I was thinking as Isaac was singing that special. Leaning requires no strength in ourself, does it? We simply lean, lean on him. Thank you for that, Isaac.

Over in Luke chapter four, turn there with me for a minute, Luke four. Look beginning with verse 25. Our Lord speaking, he said, I tell you the truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias. When the heaven was shut up three years and six months, great famine was throughout all the land. But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, and to a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elias the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

All the synagogue, when they heard these things, they were filled with wrath. and they rose up, and they thrust him out of the city, and they led him to the brow of a hill, whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. When they heard these things, when they heard these words of our Lord, they were filled with wrath, they were filled with anger. What is it about this gospel that upsets man to that degree. Why is the true gospel offensive to the natural man?

You know, shortly after creation, Adam and Eve, they had two sons. And both of those sons brought an offering to the Lord. Cain brought, he brought the fruit of the ground. And his brother Abel, he brought the firstlings of the flock and the fat thereof. He brought a blood offering. And we read that the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. A clear picture of redemption by the blood. And you know that Cain, he rose up and he slew his brother. He killed his brother over this. He was offended, wasn't he? I ask you, does this gospel, does it offend you? The first human blood, the first record of human blood shed on this earth come down to this. salvation by grace or salvation by works.

In Galatians 5, we just read that, but verse 11 in particular, Paul says, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? And then he said this, then, if I do that, then is the offense of the cross ceased. the offense of the cross. Paul mentions specifically circumcision, but listen, it really involves any other work added to the work, the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You know, the natural man has no problem as long as he can contribute something to salvation. as long as he can do his part. If he could add something, then there would be no offense. Men don't object to Christ being a partial Savior. But when Christ is the total and complete Savior, when we're leaning on Him and Him alone, That's what men deny. That's what offends man.

Why is this message, why is the gospel loved by some and hated by others? We read that to some it's a savor of life. This message, Christ crucified, the Lord Jesus Christ alone is a savor of life. But to others, it's a savor of death. To one, it's life. To the other, it's judgment. To some, it's Christ, the wisdom of God. And to others, it is nothing but foolishness to them.

Scripture says, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness. That word means foolish. It means they're absurd unto him. And neither can he know him because they are spiritually discerned. They must be revealed.

Why did Cain kill his brother? Why did Cain slay Abel? Why did those Men want to toss our Lord over that cliff for telling them the truth. Why is it that men this very day are still offended by this gospel?

Well, just a few points here this morning. One is this, this gospel declares that man is dead. Man is dead in trespasses and sin. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 2. Look at verse 1. And you hath he quickened who were dead, who were what? Who were dead in trespasses and sin. Every man by nature is dead. Dead in trespasses and sin. Separated. Separated from God.

Look down just the page there at verse 12 of Ephesians 2. He says that at that time, you were without Christ. You were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. Strangers from the covenant of promise having no hope and without God in this world. Without God, without Christ, without the Spirit of God, completely deprived of any ability to do anything. That's the root of it. Spiritual death, we trace that all the way back to Adam. When Adam fell, we fell in him.

Scripture says, wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin. Death passed upon all men for that all. That's a small word, isn't it? But it encompasses A great deal. All have sinned. And that sin is passed down from generation to generation. Sometimes we say that about a child, something from their parent. We say they get it honestly, right? Truer words could never be spoken more of our sin. We get it honestly. Passed down.

All have sinned. and come short of the glory of God. Man's fall, it resulted in death. Man wasn't just wounded, he's dead. Man wasn't just a little bit lame, he's totally lame. Again, the result of that fall, death, Passed upon all men. Spiritual death. We can't see God, we can't hear God, we can't love God, we can't know God, we can't serve God. Without hope, without God, without help in this world.

Over in Matthew 11, John was in prison and he sent two of his disciples to the Lord. And they asked. John had heard in prison the works of our Lord. And again, he sent two of those disciples and they asked him, are you that one that should come or should we look for another? And the Lord answered him. And listen to what he said here. He said, you go and show John again those things which you hear in which you've also seen. What were they? Turn there, turn to Matthew 11. What did they hear and what did they see? What was the evidence that this was truly the Lord Jesus Christ? Look at Matthew 11, verse five. These are things that the natural man cannot do. Look at verse 5. The blind receive their sight. The lame walk. Lepers are cleansed. The deaf, those that cannot hear, they now hear. And the dead. The dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Apart from Christ, apart from him we are, we're dead. You, you hath he quickened, you hath he given life. Who are what? Dead, dead in trespasses and sin.

Second, the natural, a man is offended by a God that is sovereign in salvation. We're not real familiar, we think we know what sovereign means. Someone leads and rules, and they say this is how things are gonna be done, and this is how we, listen. Sovereign, there's no debating. There's no arguing. There's no, we'll ask somebody else. A man who's, God who's sovereign declares all things. All things. We just read that in Ephesians 2 and he's sovereign in salvation. You hath he quickened. Who were dead in trespasses and sin. It is God and God alone that gives life. Life can only be found in him. Salvation. This is repeated over and over in Scripture. Salvation is of the Lord. It's of Him. Listen to just a few passages. Just let me read these to you. In John 6, verse 44, it says, No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him. This drawing, it's the giving of life, it's the awakening, the calling of sinners to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit, the Spirit moves. You can't see the Spirit, but it moves on the heart, calling men and women to Christ, those whom He is pleased to call.

And the Spirit of God convicts that person of sin. How is it we can go along about our life for years and years and years and have absolutely no problem with who or what we are and then suddenly, suddenly the Spirit of God acts on the heart and reveals something of our sin to us, convicts us of sin. reveals unto us the Lord Jesus Christ. And when that happens, we come to Him. We flee to Him. Not being pushed or shoved, but come to Him willingly. Come to Him lovingly. Obediently. How is that? We're made willing. Made willing. God is sovereign in the salvation of his people.

Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel to honor and another vessel unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, that he might make known the riches of the glory on the vessels of mercy that he had afore already prepared unto glory? Man has fallen. Just like a, you've held a lump of clay in your hand. That lump of clay has no life in it. A lump of clay can do nothing. We can put a lump of clay up here and we can leave it for years and years and years. It's going to look the same until somebody picks that up and shapes it and molds it and makes it into something. No difference in that lump of clay until it's made, made a vessel of honor.

We're all by nature the children of wrath, all but God. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even. even when we were dead in trespasses and sin. God's Word declares that He loved us, that He quickened us together. He raised us up together. We're seated together in Christ Jesus. How is that? Why is that? the exceeding, exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. We're His workmanship. That's what Scripture declares. We're His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them. made nigh by the blood of Christ who is our peace.

He told Moses, he said, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Mercy. Mercy on whom he'll have mercy and whom he will. Whom He will, He hardeneth." It leaves them, just leave us to ourselves. This gospel declares third, and this offends the natural man, it declares election. Election. That offends the natural man. You know the word elect or election, I looked this up 27 times, 27 times it's used in Scripture. And yet it's so offensive, there are many so-called preachers who, they won't even use the word. They'll avoid, they'll avoid the text. Just skip it all together.

I want you to listen to what this word, I don't know if I've ever looked this word up. The word election. This is how it's translated. It means picked out, chosen, chosen by God, chosen to obtain salvation through Christ. We attended a wedding here recently, and that man, I'm confident of this. He chose his bride and nobody there had any objection to that. How is it? How is it that a man could choose his own bride but denies that God has the same privilege to choose his own bride? Is it unrighteous? Is it unrighteous for God to choose one and pass by another? That's what man says. The natural man says, well, that's just not fair. God says this, can I not do with my own what I will? Who can stay his hand? Who can say unto him, what doest thou? We read this just a minute ago. Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?

Come with me to Romans chapter nine. Romans nine. Look at verse 11 of Romans 9. For the children, being not yet born, neither having done any good or any evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand. Not of works. but of him that calleth." That choice of Jacob as an object of God's mercy was made before those children were ever born, before they'd done any good or any evil. That choice made according to the purpose of Almighty God. That's the foundation, that's the source of all mercy, God's sovereign will. His right to save whom he will.

Fourth, men are offended by effectual redemption. Redemption is effectual. That word effectual, I love this definition. It means it gets the job done. Christ didn't make an effort to redeem his people. He effectually accomplished the redemption of his people by the shedding of his own blood, his precious blood. Redemption is not a shared effort that we take part in. Again, the natural man wants to do his part. The natural man wants to make a contribution. Man wants to be saved on his own terms. We want to set our own terms, don't we? Big problem with that. That kind of thinking means that we think way too much of ourselves and way too little of Almighty God. What do we have to give? What do we have to offer? Would God ever ask man for anything? If he was thirsty, would he ask us? If he was hungry, would he ask us? All things are his. Our best works, the best that we have to offer in the sight of God, they may look good before men. Man can make a big donation and pay for a building or do this or do that, but in the eyes of God, Our best work are filthy rags.

Christ walked the winepress of God's wrath alone. In Psalm 22, the Psalm of the cross, our Lord said this. He said, there was none. There was none to help. Turn to Psalm 50. Psalm 50. Look at verse, beginning with verse 7. You know, in those times when we begin to think a little too highly of ourselves, this would be a good passage to read. He says, Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I'll testify against thee. I'm God, even thy God. I'll not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings to have been continually before me. I'll take no bullock out of thy house. I'll take no goats out of thy fold. For every beast of the forest is mine. The cattle upon a thousand hills, I know all the fowls of the mountains. The wild beast of the field are mine. If I were hungry, if I were hungry, I would not tell thee. For the world is mine and the fullness thereof Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Would you come to Christ? There's one way to come, come empty. Listen to these words, this hymn by Augustus Toplady.

Rock of ages cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from thy wounded side which flowed be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labors of my hands, can fulfill thy law's demands. Could my zeal no respite know? Could my tears forever flow? All for sin could not atone. None of these things could atone. Thou must save, and thou alone. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the Christ of the cross I cling. come to thee for dress. Helpless, look to thee for grace. Foul, I to thy fountain fly. Wash me, Savior, or else I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne. Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.

were redeemed by Christ alone, redeemed by his precious blood. We read that by his own blood, he entered in once to the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Forgiven. Perfectly forgiven. Perpetually forgiven. Permanently forgiven. Forgiven of all sin.

And then the natural man is offended by his irresistible grace. Paul writing to the Galatians, in Galatians 1.15, he said, when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace when it pleased God in his own time. Think about that. He stopped Paul on that road of rebellion. He enlightened him. He got hit with a bright light that blinded him. And he called him. He called him to Christ. And when the Lord did that, you go back and read that, it says that Paul... Paul was a bold man. I just don't really see him fearing anything. He came trembling. The Lord humbled him. He came trembling. And Paul asked this question, Lord, what would you have me to do?

Those that God has set his love upon, those are the objects of his grace, of his affection. His love. He's going to bring them to Himself. He's going to make them willing. God makes His people willing. We're made willing in the day of His power. Now, that doesn't mean there won't be conflict, that there won't be resistance, that there won't be times that we're kicking and screaming. But God's grace is effectual. It's invincible. Could you imagine living back in those days of Paul, thinking could the Lord ever, could the Lord save that man? He did, didn't he? He did. Men are offended by that. Men are offended by His invincible grace. But listen, all whom the Father purposed to save, all whom the Son purchased, all whom the Spirit of God effectually calls, will come to Him. His people are made willing in the day of His power. And they'll say just like Paul, Lord, Lord, what would you have me to do?

Well, quickly, one last point. The natural man is offended by the lordship of Christ. Men want a savior that they can accept, a savior that they can deal with on their own terms. They want a fire escape from hell. They want a baby that they can place in a manger on one day and then pick up and stick up in the attic the next. This world even goes to the point of saying, you need to make him Lord. Is that what he needs you to do? Over in the book, Paul preaching there at Pentecost, he said this, therefore, therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God had made this same Jesus whom you've crucified both Lord and Christ. He doesn't need you to make him Lord, he's Lord by decree. God has made him to be Lord. Jesus Christ is Lord. Lord overall. You know, if you turn on the TV or if you turn on your radio, you'll hear people talking. Open your ears at work. Everybody's talking about Jesus. He's the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel declares that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He's King of kings. He is Lord of lords.

When the Lord asked Peter, he said, whom say ye that I am? Remember what Peter said, thou art the Christ. the Son of the living God. He's the sovereign Lord of lords. He's the sovereign King of kings. He's the Christ who came. He is God over all, blessed forever. Jesus Christ is Lord.

And these truths, these truths offend this world, these truths offend the natural man. We shouldn't be surprised, they have for centuries. This truth has offended folks for centuries.

I ask you, as our Lord asked those disciples, he said, he said, does this offend you? And you know when he asked that, there were some that they didn't follow him anymore. But our Lord asked those that remain. He asked the 12. He said, will you go away? Remember Simon Peter's answer. What was it? He started with this, Lord, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure. The Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

All right. Isaac, come lead us in a closing hymn.