Okay, now back to Romans chapter
10. I'm going to begin by reading
verse 15. How shall they preach? How shall
they preach? Now what is the message of preaching? The message is Christ and Him
crucified. How shall they preach except
they be sent? All those who are called and
sent of God preach the same gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace. and bring glad tidings of good
things." And then that scripture reference that I gave that is
given there in the marginal reference Isaiah 52-7, remember the message
of all those preachers was, to Lord thy God reigneth. Now the Lord our God has wisely
ordained the teaching and the preaching of the gospel of Christ
to the great benefit and blessing to his church. That is to His
elect, to His covenant chosen people. That is why we make much
of the preaching of the Gospel. That is why we make much of the
teaching of the Word, book by book, verse by verse, and word
by word. The Lord has promised to bless
His Word to His people. He said, my word will go where
I send it, and it will not return to me void, and it will prosper
wherever I send my word, Isaiah 55, 11. The Lord has commanded
his church to go into all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. Go into all the world, Mark 16,
and preach the gospel, the gospel of God concerning Christ to every
creature. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we often hear it referred to by others as a simple invitation. Have you heard that before? The
Gospel of Christ is not a simple invitation unto men to accept
Jesus as your personal Savior. You cannot find that word, invitation,
in the Bible, nor can you find that phrase, accept Jesus as
your personal Savior. The command of the Gospel, the
command of the King who is God of all the earth. The command
of the King is not simply to invite men to accept Jesus as
their Savior. The command of the Gospel is
to repent and believe the Gospel of Christ and bow and submit
unto Him who is the Lord our righteousness. Now, let's take
a look at verse 16. But, he says, God sent forth gospel preachers
into all the world to preach the gospel of peace, to preach
the gospel of the good news of the grace of God, mercy to sinners
through Christ, but, verse 16, you see that? Romans 10, 16.
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. That is, they have
not all believed the gospel. And then he quotes here Isaiah
chapter 53 verse 1, who hath believed our preaching or who
hath believed our report. Isaiah has recorded Men left
to their own wicked heart will not believe or obey the gospel
of God. Not left to yourself, you won't.
They will not bow and submit unto the righteousness of God
revealed in Christ. The report of the gospel is true,
is it not? It is a true record. It is a
true gospel. But because of our willful rebellion
against God, sinners will not believe the gospel left to themselves. Because, as we studied in Romans
8 verse 7, where it says, the carnal mind is enmity against
God, For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. The carnal mind will not receive
the things of the Spirit of God." The report of the Gospel is true,
no doubt about that, it is the Word of God. The Word of God
declares the Gospel of God. But because of our willful rebellion
and sin, we will not believe the Gospel left to ourselves. It has to be the work of God,
who hath believed This gospel, those who were called and blessed
by the power of God to hear it, to be born again by the Spirit
of God, whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God, 1 John 5, 1. Now, it's interesting reference
here if you want to turn to John chapter 12, because this same
portion of scripture is given here in John chapter 12. You
look at John chapter 12, verse 35. John 12, 35. Yet a little
while is the light with you. Now we know that the Lord is
that light. Walk while you have the light,
lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness
knoweth not where he goes. While you have the light, believe
in the light, that you may be children of the light. These
things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
Verse 37, But though he had done so many miracles before them,
yet they believed not. Verse 38, That the saying of
Isaiah, the prophet, might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord,
who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm or power
of the Lord revealed. Therefore they could not believe
because Isaiah said again, this is from Isaiah 6 verse 10, and
this is quoted many times in the New Testament. He had blinded
their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see
with their eyes nor understand with their heart, and be converted,
and I should heal them. These things said Isaiah when
he saw His glory, he spake of Him." Believing the gospel is
a miracle because faith is the gift of God. Now, look at verse
17, "'So then,' and here seems to be the conclusion statement
from summing it up from what he says from verse 13, 14, 15,
and 16, "'So then,' So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. I quote this verse all the time
because it's so, so essential. Now what do we know about faith?
Faith is a precious gift of God obtained by the righteousness
of Christ. Faith is the precious gift of
God and the Lord our God gives that precious gift to whom He
will. Faith is the gift of God. Faith comes by hearing the true
report of the gospel of God. Now did you get that? Faith comes
by hearing the true report of the gospel of God concerning
Christ, true faith does not come by listening to the lies of false
preachers. Faith comes by hearing true preaching. True faith is born of right knowledge. One preacher said, God speaks
to the heart through the ear. That's a good statement. God
speaks to the heart to understanding through the ear. You cannot have
true faith while sitting under and listening to a false gospel. You will never learn the truth
by listening to lies. It is the truth, our Lord says,
that will set you free. Faith is the gift of God that
comes to His elect through the means that God has ordained. As many as were ordained to eternal
life believe the gospel. It is pleased God by the preaching
of the gospel to call out His people. So then, faith depends
on hearing, and hearing depends on the Word of God from the Christ
of God. It is essential to hear the Word. And I'm using that with a capital
W. Christ is the Word. Faith depends
on hearing, and hearing depends on the Lord Jesus Christ who
is called the Word of God. It is essential, if you're going
to have this precious gift of faith, of which the Lord said,
without faith no man can please, God, it's essential then to hear
the Word of God and to hear Christ in the Word. Now that's key,
to hear Christ. We sing that song often time
and one line of that song goes, "...in thy book revealed, I see
the Lord Jesus Christ." The Word of God is quick and powerful,
sharper than any two-edged sword, Hebrews chapter 4, then James
chapter 1, we read, "...of his own will beget he us with the
word of truth." We're born again. with the incorruptible word of
God that lives and abides forever, 1 Peter 1. Now, faith is the
precious gift of God, but many have not believed the true report
of God. Now look at verse 18, Romans
10 verse 18, but, here's another but, but I say, had they not
heard I believe this refers to those who had the prophets and
the writings of Moses, the Jewish people of old, Israel of old.
Have they not heard? Oh yes, they had the law and
the prophets. But I say, have they not heard?
Yes, yes they heard. Their sound, that is the sound
of the gospel of God, went into all the earth and their words
unto the ends of the world. Have they, the Jewish nation
of Israel, have they not heard the gospel?" Oh yes, they had
the gospel. We're blessed with it. So, so
many preachers sent to them. Yes, they had the Word of God. Remember, our Lord said to those
people in John chapter 5, you are they which search the Scriptures.
and in them you think you have eternal life, but they are they
which testify of me." They had the law of Moses and the prophets. You remember Peter said in his
testimony in Acts chapter 10, to him, give all the prophets
witness. Every prophet of God tells us
about the gospel of Christ. The law of Moses spoke of the
Lord Jesus Christ. You remember in John, Verse 46,
the Lord said, had you believed Moses, you would have believed
me because he wrote of me. So they had the law and the prophets. They had the tabernacle. They
had the temple. They had all these blessings
sent of God. They had the law of Moses. They
heard the preaching of John the Baptist. You remember his message?
When he came preaching, he said, behold the Lamb of God that taketh
away the sin of the world. Christ is that Lamb. They even
heard the gospel ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
for three years and some months. And they said, many of them,
never man spake like that man. And then others said his word
was with power and with authority. And they heard not only the law
and the prophets, Moses, the preaching of John, the last Old
Testament prophet. They heard the ministry and the
words of the Lord Jesus Christ. They heard the apostles preach
the gospel. They heard Paul. They heard Peter. They heard John. We had it on
the radio this morning where Paul said, for I'm determined
not to know anything among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The sound of the gospel was preached
throughout their world in their day and even beyond them to the
Gentile world. They had the privilege of gospel
preachers being sent them. God even raised up one special
preacher for that purpose to preach the gospel unto the Gentiles,
as it says there in verse 13 of Romans 11, an apostle to the Gentiles."
Look at verse 13, "...for I speak to you Gentiles as much as I
am the apostle of the Gentiles, and I magnify my office." God
sent them preacher after preacher, prophet after prophet, much preaching. And then Paul called himself
this in Ephesians chapter 3, "...unto me, whom less than the
least of all the saints is this grace given, that I should preach
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ. But I say, have they not heard?
Yes, verily their sound went into all the earth, and their
words unto the end of the world." Now look at verse 19. Here's
another but. But I say, did not Israel know
Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke
you to jealousy by them that are no people, talking about
the Gentile nations, his elect among the Gentiles, and by a
foolish nation will I anger you. The Lord our God, through Moses,
gave this prophecy, and it's all the way back from The writing
in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse 21. And let me just
read that verse to you. It says, They have moved me to
jealousy. God said, They have moved me
to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked me
to anger with their vanities, that is, their many, many, idols
they had, and I will move them to jealousy with those which
are not a people, and I will provoke them to anger with a
foolish nation," and he's referring to the Gentile nation. Now remember
back, turn back over there to chapter 9, and look at verse
30 again. What shall we say then, chapter
9 verse 30, that the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness,
have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which
is of faith? But Israel, which followed after
the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness,
wherefore? because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were the works of the law, for they stumbled
at that stumbling stone." They stumbled over the rock that God
has established, the foundation that God has established, and
that is the Lord Jesus Christ alone. The Lord our God was pleased
to choose and ignorant and sinful and foolish people, and call
them unto salvation to provoke those Jewish people." Don't turn. Let me just read this to you.
I often think of this verse here when I think of the Lord calling
the ignorant and the foolish In 1 Corinthians 1, verse 23,
For we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block,
unto the Greeks foolishness, unto them which are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, Christ, the wisdom
of God. Because the foolishness of God
is wiser than men, the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God
hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise, God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world
and the things which are despised hath God chosen, and the things
which are not to bring to naught the things that are. Why do you
do all that? That no flesh should glory in
his presence, but of him are you in Christ, who of God is
made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord." Now look back at the text, Romans 10 verse 20. And now we quote from Isaiah
65, 1. But Isaiah is very bold and saith, I was found of them
that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them
that asked not after me. And again, he's referring to
God calling out the Gentile people, his elect among the Gentiles. Isaiah speaks even more boldly
concerning the calling of the Gentiles and the casting off
of the Jews. Now we're going to see much more
of that in chapter 11. It deals a whole lot with that.
Look at Romans 11 verse 25. I would not, brethren, that ye
should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your
own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel,
until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. The advantage and
advancement of the Gentiles was altogether of God's free grace
and the effect of God's free grace, free election of grace,
and the sovereign will of God. I was found of them that sought
me not. I was made manifest unto them
that asked not after me. Now, I was found of them that
sought me not. John Gill had this on that verse,
"...the preaching of the gospel among the Gentiles, it came among
them unasked for, unexpected by them, undesired by them, as
well as undeserved by them, nor any blessing of his, as yet such
was his grace and goodness, that he was found of these persons
in the preaching of the gospel. I was found of them that sought
me not." All in the purpose of God according to the election.
that it might stand. Now, in closing, look at verse
21. But to Israel he saith, all day
long, down through hundreds and hundreds of years, Israel had
the blessings of the gospel. Turn back to Romans chapter 3. You remember that in Romans chapter
3? Verse 1, "...what advantage then
hath the Jew, or what profit? Is there a circumcision much
every way chiefly, because that unto them were committed the
oracles of God." They had the Word of God. They had the prophets
of God. They had the priesthood. They
had the tabernacle in the wilderness. They had the temple of God. They
had all these special blessings given to them. They had many
advantages and privileges over all other people. They had the
Word, they had the prophets, they had the priests, they had
those sacrifices typical of Christ, the blood offerings, the Day
of Atonement, the Passover feast. But when you look at their history,
And we've been looking at their history in the book of 1 and
2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah. When you look at their
history, it's one of constant rebellion and unbelief against
God. But to Israel he saith all day
long, I have stretched forth my hand unto a disobedient and
gainsaying people. When you look at their history,
for the most part, it's one of rebellion and unbelief. And when
the Messiah was sent among them, what did they do to Him? Away
with Him. We have no king but Caesar. Away
with the Lord Jesus Christ and crucify Him. Peter leveled this
charge against them on the day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts
chapter 2. He said, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken, you with wicked hands, as crucified, the
Lord of glory, the Lord stretching out His hand all the day long
unto them. God is long-suffering and merciful. The designs of the ministry of
the prophets Lord sent them one after another, the preaching
of John and of Christ and of the apostles among them, but
they were a stiff neck, rebellious people, uncircumcised in heart,
ears that would have none of his counsel, despised his reproof, contradicted and blasphemed his
word, rejected the Messiah, and his gospel, and killed the Prince
of Life, and persecuted his apostles, even unto death. All day long have I stretched
forth my hand unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." Now,
hold your place there, and let's turn back to the book of Luke. We had this in the book of Luke
chapter 14. And our Lord says this same thing,
Luke 14 verse 34, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, excuse me, this is
Luke 13, Luke 13 verse 34, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the
prophets, and stone them that are sent unto you, how often
would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather
her brood under her wings, but You would not. The Lord said,
You will not come to Me that you might have life. Verse 35,
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Verily I say unto
you, Yes, Your house is left unto you desolate. I say unto
you, you shall not see me until the time cometh when you shall
say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name, in the name of the
Lord." Okay. Well, that concludes Romans chapter
10. And next week, Lord willing,
we'll look at Romans chapter 11. There is a remnant according
to the election of grace. OK, take a short break.