Amen. Turn with me, if you would, to
Acts chapter 18. Acts chapter 18. Our text for this Bible study
is going to be Romans chapter 10. Lord willing, we're going to
finish the verses in Romans 10, which will obviously lead us
into Romans 11. That's the next chapter after
Romans 10. I am, and I have always been,
very interested in Romans 11. Very, very interested in Romans
11. I am not interested in prophecy. And I am not interested in predictions. I am interested in Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. And that's the subject matter
of Romans 11. But our Lord, with all of His
New Testament Scripture, when He sent out His apostles, He
gave them His Word, and they went everywhere preaching that
Word, and our Lord confirmed His message. He confirmed His
Word by physical things. When He sent them out, He confirmed
what they said with miracles. He gave his apostles the ability
to do miracles and perform things because the people of the New
Testament day, that New Testament church didn't have the New Testament.
It was being spoken. And the physician Luke was following
the apostle Paul around, writing down what he was saying. And
now we read it and we have the word of God and we believe it
because this is God's word. But back then it wasn't written
yet. It was being written. So God confirmed it in the hearts
of people through physical things, through miracles. When people
heard what these men were saying and saw what was done, they knew
when God opened their eyes and gave them faith, they knew this
is the Word of God. This is the Word of God. Our Lord did not just do that
in New Testament times. He did it all through the Scripture.
He told Abraham in Genesis, he said, your seed, your people,
they are going to be in bondage for 400 years. That's what he
said in Genesis. In Exodus, we read that they
were. They were in bondage to the Egyptians
for 430 years. Isaiah and Jeremiah said, Israel
is going to be in bondage to Babylon for 70 years. Daniel wrote, we were. Nebuchadnezzar besieged us and
then other kings after him. And it was 70 years. Daniel also
wrote, in 490 years, from this set moment in time, in 490 years,
Messiah is coming to deliver his people. 490 years later,
he came. Matthew 1 says, here he is. Isaiah 7 said, a virgin shall
conceive. She did. She did. Now, what if these things hadn't
happened? What if they hadn't come to pass?
Would we be as confirmed on these things had none of these physical
things come to pass? Zechariah said, this is how you're
going to know him. This is how you're going to know
the one who's going to accomplish salvation for his people. You're
going to see him. He's going to come riding into
Jerusalem on the colt of an ass. He did. Isaiah 53 said, this is what
he's going to accomplish when he comes. This is what he will
bear. This is how he will suffer. This
is where he's going to make his grave. And he did. He did. Isaiah also said he's
not gonna fail. And he didn't. John 19, 30, he
cried, it is finished. It's finished. Our Lord told
his generation that he lived in, the generation of people
that were on the earth while he was here, he said, before
this generation passes, You're going to see the abomination
of desolations that Daniel wrote about. The book of Daniel. The
enemy armies are going to come in to Jerusalem and they are
going to destroy this place. They're going to flatten Jerusalem.
They're going to destroy this temple. Our Lord said, not one
stone is going to be left standing on another one. It's recorded
in the year AD 70. That's exactly what happened. So we can see how our Lord has
confirmed his message with physical things. He said on many occasions,
if you do not believe me because of the things you hear, believe
me because of the things you see. He said that many times. Well, the Apostle Paul is telling
us in Romans 10 that something has happened according to the
Scriptures. Paul always said that. He died
according to the Scriptures. This is how we know. He was buried
according to the Scriptures. He rose again exactly according
to the Scriptures. And in Romans 10, he's pointing
out that something else has happened according to the Scriptures.
The Scriptures said it would happen. And he said, here it
is, it happened. The reason he's telling us that
in Romans 10 is because he is going to tell us in Romans 11 that something has not yet happened,
but it's recorded in the scriptures. Still not yet happened, but it
is recorded in the scriptures. Now, I'm going to repeat to you,
I'm going to say this again. I'm not here for prophecy. I'm not here for predictions. I make no prophecy. I make no
predictions. We're going to leave all that
to God and his apostles. God and his apostles. I'm only
here to tell you what he said. I'm only here to repeat to you
what his apostles have written. Through these words, I'm here
to continually point all of us to the finished work of Jesus
Christ and Him crucified. That's my business. That's my
job. But we're gonna look today at what Paul has written in Romans
10. If the Lord is willing, maybe
next week, we're going to go into Romans 11. We're going to
see what he says in Romans 11. Now, I'm going to tell you what
it is right now so you're not left hanging in suspense. In Romans 10, Paul is saying,
God said that He was going to take His Word. He said He was
going to take His Gospel, take His Spirit, take His blessing
away from the Jews and he was gonna give it to the Gentiles. And Paul says, that's what has
happened. That's exactly what has happened.
In Romans 11, Paul says, don't be surprised when you see God
take his gospel, take his spirit, take his blessing away from the
Gentiles and send it back to the Jews. Not that he would take
it away from someone he's already given it to, but no longer send
it to the Gentile people, but in turn send it back to the Jews. Paul said, don't be surprised
when you see that because that's what he has written. Paul says,
if we see that happen, it's going to be glorious. It's going to
be glorious. If we witness that awakening,
here we Gentiles are reading in the book of Acts about the
awakening that God gave to all of us, heathen rebels against
Him. This mighty work of grace that
God's Spirit sending His gospel to our hearts. and opening up
this wonderful awakening. He said, if we see light, come
back to the Jews. Light. If we see a people who
have no regard for Christ, none. If we see them fall to
their knees, crying out for mercy, If we see them forsake all that
ritual and all that law, then it's going to be a glorious
thing to say. A very glorious thing to say. All right? Acts
18. Let me read something to you
here that's going to set up what Paul is saying in Romans 10.
Acts 18, verse 1. After these things, Paul departed
from Athens and came to Corinth. and found a certain Jew named
Aquila born in Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife
Priscilla, because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart
from Rome and came unto them. And because he was of the same
craft, he abode with them and wrought, for by their occupation
they were tent makers. And he reasoned in the synagogue
every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Corinth
was a Gentile nation, But there were some Jews who lived there.
This Aquila and Priscilla were forced to move there. And there
was a synagogue where they would all gather every Sabbath and
with them were also some Gentiles, some Greeks that were persuaded
over to the Jewish religion. While Paul lived there, he went
every Sabbath and he preached to them, persuading Christ to
them. That's what he did. persuading
salvation only through His name. He went into this Jewish synagogue
and He stood up and He told them plainly, salvation is only in
the name and in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
it. Persuading that only Christ could
mediate make intercession to God on behalf of his people. He persuaded them that sinners
can't do it for themselves. Christ must do it for them. Paul plainly told them salvation
is not through the deeds of the law that you're trying so hard
to keep. He witnessed them trying so hard
to keep these laws. And he said, salvation is not
in that. Salvation is in the substitution
of Christ for His people. Verse 4. And he reasoned in the
synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And
when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was
pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. My center margin says is the
Christ. He is the Messiah. He's the savior
that God promised he would send. But the Jews, the very people
who were meeting in the name of being God's chosen people,
they would not hear it. They did not believe it. They
rejected it. They flat rejected it. Verse
five, when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul
was pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus
was Christ. And when they opposed themselves
and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them,
Your blood be upon your own heads. I am clean, from henceforth I
will go to the Gentiles." That's it, I'm turning now from the
Jews to the Gentiles. And he departed thence and entered
into a certain man's house named Justice, one that worshiped God,
whose house joined hard to the synagogue, and Crispus the chief
ruler of the synagogue, They believed on the Lord with all
his house, and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. Then spake the Lord to Paul in
the night by a vision, be not afraid, but speak and hold not
thy peace, for I'm with thee and no man shall set on thee
to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city. He's talking about Gentile people. I have much people in this city."
And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the
Word of God among them. So Paul first went to the Jews,
but when the Jews wouldn't hear it, Paul said, I'm going to the
Gentiles. I feel led to preach this message
to the Gentiles because I believe God is going to give them ears
to hear it. I believe they're going to bow to it. All right,
now go with me to Romans 10. This chapter begins with Paul
saying in verse one, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer
to God for Israel. He's talking about the Jews,
the actual Jews, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel
is that they might be saved. I pray they might be saved. In
Romans 9 verse 1, he said, I say the truth in Christ, I lie not,
my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. I
have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could
wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,
my kinsmen according to the flesh. That's who he's talking about.
His kinsmen according to the flesh. And what He's saying in
all of this is, I'm not against them. I'm for them. I'm for them. My heart's desire
and prayer to God is that they might be saved. But back in chapter
10, verse 2, He said, I bear them record that they have a
zeal of God, but it's not according to knowledge. It's not according to knowledge.
They don't know that they've fallen into the false religion
bondage of the law. They're thinking they're doing
good for God. And all they are really producing
is self-righteousness. And they don't know that. They're
in the error. They've fallen into the lie of
being saved by doing the deeds of the law. Verse 3, for they
being ignorant of God's righteousness, the one that God provided for
His people. Totally ignorant of that. And
going about to establish their own righteousness, they have
not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. The gospel is the message. of
Christ doing all the deeds, all the requirements of the law,
of the judge, everything that needs to be done for His people.
That's the good news of the gospel. His people, in turn, just believe
it. They trust it. They rest in what He has done. But He said, sadly, the Jews
have rejected the message. They're more interested in their
works than Christ's works. Can't we see this today? He's
talking about the Jews. Doesn't it sound like we're talking
about the Gentiles? More interested in their works than Christ's
works. So he said, I'm going to go preach
this finished message, this complete message, this free gift salvation
message to the Gentiles. Verse 11. For the scripture saith,
whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. That whosoever
is not just to the Jew, it's also to the Greek. Verse 12,
he said, for there's no difference between the Jew and the Greek,
for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon
him. Salvation is for sinners. That's
what he's saying. Salvation is for sinners. Sinners
out of every tribe, nation, kindred, tongue is for sinners. Verse 13 says, for whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whosoever, whoever calls for
mercy, whoever cries out for forgiveness in his blood shall
be saved. Paul said that includes the Gentiles.
But he said in verse 14, how are they going to call? How are
the Gentiles going to call on Him in whom they have not believed? They don't have all these advantages
that the Jews were given. They don't have the ordinances
and the laws. They hadn't been told. How are they gonna call
on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. The message of Christ crucified,
the victory over sin in the sacrifice of Christ, what he accomplished,
that message must go out to men and women everywhere. Everywhere. So God burdened Paul's heart
to do just that. He went and he preached it everywhere.
He preached the promise of eternal life through the sacrifice of
Christ to every nation that would listen, everyone that would hear.
Go quickly with me to Ephesians 3. Ephesians 3 verse 1, it says,
For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles,
if you've heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is
given me to you-ward, how that by revelation He made known unto
me the mystery. As I wrote afore in few words,
whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto
the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit, And here's what it is, that the Gentiles
should be made fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers
of His promise in Christ by the gospel. whereof I was made a
minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto
me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less
than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."
Paul said, I was ordained to this. And he told the Gentiles,
you were ordained to this. God foreordained all of this. and He plainly told it in His
Word. But He said it was a mystery
all of that time. Total mystery. It was plainly
written in black and white, but He said we couldn't see it until
God revealed it in His Word. Alright, go with me back to Romans
10. The end of verse 15 says, How
beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace
and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all
obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah said, Lord, who hath
believed our report? It was preached to everyone.
But he said, everyone didn't believe it. And how do we know
everyone didn't believe it? He said, they have not all obeyed
the gospel. What is the gospel command? What
does the gospel command? Here it is. Rest. That's the
gospel command. Rest. Rest. Stop working. Believe on the
finished work of Christ. Here's the command of the gospel.
This is the gospel command. Come unto Christ. All you that
labor and are heavy laden, He'll give you rest. The command is not earn your
own rest, earn your own salvation. The commandment is salvations
of the Lord. Believe it, rest in it. Verse
17, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily their sound went
into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, did not Israel know? Shouldn't the Jews have known
this? That's what he's saying. Shouldn't they have seen the
declaration in God's word concerning this? He went on to say, first
Moses said, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are
no people. And by a foolish nation, I will
anger you." He said, I'll make you jealous and I'll provoke
you to anger by sending my word to the Gentiles. Verse 20, Isaiah
is very bold and he said, I was found of them that sought me
not. The Gentiles, they weren't looking
to me. They weren't looking for me. They weren't seeking me. He said, I was found to them
that sought me not, I was made manifest unto them that asked
not after me. But to Israel he said, all day
long I've stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and
gainsaying people. What Paul is saying here is the
Jews should have seen what the Lord wrote. There's no excuse. They should have seen everything
that he said. A prime example is our text from
last Wednesday night. If you remember our text last
Wednesday night, it was, don't turn over there, it was Psalm
117, verse one. Paul quoted that verse. Turn over to Romans 15. Romans 15 verse 8, he said, now
I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision, the Jews,
for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. And that the Gentiles might glorify
God for His mercy as it is written for this cause, I will confess
to thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy name. He's quoting
second Samuel 22 verse 50. And in the old Testament, he
doesn't say Gentiles. He says heathen. He said it was plainly written,
written about the heathen. Verse 10, and again he said,
here he's quoting Deuteronomy 32 verse 43. Rejoice ye Gentiles
with his people. There in Deuteronomy it says
nations. But here Paul's saying it's Gentiles. He's talking about
the Gentiles. Verse 11, this was our text last
Wednesday night. Psalm 117 verse one, and again,
praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles. We read it last Wednesday night,
it said nations. But Paul said he's talking about the Gentiles.
Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud Him, all ye people.
Verse 12, and again, he's quoting Isaiah 11 verse 1. Isaiah said,
there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign
over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust. It actually
says Gentiles there. So Paul was telling us it was
written all through the Word. But when it happened, the Jews
were shocked. It was written all through the
Word. But when it happened, they were shocked. God started sending
His Spirit of faith to the Gentiles. Repentance came to the Gentiles. What that means is they received
a right mind. They received a changed mind.
They received a new mind about God. And a new mind concerning what man
really is. And a new mind concerning the
only way that a sinful soul can be saved. And they bowed to Christ, the
Gentiles. We do, don't we? We are, aren't
we? We're bowing to Christ. The Gentiles
turned from the works of their flesh and they believed on the
finished work of Christ. And they saw that salvation is
not of me, it's totally of Him. And when the Jews saw that happen
in the Gentiles, a people who did not know Christ, did not
believe on Christ, didn't acknowledge Him in any way, When they saw
what God did for the Gentiles, in spite of the Gentiles, they marveled. And in Acts 11
verse 18, it says, they glorified God. When they saw it, they glorified
God. They were so thankful to God
for what they saw. And they said, then hath God
also granted repentance to the Gentiles. Repentance unto life. Amazing. Amazing. Now, why am I telling you all
this? Why is Paul telling us all this? Why is God, by the inspiration
of His Spirit, telling us all this? It's because in God's Word,
He would not have us to be ignorant of some things. Romans 11 is
next time going to tell us that God may do that same thing again
in the reverse order. Right now, the Jews don't acknowledge
Christ at all. They don't want to be associated
with anything that has anything to do with His name. We all know
Christmas has nothing to do with Christ. But just in case, they
don't want to have anything to do with it. They don't believe
on Him. They don't believe He's the Messiah.
They are still waiting for the Messiah to come the first time.
They don't acknowledge Him. He's nothing to them. He's nothing
to them. His own. He came unto His own.
The Jews of the tribe of Judah. The Lion of the tribe of Judah.
He's nothing to them. But turn to Romans 11. Verse 1 says, I say then, after
saying all that, I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid. You say, well, he's
talking about his spiritual people, his elect people. No doubt about
it. Amen. Absolutely he is. That's
who he's talking about. But they are made up of Jew elect
and Gentile elect. And in Romans 10, he was talking
about God's favor to the Gentiles. And in Romans 11, he's gonna
talk about God's favor to the Jews. And in verse one, Paul
said, I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid,
for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe
of Benjamin. He said, I'm a Jew and he saved
me. In verse 5, He said, Even so
then at this present time also there is a remnant according
to the election of grace. That's the glorious news of God's
Word. Right now, God still has a remnant
according to His election of grace. He still has a people. Jew and Gentile, Gentile and
Jew. God still has a people. It doesn't
matter what we are. He keeps saying there's no difference.
There's no difference. We all come from the same lump.
Doesn't matter whether we're Gentile or Jew. If we belong
to him, we're brethren. We're brethren. So as our Lord
said to his Jewish disciples, He said, don't hold back. Don't
be afraid. He told Paul in Acts 18, don't
you be afraid? You speak it out. You go unto
all the world and preach the gospel. He told the Jews, don't
forget about the Gentiles. You go to all the world and you
preach the gospel. May that same command ring loud
and clear in our ears right now, in our hearts right now. May
God give us a heart to go preach His gospel to all the world,
Gentile and Jew. Don't forget about the Jew. Somebody
says, well, I'm a Jew. Doesn't mean anything to me. Let me tell you who Christ is.
Let me tell you the only hope of salvation. I'm not here for predictions.
I'm not here for prophecy. So my answer is, who knows? Who
knows? Who knows what God's going to
be pleased to do? Only God knows. But there may be a revival coming
in this lifetime or a thousand years from now. Who knows? But
if we see one, I promise it's going to be glorious. If we do
see one, if we see sinners, no matter who they are or where
they come from, If we see them fall to their knees and cry out
for mercy, it's going to be glorious. It really will. We'll wait and
see. All right. You're dismissed. I ran long,
obviously. We'll try to have a quick turnaround.