it. But may we hear that glorious
word, come in! our blessed are my Father what
a wonderful word that will be how necessary it is because we
are not speaking about just temporal things we're speaking about eternal
realities those things which concern our never-dying soul
don't trivialise with the Word of God don't think it somehow
doesn't have relevance to you well it doesn't have relevance
to me so the apostle goes on to say for the scripture says
and of course he's referring to Isaiah whosoever believeth
on him shall not be ashamed what a mercy if God has given you
faith which we need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because
if he has this word is true we won't be ashamed we don't want
Christ to be ashamed of us do we? him right has it right ashamed
of Jesus that dear friend on whom my hopes of heaven depend
we sing it don't we? you've all sung it probably is
it true? sung it from your heart? or you
just sung it? ashamed of Jesus that dear friend
The Word of God, He instructs us very clearly. We are not to
be amongst those who do not speak, who do not testify. For the Scripture
says, whosoever, doesn't matter how bad you are. And you know,
in one sense, the greater the sinner, the greater the condemnation,
the greater the revelation of our sin, will make the glorious
salvation of our Savior so much more precious. And we shall bless
God for that wonderful work in our hearts. We have to say, why
me? Oh, blessed God, why such a wretch
as me? Whom must forever lie in hell
were not salvation free. So Paul goes on to say, for there
is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. same Lord
over all is rich unto all that call upon him you see we are
all equal in Christ Jesus grew Jew and Greek Jew and Gentile
we all need that great and glorious salvation and so he reiterates
these words for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved it's a very positive statement isn't it And so if
we come as a needy, hell-deserving sinner and cry unto God, calling
upon His name, blessed with God-given faith to believe, our prayers
are heard, shall be saved. And then the
Apostle gives us this little list. How then shall they call
on Him in whom they have not believed. That's quite obvious,
isn't it? There's no point in calling on someone for salvation
if we haven't believed that that person can grant us the blessing
of salvation. And how shall they believe in
Him of whom they have not heard? If we've never heard of a Saviour,
how can we believe in a Saviour? And if we therefore can't believe
in a Saviour, how shall we be saved? And so he goes on. And how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? It is, as we read this morning,
it is through the foolishness of preaching. God has ordained
that sinners shall be saved and therefore never despise the preaching
of the gospel. Never belittle it. Never think
it's irrelevant. Never think it has no place in
the age in which we live. It is the gracious and glorious
divine purpose of God that His servants shall preach the gospel,
the unsearchable riches of Christ. And by His constraining love,
sinners are drawn to the Saviour. And sinners can say, and none
but they, how precious is the Saviour. How shall they call
on Him in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe
on Him in whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? The Lord has graciously sent
His servants to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. And if they
have not been sent by God, then there will be no benefit to the
people. and they will not hear and they
will not benefit. As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. And of course the glad tidings
of good things are the glad tidings of the Saviour. The glad tidings
that the Lord Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which
was lost. The glad tidings, though, that
the Saviour came willingly to die upon that cross at Calvary
in order to redeem His Church. The glorious Gospel is that the
Lord Jesus so loved His people that He was willing to die on
their behalf, in their place, in their stead. How beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace. It is, and
it's peace to the soul. when you and I are convicted
of our sin we're like a restless ocean there's no peace perhaps
you can't get to sleep perhaps it keeps you awake it's not a
bad thing but then when the Lord comes and shows you his wounds
his hands on his side the crown of thorns and the agony that
he pass through in order to redeem your soul and to have the application
all this was done for you oh then peace like a river flows
into our hearts we rejoice then wonderfully in the finished work
of God's great and glorious salvation so these are glad tidings of
good things and then the Apostle tells us but there are many buts
in the Word of God but they have not all obeyed the gospel. See
all of us here tonight have heard the gospel some of you perhaps
I hope not go out here tonight and forget about these truths
you won't have any impression upon you my friends may we not
be amongst those who have not obeyed the Gospel and so Isaiah
said Lord who hath believed our report? the first verse in the
53rd of Isaiah who hath believed our report? we have a glorious
report in the Word of God the glorious truth of God my friends
we are all without excuse if we ignore this great and glorious
truth. Who hath believed our report?
So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So that means, really, that you
and I should be always concerned to be found hearing the truth
of God at every opportunity. and not spurning it and thinking
it's irrelevant it's the grand purpose of God to bless souls
under the preaching of the Gospel so then faith, that gift of God
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 said, I will provoke you
to jealousy by them that are no people and by a foolish nation
I will anger you. But Isaiah or Isaiah is very
bold and says, I was found of them that sought me not. I was
made manifest unto them, but ask not of me. That will make
the gospel to you and me very precious. If we find the Lord
has come to us, and made us spiritually alive. Perhaps we were far off,
far off, wandering from God. The Lord came, stretched out
His hand, and stopped us in our mad career. Oh, glory to God. I was made manifest
unto them, but asked not for me. But to Israel he said, All
day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient,
gainsaying people. My friends, may we not come into
that category. And so here we have these gracious
words of the Apostle addressed to the Romans, addressed to the
Church of God, addressed to us tonight. Brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be
saved. It's the vital thing. for every
one of us that we are saved that our soul is saved and that we
had a good prospect before us of eternity in glory if we're
not saved we're eternally lost and we shall spend eternity in
utter misery in the burnings of hell