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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church Podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh, and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now, come along, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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We're going to go ahead and
continue our sermon series in the

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Book of Romans.

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If you're following along with
us, you'll know that we're in Romans

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chapter nine.

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So please turn with me to
Romans Chapter nine.

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We're going to pick up where
we left off last week.

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We left off in verse number 18.

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And really the whole chapter
in Romans chapter 9 is dealing with

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a question.

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And that question is this, is
God faithful?

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Well, we would all say, yes,
he's faithful.

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But then the people there in
Rome that had received this letter

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from Paul are thinking, well,
you just said that God is faithful,

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but yet the people that you
called in the Old Testament are not

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faithful anymore.

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They, for the most part, have
turned their back.

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He says Israel has turned
their back against Messiah that turned

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their back against the Lord.

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And so he says in verse number
four, the Israelites, those people

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that were chosen by God in the
Old Testament, had specific blessings,

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and that was the blessing of
adoption, the blessing of the glory

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of the Lord coming to them,
the covenants, the giving of the

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law, the service of God, the
promises, the patriarchs, the fathers,

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and ultimately the blessing of
having Christ come to them and come

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through them.

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And.

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And then the people are seeing
all of these things, and then they

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say, but what about God's faithfulness?

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Because how could Israel turn
their backs against God?

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And if God was faithful to
Israel, and then it seems like he's

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not faithful, is he going to
be faithful to us?

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And.

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And remember, Romans chapter
eight is all about God staying faithful,

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no matter what the case might
be that he's always faithful and

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that he's always going to work
out his good.

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And so Paul deals with that in
this passage.

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And essentially what we see in
Romans chapter nine is Paul explained

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that God is always faithful
and that God is ultimately sovereign

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and God can use our good
decisions for his glory, and he can

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use our bad decisions for his glory.

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God is sovereign overall.

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And sometimes what people do
is they read Romans chapter 9, and

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the understanding that comes
through this is that some are chosen

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for salvation, not about their
belief, but ultimately God's prerogative.

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And some are chosen to be
rejected, not according to their

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belief.

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But ultimately according to
God's prerogative.

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And so when we read this
passage, we see those things like

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Jacob, God love Esau, he hated.

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And we talked about that last
week, what that really means.

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And ultimately what we see in
Romans chapter nine is that this

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is not in context, talking
about effectual salvation for the

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individual.

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But this is ultimately God's
choosing of who he is, bringing the

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truth of his gospel, the truth
of his word, to this lost and dying

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world.

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And so for a time, it was Israel.

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And then we see in this whole
passage that Israel rebels against

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God by their disbelief in the Messiah.

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Therefore, that oracle of God,
that truth of God is passed on to

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the Gentiles.

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So the Jew first to also to
the Greek.

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That's what the Gospel says in
Romans chapter one.

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So we're going to see here in
verse number 18, this statement.

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He says, therefore hath the
mercy on whom he will have mercy

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and whom he will hardeneth.

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Whom he will, he will hardeneth.

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And the idea is this.

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There are people like Pharaoh
that's mentioned in this passage.

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And by the way, if you were
not here last week, I'm not going

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to be able to recap everything.

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I would encourage you to
listen back to that sermon either

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on, on some aspect of our
website, whether it be YouTub, YouTube

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or Facebook or the podcast.

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But he says, hey, Pharaoh is
an example of someone who had his

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heart hardened by God.

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Now some people take that and
say, well, that means that Pharaoh

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had no chance.

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Even if Pharaoh wanted to turn
to the Lord in repentance, he couldn't

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have because God hardened his heart.

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But what we saw back in the
Book of Exodus is that repeatedly

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Pharaoh hardened his heart
against God.

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It says, Pharaoh hardened his
heart, Pharaoh hardened his heart.

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And then eventually what God
does is he says, okay, Pharaoh, you've

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hardened your heart enough.

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I'm going to turn you over to
that, and I'm going to harden you

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in your rebellion.

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So essentially, it's this.

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God didn't give something to
Pharaoh that he didn't want.

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Already Pharaoh had hardened
his heart, and God therefore set

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him in his ways.

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And so that's what we're going
to see over and over again.

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We see that he does that with
Esau, he says that he does that with

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Ishmael.

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But then on the other side of
that, God chooses Jacob to see the

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word of the truth pass through him.

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God uses Israel, God uses Abraham.

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God uses certain individuals
for that purpose.

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And so back when we look at
that, that situation between Jacob

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and Esau, he chooses Jacob He's.

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He's exclusive to Jacob at
that point so that he can be inclusive

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in the gospel to the future.

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Thankfully, today, all of us,
it doesn't matter what bloodline

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we are in.

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It doesn't matter where we're born.

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It doesn't matter what our
background is.

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Doesn't matter what country that.

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That we live in.

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The Bible says the Gospel is
for all.

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And so God at certain periods
of his history was exclusive to certain

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individuals and certain groups
so that he could be inclusive to

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the preparation and the
presentation of the Gospel to this

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world.

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And so the question that's
asked then in some of these people's

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minds is in verse 14, what
shall we say then?

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Is there unrighteousness with God?

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So Paul addresses some
people's question.

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Is God unrighteous by doing this?

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Is God unrighteous by choosing
certain people to have the word of

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God pass through and certain
people that he doesn't?

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Is God unrighteous for
hardening people in their rebellion?

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And obviously the answer is no.

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God forbid, kill that idea.

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God is not unrighteous.

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God is perfectly righteous in
every way.

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God has every reason to just
throw us all off the face of the

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planet because of our sin.

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We all deserve death.

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For the wages of sin is death.

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But it's the mercy of God that
anybody has anything when it comes

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to the opportunity to know him
and to understand his grace.

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And so he talks about this in mercy.

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And in verse 18.

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Therefore hath he mercy on
whom he will have mercy and whom

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he will, he hardeneth.

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Meaning this.

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God can give mercy to whoever
he wants to give mercy to.

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God can harden and judge
anyone that he wants to.

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Because ultimately people that
come to God in humility and find

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his mercy will be showing the
glory of God and those that are in

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rebellion and God hardens, God
will still get the glory either way.

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God gets the glory.

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And then we see in verse
number 19, Paul comes up with basically

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another answer to another question.

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And we're going to see that
this question was not asked out of

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curiosity.

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This question was not asked
out of authenticity.

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This question, this
hypothetical question was probably

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not a hypothetical question
for Paul.

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Maybe he had people already
asking this, and he rebukes it because

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it's asked out of pride.

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It's maybe even asked out of a
sense of bitterness.

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It says in verse number 19,
thou will say then unto me, why doth

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he yet find fault for who hath
resisted his will?

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So essentially Paul is saying this.

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There are some people that
come and say, well, if God is going

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to do what he wants to do.

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Why does he even hold us accountable?

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If God's going to give mercy
to who he's going to give mercy to,

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and if God's going to harden
those that he wants to harden, then

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why does he hold us accountable?

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Essentially, it's this
prideful thing saying this.

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Why does God care about me if
he's the one in control?

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And if this was an authentic
question, I believe Paul would answer

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it with a biblical answer.

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But essentially Paul answers
with a rebuke.

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And the rebuke is indicative
of the pride that's in this question.

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And so he responds with verse
number 20, nay or no.

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But oh man, who art thou that
replies against God?

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Paul rebukes this person, this
questioner, by saying this.

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Who are you to question God's will?

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Who are you to question God's direction?

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Who are you to question God's plan?

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Who are you to question God's mercy?

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And I want to pause there just
for a moment because it would be

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easy specifically for me to
just buzz through the book of Romans

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and, and buzz through Romans,
chapter nine and just go through

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as fast as we can.

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But I've got to check myself
and I want to slow down and I want

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to make sure all of us
understand what Paul is talking about

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here.

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Essentially what Paul is
saying is this.

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We, as the creation of God,
have no right to question God now.

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We.

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We have an opportunity, and
some might even say the.

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The grace of God brings us to
a place where we can ask God questions.

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We talked a little bit about
this earlier on.

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The idea would be this.

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It's appropriate to ask God an
authentic question or why are you

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doing what you're doing?

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How is this working through me?

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How can I serve you?

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How can I be led by you?

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But then it is a biblical
inaccuracy, and I would say a biblical

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sin to come to God and
question his character, because then

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we're indicating that we're in
a lack of faith.

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And so he says, no, who are
you to question God?

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And then he says something
very interesting.

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He says, shall the thing
formed say to him that is formed

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it why hast thou made me thus?

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So essentially what Paul says
is this.

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We who are the creation should
not come to the Creator and say,

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lord, why are you using me for mercy?

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Why are you using me for your glory?

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Why are you using me for this
will and your plan in this world?

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Because ultimately we are the creation.

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We can't dictate to the
Creator what we can do and what he

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can do.

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And actually he quotes a Bible
passage here.

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He quotes a passage from
Isaiah, chapter 29.

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And essentially he quotes
Isaiah 29.

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We're going to go there in a minute.

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And then he quotes another
passage, basically Jeremiah, chapter

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18.

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And I think what we need to do
when we're looking at difficult passages

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that have multiple
interpretations in churches today

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is, is to use Scripture to
comment on Scripture.

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You know, I'm not the best commentator.

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There's some good commentators
out there.

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And I. I don't tell you, don't
listen to commentaries, because commentaries

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can help us have some clarity
when we're studying passages.

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But I think the best
commentary on Scripture is other

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Scripture.

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And so if Paul is going to
quote Isaiah chapter 29, and if Paul

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is going to quote Jeremiah
chapter 18, we need to know what

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those passages of Scripture
are talking about, because many people

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read verses 19, 20, and 21,
and they take it as this.

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Basically, God takes clay, and
in his discretion, he makes some

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of the vessels to be saved,
and he makes some of the vessels

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not to be saved.

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And basically this happened at
the beginning of time.

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And these people that he made
to be vessels that are unsafe had

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no choice but to be this way.

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And so that can be kind of
confusing because what we see here

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is this deterministic focus
that there are some who have no choice

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00:11:12,830 --> 00:11:16,350
but to be saved and some have
no choice but to be rejected.

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00:11:16,350 --> 00:11:19,590
Again, we're not talking about
individual effectual salvation.

246
00:11:19,670 --> 00:11:22,150
We're talking about being used
by God.

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00:11:22,150 --> 00:11:26,670
And so some in their rebellion
are not used by God for good.

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00:11:26,670 --> 00:11:28,710
They're used by God to show
his judgment.

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00:11:28,710 --> 00:11:33,270
And some are in obedience used
by God for his mercy and his grace,

250
00:11:33,270 --> 00:11:37,060
and ultimately are used to be
presenting the word of God.

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00:11:37,060 --> 00:11:40,940
So he says here in verse
number 21, Hath not the potter power

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00:11:40,940 --> 00:11:45,780
over the clay of the same lump
to make one vessel unto honor and

253
00:11:45,780 --> 00:11:47,940
another to dishonor?

254
00:11:49,140 --> 00:11:50,420
So the question would be this.

255
00:11:50,739 --> 00:11:54,740
Doesn't God have the right to
use some vessels for honor and some

256
00:11:54,740 --> 00:11:55,940
vessels for dishonor?

257
00:11:55,940 --> 00:11:57,380
And of course he has that right.

258
00:11:57,700 --> 00:12:01,140
But without understanding the
other passages of Scripture, we might

259
00:12:01,140 --> 00:12:04,540
say, well, it's none of our
choice whether or not we're a vessel

260
00:12:04,540 --> 00:12:05,380
of honor or dishonor.

261
00:12:05,380 --> 00:12:08,540
It's ultimately God's choice,
and we have no choice in that matter.

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00:12:08,780 --> 00:12:11,580
But I want you to see that the
other passages of Scripture don't

263
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use that analogy.

264
00:12:12,940 --> 00:12:17,580
Actually, in Both Isaiah
chapter 29 and Jeremiah 18, we see

265
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that the clay actually has an
opportunity to repent and turn back

266
00:12:20,980 --> 00:12:21,420
to Christ.

267
00:12:22,380 --> 00:12:25,580
So Obviously, this analogy of
the clay, we would say, well, how

268
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could the clay make a choice?

269
00:12:27,590 --> 00:12:27,790
How.

270
00:12:27,790 --> 00:12:28,870
How could the.

271
00:12:28,950 --> 00:12:30,590
The clay tell the potter what
to do?

272
00:12:30,590 --> 00:12:32,390
Well, the clay can't tell the
potter what to do.

273
00:12:32,390 --> 00:12:37,150
But ultimately, we see in
Isaiah chapter 29 that there's this

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call for these individuals to
turn away from their wicked ways.

275
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So if.

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00:12:41,270 --> 00:12:43,790
If you can, you can turn to
Isaiah chapter 29.

277
00:12:43,790 --> 00:12:46,830
I'll try to give you somewhat
of a background of this passage of

278
00:12:46,830 --> 00:12:48,070
Scripture that Paul quotes.

279
00:12:48,470 --> 00:12:48,790
But.

280
00:12:48,790 --> 00:12:51,950
But essentially what's
happening in Isaiah chapter 29 is

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00:12:51,950 --> 00:12:55,190
that Israel is making a
friendship with Egypt.

282
00:12:56,110 --> 00:12:59,230
Israel has tried to find their
own path.

283
00:12:59,230 --> 00:13:02,910
And the path that they think
is the best path is to devise a plan,

284
00:13:03,150 --> 00:13:07,110
to devise an alliance with
Egypt, which we know that in the

285
00:13:07,110 --> 00:13:09,630
Bible, Egypt is always a
picture of sin.

286
00:13:09,630 --> 00:13:11,190
It's always a picture of rebellion.

287
00:13:11,190 --> 00:13:13,470
It's always a picture of the
ways of this world.

288
00:13:13,630 --> 00:13:17,630
And so essentially, what that
passage In Isaiah chapter 29 is talking

289
00:13:17,630 --> 00:13:21,470
about is that Israel is in a
place of spiritual blindness.

290
00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:23,600
They're in a spiritual stupor.

291
00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:24,880
They don't know what to do.

292
00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:26,080
And so they say, you know what?

293
00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,080
We're going to try to figure
it out our own way.

294
00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:32,760
We're going to turn to Egypt
because obviously Egypt's the big

295
00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:36,320
major power that can give us
strength and wisdom and direction.

296
00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:40,040
And then we see verse number
13, and I think it's important for

297
00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:43,560
us to see this verse because
it's really where the thought that

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00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:47,080
Paul quotes in Isaiah, or,
excuse me, Romans, chapter 9, and

299
00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:51,510
verse number 13 of Isaiah
chapter 24, he says, when thus, or,

300
00:13:51,510 --> 00:13:53,190
excuse me, 29, Isaiah 29.

301
00:13:53,190 --> 00:13:53,950
Sorry about that.

302
00:13:54,590 --> 00:13:56,430
Let me get there in my text.

303
00:13:57,150 --> 00:14:00,830
Isaiah, chapter 29, verse
number 13.

304
00:14:03,150 --> 00:14:04,950
Some of you could probably
beat me there.

305
00:14:04,950 --> 00:14:09,230
Now, Wherefore the Lord saith,
for as much as this people draw near

306
00:14:09,630 --> 00:14:13,630
me with their mouth and with
their lips to honor me, but have

307
00:14:13,630 --> 00:14:15,950
removed their heart from far
from me.

308
00:14:16,350 --> 00:14:20,270
So he says, you and Israel, in
that context, he says, everyone's

309
00:14:20,270 --> 00:14:22,790
saying the right things, but
their heart's not in the right place.

310
00:14:22,790 --> 00:14:24,790
They've removed their heart
far from me.

311
00:14:24,790 --> 00:14:29,310
And their fear toward me is
taught by the percept of man.

312
00:14:29,310 --> 00:14:31,630
The precept of man, which
means this.

313
00:14:32,270 --> 00:14:35,270
The way that they're trying to
understand God is through the eyes

314
00:14:35,270 --> 00:14:35,790
of man.

315
00:14:36,190 --> 00:14:38,070
And obviously that's a big issue.

316
00:14:38,070 --> 00:14:38,630
Verse 14.

317
00:14:38,630 --> 00:14:42,670
Therefore, behold, I will
proceed to do a marvelous work among

318
00:14:42,670 --> 00:14:48,990
this people, even a marvelous
work and a wonder, for the wisdom

319
00:14:48,990 --> 00:14:52,430
of their wise men shall perish
and the understanding of their prudent

320
00:14:52,510 --> 00:14:53,710
men shall be hit.

321
00:14:53,870 --> 00:14:57,710
Woe unto them that seek deep
to hide their counsel from the Lord.

322
00:14:58,030 --> 00:15:00,750
So he says, there, there is a problem.

323
00:15:00,990 --> 00:15:05,310
Woe unto them that try to hide
their heart from the Lord.

324
00:15:05,310 --> 00:15:07,110
And their works are in the dark.

325
00:15:07,110 --> 00:15:10,270
Meaning Israel was trying to
hide things from God and do their

326
00:15:10,270 --> 00:15:10,830
own things.

327
00:15:10,830 --> 00:15:13,170
And then he says, are, they say.

328
00:15:13,170 --> 00:15:15,410
And they say, who seeth us and
who knoweth us?

329
00:15:15,410 --> 00:15:19,250
Surely your turning of these
things upside down shall be esteemed

330
00:15:19,250 --> 00:15:20,490
as the potter's clay.

331
00:15:20,490 --> 00:15:21,810
Okay, here's that analogy.

332
00:15:21,890 --> 00:15:24,690
For shall the work say of him
that made it?

333
00:15:24,770 --> 00:15:26,050
He made me not.

334
00:15:26,290 --> 00:15:29,730
Or shall the thing frame say
of him that framed it?

335
00:15:29,890 --> 00:15:31,730
He hath no understanding.

336
00:15:32,850 --> 00:15:34,330
So that's what Paul quotes there.

337
00:15:34,330 --> 00:15:35,370
What is Paul quoting?

338
00:15:35,370 --> 00:15:37,930
Paul is quoting that passage
of scripture where Israel is trying

339
00:15:37,930 --> 00:15:41,690
to do their own thing and God
is calling them to come back to him.

340
00:15:41,770 --> 00:15:43,530
And so there's a choice for
Israel there.

341
00:15:43,530 --> 00:15:47,130
There's a choice for them to
turn back to the will of God, to

342
00:15:47,130 --> 00:15:48,770
turn back to the obedience of God.

343
00:15:48,770 --> 00:15:51,610
And he says, who are you to
tell God what you're doing?

344
00:15:51,770 --> 00:15:52,130
Who.

345
00:15:52,130 --> 00:15:54,330
Who are you to tell God that
there's a better way?

346
00:15:55,130 --> 00:15:58,410
So, so it would be like, think
of this analogy.

347
00:15:58,490 --> 00:15:58,890
The.

348
00:15:59,130 --> 00:16:02,290
And again, this is not a
perfect analogy in some regards because

349
00:16:02,290 --> 00:16:04,570
we don't look at clay pots
that talk.

350
00:16:04,570 --> 00:16:07,870
Okay, but let's pretend that
the clay pot in this analogy can

351
00:16:07,870 --> 00:16:08,150
talk.

352
00:16:08,390 --> 00:16:11,030
And so the potter is making
the clay pot and he's.

353
00:16:11,030 --> 00:16:13,150
He's molding it and morphing it.

354
00:16:13,150 --> 00:16:15,950
And all of a sudden the clay
pot talks to the potter and says,

355
00:16:15,950 --> 00:16:17,430
no, no, no, don't make me like that.

356
00:16:18,070 --> 00:16:18,390
We.

357
00:16:18,390 --> 00:16:22,310
We want to be made in a
certain way that fits us better that.

358
00:16:22,310 --> 00:16:25,110
That, that we could be a more
of a help to this person.

359
00:16:25,350 --> 00:16:27,750
And, and the, and some of you
are like, what are you talking about?

360
00:16:27,750 --> 00:16:28,630
You're losing me here.

361
00:16:28,630 --> 00:16:32,700
Okay, pretend like the pot can
talk and the pot is telling the potter,

362
00:16:32,700 --> 00:16:33,820
don't make me this way.

363
00:16:33,820 --> 00:16:34,860
This isn't going to work.

364
00:16:34,940 --> 00:16:35,980
I have my own way.

365
00:16:35,980 --> 00:16:37,100
Egypt's ways better.

366
00:16:37,180 --> 00:16:39,660
That pot that I saw across
town looks a lot better.

367
00:16:39,740 --> 00:16:41,820
And, and he's saying, how
silly is that?

368
00:16:41,900 --> 00:16:46,060
How silly is the clay talking
to the potter telling him that this

369
00:16:46,060 --> 00:16:46,780
is the way.

370
00:16:47,099 --> 00:16:50,060
It's the same way that we as
God's people turn to him and say,

371
00:16:50,060 --> 00:16:51,980
we can repent on our own way.

372
00:16:52,220 --> 00:16:53,660
We can do our own thing.

373
00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:58,140
We can find God, we can find
hope, we can find salvation, we can

374
00:16:58,140 --> 00:16:59,180
find satisfaction.

375
00:16:59,230 --> 00:16:59,390
We.

376
00:16:59,620 --> 00:17:00,180
Our way.

377
00:17:00,260 --> 00:17:01,860
That's what he's talking about here.

378
00:17:02,100 --> 00:17:06,860
And so it would be on the
responsibility of the clay of the

379
00:17:06,860 --> 00:17:10,860
people to allow God to mold
them and to form them in the way

380
00:17:10,860 --> 00:17:12,900
that he desires them to be formed.

381
00:17:12,980 --> 00:17:14,140
So that's one analogy.

382
00:17:14,140 --> 00:17:15,940
So there's a choice there for Israel.

383
00:17:16,020 --> 00:17:18,020
There's a choice to turn to God.

384
00:17:18,260 --> 00:17:20,940
And so I want you to see the
other passage here in Jeremiah chapter

385
00:17:20,940 --> 00:17:27,820
18, because we're allowing
Paul's quotes to essentially be confirmed

386
00:17:27,820 --> 00:17:29,940
with these passages of Scripture.

387
00:17:29,940 --> 00:17:31,900
We don't just take Romans 9
for Romans 9.

388
00:17:31,900 --> 00:17:33,460
We want to look at all these
other passages.

389
00:17:33,540 --> 00:17:35,700
So look at Jeremiah chapter 18
with me.

390
00:17:36,580 --> 00:17:39,140
This is the classic potter and
clay analogy.

391
00:17:39,700 --> 00:17:42,860
And the reason why I want you
to see these passages of Scripture

392
00:17:42,860 --> 00:17:46,380
is because I want you to see
that in each one of these passages

393
00:17:46,380 --> 00:17:49,580
of Scripture where the analogy
the potter and clay is used, that

394
00:17:49,580 --> 00:17:53,190
there is a responsibility of
the clay to submit themselves to

395
00:17:53,190 --> 00:17:56,910
the master, to the potter, to
the one who is making these vessels,

396
00:17:56,910 --> 00:17:58,190
these jars of clay.

397
00:17:58,830 --> 00:18:01,390
So look at Jeremiah chapter 18
with me.

398
00:18:01,470 --> 00:18:04,030
Some of you know what the
whole book of Jeremiah is about.

399
00:18:04,270 --> 00:18:08,030
The whole book of Jeremiah is
about Jeremiah being called by God

400
00:18:08,270 --> 00:18:13,270
to warn Israel of the upcoming
judgment if they continue on in their

401
00:18:13,270 --> 00:18:13,710
sin.

402
00:18:14,110 --> 00:18:17,270
So Jeremiah is called the
weeping prophet because he's got

403
00:18:17,270 --> 00:18:21,620
to bring some very difficult
preaching to the people of Israel.

404
00:18:21,700 --> 00:18:25,140
But also on top of that, the
people aren't listening to him.

405
00:18:25,380 --> 00:18:26,700
The people are rejecting him.

406
00:18:26,700 --> 00:18:30,300
And sometimes as a pastor, we
can identify with Jeremiah.

407
00:18:30,300 --> 00:18:32,660
We think, am I making any
sense to people?

408
00:18:33,300 --> 00:18:34,420
Is there any impact?

409
00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:37,900
And Jeremiah struggled with
that, but he comes to Israel and

410
00:18:37,900 --> 00:18:42,020
he says, israel, you need to
turn away from your wicked ways so

411
00:18:42,020 --> 00:18:44,580
that you don't find yourself
in judgment.

412
00:18:45,150 --> 00:18:48,230
And then what happens here is
the Lord speaks to Jeremiah in chapter

413
00:18:48,230 --> 00:18:48,510
18.

414
00:18:48,670 --> 00:18:52,750
It says the word which came to
Jeremiah from the Lord saying, arise

415
00:18:52,750 --> 00:18:56,670
and go down to the potter's
house, and there I will cause thee

416
00:18:56,670 --> 00:18:57,390
to hear my words.

417
00:18:57,390 --> 00:19:00,910
And so God tells Jeremiah to
go to a potter's house.

418
00:19:01,070 --> 00:19:02,790
And then he's going to give
him a lesson here.

419
00:19:02,790 --> 00:19:04,670
He's going to teach him
something to teach the people.

420
00:19:05,230 --> 00:19:06,030
Verse 3.

421
00:19:06,110 --> 00:19:09,270
Then I went down to the
potter's house, and behold, he wrought

422
00:19:09,270 --> 00:19:10,670
a work on the wheels.

423
00:19:11,740 --> 00:19:16,020
And the vessel that he made of
clay was marred in the hand of the

424
00:19:16,020 --> 00:19:16,620
potter.

425
00:19:17,340 --> 00:19:21,940
So basically it's flawed clay
in the hand of the potter going forward,

426
00:19:21,940 --> 00:19:27,380
he says, so he made it again,
another vessel as seemed good to

427
00:19:27,380 --> 00:19:31,860
the potter to make it so the
vessel wasn't working the way that

428
00:19:31,860 --> 00:19:35,260
the potter had intended it to
work, and therefore he made it into

429
00:19:35,260 --> 00:19:36,060
something else.

430
00:19:36,630 --> 00:19:39,630
Then the word of the Lord came
to me, saying, O house of Israel,

431
00:19:39,630 --> 00:19:45,510
can I not do with you as this
potter, meaning this Israel, if you

432
00:19:45,590 --> 00:19:48,830
disobey me, if you live in
your rebellion, guess what?

433
00:19:48,830 --> 00:19:49,750
I can change you.

434
00:19:49,750 --> 00:19:53,870
I can change your purpose, I
can change my plan for you, and I

435
00:19:53,870 --> 00:19:56,070
can use you for something else.

436
00:19:56,070 --> 00:19:58,470
Maybe not honor, but for dishonor.

437
00:19:59,670 --> 00:20:03,710
Verse 6 He says, Can I not
deal with you as this potter saith

438
00:20:03,710 --> 00:20:04,110
the Lord?

439
00:20:04,110 --> 00:20:08,030
Behold, as the clay is in the
potter's hand, so are ye in mine

440
00:20:08,030 --> 00:20:09,510
hand, O house of Israel.

441
00:20:09,510 --> 00:20:11,150
So he says, israel, you're in
my hand.

442
00:20:11,390 --> 00:20:13,870
I can do with you what I want
to do with you.

443
00:20:14,030 --> 00:20:14,750
Verse 7.

444
00:20:14,910 --> 00:20:18,150
At what instance I shall speak
concerning a nation and concerning

445
00:20:18,150 --> 00:20:22,670
a kingdom to pluck up and to
pull down and to destroy it, if that

446
00:20:22,670 --> 00:20:26,070
nation against whom I have
pronounced turn from their evil.

447
00:20:26,070 --> 00:20:32,560
So he says, if this nation
turns from evil, and concerning a

448
00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:34,040
kingdom to build and to plant it.

449
00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,200
And so the idea is, he says,
if you turn away from it.

450
00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,400
And in verse 8 he says, I will repent.

451
00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,360
Now, God doesn't have to
repent in the fact that he sinned

452
00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:44,760
and that he has to like,
confess his sin.

453
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,080
That idea of repent.

454
00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,560
Some of you know the the
technical term for repentance, to

455
00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:49,640
turn away from something.

456
00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,040
The Bible says that God is
going to bring judgment.

457
00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:55,960
But if the people come in
repentance and turn away from the

458
00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:58,960
evil that they're doing, God
will turn away from his judgment,

459
00:20:58,960 --> 00:20:59,800
as it says here.

460
00:21:00,190 --> 00:21:03,150
And then he says he will
repent of the evil that I thought

461
00:21:03,150 --> 00:21:04,070
to do unto them.

462
00:21:04,070 --> 00:21:06,950
And at what instance I shall
speak concerning the nation and concerning

463
00:21:06,950 --> 00:21:08,870
the kingdom, to build it and
to plant it.

464
00:21:08,870 --> 00:21:13,030
If it do evil in my sight,
that it obey not my voice, then I

465
00:21:13,030 --> 00:21:14,270
will repent of the good.

466
00:21:14,350 --> 00:21:18,030
So God says, I had a plan for
good, but if that nation rejects

467
00:21:18,030 --> 00:21:21,350
me and turns to rebellion and
turns to sin, wherewith I said I

468
00:21:21,350 --> 00:21:23,230
should benefit them, meaning
he's going to pull away.

469
00:21:23,310 --> 00:21:28,580
That's that picture of mercy
and judgments, mercy and hardening.

470
00:21:28,580 --> 00:21:33,580
He says, if Israel continues
to turn its back against me, I will

471
00:21:33,580 --> 00:21:39,220
harden it, and I will use it
for a vessel of dishonor, so that

472
00:21:39,220 --> 00:21:40,580
I will get glory that way.

473
00:21:40,580 --> 00:21:42,380
And then I will use something else.

474
00:21:42,380 --> 00:21:46,020
And we know that In Romans
chapter 9, 10, and 11 it tells us

475
00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:50,260
that Israel has turned its
back against the Lord Messiah.

476
00:21:50,660 --> 00:21:53,220
And obviously we know the
rising of the church.

477
00:21:53,220 --> 00:21:56,440
The Gentiles come into the
fold and that's what we Romans 9,

478
00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:58,480
10 and 11 are about.

479
00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,120
So we go back to Romans
chapter 9.

480
00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:02,840
I. I don't want to lose you
here, but I want you to see the point

481
00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:03,760
that I'm trying to make.

482
00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,360
The teaching often in Romans 9
is that the, the clay has no choice.

483
00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:14,840
Like, we just God hates us and
he wants to use us for dishonor.

484
00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:15,840
So that's what he's going to do.

485
00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:20,720
God might have grace and mercy
on us and he uses us for honor.

486
00:22:21,770 --> 00:22:25,410
But the idea in Genesis or in
Jeremiah chapter 18, the idea in

487
00:22:25,410 --> 00:22:28,490
Isaiah chapter 29, the idea
that we're going to see in second

488
00:22:28,490 --> 00:22:32,650
Timothy chapter two here in a
few moments, is that we have a responsibility

489
00:22:32,730 --> 00:22:33,770
to make a decision.

490
00:22:34,330 --> 00:22:39,290
And in our decision, God will
use our decision of obedience and

491
00:22:39,290 --> 00:22:42,170
yielding to him to be a vessel
of honor.

492
00:22:42,170 --> 00:22:46,090
And then he will use those bad
decisions as a vessel of dishonor.

493
00:22:46,090 --> 00:22:49,290
But ultimately God gets the
glory for both of those decisions.

494
00:22:50,090 --> 00:22:53,250
So that's, I believe, a
picture of God's sovereignty, that

495
00:22:53,250 --> 00:22:58,330
God uses the good decisions of
mankind for his glory, but he also

496
00:22:58,330 --> 00:23:01,930
uses the bad decisions for
mankind for his glory, I. E. Pharaoh,

497
00:23:02,330 --> 00:23:05,290
Esau, Ishmael, all the ones
that we saw before.

498
00:23:05,369 --> 00:23:08,410
And that's what this passage
of Scripture is dealing with God

499
00:23:08,410 --> 00:23:14,130
using people for his glory,
God using people for the word of

500
00:23:14,130 --> 00:23:15,770
God to be presented to the world.

501
00:23:15,770 --> 00:23:18,090
Now, we're going to get to
application here in a few moments,

502
00:23:18,090 --> 00:23:19,610
but I just want to make that
point there.

503
00:23:20,020 --> 00:23:21,700
So let's go back to Romans
chapter nine.

504
00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:25,540
He says, basically he's
responding to that question of, well,

505
00:23:25,540 --> 00:23:29,780
if God is just forcing us to
do everything, if God is in control,

506
00:23:30,420 --> 00:23:33,220
why do I have any responsibility?

507
00:23:33,460 --> 00:23:35,300
Why does God hold me accountable?

508
00:23:35,780 --> 00:23:38,620
And Paul says, well, think
you're not thinking the right thing.

509
00:23:38,620 --> 00:23:39,940
Who are you to question God?

510
00:23:39,940 --> 00:23:41,860
Who are you to question God's purposes?

511
00:23:42,020 --> 00:23:45,620
And so he says, oh man, who
art thou to reply against God?

512
00:23:45,930 --> 00:23:49,210
Shall the thing form say to
him that formed it, why hast thou

513
00:23:49,210 --> 00:23:49,930
made me thus?

514
00:23:50,010 --> 00:23:51,770
That's that quote from Isaiah 29.

515
00:23:51,770 --> 00:23:54,730
He says, we have no right to
question God and how he's using us.

516
00:23:54,730 --> 00:23:59,290
Verse 21 Hath not the potter
power over the clay of the same lump

517
00:23:59,290 --> 00:24:02,010
to make one vessel unto honor
and another to dishonor?

518
00:24:02,890 --> 00:24:06,770
So he essentially says that
God is going to use certain people

519
00:24:06,770 --> 00:24:07,490
for honor.

520
00:24:07,490 --> 00:24:11,290
Vessels or jars of clay for
honor, jars of clay for dishonor.

521
00:24:11,860 --> 00:24:13,980
And I want to, I want you to
see in the New Testament another

522
00:24:13,980 --> 00:24:15,740
passage that speaks to this
very thing.

523
00:24:15,740 --> 00:24:19,780
Paul uses the same analogy in
2 Timothy, chapter 2.

524
00:24:20,660 --> 00:24:23,980
And again, I think that what
we're going to see is that there's

525
00:24:23,980 --> 00:24:28,420
always a responsibility for us
to yield ourselves to him in obedience.

526
00:24:28,420 --> 00:24:32,540
And it's a responsibility for
us to not make the decision of falling

527
00:24:32,540 --> 00:24:35,860
into the trap, of telling the
potter that we have a better plan.

528
00:24:36,340 --> 00:24:37,140
Remember, that's what.

529
00:24:37,140 --> 00:24:39,460
That's what Israel was doing
in Isaiah, chapter 29.

530
00:24:39,460 --> 00:24:40,580
We've got a better plan.

531
00:24:40,580 --> 00:24:41,460
We're going to Egypt.

532
00:24:41,460 --> 00:24:45,480
Now, the irony of all of this
is that In Isaiah chapter 29, there's

533
00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:47,920
this great revival found
through King Hezekiah.

534
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,280
And King Hezekiah preaches the
Word and we have the Word presented.

535
00:24:51,360 --> 00:24:54,800
And the people of Israel do
turn to the potter and say that your

536
00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:56,000
way is the right way.

537
00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:58,520
And In Jeremiah chapter 18,
it's the opposite.

538
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:01,360
We know that in Jeremiah that
eventually comes to a place where

539
00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:05,200
they do find judgment and find
themselves in control from another

540
00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:05,600
country.

541
00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:09,520
And so second Timothy, chapter
two tells us another passage of Scripture

542
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:11,840
about vessels of honor and dishonor.

543
00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:15,680
And he says, here is how you
can be used as a vessel of honor.

544
00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:20,920
Now, if it was ultimately no
responsibility for us go, we would

545
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:21,600
just hear this.

546
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:23,880
God's going to use you for
honor or dishonor, and you have no

547
00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:24,240
choice.

548
00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:26,120
God's going to save you or not
save you.

549
00:25:26,120 --> 00:25:26,960
You have no choice.

550
00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,960
But here in second Timothy
chapter two, we see that there is

551
00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:32,120
a responsibility for us.

552
00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:35,680
And I believe he's talking
specifically to believers in this

553
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:39,340
case because he warns us to
flee away from these sins, these

554
00:25:39,340 --> 00:25:40,660
iniquities that are mentioned.

555
00:25:40,660 --> 00:25:43,980
So verse 19, he says,
nevertheless, the foundation of God

556
00:25:43,980 --> 00:25:44,780
standeth sure.

557
00:25:45,740 --> 00:25:49,380
I think that we can stop there
and recognize that to say this, God's

558
00:25:49,380 --> 00:25:53,420
word, God's truth, God's
foundation is not going to be shaken.

559
00:25:53,420 --> 00:25:56,500
No matter what decision we
make as a country, no matter what

560
00:25:56,500 --> 00:26:00,060
decision that we make as an
individual, God's plan is always

561
00:26:00,060 --> 00:26:01,180
going to come to pass.

562
00:26:01,260 --> 00:26:04,820
And then he says here in verse
number 19, having this seal, the

563
00:26:04,820 --> 00:26:06,260
Lord knoweth them that are his.

564
00:26:06,260 --> 00:26:10,280
God knows who are his, that
that have believed in him, and let

565
00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,600
everyone that name with the
name of Christ depart from iniquity.

566
00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:14,880
So he's talking to Christians.

567
00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,520
He knows those that believe in
him, and the call for all that believe

568
00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,120
in him are to depart from
iniquity or sin.

569
00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:24,240
It is God's plan for us to run
away from sin.

570
00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,800
It doesn't mean that he
expects us and requires us to be

571
00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:29,840
perfect, because none of us
can be perfect.

572
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,080
We know that because we're
wrestling with the flesh.

573
00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,340
But it is God's will for us to
grow closer and closer to him, and

574
00:26:35,490 --> 00:26:39,290
so that we can flee and depart
from iniquity, that we can separate

575
00:26:39,290 --> 00:26:41,170
ourselves to be used by God.

576
00:26:41,170 --> 00:26:44,890
And so then he says in verse
number 20, but in a great house,

577
00:26:44,890 --> 00:26:49,570
there are not only vessels of
gold and of silver, but also of wood

578
00:26:49,570 --> 00:26:52,330
and of earth, and some to
honor and some to dishonor.

579
00:26:52,330 --> 00:26:54,890
So he says, within the great
house, and he gives a picture of

580
00:26:54,890 --> 00:26:57,690
this big house, he says,
there's vessels of honor and there's

581
00:26:57,690 --> 00:26:59,010
vessels of dishonor.

582
00:26:59,890 --> 00:27:00,850
There's going to be vessels.

583
00:27:00,850 --> 00:27:02,370
They're both vessels of God.

584
00:27:02,700 --> 00:27:04,700
God is going to use both of
these vessels.

585
00:27:04,780 --> 00:27:08,820
But some are honorable, as we
see here, gold and silver, and some

586
00:27:08,820 --> 00:27:11,660
are dishonorable wood and of earth.

587
00:27:13,180 --> 00:27:18,180
And so he says, verse 21, if a
man therefore purge himself from

588
00:27:18,180 --> 00:27:18,540
these.

589
00:27:19,740 --> 00:27:20,420
These what?

590
00:27:20,420 --> 00:27:21,540
He's talking about the sin.

591
00:27:21,540 --> 00:27:23,100
He's talking about rebellion.

592
00:27:23,100 --> 00:27:25,500
He shall be a vessel unto honor.

593
00:27:26,380 --> 00:27:30,060
So he says here, how can the
believer be a vessel used by God?

594
00:27:30,140 --> 00:27:33,710
We'll just wait for God's
prerogative to come about, to come

595
00:27:33,710 --> 00:27:34,150
to pass.

596
00:27:34,470 --> 00:27:39,910
No, to purge myself of these
sins, to purge myself of these worldly

597
00:27:39,910 --> 00:27:42,590
ways of thinking, as we saw in
Isaiah, chapter 29.

598
00:27:42,590 --> 00:27:44,630
Don't think that it's in your hands.

599
00:27:44,630 --> 00:27:46,870
Don't tell the potter how you
should be used.

600
00:27:46,950 --> 00:27:50,990
It says here, obey the word of
God, and then you can be a vessel

601
00:27:50,990 --> 00:27:52,470
of honor, sanctified.

602
00:27:53,910 --> 00:27:55,470
You guys know what sanctify means?

603
00:27:55,470 --> 00:27:57,990
Sanctify means set aside for a
specific use.

604
00:27:58,310 --> 00:28:01,400
So now I want to be a
Christian that can be used by God,

605
00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:05,040
to be used by him for honor,
to be used by him to pass along the

606
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:09,000
truth of the gospel, to impact
people for the truth of the kingdom.

607
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:13,840
And so he says here in verse
21, to be that type of vessel, we

608
00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:14,920
have to be sanctified.

609
00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:18,680
And then it says here, meat or
good for the Master's use.

610
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:25,480
God can use us, and he can be
using us, as it says here, and prepared

611
00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:26,600
unto every good work.

612
00:28:27,170 --> 00:28:30,290
And then the next verse is,
flee also youthful lust, but follow

613
00:28:30,290 --> 00:28:34,410
righteousness, faith, charity,
peace with them that call on the

614
00:28:34,410 --> 00:28:36,250
Lord out of a pure heart.

615
00:28:36,250 --> 00:28:40,730
And so the idea here would be
that we can be used as a vessel of

616
00:28:40,730 --> 00:28:45,930
honor if we allow ourselves to
yield to the Master's work, to yield

617
00:28:45,930 --> 00:28:49,650
to the Master's plan for us,
as we were told last week in Ephesians,

618
00:28:49,650 --> 00:28:53,970
chapter 2, verse 10, that we
are his workmanship, prepared to

619
00:28:53,970 --> 00:28:54,610
good works.

620
00:28:54,610 --> 00:28:54,770
Right?

621
00:28:54,770 --> 00:28:56,890
We are God has a plan for us.

622
00:28:56,970 --> 00:29:00,010
And so we go back to Romans,
chapter nine, and we see that it's

623
00:29:00,010 --> 00:29:04,130
not a matter of God just
forcing us to be a vessel of dishonor

624
00:29:04,130 --> 00:29:05,290
or a vessel of honor.

625
00:29:05,370 --> 00:29:09,050
We have a responsibility to
respond to him in obedience.

626
00:29:09,130 --> 00:29:12,490
And if we respond to him in
obedience, God will use us for his

627
00:29:12,490 --> 00:29:12,810
work.

628
00:29:12,890 --> 00:29:16,850
When it comes to mercy, when
it comes to grace, when it comes

629
00:29:16,850 --> 00:29:20,200
to the oracles of God, as
mentioned before, the church is called

630
00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:22,360
to be the pillar and ground of truth.

631
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,560
Now, the rest of this passage,
and we're going to talk more and

632
00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:29,280
more about this as the study
goes along, it's basically a condemnation

633
00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,880
against Israel for turning
their backs against the Lord by turning

634
00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:34,360
their backs against the Messiah.

635
00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,440
And so he basically says,
israel, you have missed it.

636
00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:39,880
You have missed the mark.

637
00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:41,160
You.

638
00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:45,530
You've lost the opportunity to
be a vessel of honor, and now you're

639
00:29:45,530 --> 00:29:47,010
being a vessel of dishonor.

640
00:29:47,010 --> 00:29:51,050
So essentially what God is
saying in Romans 9 is that God is

641
00:29:51,050 --> 00:29:56,450
using the disobedience of
Israel for His plan and his purpose.

642
00:29:57,730 --> 00:29:58,690
How does that work?

643
00:29:58,770 --> 00:30:03,370
Well, we all know that God has
now allowed for the Gentiles to be

644
00:30:03,370 --> 00:30:05,410
brought in and wholesale, right?

645
00:30:05,410 --> 00:30:06,530
Paul talks about that.

646
00:30:06,530 --> 00:30:08,410
And he's going to talk about
that in this passage here.

647
00:30:08,410 --> 00:30:12,010
He essentially says, now the
church that is not just isolated

648
00:30:12,010 --> 00:30:15,650
to Israel, but now it's open
for all to come in.

649
00:30:15,650 --> 00:30:19,970
Now the church is used by God
as a vessel of honor.

650
00:30:19,970 --> 00:30:22,290
So we go to verse number 22.

651
00:30:22,450 --> 00:30:24,450
Paul is going to give a
hypothetical here.

652
00:30:24,930 --> 00:30:25,970
He's going to say something.

653
00:30:26,050 --> 00:30:29,050
And again, I think that it's
important to understand the context,

654
00:30:29,050 --> 00:30:33,890
because verse 22, verse 23,
and verse 24 basically is not telling

655
00:30:33,890 --> 00:30:38,190
us that God just chooses some
people that he likes to be saved

656
00:30:38,190 --> 00:30:42,030
and he hates other people,
that he doesn't want to be saved.

657
00:30:42,030 --> 00:30:43,310
And that's what it's all about.

658
00:30:43,390 --> 00:30:46,510
No, he says in verse 20:22,
what if God.

659
00:30:47,390 --> 00:30:49,590
This is a hypothetical
question that he really doesn't give

660
00:30:49,590 --> 00:30:50,510
an answer to here.

661
00:30:50,590 --> 00:30:51,470
It's kind of like.

662
00:30:51,630 --> 00:30:55,430
It's kind of like if some of
you are living in your past and you

663
00:30:55,430 --> 00:31:00,430
say, if I would have just done
this, but you don't finish the statement.

664
00:31:00,750 --> 00:31:02,510
It's kind of like that's what
Paul's doing here.

665
00:31:02,670 --> 00:31:08,830
He says, what if God willing
to show his wrath and to make his

666
00:31:08,830 --> 00:31:13,270
power known, endured with much
long suffering?

667
00:31:13,270 --> 00:31:16,310
Or that word, long suffering
is patience, the vessels of wrath

668
00:31:16,310 --> 00:31:17,990
fitted to destruction.

669
00:31:17,990 --> 00:31:19,590
So what is he saying here?

670
00:31:19,590 --> 00:31:20,270
He's saying this.

671
00:31:20,750 --> 00:31:23,470
What if God is patient with
those that are in rebellion.

672
00:31:23,950 --> 00:31:24,910
He could do that.

673
00:31:25,390 --> 00:31:26,590
He did that with Pharaoh.

674
00:31:26,670 --> 00:31:28,190
He gave Pharaoh multiple chances.

675
00:31:28,970 --> 00:31:32,450
What if God, willing to show
his wrath and willing to make his

676
00:31:32,450 --> 00:31:35,290
power known, endured with much
long suffering?

677
00:31:35,690 --> 00:31:40,170
The vessels wrath, Vessels of
wrath fitted to destruction.

678
00:31:40,170 --> 00:31:43,410
So ultimately, what the
question is here is why does God

679
00:31:43,410 --> 00:31:44,130
give mercy to some?

680
00:31:44,130 --> 00:31:46,850
And why does God judge others
quicker than others?

681
00:31:46,850 --> 00:31:48,490
Well, we don't know that
answer, but.

682
00:31:48,490 --> 00:31:50,050
And Paul doesn't essentially
give that.

683
00:31:50,050 --> 00:31:51,290
He just says, what about that?

684
00:31:51,370 --> 00:31:53,130
What if that might be the case?

685
00:31:53,210 --> 00:31:56,720
And we know that it is the
case in some places and points verse

686
00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:00,240
23, that he might make known
the riches of his glory on the vessels

687
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:05,720
of mercy which he had a four
prepared unto glory.

688
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:06,360
Meaning this.

689
00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,280
Well, the reason why God does
what he does is ultimately so that

690
00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:13,280
he can show his mercy upon
people that are faithful, but ultimately

691
00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:15,080
under people that are not faithful.

692
00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:17,760
Israel was not perfectly
faithful, but God's plan was brought

693
00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:18,400
through Israel.

694
00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,920
The church is not perfectly
faithful, but God brings his plan

695
00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:21,640
through the church.

696
00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:24,850
And so what he says here in
verse 24 is this even us?

697
00:32:25,490 --> 00:32:27,010
Now remember, who is Paul
talking about?

698
00:32:27,010 --> 00:32:27,650
Who's us?

699
00:32:27,810 --> 00:32:30,810
Well, if you start back in the
beginning of Romans 9, he's talking

700
00:32:30,810 --> 00:32:31,410
about the.

701
00:32:31,490 --> 00:32:32,370
The Israelites.

702
00:32:32,370 --> 00:32:33,410
He's talking about believers.

703
00:32:33,410 --> 00:32:35,290
He's talking about true
believers, ones that are coming in

704
00:32:35,290 --> 00:32:35,530
faith.

705
00:32:35,530 --> 00:32:37,810
He says, even us, whom he hath called.

706
00:32:38,130 --> 00:32:43,690
Not of the Jews only, but now
what he says, but also of the Gentiles,

707
00:32:43,690 --> 00:32:45,570
he says, now the door is open.

708
00:32:45,730 --> 00:32:47,970
Now faith is for all.

709
00:32:47,970 --> 00:32:50,490
And therefore when we come in
faith, it's not a matter of what

710
00:32:50,490 --> 00:32:52,690
our lineage is, it's not a
matter of our works.

711
00:32:52,690 --> 00:32:52,890
It's.

712
00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:54,120
It's based in our faith.

713
00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:57,560
And so he says it's God's
mercy that he's bringing in the Gentiles

714
00:32:57,560 --> 00:32:58,240
into the fold.

715
00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:00,360
That would have been an
offensive thing for the Jewish people

716
00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:03,080
to hear because they were the
chosen people, they were the ones

717
00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:03,680
that were called.

718
00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:06,120
And so for them to say, well,
I thought God was faithful.

719
00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,880
And now he's letting these
Gentiles come in and now he's using

720
00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:11,400
us as a vessel of dishonor.

721
00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:12,480
That doesn't make any sense.

722
00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,600
And Paul says, look, God has
the right to do this.

723
00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,200
He's been doing this since the
book of Jeremiah, he's been doing

724
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,960
this in the book of Isaiah,
he's been doing this throughout.

725
00:33:21,180 --> 00:33:24,020
That if there is an individual
who's rebelling, God does not have

726
00:33:24,020 --> 00:33:26,940
to use that individual for the
oracles of God.

727
00:33:26,940 --> 00:33:29,180
He can open up the door for
anyone to be used.

728
00:33:29,660 --> 00:33:31,460
And that's sometimes often
what we think.

729
00:33:31,460 --> 00:33:34,220
Even when we look inside the
church, we say, well, that person's

730
00:33:34,220 --> 00:33:37,299
obviously going to be used by
God because maybe their pedigree

731
00:33:37,299 --> 00:33:40,500
or maybe their education or
maybe the way that they look, or

732
00:33:40,500 --> 00:33:41,460
maybe what.

733
00:33:41,460 --> 00:33:42,940
What family they're a part of.

734
00:33:43,020 --> 00:33:46,300
And certainly God can use
those people, but he doesn't use

735
00:33:46,300 --> 00:33:50,630
them because of their good
standing, because of their lineage,

736
00:33:50,630 --> 00:33:52,070
because of their looks.

737
00:33:52,150 --> 00:33:55,590
God uses people because of his
decision in their life, and ultimately

738
00:33:55,670 --> 00:33:57,990
they're yielding their
obedience to him.

739
00:33:58,310 --> 00:34:00,470
And that's the picture here in
Romans, chapter nine.

740
00:34:00,470 --> 00:34:03,670
He goes on to say, there's
some more prophecies about how God

741
00:34:03,750 --> 00:34:07,830
turns away from Israel for a
time because of their disobedience.

742
00:34:07,990 --> 00:34:10,070
And then we're going to see
that they stumble.

743
00:34:10,070 --> 00:34:13,270
And at the end of this
chapter, we see that their stumbling

744
00:34:13,270 --> 00:34:14,230
block is Jesus.

745
00:34:14,720 --> 00:34:17,440
And then Romans 10 talks about
Israel's rejection of Christ.

746
00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:20,880
And then Romans 11 speaks of
how they can be brought back into

747
00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:23,680
the fold and how they will be
brought back into the fold.

748
00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,120
So you would say, what's the
point of this lesson here today?

749
00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,760
What's the point of these
verses that we've looked at here

750
00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:29,200
this morning?

751
00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:35,960
The point is this, that God
does use vessels of dishonor for

752
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:36,640
his glory.

753
00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:44,480
But we as believers should not
just say, well, that's God's choice.

754
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:46,040
I can just do whatever I want
to do.

755
00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:50,680
No, it's me aligning myself as
we saw in Jeremiah, chapter 18, Isaiah,

756
00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:54,520
chapter 29, and other passages
of Scripture, that I have the responsibility

757
00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:58,120
not to question God and what
he wants me to do in my life.

758
00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:01,520
Not to question God and how he
wants the Word to be presented, but

759
00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,880
to follow him in obedience and
be used by the Master, to be used

760
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:08,680
by the potter and to think
about how insignificant we are as

761
00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:09,320
the clay.

762
00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:10,160
I think so.

763
00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,880
So many times we, as the clay,
want to dictate to the potter what

764
00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:14,880
we are supposed to do.

765
00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,960
Like, lord, I'll be used by
you if you do it this way.

766
00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:22,280
I will be comfortable with
serving at this capacity.

767
00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:24,840
But don't tell me to do that,
because I'm not comfortable doing

768
00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:25,160
that.

769
00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,080
That's as silly as the clay
looking at the potter and saying,

770
00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:29,880
well, you know what?

771
00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:31,600
I don't want to be used that way.

772
00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:33,240
I don't think you can use that person.

773
00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:37,520
I don't think you can use this
person because they aren't as mature

774
00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:38,920
as me or they don't look the part.

775
00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:39,600
The folks.

776
00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:43,520
The true question that I think
we all have to answer is, am I willing

777
00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:47,280
to submit myself to the potter
and say, lord, whatever you want

778
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:49,480
to do with me, I will do and I
will obey.

779
00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:53,240
And I won't be like as Israel
was in Isaiah, chapter 29, thinking

780
00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:56,480
that all the ways of the
world, the precept of man, is the

781
00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:57,240
right way to go.

782
00:35:57,320 --> 00:35:59,560
And I will come back to a
place of repentance.

783
00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:03,920
One commentator said it, said
it this way, Hardening does not mean

784
00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:04,680
hopelessness.

785
00:36:05,350 --> 00:36:08,430
Maybe there's a time in your
life, in your rebellion, that you

786
00:36:08,430 --> 00:36:11,910
come to a place where you have
not been able to be used by God because

787
00:36:11,910 --> 00:36:15,390
of that sin, because of that
rebellion, because of that confusion

788
00:36:15,390 --> 00:36:16,630
and maybe even bitterness.

789
00:36:16,710 --> 00:36:20,270
And so what the Bible says is
that it's not too late to turn your

790
00:36:20,270 --> 00:36:21,830
hearts back to the Lord.

791
00:36:22,950 --> 00:36:27,710
It's not too late to say,
lord, I submit to you as the master,

792
00:36:27,710 --> 00:36:29,990
as the potter, and I come to
you as the clay.

793
00:36:29,990 --> 00:36:32,310
Mold me in the way that you
want me to be molded.

794
00:36:32,490 --> 00:36:34,170
I want to be a vessel of honor.

795
00:36:35,050 --> 00:36:36,010
Because here's the thing.

796
00:36:36,810 --> 00:36:41,530
All of us should want to be a
part of the work of God.

797
00:36:42,890 --> 00:36:46,410
Not all of us will be a part
of the work of God if we don't submit

798
00:36:46,410 --> 00:36:47,490
ourselves to him now.

799
00:36:47,490 --> 00:36:49,410
We will be part of the glory
of God.

800
00:36:49,410 --> 00:36:54,410
Because, let me say it this
way, God even uses the open rebellion

801
00:36:54,650 --> 00:36:56,810
of sinners for his glory.

802
00:36:56,810 --> 00:36:57,170
Why?

803
00:36:57,170 --> 00:36:58,650
Because we talked about this
last week.

804
00:36:58,940 --> 00:37:00,700
God gets glory through judgment.

805
00:37:00,940 --> 00:37:03,180
God gets glory even through
people's rebellion.

806
00:37:03,180 --> 00:37:05,580
And God gets glory through
mercy and grace.

807
00:37:06,220 --> 00:37:09,580
But I don't know about you,
but I want to be following in obedience

808
00:37:09,580 --> 00:37:12,500
so that I can be used as a
vessel of honor, as second Timothy,

809
00:37:12,500 --> 00:37:13,420
chapter two says.

810
00:37:13,660 --> 00:37:14,420
So what do I do?

811
00:37:14,420 --> 00:37:15,820
It says, depart from iniquity.

812
00:37:15,980 --> 00:37:18,220
Purge myself of the things of
this world.

813
00:37:18,380 --> 00:37:23,020
And so what we see in Romans
chapter nine is that Israel had turned

814
00:37:23,020 --> 00:37:25,020
their eyes to fleshly things.

815
00:37:25,180 --> 00:37:27,340
We're going to talk about that
more in the next few weeks.

816
00:37:27,720 --> 00:37:32,200
But essentially, they tried to
find righteousness through the law.

817
00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:35,160
They tried to find
righteousness through actions.

818
00:37:35,240 --> 00:37:37,480
They try to find righteousness
through tradition.

819
00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:40,920
They try to find righteousness
through the eyes of man.

820
00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:44,960
And what the Bible says is
that every time we try to find righteousness

821
00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:48,160
in our own strength, we will
eventually find ourselves in a place

822
00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:48,760
of pride.

823
00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:50,520
And what does the Bible say
about pride?

824
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:53,000
Pride brings us to a place of destruction.

825
00:37:53,790 --> 00:37:57,470
Pride brings us to a place
where God rejects the prideful but

826
00:37:57,470 --> 00:37:58,710
gives grace to the humble.

827
00:37:58,710 --> 00:38:00,270
That's in First Peter, chapter five.

828
00:38:00,590 --> 00:38:03,710
God resists the prideful but
gives grace to the humble.

829
00:38:03,790 --> 00:38:05,110
And so what do we see here?

830
00:38:05,110 --> 00:38:10,070
We see that that Israel is
being used as a vessel of dishonor

831
00:38:10,070 --> 00:38:13,390
at that point in time in the
book of Romans, because they turn

832
00:38:13,390 --> 00:38:17,870
to the eyes of man and the
traditions of man and tried to earn

833
00:38:17,870 --> 00:38:20,670
their righteousness without
trusting in the grace of God.

834
00:38:20,670 --> 00:38:24,230
And what happens is that God
says, okay, just as I said in Romans

835
00:38:24,230 --> 00:38:29,430
chapter is three, just as I
said in Romans chapter six, that

836
00:38:29,430 --> 00:38:31,190
all of us have a problem of sin.

837
00:38:31,190 --> 00:38:34,190
And that problem of sin cannot
be fixed by my own strength.

838
00:38:34,190 --> 00:38:37,510
And so back In Jeremiah
chapter 18, what was it that if you

839
00:38:37,510 --> 00:38:41,670
are not being willing to be
used, if you're marred clay, God

840
00:38:41,670 --> 00:38:43,110
will just make me into
something else.

841
00:38:43,110 --> 00:38:45,230
God will make me into a vessel
of dishonor.

842
00:38:46,190 --> 00:38:48,630
And so again, my
interpretation of Romans chapter

843
00:38:48,630 --> 00:38:51,950
9 is this is not talking about
an effectual salvation of a person

844
00:38:52,350 --> 00:38:58,190
and God's discretion that God,
God can and will save who he wants

845
00:38:58,190 --> 00:38:58,550
to save.

846
00:38:58,550 --> 00:38:59,470
We understand that.

847
00:38:59,790 --> 00:39:02,830
But at the same time, it
doesn't negate the responsibility

848
00:39:02,830 --> 00:39:05,630
of man to follow in obedience.

849
00:39:06,030 --> 00:39:09,070
And so if we want to be used
by God, we sell that word election.

850
00:39:10,190 --> 00:39:12,510
Remember what that word
election means is to be selected

851
00:39:12,510 --> 00:39:13,710
for a specific service.

852
00:39:14,510 --> 00:39:17,030
So if you are elected of God,
that means you've trusted in him,

853
00:39:17,030 --> 00:39:19,430
you're part of the family of
God, and God has elected you for

854
00:39:19,430 --> 00:39:22,290
a special role of service
within his kingdom.

855
00:39:22,290 --> 00:39:24,530
And so Paul says, Israel had
missed the mark.

856
00:39:25,410 --> 00:39:27,810
The church now is in that role.

857
00:39:27,970 --> 00:39:30,610
And we're going to talk more
about that as we come along in this

858
00:39:30,610 --> 00:39:30,890
series.

859
00:39:30,890 --> 00:39:33,810
But I want us to go back and
think about a couple things here.

860
00:39:33,810 --> 00:39:35,730
Number one, think about the
mercy of God.

861
00:39:35,730 --> 00:39:41,410
Think about the importance of
all of us desiring and yielding and

862
00:39:41,490 --> 00:39:43,170
living in the mercy of God.

863
00:39:43,170 --> 00:39:46,130
All of us need mercy because
none of us are going to be perfectly

864
00:39:47,580 --> 00:39:48,620
obedient in our lives.

865
00:39:48,780 --> 00:39:51,100
All of us deserve God's judgment.

866
00:39:51,260 --> 00:39:53,140
All of us deserve God's hardening.

867
00:39:53,140 --> 00:39:55,380
And so God is faithful and
he's patient.

868
00:39:55,380 --> 00:39:57,580
Think about how many times God
has been faithful with you.

869
00:39:57,660 --> 00:39:59,820
I can think about in my life
how many times God has been faithful

870
00:39:59,820 --> 00:40:00,220
to me.

871
00:40:00,700 --> 00:40:04,220
God has extended me mercy time
after time after time, and I don't

872
00:40:04,220 --> 00:40:04,780
deserve it.

873
00:40:04,940 --> 00:40:08,140
So, so don't get me wrong,
this passage of scripture is not

874
00:40:08,140 --> 00:40:10,380
talking about all of us have
to be perfect to be used by God,

875
00:40:10,380 --> 00:40:13,550
because none of us could be
used by God, then, okay, none of

876
00:40:13,550 --> 00:40:16,190
us could be used by God if God
was requiring us to be perfectly

877
00:40:16,190 --> 00:40:16,630
faithful.

878
00:40:16,630 --> 00:40:20,150
But what he is Requiring us is
to have a broken heart and a willingness

879
00:40:20,150 --> 00:40:21,910
to be used by Him.

880
00:40:22,390 --> 00:40:25,070
And so what I would encourage
you to do here this morning is to

881
00:40:25,070 --> 00:40:27,350
think about that analogy of
the potter and the clay.

882
00:40:28,230 --> 00:40:31,710
Are we the clay that's
basically turning to the potter saying,

883
00:40:31,710 --> 00:40:33,750
lord, I don't want to be used
that way?

884
00:40:34,310 --> 00:40:37,350
I think you're doing the wrong
thing and I'm questioning you.

885
00:40:37,350 --> 00:40:38,470
Remember what Paul said.

886
00:40:39,370 --> 00:40:40,890
Who are we to question God?

887
00:40:41,530 --> 00:40:44,850
Shall the thing form say to
him that formed it, why hast Thou

888
00:40:44,850 --> 00:40:45,690
made me thus?

889
00:40:46,170 --> 00:40:50,010
You know, there's times in my
life where I'm like, honestly, Lord,

890
00:40:50,010 --> 00:40:51,650
if youf would have just done
this for me, if you would've made

891
00:40:51,650 --> 00:40:54,970
me stronger in this area or
smarter in this area, I could be

892
00:40:54,970 --> 00:40:57,930
used so much better for you if
you would just give me this, this

893
00:40:57,930 --> 00:40:59,250
skill set or that thing.

894
00:40:59,250 --> 00:41:01,890
And a lot of times what
happens is that we question God and

895
00:41:01,890 --> 00:41:03,530
how he's ordained us in our life.

896
00:41:03,610 --> 00:41:04,490
I would say this.

897
00:41:04,710 --> 00:41:08,190
God has made you a specific
way for a specific call for you to

898
00:41:08,190 --> 00:41:09,190
follow in obedience.

899
00:41:09,190 --> 00:41:12,310
And you might not have the
same giftings as somebody else, but

900
00:41:12,310 --> 00:41:16,270
God has given you individual
giftings to use for being a part

901
00:41:16,270 --> 00:41:20,070
of the blessing of the Word of
God to this world.

902
00:41:20,710 --> 00:41:24,150
The way think about Israel in
the Old Testament, God didn't use

903
00:41:24,390 --> 00:41:27,590
predominantly, God didn't use
the Philistines for His plan.

904
00:41:27,670 --> 00:41:30,390
God didn't use the Amorites
for His plan.

905
00:41:31,410 --> 00:41:33,730
And when it comes to the
oracles of God, the law wasn't given

906
00:41:33,730 --> 00:41:34,450
to those people.

907
00:41:34,450 --> 00:41:35,890
The law was given to Israel.

908
00:41:35,890 --> 00:41:41,290
Israel was used as that vessel
of presenting the truth of God to

909
00:41:41,290 --> 00:41:41,730
the world.

910
00:41:42,450 --> 00:41:44,530
Now whose role is that today?

911
00:41:44,610 --> 00:41:46,050
The role today is the church.

912
00:41:46,449 --> 00:41:47,410
You are the church.

913
00:41:47,410 --> 00:41:48,650
The role is today.

914
00:41:48,650 --> 00:41:52,810
The church is used as the
oracles of God, as the blessing of

915
00:41:52,810 --> 00:41:54,290
God, as the word of God.

916
00:41:54,370 --> 00:41:56,770
We are called to be the pillar
and ground of truth.

917
00:41:56,970 --> 00:41:58,690
And so we as the church, guess what?

918
00:41:58,690 --> 00:42:00,650
If we fail, God's still not
going to fail.

919
00:42:00,970 --> 00:42:03,650
I think that's a lot of times
the picture that we have in our culture

920
00:42:03,650 --> 00:42:06,450
today is that, you know, the
church is failing, so God is failing.

921
00:42:06,450 --> 00:42:09,730
Folks, if all of us walked
away from the church today, that

922
00:42:09,730 --> 00:42:11,610
would be an egregious,
terrible sin.

923
00:42:12,330 --> 00:42:14,530
It would be sad, it would be painful.

924
00:42:14,530 --> 00:42:15,690
We would be missing out.

925
00:42:15,770 --> 00:42:16,450
But guess what?

926
00:42:16,450 --> 00:42:20,010
God's plan is not going to be
foiled by our inadequacies.

927
00:42:20,810 --> 00:42:21,850
We could walk away.

928
00:42:22,170 --> 00:42:23,690
God could use somebody else.

929
00:42:24,090 --> 00:42:24,290
God.

930
00:42:24,290 --> 00:42:27,250
God could take that clay and
go, okay, you were intended to be

931
00:42:27,250 --> 00:42:30,930
a vessel of honor, but Now
I'll use you as a vessel of dishonor.

932
00:42:30,930 --> 00:42:34,450
And now I'm going to get my
glory through your judgment, through

933
00:42:34,450 --> 00:42:35,370
your rebellion.

934
00:42:36,010 --> 00:42:38,770
The point is, is I don't want
to be used that way.

935
00:42:38,770 --> 00:42:41,610
I want to be used by God in a
way that he intends for me to be

936
00:42:41,610 --> 00:42:41,930
used.

937
00:42:42,010 --> 00:42:44,650
And therefore, as the church
think about it this way.

938
00:42:44,730 --> 00:42:50,960
God doesn't need us, but God
wants us and has a plan for us.

939
00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:54,920
And he says, don't miss the
mark, don't miss the boat.

940
00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:57,360
This is your time, this is
your opportunity.

941
00:42:57,600 --> 00:42:59,680
Israel missed their
opportunity at that point.

942
00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:04,240
God still gave them a path
back to find him in repentance and,

943
00:43:04,240 --> 00:43:07,440
and, and, and humility and
ultimately faith.

944
00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:08,760
And we'll get more into that.

945
00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:10,560
But what I would encourage you
to think about is this.

946
00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:14,080
Are you the clay that looks to
the Lord and says, do it this way,

947
00:43:15,930 --> 00:43:17,850
don't make me that way, make
me this way.

948
00:43:18,090 --> 00:43:20,090
Don't call me to this, but
call me to this?

949
00:43:20,170 --> 00:43:21,370
He says, no, no.

950
00:43:22,010 --> 00:43:26,050
Hath not the potter power over
the clay of the same lung to make

951
00:43:26,050 --> 00:43:28,650
one vessel unto honor and
another to dishonor?

952
00:43:29,050 --> 00:43:33,450
Just as God used Pharaoh as a,
as a vessel of dishonor, so he can

953
00:43:33,450 --> 00:43:37,610
use anyone for a vessel of
dishonor in our rebellion in a hardness.

954
00:43:39,130 --> 00:43:41,690
So some people say, well, if
God hardens my heart, what choice

955
00:43:41,690 --> 00:43:42,250
do I have?

956
00:43:43,580 --> 00:43:47,460
God will only harden those
that are already in rebellion to

957
00:43:47,460 --> 00:43:47,740
him.

958
00:43:48,540 --> 00:43:51,780
God will turn some over to
their reprobate minds.

959
00:43:51,780 --> 00:43:54,940
God will turn some over that
are already in rebellion and say,

960
00:43:54,940 --> 00:43:55,860
that's what you want.

961
00:43:55,860 --> 00:43:57,820
Okay, have that, take that.

962
00:43:58,380 --> 00:43:59,860
And now you're hardened in that.

963
00:43:59,860 --> 00:44:02,700
Think of the, think of the
analogy of, of the clay pot.

964
00:44:02,780 --> 00:44:04,660
I don't know if any of you got
into pottery.

965
00:44:04,660 --> 00:44:06,060
I've never gotten into pottery.

966
00:44:06,060 --> 00:44:09,030
So if this analogy isn't
perfect, just tell me after the service.

967
00:44:09,030 --> 00:44:13,590
Okay, but you know, if we're
making a clay pot, right, it's moldable

968
00:44:13,590 --> 00:44:16,990
at a certain point until we
put it into the fire, until you put

969
00:44:16,990 --> 00:44:17,710
it into the heat.

970
00:44:17,710 --> 00:44:21,750
And then once it's heated,
it's set in that way that it is,

971
00:44:21,750 --> 00:44:22,150
right?

972
00:44:22,310 --> 00:44:24,830
So for example, let's say I
had this pot and I'm making this

973
00:44:24,830 --> 00:44:25,110
pot.

974
00:44:25,270 --> 00:44:29,950
And right before I put it into
the heat to set it in, I like put

975
00:44:29,950 --> 00:44:32,670
my handprint in and I fall
into it and I say, well, I'm going

976
00:44:32,670 --> 00:44:33,590
to put it in there anyway.

977
00:44:33,590 --> 00:44:34,390
It's going to hard.

978
00:44:34,390 --> 00:44:37,030
It's not going to harden back
into what I intended it to be.

979
00:44:37,350 --> 00:44:41,510
It's going to Stay hardened in
that form that it was in when it

980
00:44:41,510 --> 00:44:42,710
faced that heat.

981
00:44:43,030 --> 00:44:45,030
That's what God does in his hardening.

982
00:44:45,030 --> 00:44:47,510
There's a certain person who
comes in rebellion to him.

983
00:44:47,590 --> 00:44:51,750
Eventually God says, okay, I'm
going to set you in that place.

984
00:44:52,390 --> 00:44:55,310
So, for example, Pharaoh had
hardened his heart against God multiple

985
00:44:55,310 --> 00:44:55,510
times.

986
00:44:55,510 --> 00:44:57,990
God says, okay, you're going
to stay in that hardening.

987
00:44:58,470 --> 00:45:02,510
But the Bible says there in
Jeremiah 18, Isaiah 29, and I believe

988
00:45:02,510 --> 00:45:05,930
here in even Romans, chapter
nine, that it's not too late if we

989
00:45:05,930 --> 00:45:09,290
find our place in a sense of
humility to come back to God in forgiveness,

990
00:45:09,290 --> 00:45:11,810
come back in repentance, and
say, lord, I turn to you.

991
00:45:11,810 --> 00:45:12,170
And if.

992
00:45:12,250 --> 00:45:14,930
If we have the capacity to do
that, I'm going to say, you have

993
00:45:14,930 --> 00:45:17,290
not been hardened to the place
where you've missed your chance.

994
00:45:17,450 --> 00:45:20,090
Some people have told me,
pastor, I'm afraid of committing

995
00:45:20,169 --> 00:45:22,810
the unpardonable sin of
blaspheming the Spirit.

996
00:45:23,130 --> 00:45:25,570
I'm afraid that God hasn't
chosen me.

997
00:45:25,570 --> 00:45:28,730
I'm afraid that maybe I've
made too many mistakes.

998
00:45:28,810 --> 00:45:31,370
Folks, if you have that
concern, you have not been hurting

999
00:45:31,370 --> 00:45:31,850
too far.

1000
00:45:32,270 --> 00:45:34,230
You have not committed the
blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

1001
00:45:34,230 --> 00:45:37,830
If you are desiring to follow
God in obedience, that's.

1002
00:45:37,830 --> 00:45:40,750
That's actually an evidence
that you do have a soft heart to

1003
00:45:40,750 --> 00:45:41,070
that.

1004
00:45:41,390 --> 00:45:44,430
Now, some of us have struggled
and some of us are, are dealing with

1005
00:45:44,430 --> 00:45:44,990
certain issues.

1006
00:45:45,150 --> 00:45:47,670
But folks, someone who is
hardened and someone who's given

1007
00:45:47,670 --> 00:45:50,470
over to the blasphemy of the
Holy Spirit, has turned their minds

1008
00:45:50,470 --> 00:45:52,910
and their hearts away from God
and has no desire for Him.

1009
00:45:53,390 --> 00:45:54,590
And so the, the.

1010
00:45:54,590 --> 00:45:58,300
I believe the danger in the
philosophy of determinism is that

1011
00:45:58,300 --> 00:46:01,020
there are people who say, I
really want to come to God, but I

1012
00:46:01,020 --> 00:46:02,620
don't even think I'm one of
the chosen.

1013
00:46:03,180 --> 00:46:08,620
Folks, if you desire the Lord,
if you come to him in faith, anybody

1014
00:46:08,620 --> 00:46:09,420
can be saved.

1015
00:46:09,580 --> 00:46:10,060
Okay?

1016
00:46:10,060 --> 00:46:12,380
Anybody who comes to him in
faith will be saved.

1017
00:46:12,380 --> 00:46:15,940
The Bible says, now, now, that
means that you are part of the chosen.

1018
00:46:15,940 --> 00:46:17,580
That means you are part of the elect.

1019
00:46:17,580 --> 00:46:18,940
That means you have a purpose.

1020
00:46:18,940 --> 00:46:20,300
You've been selected for service.

1021
00:46:20,300 --> 00:46:22,460
So don't ever feel that you
say, you know what?

1022
00:46:22,460 --> 00:46:23,980
Maybe I'm not one of God's elect.

1023
00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:27,120
The only way that makes you
one of God's not elect is you in

1024
00:46:27,120 --> 00:46:27,880
disbelief.

1025
00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:30,120
If you don't believe in him,
you're not part of the elect.

1026
00:46:30,200 --> 00:46:32,760
But if you trust in him and
believe in him, you will be.

1027
00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:35,960
And so therefore, don't fear
whether or not you're good enough

1028
00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:39,360
for God or that God loved you,
folks, The Bible says that God proved

1029
00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:40,120
his love for you.

1030
00:46:40,279 --> 00:46:41,800
Romans 5, 8.

1031
00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:45,000
But God commended or
demonstrated his love toward us in

1032
00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:47,480
that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.

1033
00:46:47,560 --> 00:46:51,000
Christ proved his love for you
by dying on the cross for you.

1034
00:46:51,740 --> 00:46:54,220
There's some people that teach
out there that God only died for

1035
00:46:54,220 --> 00:46:57,540
certain people that God died
for this section right here, but

1036
00:46:57,540 --> 00:47:00,300
he didn't die for this section
over here, and he died for this section

1037
00:47:00,300 --> 00:47:00,580
over here.

1038
00:47:00,580 --> 00:47:02,580
They're going to get saved,
but you guys had no chance.

1039
00:47:02,580 --> 00:47:04,220
Now, I'm not saying you guys
are bad, okay?

1040
00:47:04,220 --> 00:47:04,620
I'm just.

1041
00:47:05,180 --> 00:47:06,300
You're in that section.

1042
00:47:08,140 --> 00:47:12,380
The Bible says, I believe that
whosoever believeth in him, God died.

1043
00:47:12,380 --> 00:47:13,860
He offers the gift of grace
for all.

1044
00:47:13,860 --> 00:47:16,620
For by grace are you saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves.

1045
00:47:16,620 --> 00:47:18,300
It is a gift of God, not of works.

1046
00:47:18,300 --> 00:47:22,450
Lest any man should boast,
it's a gift of offering to us.

1047
00:47:23,170 --> 00:47:25,650
And the Bible says in John
chapter one, as many as received

1048
00:47:25,810 --> 00:47:29,330
him, they became the sons of
children of God.

1049
00:47:30,130 --> 00:47:32,770
And so, yes, we can reject.

1050
00:47:32,850 --> 00:47:34,050
I believe we can reject.

1051
00:47:34,050 --> 00:47:35,570
We can reject or receive.

1052
00:47:35,890 --> 00:47:38,930
Now, some people teach, and I
have to reiterate this from last

1053
00:47:38,930 --> 00:47:41,970
week, some people teach that,
hey, well, if you believe that it's

1054
00:47:41,970 --> 00:47:44,370
a choice, that means that you
believe that you're saving yourself,

1055
00:47:44,530 --> 00:47:47,600
that you are some kind of
smart, wise person, and then you

1056
00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:48,120
save yourself.

1057
00:47:48,120 --> 00:47:49,680
And then the Holy Spirit comes in.

1058
00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:52,360
Folks, we cannot get saved
without the conviction of the Holy

1059
00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:52,720
Spirit.

1060
00:47:52,720 --> 00:47:54,880
And the Word of God reveals
the truth to us.

1061
00:47:54,880 --> 00:47:57,400
The Holy Spirit convicts our
hearts, awakens our hearts.

1062
00:47:57,400 --> 00:48:00,000
And then we have a decision on
whether or not we're going to respond

1063
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:04,040
in faith or we're going to
respond in our rebellion and disbelief.

1064
00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,800
And I believe that's the
picture that's laid out for us in

1065
00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:07,360
salvation.

1066
00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:10,560
So I would encourage you to
think about Romans chapter nine,

1067
00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:13,040
if you have a different
viewpoint on that.

1068
00:48:13,040 --> 00:48:15,840
I understand that there are
different viewpoints on that.

1069
00:48:16,420 --> 00:48:17,700
But what I will say is this.

1070
00:48:18,340 --> 00:48:20,260
We have to see scripture for scripture.

1071
00:48:20,420 --> 00:48:22,500
We have to see it in context.

1072
00:48:22,660 --> 00:48:25,500
And as we come back next week,
we're going to see some passages

1073
00:48:25,500 --> 00:48:29,180
of scripture that specifically
speak to what God does to those who

1074
00:48:29,180 --> 00:48:30,180
live in rebellion.

1075
00:48:30,580 --> 00:48:35,860
And ultimately the fact that
he will in many cases pull away the

1076
00:48:36,020 --> 00:48:38,300
opportunity to be part of the
work of God.

1077
00:48:38,300 --> 00:48:39,380
Think about revelation.

1078
00:48:39,460 --> 00:48:42,620
Think about when he's talking
to the candlesticks and he says,

1079
00:48:42,620 --> 00:48:45,060
I will remove those things if
you are unfaithful.

1080
00:48:45,780 --> 00:48:46,820
And so let's Be faithful.

1081
00:48:46,820 --> 00:48:47,540
Let's be true.

1082
00:48:47,540 --> 00:48:50,700
Let's be the ones who submit
ourselves to God and say, lord, use

1083
00:48:50,700 --> 00:48:51,060
me.

1084
00:48:51,380 --> 00:48:55,140
I don't care how you use me,
but use me for your purpose.

1085
00:48:55,860 --> 00:48:56,460
Use me.

1086
00:48:56,460 --> 00:48:58,340
For I want to be a vessel of honor.

1087
00:48:58,340 --> 00:49:01,980
I come to you in a sense of
humility and brokenness and say,

1088
00:49:01,980 --> 00:49:04,500
I want to turn away from my
way of thinking.

1089
00:49:04,500 --> 00:49:06,860
I want to turn away from my
good works.

1090
00:49:06,860 --> 00:49:10,660
I want to turn away from my
plans and my projections.

1091
00:49:10,660 --> 00:49:14,940
And I want your plan and your
way to be seen in my life.

1092
00:49:15,740 --> 00:49:18,620
And so God shows mercy to who
he will show mercy to.

1093
00:49:18,620 --> 00:49:19,580
That's a true statement.

1094
00:49:20,060 --> 00:49:21,020
God is sovereign.

1095
00:49:21,020 --> 00:49:21,980
God is above all.

1096
00:49:22,540 --> 00:49:24,780
And I don't think that we're
more powerful than God.

1097
00:49:25,420 --> 00:49:27,660
I don't believe that we find
God in our own strength.

1098
00:49:27,660 --> 00:49:31,460
I. I don't believe that we can
lose our salvation, that our salvation

1099
00:49:31,460 --> 00:49:32,940
is based on anything that we do.

1100
00:49:32,940 --> 00:49:36,180
I believe salvation is based
on everything that Jesus Christ has

1101
00:49:36,180 --> 00:49:36,700
done for us.

1102
00:49:36,940 --> 00:49:39,260
And the fact is, is that we
must trust in that.

1103
00:49:39,540 --> 00:49:41,460
And then when we trust in
that, we are secure.

1104
00:49:41,460 --> 00:49:44,460
We are part of the family of
God, and nobody can steal that away

1105
00:49:44,460 --> 00:49:44,900
from us.

1106
00:49:44,900 --> 00:49:46,580
Because one side of the coin
is this.

1107
00:49:46,980 --> 00:49:49,300
Many times when people are
debating this topic of.

1108
00:49:49,460 --> 00:49:53,420
Of determinism, election,
salvation, all those different types

1109
00:49:53,420 --> 00:49:56,420
of things, they usually only
lump people into two camps.

1110
00:49:56,500 --> 00:50:00,260
You have one camp that
believes it's all God and we're secure

1111
00:50:00,260 --> 00:50:00,740
forever.

1112
00:50:00,740 --> 00:50:04,020
And there's another camp that
believes it's all free will and we're

1113
00:50:04,020 --> 00:50:07,300
not secure and we can lose our
salvation if we turn away from God.

1114
00:50:07,450 --> 00:50:09,650
I don't believe that either
one of those are completely right.

1115
00:50:09,650 --> 00:50:13,690
I think those are extremes on
both sides of the coin.

1116
00:50:13,930 --> 00:50:16,170
I believe that God awakens our heart.

1117
00:50:16,250 --> 00:50:18,330
I believe that we respond in faith.

1118
00:50:18,490 --> 00:50:21,770
I believe that once we respond
in faith, we are secure.

1119
00:50:22,090 --> 00:50:24,690
The Bible says that we are
sealed until the day of redemption.

1120
00:50:24,690 --> 00:50:26,170
The Holy Spirit seals us.

1121
00:50:26,410 --> 00:50:30,410
And so, for example, my kids
say, please don't use me in analogy,

1122
00:50:30,410 --> 00:50:31,050
okay?

1123
00:50:31,530 --> 00:50:36,120
And so I try not to, but I. I
have to, okay?

1124
00:50:36,120 --> 00:50:37,040
It's just as it is.

1125
00:50:37,200 --> 00:50:37,680
So my.

1126
00:50:37,680 --> 00:50:39,200
My children are my children.

1127
00:50:40,560 --> 00:50:42,680
That nothing, no one can take
that away.

1128
00:50:42,680 --> 00:50:45,960
They can't get into my blood
and change up my bloodline and their

1129
00:50:45,960 --> 00:50:47,120
bloodline and say, they're not.

1130
00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:48,240
Those are my children.

1131
00:50:48,240 --> 00:50:48,520
Now.

1132
00:50:48,520 --> 00:50:49,600
Can they disappoint me?

1133
00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:52,000
Sure, of course.

1134
00:50:52,800 --> 00:50:54,000
Can they disobey me?

1135
00:50:54,000 --> 00:50:54,320
Sure.

1136
00:50:54,560 --> 00:50:54,960
Can.

1137
00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:59,040
Can they, in their rebellion
to me, break fellowship?

1138
00:50:59,040 --> 00:50:59,360
Sure.

1139
00:51:00,130 --> 00:51:00,850
You guys know this.

1140
00:51:01,250 --> 00:51:04,650
My children, they got to a
certain age, they could say, dad,

1141
00:51:04,650 --> 00:51:05,890
I'M never talking to you.

1142
00:51:06,210 --> 00:51:06,850
I'm running.

1143
00:51:06,930 --> 00:51:07,250
I.

1144
00:51:07,250 --> 00:51:09,370
You know, some of you maybe
did this when you were kids.

1145
00:51:09,370 --> 00:51:11,490
You packed your bags up, I'm
running away from home.

1146
00:51:13,410 --> 00:51:15,610
They close their door and they
say, I'm not talking to you.

1147
00:51:15,610 --> 00:51:15,969
Right?

1148
00:51:15,970 --> 00:51:22,730
Fellowship can be hindered
because of rebellion and sin, but

1149
00:51:22,730 --> 00:51:23,570
that can be restored.

1150
00:51:24,130 --> 00:51:27,810
But one thing that can never
change with my children is that they

1151
00:51:27,810 --> 00:51:28,890
are going to be my children.

1152
00:51:30,090 --> 00:51:33,330
Not because they're faithful,
but because they're my children and

1153
00:51:33,330 --> 00:51:34,010
I love them.

1154
00:51:34,090 --> 00:51:36,250
And then I want to be a
faithful father to them.

1155
00:51:37,050 --> 00:51:38,370
And that's the same thing with
the Lord.

1156
00:51:38,370 --> 00:51:42,290
There are people that can
reject their relationship with God.

1157
00:51:42,290 --> 00:51:44,690
There can be people who say
that, you know what?

1158
00:51:44,690 --> 00:51:45,930
I'm going to go my own way.

1159
00:51:45,930 --> 00:51:48,490
But if they have trusted in
Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit

1160
00:51:48,490 --> 00:51:52,490
indwells them, there should be
that biblical conviction to come

1161
00:51:52,490 --> 00:51:54,210
back to the Father.

1162
00:51:54,290 --> 00:51:57,370
But at the same time, we don't
hold on to our salvation.

1163
00:51:57,370 --> 00:51:59,170
God holds on to our salvation.

1164
00:51:59,410 --> 00:52:01,410
No man can pluck us out of his hand.

1165
00:52:01,650 --> 00:52:04,490
I can't even pluck myself out
of his hand when I trust in him.

1166
00:52:04,490 --> 00:52:07,090
And so there's a lot of
different belief systems on that.

1167
00:52:07,170 --> 00:52:10,090
But I wanted to share that
with you here today because I don't

1168
00:52:10,090 --> 00:52:12,770
want you to think that there's
just only two sides of the coin.

1169
00:52:13,010 --> 00:52:15,370
It's all free will and it's
all man strength.

1170
00:52:15,370 --> 00:52:17,370
And then on the other side,
it's all God's strength.

1171
00:52:17,370 --> 00:52:19,730
And there's no human
responsibility, folks.

1172
00:52:20,140 --> 00:52:24,260
There is human responsibility,
but also it's all relying on the

1173
00:52:24,260 --> 00:52:26,060
power and the direction of God.

1174
00:52:26,220 --> 00:52:30,100
And so here this morning, are
we willing to say, lord, you are

1175
00:52:30,100 --> 00:52:32,460
the potter, I am the clay.

1176
00:52:33,100 --> 00:52:34,620
I want to be used by you.

1177
00:52:35,020 --> 00:52:36,700
I don't want to fight against you.

1178
00:52:37,580 --> 00:52:42,020
I don't want to have
inconsistencies in my heart so that

1179
00:52:42,020 --> 00:52:45,180
I can't be used for your
honor, but used for dishonor.

1180
00:52:46,070 --> 00:52:49,670
I don't want people to see my
life as a cautionary tale of how

1181
00:52:49,670 --> 00:52:51,830
a pastor can turn away from
the word of God.

1182
00:52:52,470 --> 00:52:55,750
You know, you know, God can
use unfaithful pastors for his glory.

1183
00:52:55,830 --> 00:52:56,710
You say what?

1184
00:52:57,510 --> 00:52:58,550
How could he do that?

1185
00:52:59,750 --> 00:53:03,550
Well, one, we could see a lot
of examples of how men and women

1186
00:53:03,550 --> 00:53:05,030
have fallen into sin.

1187
00:53:05,670 --> 00:53:08,230
And we can be warned against
all those difficulties.

1188
00:53:08,230 --> 00:53:11,630
We can see God working through
unfaithful people, and we can see

1189
00:53:11,630 --> 00:53:13,330
God working through faithful people.

1190
00:53:13,410 --> 00:53:16,570
So what I would say is this,
yes, God can use my bad decisions

1191
00:53:16,570 --> 00:53:17,250
for his good.

1192
00:53:18,690 --> 00:53:21,490
God can use my failures for
his purpose.

1193
00:53:22,450 --> 00:53:25,370
But all the more reason why I
need to be aware and say, lord, I

1194
00:53:25,370 --> 00:53:27,810
don't want my bad decisions to
bring you glory.

1195
00:53:27,810 --> 00:53:29,810
I want my good decisions to
bring you glory.

1196
00:53:29,890 --> 00:53:32,130
And good decisions are
essentially just aligning ourselves

1197
00:53:32,130 --> 00:53:33,490
with his decisions for our life.

1198
00:53:34,530 --> 00:53:35,930
And I encourage you to think
about that.

1199
00:53:35,930 --> 00:53:37,330
Love relationship with God.

1200
00:53:38,380 --> 00:53:40,300
Love relationship is something
that's amazing.

1201
00:53:41,100 --> 00:53:43,980
Some of you have been in
relationships that aren't based in

1202
00:53:43,980 --> 00:53:44,300
love.

1203
00:53:44,780 --> 00:53:46,460
Maybe they're based on
something else.

1204
00:53:47,580 --> 00:53:50,980
But, but when it comes to a
love relationship with God, it's,

1205
00:53:50,980 --> 00:53:52,500
it's reciprocal, it's.

1206
00:53:52,500 --> 00:53:53,580
It's back and forth.

1207
00:53:53,900 --> 00:53:59,020
There's communication, there's
growth there, there's displays of

1208
00:53:59,020 --> 00:54:02,540
love, there's displays of
kindness, there's displays of faithfulness.

1209
00:54:02,780 --> 00:54:05,580
And folks, when you understand
your relationship with God that way,

1210
00:54:05,740 --> 00:54:07,500
there's so much more joy to
serve Him.

1211
00:54:07,980 --> 00:54:11,540
There's so much more passion
when it comes to what I'm doing for

1212
00:54:11,540 --> 00:54:14,740
him, when it comes to service,
when it comes to the kingdom, when

1213
00:54:14,740 --> 00:54:18,060
it comes to my ministry, when
it comes to my Bible study, when

1214
00:54:18,060 --> 00:54:19,380
it comes to my prayer time.

1215
00:54:19,380 --> 00:54:21,300
And I would encourage you to
think about it that way.

1216
00:54:21,300 --> 00:54:24,700
It's not that we have to do
these things to keep God's love,

1217
00:54:24,780 --> 00:54:28,140
but it's that we want to do
these things because of what God

1218
00:54:28,140 --> 00:54:29,340
has done for us.

1219
00:54:29,820 --> 00:54:32,800
And that's a beautiful picture
of understanding our relationship

1220
00:54:32,800 --> 00:54:33,240
with Christ.

1221
00:54:33,240 --> 00:54:35,840
And so I'm going to ask you to
stand with me, every head bowed,

1222
00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:37,400
every head closed, as the
music plays here.

1223
00:54:37,400 --> 00:54:42,800
This morning, I know we talked
about a lot of information, and I

1224
00:54:42,880 --> 00:54:46,880
no doubt understand that
there's probably some things that

1225
00:54:47,600 --> 00:54:49,040
there's still questions about.

1226
00:54:49,600 --> 00:54:51,720
Romans, chapter nine is a
difficult passage.

1227
00:54:51,720 --> 00:54:55,120
Even Peter says that, that
Paul's writings are difficult to

1228
00:54:55,360 --> 00:54:56,680
comprehend sometimes.

1229
00:54:56,680 --> 00:54:58,690
But what I will say is this, folks.

1230
00:54:58,690 --> 00:55:03,410
I know that when the Word of
God is presented that there is a

1231
00:55:03,410 --> 00:55:10,330
lesson to be learned, that
there is power in the truth of Scripture.

1232
00:55:11,130 --> 00:55:13,570
And so here this morning, I
don't know what God spoke to you

1233
00:55:13,570 --> 00:55:15,530
about, but what I will say is this.

1234
00:55:15,770 --> 00:55:19,610
For me, the biggest lesson
that I needed to hear from this passage

1235
00:55:19,690 --> 00:55:24,330
is that as the clay, as the
creation, I have no right to question

1236
00:55:24,330 --> 00:55:26,010
God and what he is doing in my life.

1237
00:55:26,450 --> 00:55:29,050
I have no right to question
whether or not God is going to use

1238
00:55:29,050 --> 00:55:32,290
me this way or this way in
Middletown, Delaware, or in another

1239
00:55:32,290 --> 00:55:32,690
place.

1240
00:55:32,770 --> 00:55:34,610
We don't have a right to
question Him.

1241
00:55:34,610 --> 00:55:38,290
All we have the right to do is
to willingly be molded by him and

1242
00:55:38,290 --> 00:55:43,250
follow him and have the joy of
being a vessel of honor for the cause

1243
00:55:43,490 --> 00:55:46,290
of our kingdom, the cause of
our Savior.

1244
00:55:46,610 --> 00:55:48,610
And so here this morning,
maybe that's something for you.

1245
00:55:48,610 --> 00:55:49,890
Maybe it's just a submission.

1246
00:55:50,210 --> 00:55:52,130
Maybe it's a repentant heart.

1247
00:55:52,550 --> 00:55:54,710
Maybe it's turning to him in revival.

1248
00:55:54,790 --> 00:55:57,590
Maybe it's just saying, lord,
I surrender to you.

1249
00:55:57,590 --> 00:55:58,870
I surrender the struggle.

1250
00:55:59,030 --> 00:56:00,310
I surrender my job.

1251
00:56:00,470 --> 00:56:01,750
I surrender my family.

1252
00:56:01,910 --> 00:56:06,190
I surrender my ministry to you
so that you can mold me and use me

1253
00:56:06,190 --> 00:56:07,990
for your work and not my own.

1254
00:56:08,550 --> 00:56:10,590
And so here this morning, I
encourage you to think about that.

1255
00:56:10,590 --> 00:56:13,790
If you need Jesus Christ as
Savior, if you have any questions,

1256
00:56:13,790 --> 00:56:17,510
if you have any doubts, if you
have any thoughts about whether or

1257
00:56:17,510 --> 00:56:20,430
not you're saved or you're
good enough or you've worked your

1258
00:56:20,430 --> 00:56:21,110
way to heaven.

1259
00:56:21,390 --> 00:56:23,550
Folks, this morning, the Bible
says that none of us can work our

1260
00:56:23,550 --> 00:56:23,710
way.

1261
00:56:23,710 --> 00:56:24,830
It's only by faith.

1262
00:56:24,990 --> 00:56:28,870
And so this morning I'd love
to show you or share with you what

1263
00:56:28,870 --> 00:56:33,030
the Bible says about coming to
faith in Jesus Christ to know what

1264
00:56:33,030 --> 00:56:36,430
it means to have everlasting
life, to respond to the conviction

1265
00:56:36,430 --> 00:56:37,230
of the Holy Spirit.

1266
00:56:37,390 --> 00:56:39,590
So Lord, I pray that you be in
this time of invitation, working

1267
00:56:39,590 --> 00:56:40,270
hearts and lives.

1268
00:56:40,510 --> 00:56:43,510
Thank you so much for the
wonderful word that you've blessed

1269
00:56:43,510 --> 00:56:44,430
us with here this morning.

1270
00:56:44,670 --> 00:56:47,750
We thank you and we love you
working individuals here today that

1271
00:56:47,750 --> 00:56:49,070
might need to turn to you.

1272
00:56:49,400 --> 00:56:50,760
We ask all these things in
Jesus name.

1273
00:56:50,760 --> 00:56:51,040
Amen.

1274
00:56:51,040 --> 00:56:52,960
As the music plays, follow as
the Lord leads.

1275
00:56:52,960 --> 00:56:54,040
I hear this morning.

1276
00:59:03,850 --> 00:59:06,290
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1277
00:59:06,290 --> 00:59:06,890
podcast.

1278
00:59:07,130 --> 00:59:09,530
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1279
00:59:10,250 --> 00:59:12,450
You would like to find out
more information about our church

1280
00:59:12,450 --> 00:59:15,930
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1281
00:59:16,250 --> 00:59:18,810
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1282
00:59:19,530 --> 00:59:23,520
You can also email me directly
at Josh Massaro at middletown baptist

1283
00:59:23,750 --> 00:59:26,630
church.com if you've enjoyed
this podcast.

1284
00:59:26,790 --> 00:59:31,270
Please subscribe and follow
along for future podcast and updates.

1285
00:59:31,910 --> 00:59:32,870
Thank you so much.

1286
00:59:33,030 --> 00:59:33,830
God Bless.

1287
00:59:34,070 --> 00:59:35,350
Have a wonderful day.