1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,520 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast, 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,480 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,720 My name is Pastor Josh and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:10,480 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,680 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,080 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,160 Now come along, let's look into the Bible and see what God has 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:21,440 for us here today. 9 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,760 We're going to continue our study here in the book of Romans, 10 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:30,560 and we've been in Romans chapter nine here for a few weeks. 11 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,680 And Lord willing, if. 12 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,200 If the Lord allows for us to do that, we're going to finish Romans 13 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:36,760 9 today. 14 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,600 And I've really enjoyed this study because it's shown us really 15 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:41,360 the heart of God. 16 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:43,320 It's shown us that God never fails. 17 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,280 And that's actually something that's carried over from Romans chapter 18 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:46,600 9. 19 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:48,360 God's love never fails. 20 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:50,400 Nothing can separate us from the love of God. 21 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,910 But if you think about the beginning of Romans chapter 9, the 22 00:00:53,910 --> 00:00:55,790 original question was essentially this. 23 00:00:56,030 --> 00:00:58,430 Has God forgotten about his people? 24 00:00:58,910 --> 00:01:02,070 Because remember, Romans 8 is all about nothing can separate us 25 00:01:02,070 --> 00:01:02,990 from the love of God. 26 00:01:02,990 --> 00:01:04,510 We're more than conquerors. 27 00:01:04,510 --> 00:01:05,790 God is ever true. 28 00:01:06,030 --> 00:01:09,589 But think about who is reading this letter, this original letter 29 00:01:09,589 --> 00:01:10,830 written to the Roman church. 30 00:01:11,230 --> 00:01:15,350 Well, it was people who were Jewish but yet believed in Jesus 31 00:01:15,350 --> 00:01:15,710 Christ. 32 00:01:15,870 --> 00:01:17,750 And then there were some Gentiles there. 33 00:01:17,750 --> 00:01:19,950 But remember the, the Jewish people, the. 34 00:01:19,950 --> 00:01:23,170 The people of Israel were thinking, well, God said that we 35 00:01:23,170 --> 00:01:23,890 are his people. 36 00:01:23,890 --> 00:01:27,850 But many, most at this time, people that came from Israel, that 37 00:01:27,850 --> 00:01:30,290 were Jewish people were not believing in the Messiah. 38 00:01:30,290 --> 00:01:31,650 They had rejected the Messiah. 39 00:01:32,210 --> 00:01:34,450 So from some people's perspective, it almost looked like 40 00:01:34,450 --> 00:01:38,690 God had failed in keeping his people with him and, and walking 41 00:01:38,690 --> 00:01:40,130 with them and providing for them. 42 00:01:40,130 --> 00:01:42,610 But then what we see here in Romans chapter nine is that Paul 43 00:01:42,610 --> 00:01:44,770 says, no, no, no, God has not missed a mark. 44 00:01:44,770 --> 00:01:46,210 This is part of God's plan. 45 00:01:46,370 --> 00:01:49,650 This is, this is the idea that he had mentioned all the way back 46 00:01:49,650 --> 00:01:52,050 in the Old Testament about God opening the door. 47 00:01:52,050 --> 00:01:56,310 And God is using Israel rebellion for his glory and for the 48 00:01:56,310 --> 00:01:58,790 fact that the door is open to the Gentiles. 49 00:01:58,790 --> 00:02:02,830 If you remember Romans chapter 1, verse 16, the gospel is powerful. 50 00:02:03,070 --> 00:02:04,430 The word of God is powerful. 51 00:02:04,430 --> 00:02:05,350 It can change lives. 52 00:02:05,350 --> 00:02:09,150 It says to the Jew first, but also to the Greek also to the Gentile. 53 00:02:09,390 --> 00:02:12,910 So really what we see here is that Paul is telling us through the 54 00:02:12,910 --> 00:02:17,150 inspiration of Scripture, that yes, Israel has for the most part, 55 00:02:17,150 --> 00:02:18,910 turned their backs against the Messiah. 56 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:21,080 It doesn't mean that God has failed. 57 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,280 It essentially means that in this case, God is using Israel's 58 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,720 rebellion for his glory, to open up the door for a church that 59 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,760 brings people from all nations of the world. 60 00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:33,680 But at the same time, he doesn't close the door on Israel's 61 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,080 return, their revival. 62 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,400 And that's what he talks about here in this passage that we're going 63 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:39,720 to talk about here this morning. 64 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,880 And so in Romans chapter nine, we left off last week with a question, 65 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:48,290 verse number 24, even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, 66 00:02:49,090 --> 00:02:50,930 but also of the Gentiles. 67 00:02:50,930 --> 00:02:53,930 And see how it's a question there, because for some people, there 68 00:02:53,930 --> 00:02:54,930 was a question mark. 69 00:02:55,250 --> 00:02:57,210 Why would God allow the Gentiles to come in? 70 00:02:57,210 --> 00:02:58,610 We're going to talk more about that later. 71 00:02:58,770 --> 00:03:00,450 But essentially what that means is this. 72 00:03:00,530 --> 00:03:04,330 It was confusing for the people that had had the oracles of 73 00:03:04,330 --> 00:03:06,090 God, as Romans chapter three told us. 74 00:03:06,090 --> 00:03:10,490 Remember, the benefit of being a Jew from Israel was that they had 75 00:03:10,490 --> 00:03:11,450 the law given to them. 76 00:03:11,450 --> 00:03:15,460 They had the prophets, they had the patriarchs, they had the 77 00:03:15,460 --> 00:03:15,980 covenants. 78 00:03:16,380 --> 00:03:19,420 And ultimately what they're saying here is this, can God allow 79 00:03:19,420 --> 00:03:20,540 the Jews to come in? 80 00:03:20,780 --> 00:03:21,260 Yes. 81 00:03:21,260 --> 00:03:23,700 But then can he allow the Gentiles to come in? 82 00:03:23,700 --> 00:03:26,660 Well, that was something that was a little bit more offensive to 83 00:03:26,660 --> 00:03:28,460 the average person there at that time. 84 00:03:28,700 --> 00:03:31,340 And so he gives this analogy, if you remember last week, he talked 85 00:03:31,340 --> 00:03:32,620 about the potter and the clay. 86 00:03:33,020 --> 00:03:33,860 He says, how. 87 00:03:33,860 --> 00:03:36,060 How can the clay question the potter? 88 00:03:36,300 --> 00:03:38,980 How can the clay look up at the potter and say, well, make me 89 00:03:38,980 --> 00:03:39,500 this way. 90 00:03:39,580 --> 00:03:42,290 You use me this way, or use us this way. 91 00:03:42,370 --> 00:03:44,890 Essentially what we see is that we have no right to dictate 92 00:03:44,890 --> 00:03:46,850 to God how He's working in this world. 93 00:03:47,650 --> 00:03:48,850 We are the creation. 94 00:03:49,170 --> 00:03:51,970 And so the creation cannot tell the Creator what to do. 95 00:03:51,970 --> 00:03:55,530 We are simply to submit ourselves to him and believe that 96 00:03:55,530 --> 00:03:58,610 he has the best plan, believe that he has the best purpose. 97 00:03:58,770 --> 00:04:01,050 And so he continues on with this analogy. 98 00:04:01,050 --> 00:04:02,690 And we looked at it last week. 99 00:04:02,770 --> 00:04:05,250 Remember, this is a quote from the Old Testament. 100 00:04:05,660 --> 00:04:08,820 And so it's not a matter of God just makes us what he wants to 101 00:04:08,820 --> 00:04:10,540 make us, and we have no choice in the matter. 102 00:04:11,020 --> 00:04:14,220 We see that in both instances in the Old Testament where this verse 103 00:04:14,380 --> 00:04:18,420 was quoting, basically said this, Israel has a choice to repent 104 00:04:18,420 --> 00:04:19,420 and to turn to Him. 105 00:04:19,980 --> 00:04:23,100 Israel doesn't need to continue on in its pagan ways. 106 00:04:23,100 --> 00:04:25,340 And that's exactly what we see here. 107 00:04:25,420 --> 00:04:29,540 Continued on, he says, look, now it's Jews, not Jews only, but 108 00:04:29,540 --> 00:04:30,300 also the Gentiles. 109 00:04:30,300 --> 00:04:31,260 So it's a matter of faith. 110 00:04:32,070 --> 00:04:33,510 And so he leaves us off with a question. 111 00:04:33,510 --> 00:04:35,750 Can God allow the Gentiles to come in. 112 00:04:36,470 --> 00:04:39,550 If you go back just a little bit, verse number 22, I think that 113 00:04:39,550 --> 00:04:41,910 we didn't spend a ton of time on this, but I want to make sure 114 00:04:41,990 --> 00:04:44,710 that I'm clear in the explanation of verse number 22. 115 00:04:44,870 --> 00:04:45,750 He asked a question. 116 00:04:45,750 --> 00:04:49,670 He says, what if God willing to show his wrath and to make his 117 00:04:49,670 --> 00:04:53,590 power known, endured with much long suffering or patience, the vessel 118 00:04:53,590 --> 00:04:54,990 of wrath fitted to destruction? 119 00:04:54,990 --> 00:04:59,450 So basically, what if God allowed for people that were in rebellion 120 00:04:59,530 --> 00:05:00,770 to come to repentance? 121 00:05:00,770 --> 00:05:01,050 What? 122 00:05:01,290 --> 00:05:01,690 Why? 123 00:05:01,690 --> 00:05:02,010 What? 124 00:05:02,010 --> 00:05:02,330 What? 125 00:05:02,330 --> 00:05:05,850 Who are we to ask God whether or not he has patience with this 126 00:05:05,850 --> 00:05:06,810 person or this person? 127 00:05:07,370 --> 00:05:09,610 And so he says this phrase here, and I think it's important 128 00:05:09,610 --> 00:05:13,210 for us to note, he says, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction. 129 00:05:13,210 --> 00:05:16,130 Now, some people read that phrase, vessels of wrath fitted for 130 00:05:16,130 --> 00:05:18,930 destruction, meaning this God from the beginning of time, picked 131 00:05:18,930 --> 00:05:21,370 certain people to destroy just for his glory. 132 00:05:22,170 --> 00:05:24,930 But again, I don't believe that fits into the context of Scripture. 133 00:05:24,930 --> 00:05:28,870 What I think, and I think a great interpretation of this passage 134 00:05:28,950 --> 00:05:33,430 would be that that word fitted also could be translated as right 135 00:05:33,670 --> 00:05:35,430 or prepared or ready. 136 00:05:36,070 --> 00:05:37,270 So the idea would be this. 137 00:05:37,830 --> 00:05:42,630 People who are in their sin, in their rebellion are ripe, they're 138 00:05:42,630 --> 00:05:45,750 prepped, they're ready for destruction, because God's going 139 00:05:45,750 --> 00:05:47,510 to bring judgment to those that are in the sin. 140 00:05:47,670 --> 00:05:50,070 But then ultimately it says that God has patience with those 141 00:05:50,070 --> 00:05:51,590 even in their rebellion. 142 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,400 And so I think that, that that could be best stated this way in 143 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,280 verse number 22, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction 144 00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:00,640 or ready for destruction. 145 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:05,360 And so God can have the discernment to extend patience to 146 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:07,520 people in rebellion for his purposes. 147 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:09,200 So, so essentially it's this. 148 00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:12,720 God can use bad people for his glory. 149 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,680 God can use sin for his glory, just like we saw with Pharaoh, just 150 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:18,000 like we saw with Babylon. 151 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,020 Remember, God used a pagan nation to come and overthrow Israel 152 00:06:22,260 --> 00:06:25,700 so that they could find judgment and ultimately find repentance. 153 00:06:26,580 --> 00:06:30,900 It doesn't mean that God forces people to sin, but God uses 154 00:06:30,900 --> 00:06:32,860 people in their rebellion for his glory. 155 00:06:32,860 --> 00:06:34,660 So it's kind of a theme that we've looked at. 156 00:06:34,740 --> 00:06:38,660 If we obey God and we follow him in faith, that is for his glory. 157 00:06:38,660 --> 00:06:41,780 If someone doesn't choose to believe in God and they're walking 158 00:06:41,780 --> 00:06:44,940 in rebellion, God can still use their sin and their rebellion 159 00:06:44,940 --> 00:06:45,620 for his glory. 160 00:06:46,420 --> 00:06:50,140 So we get to verse number 24, and. 161 00:06:50,140 --> 00:06:53,540 And so we see that ultimately what Paul is getting to is that God 162 00:06:53,540 --> 00:06:55,700 is patient with those in rebellion. 163 00:06:56,420 --> 00:06:59,060 God is long suffering, and we're thankful for that. 164 00:06:59,060 --> 00:07:00,420 I'm thankful for God's patience. 165 00:07:00,500 --> 00:07:04,060 I'm thankful God didn't kick me out and cut me off the first time 166 00:07:04,060 --> 00:07:04,820 I messed up. 167 00:07:05,140 --> 00:07:08,460 I'm thankful they didn't do it the fifth time I messed up the 500th 168 00:07:08,460 --> 00:07:09,340 time I messed up. 169 00:07:09,340 --> 00:07:09,660 Right? 170 00:07:09,660 --> 00:07:10,500 God is patient. 171 00:07:10,500 --> 00:07:11,620 He's long suffering. 172 00:07:12,050 --> 00:07:13,650 His mercies are new every day. 173 00:07:14,450 --> 00:07:15,010 And then He. 174 00:07:15,010 --> 00:07:19,250 He goes on in verse 24 to emphasize to the reader that this 175 00:07:19,250 --> 00:07:22,210 type of salvation is for all of those who believe. 176 00:07:22,610 --> 00:07:26,490 Those who believe, Jew or Gentile alike, those are that believe 177 00:07:26,490 --> 00:07:28,050 in him are the ones that are saved. 178 00:07:28,050 --> 00:07:31,090 And so I'm going to use a word for you here this morning that's. 179 00:07:31,170 --> 00:07:34,730 That's not a word that is used frequently when we talk about the 180 00:07:34,730 --> 00:07:36,050 gospel, okay? 181 00:07:36,050 --> 00:07:39,110 And so don't run out right now, okay, when I say this word. 182 00:07:39,110 --> 00:07:41,470 But I'm going to use a word called inclusive. 183 00:07:42,110 --> 00:07:46,350 Now, in our society today, what inclusivity means is we accept 184 00:07:46,430 --> 00:07:49,510 everybody in, no matter who they are, no matter what they're 185 00:07:49,510 --> 00:07:51,150 doing, no matter what they claim to be. 186 00:07:51,550 --> 00:07:54,070 That's not the type of inclusivity that the Lord brings 187 00:07:54,070 --> 00:07:54,830 into salvation. 188 00:07:55,150 --> 00:07:59,510 He's exclusive in the message of salvation, but he's inclusive 189 00:07:59,510 --> 00:08:01,550 in who can come and believe in that message. 190 00:08:01,870 --> 00:08:05,100 And so for one time, and people thought, and maybe even today, 191 00:08:05,100 --> 00:08:07,980 some people think that only certain people can find the gospel. 192 00:08:08,380 --> 00:08:11,260 Only certain people can understand it because of their bloodline 193 00:08:11,340 --> 00:08:15,260 or because of their socioeconomic class or because of 194 00:08:15,260 --> 00:08:15,980 their education. 195 00:08:16,380 --> 00:08:19,940 But what the Bible says is that God is inclusive in the message 196 00:08:19,940 --> 00:08:23,780 of the gospel and who he's bringing the message through so that 197 00:08:23,780 --> 00:08:27,740 he can be inclusive in who can come to him and believe in the narrow 198 00:08:27,740 --> 00:08:27,980 way. 199 00:08:27,980 --> 00:08:29,740 I hope you guys understand what I mean by that. 200 00:08:29,990 --> 00:08:33,110 Jesus in the message of the gospel is not inclusive in the fact 201 00:08:33,110 --> 00:08:35,590 that anyone could come no matter how they want to come. 202 00:08:35,670 --> 00:08:38,710 It doesn't mean that when I come to Jesus, I can just keep doing 203 00:08:38,710 --> 00:08:41,430 what I want to do and believe in what I want to believe, and he'll 204 00:08:41,430 --> 00:08:44,310 just add on a little sticker on my chest to say, you know, you're 205 00:08:44,310 --> 00:08:46,029 a good person and I can go to heaven. 206 00:08:46,029 --> 00:08:49,750 No, he's not inclusive in that way, but he's exclusive in the message 207 00:08:49,750 --> 00:08:50,470 of the gospel. 208 00:08:50,470 --> 00:08:54,430 He was exclusive in the fact that, remember, the path of the truth 209 00:08:54,430 --> 00:08:56,290 came through the Jewish people, right? 210 00:08:56,290 --> 00:09:01,850 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, all the way down the line to Messiah, Jesus 211 00:09:01,850 --> 00:09:02,170 Christ. 212 00:09:02,170 --> 00:09:04,450 So he was exclusive at that time. 213 00:09:04,450 --> 00:09:07,650 But also, remember, in that time, even in the Old Testament, 214 00:09:07,650 --> 00:09:10,610 there were Gentiles who could come to the truth if what they believed 215 00:09:10,610 --> 00:09:11,770 in the God of Israel. 216 00:09:12,650 --> 00:09:15,890 And so the beauty of the message of the Gospel is that it 217 00:09:15,890 --> 00:09:17,690 is one way to the truth. 218 00:09:18,490 --> 00:09:21,570 You don't just come as you are, stay as you are, leave as you 219 00:09:21,570 --> 00:09:24,250 are, and just do what you want to do, believe what you want to believe. 220 00:09:24,330 --> 00:09:27,440 The Bible says it's one way, but the beauty is, is that all of 221 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,920 us, no matter what we look like, no matter where we come from, 222 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,360 that we can believe in Jesus because it's a matter of faith. 223 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,080 And when we believe in him, the Bible says that he grants us 224 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,720 everlasting life, he grants us forgiveness. 225 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,600 And there's a choice that we make in that. 226 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:47,400 And so it's always Romans is all about faith in comparison to 227 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:47,960 works. 228 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,400 And, and I'm building a case here because this morning, that's 229 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:52,360 what Paul is talking about. 230 00:09:52,590 --> 00:09:54,670 He's talking about the difference between works and faith. 231 00:09:55,070 --> 00:09:58,110 And he says, look, there's a lot of people who believe in works, 232 00:09:59,150 --> 00:10:02,750 and that works will save them, that works will bring them some sort 233 00:10:02,750 --> 00:10:06,110 of satisfaction, that they'll bring them some sort of hope. 234 00:10:06,190 --> 00:10:07,950 And then the other side of the coin is this. 235 00:10:07,950 --> 00:10:11,750 Well, faith is submitting ourselves to him and saying, there's 236 00:10:11,750 --> 00:10:14,590 nothing that I can do, there's nothing that I can earn. 237 00:10:14,830 --> 00:10:17,070 Now, some people even believe that faith is a work. 238 00:10:17,390 --> 00:10:19,630 I've heard some people say, well, you know what, the Bible says 239 00:10:19,630 --> 00:10:20,830 that you can't be saved by works. 240 00:10:20,830 --> 00:10:22,190 And so faith is by works. 241 00:10:22,490 --> 00:10:25,170 So how are you even saying that you, you can be saved through 242 00:10:25,170 --> 00:10:25,410 faith? 243 00:10:25,410 --> 00:10:29,290 If you said, and that's a big, confusing, convoluted mess. 244 00:10:29,450 --> 00:10:30,730 Faith is not a work. 245 00:10:30,890 --> 00:10:34,410 Faith is submission and trust in God, in His work. 246 00:10:34,490 --> 00:10:36,570 And so that's what we're going to talk about here this morning. 247 00:10:36,730 --> 00:10:39,450 So Paul actually quotes two prophets. 248 00:10:39,530 --> 00:10:40,890 He's already appealed to the law. 249 00:10:40,970 --> 00:10:44,490 He's appealed to the Exodus, remember, with Pharaoh and his story 250 00:10:44,490 --> 00:10:47,370 there about Pharaoh's heart being hardened, and now he's going 251 00:10:47,370 --> 00:10:48,970 to actually quote two prophets. 252 00:10:49,630 --> 00:10:53,590 He's going to quote the prophet Hosea and he's going to quote 253 00:10:53,590 --> 00:10:54,830 the prophet Isaiah. 254 00:10:54,910 --> 00:10:59,470 Okay, Hosea, Isaiah, I need you to know this because when the 255 00:10:59,710 --> 00:11:03,230 New Testament quotes the Old Testament, it's very important to 256 00:11:03,230 --> 00:11:04,510 understand that quotation. 257 00:11:04,750 --> 00:11:08,790 A lot of times we just gloss over an Old Testament quotation in 258 00:11:08,790 --> 00:11:12,070 the New Testament and just apply it in the way that we think 259 00:11:12,070 --> 00:11:12,750 best fits. 260 00:11:12,750 --> 00:11:15,350 But I think it is important, like we did last week, to go back 261 00:11:15,350 --> 00:11:18,740 and look at the quotation to understand Paul's heart when he's 262 00:11:18,740 --> 00:11:19,500 explaining this. 263 00:11:19,660 --> 00:11:22,140 And so Paul is quoting two prophets. 264 00:11:22,700 --> 00:11:24,900 Now, why does it matter that he's quoting a prophet? 265 00:11:24,900 --> 00:11:28,220 Well, obviously, remember, he's talking to the Jews here in 266 00:11:28,220 --> 00:11:29,660 chapters 9, 10, and 11. 267 00:11:30,300 --> 00:11:33,020 He's appealed to the law that was important for them. 268 00:11:33,099 --> 00:11:36,780 He's appealed to the Exodus that was a huge story in their history. 269 00:11:37,180 --> 00:11:38,860 And now he's appealing to the prophets. 270 00:11:38,860 --> 00:11:42,060 The prophets were essentially the ones that proclaimed the word 271 00:11:42,060 --> 00:11:42,380 of God. 272 00:11:42,380 --> 00:11:44,060 And so they would have understood the prophets. 273 00:11:44,060 --> 00:11:45,470 They would have trusted in the prophets. 274 00:11:46,260 --> 00:11:49,700 And so, like I said, Paul addressed Exodus, and now he quotes 275 00:11:49,700 --> 00:11:50,380 two prophets. 276 00:11:50,380 --> 00:11:52,580 These two prophets were contemporary prophets. 277 00:11:53,140 --> 00:11:56,580 Hosea and Isaiah were essentially prophets at the same 278 00:11:56,660 --> 00:11:57,940 time in Israel. 279 00:11:58,340 --> 00:12:01,700 Hosea was a prophet to the northern kingdom. 280 00:12:01,700 --> 00:12:03,860 I'm gonna give you guys a little bit of Old Testament lesson 281 00:12:03,860 --> 00:12:04,260 here today. 282 00:12:04,340 --> 00:12:06,860 You had the northern kingdom, you had the 12 tribes of Israel, 283 00:12:06,860 --> 00:12:09,540 you had the 10 tribes in the north, and you had the two tribes 284 00:12:09,540 --> 00:12:10,100 in the south. 285 00:12:10,740 --> 00:12:12,500 And you had that split there. 286 00:12:12,500 --> 00:12:16,950 And basically at the time of Isaiah and, and Hosea, the nation 287 00:12:16,950 --> 00:12:18,390 of Israel was split into two. 288 00:12:18,390 --> 00:12:21,110 You had the northern kingdom, which was called Israel, and you 289 00:12:21,110 --> 00:12:22,910 had the southern kingdom, which was called Judah. 290 00:12:23,470 --> 00:12:26,270 And both of them at that point were not following God. 291 00:12:26,670 --> 00:12:30,630 And so Hosea was preaching to a people saying, turn to Christ or 292 00:12:30,630 --> 00:12:35,310 you will find judgment through the Assyrian Empire. 293 00:12:35,870 --> 00:12:36,950 Same thing with Isaiah. 294 00:12:36,950 --> 00:12:40,230 Isaiah comes to the southern kingdom and Isaiah says, turn to 295 00:12:40,230 --> 00:12:43,330 the Lord or you will find judgment from the Assyrian Empire. 296 00:12:43,890 --> 00:12:47,890 And we see two different groups making two different decisions. 297 00:12:48,290 --> 00:12:49,570 We're going to look at Hosea. 298 00:12:49,570 --> 00:12:52,250 Hosea is preaching to the northern kingdom. 299 00:12:52,250 --> 00:12:54,690 And we know that the northern kingdom does not repent. 300 00:12:55,330 --> 00:12:55,810 And at. 301 00:12:55,810 --> 00:12:59,010 And in this, in this time frame, they would have understood 302 00:12:59,010 --> 00:13:03,250 that in 721 BC, the Assyrians came and destroyed the northern kingdom. 303 00:13:03,970 --> 00:13:07,660 And so Hosea's message was turned to Christ and. 304 00:13:07,660 --> 00:13:09,420 Or not Christ turns to the Lord. 305 00:13:09,580 --> 00:13:11,460 Okay, at that point in time. 306 00:13:11,460 --> 00:13:15,020 Now, ultimately, we know all faith is either based in Jesus Christ, 307 00:13:15,020 --> 00:13:17,820 whether it's looking towards a Messiah or looking back to a Messiah. 308 00:13:17,820 --> 00:13:21,180 So you have Hosea preaching a message to the northern kingdom. 309 00:13:21,420 --> 00:13:22,220 They reject. 310 00:13:23,340 --> 00:13:25,460 And he quotes two passages of scripture. 311 00:13:25,460 --> 00:13:28,340 He quotes Hosea, chapter two, verse 23. 312 00:13:28,340 --> 00:13:30,300 And I think it would be important for us to go there. 313 00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:33,740 So if you have your Bibles this morning, turn with me to Hosea, 314 00:13:34,180 --> 00:13:35,940 chapter 2, verse 23. 315 00:13:36,900 --> 00:13:41,620 Paul quotes these two different passages in Hosea. 316 00:13:41,620 --> 00:13:43,900 And there's a reason for this quote. 317 00:13:43,900 --> 00:13:45,740 He doesn't just quote Hosea to quote it. 318 00:13:45,740 --> 00:13:48,340 He quotes Hosea for them to understand a point. 319 00:13:49,060 --> 00:13:52,500 And I think that it's a point that all of us can understand here 320 00:13:53,140 --> 00:13:56,340 this morning, and it can help us understand this larger passage 321 00:13:56,340 --> 00:13:57,940 of Romans, chapter nine. 322 00:13:58,020 --> 00:14:03,430 So Hosea, chapter two, verse number 23. 323 00:14:03,430 --> 00:14:04,790 I'm gonna try to give you some time to get there. 324 00:14:04,790 --> 00:14:07,790 I know Hosea is not a passage of scripture that we turn to quite 325 00:14:07,790 --> 00:14:09,630 frequently, but it's actually a great story. 326 00:14:09,630 --> 00:14:10,950 If you don't know the story of Hosea. 327 00:14:10,950 --> 00:14:19,790 God calls a prophet to marry a prostitute. 328 00:14:19,790 --> 00:14:20,350 Okay? 329 00:14:20,350 --> 00:14:21,630 So that's basically what it is. 330 00:14:21,630 --> 00:14:23,070 I can't candy coat it any better. 331 00:14:23,070 --> 00:14:23,550 Okay? 332 00:14:23,630 --> 00:14:24,350 It's, it's. 333 00:14:24,350 --> 00:14:27,920 God calls Hosea to marry a woman who would become a prostitute. 334 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:28,920 They have children together. 335 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,120 And essentially what it is a picture of is Israel's rejection 336 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:37,960 or spiritual adultery that she is committing by turning their backs 337 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:39,000 against God. 338 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,880 And so he quotes Hosea, chapter 2, verse 23, and then he 339 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:45,880 quotes Hosea, chapter 1, verse 10. 340 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,720 So in Hosea, chapter 2, Verse 23 says, and I will sow her unto 341 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,270 me in the earth, and I will have mercy upon her that have not 342 00:14:53,270 --> 00:14:54,230 obtained mercy. 343 00:14:54,230 --> 00:14:58,110 And I will say to them, which were not my people, thou art my people. 344 00:14:58,110 --> 00:15:01,150 And they shall say, thou art my God. 345 00:15:01,310 --> 00:15:03,110 You go back to Romans, chapter 9. 346 00:15:03,110 --> 00:15:05,590 Keep your finger in Hosea chapter 2, but go back to Romans 347 00:15:05,590 --> 00:15:06,190 chapter 9. 348 00:15:06,270 --> 00:15:11,590 He says in verse 25, as he saith also unto Oc or to Hosea. 349 00:15:11,590 --> 00:15:14,710 That's the King James way to say Hosea, I will call them my people 350 00:15:14,710 --> 00:15:18,860 which are not my people, and her beloved, which was not below. 351 00:15:19,420 --> 00:15:22,660 And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto 352 00:15:22,660 --> 00:15:25,900 them, you are not my people, there shall they be called the children 353 00:15:25,900 --> 00:15:26,700 of the living God. 354 00:15:26,700 --> 00:15:30,940 So essentially what we see here is that God disowns the northern 355 00:15:30,940 --> 00:15:34,540 kingdom, but then he says, there will be a day when they are 356 00:15:34,540 --> 00:15:35,060 restored. 357 00:15:35,060 --> 00:15:38,180 There will be a day when God restores them, and he restores by 358 00:15:38,180 --> 00:15:38,540 faith. 359 00:15:38,540 --> 00:15:42,300 So basically he's saying, those that were not my people can 360 00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:44,420 become my people by faith in Messiah. 361 00:15:44,420 --> 00:15:46,580 That's a picture of, of what he's explaining here. 362 00:15:46,820 --> 00:15:47,180 There. 363 00:15:47,180 --> 00:15:50,940 There are people who are not my people, and then by faith they 364 00:15:50,940 --> 00:15:51,860 can become my people. 365 00:15:52,260 --> 00:15:55,180 And, and it's the same picture that he lays out there in Hosea. 366 00:15:55,180 --> 00:15:57,700 It's the same picture that he lays out there in Romans, chapter 367 00:15:57,700 --> 00:15:57,940 nine. 368 00:15:57,940 --> 00:16:01,140 But in Hosea chapter one, if you go to Hosea chapter one, verse 369 00:16:01,140 --> 00:16:03,860 10, it's actually a very interesting story because if you 370 00:16:03,860 --> 00:16:08,580 remember, there are there. 371 00:16:08,580 --> 00:16:12,190 There's so much to be said about this and the sake of time. 372 00:16:12,190 --> 00:16:13,470 I can't go through all of it. 373 00:16:13,470 --> 00:16:16,430 But basically, Hosea has some children with Gomer. 374 00:16:16,430 --> 00:16:19,750 Gomer is his wife, the one who goes into sin. 375 00:16:19,990 --> 00:16:21,590 And they have two children. 376 00:16:21,590 --> 00:16:25,910 And the children are named something very specific with a meaning 377 00:16:26,070 --> 00:16:27,510 to teach us a lesson. 378 00:16:27,590 --> 00:16:30,710 And so in Hosea, chapter one, and actually, if you go to verse 379 00:16:31,110 --> 00:16:34,230 number eight, we see that they have two children. 380 00:16:35,590 --> 00:16:39,780 Verse eight says, now, when she had weaned Lor Rahama, she conceived 381 00:16:39,780 --> 00:16:40,740 and bear a son. 382 00:16:41,060 --> 00:16:43,140 Then said God call his name Loami. 383 00:16:43,140 --> 00:16:44,340 So they have two children. 384 00:16:44,660 --> 00:16:49,620 They have a child named Lo Rahama, which means no favor of me. 385 00:16:50,340 --> 00:16:54,060 And then they have a child named Lo Ami, which means, no, not 386 00:16:54,060 --> 00:16:54,580 my people. 387 00:16:55,860 --> 00:16:59,980 And so this is God casting judgment upon the people of the northern 388 00:16:59,980 --> 00:17:04,230 kingdom by saying, these children are pictures of you turning 389 00:17:04,230 --> 00:17:05,350 your backs in sin. 390 00:17:05,350 --> 00:17:08,430 And this is the fruit of your rebellion, and this is the product 391 00:17:08,430 --> 00:17:12,110 of your rebellion that you will not have my favor, you will 392 00:17:12,110 --> 00:17:13,310 not be called my people. 393 00:17:14,110 --> 00:17:16,030 But then it goes on to say something more. 394 00:17:16,110 --> 00:17:19,429 Verse nine, he says, then God called his name Loami, for ye are 395 00:17:19,429 --> 00:17:21,870 not my people, and I will not be your God. 396 00:17:22,190 --> 00:17:26,590 Yet the number of the children shall be children of Israel shall 397 00:17:26,590 --> 00:17:29,870 be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. 398 00:17:30,300 --> 00:17:33,540 And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto 399 00:17:33,540 --> 00:17:37,420 me, you're not my people, there it shall be said unto them, 400 00:17:37,740 --> 00:17:39,420 ye are the sons of the living God. 401 00:17:39,820 --> 00:17:41,940 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel 402 00:17:41,940 --> 00:17:44,020 be gathered together and appoint themselves one head. 403 00:17:44,020 --> 00:17:47,220 And they shall come up out of the land, for the great shall be 404 00:17:47,220 --> 00:17:48,340 the day of Jezreel. 405 00:17:48,340 --> 00:17:49,740 So the idea here would be this. 406 00:17:50,060 --> 00:17:53,980 There are people that because of their rebellion, are outside of 407 00:17:53,980 --> 00:17:54,940 the family of God. 408 00:17:55,020 --> 00:17:56,480 They are judged by. 409 00:17:56,550 --> 00:17:58,710 But he says that's not too late for them to turn back. 410 00:17:58,790 --> 00:18:03,230 And so we go back to Romans 9, that quote there is essentially summarizing 411 00:18:03,230 --> 00:18:07,870 this, that there were people that were not God's people, but because 412 00:18:07,870 --> 00:18:11,790 of faith in Messiah, because of faith in the one who was promised, 413 00:18:11,790 --> 00:18:13,110 they can be his people again. 414 00:18:13,910 --> 00:18:16,230 Okay, so he's speaking here to repentance. 415 00:18:16,230 --> 00:18:18,710 But again, that's an example there of that time. 416 00:18:18,710 --> 00:18:21,430 Remember, in their minds, their understanding that the northern 417 00:18:21,430 --> 00:18:22,550 kingdom was in rebellion. 418 00:18:22,770 --> 00:18:25,810 Okay, so he says, we called them to repentance. 419 00:18:25,810 --> 00:18:27,490 They didn't come to repentance. 420 00:18:27,490 --> 00:18:28,850 They found that separation. 421 00:18:28,850 --> 00:18:29,810 But there's still hope. 422 00:18:30,370 --> 00:18:34,610 But then we go to verse number 27, because he says in verse number 423 00:18:34,610 --> 00:18:36,450 26, you're not my people. 424 00:18:36,690 --> 00:18:39,089 There shall they be called the children of the living God? 425 00:18:39,330 --> 00:18:41,850 So eventually there will be people that weren't God's people 426 00:18:41,850 --> 00:18:43,290 that then become God's people. 427 00:18:43,290 --> 00:18:48,130 Verse 27, Isaiah or Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel. 428 00:18:48,700 --> 00:18:52,620 And so now he tells them of another prophet that has another 429 00:18:52,620 --> 00:18:53,380 prophecy. 430 00:18:53,380 --> 00:18:55,580 And so again, Isaiah is in the southern kingdom. 431 00:18:55,580 --> 00:19:01,380 And we know that in the time of Isaiah that because of God's love 432 00:19:01,380 --> 00:19:03,740 and because of his patience and because of the leadership of 433 00:19:03,740 --> 00:19:07,580 King Hezekiah, that there was a revival and repentance. 434 00:19:07,900 --> 00:19:11,740 Now ultimately we know that the southern kingdom eventually lived 435 00:19:11,740 --> 00:19:14,340 in sin and they did get judged and they were taken over. 436 00:19:14,340 --> 00:19:16,480 But, but not at the time of Isaiah and Hosea. 437 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:20,760 So, so he's mentioning Isaiah here as a picture of people who were 438 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:21,360 faithful. 439 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:25,000 And, and he, and he's speaking here of the idea that there were 440 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:29,720 people who did turn and make a choice of repentance to the Lord. 441 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:33,280 And So verse number 27, he quotes two passages of scripture 442 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:34,640 here in this area. 443 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:36,800 Isaiah, chapter 10, verse 20. 444 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:40,400 And so if you want to see it with me, I always encourage you to 445 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:41,000 look at it with me. 446 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,910 And I know I'm going to a lot of places and I know I'm moving somewhat 447 00:19:44,910 --> 00:19:48,110 quickly here this morning, but I do need to make sure that you see 448 00:19:48,110 --> 00:19:50,950 these in the Old Testament, because if I ever come up here and 449 00:19:50,950 --> 00:19:55,030 say, trust me, don't, don't look at it, just trust me, that's. 450 00:19:55,030 --> 00:19:56,990 Anyone says that, be careful that. 451 00:19:56,990 --> 00:20:01,430 I want you to see what God is telling us in the, in the New Testament 452 00:20:01,590 --> 00:20:02,630 through the Old Testament. 453 00:20:02,630 --> 00:20:04,310 And there's some people that say, well, we don't even need the 454 00:20:04,310 --> 00:20:05,910 Old Testament anymore, just throw that out. 455 00:20:06,310 --> 00:20:09,400 No, we need to see the Old Testament as a picture. 456 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,040 And ultimately the fulfillment of the Old Testament in Jesus Christ 457 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:14,680 in the New Testament tells us how they're all connected. 458 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:18,160 So I want you to see Isaiah, chapter 10, verse number 20, because 459 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,600 this is what he's quoting here in Romans, chapter nine. 460 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,520 And, and what he's essentially teaching in this is that there's 461 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:26,880 always going to be a remnant. 462 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:28,760 There's always going to be a group of people that believe. 463 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:32,240 And so, so even though there's people in rebellion, even though 464 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:36,010 there's people that are going to struggle in sin, he says there's 465 00:20:36,010 --> 00:20:37,210 always going to be a remnant. 466 00:20:37,210 --> 00:20:38,010 Isaiah, chap. 467 00:20:38,010 --> 00:20:38,690 10:20. 468 00:20:38,690 --> 00:20:41,970 And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel 469 00:20:42,130 --> 00:20:45,770 and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob shall no more again 470 00:20:45,770 --> 00:20:49,650 stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the 471 00:20:49,650 --> 00:20:51,250 Holy One of Israel. 472 00:20:51,250 --> 00:20:56,050 In truth, the remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, 473 00:20:56,050 --> 00:20:57,090 unto the mighty God. 474 00:20:57,090 --> 00:21:00,090 And, and so he's speaking here of this revival, this remnant that 475 00:21:00,090 --> 00:21:00,850 always will be. 476 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:04,360 And that's an awesome picture of God's faithfulness to his people. 477 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,000 And then we see Isaiah, chapter 1. 478 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,840 He quotes Isaiah, chapter 1, verse 10. 479 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:15,040 Again, I think that this is so cool to see how writers from centuries 480 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:18,440 apart are tying together God's meaning and his purpose. 481 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,400 And I think this is all the more the testimony of the power and 482 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:26,120 the truth and the validity of the Word of God and the importance 483 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,720 of the enduring nature of the Word of God and, and how we should 484 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:30,360 trust in it. 485 00:21:30,360 --> 00:21:32,080 So Isaiah, chapter 1, verse 10. 486 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:38,080 He says, Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom. 487 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,480 Give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. 488 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:44,000 And you say, what, what is he talking about? 489 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:46,960 Well, if you just go up to one verse above that, he's warning against 490 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,280 these people that are living in rebellion. 491 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,240 And he says, accept the Lord, verse nine. 492 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:53,680 So we're kind of going backwards here. 493 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:55,200 Except the Lord of hosts. 494 00:21:55,970 --> 00:21:58,610 And, and actually in the New Testament, we see that he quotes 495 00:21:58,770 --> 00:22:02,290 the Hebrew word Lord, Lord of Sabiof, which means the Lord of hosts, 496 00:22:02,290 --> 00:22:07,650 except the Lord of host hath left unto us a very small remnant. 497 00:22:08,130 --> 00:22:13,490 We should have been as Sodom and should have been like Gomorrah. 498 00:22:13,810 --> 00:22:15,090 See, what is he saying there? 499 00:22:15,410 --> 00:22:16,050 Says this. 500 00:22:16,210 --> 00:22:19,770 If the truth was not there, without the power of God, without 501 00:22:19,770 --> 00:22:23,290 God's hand of provision upon them, they would have ended up just 502 00:22:23,290 --> 00:22:24,250 like Sodom and Gomorrah. 503 00:22:24,250 --> 00:22:27,570 You say, what was Sodom and Gomorrah ended up like complete destruction. 504 00:22:28,210 --> 00:22:31,170 If you guys know the Old Testament story, God completely destroyed 505 00:22:31,250 --> 00:22:32,530 Sodom and Gomorrah. 506 00:22:32,930 --> 00:22:36,370 And so essentially what Paul is saying, what Isaiah is saying, 507 00:22:36,370 --> 00:22:41,090 what we all should be saying, is that without God's hand, without 508 00:22:41,330 --> 00:22:47,490 the truth of his Gospel, without the power of his Word, we 509 00:22:47,490 --> 00:22:49,610 would all be like Sodom and Gomorrah. 510 00:22:49,610 --> 00:22:51,330 You say, why is he telling them that? 511 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:53,240 Remember, who is he talking to? 512 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,440 He's talking to the Jewish people who believe that they had 513 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:59,800 found the only way, the right way, the way of the law, the way 514 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,120 of, of the Pharisees, the. 515 00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:03,400 The way of works. 516 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:08,560 And so he says, hey, be like Isaiah as he goes back. 517 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:12,240 And he says in, in verse number 27, Isaiah also Cry, concerning 518 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,560 Israel, though the number of the children of Israel be as the 519 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:16,560 sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved. 520 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:17,800 So he says, only A little bit. 521 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:19,320 That word remnant means just only a little bit. 522 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,580 So he says, out of all those people of the children of Israel, 523 00:23:22,580 --> 00:23:24,060 only a remnant will be saved. 524 00:23:24,060 --> 00:23:24,300 Why? 525 00:23:24,300 --> 00:23:26,300 Because they're the only ones that are believing the truth. 526 00:23:26,460 --> 00:23:30,140 For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness. 527 00:23:30,860 --> 00:23:33,500 Because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 528 00:23:33,500 --> 00:23:37,620 And Isaiah saith before, except the Lord of Sabioth, that's 529 00:23:37,620 --> 00:23:40,700 the Lord of hosts, had left us a seed. 530 00:23:40,780 --> 00:23:46,260 So without the Lord, we would be as Sodom or Sadama and been made 531 00:23:46,260 --> 00:23:47,460 like unto Gomorrah. 532 00:23:48,820 --> 00:23:50,980 So you say again, what is he talking about here? 533 00:23:50,980 --> 00:23:54,700 He's specifically talking about this absent of God, absence 534 00:23:54,700 --> 00:23:58,580 of God's presence, absence of God's truth, absence of God's power, 535 00:23:58,740 --> 00:24:03,100 absence of God's love, absence of God's word, absence of God completely. 536 00:24:03,100 --> 00:24:04,380 What would we all end up? 537 00:24:04,380 --> 00:24:06,020 He said Israel would be wiped out. 538 00:24:06,500 --> 00:24:08,420 We as believers will be wiped out. 539 00:24:08,580 --> 00:24:13,160 And so using the remnant of Abraham's seed, Messiah comes and. 540 00:24:13,310 --> 00:24:14,110 And there is hope. 541 00:24:14,110 --> 00:24:15,430 That's what Paul is saying here. 542 00:24:15,430 --> 00:24:18,990 He says there is a remnant of Abraham's seed through Messiah. 543 00:24:19,070 --> 00:24:24,430 Therefore, find your hope, find your salvation, find everything 544 00:24:24,750 --> 00:24:26,430 through faith in him. 545 00:24:26,430 --> 00:24:30,070 He says, without him, you will be like Sodom and Gomorrah, completely 546 00:24:30,070 --> 00:24:31,950 demolished, completely wiped away. 547 00:24:32,430 --> 00:24:34,670 You say, why is he making this point? 548 00:24:35,550 --> 00:24:39,230 Essentially, Paul's point in this end of the passage is this. 549 00:24:39,610 --> 00:24:41,290 Come to Christ by faith. 550 00:24:41,930 --> 00:24:46,330 Don't miss your chance for hope and salvation. 551 00:24:47,290 --> 00:24:48,810 He says some people are missing it. 552 00:24:48,810 --> 00:24:49,090 So. 553 00:24:49,090 --> 00:24:52,410 So the implication would be, if he's warning us not to miss it, 554 00:24:52,490 --> 00:24:56,970 the implication would be that many people are missing that message. 555 00:24:57,450 --> 00:24:59,090 And so that's what he's going to talk about here. 556 00:24:59,090 --> 00:25:02,730 And he actually is going to talk about how Israel, at that time 557 00:25:02,810 --> 00:25:06,060 there, as Paul was writing this letter to the Romans, Israel 558 00:25:06,060 --> 00:25:09,900 was stumbling because of their lack of belief in the Messiah. 559 00:25:10,780 --> 00:25:14,620 And anytime someone, a group of people, has a lack of faith in 560 00:25:14,620 --> 00:25:17,700 Messiah, there will be judgment, there will be separation, 561 00:25:17,700 --> 00:25:19,100 there will be brokenness. 562 00:25:19,420 --> 00:25:21,340 And so he comes to verse number 30. 563 00:25:22,380 --> 00:25:25,620 Remember, he has these two quotes, one from Hosea, one from 564 00:25:25,620 --> 00:25:29,500 Isaiah, and it's this idea of choose the path that the Lord has 565 00:25:29,500 --> 00:25:33,780 laid out, and there will be people who are not God's people that 566 00:25:33,780 --> 00:25:35,220 will eventually become God's people. 567 00:25:35,220 --> 00:25:35,580 How? 568 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,200 Not through their lineage, but through their faith. 569 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:39,240 There. 570 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:43,400 There will be people who will question God's faithfulness, but 571 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,280 they will even question God's path. 572 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:47,080 They will even question God's salvation. 573 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,000 But he says, without God, what we would be as Sodom and Gomorrah. 574 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,520 And so then in verse number 30, he says, what shall we say then? 575 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:56,920 When Paul says that, what that means is this. 576 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:01,080 He's summarizing everything that he means in this chapter. 577 00:26:02,450 --> 00:26:05,810 And this would be Paul's perfect place if this, if Romans 578 00:26:05,810 --> 00:26:09,850 9 was a proof text for complete salvific determination of 579 00:26:09,850 --> 00:26:12,370 whether or not God stands in heaven and says, well, these people 580 00:26:12,370 --> 00:26:13,050 will be saved. 581 00:26:13,050 --> 00:26:15,330 These people won't be saved, and they have no choice in the matter. 582 00:26:15,490 --> 00:26:17,289 That would be what Paul explains right here. 583 00:26:17,289 --> 00:26:19,490 Because he says, what shall we say then? 584 00:26:19,490 --> 00:26:22,490 It would be like me preaching a whole message and then at the very 585 00:26:22,490 --> 00:26:24,610 end saying, this is basically what I'm talking about. 586 00:26:24,690 --> 00:26:26,690 Some people are like, well, why don't you just do that anyway? 587 00:26:26,690 --> 00:26:28,050 We can get to the house quicker. 588 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:30,240 Okay, well, because that's just not what we do. 589 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:32,080 All right, but what the idea would be is this. 590 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:34,840 He says, this is my main point, this is my main thought. 591 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:36,760 He says, this is what I'm getting to. 592 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:38,120 What shall we say then? 593 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:43,880 That the Gentiles which follow not after righteousness. 594 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:45,080 And so what is he saying here? 595 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:50,360 He says this, historically speaking, the Gentiles did not follow 596 00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:51,240 after God. 597 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:53,040 They did not follow after righteousness. 598 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:55,320 They followed their pagan fleshly desires. 599 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:57,880 He says that's what the Gentiles are known for. 600 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:00,040 So he says, what shall we say then? 601 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:05,760 The Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have obtained 602 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:06,440 righteousness. 603 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:11,000 So he's telling the people there, gentiles have obtained righteousness. 604 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:11,920 How can they do that? 605 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,440 How can they obtain righteousness if historically speaking, 606 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:16,120 they've never been righteous people? 607 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:20,600 Even the righteousness, which is a faith. 608 00:27:21,330 --> 00:27:23,810 So he says, it's not the righteousness that they've earned. 609 00:27:23,890 --> 00:27:26,530 It's not about being the right type of people. 610 00:27:26,850 --> 00:27:29,490 It's about the righteousness that they have found in faith. 611 00:27:29,490 --> 00:27:32,290 And so it's not their righteousness, it's righteousness. 612 00:27:32,290 --> 00:27:33,250 It's a big word. 613 00:27:33,330 --> 00:27:35,330 It's not really a big word, but it's a hard word to understand. 614 00:27:35,730 --> 00:27:37,290 It's imputed to us. 615 00:27:37,290 --> 00:27:38,170 You say imputed? 616 00:27:38,170 --> 00:27:38,690 What's that mean? 617 00:27:38,690 --> 00:27:39,570 It's essentially this. 618 00:27:39,730 --> 00:27:43,490 God takes the righteousness of Jesus and then he lays it upon our 619 00:27:43,490 --> 00:27:43,810 account. 620 00:27:44,690 --> 00:27:48,490 And the only way that we can find judicial righteousness in front 621 00:27:48,490 --> 00:27:50,890 of God is through faith in Jesus Christ. 622 00:27:51,210 --> 00:27:52,650 And so this is the summary. 623 00:27:52,650 --> 00:27:54,250 How does this practically apply? 624 00:27:54,330 --> 00:27:56,330 Well, the Gentiles, they were not given the law. 625 00:27:56,330 --> 00:27:58,850 The Gentiles were not historically God fearing. 626 00:27:58,850 --> 00:28:01,450 The Gentiles did not typically pursue righteousness. 627 00:28:01,610 --> 00:28:04,570 So how can the Gentiles think about this mind blowing thing for 628 00:28:04,570 --> 00:28:06,490 the Jewish, Jewish people at this point? 629 00:28:06,730 --> 00:28:09,130 How could the Gentiles find righteousness? 630 00:28:09,610 --> 00:28:12,410 Well, the Bible tells us that the Gentiles found righteousness 631 00:28:13,310 --> 00:28:16,750 through Jesus Christ, through faith and through salvation. 632 00:28:16,750 --> 00:28:18,550 Go back to Romans chapter one with me. 633 00:28:18,550 --> 00:28:19,950 This is where Paul starts. 634 00:28:20,350 --> 00:28:23,670 Paul starts in Romans chapter one with explaining what the Gospel 635 00:28:23,670 --> 00:28:24,030 is. 636 00:28:24,990 --> 00:28:26,430 The power of the gospel. 637 00:28:27,390 --> 00:28:31,750 And In Romans chapter 1, verse 16, he's saying here I'm about to 638 00:28:31,750 --> 00:28:34,950 tell you all these things and I'm not ashamed of it, for I am not 639 00:28:34,950 --> 00:28:35,630 ashamed. 640 00:28:35,710 --> 00:28:39,310 Verse 16, For I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. 641 00:28:40,250 --> 00:28:44,170 So we see it's not the Gospel of Paul, it's not the gospel of Peter, 642 00:28:44,330 --> 00:28:47,010 it's not the gospel of the Jewish people, it's not the gospel 643 00:28:47,010 --> 00:28:50,610 of the Gentiles, it's the Gospel of Christ, the good news of 644 00:28:50,610 --> 00:28:50,850 Christ. 645 00:28:50,850 --> 00:28:51,930 The good news of Jesus. 646 00:28:52,090 --> 00:28:59,370 For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth 647 00:29:00,410 --> 00:29:04,490 to the Jew first, meaning it came to the Jews first, but then 648 00:29:04,490 --> 00:29:06,490 also to the Greek or the Gentile. 649 00:29:07,030 --> 00:29:12,550 For therein is righteousness, but not the righteousness of man. 650 00:29:12,630 --> 00:29:15,990 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from 651 00:29:15,990 --> 00:29:16,790 faith to faith. 652 00:29:16,790 --> 00:29:18,510 Meaning it's only revealed through faith. 653 00:29:18,510 --> 00:29:21,790 That's as easy, starts with faith, it ends with faith revealed 654 00:29:21,790 --> 00:29:22,669 from faith to faith. 655 00:29:22,669 --> 00:29:28,310 As it is written, the just or the justified shall live by faith. 656 00:29:29,510 --> 00:29:32,600 And so it's not a righteousness that we can earn, but 657 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:35,280 it's a righteousness that we can receive by faith. 658 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,240 And so if you go to Romans chapter nine, he's explaining this 659 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:42,720 to people who are hung up on the fact that I'm Jewish, I'm saved, 660 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:46,480 I'm Jewish, I'm righteous, because that's where I was born. 661 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:47,600 That's how I live. 662 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:48,960 I'm a righteous person. 663 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:53,800 How could God now use the Gentiles in the church to now be 664 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,200 the pillar and ground of truth? 665 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:56,800 We are God's chosen people. 666 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:00,470 We were chosen to give the people the word of God, the law of 667 00:30:00,470 --> 00:30:02,670 God, the prophets of God, the Messiah. 668 00:30:02,670 --> 00:30:06,470 But then now is God faithful because he's using the Gentiles in 669 00:30:06,470 --> 00:30:06,870 the church. 670 00:30:06,870 --> 00:30:14,110 He says, no, it's not that the Gentiles are worthy of this cause. 671 00:30:14,110 --> 00:30:17,710 The reason why the Gentiles have this is because God is faithful. 672 00:30:17,790 --> 00:30:19,590 The remnant is here through faith. 673 00:30:19,590 --> 00:30:23,990 And now everyone is welcomed in and through faith to find the 674 00:30:23,990 --> 00:30:25,070 grace of Jesus Christ. 675 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:27,990 And, and now God is entrusting them with that election. 676 00:30:28,630 --> 00:30:30,990 So, so it's not a Righteousness that we can earn. 677 00:30:30,990 --> 00:30:32,470 And so I want you to think about it this way. 678 00:30:32,470 --> 00:30:32,870 Faith. 679 00:30:32,870 --> 00:30:33,710 What is faith? 680 00:30:33,710 --> 00:30:35,590 Faith is belief in something that we don't see. 681 00:30:35,750 --> 00:30:37,350 And what is it that we don't see? 682 00:30:37,350 --> 00:30:39,670 Well, it's the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 683 00:30:39,830 --> 00:30:43,630 We see its effects, we see its power, we see all the changes that 684 00:30:43,630 --> 00:30:44,070 it makes. 685 00:30:44,150 --> 00:30:46,470 But none of us were there when Jesus died on the cross. 686 00:30:46,550 --> 00:30:49,750 None of us were there to see the literal resurrection. 687 00:30:49,830 --> 00:30:52,510 But we have to take by faith that that's the message of the gospel 688 00:30:52,510 --> 00:30:53,110 of Jesus Christ. 689 00:30:53,110 --> 00:30:54,390 And we have a lot of proof for that. 690 00:30:54,940 --> 00:30:57,060 And then he says here, okay, what does faith do? 691 00:30:57,060 --> 00:31:03,020 Well, faith essentially activates and assimilates the promises 692 00:31:03,020 --> 00:31:03,580 of God. 693 00:31:03,580 --> 00:31:05,980 God gives promises to his people, right? 694 00:31:06,140 --> 00:31:07,660 He gives promises to his people. 695 00:31:07,660 --> 00:31:08,700 What are some of those promises? 696 00:31:08,780 --> 00:31:10,699 That he's never going to leave us nor forsake us. 697 00:31:11,020 --> 00:31:16,140 He promises us that he will use us and mold us and grow us. 698 00:31:16,140 --> 00:31:19,220 He promises us the ultimate promise of being with him one day 699 00:31:19,220 --> 00:31:22,910 in heaven, to spend eternity with him, to live with no more pain, 700 00:31:22,910 --> 00:31:25,350 to live with no more suffering, to walk the streets of 701 00:31:25,350 --> 00:31:26,590 gold, as we say. 702 00:31:26,670 --> 00:31:29,630 And so how do we trust in those promises of God? 703 00:31:29,630 --> 00:31:30,750 Well, it's through faith. 704 00:31:30,910 --> 00:31:34,230 But the way that we experience those promises of God, the way that 705 00:31:34,230 --> 00:31:38,110 we can activate those promises of God for us personally and the 706 00:31:38,110 --> 00:31:41,070 way that we can assimilate them into our life is through faith. 707 00:31:41,630 --> 00:31:44,470 Okay, so, for example, I don't go up to someone in the world who 708 00:31:44,470 --> 00:31:46,710 does not have faith and go, well, God loves you. 709 00:31:46,710 --> 00:31:47,710 He's never going to leave you. 710 00:31:47,710 --> 00:31:48,910 He's never going to forsake you. 711 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:50,080 You're going to heaven. 712 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:51,280 You get all these blessings. 713 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:55,120 No, folks, someone who is living outside of faith cannot activate 714 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,960 and assimilate those promises of God in their life because they 715 00:31:57,960 --> 00:31:58,720 don't have faith. 716 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:00,120 Faith is the victory. 717 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,080 Faith is the deciding point. 718 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:05,760 And so what we see here is that Paul says, people, it's not 719 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:08,560 about whether or not you are Jewish or Gentile. 720 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,760 It's not a matter of whether or not you go to this place or this 721 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:12,000 place. 722 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:16,120 It's not a matter of where you have, where you work or what you 723 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:16,960 have in your bank account. 724 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:18,900 He says, it's a matter of faith. 725 00:32:18,900 --> 00:32:23,820 And so because the church now is the picture of God's love and 726 00:32:23,820 --> 00:32:28,740 faith, he says, that is who now is elect to use the truth of 727 00:32:28,740 --> 00:32:30,460 God to preach to the world. 728 00:32:31,180 --> 00:32:36,620 And so God's promises, you could say it this way, God's promises 729 00:32:36,620 --> 00:32:38,620 become mine through faith. 730 00:32:39,420 --> 00:32:42,220 I can claim the promises of God through faith. 731 00:32:42,540 --> 00:32:45,100 And that's what we essentially see Paul explaining here. 732 00:32:45,100 --> 00:32:47,570 So let's go a little bit further here, because he. 733 00:32:47,570 --> 00:32:50,690 He mentions the Gentiles who were not historically righteous, 734 00:32:50,770 --> 00:32:52,290 but now they can find righteousness. 735 00:32:52,290 --> 00:32:53,050 How do they do that? 736 00:32:53,050 --> 00:32:55,250 Well, he says that through faith, verse 31. 737 00:32:55,250 --> 00:32:56,810 Then he goes, but Israel. 738 00:32:56,810 --> 00:32:57,650 So he's accept. 739 00:32:57,890 --> 00:32:59,330 He's explaining himself. 740 00:32:59,330 --> 00:33:00,930 He says, this is what I'm talking about. 741 00:33:00,930 --> 00:33:02,130 Israel rebelled. 742 00:33:02,130 --> 00:33:03,610 And he's going to explain this. 743 00:33:03,610 --> 00:33:07,730 He says, but Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness. 744 00:33:07,890 --> 00:33:11,610 The law of righteousness, meaning the law, the Mosaic law that 745 00:33:11,610 --> 00:33:16,400 God gave, hath not obtained to the law of righteousness, Meaning 746 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,840 they're not righteous, you say, well, how. 747 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:23,040 Wait, I thought if they had the law, aren't they righteous? 748 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:24,840 Don't they keep the law perfectly? 749 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:28,200 There is nobody, nobody who has ever walked this earth other 750 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,680 than Jesus Christ, who kept the law perfectly, who can't keep 751 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:31,600 the law perfectly. 752 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,880 So, so what Paul is saying is that if people want to find righteousness 753 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:37,640 through the law, they have to be perfect in the law. 754 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:39,120 And none of them can reach that. 755 00:33:39,550 --> 00:33:42,030 Nobody can reach the perfect nature of the law. 756 00:33:42,910 --> 00:33:44,030 So what does that mean? 757 00:33:44,750 --> 00:33:46,910 Verse 32, wherefore? 758 00:33:47,230 --> 00:33:49,310 Because they sought it not by faith. 759 00:33:49,550 --> 00:33:53,390 So if I'm looking at the law to save me, I'm not seeking by faith 760 00:33:53,390 --> 00:33:54,350 because I see it. 761 00:33:54,350 --> 00:33:55,870 Okay, so it would be like this. 762 00:33:56,030 --> 00:33:58,830 Here's the law, all 613 of them. 763 00:33:59,310 --> 00:33:59,790 Okay? 764 00:33:59,790 --> 00:34:02,750 And you take this now follow this as a checklist in your life. 765 00:34:03,070 --> 00:34:06,280 Well, that's not by faith, because what you're doing, it's by 766 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:06,600 works. 767 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:06,960 Okay? 768 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:08,200 Check that law off today. 769 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:09,240 I did this today. 770 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:15,320 So he says, you can never obtain righteousness through keeping 771 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:15,800 the law. 772 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:16,120 Why? 773 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:17,640 Because that would be a work. 774 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:19,720 Faith works, remember? 775 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:21,079 And so it's this. 776 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:24,320 He says, they cannot be found through the law. 777 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:26,600 Israel had the law, they had the prophets. 778 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:29,400 We already saw that all the way back in verse number four of 779 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:30,120 Romans nine. 780 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:32,800 They had the adoption, they had the glory, they had the covenants, 781 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:35,650 they had the law, they had the fathers, even they had the blessing 782 00:34:35,650 --> 00:34:37,210 of having Jesus come through their. 783 00:34:37,450 --> 00:34:38,410 Their lineage. 784 00:34:38,410 --> 00:34:44,490 But they wrongly thought that the law was the means for salvation. 785 00:34:45,050 --> 00:34:49,130 They wrongly thought that because they had obtained those things 786 00:34:49,370 --> 00:34:54,330 that they now can claim righteousness because of their works. 787 00:34:54,730 --> 00:34:55,050 So. 788 00:34:55,050 --> 00:34:55,930 So, so it's. 789 00:34:56,250 --> 00:34:57,850 That was never the purpose of the law. 790 00:34:58,090 --> 00:35:01,050 God explains the purpose of the law even in the New Testament. 791 00:35:01,310 --> 00:35:03,910 It was a standard of righteousness to show us our sin. 792 00:35:03,910 --> 00:35:05,070 It was a schoolmaster. 793 00:35:05,230 --> 00:35:08,990 It was to show us that we all need God, that we all need something 794 00:35:08,990 --> 00:35:09,950 bigger than ourselves. 795 00:35:10,030 --> 00:35:14,230 The law was there to show the heart of God and his perfect standard. 796 00:35:14,230 --> 00:35:16,910 But at the end of the day, none of us can reach that. 797 00:35:17,069 --> 00:35:19,630 So it always shows us that we need God. 798 00:35:19,630 --> 00:35:21,550 And that's really the message of the Gospel. 799 00:35:22,110 --> 00:35:24,190 And so everything points to Jesus. 800 00:35:24,190 --> 00:35:25,630 The law points to Jesus. 801 00:35:25,710 --> 00:35:28,190 The sacrificial system pointed to Jesus. 802 00:35:28,540 --> 00:35:30,460 All of the feasts, all of the. 803 00:35:30,540 --> 00:35:33,260 All of the activities that the Jewish people were doing in the Old 804 00:35:33,260 --> 00:35:35,060 Testament, all the way from. 805 00:35:35,060 --> 00:35:38,580 From Exodus through the end, through Malachi, and even into what 806 00:35:38,580 --> 00:35:40,340 we would call the New Testament, even though they were 807 00:35:40,340 --> 00:35:44,340 living under the Old covenant there for a while, that was all pointing 808 00:35:44,340 --> 00:35:44,860 to Jesus. 809 00:35:44,860 --> 00:35:48,860 It was all showing us that we need something more than our own 810 00:35:48,860 --> 00:35:49,180 works. 811 00:35:49,180 --> 00:35:53,980 And so verse 32, he says, why did the people of Israel at that 812 00:35:53,980 --> 00:35:56,850 time not find righteousness? 813 00:35:57,330 --> 00:35:58,410 Because they sought it. 814 00:35:58,410 --> 00:36:03,890 Not by faith, verse 32, but, as it were, by the works of the law. 815 00:36:05,570 --> 00:36:07,570 And then he says something so interesting here. 816 00:36:08,050 --> 00:36:10,970 He actually again quotes another Old Testament, actually a 817 00:36:10,970 --> 00:36:12,450 few different Old Testament passages. 818 00:36:13,250 --> 00:36:15,970 He says in verse 32, this is why they didn't believe. 819 00:36:17,570 --> 00:36:20,290 This is why this was the stumbling block. 820 00:36:20,610 --> 00:36:22,930 He says this is what's holding them back. 821 00:36:23,420 --> 00:36:25,300 It's not a matter of people wanting to be religious. 822 00:36:25,300 --> 00:36:28,780 I remember when I had the blessing to go to Israel, that the 823 00:36:28,780 --> 00:36:30,380 church so graciously sent us there. 824 00:36:30,380 --> 00:36:35,380 And I wanted to soak in every moment and I wanted to retain as 825 00:36:35,380 --> 00:36:36,460 much memories as I could. 826 00:36:36,460 --> 00:36:40,300 So we took so many pictures, and I wanted to find some kind of, 827 00:36:40,300 --> 00:36:43,060 you know, enlightenment, if you will. 828 00:36:43,060 --> 00:36:45,220 Like, I go there and see something, and now it makes sense. 829 00:36:45,220 --> 00:36:45,500 And. 830 00:36:45,500 --> 00:36:47,980 And the way that I explained it was basically, you know, you go 831 00:36:47,980 --> 00:36:50,220 and maybe you see things in black and white. 832 00:36:50,220 --> 00:36:52,500 Now it's in HD color, and it's like I see it all. 833 00:36:52,500 --> 00:36:53,830 But the. 834 00:36:53,830 --> 00:36:54,150 The. 835 00:36:54,230 --> 00:36:56,350 One of the major takeaways that I got when I went there was 836 00:36:56,350 --> 00:36:57,910 that it's a very religious place. 837 00:36:58,390 --> 00:37:01,830 I mean, people are just so committed to what they believe in. 838 00:37:02,630 --> 00:37:05,790 But the truth is, is that what we're going to see later on, even 839 00:37:05,790 --> 00:37:09,590 In Romans chapter 10, is that zeal does not equate being right. 840 00:37:10,790 --> 00:37:16,390 Passion and commitment does not equate being in the truth. 841 00:37:16,870 --> 00:37:19,270 And so what he says here is that there's people that are passionate. 842 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:24,080 They wanted to find God, but they wanted to find God their own 843 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:24,400 way. 844 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:28,680 And then he says in verse number 32, for they stumbled at that 845 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:29,840 stumbling stone. 846 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:35,200 So he says that these people who are not believing in faith, in 847 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:38,920 the truth are finding themselves at a stumbling block. 848 00:37:39,240 --> 00:37:42,120 I don't know if any of you guys have ever hit a literal stumbling 849 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:42,760 block in your life. 850 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:44,800 You've tripped and fallen, you can't get past it. 851 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,450 But he's talking here about a spiritual stumbling block, says there's 852 00:37:48,450 --> 00:37:52,090 something in the way for them, and he's going to explain what that 853 00:37:52,090 --> 00:37:52,290 is. 854 00:37:52,290 --> 00:37:57,410 Here at the end of verse 33, he says, as it is written, behold, 855 00:37:57,410 --> 00:37:58,930 I lay in Zion. 856 00:37:59,010 --> 00:38:03,730 That's Israel, a stumbling stone, a rock of offense. 857 00:38:04,930 --> 00:38:08,770 And whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 858 00:38:09,890 --> 00:38:13,330 And so if you guys have been following us for any amount of time, 859 00:38:13,330 --> 00:38:14,850 you should know who that stone is. 860 00:38:15,390 --> 00:38:17,390 That stone is Jesus, the Messiah. 861 00:38:17,790 --> 00:38:19,870 So he says, the hold up is not religion. 862 00:38:19,870 --> 00:38:22,270 The hold up is not trying to be a good person. 863 00:38:22,430 --> 00:38:25,550 The hold up is not trying to believe that there is a God above. 864 00:38:25,710 --> 00:38:27,990 The hold up is Jesus the Messiah. 865 00:38:27,990 --> 00:38:31,269 That's everybody's stumbling block when it comes to the matter 866 00:38:31,269 --> 00:38:31,870 of faith. 867 00:38:32,190 --> 00:38:35,190 It's what you believe about Jesus, it's how you trust in him. 868 00:38:35,190 --> 00:38:36,510 It's not about your good works. 869 00:38:36,590 --> 00:38:38,350 There's a lot of people that would say, I'm a good person. 870 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:43,000 But if you think about the gospel, it's completely opposite. 871 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,080 Like, so if I came up to someone this morning and I said, 872 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:49,920 hey, look, okay, they're unsaved, they don't believe in our 873 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:51,080 message of the gospel. 874 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:53,080 And I say, hey, God loves you. 875 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:55,000 Oh, okay, that sounds like a nice message. 876 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:57,480 God loves you the way that you are. 877 00:38:58,360 --> 00:38:59,560 Keep up the good work. 878 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:01,960 Try your best, earn that. 879 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:04,120 Let your good outweigh your bad. 880 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:05,200 That's a very. 881 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:08,710 In our worldly system, in our fleshly system, that's a very acceptable 882 00:39:08,710 --> 00:39:09,190 message. 883 00:39:09,190 --> 00:39:11,430 I didn't offend anybody by saying that right there. 884 00:39:11,670 --> 00:39:13,430 Like, theologically I should have. 885 00:39:13,430 --> 00:39:15,790 But you know, in our flesh, that doesn't offend anyone's flesh 886 00:39:15,790 --> 00:39:16,430 when I say that. 887 00:39:16,430 --> 00:39:18,150 But let's pretend it's this way, okay? 888 00:39:18,150 --> 00:39:21,590 I love you, but hey, look, Jesus died for your sins. 889 00:39:22,790 --> 00:39:26,110 You committed a sin that made you guilty and someone had to pay 890 00:39:26,110 --> 00:39:26,630 that price. 891 00:39:26,710 --> 00:39:28,390 Jesus died for your sins. 892 00:39:28,390 --> 00:39:29,590 Now, whoa, whoa, whoa. 893 00:39:30,150 --> 00:39:33,160 Who are you to say that I'm a sinner, right? 894 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:34,960 You see that that offends our flesh. 895 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:40,320 And so Jesus coming in the gospel is an offense. 896 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:44,960 It says they're a rock of offense for those who are trusting 897 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:46,160 in their own works. 898 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:49,440 And so he quotes these different passages. 899 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,200 I think it's important for us to see it. 900 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:53,640 And so get your fingers ready. 901 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:55,280 We're going to turn to a couple passages. 902 00:39:55,680 --> 00:40:00,110 Two in Isaiah and one in the book of Psalms. 903 00:40:00,350 --> 00:40:03,150 And so Isaiah, he quotes Isaiah 28, verse 16. 904 00:40:05,310 --> 00:40:08,990 Paul quotes the Old Testament quite frequently. 905 00:40:09,470 --> 00:40:12,030 And I think it's good for us to see where he's quoting. 906 00:40:12,750 --> 00:40:17,230 And I think it's important for us to see in Isaiah, chapter 28 and 907 00:40:17,230 --> 00:40:20,990 some of these other places that the message of Jesus was, was 908 00:40:20,990 --> 00:40:21,710 always there. 909 00:40:22,430 --> 00:40:24,670 The message of the cornerstone was always there. 910 00:40:25,690 --> 00:40:28,370 For those in the Old Testament, it was to believe in the 911 00:40:28,370 --> 00:40:29,290 one who was to come. 912 00:40:30,170 --> 00:40:32,890 For those in the New Testament, for the most part, later 913 00:40:32,890 --> 00:40:35,050 on after Jesus's resurrection. 914 00:40:35,290 --> 00:40:38,650 And for us today, it's a matter of looking back to the Messiah, 915 00:40:38,650 --> 00:40:40,810 that stone, that cornerstone, and believing in him. 916 00:40:41,130 --> 00:40:44,570 So look at Isaiah, chapter 28, verse 16. 917 00:40:45,370 --> 00:40:48,090 Okay, it's, it's mentioned over and over again, but these are 918 00:40:48,170 --> 00:40:49,450 direct quotes with Paul. 919 00:40:49,690 --> 00:40:54,780 In verse 16 he says thus, or excuse me, therefore thus saith the 920 00:40:54,780 --> 00:40:55,340 Lord God. 921 00:40:55,340 --> 00:41:02,340 Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, 922 00:41:02,740 --> 00:41:05,620 a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. 923 00:41:05,860 --> 00:41:08,660 He that believeth shall not make haste. 924 00:41:09,780 --> 00:41:11,020 So the idea would be this. 925 00:41:11,020 --> 00:41:15,780 In Isaiah, I'm going to send, I'm going to send the foundation 926 00:41:15,780 --> 00:41:16,260 stone. 927 00:41:16,260 --> 00:41:17,940 I'm going to send the cornerstone. 928 00:41:18,140 --> 00:41:21,420 And those that want salvation must believe in him. 929 00:41:21,420 --> 00:41:24,380 Another one is in Isaiah, chapter eight, Isaiah, chapter eight. 930 00:41:24,460 --> 00:41:27,340 And if you're in Isaiah, it's just probably a few Pages back. 931 00:41:27,340 --> 00:41:32,140 Isaiah 8, verse 14 and 15 Again, another message of the stone 932 00:41:32,140 --> 00:41:32,940 that is to come. 933 00:41:33,580 --> 00:41:36,380 And folks, we can never get tired of talking about Jesus. 934 00:41:36,380 --> 00:41:38,660 We can never get tired of talking about his prophecies. 935 00:41:38,660 --> 00:41:41,460 We can never get tired of talking about the message of the 936 00:41:41,460 --> 00:41:41,860 Gospel. 937 00:41:41,860 --> 00:41:47,020 So In Isaiah, chapter 8, verse number 14 and, and 15, it says this. 938 00:41:47,740 --> 00:41:53,820 He says, and he shall be for a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling 939 00:41:54,540 --> 00:41:58,660 and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a 940 00:41:58,660 --> 00:42:01,460 gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 941 00:42:01,460 --> 00:42:02,500 So here's a prophecy of it. 942 00:42:02,500 --> 00:42:05,180 He says, hey, there's going to be one who is our sanctuary. 943 00:42:05,500 --> 00:42:07,860 He is going to be the cornerstone. 944 00:42:07,860 --> 00:42:10,540 But for some, he's going to be a stumbling stone. 945 00:42:10,540 --> 00:42:11,980 He's going to be a rock of offense. 946 00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:14,640 Paul's directly quoting this verse 15. 947 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:18,960 And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken, 948 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:21,040 and be snared, and be taken. 949 00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:27,520 And so there's those messages of the stone that is to come that 950 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:28,600 would be a stumbling block. 951 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:31,240 And now I do want to point you to one last passage of Scripture 952 00:42:31,240 --> 00:42:33,800 in the Old Testament here that speaks of this stone. 953 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,480 Now, the reason why I'm doing this is again, I want to show you 954 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:41,910 the abundance of references to Jesus being that chief cornerstone 955 00:42:42,070 --> 00:42:45,670 and precious to us, but also an offense to many other people, 956 00:42:45,750 --> 00:42:47,710 because I think we need to understand what we're dealing with 957 00:42:47,710 --> 00:42:48,470 in this world today. 958 00:42:48,710 --> 00:42:53,550 So Psalm 118, verse 22, Psalm 18 is one of those passages of Scripture 959 00:42:53,550 --> 00:42:57,430 for me that has been a great help for me in times of struggle, 960 00:42:57,430 --> 00:42:59,990 in times of doubt, in times of pain. 961 00:43:00,310 --> 00:43:04,970 And I would encourage you to go to Psalm 118 in those times, because 962 00:43:04,970 --> 00:43:08,730 there's passages of Scripture that can bring those types of comfort 963 00:43:08,730 --> 00:43:09,170 to us. 964 00:43:09,170 --> 00:43:13,050 But in Psalm 118, we could look at so many other verses, but 965 00:43:13,050 --> 00:43:14,890 this is one that we'll stop with. 966 00:43:14,890 --> 00:43:18,930 In the Old Testament, it says, the stone which the builders refused, 967 00:43:19,650 --> 00:43:22,090 which is this Again, this is a prophecy of the future, right? 968 00:43:22,090 --> 00:43:25,450 The builders, the builders, meaning the religious people of the 969 00:43:25,450 --> 00:43:29,810 day, the they refused is become the headstone of the corner, 970 00:43:29,810 --> 00:43:32,560 Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone, the cornerstone of the 971 00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:32,880 church. 972 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:37,080 And so these are all Old Testament references to what Paul 973 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:37,880 is talking about here. 974 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:41,800 In Romans, chapter 10, verse 33, he says it is Jesus who is the 975 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:42,720 stumbling block. 976 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:45,320 And so I. I want you to see a couple in the New Testament that 977 00:43:45,320 --> 00:43:45,920 we're going to be done. 978 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:49,160 Peter says the very same thing Peter says in First Peter, chapter 979 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:52,160 two, verse eight, the very same thing that Paul is saying. 980 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:54,600 The very same thing that we saw in the book of Psalms, the very 981 00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:56,320 same thing that we saw in the book of Isaiah. 982 00:43:56,920 --> 00:43:58,280 Peter saw it firsthand. 983 00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:02,080 He says Jesus comes and people are okay with him when he's preaching 984 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:02,760 certain things. 985 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:05,720 But when he starts to preach the message of the Gospel, the message 986 00:44:05,720 --> 00:44:09,960 of repentance, the message of being changed and following him, 987 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:11,440 he says that's when people stumble. 988 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:15,000 He says in verse number seven of First Peter, chapter two, Unto 989 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:19,040 you, therefore, which believe he is precious, meaning those of 990 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:23,160 us that believe in Jesus, we should enjoy talking about Him. 991 00:44:24,010 --> 00:44:28,850 We should just relish every moment that we have when we can talk 992 00:44:28,850 --> 00:44:32,250 about the love of Jesus, the sacrifice of Jesus, we should never 993 00:44:32,250 --> 00:44:34,250 get tired of talking about Jesus in our life. 994 00:44:34,250 --> 00:44:39,290 He says, so for those who believe that have faith, he is precious. 995 00:44:39,930 --> 00:44:43,530 But unto him that them which he disobeyed. 996 00:44:43,530 --> 00:44:44,690 Excuse me, I will go back. 997 00:44:44,690 --> 00:44:47,570 But unto them which be disobedient, meaning those that don't 998 00:44:47,570 --> 00:44:50,930 believe, the stone which the builders disallowed. 999 00:44:50,930 --> 00:44:54,550 Again, reference quote right back to the Old Testament, the same 1000 00:44:54,550 --> 00:44:57,870 is made the head of the corner, the stone of stumbling and 1001 00:44:57,870 --> 00:45:01,910 a Rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient, 1002 00:45:01,910 --> 00:45:03,750 wherein to also they were appointed. 1003 00:45:04,230 --> 00:45:07,390 And so example here is that they're appointed a judgment when 1004 00:45:07,390 --> 00:45:07,990 they reject. 1005 00:45:08,710 --> 00:45:13,830 And so Paul shows that Israel is responsible for their current 1006 00:45:13,830 --> 00:45:14,390 condition. 1007 00:45:14,630 --> 00:45:17,190 I built that whole case to show you this. 1008 00:45:17,890 --> 00:45:21,810 There are some people that say, well, God ordained them into 1009 00:45:21,890 --> 00:45:22,370 sin. 1010 00:45:22,370 --> 00:45:24,290 He forced them determinism. 1011 00:45:24,690 --> 00:45:27,570 Essentially what Paul has been saying in this whole passage is that 1012 00:45:27,570 --> 00:45:30,930 there's always a choice of faith or rejection. 1013 00:45:31,330 --> 00:45:35,730 He says, those that find themselves in losing the blessings 1014 00:45:35,730 --> 00:45:38,450 of God find it through their own decision. 1015 00:45:38,770 --> 00:45:41,330 But God can use that decision for his good. 1016 00:45:41,570 --> 00:45:43,970 And remember, he works all things together for good. 1017 00:45:44,850 --> 00:45:49,410 And so Paul shows that Israel at that time, which is the picture 1018 00:45:49,410 --> 00:45:52,650 of those that have not believed, is responsible for their 1019 00:45:52,650 --> 00:45:56,330 present condition of being disallowed from being those that 1020 00:45:56,330 --> 00:45:57,850 are presenting the oracles of God. 1021 00:45:57,850 --> 00:45:58,930 Now it is the church. 1022 00:45:58,930 --> 00:46:02,250 Paul says it's now Jew and Gentile alike coming together in 1023 00:46:02,250 --> 00:46:02,610 faith. 1024 00:46:03,170 --> 00:46:05,450 We don't necessarily have time to go there. 1025 00:46:05,450 --> 00:46:09,530 But in First Corinthians, chapter one, he says, Paul says that 1026 00:46:09,530 --> 00:46:12,350 when I preach the cross, it is an affliction offense to people. 1027 00:46:13,630 --> 00:46:15,550 And so you would say, well, so, so why? 1028 00:46:15,550 --> 00:46:16,790 Why do we preach the cross? 1029 00:46:16,790 --> 00:46:17,510 Why I don't? 1030 00:46:17,510 --> 00:46:19,430 Because we live in a society today that says, like, let's not 1031 00:46:19,430 --> 00:46:20,110 offend people. 1032 00:46:20,590 --> 00:46:22,030 Okay, but the idea would be this. 1033 00:46:22,030 --> 00:46:22,270 It's. 1034 00:46:22,270 --> 00:46:23,950 We're not offending people to offend people. 1035 00:46:24,030 --> 00:46:25,510 The Bible says to preach Jesus. 1036 00:46:25,510 --> 00:46:29,110 And the natural product of someone in rebellion will be that 1037 00:46:29,110 --> 00:46:30,030 it'll be an offense. 1038 00:46:30,030 --> 00:46:32,590 It's only through faith that they can come and understand and 1039 00:46:32,590 --> 00:46:33,550 it's precious to them. 1040 00:46:34,030 --> 00:46:37,630 And so as we can summarize, as Paul is summarizing it, is this okay, 1041 00:46:37,790 --> 00:46:42,190 If I could summarize it in any way, he says, why did Israel lose 1042 00:46:42,590 --> 00:46:48,710 the blessing at that time of following the oracles of God and 1043 00:46:48,710 --> 00:46:51,910 presenting the oracles of God being the primary use for God's word 1044 00:46:51,910 --> 00:46:53,150 to be presented to the world. 1045 00:46:53,230 --> 00:46:56,550 The reason why is because of Jesus, the stumbling block of offense. 1046 00:46:56,550 --> 00:46:58,350 They had rejected Jesus at the time. 1047 00:46:58,510 --> 00:47:01,670 There was a small remnant that was still believing that became the 1048 00:47:01,670 --> 00:47:02,070 church. 1049 00:47:02,070 --> 00:47:05,750 But at that time, he says, okay, it was God's prerogative to 1050 00:47:05,750 --> 00:47:10,430 use Israel's rebellion at the time, to use that for his glory, 1051 00:47:10,430 --> 00:47:12,150 to allow the church to come in. 1052 00:47:12,230 --> 00:47:14,950 Jew and Gentile like to be the ones that are the pillar and grounds 1053 00:47:14,950 --> 00:47:15,430 of truth. 1054 00:47:15,430 --> 00:47:17,950 But we're going to get to Romans 10 and Romans 11 that he says 1055 00:47:17,950 --> 00:47:18,670 it's not too late. 1056 00:47:18,670 --> 00:47:23,030 For Israel to turn their turn back, to be grafted back in, to. 1057 00:47:23,030 --> 00:47:23,230 To. 1058 00:47:23,230 --> 00:47:24,110 To come to repentance. 1059 00:47:24,110 --> 00:47:25,390 And there's always a heart of Paul. 1060 00:47:25,390 --> 00:47:29,510 He starts Romans chapter 9 with, I will give myself to be a 1061 00:47:29,510 --> 00:47:30,950 curse so that my people will believe. 1062 00:47:31,220 --> 00:47:33,660 He starts Romans chapter 10 with, My prayer is that my people 1063 00:47:33,660 --> 00:47:34,260 come back. 1064 00:47:34,340 --> 00:47:37,232 And we even see in Romans chapter 11 at the end of Romans chapter 1065 00:47:37,288 --> 00:47:40,820 11 that God prophesies that they will come back to him. 1066 00:47:40,900 --> 00:47:44,180 And so we think about all of that from the grand scale of what 1067 00:47:44,180 --> 00:47:45,620 Does Romans chapter 9 talk about? 1068 00:47:45,620 --> 00:47:48,700 Does Romans chapter 9 talk about that God sits up there before 1069 00:47:48,700 --> 00:47:52,180 the beginning of time, arbitrarily selects certain people 1070 00:47:52,180 --> 00:47:53,820 to be saved, and we had no choice in it? 1071 00:47:53,820 --> 00:47:58,220 He arbitrarily selects people to be sent to hell and judged forever. 1072 00:47:58,220 --> 00:47:58,460 And. 1073 00:47:58,530 --> 00:47:59,650 And we had no choice in the matter. 1074 00:47:59,650 --> 00:48:02,050 And essentially everything that we do is determined. 1075 00:48:02,130 --> 00:48:05,170 And that would essentially mean God is the author of good and 1076 00:48:05,170 --> 00:48:06,050 author evil. 1077 00:48:06,050 --> 00:48:07,850 I don't believe Romans 9 is teaching that. 1078 00:48:07,850 --> 00:48:11,410 I believe Romans 9 is teaching that God was using Israel for a time, 1079 00:48:11,730 --> 00:48:13,850 through Abraham, through Isaac. 1080 00:48:13,850 --> 00:48:15,410 He was exclusive in that. 1081 00:48:15,570 --> 00:48:18,690 And at that time, they were used by God in their obedience. 1082 00:48:18,850 --> 00:48:21,330 But then God had mercy when they stumbled. 1083 00:48:21,330 --> 00:48:25,820 But then because of their rebellion, God switched directions, 1084 00:48:26,060 --> 00:48:29,060 didn't remove anyone that believes, but what he essentially 1085 00:48:29,060 --> 00:48:32,340 says is that he allows them to come to faith and that's the only 1086 00:48:32,340 --> 00:48:33,740 way that we can find salvation. 1087 00:48:33,740 --> 00:48:35,340 That's the only way that we can find the election. 1088 00:48:35,500 --> 00:48:39,180 And essentially, he is the potter, we are the clay, and we have 1089 00:48:39,180 --> 00:48:42,220 no question, we have no right to question him in the decisions 1090 00:48:42,220 --> 00:48:42,940 that he is making. 1091 00:48:43,020 --> 00:48:45,820 So Jesus is the stone. 1092 00:48:46,460 --> 00:48:52,260 Is he going to be a rock of affection fence, a stumbling block? 1093 00:48:52,420 --> 00:48:55,380 Or is Jesus going to be the precious cornerstone that we built 1094 00:48:55,380 --> 00:48:56,660 everything off of in our life? 1095 00:48:58,180 --> 00:49:01,980 Are we as the church, going to follow the same path that some in 1096 00:49:01,980 --> 00:49:06,579 Israel did at the time that believe that the laws would save 1097 00:49:06,579 --> 00:49:08,940 them, believed that the way that they looked, what was on the 1098 00:49:08,940 --> 00:49:12,780 outside was what was going to save them, what checklist they followed 1099 00:49:12,780 --> 00:49:13,500 was going to save them? 1100 00:49:13,500 --> 00:49:15,980 Are we going to be the people that say it's only through Jesus 1101 00:49:15,980 --> 00:49:17,380 Christ that we can find salvation? 1102 00:49:17,690 --> 00:49:18,570 Now, let me be clear. 1103 00:49:19,050 --> 00:49:22,290 The change in our heart in Jesus Christ does make us do certain 1104 00:49:22,290 --> 00:49:22,650 things. 1105 00:49:22,970 --> 00:49:27,650 It does change our demeanor, it does change our appearance, it 1106 00:49:27,650 --> 00:49:29,130 does change our actions. 1107 00:49:29,210 --> 00:49:32,450 But it's not the actions and appearance and demeanor that changes 1108 00:49:32,450 --> 00:49:32,810 our heart. 1109 00:49:32,810 --> 00:49:33,850 It's the other way around. 1110 00:49:34,010 --> 00:49:35,690 And that's where he's getting that here. 1111 00:49:35,690 --> 00:49:37,610 He says the summary Is this Israel? 1112 00:49:37,610 --> 00:49:38,170 Stumbled. 1113 00:49:38,730 --> 00:49:41,370 They stumbled in the truth of Jesus Christ. 1114 00:49:41,850 --> 00:49:44,330 Are we, as the church, going to stumble at the truth of Jesus 1115 00:49:44,330 --> 00:49:44,570 Christ? 1116 00:49:44,850 --> 00:49:46,370 Let me tell you a little secret here this morning. 1117 00:49:46,450 --> 00:49:48,530 We cannot be the church without Jesus Christ. 1118 00:49:48,770 --> 00:49:50,210 He is the chief cornerstone. 1119 00:49:50,370 --> 00:49:53,970 We are living stones built on top of the foundation. 1120 00:49:53,970 --> 00:49:57,330 But, folks, if the foundation is removed, we're all just taken 1121 00:49:57,330 --> 00:49:57,730 away. 1122 00:49:57,890 --> 00:50:02,930 As he says in the quote to Isaiah from Isaiah, without the Lord, 1123 00:50:03,250 --> 00:50:05,010 we would be like Sodom and Gomorrah. 1124 00:50:05,730 --> 00:50:06,290 We were. 1125 00:50:06,770 --> 00:50:10,090 I'll tell you one personal story which means nothing, but hopefully 1126 00:50:10,090 --> 00:50:12,130 it'll help you understand the context here. 1127 00:50:13,130 --> 00:50:16,330 When we lived in Florida, we lived in a place called Sefner, Florida. 1128 00:50:16,330 --> 00:50:19,090 And it didn't get on the national news very frequently at 1129 00:50:19,090 --> 00:50:19,370 all. 1130 00:50:20,570 --> 00:50:24,250 But one night, I think Alicia was actually out of town at the time. 1131 00:50:24,490 --> 00:50:28,410 I was sitting at home, and all of a sudden I hear, like, 100 helicopters 1132 00:50:28,410 --> 00:50:28,770 flying over. 1133 00:50:28,770 --> 00:50:29,930 And I thought, like, what's going on? 1134 00:50:29,930 --> 00:50:30,890 Is it the end of the world? 1135 00:50:31,050 --> 00:50:34,490 And there's all these police sirens going and ambulances, and 1136 00:50:34,490 --> 00:50:35,530 I'm like, what is going on? 1137 00:50:35,690 --> 00:50:39,250 So I turn on the news and about what felt three blocks away 1138 00:50:39,250 --> 00:50:42,370 from our house, there was a sinkhole that opened up. 1139 00:50:43,330 --> 00:50:45,250 You guys know, in Florida, they have, like, sand and there's 1140 00:50:45,250 --> 00:50:46,090 sinkholes and all that. 1141 00:50:46,090 --> 00:50:49,770 A sinkhole had opened up, and it opened up right over, right under 1142 00:50:49,770 --> 00:50:50,690 a guy's bed. 1143 00:50:50,850 --> 00:50:52,210 I don't know if you guys saw this. 1144 00:50:52,210 --> 00:50:55,850 The guy fell into the sinkhole, the foundation gave way 1145 00:50:55,850 --> 00:50:57,690 and he fell in, and they couldn't get to him. 1146 00:50:57,690 --> 00:50:58,530 They couldn't save him. 1147 00:50:58,530 --> 00:50:59,850 He ended up perishing. 1148 00:50:59,850 --> 00:51:01,130 They never recovered it. 1149 00:51:01,130 --> 00:51:01,890 And now it's just. 1150 00:51:01,890 --> 00:51:04,190 No one goes in that area because it's such a huge sinkhole. 1151 00:51:05,140 --> 00:51:07,340 And I thought about that, you know, and you think about the story 1152 00:51:07,340 --> 00:51:09,500 in the New Testament when it talks about those that built their 1153 00:51:09,500 --> 00:51:13,060 house upon sand and those who build their house upon the rock, 1154 00:51:13,060 --> 00:51:16,220 the stone, and that guy's house. 1155 00:51:16,220 --> 00:51:17,740 I had driven by that guy's house. 1156 00:51:17,740 --> 00:51:18,900 It was right off the main road. 1157 00:51:20,259 --> 00:51:23,460 That guy's house looked like my house, looked the same as my house, 1158 00:51:23,460 --> 00:51:23,980 okay? 1159 00:51:23,980 --> 00:51:27,300 But underneath that house, there was not a good foundation, 1160 00:51:27,620 --> 00:51:28,020 right? 1161 00:51:28,100 --> 00:51:29,980 They didn't know that they were upon a place that was about 1162 00:51:29,980 --> 00:51:30,660 to sink in. 1163 00:51:31,250 --> 00:51:34,650 But it was because of the storms of the world and life and 1164 00:51:34,650 --> 00:51:36,930 all that kind of stuff, and the rains that seep down in there. 1165 00:51:36,930 --> 00:51:38,410 It's the same thing with us as Christians. 1166 00:51:38,410 --> 00:51:40,610 You know, I can look at somebody and they can look just like 1167 00:51:40,610 --> 00:51:40,930 me. 1168 00:51:41,650 --> 00:51:44,610 I can look at somebody they can look religious, they could go 1169 00:51:44,610 --> 00:51:47,170 to church, they could be a good person in our society. 1170 00:51:47,170 --> 00:51:49,170 But the true test is not the way that we look. 1171 00:51:49,170 --> 00:51:52,050 It's not the law that we are attaining righteousness in. 1172 00:51:52,130 --> 00:51:53,890 The true test is this. 1173 00:51:54,370 --> 00:51:55,970 Where is our foundation built? 1174 00:51:56,620 --> 00:51:57,820 Where, where is our house? 1175 00:51:57,820 --> 00:51:59,740 Where is our life built on? 1176 00:51:59,740 --> 00:52:03,180 Is it built upon the sand as the New Testament said that everything 1177 00:52:03,180 --> 00:52:05,740 looked fine until the storms came, they got washed away? 1178 00:52:06,220 --> 00:52:09,020 Or is it built upon the sure rock that will never fail us? 1179 00:52:09,100 --> 00:52:10,500 And so that's what he's saying here. 1180 00:52:10,500 --> 00:52:12,659 He says, it doesn't matter if you're from Israel, it doesn't matter 1181 00:52:12,659 --> 00:52:13,380 if you're from America. 1182 00:52:13,380 --> 00:52:15,020 It doesn't matter if where you're from. 1183 00:52:15,260 --> 00:52:18,060 Where are you placing your faith? 1184 00:52:18,620 --> 00:52:20,020 What are you placing your faith on? 1185 00:52:20,020 --> 00:52:21,020 Where's your foundation? 1186 00:52:22,150 --> 00:52:25,190 Is the rock of Jesus Christ the thing that makes you stumble? 1187 00:52:25,190 --> 00:52:27,590 Or is the rock of Jesus Christ which you build everything on? 1188 00:52:27,910 --> 00:52:29,030 And that's the idea here. 1189 00:52:29,030 --> 00:52:29,990 Romans, chapter nine. 1190 00:52:30,230 --> 00:52:31,350 And so here this morning. 1191 00:52:31,750 --> 00:52:33,590 I know that that's a lot of information. 1192 00:52:34,150 --> 00:52:37,909 I mean, we were, you guys were like in a, you know, we're in a college 1193 00:52:37,909 --> 00:52:38,630 theology course. 1194 00:52:38,630 --> 00:52:40,630 We're looking at the Old Testament, we're tying it to the 1195 00:52:40,630 --> 00:52:41,270 New Testament. 1196 00:52:41,590 --> 00:52:44,430 But I do know, I know that we can throw a lot of information out, 1197 00:52:44,430 --> 00:52:47,550 but really, if we could summarize it this way, we could summarize 1198 00:52:47,550 --> 00:52:48,230 it like this. 1199 00:52:49,420 --> 00:52:51,500 Jesus offers the gift of grace to all. 1200 00:52:52,300 --> 00:52:53,180 He always has. 1201 00:52:54,460 --> 00:52:59,900 There are certain people that he uses as the vessels of presentation 1202 00:52:59,900 --> 00:53:00,940 of that message. 1203 00:53:01,580 --> 00:53:03,100 But what I will say is this. 1204 00:53:03,260 --> 00:53:05,140 It doesn't matter what your past is. 1205 00:53:05,140 --> 00:53:07,020 It doesn't matter what you look like. 1206 00:53:07,420 --> 00:53:09,420 What matters is what you're believing in. 1207 00:53:10,220 --> 00:53:13,180 You say, well, I came here this morning with a lot of pain, 1208 00:53:13,180 --> 00:53:14,860 a lot of suffering, a lot of doubts. 1209 00:53:16,330 --> 00:53:19,090 That's okay, because probably at some point in time, all of us 1210 00:53:19,090 --> 00:53:19,850 have had those things. 1211 00:53:20,730 --> 00:53:23,330 But the truth is, is that are we going to come and are we going 1212 00:53:23,330 --> 00:53:26,490 to come to, let's say, for the picture of the analogy, are we going 1213 00:53:26,490 --> 00:53:30,250 to come to that stone, the chief cornerstone, and are we going 1214 00:53:30,250 --> 00:53:32,250 to look at that and go, well, that's great, but I'm going to do 1215 00:53:32,250 --> 00:53:32,890 it my way. 1216 00:53:34,730 --> 00:53:37,850 That's like the clay looking at the potter going, hey, I got this. 1217 00:53:37,850 --> 00:53:38,850 Don't make me this way. 1218 00:53:38,850 --> 00:53:40,010 I got the better plan. 1219 00:53:41,540 --> 00:53:42,500 That's what Israel did. 1220 00:53:42,500 --> 00:53:44,860 That's, that's what the Bible says for the most part, not all. 1221 00:53:44,860 --> 00:53:45,820 There was the remnant. 1222 00:53:45,820 --> 00:53:48,420 Obviously, Paul was a Jew that believed Peter was a Jew. 1223 00:53:48,420 --> 00:53:48,740 That believed. 1224 00:53:48,740 --> 00:53:50,220 So it wasn't everybody. 1225 00:53:50,220 --> 00:53:53,380 But he says for the most part, many people were like, okay, I believe 1226 00:53:53,380 --> 00:53:53,820 in God. 1227 00:53:53,820 --> 00:53:55,220 I want God, but not Jesus. 1228 00:53:55,940 --> 00:54:00,180 So here this morning, are we willing to say, okay, I, I want righteousness, 1229 00:54:00,420 --> 00:54:01,700 I want salvation. 1230 00:54:02,260 --> 00:54:03,860 I want to be changed. 1231 00:54:03,860 --> 00:54:08,710 I, I want to have a new life, but I want to do it my way. 1232 00:54:08,710 --> 00:54:11,470 Are we going to say, I want to do it through Jesus Christ? 1233 00:54:11,950 --> 00:54:14,270 He alone can bring me righteousness. 1234 00:54:14,430 --> 00:54:16,510 He alone can bring me salvation. 1235 00:54:17,390 --> 00:54:20,190 It's not a matter of being a good person or not. 1236 00:54:21,070 --> 00:54:24,990 I can always find someone that's better or worse than me, right? 1237 00:54:25,390 --> 00:54:28,230 I can find someone that I. I can always find someone that I can 1238 00:54:28,230 --> 00:54:29,550 follow the Bible better than. 1239 00:54:29,950 --> 00:54:31,150 But then guess what happens? 1240 00:54:31,150 --> 00:54:32,870 What if there's someone else that follows the Bible better than 1241 00:54:32,870 --> 00:54:33,150 me? 1242 00:54:33,620 --> 00:54:34,820 Then I'm the bad guy now. 1243 00:54:35,220 --> 00:54:36,020 Well, that's not. 1244 00:54:36,020 --> 00:54:37,300 It's not a matter of being good or bad. 1245 00:54:37,380 --> 00:54:39,460 The Bible says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory 1246 00:54:39,460 --> 00:54:39,940 of God. 1247 00:54:41,060 --> 00:54:43,380 So I'm not asking you this morning, are you, are you religious? 1248 00:54:43,380 --> 00:54:44,580 I'm not asking you this morning. 1249 00:54:45,620 --> 00:54:46,860 Did you come from a church? 1250 00:54:46,860 --> 00:54:48,020 I'm not asking you this morning. 1251 00:54:48,260 --> 00:54:49,980 You know, your parents were Christians. 1252 00:54:49,980 --> 00:54:52,180 I'm asking you this morning, what do you believe about Jesus Christ? 1253 00:54:53,060 --> 00:54:56,300 Because so many people, so many people were there. 1254 00:54:56,300 --> 00:54:59,950 They saw it wasn't a matter of belief because in his existence, 1255 00:54:59,950 --> 00:55:02,110 because there were people that saw Jesus walking. 1256 00:55:02,270 --> 00:55:05,430 These people would have witnessed Jesus's earthly ministry 1257 00:55:05,430 --> 00:55:07,470 to some degree or they would have known people who did. 1258 00:55:07,710 --> 00:55:09,670 So it wasn't like, well, Jesus was real or not. 1259 00:55:09,670 --> 00:55:12,190 It was a matter of, am I going to believe what this guy is saying 1260 00:55:12,190 --> 00:55:15,310 about my life and about my sin and I'm willing to come to him. 1261 00:55:15,390 --> 00:55:17,070 Like I said, many people didn't believe. 1262 00:55:17,470 --> 00:55:19,550 And it wasn't a matter of evidence. 1263 00:55:19,550 --> 00:55:23,790 It was a matter of that stumbling stone that it was an offense. 1264 00:55:25,080 --> 00:55:27,320 So when we preach Jesus, we preach Jesus completely. 1265 00:55:27,800 --> 00:55:29,880 We preach Jesus as the chief cornerstone. 1266 00:55:30,440 --> 00:55:33,320 But what I will say is this, like we talked about last week, God 1267 00:55:33,720 --> 00:55:36,200 can and will use us if we are faithful. 1268 00:55:36,600 --> 00:55:39,760 And so we want to be not the ones that just received the, the 1269 00:55:39,760 --> 00:55:42,360 grace of God through faith, but we also want to be those who 1270 00:55:42,360 --> 00:55:45,920 share the grace of God through faith to those around us in this 1271 00:55:45,920 --> 00:55:46,440 world today. 1272 00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:51,050 Because the Bible says that, remember Hosea, there will be people, 1273 00:55:51,050 --> 00:55:51,890 Loami. 1274 00:55:51,970 --> 00:55:54,850 Not my people, not my people will become my people. 1275 00:55:54,850 --> 00:55:55,810 What through faith. 1276 00:55:56,530 --> 00:55:58,890 There are people out there today in this world that are not 1277 00:55:58,890 --> 00:55:59,570 God's people. 1278 00:56:00,050 --> 00:56:02,450 I've heard People say, well, you know what? 1279 00:56:03,170 --> 00:56:04,450 We're all God's children. 1280 00:56:05,410 --> 00:56:07,930 We're all God's creation, and we're all made in the image of God. 1281 00:56:07,930 --> 00:56:10,250 It's those who believe, though, that are the children of 1282 00:56:10,250 --> 00:56:10,610 God. 1283 00:56:10,770 --> 00:56:13,170 So there are people in this world that are not God's people. 1284 00:56:13,170 --> 00:56:15,890 But the Bible says through faith they can't become God's people. 1285 00:56:16,410 --> 00:56:20,290 Through the prophecy there in Hosea, we even see that there can 1286 00:56:20,290 --> 00:56:22,450 be people that are in rebellion now to God, that can come 1287 00:56:22,450 --> 00:56:22,850 to faith. 1288 00:56:22,850 --> 00:56:24,090 But then Isaiah says this. 1289 00:56:24,250 --> 00:56:28,930 Just remember, without, without God, without his presence 1290 00:56:28,930 --> 00:56:31,570 and power and grace in our life, we would be like Sodom and 1291 00:56:31,570 --> 00:56:32,170 Gomorrah. 1292 00:56:32,170 --> 00:56:35,050 And that should stir our hearts to gratitude that God gave 1293 00:56:35,050 --> 00:56:35,930 us this opportunity. 1294 00:56:36,650 --> 00:56:39,770 Well, Pastor, my life's pretty rough. 1295 00:56:40,890 --> 00:56:41,770 You don't know my life. 1296 00:56:41,770 --> 00:56:42,730 I don't know your life. 1297 00:56:43,190 --> 00:56:45,270 But I know that if you're believing in Jesus Christ, you've 1298 00:56:45,270 --> 00:56:45,910 got salvation. 1299 00:56:45,910 --> 00:56:47,830 And that's the greatest gift any of us could ever have. 1300 00:56:48,070 --> 00:56:49,910 The rest in that here this morning, I'm gonna ask if you're 1301 00:56:49,910 --> 00:56:50,190 able to. 1302 00:56:50,190 --> 00:56:50,870 To stand with me. 1303 00:56:50,950 --> 00:56:53,070 Every head bowed, every eye closed as the music plays. 1304 00:56:53,070 --> 00:56:55,110 I just wanna give you an opportunity to respond this morning, 1305 00:56:55,430 --> 00:56:55,750 again. 1306 00:56:55,750 --> 00:57:02,230 I know that we've talked a lot about a lot today, but maybe God's 1307 00:57:02,230 --> 00:57:03,590 speaking to you in one of these areas. 1308 00:57:05,670 --> 00:57:09,590 Maybe you've said even in the past, well, I wish I could be saved, 1309 00:57:09,590 --> 00:57:11,030 but I don't think I'm part of the elect. 1310 00:57:11,030 --> 00:57:12,630 I don't think God ever chose me. 1311 00:57:14,270 --> 00:57:15,510 And so maybe that's holding you back. 1312 00:57:15,510 --> 00:57:18,910 Folks, the Bible says whoever believes, folks, if you're desiring 1313 00:57:18,910 --> 00:57:22,390 God here this morning, that that is proof that you can believe 1314 00:57:22,390 --> 00:57:23,790 and that you can find Jesus. 1315 00:57:25,470 --> 00:57:27,230 Jesus isn't hiding from you this morning. 1316 00:57:27,630 --> 00:57:29,710 He's revealed himself completely. 1317 00:57:30,430 --> 00:57:32,630 And so it's not about finding something that's hidden. 1318 00:57:32,630 --> 00:57:35,710 It's about opening our eyes to what is right before us. 1319 00:57:36,750 --> 00:57:38,910 And if that's you this morning, maybe you've been struggling 1320 00:57:38,910 --> 00:57:39,270 with that. 1321 00:57:39,270 --> 00:57:40,190 Am I the right one? 1322 00:57:40,190 --> 00:57:40,550 Am I. 1323 00:57:40,550 --> 00:57:41,310 Am I good enough? 1324 00:57:41,850 --> 00:57:44,410 The Bible says it's Jesus, not my works. 1325 00:57:44,650 --> 00:57:47,970 It's not the righteousness of the law, it's the righteousness of 1326 00:57:47,970 --> 00:57:48,850 Jesus in my life. 1327 00:57:48,850 --> 00:57:50,970 So maybe that's something that you're seeking, but maybe you're 1328 00:57:50,970 --> 00:57:53,530 the person that's been saved, but you've lost that gratitude. 1329 00:57:53,610 --> 00:57:56,330 Maybe you almost feel like I've reached it on my own. 1330 00:57:56,650 --> 00:57:57,530 I'm a good person. 1331 00:57:57,690 --> 00:57:58,730 I've obtained. 1332 00:57:59,290 --> 00:58:02,810 Remember what he said in Isaiah, without the remnant of God, 1333 00:58:02,810 --> 00:58:06,410 without the truth of God, we would all be like Sodom and Gomorrah. 1334 00:58:06,650 --> 00:58:09,690 We should all be so thankful for the gift of God's grace. 1335 00:58:10,640 --> 00:58:14,320 And so here this morning, may we be those that choose Jesus because 1336 00:58:14,320 --> 00:58:18,000 He is the one that demonstrated his love and his righteousness 1337 00:58:18,000 --> 00:58:18,360 for us. 1338 00:58:18,360 --> 00:58:20,520 Lord, I pray that you'll be in this time of invitation, working 1339 00:58:20,520 --> 00:58:21,280 hearts and lives. 1340 00:58:21,600 --> 00:58:23,360 We thank you for your love and your grace. 1341 00:58:24,720 --> 00:58:28,080 I pray that you bring us to a place of repentance and brokenness 1342 00:58:28,080 --> 00:58:29,200 this morning before you. 1343 00:58:29,600 --> 00:58:30,920 We love you in Jesus name. 1344 00:58:30,920 --> 00:58:31,280 Amen. 1345 00:58:31,280 --> 00:58:33,920 As music plays Follow as the Lord leads here this morning. 1346 01:00:38,770 --> 01:00:41,250 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 1347 01:00:41,250 --> 01:00:41,810 podcast. 1348 01:00:42,130 --> 01:00:44,540 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing to for you. 1349 01:00:45,180 --> 01:00:47,380 You would like to find out more information about our church 1350 01:00:47,380 --> 01:00:50,860 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 1351 01:00:51,180 --> 01:00:53,740 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 1352 01:00:54,460 --> 01:00:59,340 You can also email me directly at Josh Massaro Middletown BaptistChurch.com 1353 01:00:59,900 --> 01:01:01,580 if you've enjoyed this podcast. 1354 01:01:01,740 --> 01:01:06,220 Please subscribe and follow along for future podcast and updates. 1355 01:01:06,860 --> 01:01:07,740 Thank you so much. 1356 01:01:07,980 --> 01:01:08,780 God Bless. 1357 01:01:09,020 --> 01:01:10,300 Have a wonderful day.