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 --> 00:00:26,800 If you are following along with us, we've been going verse by 10 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,400 verse through the book of Romans, and we're in Romans chapter 11 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,130 10 here this morning, Romans chapter 10. 12 00:00:32,130 --> 00:00:35,610 And we left off last week at verse number 17, and that's where 13 00:00:35,610 --> 00:00:36,930 we're going to pick up this week. 14 00:00:37,650 --> 00:00:38,770 The idea is this. 15 00:00:39,410 --> 00:00:42,610 All of us as people in this world have faith. 16 00:00:42,770 --> 00:00:44,210 We have faith in something. 17 00:00:44,210 --> 00:00:50,370 Faith in ourselves, faith in someone else, faith in a bigger picture, 18 00:00:50,370 --> 00:00:55,130 faith in maybe the government or faith maybe in something that's 19 00:00:55,130 --> 00:00:56,050 beyond ourselves. 20 00:00:57,390 --> 00:01:01,270 But what the Bible tells us is that the only object of faith that 21 00:01:01,270 --> 00:01:06,110 can sustain, the only object of faith that can satisfy, the only 22 00:01:06,110 --> 00:01:10,430 object of faith that can save is the Bible saying here very clearly 23 00:01:10,510 --> 00:01:13,990 the truth of Jesus Christ that we find in the gospel, his life for 24 00:01:13,990 --> 00:01:14,350 mine. 25 00:01:14,350 --> 00:01:17,710 As we heard this morning in that song, Jesus comes to this earth. 26 00:01:17,710 --> 00:01:20,190 He lives perfectly, no sin. 27 00:01:20,430 --> 00:01:21,550 None of us can claim that. 28 00:01:21,550 --> 00:01:23,550 The Bible says, for all have sinned to come short of the glory 29 00:01:23,550 --> 00:01:23,950 of God. 30 00:01:24,380 --> 00:01:27,900 And so Jesus comes and lives that perfect life, and he then dies 31 00:01:27,900 --> 00:01:32,620 on the cross for our sins by way of sacrifice, paying our payment 32 00:01:33,100 --> 00:01:33,380 in. 33 00:01:33,380 --> 00:01:37,900 The Bible says that we can be justified through faith in that belief 34 00:01:37,900 --> 00:01:38,220 system. 35 00:01:38,540 --> 00:01:41,620 And really what that tells us is justified means that we're declared 36 00:01:41,620 --> 00:01:42,140 righteous. 37 00:01:42,780 --> 00:01:44,660 We're not righteous in and of ourselves. 38 00:01:44,660 --> 00:01:47,220 We're righteous because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. 39 00:01:47,220 --> 00:01:49,100 And we place our faith in that. 40 00:01:49,260 --> 00:01:52,220 But the beauty is, is the gospel doesn't end with Jesus's death. 41 00:01:52,220 --> 00:01:56,390 The gospel continues on in the fact that Jesus rose again on the 42 00:01:56,390 --> 00:02:00,470 third day and that because of Jesus conquering death, we can have 43 00:02:00,470 --> 00:02:01,630 everlasting hope in him. 44 00:02:01,630 --> 00:02:06,430 And so when he says in verse 17, so then faith cometh by hearing 45 00:02:06,430 --> 00:02:09,990 and hearing by the word of God, we understand by context that 46 00:02:09,990 --> 00:02:11,990 he's talking about faith in the gospel. 47 00:02:12,390 --> 00:02:15,590 Now we know that because all the way back in Romans chapter one, 48 00:02:15,990 --> 00:02:20,990 where we started many, many weeks ago, it says in verse 16, Paul, 49 00:02:20,990 --> 00:02:25,410 the writer here, says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, 50 00:02:25,730 --> 00:02:30,130 for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. 51 00:02:30,530 --> 00:02:33,770 So we know by way of context, he's not talking about faith in oneself 52 00:02:33,770 --> 00:02:36,770 he's not talking about faith in another person. 53 00:02:36,850 --> 00:02:39,690 He's talking about faith in God through Jesus Christ. 54 00:02:39,690 --> 00:02:40,770 John 14:6. 55 00:02:40,930 --> 00:02:43,330 Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. 56 00:02:43,410 --> 00:02:45,530 No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 57 00:02:45,530 --> 00:02:49,840 So to believe in God and to know his salvation is, and to know 58 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:53,640 his everlasting life that he extends to us, it's knowing Jesus 59 00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:54,560 Christ in faith. 60 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,520 And so that's what verse 17 is all about in Romans 10, faith. 61 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:00,560 That's the type of faith that we're talking about here. 62 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,320 Faith is a belief in something that we don't necessarily see. 63 00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:08,720 If you want to do a deeper study in the content of faith, look 64 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:09,920 at Hebrews chapter 11. 65 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:12,960 What an amazing passage that is when it comes to defining what 66 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,240 faith is and why we need faith and some examples of faith. 67 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,640 But in verse 17, he says faith comes by hearing and hearing what? 68 00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:22,400 Well, hearing what everyone has to say. 69 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,400 No, not necessarily hearing how I feel. 70 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:26,560 No, that's not what it says. 71 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:30,480 It says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. 72 00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:33,040 Where we get our theology is the word of God. 73 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,400 Where we get our faith is not necessarily from the pages of this 74 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,120 book or the screen that you have. 75 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,200 But the reason why we can believe in something that's on a 76 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,410 page is that the Bible says that it's alive. 77 00:03:44,410 --> 00:03:47,610 The Bible says that it's literally the Word of God inspired 78 00:03:47,610 --> 00:03:48,330 by God. 79 00:03:48,490 --> 00:03:51,610 And so when we look at the Word of God, we're seeing the story 80 00:03:51,690 --> 00:03:55,650 of our Savior, we're seeing the story of our salvation, we're 81 00:03:55,650 --> 00:03:57,650 seeing the story of our Creator. 82 00:03:57,650 --> 00:04:01,410 And so we know in the way of context that Romans chapter 10 is 83 00:04:01,410 --> 00:04:05,290 all about dealing with Paul's people, the people of Israel, and 84 00:04:05,290 --> 00:04:06,810 their rejection to Jesus. 85 00:04:07,210 --> 00:04:11,140 And in contrast, those that are Gentiles, as we saw in Romans 86 00:04:11,140 --> 00:04:13,260 Chapter one, the Gospel is not just for Jews. 87 00:04:13,260 --> 00:04:17,100 It was to the Jew first, but also to the Greek, also to the Gentile. 88 00:04:17,260 --> 00:04:22,380 Says in Romans 10 that there are people that were in the land 89 00:04:22,380 --> 00:04:26,179 of Jerusalem, in Israel, when Jesus came and when he died and when 90 00:04:26,179 --> 00:04:29,140 he rose again, that are rejecting him, that are turning their 91 00:04:29,140 --> 00:04:30,100 backs against him. 92 00:04:30,100 --> 00:04:31,300 And why are they doing that? 93 00:04:31,300 --> 00:04:33,900 Well, the first few verses in Romans 10 tell us that they were 94 00:04:33,900 --> 00:04:37,410 trying to find their own righteousness, righteousness in the 95 00:04:37,410 --> 00:04:39,290 law, righteousness and their works. 96 00:04:39,370 --> 00:04:42,050 And he's been explaining throughout Romans chapter 10 that 97 00:04:42,050 --> 00:04:43,730 that type of righteousness is empty. 98 00:04:43,730 --> 00:04:44,410 It's hopeless. 99 00:04:44,810 --> 00:04:48,450 We even know that in the book of Isaiah, it says that our righteousness, 100 00:04:48,450 --> 00:04:52,410 our best works, the best things that we can do, for God are 101 00:04:52,410 --> 00:04:55,530 like filthy rags in comparison to his holiness. 102 00:04:55,690 --> 00:04:58,570 And so we don't find righteousness through our hard work. 103 00:04:58,810 --> 00:05:01,250 We find righteousness through a relationship with Jesus Christ. 104 00:05:01,250 --> 00:05:04,180 And so he builds that all the way up to verse 17. 105 00:05:04,180 --> 00:05:07,460 And he says, hey, they need to hear about the message of the gospel. 106 00:05:07,460 --> 00:05:08,740 They need to have a preacher. 107 00:05:08,740 --> 00:05:10,740 We need to send, we need to go. 108 00:05:11,060 --> 00:05:14,140 But really all of us have to come to grips with that verse in 109 00:05:14,140 --> 00:05:14,900 verse 17. 110 00:05:15,700 --> 00:05:18,620 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of 111 00:05:18,620 --> 00:05:18,980 God. 112 00:05:19,060 --> 00:05:21,460 What are we doing with the message of the gospel? 113 00:05:22,020 --> 00:05:24,260 First and foremost, have we trusted in the gospel? 114 00:05:24,500 --> 00:05:27,540 Do we have faith in what the Bible says about Jesus and what he 115 00:05:27,540 --> 00:05:28,260 has done for us? 116 00:05:28,870 --> 00:05:32,230 If that be the case, if you have trusted in that and you do have 117 00:05:32,230 --> 00:05:35,430 faith in what the gospel message preaches, then the next question 118 00:05:35,430 --> 00:05:36,070 would be this. 119 00:05:36,070 --> 00:05:37,830 What are we doing with that message? 120 00:05:37,830 --> 00:05:39,670 Are we sharing that message? 121 00:05:39,670 --> 00:05:41,190 Are we living that message? 122 00:05:41,590 --> 00:05:44,990 Are we giving everything that we can to the kingdom of God? 123 00:05:44,990 --> 00:05:47,910 And the fact that we are proclaiming that message to the world? 124 00:05:48,310 --> 00:05:52,750 It is the responsibility for every believer to proclaim that message 125 00:05:52,750 --> 00:05:55,460 according to the Great Commission at the end of Matthew, 126 00:05:55,460 --> 00:05:56,420 chapter 28. 127 00:05:57,140 --> 00:06:00,140 But then we get to verse 18, and Paul is going to ask a few more 128 00:06:00,140 --> 00:06:00,540 questions. 129 00:06:00,540 --> 00:06:03,980 That's one of Paul's favorite tactics to use here in the Book of 130 00:06:03,980 --> 00:06:06,500 Romans, to ask a question and give an answer. 131 00:06:06,980 --> 00:06:09,980 And really what the question we're going to be faced with here 132 00:06:09,980 --> 00:06:11,460 in verse number 18 is this. 133 00:06:12,100 --> 00:06:16,220 What if one of those people from Israel that are rejecting Jesus 134 00:06:16,220 --> 00:06:18,940 at the time, and really the bigger picture would be, what if. 135 00:06:18,940 --> 00:06:21,420 What if anybody doesn't hear the message? 136 00:06:21,420 --> 00:06:21,740 What. 137 00:06:21,740 --> 00:06:24,740 What if they just don't understand or they don't know it, 138 00:06:24,740 --> 00:06:25,980 or they never even heard it. 139 00:06:25,980 --> 00:06:28,380 And really that's the first question that's asked. 140 00:06:28,780 --> 00:06:31,500 Verse 18, he says, but I say, have they not heard? 141 00:06:32,380 --> 00:06:34,460 So some people are asking the question of Paul. 142 00:06:34,460 --> 00:06:37,780 Well, how can they be held responsible to have faith in something 143 00:06:37,780 --> 00:06:38,780 that they haven't heard? 144 00:06:39,020 --> 00:06:41,100 Well, he's already talked about the importance of preachers 145 00:06:41,100 --> 00:06:41,580 going out. 146 00:06:41,580 --> 00:06:45,300 He's already talked about the importance of us as Christians proclaiming 147 00:06:45,300 --> 00:06:46,460 that gospel to the world. 148 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,480 But now he's going to tell us a very important truth. 149 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,720 That in the Old Testament and the New, the Bible tells us that 150 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,280 God's glory is proclaimed to all the world through various aspects. 151 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,280 And he actually quotes an Old Testament passage here in verse number 152 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:00,600 18. 153 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,240 He says, have they not heard? 154 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:07,840 Yes, verily or truthfully, their sound went into all the earth. 155 00:07:07,840 --> 00:07:10,440 And their words unto the ends of the world. 156 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:11,880 Now, what is he talking about here? 157 00:07:12,370 --> 00:07:15,490 He's actually quoting a passage from Psalm 19 that we read 158 00:07:15,490 --> 00:07:16,290 here this morning. 159 00:07:16,930 --> 00:07:19,890 He's responding to people that are basically saying this. 160 00:07:20,210 --> 00:07:21,970 What if people haven't heard? 161 00:07:23,090 --> 00:07:27,210 And really in the context of the message this morning, he's talking 162 00:07:27,210 --> 00:07:27,970 about Israel. 163 00:07:28,210 --> 00:07:31,170 He's talking about those people that Jesus came to, that Jesus 164 00:07:31,250 --> 00:07:31,810 lived around. 165 00:07:31,810 --> 00:07:34,610 And even in John chapter one, it says that he went into his own 166 00:07:34,610 --> 00:07:35,770 and his own received him. 167 00:07:35,770 --> 00:07:35,970 Not. 168 00:07:35,970 --> 00:07:38,370 So he says, what about those people that didn't hear? 169 00:07:39,090 --> 00:07:42,490 Well, Psalm 19 tells us that this doesn't mean. 170 00:07:42,490 --> 00:07:43,930 By the way, I need to make this clear. 171 00:07:43,930 --> 00:07:47,810 Psalm 19 does not say here that everyone in the world has heard 172 00:07:47,810 --> 00:07:49,490 the Gospel, because that's not the case. 173 00:07:49,570 --> 00:07:52,330 There are many people in this world that need to still hear the 174 00:07:52,330 --> 00:07:52,690 gospel. 175 00:07:52,690 --> 00:07:53,810 So that's not what it's saying. 176 00:07:53,810 --> 00:07:58,250 But what Psalm 19, verse 4, says is something very clear. 177 00:07:58,250 --> 00:07:59,890 It says this their line. 178 00:08:00,210 --> 00:08:01,330 Now what is their line? 179 00:08:01,410 --> 00:08:02,330 What is this talking about? 180 00:08:02,330 --> 00:08:05,920 Well, if you go back to verse number one in Psalm 19, it says the 181 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,600 heavens, the creation declared, the glory of God, and the 182 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,280 firmament show with his handiwork. 183 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,200 So it says their line is gone out. 184 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:13,720 What is that? 185 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:15,040 That is the glory of God. 186 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,640 The line is gone out through all of the earth and their words 187 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:20,120 to the end of the world. 188 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:21,239 And so what is he saying here? 189 00:08:21,239 --> 00:08:25,360 He says this, that because of creation, it's evident to the world, 190 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,080 because of the power of God being seen through creation, it's 191 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:31,600 evident to the world that there is a creator, that there is 192 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:32,440 a Savior, that. 193 00:08:32,509 --> 00:08:34,589 That there is someone more powerful than us. 194 00:08:34,749 --> 00:08:36,069 And so what is he saying here? 195 00:08:36,069 --> 00:08:40,149 He's saying in Psalm 19, and he's saying also in Romans, chapter 196 00:08:40,149 --> 00:08:44,069 10, that nobody is without excuse because of the fact that we 197 00:08:44,069 --> 00:08:46,309 can look out and we can see that there's something bigger than 198 00:08:46,309 --> 00:08:46,589 us. 199 00:08:46,669 --> 00:08:50,589 The glory of God is proclaimed through creation, through the Old 200 00:08:50,589 --> 00:08:53,909 Testament, through the law, through the prophets, through everything 201 00:08:53,909 --> 00:08:55,629 that we see throughout all the Bible. 202 00:08:55,709 --> 00:09:00,320 It points to a creator, it points to a Savior, it points to 203 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:00,720 Jesus. 204 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:04,520 And we even know that in the New Testament, Jesus is talking to 205 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:06,480 some folks on the road to Emmaus. 206 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:07,400 Some of you know that story. 207 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:08,920 It's after his resurrection. 208 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,320 And Jesus is walking with his disciples there. 209 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:16,640 And they don't know who he is, but he reasons with them from the 210 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,240 law and from the prophets, basically all the Old Testament, 211 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,920 that he is the fulfillment of all of that, that it's all talking 212 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:23,640 about him. 213 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,760 And so what Paul is basically saying In Romans chapter 10 is the 214 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:28,680 same thing that he said in Romans chapter one. 215 00:09:29,100 --> 00:09:30,100 Romans chapter one. 216 00:09:30,100 --> 00:09:34,820 If you look back with me to that, he says in verse number 30, 217 00:09:34,820 --> 00:09:37,780 I believe it is actually you could go all the way up to verse 218 00:09:37,780 --> 00:09:38,300 number 20. 219 00:09:39,020 --> 00:09:42,420 He's basically saying that nobody can say, well, I just didn't 220 00:09:42,420 --> 00:09:42,700 know. 221 00:09:43,660 --> 00:09:47,420 Nobody is exempt from the power of God. 222 00:09:47,420 --> 00:09:49,660 No one's exempt from the judgment of God. 223 00:09:50,060 --> 00:09:53,140 Verse number 20 of Romans chapter 1 says for the invisible 224 00:09:53,140 --> 00:09:57,030 things of him mean all the spiritual things that he gives us 225 00:09:57,110 --> 00:10:02,150 from the creation of the world are clearly seen being mis or being 226 00:10:02,150 --> 00:10:06,550 being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power 227 00:10:06,550 --> 00:10:09,190 of Godhead so that they are without excuse. 228 00:10:09,510 --> 00:10:10,669 So what is he saying here? 229 00:10:10,669 --> 00:10:13,270 He says that we can look out into the world and see the general 230 00:10:13,350 --> 00:10:14,550 revelation of God. 231 00:10:14,550 --> 00:10:17,550 And I believe that if someone seeks after the Lord through seeing 232 00:10:17,550 --> 00:10:20,470 his creation, he will reveal himself to them and give them an 233 00:10:20,470 --> 00:10:21,670 opportunity to know him. 234 00:10:22,030 --> 00:10:26,710 Verse 21 he says because of that, because that when they knew 235 00:10:26,710 --> 00:10:29,310 God, they glorified him not as God. 236 00:10:29,310 --> 00:10:32,990 Neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations 237 00:10:33,150 --> 00:10:35,070 and their foolish heart was darkened. 238 00:10:35,070 --> 00:10:35,790 Meaning this. 239 00:10:35,950 --> 00:10:38,590 There are many people that see God. 240 00:10:38,750 --> 00:10:40,510 God has been revealed to them. 241 00:10:40,590 --> 00:10:44,030 But they reject why, as it says there, it says very clearly 242 00:10:44,030 --> 00:10:48,310 why they were not thankful and became vain or empty in their imaginations 243 00:10:48,310 --> 00:10:49,550 they went a different direction. 244 00:10:49,870 --> 00:10:53,030 Their heart was, as it says here, foolish and was darkened. 245 00:10:53,030 --> 00:10:54,750 Professing themselves to be wise. 246 00:10:54,750 --> 00:10:57,790 Meaning there are people that say no, we're wise enough to figure 247 00:10:57,790 --> 00:10:58,830 out our own path. 248 00:10:58,990 --> 00:11:03,310 We can do it on our own, we can accomplish salvation through 249 00:11:03,470 --> 00:11:04,510 our own level. 250 00:11:04,670 --> 00:11:07,470 And so he says they profess themselves to be wise, but actually 251 00:11:07,870 --> 00:11:09,670 the Bible says that they became fools. 252 00:11:09,670 --> 00:11:13,350 The Bible says that there is a very clear definition of a fool. 253 00:11:13,350 --> 00:11:15,830 And by the way, this is not me describing a fool. 254 00:11:15,830 --> 00:11:16,510 This is the Bible. 255 00:11:16,790 --> 00:11:20,710 The Bible says the fool has said in his heart there is no God. 256 00:11:21,190 --> 00:11:24,390 A fool is someone who rejects the evidence. 257 00:11:25,030 --> 00:11:27,430 The fool is someone who rejects the power. 258 00:11:27,670 --> 00:11:31,270 The the fool is someone who rejects the gospel message clearly 259 00:11:31,270 --> 00:11:31,910 presented. 260 00:11:32,230 --> 00:11:36,310 And it says in verse 23 of Romans 1 and change the glory of 261 00:11:36,310 --> 00:11:41,270 the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible men 262 00:11:41,350 --> 00:11:42,550 and to birds and. 263 00:11:42,620 --> 00:11:45,100 And a four footed beast and a creeping things. 264 00:11:46,220 --> 00:11:49,380 And so what the Bible says very clearly here is that what is 265 00:11:49,380 --> 00:11:52,180 going to be the case for many people is that they're going to see 266 00:11:52,180 --> 00:11:54,820 that there is a Creator, that there's something bigger than them. 267 00:11:54,820 --> 00:11:58,140 But what they do is instead of worshiping the Creator, they worship 268 00:11:58,140 --> 00:12:01,420 the created, they create their own God. 269 00:12:01,900 --> 00:12:05,220 And sometimes what we see in our own culture is that the individual 270 00:12:05,220 --> 00:12:09,900 becomes the God or, or, or the, the system becomes the God. 271 00:12:09,900 --> 00:12:12,330 And, and that's exactly what we saw with the people of Israel 272 00:12:12,330 --> 00:12:14,410 at the time of Jesus's resurrection. 273 00:12:14,410 --> 00:12:17,530 Many people rejected and said that they had their own path, their 274 00:12:17,530 --> 00:12:19,290 own way, their own righteousness. 275 00:12:19,290 --> 00:12:20,450 And he says that's foolish. 276 00:12:20,930 --> 00:12:23,850 So they can't say, I've never heard, he says, because it's evident 277 00:12:23,850 --> 00:12:24,450 all around. 278 00:12:24,450 --> 00:12:26,290 And there's so much more to be said about that. 279 00:12:26,290 --> 00:12:29,450 But I want you to understand, he explains here In Romans, chapter 280 00:12:29,450 --> 00:12:31,010 10, the content of the gospel. 281 00:12:31,250 --> 00:12:33,010 And the content of the gospel is this. 282 00:12:33,090 --> 00:12:37,460 From the beginning of time, Jesus has clearly been taught through 283 00:12:37,460 --> 00:12:38,420 the Old Testament. 284 00:12:38,420 --> 00:12:41,340 He's been taught through creation, he's been taught through 285 00:12:41,420 --> 00:12:44,460 the prophets, he's been taught through the New Testament. 286 00:12:44,460 --> 00:12:46,980 And even today we all have to come to grips with the understanding 287 00:12:46,980 --> 00:12:50,940 that Jesus is being proclaimed to us through many different avenues. 288 00:12:50,940 --> 00:12:52,820 God is declaring his glory. 289 00:12:52,820 --> 00:12:54,540 None of us are without excuse. 290 00:12:54,860 --> 00:12:59,980 And so in verse 18 of Romans 10, he says the, the sound of that 291 00:13:00,140 --> 00:13:04,180 went through all of the earth and their words unto the ends of 292 00:13:04,180 --> 00:13:04,620 the world. 293 00:13:04,980 --> 00:13:08,820 At that time, even at Paul's time, the known world, the Roman 294 00:13:08,820 --> 00:13:10,540 world, had heard the Gospel. 295 00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:11,580 There was a great spread. 296 00:13:11,580 --> 00:13:14,540 Most of you know that the church starts there in Jerusalem, 297 00:13:14,540 --> 00:13:17,900 and it spreads and it goes to places like Antioch, where they were 298 00:13:17,900 --> 00:13:19,380 called Christians for the first time. 299 00:13:19,540 --> 00:13:23,820 It spreads obviously even to Rome, because this is a book written 300 00:13:23,820 --> 00:13:25,380 to the Christians at Rome. 301 00:13:25,620 --> 00:13:28,580 And so it's being spread all over the known world at that time. 302 00:13:28,580 --> 00:13:29,500 And praise God. 303 00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:32,740 Today, the gospel message is being spread all over the world. 304 00:13:33,340 --> 00:13:35,220 And we sometimes think about it this way. 305 00:13:35,220 --> 00:13:37,420 We think, well, you know, everyone would believe if they just 306 00:13:37,420 --> 00:13:37,820 heard. 307 00:13:37,900 --> 00:13:39,580 Everyone would believe if they just saw. 308 00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:42,740 But the truth is, is that there are many people today that 309 00:13:42,740 --> 00:13:44,860 have clearly been preached to. 310 00:13:44,860 --> 00:13:47,580 There are many people today that have clearly seen the glory 311 00:13:47,580 --> 00:13:48,140 of God. 312 00:13:48,140 --> 00:13:51,220 They've seen the work of God, they've seen the truth of God, but 313 00:13:51,220 --> 00:13:53,020 yet they reject in their hearts. 314 00:13:54,220 --> 00:13:56,980 The Bible says that the content of the gospel is very clear. 315 00:13:56,980 --> 00:13:59,100 It's in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. 316 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,640 The, the content of the gospel is that it's for all we talked about 317 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,320 this last time that it's for everyone to hear. 318 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,000 It's not for everyone to believe though, because the Bible 319 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:09,400 does say that it's the narrow way. 320 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,600 The Bible does say that there are going to be people who reject 321 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:13,040 the Gospel message. 322 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:15,920 And so the first question that Paul asks is, do they understand 323 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:16,560 the content? 324 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,120 Do they understand the gospel? 325 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:20,480 Do they know the gospel? 326 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,200 And then he actually goes a little bit further. 327 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,120 He says, okay, they've heard the gospel, but do. 328 00:14:25,190 --> 00:14:25,830 Do they know it? 329 00:14:25,830 --> 00:14:26,470 Verse 19. 330 00:14:26,470 --> 00:14:29,190 But I say, did not Israel know? 331 00:14:30,150 --> 00:14:32,230 So, so he's asking a question, not do they? 332 00:14:32,310 --> 00:14:34,790 Because it would be redundant if he just says, do. 333 00:14:34,870 --> 00:14:35,630 Have they heard it? 334 00:14:35,630 --> 00:14:36,470 And do they know it? 335 00:14:36,950 --> 00:14:37,830 Because then that. 336 00:14:37,830 --> 00:14:38,590 That would be like, what. 337 00:14:38,590 --> 00:14:39,310 What is he saying here? 338 00:14:39,310 --> 00:14:41,750 But that word no means, do they understand it? 339 00:14:41,990 --> 00:14:43,110 Do they live in it? 340 00:14:43,190 --> 00:14:45,750 Some of you know that in the Bible, when it uses that word, no, 341 00:14:45,750 --> 00:14:48,870 it's more than just an intellectual understanding of something, 342 00:14:49,110 --> 00:14:49,630 but it's. 343 00:14:49,630 --> 00:14:51,190 It's a deeper heart issue. 344 00:14:51,610 --> 00:14:54,530 And so he says here, okay, maybe Israel heard it, but maybe 345 00:14:54,530 --> 00:14:56,010 they just don't understand it. 346 00:14:56,490 --> 00:14:59,370 Verse 19, he says, but I say, did not Israel know? 347 00:15:00,090 --> 00:15:01,930 So, so the second question would be this. 348 00:15:01,930 --> 00:15:04,730 Do they know the context of the gospel? 349 00:15:05,290 --> 00:15:05,610 Do. 350 00:15:05,610 --> 00:15:09,610 Do they know the gospel when it comes to what Jesus Christ did? 351 00:15:09,610 --> 00:15:11,010 Yes, they know by facts. 352 00:15:11,010 --> 00:15:12,570 But do they know what it really means? 353 00:15:12,730 --> 00:15:15,170 Do they know that if they missed it, that other people would 354 00:15:15,170 --> 00:15:15,610 get it? 355 00:15:15,610 --> 00:15:18,040 Do they know that the gospels for the Gentiles were. 356 00:15:18,110 --> 00:15:20,590 Well, verse number 19, he says, did not Israel know? 357 00:15:20,750 --> 00:15:23,750 First, Moses saith, and he actually quotes a passage of scripture 358 00:15:23,750 --> 00:15:28,790 From Deuteronomy, chapter 32, Deuteronomy 32, verse 21, he quotes 359 00:15:28,790 --> 00:15:29,070 that. 360 00:15:29,070 --> 00:15:33,590 And he says that Moses said, I will provoke you to jealousy by them 361 00:15:33,590 --> 00:15:37,790 that are no people, and by a foolish nation, I will anger you. 362 00:15:38,110 --> 00:15:41,030 Now, if you want to go back and look at that quote, that's like 363 00:15:41,030 --> 00:15:44,430 I said, it's in Deuteronomy, chapter 32, verse 21. 364 00:15:45,110 --> 00:15:48,830 And it tells us that God told them from the very beginning, all 365 00:15:48,830 --> 00:15:51,710 the way back in the law, all the way back in Deuteronomy, that 366 00:15:51,710 --> 00:15:55,510 if they reject and that they will reject if they do that, that 367 00:15:55,510 --> 00:15:59,750 God will use other people, as it says here, another nation, people 368 00:15:59,750 --> 00:16:02,950 that are not a nation that are historically known for following 369 00:16:02,950 --> 00:16:05,310 God, a larger group of people. 370 00:16:05,310 --> 00:16:08,070 He will use them to revoke jealousy in their hearts. 371 00:16:08,310 --> 00:16:12,340 Verse 21 of Deuteronomy 32, it says, they have moved me to jealousy 372 00:16:12,340 --> 00:16:16,020 that which is not God, meaning people that were not originally from 373 00:16:16,020 --> 00:16:16,340 God. 374 00:16:16,340 --> 00:16:18,940 They have provoked me to anger with their vanities. 375 00:16:19,260 --> 00:16:20,940 That's the people of God, their emptiness. 376 00:16:20,940 --> 00:16:25,100 And I will move them to jealousy with those which are not 377 00:16:25,100 --> 00:16:25,740 a people. 378 00:16:26,620 --> 00:16:30,140 So basically what God says is that when Israel turns their hearts 379 00:16:30,140 --> 00:16:34,260 away from God, specifically through rejecting Jesus, that he 380 00:16:34,260 --> 00:16:37,420 will lump in another group of people that would be the Gentiles. 381 00:16:37,750 --> 00:16:40,510 That's why Romans chapter 1, verse 16 says to the Jew first and 382 00:16:40,510 --> 00:16:41,350 also to the Greek. 383 00:16:41,510 --> 00:16:45,150 So this was already foretold in prophecy all the way back In Deuteronomy, 384 00:16:45,150 --> 00:16:49,710 chapter 32, he says here in verse 21, and I will move them to 385 00:16:49,710 --> 00:16:52,430 jealousy with those which are not a people, and I will provoke 386 00:16:52,430 --> 00:16:54,710 them to anger with a foolish nation. 387 00:16:55,830 --> 00:16:57,670 And so the idea here is really this. 388 00:16:57,750 --> 00:17:01,030 Israel has been told throughout all of time that there 389 00:17:01,030 --> 00:17:03,490 is a bigger picture, that there is a. 390 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:05,960 A larger message that needs to be told to the world. 391 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:07,240 It's not just for them. 392 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,200 They have an opportunity to partake of it. 393 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,960 They have an opportunity to be blessed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 394 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,560 But he says if they reject, there is going to be a place where 395 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,800 they are turned to jealousy, that they are provoked in their anger 396 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:21,400 against these people, because God is going to use people that are 397 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:22,720 not part of the nation of Israel. 398 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:24,920 And that's what Paul's talking about in Romans, chapter 10. 399 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:29,320 And so Isaiah 65, he quotes Isaiah 65 as well. 400 00:17:29,970 --> 00:17:31,410 And that's an interesting thing. 401 00:17:31,490 --> 00:17:34,530 And by the way, if you're looking at the book of Romans and 402 00:17:34,530 --> 00:17:36,690 you say, well, I don't need to know the Old Testament to know the 403 00:17:36,690 --> 00:17:37,890 New Testament, folks. 404 00:17:37,890 --> 00:17:43,050 Paul quotes the Old Testament so frequently in the book of Romans 405 00:17:43,050 --> 00:17:45,490 and really throughout the New Testament that we need to understand 406 00:17:45,569 --> 00:17:46,330 the context. 407 00:17:46,330 --> 00:17:48,890 And so it's so important to see what he's quoting, because if 408 00:17:48,890 --> 00:17:51,490 you don't go back to see what he's quoting, you might not necessarily 409 00:17:51,490 --> 00:17:53,970 understand exactly the message that he's explaining here. 410 00:17:54,210 --> 00:17:57,830 So verse number 20, he says in Romans 10. 411 00:17:57,910 --> 00:18:03,110 But Isaiah or Isaiah is very bold and saith, I was found of them 412 00:18:03,110 --> 00:18:04,390 that sought me not. 413 00:18:04,950 --> 00:18:09,190 I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 414 00:18:09,910 --> 00:18:13,750 So if you go to Isaiah, Isaiah, this is actually a quote 415 00:18:13,750 --> 00:18:15,510 from Isaiah 65, verse 1. 416 00:18:16,070 --> 00:18:20,510 It's the Lord speaking and saying that if my people in this 417 00:18:20,510 --> 00:18:25,220 context Israel, reject me, don't believe in me, then he says 418 00:18:25,220 --> 00:18:29,460 that he will go to those who sought him not, meaning historically, 419 00:18:29,460 --> 00:18:30,500 were not his people. 420 00:18:30,980 --> 00:18:34,740 So Isaiah 65, verse 1 says, I am sought of them that asked not 421 00:18:34,740 --> 00:18:35,220 for me. 422 00:18:35,860 --> 00:18:38,260 I am found of them that sought me not. 423 00:18:38,500 --> 00:18:42,260 I said, behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called 424 00:18:42,260 --> 00:18:43,060 by my name. 425 00:18:43,300 --> 00:18:47,620 So we see in the law in Deuteronomy that God foretold that 426 00:18:47,620 --> 00:18:51,070 there would be a rejection from, from Israel of the Messiah 427 00:18:51,070 --> 00:18:54,230 and that the gospel message would go to more people. 428 00:18:54,230 --> 00:18:57,630 We see that in the prophets, in Isaiah, which Isaiah was lifted 429 00:18:57,630 --> 00:19:00,190 up as one of the main prophets for them at that time. 430 00:19:00,270 --> 00:19:02,510 He even Isaiah said that this would happen. 431 00:19:02,750 --> 00:19:05,710 And then we come to Romans and basically Paul is saying, this is 432 00:19:05,710 --> 00:19:06,710 what God already said. 433 00:19:06,710 --> 00:19:10,510 God has been telling you for years, for centuries that this would 434 00:19:10,510 --> 00:19:10,830 happen. 435 00:19:10,990 --> 00:19:13,870 So they cannot say that they didn't hear it. 436 00:19:13,950 --> 00:19:16,510 They cannot say that they didn't understand it. 437 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:17,760 They should have understood. 438 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:21,240 They did not have a reason to plead ignorance in this case. 439 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,680 And so what we're basically seeing from Paul is that he's looking 440 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:28,360 to the people of Israel, particularly at that time, rejecting 441 00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:30,120 Jesus and saying they heard. 442 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:31,320 So that's not an excuse. 443 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:32,280 They understood. 444 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:33,480 So that's not an excuse. 445 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,120 Now we might say, what does that mean for me today? 446 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:37,080 Well, that means this. 447 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:41,960 We as people that are in America, we, we have no excuse. 448 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:46,220 We've heard the gospel, we, we've, we should understand the context 449 00:19:46,220 --> 00:19:47,140 of the gospel. 450 00:19:47,460 --> 00:19:50,740 But the reality is, is that many people are still going to reject. 451 00:19:51,620 --> 00:19:55,700 And so we see in this passage that the content of the gospel is 452 00:19:55,700 --> 00:19:56,020 clear. 453 00:19:56,260 --> 00:19:59,140 We see that the context of the gospel is clear. 454 00:19:59,460 --> 00:20:01,740 But then we're going to see the last verse here. 455 00:20:01,740 --> 00:20:04,980 And I think it's important for us to note the, the message that 456 00:20:04,980 --> 00:20:08,510 Paul is basically saying here is that he says, look, this God is 457 00:20:08,510 --> 00:20:12,590 still a God of compassion, even if we understand the context, 458 00:20:12,590 --> 00:20:14,190 even if we understand the content. 459 00:20:14,430 --> 00:20:16,350 And yet we're walking in rebellion. 460 00:20:16,350 --> 00:20:19,070 God is still meek, but God is strong. 461 00:20:19,390 --> 00:20:22,510 God is gracious and God is merciful. 462 00:20:22,590 --> 00:20:26,190 And so he says in verse 21, but to Israel he saith, and he actually 463 00:20:26,190 --> 00:20:28,750 quotes the very next verse in Isaiah 65. 464 00:20:29,310 --> 00:20:31,950 And I think that this is so important for us to understand because 465 00:20:32,190 --> 00:20:36,270 we sometimes think that God is limited by our unbelief. 466 00:20:36,900 --> 00:20:39,900 But what the Bible actually says here is that God is, is not 467 00:20:39,900 --> 00:20:42,580 just sitting up there going, well, I wish everyone would just 468 00:20:42,580 --> 00:20:43,300 believe in me. 469 00:20:43,300 --> 00:20:47,020 I, I really wish that I would have them come to me. 470 00:20:47,020 --> 00:20:48,700 But yet I'm limited in my power. 471 00:20:48,700 --> 00:20:52,539 No, God is patient and he could judge us at the very moment 472 00:20:52,539 --> 00:20:53,620 of our disbelief. 473 00:20:53,620 --> 00:20:57,860 But in verse 2 it says, In Isaiah 65, I have spread out my hands 474 00:20:57,860 --> 00:21:02,700 all the day unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that 475 00:21:02,700 --> 00:21:05,800 was not good after their own thoughts. 476 00:21:06,120 --> 00:21:07,080 So what is that saying? 477 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,480 That's saying this, that God is still reaching out, that God is 478 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:14,440 allowing for people to come back in repentance and find forgiveness. 479 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,880 And so what I believe verse 21 talks about after we've seen the 480 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,280 content and the context of the gospel, is the compassion of the 481 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:21,800 gospel. 482 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:26,160 God is a compassionate God who is full of mercy and grace, who was 483 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,080 patient with us and patient with the nation of Israel. 484 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:32,400 And he says here, all the day long I have stretched forth my hand 485 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,770 unto a disobedient and gain so sane people. 486 00:21:36,410 --> 00:21:40,890 And so really he calls out two sins that I believe lead to people 487 00:21:40,890 --> 00:21:43,530 rejecting the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 488 00:21:44,490 --> 00:21:48,570 It says here, number one, that they are an unbelieving people, a 489 00:21:48,570 --> 00:21:49,690 disobedient people. 490 00:21:49,770 --> 00:21:51,410 What's their disobedience found in? 491 00:21:51,410 --> 00:21:54,410 Their disobedience is found in unbelief, a lack of faith. 492 00:21:55,290 --> 00:21:57,290 There's a lot of things that we can get in trouble with in our 493 00:21:57,290 --> 00:21:59,370 lives when it comes to our disobedience to God. 494 00:21:59,370 --> 00:22:03,170 And certainly God's grace is bigger than all of our sin. 495 00:22:04,050 --> 00:22:06,650 But what we see here is that one of the things that separates 496 00:22:06,650 --> 00:22:11,690 people from a relationship with God is simply the sin of disobedience, 497 00:22:11,690 --> 00:22:15,570 the sin of rejection, the sin of lack of faith. 498 00:22:15,890 --> 00:22:18,130 And so really, we could summarize it this way. 499 00:22:18,210 --> 00:22:21,290 If we are walking in unbelief, we will not experience the grace 500 00:22:21,290 --> 00:22:21,770 of God. 501 00:22:21,770 --> 00:22:24,530 If we're walking in unbelief, we will not experience the salvation 502 00:22:24,530 --> 00:22:25,090 of God. 503 00:22:25,330 --> 00:22:28,290 And what the Bible says In Hebrews chapter 11, I mentioned that 504 00:22:28,290 --> 00:22:28,610 already. 505 00:22:28,690 --> 00:22:31,750 Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6 says that it's impossible 506 00:22:31,910 --> 00:22:33,590 to please God without faith. 507 00:22:33,990 --> 00:22:35,870 And so essentially what he's saying is this. 508 00:22:35,870 --> 00:22:38,470 I'm stretching out my hand to people who don't believe. 509 00:22:39,350 --> 00:22:41,990 I'm giving the gospel message to people who don't believe. 510 00:22:42,550 --> 00:22:46,830 And here in America today, we look at the situation that we're 511 00:22:46,830 --> 00:22:51,870 in and we say, well, we're a Christian nation, and in many ways 512 00:22:51,870 --> 00:22:53,670 we were based upon Christian principles. 513 00:22:53,670 --> 00:22:54,310 I mean that. 514 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:56,920 But we look at our world today and we look at a lot of people who 515 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:58,080 are rejecting Jesus. 516 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,560 And if they're rejecting Jesus, they're not Christian. 517 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:00,920 Okay? 518 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:02,480 That word Christian means a little Christ. 519 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,240 That means following and believing in him and trusting in 520 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:06,960 him in every way in our lives. 521 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:11,520 And so we can't just say that we're Christian and not believe in 522 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:12,560 the message of the Gospel. 523 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,120 We can't just say that we're Christian and do what we want to 524 00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:16,400 do. 525 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,080 We can't just say that we believe in Jesus, but act a completely 526 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:20,800 different way. 527 00:23:21,050 --> 00:23:23,450 And that's exactly what we see here in Romans, chapter 10. 528 00:23:23,610 --> 00:23:27,770 Basically, the people of Israel say we believe in God, we 529 00:23:27,770 --> 00:23:32,730 believe in the law, we believe in the prophets, but yet we don't 530 00:23:32,730 --> 00:23:33,850 want to do it that way. 531 00:23:33,850 --> 00:23:35,050 We want to do it our way. 532 00:23:35,370 --> 00:23:37,690 And that's what we see in the world today. 533 00:23:38,410 --> 00:23:40,970 We want to have the blessings of being Christian. 534 00:23:40,970 --> 00:23:43,370 We want to have the blessings of going to church. 535 00:23:43,370 --> 00:23:46,170 We want to have the blessings of God's forgiveness in our life. 536 00:23:46,170 --> 00:23:48,730 We want to have the blessings of, of all the things that he says 537 00:23:48,730 --> 00:23:50,970 with the promises to those that are his children. 538 00:23:50,970 --> 00:23:54,490 But yet at the same time, many times we are thinking about it from 539 00:23:54,490 --> 00:23:56,530 the perspective of, well, what does this mean for me? 540 00:23:56,530 --> 00:23:58,210 How can I find my own way? 541 00:23:58,210 --> 00:23:59,970 How can I create my own God? 542 00:24:00,050 --> 00:24:03,330 How can I worship the creation instead of the Creator? 543 00:24:03,650 --> 00:24:06,650 And, and so like I've used this example many times in my life 544 00:24:06,650 --> 00:24:10,090 and I know it kind of becomes redundant, but I, I want you to understand 545 00:24:10,090 --> 00:24:12,970 the point that I'm trying to say is that, you know, you get someone 546 00:24:12,970 --> 00:24:15,510 a gift and, and if they're thankful to the gift and not the 547 00:24:15,510 --> 00:24:17,630 gift giver, they're missing the point, right? 548 00:24:17,630 --> 00:24:20,150 If I buy something for my children and they're all about the 549 00:24:20,150 --> 00:24:23,030 gift and they know, don't even look at me and don't show any thankfulness, 550 00:24:23,030 --> 00:24:24,150 they're missing the point. 551 00:24:24,150 --> 00:24:27,710 And that's what many people in America do today is that we look 552 00:24:27,710 --> 00:24:30,510 at all the blessings that God has given us and we rest in those 553 00:24:30,510 --> 00:24:33,670 blessings instead of resting in the one who blessed us with those 554 00:24:33,750 --> 00:24:34,390 blessings. 555 00:24:34,550 --> 00:24:35,430 And so Exactly. 556 00:24:35,430 --> 00:24:36,310 Romans chapter 10. 557 00:24:36,310 --> 00:24:40,230 As he concludes here, he says, hey, I'm reaching out to people who 558 00:24:40,230 --> 00:24:42,710 are rejecting me in disobedience. 559 00:24:43,270 --> 00:24:47,150 And I'm just going to say this as a preacher of the gospel in 2026 560 00:24:47,150 --> 00:24:50,150 in America, we are walking in disobedience. 561 00:24:50,150 --> 00:24:53,430 As a people, we are walking in rejection to Him. 562 00:24:53,670 --> 00:24:57,270 We've got to turn our hearts and minds back to the word of God 563 00:24:57,270 --> 00:25:01,110 and understanding that if he is our Lord and Master, that we must 564 00:25:01,110 --> 00:25:03,430 treat him as our Lord and Master. 565 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:06,960 I think about this a lot in my own life. 566 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:12,280 How does my belief about what Jesus Christ has done for me and 567 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,040 what he's doing for me now, how does that affect my everyday? 568 00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:16,680 How does that affect my marriage? 569 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,400 How does that affect my, my raising of my children? 570 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:20,560 How does that affect my work? 571 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:22,280 How does that affect my private life? 572 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:23,440 How does that affect everything? 573 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:24,480 Every element. 574 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,680 And many people walk in accordance to their own will and 575 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:29,680 then just ask God to bless that will. 576 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,520 And instead of what the Bible says is that we should submit ourselves 577 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,720 to, to his will and say, lord, I'm not going to be disobedient. 578 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,760 You know, my, My children sometimes will come and ask me for 579 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:42,200 advice or they'll ask me for, you know, hey, what should I do about 580 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:42,440 this? 581 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:43,200 Or how should I do this? 582 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,840 And then I tell them, okay, so like, my kids just started soccer 583 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:48,000 and I didn't play soccer. 584 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,360 But, you know, if I went out against first and second graders, 585 00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:52,400 I think I could score a goal. 586 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,320 Okay, okay, I understand enough about how to score in soccer. 587 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:57,960 And so the kids will say, like, hey, I want to score a goal. 588 00:25:57,960 --> 00:25:58,760 Okay, well, son. 589 00:25:59,430 --> 00:26:01,790 Well, actually yesterday was Nora, if you remember that. 590 00:26:01,790 --> 00:26:03,350 So I was like, nora, go right there. 591 00:26:03,350 --> 00:26:04,990 If you stand right there, they're gonna get the ball. 592 00:26:04,990 --> 00:26:06,310 And she's like, no, no, no. 593 00:26:06,310 --> 00:26:07,710 She's looking at me like, I don't know what I'm doing. 594 00:26:07,710 --> 00:26:08,790 I'm like, oh, come on. 595 00:26:08,790 --> 00:26:11,110 I'm like, if you just stand right there, they're gonna kick it 596 00:26:11,110 --> 00:26:12,190 there and you're gonna get a goal. 597 00:26:12,190 --> 00:26:13,110 And she's like, no. 598 00:26:13,430 --> 00:26:17,630 And so the, the irony is like, we as adults, we as parents look 599 00:26:17,630 --> 00:26:18,110 at our children. 600 00:26:18,110 --> 00:26:19,550 We say, we, we know what to do. 601 00:26:19,550 --> 00:26:19,830 We. 602 00:26:19,830 --> 00:26:21,630 We understand that from a better perspective. 603 00:26:21,630 --> 00:26:23,110 But yet they're like, oh, we have a better way. 604 00:26:23,110 --> 00:26:24,230 We have a better path. 605 00:26:24,230 --> 00:26:26,070 That's how we are as disobedient children. 606 00:26:26,070 --> 00:26:26,770 To the Lord, We. 607 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:28,200 We say, no, we know better. 608 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:28,640 God's. 609 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:29,600 God's drawing us. 610 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:29,880 He's. 611 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,560 He's pointing us to something in our life. 612 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:32,560 He's trying to change us. 613 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:33,680 He's trying to convict us. 614 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:35,880 And at the end of the day, we just look at it and we go, you know 615 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:36,120 what? 616 00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:36,680 It's our. 617 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:37,200 It's our plan. 618 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:37,880 It's our way. 619 00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:39,600 And that's what he's saying in verse 21. 620 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:41,480 He says, all day long. 621 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:44,040 And this speaks to God's patience. 622 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,440 This speaks to God's long suffering nature. 623 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:50,080 It says, all day long I've stretched forth my hand unto a disobedient 624 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:50,440 people. 625 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:52,800 But then he also says something interesting here. 626 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:54,920 He says, gain saying people. 627 00:26:55,560 --> 00:27:00,280 So it's not just that these people are rejecting God and, and 628 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:04,200 having a life of disobedience and having a life of unbelief. 629 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,320 But we also see here that they are a gain saying people. 630 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:09,960 That that idea of gainsaying means speaking against. 631 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:15,440 So it would be one thing if my children were just disobedient. 632 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:17,080 That's sin in and of itself. 633 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:19,080 But then the second thing would be this. 634 00:27:19,340 --> 00:27:22,420 If they were sinning against me in disobedience and also saying 635 00:27:22,420 --> 00:27:25,380 things against me to other people, right, or. 636 00:27:25,380 --> 00:27:26,780 Or to their siblings. 637 00:27:26,940 --> 00:27:28,660 And that's exactly what God is saying here. 638 00:27:28,660 --> 00:27:31,660 God is saying that these people not only are rejecting me 639 00:27:31,820 --> 00:27:35,820 by way of disobedience and walking in that path of unbelief, 640 00:27:35,900 --> 00:27:38,140 but that would be enough in and of itself. 641 00:27:38,140 --> 00:27:40,700 But also they're fighting against the gospel. 642 00:27:41,420 --> 00:27:41,940 And that's. 643 00:27:41,940 --> 00:27:44,940 And that's the problem that many of us are facing today, is that 644 00:27:45,220 --> 00:27:48,620 maybe we aren't proclaiming in this world against the gospel, but 645 00:27:48,620 --> 00:27:51,060 the way that we live our lives is contrary to the gospel. 646 00:27:51,060 --> 00:27:53,820 Therefore, it's not a message of preaching the gospel, it's actually 647 00:27:53,820 --> 00:27:57,540 preaching a different gospel, the gospel of the flesh, the gospel 648 00:27:57,540 --> 00:27:58,700 of worldly wisdom. 649 00:27:58,700 --> 00:28:01,700 And so he says here that there's a disobedient and gainsaying 650 00:28:01,700 --> 00:28:02,020 people. 651 00:28:02,020 --> 00:28:06,420 And actually the Bible says in Titus 1:9, I find this very interesting 652 00:28:06,420 --> 00:28:11,150 that one of the ministries of a pastor, one of the ministries of 653 00:28:11,150 --> 00:28:15,350 a preacher within the church, is particularly to deal with, again, 654 00:28:15,510 --> 00:28:16,310 saying people. 655 00:28:16,870 --> 00:28:20,230 The reality is, is that most of us in our flesh are not content 656 00:28:20,550 --> 00:28:23,510 with just being in disobedience, but we also want to 657 00:28:23,510 --> 00:28:27,750 be naysayers against those who are against the truth of God. 658 00:28:28,470 --> 00:28:32,710 In the Titus chapter one, I want you to see one of the descriptions 659 00:28:32,710 --> 00:28:33,910 of a pastor here. 660 00:28:33,910 --> 00:28:36,310 Qualifications of a leader within the church. 661 00:28:36,810 --> 00:28:40,090 He says that in verse number nine of Titus chapter one, holding 662 00:28:40,170 --> 00:28:43,930 fast the faithful word as he hath been taught. 663 00:28:44,330 --> 00:28:47,530 Meaning, one of the things that we have to do as spiritual leaders 664 00:28:47,530 --> 00:28:50,530 within the church is that we have to receive the word of God and 665 00:28:50,530 --> 00:28:51,690 believe the word of God. 666 00:28:51,690 --> 00:28:54,650 But then at the same time, we're supposed to, as it says here, 667 00:28:54,730 --> 00:28:57,930 verse nine, holding fast the faithful words, as I have been taught 668 00:28:58,090 --> 00:29:03,420 that he may be able, by sound doctrine, by the right teachings, 669 00:29:03,420 --> 00:29:07,380 both to exhort and to convince the gainsayer. 670 00:29:08,180 --> 00:29:11,420 So the truth is, is that all of us have a responsibility not only 671 00:29:11,420 --> 00:29:15,900 to try to give the gospel message out to people who are disobedient, 672 00:29:15,900 --> 00:29:19,220 but also we're called to preach a message against the people 673 00:29:19,300 --> 00:29:22,620 that are coming, against the gospel message of Jesus Christ, instead 674 00:29:22,620 --> 00:29:25,660 of just hating them, instead of just rejecting them, instead of 675 00:29:25,660 --> 00:29:26,660 just saying, you know what? 676 00:29:26,820 --> 00:29:28,900 They're done, they're over, they're hopeless. 677 00:29:29,230 --> 00:29:32,270 No, we have to have the same heart that Paul had here in Titus 678 00:29:32,270 --> 00:29:35,470 chapter one, the same heart that God had for his people of Israel 679 00:29:35,470 --> 00:29:38,870 in verse 21, that we should reach forth, we should have patience, 680 00:29:38,870 --> 00:29:42,510 we should have mercy, we should have grace to those that are 681 00:29:42,510 --> 00:29:45,790 in need, but at the same time not condoning their disobedience 682 00:29:45,950 --> 00:29:49,790 and not condoning the gainsaying and speaking against of 683 00:29:49,790 --> 00:29:50,910 the truth of the gospel. 684 00:29:50,990 --> 00:29:53,510 So in context, what's happening is that there are people 685 00:29:53,510 --> 00:29:57,040 in Rome that were speaking to these Roman Christians and saying 686 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:57,800 basically this. 687 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,440 You don't have to believe the message that Paul is preaching. 688 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:03,840 You don't have to do the things that Paul is telling you to 689 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:04,120 do. 690 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:07,720 You can just do it your own way and actually follow the law and 691 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:11,120 be your own righteous individual who can find forgiveness 692 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:11,960 and grace through that. 693 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,000 But the Bible says in verse 21 that that's not the answer. 694 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,280 The answer is really at the same time, verse 17. 695 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,410 So then faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. 696 00:30:21,730 --> 00:30:25,650 And so what is the call to action in Romans chapter 10? 697 00:30:26,210 --> 00:30:29,050 What's the call to action for all of us in all of Scripture? 698 00:30:29,050 --> 00:30:32,250 Is that what are we going to do with the message that has been 699 00:30:32,250 --> 00:30:37,530 clearly proclaimed to us that, that we clearly understand now? 700 00:30:37,530 --> 00:30:39,890 There, there are things in our life that we're still trying to understand. 701 00:30:39,970 --> 00:30:43,530 I, I know that not all of us are able to say that we know everything 702 00:30:43,530 --> 00:30:44,170 in scripture. 703 00:30:44,170 --> 00:30:46,930 I would say none of us are able to say that we know everything 704 00:30:46,930 --> 00:30:47,890 that Scripture teaches. 705 00:30:47,890 --> 00:30:49,330 I mean, all of us are still growing. 706 00:30:49,330 --> 00:30:50,850 All of us are still understanding. 707 00:30:51,130 --> 00:30:53,410 All of us are still getting to that place in our life where we're 708 00:30:53,410 --> 00:30:56,650 growing in the grace and the knowledge of who God is in our life. 709 00:30:56,730 --> 00:31:00,410 But at the same time, all of us, okay, if you're here this morning 710 00:31:00,410 --> 00:31:04,010 or if you're watching on the live stream, all of us have the responsibility 711 00:31:04,090 --> 00:31:05,930 to respond to what we know. 712 00:31:06,650 --> 00:31:09,050 And what we should know is that Jesus Christ came. 713 00:31:09,050 --> 00:31:10,450 He died on the cross for our sins. 714 00:31:10,450 --> 00:31:11,770 He rose again on the third day. 715 00:31:11,770 --> 00:31:13,130 He's ruling and reigning today. 716 00:31:13,210 --> 00:31:16,250 We all have the responsibility to respond to that. 717 00:31:16,250 --> 00:31:19,960 Whether we're Jewish, whether we're Gentile, whether we're rich, 718 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:23,200 whether we're poor, whether we're Baptist or whether we're another 719 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:25,160 denomination, it really doesn't matter. 720 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:29,280 All of us have to come to grips with what is being preached 721 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:31,320 there when it comes to having faith. 722 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:33,160 And so what Paul is saying is this. 723 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:37,640 Those people that were coming from that Jewish lineage were saying, 724 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:39,560 it's my bloodline, that's enough. 725 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:41,640 Like, I don't need to be saved through faith. 726 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:43,200 I don't need a Messiah. 727 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:44,690 I don't, I don't need Jesus. 728 00:31:44,690 --> 00:31:46,770 I don't need that message of sacrifice. 729 00:31:46,850 --> 00:31:49,170 I can find my righteousness, my own way. 730 00:31:49,730 --> 00:31:51,330 And so what does it look like for us today? 731 00:31:51,410 --> 00:31:53,530 Like, what do we do in that way? 732 00:31:53,530 --> 00:31:56,570 Because some of us don't say, well, I was born and I grew up, you 733 00:31:56,570 --> 00:31:59,170 know, in Middletown, Delaware, so I don't need Jesus. 734 00:31:59,170 --> 00:32:00,930 No, that's not usually what we think. 735 00:32:01,330 --> 00:32:03,930 But oftentimes what we think is we think that we can be enough, 736 00:32:03,930 --> 00:32:06,370 that we can be righteous enough, that we can be good people. 737 00:32:06,370 --> 00:32:09,810 Most people in our culture today, even some that say they're 738 00:32:09,810 --> 00:32:12,680 Christians, say, well, well, as long as my good outweighs my bad, 739 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:13,480 I'll be all right. 740 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:18,400 Well, the Bible tells us in many ways that our good will never 741 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:19,320 outweigh our bad. 742 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:20,040 Our bad. 743 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:21,160 Think about a scale. 744 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:24,680 The bad is, is going to be the one that's all the way on the ground. 745 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,560 And our good, no matter how much we do, is never going to outweigh 746 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:28,360 our bad. 747 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:30,600 And some of you might say, well, I'm a pretty good person. 748 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:31,400 I'm. 749 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:33,680 I'm actually, I think I'm a good citizen. 750 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:35,000 I don't break the rules. 751 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:37,320 I obey all the speed limits. 752 00:32:37,730 --> 00:32:39,010 You know, I'm a nice person. 753 00:32:39,010 --> 00:32:42,890 I don't do you know, and, and the truth is, though, the Bible goes 754 00:32:42,890 --> 00:32:45,250 back and tells us that there is none good, no, not one. 755 00:32:45,650 --> 00:32:48,090 And that even Jesus takes it to a different standard. 756 00:32:48,090 --> 00:32:51,610 If you remember back in Matthew, he says that, yes, you've 757 00:32:51,610 --> 00:32:55,970 been told that you shouldn't murder, but if you hate your brother 758 00:32:55,970 --> 00:32:57,570 in your heart, you've committed murder already. 759 00:32:59,010 --> 00:33:02,090 So Jesus, you know, a lot of people think like, well, the Pharisees 760 00:33:02,090 --> 00:33:03,090 had the tightest standards. 761 00:33:03,620 --> 00:33:05,620 Actually, no, Jesus had the tightest standards. 762 00:33:05,780 --> 00:33:09,620 The Pharisees standards were as long as you didn't commit adultery, 763 00:33:09,620 --> 00:33:11,540 you could think about whatever you wanted to think about. 764 00:33:11,700 --> 00:33:12,620 And he says, no. 765 00:33:12,620 --> 00:33:13,500 Remember what Jesus said? 766 00:33:13,500 --> 00:33:15,380 He said, you've heard, not to commit adultery. 767 00:33:15,540 --> 00:33:19,260 But then if you lust after someone in your heart, you've commit 768 00:33:19,260 --> 00:33:19,940 adultery already. 769 00:33:20,340 --> 00:33:23,780 Jesus takes it to a different standard to show us that none of 770 00:33:23,780 --> 00:33:26,020 us could claim that we are holy and righteous. 771 00:33:26,420 --> 00:33:28,260 Even the Pharisees couldn't claim that. 772 00:33:29,230 --> 00:33:32,270 And so what I'm trying to get across to you here this morning is 773 00:33:32,270 --> 00:33:37,030 that all of Romans 10 is condemning a people who are trying 774 00:33:37,030 --> 00:33:38,350 to earn it their own way. 775 00:33:39,150 --> 00:33:43,910 It's challenging a people who think that they can find righteousness 776 00:33:43,910 --> 00:33:45,310 and holiness on their own. 777 00:33:45,390 --> 00:33:48,950 And what we see from the very beginning to the very end in Romans 778 00:33:48,950 --> 00:33:52,430 chapter 10 is that we need Jesus for righteousness. 779 00:33:52,910 --> 00:33:55,450 We need Jesus for, for salvation. 780 00:33:55,930 --> 00:33:59,410 We need Jesus for all the things in our life all the problems 781 00:33:59,410 --> 00:34:00,010 in our life. 782 00:34:00,250 --> 00:34:02,570 You know, someone comes up to me and they say, hey, I've got a 783 00:34:02,570 --> 00:34:04,970 problem, and then fill in the blank, okay? 784 00:34:06,170 --> 00:34:09,570 And many of us, all of us have problems, okay? 785 00:34:09,570 --> 00:34:10,450 That's the reality of things. 786 00:34:10,450 --> 00:34:13,370 We all have problems and many different avenues. 787 00:34:13,370 --> 00:34:15,810 We have physical problems, we have emotional problems. 788 00:34:15,810 --> 00:34:17,090 We have spiritual problems. 789 00:34:17,090 --> 00:34:18,170 We might have family problems. 790 00:34:18,170 --> 00:34:19,370 We may have work problems. 791 00:34:19,690 --> 00:34:21,210 We might have problems in our house. 792 00:34:21,210 --> 00:34:24,129 We might have problems everywhere in our life. 793 00:34:24,129 --> 00:34:28,169 But at the end of the day, the answer to all of our problems is 794 00:34:28,169 --> 00:34:28,689 Jesus. 795 00:34:28,689 --> 00:34:31,489 Now, I know that that is a cliche, and I know that many people 796 00:34:31,489 --> 00:34:34,089 think, well, you can't just say that Jesus is the answer and 797 00:34:34,089 --> 00:34:34,729 leave it at that. 798 00:34:34,729 --> 00:34:35,689 I understand that. 799 00:34:35,689 --> 00:34:39,329 But the bigger picture is that Jesus is the answer for all of our 800 00:34:39,329 --> 00:34:41,849 problems, and he has given us his word. 801 00:34:42,009 --> 00:34:42,729 Verse 17. 802 00:34:43,129 --> 00:34:45,889 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of 803 00:34:45,889 --> 00:34:46,249 God. 804 00:34:46,409 --> 00:34:50,540 If I don't know what Jesus has promised me, if I don't know the 805 00:34:50,540 --> 00:34:53,740 way that Jesus works, if I don't know the type of love that 806 00:34:53,740 --> 00:34:58,260 he has for me, if I don't know what his power looks like in my life, 807 00:34:58,420 --> 00:35:01,820 then I'm going to put my faith in something else and I'm going to 808 00:35:01,820 --> 00:35:04,260 find myself back in that same problem that I was in before. 809 00:35:04,820 --> 00:35:08,100 And so when we look at scripture, yes, the Bible doesn't 810 00:35:08,100 --> 00:35:09,820 talk to every situation in our life. 811 00:35:09,820 --> 00:35:11,060 You say, I thought I did. 812 00:35:11,380 --> 00:35:14,980 Well, the Bible doesn't tell me how I should use my phone. 813 00:35:15,780 --> 00:35:16,100 I never. 814 00:35:16,100 --> 00:35:19,540 I mean, maybe you guys caught it, but I never saw clearly, explicitly 815 00:35:19,540 --> 00:35:22,540 in scripture, thou shalt not be on your iPhone 12 hours a day. 816 00:35:22,540 --> 00:35:23,540 Okay, I didn't see that. 817 00:35:23,540 --> 00:35:25,780 So does that mean I have freedom to just be on my phone no 818 00:35:25,780 --> 00:35:26,140 matter what? 819 00:35:26,140 --> 00:35:26,580 You know? 820 00:35:26,660 --> 00:35:30,700 Well, there are what we call principles in scripture that are 821 00:35:30,700 --> 00:35:34,660 taught that we can read these principles in scripture and we can 822 00:35:34,660 --> 00:35:39,860 build our theology, our belief system, our faith off of these principles. 823 00:35:40,500 --> 00:35:43,660 So, yes, the Bible doesn't say I can't be on my iPhone for eight 824 00:35:43,660 --> 00:35:44,300 hours a day. 825 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:44,590 But you. 826 00:35:44,740 --> 00:35:47,500 The Bible also says that I should set no wicked thing before 827 00:35:47,500 --> 00:35:48,180 mine eye. 828 00:35:48,340 --> 00:35:50,180 The Bible also says that. 829 00:35:50,260 --> 00:35:52,020 That I should not live with. 830 00:35:52,260 --> 00:35:54,340 With idolatry in my life. 831 00:35:55,140 --> 00:35:58,580 And so I can take those principles that are taught in scripture 832 00:35:58,580 --> 00:36:01,140 and apply it to something in 20, 26. 833 00:36:01,620 --> 00:36:04,860 And so with the point I'm trying to make in verse 17 and all 834 00:36:04,860 --> 00:36:08,020 the way down to verse 21 is that faith comes by hearing. 835 00:36:08,020 --> 00:36:10,540 But we have to hear it, we have to believe it. 836 00:36:10,540 --> 00:36:14,990 We have to understand it, to walk in that faith and that obedience. 837 00:36:14,990 --> 00:36:17,510 And so, in contrast, we see verse 17. 838 00:36:17,990 --> 00:36:20,310 Those that are saved are those that come to faith. 839 00:36:20,630 --> 00:36:21,670 Verse 21. 840 00:36:21,830 --> 00:36:24,590 Those that are in disobedience and that are gainsaying are those 841 00:36:24,590 --> 00:36:26,310 that are not going to find salvation. 842 00:36:26,950 --> 00:36:32,070 And so all of Romans chapter 10 is pointing us to our need for 843 00:36:32,070 --> 00:36:35,950 a savior, particularly the nation of Israel, particularly Paul's 844 00:36:35,950 --> 00:36:36,310 people. 845 00:36:36,390 --> 00:36:37,830 He says they need Jesus. 846 00:36:38,180 --> 00:36:39,540 They can't find it any other way. 847 00:36:39,700 --> 00:36:44,500 Jesus is the only answer for their sin problem, for their rejection, 848 00:36:44,580 --> 00:36:46,340 for their gainsaying, for their. 849 00:36:46,420 --> 00:36:48,420 For their lies, for their slander. 850 00:36:48,420 --> 00:36:50,300 And the same thing goes for us today. 851 00:36:50,300 --> 00:36:52,900 Jesus is the answer to all of our problems in our country. 852 00:36:53,060 --> 00:36:56,100 Jesus is the answer to all the problems that we find in our home. 853 00:36:56,180 --> 00:36:59,340 Jesus is the answer for all the problems that we find in our 854 00:36:59,340 --> 00:36:59,940 workplace. 855 00:37:00,020 --> 00:37:01,500 And he gives us those principles. 856 00:37:01,500 --> 00:37:03,220 He gives us the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 857 00:37:03,220 --> 00:37:05,940 He gives us the peace of God which passeth all understanding. 858 00:37:06,220 --> 00:37:08,620 He gives us the joy of the Lord being our strength. 859 00:37:08,620 --> 00:37:11,420 And he allows us to walk in those blessings. 860 00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:13,580 And so we can't say that God's not working. 861 00:37:13,980 --> 00:37:16,100 You know, there are some people that might question whether 862 00:37:16,100 --> 00:37:17,500 or not God is still at work today. 863 00:37:17,740 --> 00:37:19,700 There might be some people that say, you know what? 864 00:37:19,700 --> 00:37:21,340 I just don't see God working today. 865 00:37:21,580 --> 00:37:24,420 And my advice, I don't want to try to be as gracious and patient 866 00:37:24,420 --> 00:37:26,260 as I can, but I'm going to just say it, okay. 867 00:37:26,260 --> 00:37:28,300 Open up your eyes to what's around you. 868 00:37:28,300 --> 00:37:29,340 God is at work. 869 00:37:29,580 --> 00:37:31,220 God is still moving. 870 00:37:31,220 --> 00:37:34,050 The gospel of Jesus Christ is still powerful. 871 00:37:34,130 --> 00:37:36,930 The church is still going to prevail over the gates of hell. 872 00:37:36,930 --> 00:37:39,170 We all have hope in Jesus Christ. 873 00:37:39,330 --> 00:37:43,650 The problem is that Satan is giving us lies to believe that it's 874 00:37:43,650 --> 00:37:47,210 not enough, that we need something more, that God is still 875 00:37:47,210 --> 00:37:49,410 not on the throne, that he's still not working. 876 00:37:49,570 --> 00:37:52,250 And what we see is that's the same lie that was being told to the 877 00:37:52,250 --> 00:37:53,010 people back then. 878 00:37:53,170 --> 00:37:57,250 And if we believe those lies, we're not going to be believing in 879 00:37:57,250 --> 00:38:00,110 what Jesus has said, but we're going to be believing in all the 880 00:38:00,110 --> 00:38:02,910 things that the world wants us to believe, all the things that Satan 881 00:38:02,910 --> 00:38:03,870 tells us to believe in. 882 00:38:03,870 --> 00:38:07,550 And so the challenge for all of us is to come to a place that 883 00:38:07,550 --> 00:38:10,310 Paul comes to at the end of Romans chapter 10 that says, the 884 00:38:10,310 --> 00:38:12,670 only hope for my people of Israel is that they come back to 885 00:38:12,670 --> 00:38:13,270 Jesus Christ. 886 00:38:13,670 --> 00:38:16,470 The only hope that I have for Middletown Baptist Church, the only 887 00:38:16,470 --> 00:38:19,470 hope that we have for the Middletown Community, New Castle 888 00:38:19,470 --> 00:38:20,870 county, the state of Delaware. 889 00:38:20,870 --> 00:38:24,350 And by the way, if you've been here a long time or you've been here 890 00:38:24,350 --> 00:38:27,430 for a short amount of time, you'll realize that we have a lot 891 00:38:27,430 --> 00:38:30,710 of corruption and sin around us, not just in Delaware, but all 892 00:38:30,710 --> 00:38:31,350 over the world. 893 00:38:32,150 --> 00:38:35,150 And the answer to that corruption is not for us just to 894 00:38:35,150 --> 00:38:37,830 get angry at everybody, even though we should be angry at sin. 895 00:38:38,070 --> 00:38:40,910 The answer to all of our problems is to be angry enough at 896 00:38:40,910 --> 00:38:44,310 the sin to preach the only remedy to that sin, and that is Jesus 897 00:38:44,310 --> 00:38:44,630 Christ. 898 00:38:45,110 --> 00:38:47,630 You know what gets me up early in the morning and gets me driven 899 00:38:47,630 --> 00:38:50,390 in the day is to know that Jesus has given me a purpose. 900 00:38:51,590 --> 00:38:54,000 And we lose our purpose, we lose our focus. 901 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:59,320 If we lose our identity, we lose our understanding of what God 902 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:00,120 has called us to do. 903 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,320 And the question that I would have for you this morning is this. 904 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:04,480 Where do you find your identity? 905 00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:07,600 If I ask you, who are you? 906 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:11,560 You know what, a lot of times people say, well, I'm, you know, 907 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:13,200 I'm Josh, I'm from Florida. 908 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:15,840 I work as a pastor, got three kids. 909 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:17,680 I'm married to Alicia. 910 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,820 I like, you know, outdoors and sports and hobbies like that. 911 00:39:21,140 --> 00:39:22,500 That's what I do. 912 00:39:22,580 --> 00:39:23,900 That's who I'm married to. 913 00:39:23,900 --> 00:39:24,500 That's my children. 914 00:39:24,500 --> 00:39:25,700 But that's not my identity. 915 00:39:26,100 --> 00:39:28,940 Because what happens is, is that we tie our identity to something 916 00:39:28,940 --> 00:39:29,620 in our life. 917 00:39:30,580 --> 00:39:33,860 Some, some men, specifically, some of us men, we tie our identity 918 00:39:33,860 --> 00:39:38,260 to what we do in our careers sometimes. 919 00:39:38,820 --> 00:39:42,180 And sometimes what we see happening is if we lose that in our 920 00:39:42,180 --> 00:39:45,580 life or, or some of us tie our identity to our physical health. 921 00:39:45,580 --> 00:39:48,260 Some of you that are, you know, peak physical health and strength, 922 00:39:48,260 --> 00:39:49,980 you say, look at me, that my identity is. 923 00:39:49,980 --> 00:39:53,260 I work out, my identity is, I like to run, or my identity is like 924 00:39:53,260 --> 00:39:54,140 eating healthy. 925 00:39:54,140 --> 00:39:56,780 Well, the truth is, is that all of those things that we define 926 00:39:56,780 --> 00:39:58,820 in our identity can be taken away from us. 927 00:39:59,300 --> 00:40:02,300 The one aspect of our identity as a Christ follower that can't be 928 00:40:02,300 --> 00:40:04,500 taken away from us is our relationship with him. 929 00:40:04,500 --> 00:40:07,540 And so what we see is a lot of people in America that have an identity 930 00:40:07,540 --> 00:40:08,180 crisis. 931 00:40:09,700 --> 00:40:12,220 And the, the truth is, is that they think that their identities 932 00:40:12,220 --> 00:40:14,170 in something and if that gets swayed, they. 933 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:15,920 They don't know what their identity is. 934 00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:17,000 Come on. 935 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:19,200 Like, you guys know there's people in this world, they don't 936 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:19,840 know who they are. 937 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:22,680 And, and the, and the truth is, I've been there. 938 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:24,240 Okay, so confession time. 939 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:26,960 I have wrapped up at part in parts of my life. 940 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:30,080 I have wrapped up being a Pastor as my identity. 941 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:32,120 And some people say, well, that's good. 942 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:33,200 That is your identity. 943 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:36,560 Really my peak identity is being a child of the King. 944 00:40:37,120 --> 00:40:38,480 That that's really what it is. 945 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:42,540 God has allowed me to be a pastor, but the truth is, is that 946 00:40:42,540 --> 00:40:44,260 my identity can't be in just that I'm a pastor. 947 00:40:44,260 --> 00:40:44,820 Because guess what? 948 00:40:44,820 --> 00:40:46,540 What if I lost that opportunity? 949 00:40:46,700 --> 00:40:48,100 Then what's my identity? 950 00:40:48,100 --> 00:40:49,260 I don't have an identity anymore. 951 00:40:49,260 --> 00:40:51,980 My identity must be that I'm a child of the King, that he has given 952 00:40:51,980 --> 00:40:55,260 me life, that he has called me his child, that he said, you know 953 00:40:55,260 --> 00:40:55,380 what? 954 00:40:55,380 --> 00:40:58,220 I have given you new life in Christ. 955 00:40:58,220 --> 00:41:00,660 And therefore we can walk in that identity. 956 00:41:00,660 --> 00:41:02,220 But then sometimes we lose our purpose. 957 00:41:02,380 --> 00:41:04,060 Okay, so my identity is in Jesus Christ. 958 00:41:04,060 --> 00:41:05,980 But then what's my purpose in life? 959 00:41:06,620 --> 00:41:11,470 You know, my purpose to sit in a pew and, you know, just be in church 960 00:41:11,470 --> 00:41:13,350 and go home and that's it. 961 00:41:13,590 --> 00:41:16,790 I don't know what your identity is, but if your identity 962 00:41:16,790 --> 00:41:20,070 is in Jesus Christ, that's not your purpose. 963 00:41:20,470 --> 00:41:23,269 Your purpose is not just to maintain space. 964 00:41:23,750 --> 00:41:27,510 Your purpose is not just to take day by day and just survive 965 00:41:27,510 --> 00:41:28,150 day by day. 966 00:41:28,550 --> 00:41:32,030 Bible tells us very clearly that though we might not have all 967 00:41:32,030 --> 00:41:35,100 the things that we want, the Bible tells us very clearly that 968 00:41:35,100 --> 00:41:36,700 it's not always about comfort. 969 00:41:36,700 --> 00:41:39,940 It's not always about satisfaction when it comes to our 970 00:41:39,940 --> 00:41:40,740 physical state. 971 00:41:40,740 --> 00:41:43,500 But the Bible says that we all have a purpose of glorifying the 972 00:41:43,500 --> 00:41:46,940 Lord and to making other disciples and to serve him in every 973 00:41:46,940 --> 00:41:48,260 capacity in our life that we can. 974 00:41:48,260 --> 00:41:50,340 That he is our master and that he is our Lord. 975 00:41:50,900 --> 00:41:53,780 And so what I would tell you here this morning is I really have 976 00:41:53,780 --> 00:41:54,060 you. 977 00:41:54,060 --> 00:41:57,660 And which I'm doing in my own life, praying and asking the Lord 978 00:41:57,660 --> 00:42:00,660 to clearly confirm in my life my identity in him. 979 00:42:01,130 --> 00:42:04,130 And secondly, to give me the understanding of what my purpose 980 00:42:04,130 --> 00:42:04,410 is. 981 00:42:04,810 --> 00:42:07,010 Because when you understand what your purpose is, you wake up, 982 00:42:07,010 --> 00:42:07,930 hit the ground running. 983 00:42:08,170 --> 00:42:10,010 And maybe some days you don't run. 984 00:42:10,010 --> 00:42:13,250 Maybe you hit the ground and stumble like five times and crawl 985 00:42:13,250 --> 00:42:13,970 to your finish line. 986 00:42:13,970 --> 00:42:17,330 But one way or the other, the Bible says that we're in a race and 987 00:42:17,330 --> 00:42:18,450 that race is not a sprint. 988 00:42:18,450 --> 00:42:19,530 That race is a marathon. 989 00:42:19,530 --> 00:42:22,770 And we're going long distance and we're pushing forward in the 990 00:42:22,770 --> 00:42:23,210 gospel. 991 00:42:23,210 --> 00:42:26,370 And so what Paul says is that these people in Israel at the time 992 00:42:26,370 --> 00:42:29,010 that were rejecting, and not just Israel, the people in Rome that 993 00:42:29,010 --> 00:42:32,050 we're rejecting, it's not particular just to that one country, 994 00:42:32,050 --> 00:42:33,530 it's particular to the whole world. 995 00:42:33,610 --> 00:42:37,250 But the idea would be this he says that if you're trusting in anything 996 00:42:37,250 --> 00:42:40,010 else, if your identity is in where you're from, if your identity 997 00:42:40,010 --> 00:42:43,050 is in what you do, if your identity is in how much work that 998 00:42:43,050 --> 00:42:46,650 you have, how many letters you have after your name, PhD, whatever 999 00:42:46,650 --> 00:42:50,530 it is, if you're looking in that as your identity, you're missing 1000 00:42:50,530 --> 00:42:53,450 the point because your identity must be in Jesus Christ. 1001 00:42:53,990 --> 00:42:57,190 If your purpose is in anything else, if your purpose isn't getting 1002 00:42:57,430 --> 00:43:00,990 fame, if your purpose isn't getting finances, if your purpose 1003 00:43:00,990 --> 00:43:04,350 isn't getting your focus on you, then at the end of the day that 1004 00:43:04,350 --> 00:43:05,870 focus is in the wrong direction. 1005 00:43:05,870 --> 00:43:08,350 And the purpose must be to glorify our Lord. 1006 00:43:08,350 --> 00:43:10,550 The Bible says to glorify the Lord, what do we do? 1007 00:43:10,710 --> 00:43:11,910 If we love him? 1008 00:43:12,870 --> 00:43:14,670 We keep his commandments. 1009 00:43:14,670 --> 00:43:15,750 That means obedience. 1010 00:43:16,070 --> 00:43:18,350 Let's go back and this is what we're going to conclude. 1011 00:43:18,350 --> 00:43:22,000 Look at verse 21 says, but to Israel, he said, all the day long 1012 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:24,800 I've stretched forth my hand unto a disobedient people. 1013 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:28,160 God wants obedient people. 1014 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:32,400 God wants people who are going to love him really essentially, because 1015 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:33,840 obedience is tied to love. 1016 00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:38,280 And so if we're Christians and we love the Lord, our obedience is 1017 00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:38,880 going to follow. 1018 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:42,800 Well, if I got up here and I said, okay, look, you guys need to 1019 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:43,840 be obedient Christians. 1020 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,440 So what we're going to do is I'm going to, I'm going to check 1021 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:47,160 you guys on this. 1022 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:49,360 I'm going to have a checklist when you leave the church today. 1023 00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:53,380 And, and these 613 rules you have to keep every single day when 1024 00:43:53,380 --> 00:43:53,820 you leave. 1025 00:43:53,820 --> 00:43:56,020 And that's what it means to be an obedient Christian. 1026 00:43:56,020 --> 00:43:58,500 And I'm going to have spies throughout the whole Middletown community. 1027 00:43:58,500 --> 00:44:00,860 And we're going to be watching out for you guys and we're going 1028 00:44:00,860 --> 00:44:01,620 to write down your names. 1029 00:44:01,620 --> 00:44:04,620 If you mess up, some of you would say, forget it, I'm never coming 1030 00:44:04,620 --> 00:44:05,460 back to this church again. 1031 00:44:05,940 --> 00:44:06,580 Which you should. 1032 00:44:06,580 --> 00:44:07,300 That would be good. 1033 00:44:07,300 --> 00:44:09,900 But some of you, let's say, say you're well meaning people. 1034 00:44:09,900 --> 00:44:12,100 You're like, I want to be a good Christian. 1035 00:44:12,100 --> 00:44:12,940 I want to obey. 1036 00:44:12,940 --> 00:44:15,380 So you could say, okay, I'm going to not go to this place. 1037 00:44:15,380 --> 00:44:17,460 I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that. 1038 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:19,800 But at the end of the day, there's no love. 1039 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:24,120 It's all just, I've got to do this to perform for somebody else. 1040 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:27,880 The Bible says that obedience is tied to our love. 1041 00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:31,360 God wants our obedient hearts to be tied to the love that we have 1042 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:31,800 for him. 1043 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:34,520 And so then it's not a burden to follow him. 1044 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:37,240 It's actually a joy to follow someone that we love. 1045 00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:39,240 So that idea would be this. 1046 00:44:39,240 --> 00:44:43,080 To, to be an obedient people would be to be a people who are loving 1047 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:43,480 God. 1048 00:44:43,950 --> 00:44:44,630 And to love God. 1049 00:44:44,630 --> 00:44:49,310 The Bible says to love him with all of our hearts, souls, minds 1050 00:44:49,550 --> 00:44:50,590 and strength. 1051 00:44:50,990 --> 00:44:52,070 To love him with everything. 1052 00:44:52,070 --> 00:44:53,630 To love him with our minds. 1053 00:44:53,870 --> 00:44:57,910 So what we think about, what, what we spend time on, what we love, 1054 00:44:57,910 --> 00:44:59,190 what we meditate on. 1055 00:44:59,190 --> 00:45:02,910 There's so many things in my life if, if I struggle with this, 1056 00:45:02,910 --> 00:45:04,670 maybe there's someone else that struggles with this. 1057 00:45:05,070 --> 00:45:07,790 But I'm being pulled in so many different directions right now 1058 00:45:07,790 --> 00:45:12,600 in my life, but got three kids, all different ages. 1059 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:15,640 They've got their sports things, they've got school things, 1060 00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:19,600 We've got work, we've got ministry, we've got family, we've 1061 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:20,760 got all these different things. 1062 00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:24,800 And so if I'm a person that's like that, I'm sure you can identify 1063 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:25,640 with that as well. 1064 00:45:25,800 --> 00:45:27,160 There's so many distractions. 1065 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:30,040 And on top of that, I've got this thing and I, and I turned on, 1066 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:31,080 I said, okay, let me, let me just. 1067 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:34,440 I'm going to watch one sermon on, on my phone real quick. 1068 00:45:34,690 --> 00:45:37,010 You know, when I, when I've got my free minutes, which I don't 1069 00:45:37,010 --> 00:45:38,570 have that many free minutes in my life, but let me. 1070 00:45:38,570 --> 00:45:40,930 The kids go to bed and I say, okay, I'm going to watch a good sermon 1071 00:45:40,930 --> 00:45:41,970 on this passage of scripture. 1072 00:45:41,970 --> 00:45:42,690 You know what happens? 1073 00:45:42,690 --> 00:45:43,450 I watch that sermon. 1074 00:45:43,450 --> 00:45:46,130 Then right underneath it, it suggests the video and it says, watch 1075 00:45:46,210 --> 00:45:48,930 10 Ways to Catch, you know, largemouth bass. 1076 00:45:49,490 --> 00:45:52,210 And I'm like, oh man, yeah, that would be really cool. 1077 00:45:52,210 --> 00:45:54,010 And then boom, boom, start swiping. 1078 00:45:54,010 --> 00:45:57,050 And before I know it, I've wasted, I've wasted so long because 1079 00:45:57,050 --> 00:45:57,970 it's distractions. 1080 00:45:58,450 --> 00:46:01,130 And those distractions in our life can eventually deviate us to 1081 00:46:01,130 --> 00:46:02,290 places that we don't want to be. 1082 00:46:03,140 --> 00:46:07,300 And what I would encourage you to be is to be a people that are 1083 00:46:07,300 --> 00:46:11,620 not distracted, that are not disobedient, that are not doubters, 1084 00:46:11,620 --> 00:46:16,380 that are not, as the Bible says here, to be gainsaying people, 1085 00:46:16,380 --> 00:46:18,820 to speak against people that are trying to serve the Lord. 1086 00:46:19,460 --> 00:46:23,140 Because how ironic is it this way that we actually have people 1087 00:46:23,140 --> 00:46:25,460 that are Christians that look at other Christians and get mad at 1088 00:46:25,460 --> 00:46:27,380 them for trying to take a stand for righteousness? 1089 00:46:27,460 --> 00:46:28,660 You ever heard someone do that? 1090 00:46:28,850 --> 00:46:31,370 Like, how are you can be some holier than thou person by doing 1091 00:46:31,370 --> 00:46:31,570 that? 1092 00:46:31,570 --> 00:46:34,850 Why why, folks, if we're saying that we're believers, we should 1093 00:46:34,850 --> 00:46:36,970 celebrate other Christians living for righteousness, and we 1094 00:46:36,970 --> 00:46:38,610 should try to live for righteousness. 1095 00:46:38,610 --> 00:46:42,610 And so Romans, chapter 10 ends with that compassion of Jesus Christ. 1096 00:46:43,090 --> 00:46:48,090 It ends with that the arm of the Lord is stretched forth upon 1097 00:46:48,090 --> 00:46:49,490 a people who are rejecting. 1098 00:46:49,650 --> 00:46:50,570 That's his mercy. 1099 00:46:50,570 --> 00:46:51,250 That's his grace. 1100 00:46:52,130 --> 00:46:53,570 I think it's Mark, chapter nine. 1101 00:46:53,570 --> 00:46:56,720 There was a fellow that says, lord, I believe, but help my unbelief. 1102 00:46:57,200 --> 00:47:00,640 I think that all of us to some degree believe, right? 1103 00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:03,040 You wouldn't be here, you wouldn't be searching if you didn't 1104 00:47:03,040 --> 00:47:04,960 believe that there's something greater than you. 1105 00:47:05,120 --> 00:47:08,120 But then the question would be this, how many of us need the Lord's 1106 00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:11,840 help to believe today, to believe in that next trial, to believe 1107 00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:14,840 that God's going to take care of my children, that believe that 1108 00:47:14,840 --> 00:47:17,320 God's going to take care of that doctor's appointment, that believe 1109 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:20,000 that God's going to take care of my job, that believe that God's 1110 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:22,120 going to take care of this church, that God's going to take 1111 00:47:22,120 --> 00:47:24,480 care of his message, that God's going to take care of his people. 1112 00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:28,220 That's where we need God to step and say, lord, I believe, but 1113 00:47:28,220 --> 00:47:29,580 help me in my unbelief. 1114 00:47:29,740 --> 00:47:31,420 Lord, I need more of your grace. 1115 00:47:31,420 --> 00:47:32,780 Lord, I need more of you. 1116 00:47:32,860 --> 00:47:36,700 I need more of your word, folks, if you want to grow in faith. 1117 00:47:36,700 --> 00:47:38,620 If I want to grow in faith. 1118 00:47:39,020 --> 00:47:42,060 The Bible very clear, clearly tells us where we find that faith. 1119 00:47:42,300 --> 00:47:45,340 So faith cometh by hearing verse 17 and hearing by the word 1120 00:47:45,340 --> 00:47:45,820 of God. 1121 00:47:46,700 --> 00:47:49,660 We get our truths from right here. 1122 00:47:50,380 --> 00:47:51,780 Don't get your truths from the enemy. 1123 00:47:51,780 --> 00:47:53,100 Don't get your truths from the world. 1124 00:47:53,480 --> 00:47:55,080 Don't get your truths from your feelings. 1125 00:47:55,160 --> 00:47:56,760 Don't get your truths from anything else. 1126 00:47:56,840 --> 00:47:58,800 We find truth in Jesus Christ. 1127 00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:01,720 So we're going to come back and we're going to see the last chapter 1128 00:48:01,720 --> 00:48:06,000 in this three parts, this three chapter parentheses in the 1129 00:48:06,000 --> 00:48:09,480 middle of Romans, because the first, really the first eight chapters 1130 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:11,400 of Romans tells us what we are to believe. 1131 00:48:11,720 --> 00:48:14,920 Then there's this middle ground that deals with the nation 1132 00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:18,120 of Israel and their rejection, basically to remind us that though 1133 00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:22,170 God is faithful to his people, there are going to be still people 1134 00:48:22,170 --> 00:48:22,810 that reject. 1135 00:48:23,050 --> 00:48:27,490 And for chapter 11 is all about the opportunity to see God's 1136 00:48:27,490 --> 00:48:29,210 covenant with Israel being fulfilled. 1137 00:48:29,210 --> 00:48:31,250 But at the end of the day, what we're going to see in Romans 1138 00:48:31,250 --> 00:48:33,930 chapter 12 on to the rest of the end of the book is really how 1139 00:48:33,930 --> 00:48:36,730 to put all this to practice practical stuff. 1140 00:48:37,130 --> 00:48:40,490 So theology always becomes practical theology because what we 1141 00:48:40,490 --> 00:48:44,250 believe about God will adjust what we do in our lives. 1142 00:48:44,940 --> 00:48:47,180 And so I hope that you can stay tuned for that. 1143 00:48:47,420 --> 00:48:49,620 So next week we'll come back and we'll look at Romans, chapter 1144 00:48:49,620 --> 00:48:54,860 11, because some people still are questioning, well, if God's people 1145 00:48:54,860 --> 00:48:59,500 there in Israel reject Jesus, is God still faithful to his people? 1146 00:48:59,740 --> 00:49:02,940 And the answer to that, every time, a thousand times, a million 1147 00:49:02,940 --> 00:49:05,500 times, is that, yes, God is always faithful. 1148 00:49:05,660 --> 00:49:06,940 He's faithful and just. 1149 00:49:07,180 --> 00:49:08,380 And so we're thankful for that. 1150 00:49:08,380 --> 00:49:11,300 So if you're able to stand with me, every head bowed, every 1151 00:49:11,300 --> 00:49:13,620 eye closed as the music plays, we're going to conclude here this 1152 00:49:13,620 --> 00:49:18,200 morning, but I want to give you a time for response today. 1153 00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:24,040 There's nothing more important in our lives than how we respond 1154 00:49:24,040 --> 00:49:25,000 to the gospel. 1155 00:49:27,960 --> 00:49:30,920 The people of Israel saw Jesus. 1156 00:49:31,720 --> 00:49:33,720 They saw the resurrection. 1157 00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:40,080 They had the law, they had the prophets, they had all of creation 1158 00:49:40,080 --> 00:49:40,760 around them. 1159 00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:47,640 There was no reason for them to reject, except for the fact that 1160 00:49:47,640 --> 00:49:51,920 they were unbelieving, except for the fact that the pride got the 1161 00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:52,440 best of them. 1162 00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:54,920 And they believed that it was all about them and what they could 1163 00:49:54,920 --> 00:49:55,200 do. 1164 00:49:55,280 --> 00:49:58,760 Folks, that could still, if we're not careful today, that can 1165 00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:03,280 still be the problem of our church is this, that we can look 1166 00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:05,760 around and we can say, yes, God has done this. 1167 00:50:05,760 --> 00:50:06,960 Yes, God has done this. 1168 00:50:07,260 --> 00:50:08,620 Yes, he's working in this area. 1169 00:50:08,780 --> 00:50:10,300 I've seen it over and over again. 1170 00:50:10,300 --> 00:50:13,020 I have the Bible, I have preaching, I have the history. 1171 00:50:13,420 --> 00:50:15,740 But I still don't know if he's going to handle today. 1172 00:50:16,380 --> 00:50:18,460 I still don't know if he's going to handle tomorrow. 1173 00:50:18,620 --> 00:50:20,700 I don't know if he's got a grip on my life. 1174 00:50:20,940 --> 00:50:23,780 Folks, I'm going to tell you that he's proven himself before and 1175 00:50:23,780 --> 00:50:25,020 he will prove himself again. 1176 00:50:25,180 --> 00:50:28,380 And so rest in the word of God and walk in faith. 1177 00:50:28,620 --> 00:50:32,660 Not just for salvation, though salvation saves us, but also faith 1178 00:50:32,660 --> 00:50:36,030 in the everyday, faith that he will take care of us, faith that 1179 00:50:36,030 --> 00:50:39,230 he will be with us, faith that he will provide the things that we 1180 00:50:39,230 --> 00:50:41,270 need in every area of our lives. 1181 00:50:42,790 --> 00:50:44,270 And so here today, first question. 1182 00:50:44,270 --> 00:50:45,510 Do you believe in Jesus? 1183 00:50:46,070 --> 00:50:49,950 Not just in his existence, but as we talked about today, the complete 1184 00:50:49,950 --> 00:50:51,750 understanding of knowing him in a personal way. 1185 00:50:51,750 --> 00:50:53,310 If you do, that's amazing. 1186 00:50:53,310 --> 00:50:55,230 If you don't, today is the day of salvation. 1187 00:50:55,230 --> 00:50:56,070 Trust in Him. 1188 00:50:56,550 --> 00:50:59,110 The Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of 1189 00:50:59,110 --> 00:50:59,310 God. 1190 00:50:59,310 --> 00:51:04,350 The word is this, that Jesus Christ lived for you, he died for 1191 00:51:04,350 --> 00:51:07,670 you, and he resurrected on the third day for you to give you new 1192 00:51:07,670 --> 00:51:08,350 life in Him. 1193 00:51:08,750 --> 00:51:11,350 But if you've trusted in that, maybe today it's just a challenge 1194 00:51:11,350 --> 00:51:11,790 of faith. 1195 00:51:11,790 --> 00:51:13,470 Maybe it's the challenge of disobedience. 1196 00:51:13,630 --> 00:51:18,030 Maybe you've been obstinate, maybe you've been hard hearted to 1197 00:51:18,270 --> 00:51:21,230 God because of your own path, your own ways. 1198 00:51:22,110 --> 00:51:23,630 Today, turn that over to Him. 1199 00:51:23,790 --> 00:51:27,730 Give him your whole life, give him your heart, give him your obedience. 1200 00:51:27,730 --> 00:51:30,930 Not because you have to, because other people are judging 1201 00:51:30,930 --> 00:51:32,330 you, but because you want to. 1202 00:51:32,330 --> 00:51:35,050 Because God loves you and he wants your love from Him. 1203 00:51:37,210 --> 00:51:39,090 Lord, I pray that you be in this time of invitation, working 1204 00:51:39,090 --> 00:51:39,770 hearts and lives. 1205 00:51:39,850 --> 00:51:41,370 We thank you for all that you do. 1206 00:51:41,770 --> 00:51:44,730 Pray that you bless us even now as we come before you in faith. 1207 00:51:45,450 --> 00:51:47,050 We ask all these things in Jesus name. 1208 00:51:47,050 --> 00:51:47,450 Amen. 1209 00:51:47,450 --> 00:51:48,330 Some have already come. 1210 00:51:48,490 --> 00:51:50,250 Follow as the Lord leads here this morning. 1211 00:53:17,570 --> 00:53:20,050 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 1212 00:53:20,050 --> 00:53:20,690 podcast. 1213 00:53:20,930 --> 00:53:23,250 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you. 1214 00:53:23,890 --> 00:53:26,170 If you would like to find out more information about our church 1215 00:53:26,170 --> 00:53:29,650 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 1216 00:53:29,970 --> 00:53:32,450 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 1217 00:53:33,250 --> 00:53:37,730 You can also also email me directly at Josh Massaroiddletownbaptistchurch 1218 00:53:37,730 --> 00:53:40,370 dot com if you've enjoyed this podcast. 1219 00:53:40,530 --> 00:53:45,010 Please subscribe and follow along for future podcasts and updates. 1220 00:53:45,650 --> 00:53:46,610 Thank you so much. 1221 00:53:46,850 --> 00:53:47,570 God Bless. 1222 00:53:47,810 --> 00:53:49,090 Have a wonderful day.