Would you turn back to Romans
chapter 10? And tonight I'm going to be preaching
from the parable of the unjust steward in Luke chapter 16. And
the title of the message is money. And that's what that's about
money. Romans chapter 10, I pray that
the things of this earth will grow strangely dim this morning
in the light of his glory and his grace. May God grant us that
for Christ's sake. In this 17th verse of Romans
chapter 10, we read of three things of critical primary importance. Faith, hearing, and the Word
of God. That's what I've entitled this
message. Faith, hearing, and the Word of God. There is no
salvation apart from these three things. There's no relationship
with God. There's no walking with God apart
from these three things, faith, hearing, and the word of God. Now I'd like to introduce this
message by making six statements that I know are absolutely true. So you listen to these carefully.
Here's my first statement. I know that God is. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is. That doesn't mean believing in
God. The devil believes in God. He
that cometh to God must believe that he is. That he is who he
says he is. Now, somebody says, I believe
this about God. Well, it doesn't matter what
you or I say we believe about God. That has no bearing at all
on his isness. He said, I am that I am. And what you or I believe about
that has no bearing on who he is. God is. He is as he says
he is in his word. The Lord Jesus said, if you believe
not that I am, you'll die in your sins. Now that's a scary
statement, isn't it? But what a statement. If you
believe not that I am, you'll die in your sins. God is. We believe in the isness
of God, don't we? We believe He is as He says He
is in His Word. We bow to who He is. Now God is. And the second statement
I would like to make that is so absolutely true is God is
holy. God, the living God, the God
of the Bible, is holy. When Isaiah saw the Lord, what
did he see as the seraphims flew around his throne? What did they
say? Holy, holy, holy. Three times. Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God of hosts. The whole earth is full of His
glory. When Moses sees the bush burning,
and he says, I'll go and see this great sight, how the bush
burns and is not consumed. And he turned aside to see that
sight. And the Lord said, draw not nigh hither, Moses. Don't
stand back. The place you stand is holy ground. Take your shoes off your feet.
God is holy. Now, being a couple of men, we're
talking back at the study, well, what's that mean? It means he's not like me and you.
He's other. He's holy. immaculate in holiness. His love is a holy love. His
power is a holy power. His sovereignty is a holy sovereignty. His love is a holy love. His grace is a holy grace. God
is holy. His wisdom is a holy wisdom. His immutability is a holy immutability. God is and God is holy. Third thing I know beyond the
shadow of a doubt that you and I, by nature, are unholy, sinful
men and women. Genesis chapter 6 verse 5 says,
And God saw. And remember, how God sees things
is how they are. And God saw. that the wickedness
of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Now, when God looks at your heart,
when God looks at my heart, and he sees the thoughts, the imaginations
that pass through the heart, not even talking about the works
right now, not even talking about the deeds, just talking about
the thoughts of the imaginations of the heart, here's God's testimony.
It's only evil non-stop. Listen to this scripture from
Romans chapter 3 verse 10. This is God's testimony. There
is none righteous, no not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after
God. They have all gone out of the
way. They are together become unprofitable. There's none that doeth good. No, not one. God is, God is holy. Me and you, by nature, choice,
and practice are unholy, sinful. Man at his best state, the scripture
says, is altogether vanity. David said in Psalm 62, surely
men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree, the uppity
ups, are a lie. To be laid in the balance, they
are altogether lighter than vanity. That's God's testimony. People
talk about powerful men, but no such thing. Power belongs
unto the Lord. Now, Because God is. Because God is holy. And because
man is sinful. This is the fourth statement
I want to make and I'm dead sure of this. Because of who God is
and because of who man is, salvation by works is altogether impossible. Altogether impossible. What is meant by salvation by
works, that means salvation being dependent upon conditioned upon,
contingent upon anything near you have to do first. I will
not be saved unless I first do this. Now that makes salvation
God's response to something I do, doesn't it? Because of the sinful state you
and I are in and because of the character of this holy God, salvation
by works is impossible. If any part of salvation is dependent
upon me first doing something, I will not be saved. I think
of when that rich young ruler came to the Lord and he said,
good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And
he said, well, you know the law. And he gave the commandments.
He said, all these have I kept from my youth up. Now this was a fine
man. He could say, I really think
I've kept these commandments. Not many people could talk like
that. And the Lord said, yet you're lacking one thing. You
go and sell everything you have and give it to the poor. And
you'll have treasures in heaven. Come and follow me. And he went
away sorrowful. And the disciples, this is the
cream of the crop. If this man can't be saved, who
then can be saved? What was the answer? With men. What? It is impossible. If salvation in any way to any
degree is dependent upon me first doing something before God will
do something for me, I will not be saved. And neither will you. But here's the fifth thing I'd
like to say, and I'm so thankful I can say this. I know this. God is merciful, and he will
save a people. He delights in showing mercy. It's his very nature to love
and to forgive sins. That's His nature. That's who
He is. Listen to this scripture from Exodus 34. He said, The
Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering
and abundant in goodness and in truth, keeping mercy for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. That's who He is. He
forgives sin. Now I'm talking about how no
one can be saved by their works. That doesn't mean we're all together
without hope or help. God saves. He delights in mercy. That's the character of our God. Your sinfulness, my sinfulness,
cannot prevent Him from saving me." Aren't you happy about that? This is the very nature of God. And God will do, here's the sixth
statement, God will do all of this through faith. Now turn
with me to John chapter 3 for a moment. God is. God is holy. Me and you, we're sinful. That's
the testimony of Scripture. Salvation by works is impossible,
but that doesn't mean there's not such a thing as salvation.
He delights in saving, and this salvation that I'm speaking of
comes through faith. Whatever faith is, it comes through
faith. Now look here in John 3, beginning in verse 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal
life. 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. For God sent not his son
into the world to condemn the world. The world was already
condemned, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not
condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because
he has not believed in the name. of the only begotten Son of God. Look in verse 36 of the same
chapter. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall
not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. I think of
the words of the Philippian jailer in Acts chapter 16. Serves what
best I do to be saved. And I love this answer. believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Mark chapter 16, verses 15 and
16. Our Lord gives us these words,
go and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and
is baptized. shall be saved, and he that believeth
not shall be damned. He said to that woman who was
a sinner, go in peace. Thy faith hath saved thee. Go in peace. And you can go in
peace this morning. Go in peace. Thy faith hath saved
thee. Oh, I want to be in that number.
Faith, hearing, and the Word of God. Now, we have to begin
with the Word of God. There's no hearing without something
to hear. There's no believing without
something to believe. We have to begin with the word
of God. Now, there are two words generally
translated in the New Testament word. There are only two words.
There's the logos. In the beginning was the word
that's spoken of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the word. He is
the concept, as it were. He is the expression. When God
speaks, here's what he has to say. My word, Christ. Christ is the word of God, the
logos. And the other word is rhema. It's the word spoken. It's the
word uttered. When the word logos, the word
of God, when he speaks, it's the rhema. It's the very words
of God that come out of his mouth. Now I have to have the word of
God. I have to have the words of God. This is what we hear when we
hear. This is what we believe when
we believe. Now, before there can be faith,
there must first be the word of God. Would you turn with me
to 1 Peter 1. Verse 23. being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible by the word, the logos of God, which
liveth and abideth forever for all flesh is as grass. Now hold your finger there and
turn back to where this is quoted from in Isaiah chapter 40. Hold
your finger there in first Peter one and turn to Isaiah chapter
40. Verse six, the voice said, cry. And I said, what shall I cry?
Well, here's the answer. All flesh. All flesh. Black flesh, white flesh, red
flesh, rich flesh, poor flesh, smart flesh, dumb flesh, whatever
kind of flesh it is. All flesh, this is what God says
to cry. Cry, what should I cry? All flesh,
my flesh and your flesh is as grass. What do you say next? And all
the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field, the
grass withers, the flower fades because the spirit of the Lord
blows upon it. Surely the people is grass, the
grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall
stand forever. What is it that will stand? The
word of God. If I'm going to stand, I'm going
to have to be found in Him, aren't I? Now turn back to 1 Peter. Being born again, verse 23, 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 as the flower of grass. The grass withers,
the flower thereof falls away, but the Word, and here it's the
rhema, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. And this is
the Word, this is the Word that's actually spoken, which by the
Gospel is preached unto you. This is the message of evangelism.
All flesh is grass, And the only thing that stands before God
is the Word of God. And the only way I'm going to
be standing before God is if I'm found in Him. The Word. James 1.18 says, Of His own will
begat He us through the Word of truth. Turn with me to John
6 for a moment. John chapter 6. Now the Lord, I guess, The longest
sermon we have on record of him preaching in the New Testament
is here in John chapter 6. And at the conclusion of this
message, we read, beginning in verse 59, these things said he
in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum, many therefore,
verse 60, of his disciples, when they had heard, they heard what
he said, they said, this is a hard saying. That word means harsh,
austere, dried up. That's what the word means. It's
actually translated austere and dry. This is harsh. Who can be expected to listen
to such teaching as this? This is a hard saying. Who can
hear it? Now what was it he said? In this message, he gave clearly
what we would call the doctrine of grace. The five points. I mean, it's just brought out
as clear as it can be. Look in verse 44. No man can
come to me except the Father which has sent me drawing. Inability. Total and complete depravity. You can't even come to Christ
unless He causes you to. You believe that? Look in verse
37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. There's election. Divine election. The Father giving the Son of
people. He says they'll all come to me. And him that comes to me I will
in no wise cast out. Look down in verse 39. And this
is the Father's will which is sent me, that of all which he
hath given me I should lose nothing. There's Christ's effectual work
of redemption for the elect. Every single one of them will
be saved. Look in verse 45. It's written in the prophets.
And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that
hath heard and hath learned of the Father comes to me. There's
irresistible grace. Invincible, irresistible grace. All that hear of the Father.
They come to me. Every single one of them. Look
in verse 51. I am the living bread which came
down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread,
he shall live forever. There's perseverance and preservation.
He shall live forever. The Lord brought out clearly
the way of salvation by grace. Now, how did they respond? Verse
59. These things said he in the synagogue,
as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples,
when they'd heard, said, this is a hard saying. This is austere. This is disagreeable. Who can
hear it? When Jesus, knowing himself and
his disciples, murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this
offend you? Are you offended by this? Well,
obviously there were. What if you shall see the Son
of Man and stand up where he was before? I know what he's
saying when he makes that statement. He said, If you're offended now,
You'll really be offended then when you see me sitting at the
right hand of the Father in absolute control and your eternal destiny
in my hands. You're offended now? You'll really
be offended then. Look what he says in verse 63.
It's the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profits nothing. Remember all flesh is grass.
The words These words that you're finding harsh and unagreeable
and hard, the words that I speak unto you, they're spirit and
they are life. But there are some of you that
believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were that believed not and who should betray him. And
he said, therefore said I unto you that no man can come to me,
except it were given unto him of my father. These people were
not believing. He said, here's how come? You
can't. You're unable to unless God gives
you the grace to do it. That's the only way you can come.
And look what verse 66 says. From that time, many of his disciples
went back and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the 12, these people are walking away
to never come back again. And he doesn't ask them to return. He doesn't say, let me restate
this and see if you can receive it any easier. He doesn't say
anything like that. He says, will you also go away? Now here's the point. If you
can, you will. But how did the disciples answer
this? I love this answer. Then Simon Peter answered him,
Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. These words that they were finding
to be harsh saying, We find them to be words of eternal life,
and we believe and are sure. What? What is it you believe
and are sure of? That thou art that Christ, the
Son of the Living God. And you know what? I believe
and I'm sure that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and
we believe His Word. Will you also go away? I don't
know where to go. It's not like I even have a choice. Now, if
you have a choice, you can go in hearing the truth of the Gospel.
If you can say, well, I can leave. You will. you will. But to a
believer, they have no choice, do they? We don't choose to believe. Don't you know that so? We don't
choose to believe. We believe because we have no
choice. It's the truth. We believe God's
truth. Not only Must there be the word
of God to have faith, but there must be hearing. Now we've been
talking about the word of God. Now I want to talk for a few
moments about hearing. Hearing. Faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. How shall they believe on him
in whom they've not heard? You're there in John 6, turn
back to John chapter 5. Verse 24, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that
sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. On six different occasions, and
Rich just read one of them, the Lord said, He that hath ears
to hear, let him hear. Not everybody has ears to hear.
Lord, give me these ears to hear, whatever that means. Give me
ears to hear so I can be like these dead people who hear the
voice of the Son of God and live how I need these ears to hear. Look in John chapter 8, verse
43. The Lord says to these people,
why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot. You lack the ability to hear
my word. You are of your father the devil,
and the lust of your father you'll do. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and he abode not in the truth, because there's no
truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own,
for he's a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you
the truth, you believe me not. Which of you convinces me of
sin? And if I say the truth, why do you not believe me? He
that is of God heareth God's words. You therefore hear them
not, because you're not of God. Then answered the Jews and said,
say we not, well, that thou art Samaritan, has the devil your
demon possessed? Talking like that is what they say to the
Lord. Now I hear his voice. When I'm not just hearing the
words of some man up there talking, given his opinion and his religious
views and his interpretation of the scripture. I hear his
voice when I know what I'm hearing is the very Word of God. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter
2, verse 13. For this cause also
thank we God without ceasing, because when you receive the
Word of God which you heard of us, you received it, not as the
Word of men, not as Paul's take on things, but as it is in truth,
the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. Ananias came to Paul When Paul
was blinded, and he said, the God of our fathers hath chosen
thee, that thou shouldst know his will. Now, beloved, that
doesn't mean you'll know his will about what I ought to do
about this situation. You may, you may not. I don't know. I
never know for sure until after the fact. Somebody says, I know
it's God's will for me to do this. Well, that's just talk.
Let's just talk. I never know His will in that
sense. I asked Him to order my steps
in His Word, but I know His will in this sense. I know it's His
will for everyone who believes on Christ to be saved. I know
that. I know it's His will that everybody
that Christ died for, everybody that He elected, everybody that
God the Holy Spirit calls must be saved. I know the will of
God in redemption. I know it. and see that just one. That's
what he said to Paul. The God of our fathers hath chosen
thee to know his will and see that just one. There's just one,
just one. And he's the way that God can
be just and justify somebody like me. We see that. And hear
the voice of his mouth. And if you and I have ever heard
We have heard the voice of His mouth in the preaching of the
gospel. That's what hearing is. Is it any wonder the Lord said in
Mark 4 24, take heed what you hear? Take heed what you hear. You will be what you hear. You
can just write that down. So take heed what you hear. If
you hear that which is contrary to the gospel, you'll believe
that which is contrary to the gospel. That's what you're hearing. Take
heed what you hear. That's a needful exhortation. And he also said in Luke 8, 818, take heed how you hear. Take
heed how you hear. Let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak. Slow to contradict. Slow to wrath. Oh, may God make me to be a true
hearer of the word. Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth. Now, the first must be the word
of God. I mean, God's word, the gospel. And there's got to be
a hearing of God's word. You can't believe something you've
never heard. And then there's faith. Faith. Not only must there be
the word, not only must there be hearing, but the faith comes
from the hearing. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing
by the word of God. And then we have the faith. The
hearing is believing, believing the gospel. I hear, I hear. Abraham, look at the stars. So shall thy seed be. You know what Abraham did? He believed what he heard. With
no evidence other than God's naked word, he believed what
he heard. He had faith. It really is that simple. There's
the word of God, there's hearing, and there is faith. Turn with me to Acts chapter
16. Verse 14. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, She was evidently a wealthy businesswoman
of the city of Thyatira. She came from a place where Paul
was forbidden to preach, but here she is at Philippi, which
worshiped God, heard us. Paul had been preaching the gospel,
verse 13, look back, and on the Sabbath day, we went out of the
city by Riverside, where prayer was wont to be made, and we sat
down and spake unto the women which resorted thither. They
weren't in the synagogue, and Lydie was there, and she heard us, whose heart the Lord opened. I pray that happens even right
now. Whose heart the Lord opened. Now the only way you and I will
be enabled to hear is if God opens our heart. Now if my response
is, therefore I don't need to worry about it because I can't
hear until God opens my heart, you haven't heard. If you ever
really hear, you'll be crying, Lord open my heart. opened my
heart, whose heart the Lord opened so that she attended unto the
things which were spoken of Paul." Oh, how she attended. And when she was baptized, and
her household, she besought us saying, if you judge me faithful,
she believed, to the Lord, come into my house and abide there.
and she constrained him. So she heard the word. The Lord
opened her heart so that she attended. She laid hold upon
what was said. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. I'm going to lay hold upon that.
That's my hope that he came to say, I hear that. Now, the only
way I hear that is if God opens my heart. But I hear that and
I'm completely relying on the gospel. Look in verse 27. Verse 19 of the same chapter.
And when her master saw that their hopes of gains were gone,
they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace,
unto the rulers, and brought them to the magistrates, saying,
These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and teach customs
which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe,
being Romans. And the multitude rose up against them, and the
magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded them to beat them.
And when they laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into
prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, who having
received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and
made their feet fast in the stalks. And at midnight, Paul and Silas
prayed and sang praises unto God. Don't you love to think
about that? I mean, there they are, beaten
up with a whip, feet in stalks in a filthy inner prison, praying
and singing praises to God. And the prisoners heard them.
And suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations
of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were
opened, and every man's bands were loosed, and the keeper of
the prison Awaking out of his sleep. He didn't hear this singing. He was just asleep. And the keeper
of the prison, awaking out of his sleep, and seeing that the
prison doors opened, he drew out a sword and would have killed
himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried
with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm. We're all here.
Then he called for a light. Oh, I need light. And he sprang
in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and
brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. And thou shalt be saved. Believe. Rely on the Lord. Do you believe he's the Lord?
That's the first question I want. Do you believe he's the Lord?
Do you believe he's Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior? Do you
believe that? The pastor called his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. Do you believe
it's the Christ? Whoso believeth that Jesus is
the Christ is born of God. Do you believe he's God's prophet?
The very word of God. Do you believe he's God's priest?
That if he brings you into God's presence, you must be accepted.
Do you believe he's God's king? The king of kings and the Lord
of lords. Do you believe? Thou shalt be saved. Go on reading. Verse 32, And
they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that
were in his house. They heard the gospel, and he
took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes,
and was baptized, he in all his straight way. And when he brought
them into his house, he said, Meet before them and rejoice,
believing in God. I love that, believing in God.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt be saved. You know
what he did? He believed in God. One final scripture. Turn with
me to John chapter 6. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing
by the word of God. Now I first have the word of
God, the gospel. There's hearing. There's got to be something to
hear. And there's faith. In John chapter 6, the Lord says, in verse 25, and
when the people had found him on the other side of the sea,
they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? Jesus answered
them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek me not
because you saw the miracles, not because of some conviction
of who I am, but because you did eat of the loaves and were
filled. That's the reason you're seeking me. You want another
free meal. Now labor not for the meat which
perishes, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life,
which the Son of Man shall give unto you. For him hath God the
Father sealed." Now, I love this. The Lord's talking to these people,
and He knows these people are going to leave Him. He knows
exactly what they're going to do, but yet He says to these
people, don't labor for meat that perishes, but for the meat
which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall
what? Give unto you. For him hath God the Father sealed. Verse 28, they heard this stuff
about laboring and laboring not, and they said unto him, what
shall we do that we might work the works of God? We want to
do this laboring. Jesus answered and said unto
them, this is thee. work of God, that you believe on him whom
he hath sent. Now this is the work of God,
that you believe rely, trust on him whom he hath sent. Him whom he hath sent. Do you believe God sent him into
this world? Do you believe that he did whatever
it was God sent him to do? When he said it is finished,
what God sent him to do was finished. And you believe on him. This
is the work of God. that you believe on him whom
he has sent. Now there's the three critical
things. The word of God, hearing, and faith. And may this describe me and
you. Somebody that believes on him
whom he has sent. Now, if you believe on Him, everything's
going to be fine. It's all going to be worked out.
You can rest in that. May God give us all this saving
faith. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing
by the Word of God. Let's pray together.