Nehemiah chapter 9. Nehemiah
chapter 9. This morning we read and studied
about our God who is able. Our God who is able. He's able
to do that which is impossible for us to save our eternal souls. We cannot save our souls, we
cannot save ourselves by our own works, but the Lord Jesus
Christ is able to save His people from their sins, and He has.
And all who come to Him, He saves, and He saves. He is the mighty,
mighty Redeemer. Tonight we're going to look at
a God ready to pardon, a God ready to pardon. Nehemiah 9,
we're starting in verse 16. But they and our fathers dwelt
proudly and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,
and refused to obey. Verse 17. Neither were mindful
of thy wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their
necks in their rebellion, appointed a captain to return to their
bondage. All of us left in our natural state would have done
the same thing. They appointed a captain to return
to their bondage, but thou art a God, ready to pardon. Gracious and merciful, slow to
anger, and of great kindness, and forsook them not." Oh, the
long-suffering of our great God. The long-suffering of our King. They cried out. They wanted to
return to Egypt. They quarreled with God's sovereignty.
They quarreled with God's sovereignty. They quarreled with His wondrous
works. God would have been just to destroy them. We were talking this week. And
if there was no election, no one would be saved. No one. God would be just to send everyone
to hell. But God, oh, our God is long-suffering. Long-suffering towards His people. The Israelites did not get what
they deserved. And we who are the redeemed of Christ don't
get what we deserve. We've obtained mercy. Mercy. What a great God. And then Scripture
goes on, verse 18, "...when they had made them a molten calf,
and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt,
and had wrought great provocations." They made a molten calf. They
bowed down before it. even though God had done many
wonders in their midst. Scripture goes on, Yet thou and
thy manifold mercies, all the mercies of God and Christ, forsook
them not in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud departed
not from them by day to lead them in the way, neither the
pillar of fire by night to show them light in the way wherein
they should go. Does this not show us right here
the long-suffering of our great God? They're shaking their fists
at him. He's doing incredible things.
They're shaking their fists at him. Oh, the long-suffering of
God. The long-suffering of God towards
his people. And every one of us say amen,
because we were there. And in verse 20, Thou givest
also Thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldst not Thy
manna from their mouth, and givest them water for thirst. And here's
where our text is found in verse 17 too. And refused to obey,
neither were mindful of Thy wonders that Thou didst among them, but
hardened their necks. In the rebellion appointed a
captain to return to their bondage, but Thou art a God ready to pardon.
Our God is a God who is ready to pardon. Gracious and merciful. Oh, He's full of grace. He's
full of mercy. Gracious and merciful. Slow to
anger and of a great kindness and forsook them not. The God
of the Bible shows mercy and He pardons guilty sinners. Guilty sinners. He gives grace
to guilty, bankrupt sinners. He's a God ready to pardon. Now,
He'll not pardon the self-righteous. We saw that this morning, didn't
we? The self-righteous have no need for the physician, do they?
They see no need for God. They see no need for Christ.
But remember, he was with publicans and sinners. Oh, praise God. He'll not pardon the self-righteous.
They see no need for healing, as they think they're already
saved by their works, or by their standing, or by who they are.
But they will perish in their sins, lost, and wake up in hell. Doom awaits the self-righteous
sinner if God leaves him where he is. If God leaves him where
he is. Mark chapter 2 says this, When
Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have
no need of a physician, but they that are sick. Right? I came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance. Mark chapter 2 verse 17. Are
you a sinner? Everyone God saves has been shown
that they're a sinner. God saves sinners. He saves sinners. Our God has not left us to guess
about his character, but he's revealed himself through the
scriptures to us. And he must reveal himself or
we'll never know him. We looked at this verse this
morning, and I'll go over it again. And she shall bring forth a son.
Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall, he shall save his
people from their sins. You could read that scripture
to me. You could read that scripture to me over and over and over
and over again. That's balm. That's comfort for
the sinner's heart. He shall, which means he's accomplished
it, save his people from their sins. Oh, that's good news for
sinners. That's good news for sinners.
The question is, are you a sinner? Because God must reveal to you
that you're a sinner. Our God is a holy God. The God
of the Bible is a holy, holy God. He's righteous. He's majestic. He's sovereign. He's holy. David spoke of Him
and said, Thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive, and plenteous
in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. Have you called upon
God? We who are saved are just saved
sinners who said, God, have mercy upon me, the sinner. The problem
is folks don't think they're sinners. But every one of us
is born into this world dead in trespasses and sins. We're
sinners. We need pardon. We need a pardon. We need mercy. And God is plenteous
in mercy. Plenteous in mercy, what comfort
for guilty sinners. And we see his long-suffering
in the text with Israel, right? He was long-suffering with them.
They kept shaking their fists. He's doing wondrous works. And they're rebelling. Well,
what sinners we are. And we rebel, right? Oh, but God is merciful to His
people, isn't He, in Christ? They didn't get what they deserved.
And those in Christ don't get what they deserve. We get pardon. God's dealing with Israel in
the Old Testament is a picture of how He deals with spiritual
Israel, which is His elect. Think on this, beloved. Who made
Israel to differ in the Old Testament? Out of all those nations of the
world, who chose them? God. It's a picture of him choosing
his people. See, folks get mad about election,
and they shake their fist about election, but God was a choosing
God in the Old Testament. Why would we think he'd change? God doesn't change. God is God. He can do whatever
he pleases. And then the scripture comes
to us, the question comes to us, we who believe, who made
thee to differ from another? Only God. Who made me to differ
from my two brothers who aren't saved, who have no interest in
the gospel? God? Only God? Only God in Christ? And if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory? We have nowhere to glory, do
we? Except in Christ. Except in Christ. Why dost thou glory as if thou
hadst not received it? So who made us to differ? We
who are believers. Who made us to differ from our
family members? from our friends, from the people we work with,
who made us to differ? God. He's the only one. He's made us to differ. We didn't
better ourselves because we're sinners. We can't make ourselves
better. Remember, we're unable. We're unable to save ourselves.
Folks like to reform their lives and all that, and it's good to
be moral, and we need to be that way, but that doesn't gain any
merit and favor with God. And if God saves you, your life
will change. It'll change. You'll hate the
things that you once loved. And the things that you once
hated, you'll love them. It's incredible. We are no more deserving of salvation
than anyone else, but yet God has mercy on His people, and
He pardons His people in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are no
better than anyone else. It's only God who's made us to
differ. And if people think that we think that we're better than
them, they don't know people who love Christ then. Now, religious
people think that they're better than everyone else, and they're
flaunted, and they're saying, I know, because I used to be
a religious Pharisee. But since the Lord showed me
grace, When I see someone do something, I think, there go
I, but for the grace of God. We're capable of horrible things,
but God's restraining grace keeps us. He's a great God. We receive pardon. Now, I ask
you, was Israel more deserving than any of the other nations?
No, but God chose them, didn't he? He chose to bestow upon them
favor over all the other nations. And so we who are believers are
no more deserving than Israel of the mercy which we've received
in Christ Jesus our Lord. What do we receive? We receive
pardon, forgiveness for not just one of our sins, but all of them. All of them. redeemed, purchased
by the blood of Christ. Our sins are paid for. We can't
pay for one, but all our sins are paid for by the sacrifice
of Christ for we who believe. Justified. We can stand in the
presence of God made righteous by Christ. by His righteousness,
and it's all undeserved. It's all the pure mercy of God. So who made us to differ? Only
God. Only God in Christ. Turn, if
you would, to Romans 3. God is pleased to choose to justify
and to pardon His elect in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.
There's no other way for us to be pardoned. But yet man keeps trying to self-justify
themselves before a holy and righteous God,
and it's impossible for them to do that. But the believer finds pardon
and redemption in and through Christ Jesus our Lord. It's nowhere
else. Look at Romans 3, verse 21-26. But now the righteousness of
God, look at this, without the law is manifested. Where is it
manifested? In Christ. Being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe. See, if you don't believe, you're
not clothed in the righteousness of Christ, you're clothed in
your own self-righteousness. But believers are clothed in
the righteousness of Christ. For there is no difference. For
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There's
the level playing field. Right? Everyone's sinners. So folks who say, you know, well,
you Christians, you think you're older than now. No, no, we're
just like you. We're worse, probably. We're
all a bunch of sinners. We've just had revealed to us
what we are and who Christ is. And we fled to Him. Being justified,
look at this, freely by His grace. We're justified freely by the
grace of God in Christ. Through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, by the shedding of His own precious blood. Remember,
He sacrificed Himself for the sins of His people. whom God
set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to
declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are
passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at
this time, His righteousness, that He might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." His holy law must
be satisfied, right? He must be a just God, right? Christ is the justifier. We who believe are justified
in Christ because of what He's done. He lived the perfect life
before God's law. He died before God's law and
justice in the room and place of His people, sinners. So we're looking at God's readiness
to pardon His people in Scripture. Turn, if you would, to Ephesians
chapter 3. God's readiness to pardon His people is seen in
His eternal purpose. Now think of this, the God of
the Bible doesn't do, He's not a reactionary God. Remember we
looked at that this morning? He doesn't react to the things
of the world, and the people of the world. He's a God who
does things on purpose. On purpose. Nothing is left to
chance. Nothing. He's a God who has purposed
the salvation of His people, His elect, in Christ Jesus. And
this purpose is eternal. It's eternal. Our great God and King is eternal.
Right? God's eternal. Therefore, His
purposes are eternal. His decrees are eternal. You know, the way some religious
folks talk about God, He's not even God. Our God is God. He's eternal. Look at Ephesians
chapter 3 verses 8 to 12. Unto me who am the least of all
saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles
the unsearchable riches of Christ. Oh, Paul says he's the least
of all saints. And this grace is given, what
a privilege to preach the gospel. But look what he preaches, the
unsearchable riches of Christ. You can't mine it out. You can't
plumb the depths of this mercy. And to make all men see what
is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the
world hath been hidden God, who created all things by Jesus Christ,
to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers and
heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom
of God." So He reveals to us that might be known by the church,
by His elect, by His called-out ecclesia, His called-out assembly,
His called-out people, the manifold wisdom of God. According to the
eternal purpose. Oh, God has an eternal purpose.
And His readiness to pardon is seen in His eternal purpose.
According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus
our Lord, our salvation is purposed in Christ. In Christ. In whom we have boldness and
access with confidence by the faith of Him. God is a God of
mercy. He delights to pardon guilty,
ruined sinners in Christ. And He will pardon the sinner
nowhere else but in Christ. Nowhere else. And He has purposed
it from eternity. According to the eternal purpose
which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
earth. He lived the perfect life for his people. He died the sinner's
substitute. He was buried and he rose again.
And he's now seated at the right hand of God. And all this was
according to God's eternal purpose. See, he didn't react to the fall
of Adam. No. He didn't go to Plan B. No. According to the eternal
purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him whose names
are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. Before Adam ever fell, God had
a plan. to redeem His people in Jesus
Christ our Lord. Before there was ever a sinner,
there was a Savior. Before there was ever a sinner,
there was a Savior. Oh, a God ready to pardon. For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive. The Lord Jesus Christ
was the surety, the mediator of the everlasting covenant from
eternity, from eternity. Now the God of peace that bought
again from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd
of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
His death, He shed His blood for the everlasting covenant
to redeem His people from their sins, to redeem the ones who
were given to Him in the everlasting covenant. The next point is, our God's
readiness to pardon His people is seen in His gracious provision.
Turn, if you would, to Galatians chapter 4. His gracious provision. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. God the Father
has provided a Lamb. Behold the Lamb of God. Behold
the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. His son, God's son, God in the
flesh. Galatians chapter 4, look at
this, verses 4 to 7. But when the fullness of time
was come, see God had planned and purposed
for Christ to come into this world. Again, but when the fullness
of time was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman, made
of the law, To redeem them that were under the law. That's His
people. That's the elect of God. Now everyone's under the law,
but He redeemed His people from their sins. To redeem them that
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His
Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. We cry out. The
believer cries out, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God. Through Christ, we have an inheritance because we're
heirs. And it's only in Christ, it's
nowhere else. Our great God gave his only begotten
son. What a gracious provision. His only begotten Son. And now
think of this verse in light of this. That God gave His only
begotten Son. What a gracious provision. And
think of this verse that's been, unfortunately, tore and ripped
out of context. But think of it with this in
mind. With His gracious provision in mind. For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He gave his only begotten Son. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus
Christ, God incarnate in the flesh, came to this world to
die upon the cross. He was on a mission. His face
was set like a flint, steadfast to Jerusalem. I think Brother
John and I were talking a few weeks back about how here he
is, just a little lad, and he's in the temple. I'm about my father's
business. He knew exactly why he was here. And let us remember this. God's
law must be satisfied either in the death of a sinner or in the death of a substitute. God's law will be satisfied one
way or the other in the death of a sinner or in the death of
a substitute. God is a righteous judge, and
his law and justice must be satisfied. And the Lord Jesus Christ has
died in the place of his people. I ask you, is not our God a gracious
God? Has not our God provided a gracious
provision? The Lamb of God sent to die. Sent to die in the place of His people, in
the place of sinners. Turn, if you would, to Ezekiel
18, verse 20. Sent to die in the place of sinners,
in the place of the elect, before God's law and justice. Brother John read, the wages
of sin is death. So our sin demands death. Our
sins were imputed to Christ, and He died in our place. He was perfect and spotless,
but yet we're sinners, aren't we? Sinners to the core. Ezekiel
18.20, The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not
bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear
the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous
shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked upon him. So our
sin demands death. The law must be satisfied, right?
Christ dies in the place of sinners. And think of this. All the sin
of all the elect of all the ages placed upon him, imputed to him. And the sword of God's justice
is plunged into him. Greater love hath no man than
this, than a man lay down his life for his friends. Justice must be satisfied. The
law must be satisfied. And our God took to himself sinless
humanity. Perfect, spotless. Behold the
Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God. Living
as our representative, as our substitute, he perfectly obeyed
the law for us in all its precepts, in all its penalties. The Lord is well pleased for
His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law and make
it honorable, and He did in Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ perfectly
fulfilled the law of God in the place of His people. The law
is so satisfied. The law of God is so satisfied
in Christ. that for those who are redeemed
by Christ, those who trust the Savior, for those that have faith
in Christ, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the spirits. For the law, the spirit of life in Christ, Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God
sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit. Those for whom Christ died, those
for whom trust the Savior, there is therefore now no condemnation
to them. Music to the sinner's ears. Balm to the sinner's hearts. Oh, Jesus Christ, God incarnate
in the flesh, the perfect, sinless Lamb of God, dies on the cross for His people, who being in
the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of man. And found in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above everything. with salvation only in Jesus
Christ. God's gracious provision. We see God's readiness to pardon
in His gracious provision. He provided the perfect sacrifice,
the perfect substitute for sinners. We see God's readiness to pardon
also. To pardon His people is seen
in His satisfying propitiation. Turn if you would to 1 John chapter
4. His satisfying propitiation. A big word that theologians like
to use. Propitiation. It means atoning
sacrifice. Atoning sacrifice. Sin offering. Propitiation. Expiation. One
who makes propitiation. 1 John 4, 9-11. He's the sin offering. The Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 4, 9-11. And this was manifest,
the love of God, remember? We saw the word manifest earlier.
Again, here. God's love is manifested to His
people. manifested the love of God toward
us because that God sent his only begotten son into the world,
the gracious provision that we might live through him here in
his love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent
his son to be a propitiation for our sins. Remember the eternal
plan, the eternal covenant? The eternal decree. Beloved,
if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. But
here in His love, not that we love God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Remember, He's
perfect, spotless, the Lamb of God. God's love was manifested
to His people by Jesus Christ our Lord coming into this world
and dying on the cross. It's love manifested. God. The eternal God. The one who spoke every, spoke
the world and the stars into existence. God. Not a peanut God of man's imagination. But the God of the Bible, the
sovereign, almighty God, became a man and died in the
place of sinners. What condescension. He left the
throne of glory. He came to this world and was
spit upon, beaten. He came to redeem His people
from their sins. And I declare to you, He was
successful. And He's seated at the right
hand of God. What a great God. For verily He took not on Him
the nature of angels, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. behooved him to be made like
unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful, O God, is full
of mercy, and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that
he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to secure
them that are tempted. Hebrews chapter 2 verses 16 to
18. Merciful and faithful high priests
pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. How can God be just and yet justify
the ungodly? How can He be a just God and
a Savior? This is a vital question of the
hour. Nobody's asking. Folks are going
to church, different churches, and they're not hearing. about
Christ, they're hearing how to fix themselves. Do this. Do that. Just try harder. I'm right there with you. I know
because I was in all that stuff. But the sinner's only need is
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's it. That's it. That's our one need. And we desperately
need Christ. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He shall put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin, propitiation. He shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
his hand. And it has. It has. When did this happen? At Calvary's
Cross, when the Lord Jesus Christ died in the place of sinners.
He died in the place of his people, the great substitute, the peacemaker. On Calvary's Cross, the Lord
Jesus Christ died, bearing the sin of his people, which was
imputed to him. He suffered in their place before
God's law, before God's justice, the perfect, spotless, sinless
Lamb of God. The just one dying for the unjust. He might bring us to God. Because
we can't bring ourselves to God. We saw that this morning. We're
not able. But He is able, beloved. He is able, sinner friend. He
is able. For Christ also hath once suffered
for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
What a mighty Savior. What a mighty Savior. God's law and justice is satisfied
in Christ. It's honored by the great peacemaker.
Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. Is that
not our cry? That's the sinner's cry, isn't
it? Psalm 85, 7. Show us thy mercy,
O Lord. Show us thy mercy. and grant
us Thy salvation. He must grant it. And His people
say, Amen, Amen. That's what He's done for me.
He showed me mercy. And He's granted me salvation.
Oh, what a great God. I will hear what God the Lord
will speak, for He will speak peace unto His people. Peace. and to His saints, but let them
not turn again to folly. He has spoken peace to His people.
Turn, if you would, to Psalm 85. Psalm 85. Psalm 85, verses 8 to 10. Psalm 85. All will hear what
God the Lord will speak. Verse 8. For He will speak peace
unto His people. And beloved, He has in Christ.
He has in Christ. And to His saints, but let them
not turn again to folly. Surely His salvation is nigh. Them that fear Him, that glory
may dwell in our land. Look at this. Mercy and truth
are met together. They're met together. Mercy and
truth. Where at Calvary's cross, the
sacrifice of Christ. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. Where? At the cross. At the sacrifice of Christ. Our
great God is a God who pardons his people by the sacrifice of
the Lord Jesus Christ in their place. Oh, I ask you. Is this not a marvelous salvation?
Is this not a wondrous salvation? Is this not amazing grace? Oh, what a salvation we have
in Christ. Turn, if you would, to Micah chapter 7. Oh, what
a salvation we have in Christ. Oh, may we leave this place rejoicing
Rejoicing in what Christ has done for us. Micah 7, verses 18-20. And in light of all that we've
read, right? In light of what we've seen this
morning, that God is able, we're not able. In light of what we've
seen tonight, that God is a God ready to pardon. Who is a God like unto thee? Who is a God like unto thee?
See, the God of people's imaginations comes nowhere close to the God
of the Bible. Look what it says. Who is a God
like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passes by the transgression
of the remnant of his heritage? Oh, if you're saved, rejoice.
God has pardoned your iniquity. He retaineth not his anger forever,
because what? Look at this, beloved. He delighteth
in mercy. Oh, there's a nail in the sure
place again, right? God delights in mercy. Mercy. He will turn again. He will have compassion upon
us. He will subdue our iniquities. We saw that this morning, didn't
we? And thou will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea
where they can be found no more. Brother John used to go on the
sea. It's so vast. God casts his people's sins into
the depths of the sea. They can't be found. Oh, it's wonderful. Thou wilt
perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham, which Thou
hast sworn unto our fathers from days of old." Oh, do we not see
our God's readiness to pardon His people in the great propitiation
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the sin offering. And the last point is God's readiness
to pardon His people is seen in preaching the Gospel. Preaching
the Gospel. We must preach Christ and Him
crucified. We must. We must. It's vital. And we must preach it not with
words of wisdom. Turn, if you would, to 1 Corinthians
1. We must preach it not with words of wisdom, but we must
lift Christ up. He is the object of the preaching. Not what the sinner has to do.
Christ. Christ. He must be the object
of the preaching. Because why? He's the object
of our faith. He's the one we look to. We're
told to look outside of ourselves, right? And to look to Christ. He's the one thing that sinners
desperately need. And again, this is why it's vital
that we preach Christ. Look at 1 Corinthians, starting
in chapter 1, verse 17. For Christ sent me not to baptize,
but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom. And remember
who Paul was. He's a very learned man. Not with words of wisdom, lest
the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. Paul tells us here that he's
sent to preach the gospel, not to baptize or not to preach checklist
Christianity, right? But his main commission, his
order from the king, is to preach the gospel, to preach
Christ. To preach the Lord Jesus Christ
crucified, the sinners only substitute. And then look at verse 18. For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.
Just remember where we came from. Remember what the gospel was
to us. Remember how we discounted it as nothing. Now it's precious, isn't it?
Now the one who it speaks of is precious to the believer.
But unto us, which are saved, it is the power of God. The power
of God to we who believe. Look at this. For it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. Where are all these
philosophers that lived in days gone by, dead in the grave? Where's our king? in glory, seated at the right
hand of the Father, in power, in majesty. Oh, for it is written,
I will destroy the wisdom of all eyes and will bring to nothing
the understanding of the prudent. The preaching of the gospel destroys
worldly wisdom. It destroys proud sinners. It does. And then it continues,
where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where are
they? They've perished. Where is the
disputer of this world? Had not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? Look at verse 21. For after that
in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. God uses the preaching of his
gospel. Remember this morning, that lost
sheep? He uses the preaching of his
gospel to draw his sheep back to himself. And they run to the
shepherd. They run to the substitute because
they've been shown they have no ability to come to God. None. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. God uses the preaching
of the gospel to save sinners in His infinite wisdom. He has
devised a very simple means to call out His elect. Would we ever have come up with
this idea? Oh, but it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. And I'll read John chapter 10,
which says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me. And we looked at this this morning.
And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand, God's sheep will
hear the shepherd's voice, how? Through the preaching of the
Gospel. Through the preaching of the Gospel. Through the preaching
of His Word. A.W. Pink said that, that God
uses the preaching of His Gospel to open up the ears of His sheep. Look at Romans chapter 10. Verse 13, for whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord, what? Look at this. It's not
a question, is it? Shall be saved. I love those
little words. That little word, shall, is marvelous
in scripture. Romans 10, verse 13, for whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Not everyone
calls upon the name of the Lord. But those who are made willing,
those who the Holy Spirit regenerates, they call upon the name of the
Lord. And what's the result of that? Shall be saved. How shall
they call on him in whom they've not believed? Now, how do you
know about someone if you've never heard of them? And how shall they believe on,
believe in him of whom they've not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? God's messengers must be sent of God. As it is
written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, the gospel of peace, reconciliation with God,
and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all
obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath
believed our report? And in verse 17, So then faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The Lord Jesus Christ draws his
sheep, draws sinners to himself by the preaching of his word.
Turn, if you would, to 1 Peter, and we're close with this. And
think of this, beloved. God's sheep will hear the shepherd's
voice through the preaching of his word. Wherever his people
are, whoever they are, God will cross their path with the truth
of salvation. Revealed in Jesus Christ by the
Holy Spirit. I once heard a, I think it was
Brother Norm who told me, somebody asked him, what about this guy
on the middle of an island out in the middle of nowhere? And
Norm said, well, if they're one of God's sheep, God'll send a
preacher to them. Oh my. First Peter, chapter one,
verse 23 to 25. Oh, our God is a God ready to
pardon. 1 Peter 1, verse 23-25, Being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of God, which liveth
and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and
all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass withereth,
and the flower thereof falleth away. But the Word of the Lord
endureth forever. And this is the word which by
the gospel is preached unto you. Do you see the importance of
preaching the gospel? It's vital. We must preach Christ
and Him crucified. And Lord willing, the men who
fill this pulpit, the men who we have come and preached, that's
the one thing. Sir, we would see Jesus. Preach
the gospel to us. Preach about the mighty substitute.
Preach about Christ. That's who I want to hear about.
Oh, so we see from scriptures that our God is a God ready to
pardon. Ready to pardon. Ready to pardon. May God grant
you faith to believe.