Brethren, that's journalized by the Liberals to Romans chapter 10 as we talk about faith that comes by hearing. It's good to hear a prophetic voice in the den of all that's going around in our politics and in our communities, and we know that one of the great things that's been captivating our media's attention is the slaughter of these young people that the Columbine High School and Littleson Colorado, and of course, our government is investigating just how that happened. One man who was invited to speak before the subcommittee on crime of the House of Representatives who spoke there on May 27th was the father of one of the slain children, his name is Darrell Scott, and he spoke to the committee in ways that the few of us would have the boldness to speak. It's such a wonderful message that I'm going to take the liberty to read it in total, and this is recorded in the minutes of our congressional record now and part of the part of this great investigation. Mr. Scott said, since the dawn of creation, there has been both good and evil in the heart of men and of women. We all contain the seeds of kindness and the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter Rachel Joyce Scott and the death of those heroic teachers and other children who died must not be in vain their blood cries out for answers. The first recorded act of violence was when King slew his brother able in the field. The villain was not the club he used, neither was it the NCA, the national club association. The true killer was King, and the reason was found only in King's heart. In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the national rifle association. I am not a member of the NRA, and I'm not a hunter. I don't even own a gun. I'm not here to represent the NRA because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore, do not believe, I do not believe that they need to be defended, but yet I do. If I believe they had anything to do with Rachel's murder, I would be their strongest opponent. I am here to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy, it was a spiritual event that should be focusing us to look at where the real blame lies. Much of that blame lies here in this room. Much of that blame lies beyond the pointing of fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expressed my deepest feelings. This was written way before I knew that I would be speaking to you man here today. Your laws ignore our deepest needs, your words are empty air. You've stripped away our heritage, you've outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots spill our classrooms and prejudice and precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere and you ask that question why? You regulate restrictive laws through legislative creed, and yet you fail to understand that gun is what we need. Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body and soul and spirit. And when we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our makeup, we create a void that allows evil and prejudice, hatred and violence to Russian and to wreck havoc. Spiritual influences were present within our educational system for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries to train ministers, and that is a historic fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refocused on our God and in doing so, we open the doors for hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine tragedy occurs, politicians immediately look for a scapegoat, such as the National Rifle Association, and they immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that continue to erode away our personal and our private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun control law can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts. Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers. The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched. We do not need more religion. We do not need more God-y television to banish us spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored. What we need is a change of heart, and a humble acknowledgement that this nation was found in on the principle of a simple trust in the true God. My son Craig lay under the table in the school library and saw his friends murdered before his eyes. He did not hesitate to pray in a public school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right. I challenge every young person in America and around the world to realize that on the 20th of April in 1999 at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into a new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your conscience and denies your God-given rights to communicate with him, I dare you. Though to those of you who would point your finger at the NRA, I give you this sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before you cast the first stone. My daughter's death will not be in vain. The young people of this country will never allow that to happen. There's a prophet. There's a man who will not let excuses be pointed towards someone else when the culprits are the very ones pointing fingers. And there are men like that all through history, guys like Darryl Scott, his one moment of fame and glory and what a glorious moment of life. There are others like the Apostle Paul who spend their life giving a prophetic word, holding people accountable for what they do and not letting God or others be blamed for their unconverted state. That is what the Apostle Paul is doing, like Mr. Scott, he speaks with a passion in his voice. For it is his family, his loved ones whose lies are at stake while someone else tries to pass off the blame for why Israel is unconverted. That's what Paul is talking about in Romans 9 and 10 and 11. He says in the beginning of verse 10, brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. Paul says that is his deep concern for his kinsman in the flesh known as Israelites, that they would come to know the living God and mass would be turned to him. We may not agree with all of Mr. Darryl Scott's theology, I don't think there are the seeds of goodness in every man. And I don't think man has made up a body in soul and spirit, but just body and soul. But we do agree with Paul's theology, for it's not Paul's opinion, but the Holy Spirit who speaks through him. In his God who speaks in Romans, and in his God who says in Romans chapter 9, has he answers all of these questions that he has not been unreliable in his promises to the elect, that he has not been a liar in unfair in his dealing with people. That he is one who has a right to hold us accountable as responsible moral beings. And that the real problem ultimately is that Israel stumbled over the stumbling stone and were crushed to pieces because they tripped over Jesus Christ. He rolls on into chapter 10. And in response to that truth, he says that this gospel is open to everyone, so the Lord is merciful to do in Gentile like an all who will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved and they will not be disappointed. That brings him to his point this morning in chapter 10 verse 14, where Paul hears other excuses and other questions asked again by his Jewish entourage that followed him debating with him and criticizing him all through his ministry. They had followed him to Rome and they continued to make excuses and they would say, oh, this is a fine gospel you're speaking about, but there's a major problem with it. This gospel of God that is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes in your own word Paul to the Jew first and then to the Greek has simply failed because the Jews are not saved and Paul is defending that gospel and telling them why they are not saved. If Paul says there's a free offer given to the Jews and the Jews have to come up with some excuse for why they haven't received it and they do. They say, we've not heard and we don't understand and we are not accountable for these things and Paul with prophetic precision and boldness splices into those arguments and smashes them to pieces under the power of the Holy Spirit's movement and his own pen. Here's what he says, how then shall they call upon him whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach unless they are sent just as it is written. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things. However, they did not all hear the heed the glad tidings for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report so faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ, but I say surely they have not heard have they indeed they have their voices gone out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the world, but I say surely Israel did not know did they at the first Moses says I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation. By a nation without understanding I will anger you and Isaiah is very bold and says I was found by those who sought me not I became manifest to those who did not ask for me, but as for Israel he says all the day long I have stretched out my hand to a disobedient and obstinate people. Paul says I want to talk to you about the necessity of hearing this gospel to do and Gentile alike this power of God at the salvation and you will know that I have excuses for why you can't hear it and so Paul says I want to speak to you about the necessity of evangelism and the reason for it and its extent the extent of evangelism and that's what he does in verses 14 to 21 those are the three things he brings before us verse my verse thought by thought truth by truth. He first talks about the necessity of evangelism he asks for rhetorical questions that really don't need an answer the answers are apparent in and of themselves look again at verse 14. As Paul talks and proves the necessity of evangelism how then shall they call upon him that is priced in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach unless they are sent. Just it is certain how beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things once again Paul is asking the questions before the Jews do and he's answering them to their surprise and he says there are four things that you will come up within your mind you'll say well first of all how can we call upon the Lord that we really don't believe in. How then shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed for remember in the last two verses before verse 14 Paul said this that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will not be disappointed but will in fact be safe well how do we call upon him if we don't believe in him they understand I think Paul's point that calling upon the Lord means that there is a relinquishing as John Murray says of every other confidence and trust. And then the man told you to Jesus Christ how do you get people to lay down their heritage to lay down their works righteousness to lay down the rabbinical teachings and what mom taught of and all of their self righteousness and their legalism and their Jewish ways put it all aside and trust in none of that that they've been trusting in all of their life all of their policies and all of their evangelicalism all of their doctrines and believe in a person how do you get them to call upon that person's name. If they don't believe in him and how can they believe in what they don't really know he says the second question how then shall they be in whom they have not heard how can you ask them to believe in one that they've never heard about if we do it all the time we're famous for it in America the 15 minute gospel presentation the track blitz in we go and we give them the three or four points of God man Christ faith you know and in and out we go and expect these people to change their whole way of thinking a way that for 20 and 30 and 40 and 50 years they thought day in and out every second of their being their whole nature bent one way we give them a little gospel track a little pamphlet a little word and expect them to change their mind I doubt sincerely that anyone ever in the history of the whole human race from Adam on has ever believed the gospel the very first time it was represented to him and certainly not in 15 or 20 minutes. You know why we do that I think it's for five reasons I think it's first of all that many of us are biblically illiterate and we can't get any deeper than some simple version of the gospel something we learned in high school in some track somewhere we can't answer their questions and we're afraid to try so we control the document we talk at them furiously for 15 minutes and then say now my obligation is done with you I shared Christ with you I think there's also the problem that we are lazy and selfish with our time. People can't be converted in 15 minutes it's not going to happen it's never happened and we don't want to take the time to invest in someone else because of a third problem we we are not people who have relationships much anymore we don't know our neighbors and our friends we don't even know our relatives we're afraid in these relationships to offend them and get us out of deep seated blood and long term relationships and sometimes fighting over these things. Offending people and going back again and again that people come to know Christ I don't believe there is any way to leave someone to Christ without the offense of the cross I don't believe it's possible to be broken and crushed and nothing and come to repentance without coming to the end of yourself which is absolutely the most painful thing that can ever happen to a human soul we are also I think afraid to tell them everything I think John MacArthur is right when he says that we often don't preach Christ clearly enough so the people can intelligently reject him we want to tell him about grace and love and forgiveness and insurance we don't want to tell him the other side of the story because in the good news we always look for the bad news about sin and guilt and damnation and rap that hell we think if we just give him the good news they can back into this thing comfortably and then we'll spring the rest of the stuff on when they're already converted and that's because we obviously don't faithfully trust the gospel we really don't believe that the gospel is the power of God to convert we think that we have the soft self to gently massage the person's ego and somehow lead them to receive Christ without repenting of themselves we really don't realize that every man until he has Christ as his God is his own God and this God does not die easily and we're afraid to say that we really think because we don't see them that moment that we talk to them turn to Christ but the gospel has failed but God says my word never returns to me void it always always accomplishes what I send it forth to do my word never fails I am not impotent even with not 20th century American men and women I'm not intimidated by them at all I can say them in faith come with my hearing and hearing about the word of Jesus Christ Paul says there's a third problem if they're not going to hear it maybe it's because no one is sent to talk to them maybe there's no messenger if there's going to be believing then there has to be proclamation and if they're going to believe they have to have some knowledge of what they're believing in that they're going to be talked to they have to have someone to talk at least to his third question at the end of verse 14 how shall they hear without a preacher now Paul usually when he uses the word preacher he means the microsses of this world he uses the word usually care roots K-E-R-U-X the one who is called to proclaim or preach the gospel but here in this context obviously that's who he's talking about but here in this particular verse I don't think that is who he's talking about he'll talk about preachers in about two verses later but right now he's talking about the ones who proclaim he takes the verb K-Russo preaching of proclaiming and he uses it in a participle form K-Russoontos the ones who speak the ones who preach the ones who proclaim meaning you how shall they hear unless someone like you becomes a witness and talks to them about these things I guess there are two ways to share Christ with people there's the one who primarily does the preaching and the easy ways to bring them to him and let them hear what he has to say let them get angry with the preacher let them get offended with him let them strike at him and then there's a hard way you can become the preacher yourself but either easy way or hard way somebody has to sit you up their bridges and suck in their belly and get ready to do battle and tell people things they don't want to hear and that means that these people have to go they can't wait for the unconverted to sit down on the play and turn to them and say do you know how to be converted I just thought I'd ask you as a complete stranger you know you hear about people who say these things happen always happens to Bill Bright he's an amazing man he sits down on the plane and someone turns him and always ask him how to be saved I think what Bill Bright's not telling us is that he's the one who always brings up the subject he goes to them and he begins to talk to them about this Christ so with the beginning of verse 15 Paul asked his fourth question and how shall they preach unless they are sent the word sent is apostolo from where we get the word apostolo apostolo the one who was sent to be an apostolo he's the one who's commissioned to carry a message he sent out he's a missionary and again that's true of men and women professionally but it's also true of every Christian you will be my witnesses and Jerusalem and Judea and Samarian to the outermost parts of the earth John Mary says the apostolo is thinking of the institution of the ordinary and most effectual means of propagating the gospel namely the official preaching of the word by those who were commissioned and appointed to this task where are the preachers he says who go to people and talk to them well the questions are obvious and the answers are obvious no they can't call upon someone and who they've not believed and they can't believe unless they know and understand and they can't know and understand unless they're told and no one will tell them unless somebody goes and seeks them out and brooks as the subject butch into their life makes themselves a nuisance and brings up these things therefore he says how beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things rather than there's absolutely nothing for us to be ashamed of with the gospel it is a beautiful message it's a glad message you on Galib Zomai that's where we get the word evangelize it means literally to speak in a messenger a word that is good or lovely or happy glad tidings about what about agatha good stuff that's how it could be translated good things what good things about a good God who sent a good Christ to accomplish good things for us by his good grace how beautiful are those feet he quotes Isaiah speaking originally of Jesus Christ who was to come and now he speaks of preachers and people who are in partnership with them of the gospel his logic is impeccable I mean it can't be argued with Martin Luther says this gospel is good for two reasons and these feet are beautiful for two reasons because the people who go with this gospel who bear it with their feet into the lives of other people Luther says are doing it from a good mode of not from personal gain but for love and concern of the gain of the person who's lost and it's beautiful because of the nature of this message it's all of grace and goodness and makes the man Luther says happy happy for eternity to believe in Christ John Murray says this sequence is therefore authorized messengers proclamation hearing faith calling on the Lord's name he can't argue with that John stop puts its import in context when he says look at it in the reverse he says thus unless some people are commissioned for the test there will be no gospel preacher unless the gospel is preached sinners will not hear about Christ's message and his voice unless they hear him they will not believe the truth of his death that's in the resurrection unless they believe these truths they will not call upon him unless they call upon him they will not be saved the great prince and theologian Charles says all that Paul is pointing to is this is that God in chapter 9 is not only predestined who will be saved but predestined the way they will be saved he has the ends and the means to that ends in mind he has predestined those who will hear about Christ and believe and he has predestined the way they will hear it you and I must tell them that is God's perfect and prescriptive will that we proclaim these unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ to those who we love and we bring them to hear people who talk about it and convince them but God is true and Christ is lovely and that the spirit is theirs for the asking he says that's the reason for evangelism why is it they say then if you've sent out all these why is it that Israel is not saved what's the problem here what's the reason for why God does it this way and he answers in verses 16 and 17 however they did not all heed the glad tidings for Isaiah says Lord who has believed all report so faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ he says the first reason we do this is because of the problem of unbelief look what he says however they Israel they did not all heed the glad tidings for Isaiah himself says Lord who has believed our report the word report there's really really a Co-A the hearing who has believed what we've said and who has believed what they've heard why is it that people don't believe well let me shock you into something I hope your assumption that people are born like a blank sheet born innocent that nothing's happening to them is absolutely polacious all through their life there have been voices by the millions whispering in their ear that they are the God of their own life that they will be saved through their own good works and all of this Christianity is blood and guts and false spheracy is them and it's brutal and hateful and it causes all the religion in the world to be ugly and mean spirit and violent there's a faithful messenger on the other side constantly talking to your loved ones against Jesus Christ he's called the swanderer the adversary the father of death they're hearing that voice all the time and so they unbelief they don't believe they're locked in unbelief they're born unbelieving and they continue on unbelieving until over time the truth wears them down there's another voice that demands a forum another one willing to engage in the struggle enter into the debate explain itself defend itself prosecute its case these who are ambassadors and advocates defenders of the Lord Jesus Christ Paul says they don't believe they report they don't believe the hearing all they hear of the voices around them saying you're all right Israel you just follow Moses in the prophets and that's all you need that's all they've ever heard Paul says I realize I'm in the minority but I will say it again and again and again when you kill me there'll be others who come and say it again we'll say it till the day you die or till the day you change we will not show shut up because of your unbelief because your unbelief must change to faith faith is the key that unlocks eternal life here is this critical verse the centerpiece of chapter 10 verse 17 sold and faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ there's the problem among belief but there's also the promise of faith faith come up by hearing and hearing by the word of God the King James says our version says by the word of Christ it's the same thing that we have to tear down what men believe by constantly letting them hear the word of faith that's what Paul said in the earlier verses this word of faith that I'm from preaching to you you see faith comes from hearing not from seeing Frank who has told us in this pulpit and I've mentioned it many times it is true there are only two religions in the world the religion of the eyes and the religion of the ears that's the only two choices yet you can dress them up with all the other gods and rubrics and rituals you want but they all bow down to two religions one of the eyes and one of the ears the religion of the eyes says seeing is believing it's what I see right now that makes sense to me and nothing else it's an intense pragmatism and therefore it's enamored with idols and statutes and icons and holy objects smells and sounds and bells and whistles and incense and candles and rubrics investments and holy things things that can be seen and touched and tasted and felt but there's another religion it's true religion it's the religion of the ears it goes against the eyes it depends not upon what it sees but what it hears it depends upon things like promise and gospel and doctrine and revelation and truth and teaching it is a simple form that relies upon what God says even if what God says is nonsensical it believes what it hears it believes the word of God therefore the formula of this true religion is always introduced this way thus saith the Lord all right Jesus Christ would say that he who has an ear here from the spirit speaks to your heart this is a religion that always exemplifies and shows forth its faith by simplicity of preaching and praise and prayer three manifestations of speaking and hearing preaching and prayer and praise you have a choice Paul says few Jews prefer the religion of the eyes I bring you the religion of the word of God you prefer your traditions of the fathers your rubrics and rituals your temple I tell you this one truth that there is salvation and no one else but Jesus Christ that living son of the living God I tell you to hear me for faith comeeth by hearing and hearing by the word about Christ rather than I think there is something important here for us to take into and let me depart from the text for just a moment and make an application I think that we make evangelism must more difficult than we need to make it I see as we work ourselves through this text through this whole book of the Romans and we get to verse 17 that Paul is telling us that there was in the blindly ordained partnership that is guaranteed to have success we have come and I told the men before the service that we never used to see this in Christian writings until after the days of Charles Gratis and Finney where Finney introduced saved through the proper methods applied by sincere people until now that is how we think you carry around this terrible burden that you shouldn't carry and I hope at least attempt to relieve you of it this morning this terrible burden the reason your loved ones are not saved is because you are a gutless wimp and you have an effectively evangelized them yet don't you? and that is wrong yes you are supposed to be witnesses but you are never told in the Bible to do it all by yourself you have a faithful partner working for you and you are looking at him right now Billy Graham who knows more about how people are converted than anybody in the world except probably the Apostle Paul will tell you this the 95% of the people he knows who are converted are converted because somebody invited them to church and that person followed up the preaching of God's Word in over a period of time they came to believe in Christ let me tell you why that works the good news has some bad news in it bad news about us about our depravity and our guilt and shame and our rebellion and somebody has got to tell them it is very difficult to go up to your mother your sister you haven't seen in years your next door neighbor the guy you got to sit across at the desk from work and say by the way I would like to tell you something did you know you're an unconverted depraved rich headed for hell and as God intervened and no wonder you're reluctant to go tell him I'm reluctant to say that myself even I am a shy you know even until the hun here wouldn't want to bring that up you know what why don't you use the bad cop to say that why don't you let your preacher be the heavy you bring him the church and he says that and they go out and say isn't that the most disgusting man you say yes he is but what was it that he said that bothered you and about your friendship they trust you they love you they talk to you about it I offend them you lead him to the truth who cares they come to Christ I'll tell you why I know that works that's how I was converted I used to say when I was early on I had this little VW I drove around in college in graduate school and it looked like a religious bookstore I had all these tracks that kids on campus would give me and I'd just throw them in the back seat you know one of my friends got in my car one day and said you know looked in the back with all these tracks all over the back he said you're beginning to scare me Ross so I just cleaned him up and burned him I never read one of them because I thought these people were weird after all I was in the church of church and they were not and then I met a guy named Wiley Patterson you've met him we used to play handball together and racket bowl together and basketball together I'd go to his house and eat as a starving bachelor's life would feed me every two weeks to keep me alive and finally one day he invited me to church and his preacher offended me deeply violently in fact it would have been violent if I had gotten my hands on him that night he didn't let that bottom he never talked about Jimmy Ladderman much he just would say things at work as we talk through that sermon every single day of the whole week what was it that bothered you well let's look at this and you know what through the preaching of Jimmy Ladderman and the faithful explanations of my friend I came to be converted I'm telling you it works but Wiley and you're embarrassed to bring your friends to church and you're embarrassed that Mike Ross will offend them for he said it to Timothy he said therefore do not be ashamed of this word of the Lord or of me his prisoner but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God I guarantee this if you bring your friends to church I'll do two things for them I will consistently offend them and I will consistently tell them the truth but I'll tell you this as God is my blood-bought witness when it comes to your loved ones and the faithful preacher he's here to speak for you the things you cannot say to tell them the things they don't want to hear so that you can go behind him and minister in kindness that truth and lead them to Christ that's what ministers are here for they exist for one single reason to seek and to say that which is lost that's their job their job is not to figure out about six days creation not to worry about who believes an election or not who speaks and tongues and who doesn't those are all secondary those things be nothing absolutely nothing if we die and go to hell the preeminent passion of every decent minister in this world is to see your loved ones and friends come to know Christ and he's willing to be hated for that sake use him he's your partner make it easy on yourself make it hard on your loved ones but bring them to church and let the gospel go for it and you followed up until and that's what Paul is saying few of the people who bring this message that is oftentimes rejected but listen faith only comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God it took me 18 months of consistent preaching and teaching and consistent follow up by Wally Patterson to break down self-righteousness and come to Christ take place sooner and anyone else now that leads to his last point Israel cannot very well defend themselves against these statements and yet they still try and here's what they say they say Paul that all sounds good but you know what we've never heard we've never heard this before Paul says let's look at this verse 18 but I say surely they have never heard have they indeed they have their voice has gone out into all the earth their words to the ends of the world we've not heard that Paul says indeed you have this word of the gospel has gone out to the ends of the world it's gone out every day now what makes this text difficult let me be frank with you is the verse that Paul quotes you notice in your text he's quoting an old testament verse he's quoting David in Psalm 19 verse 4 the problem with Psalm 19 is that it divides itself in half the first six or seven verses talk about general revelation what men know from creation namely that God exists and they're not God and secondly that they're not right with God in essence and faith general revelation will not special revelation the Bible has to tell us that it's interesting that Paul quotes from the first half of that that Psalm about general revelation and creation he doesn't quote in the second half about the Bible in what it's supposed to do he could have it's even more explicit why does he not think so I think he's under the inspiration of always spirit I think he's guided by God I think Everett Harrison speaks the truth when he says this Paul sees a parallel between the diffusion of the light and darkness of a creation every day and night of which no one can be in ignorance who has eyes to see and the widespread proclamation of the gospel and the areas where Jews made their home if they have ears to hear this was essentially a Mediterranean basin where Paul and his helpers have been laboring for some years Paul says you've never heard is that what you're saying then what was Moses telling you and what was Daniel and David in Elijah and Isaiah and Jeremiah what were all the prophets saying and what are Peter and his band saying to all the Jews one of my intimacy and Titus and the patronitis inside saying to all the Gentiles what have we been saying since the day of Abraham who first heard the gospel and preached it to his general generation your scriptures say what have all these people been saying indeed you have heard it's going out through all the Mediterranean world time and time again you've heard you just didn't want to listen but you have heard and brethren we've got to face that fact today we hear people all the time say what the problem with our world is that there are people who are unreached have never heard the gospel that's not true that's not true but they define you to prove that historically India India has had the gospel for two thousand years church history tells us that St. Thomas took the gospel there and died for that sake Russia the veggies luck three years ago they celebrated a millennium of the russian orthodox church For one thousand years they have been the longest unbroken chain of a church existence all of christian history Africa. They gave us St. Augustine, the great bishops of Alexandria, the coptic church. Palestine was all Christian before it became Muslim. China, before World War II, it had a larger church than the Church of Europe, Japan. Same thing. Before they turned to the worship of the Emperor, they worship Jesus Christ. I know of no place in the globe except the pocket of people here and there. There is no country, no ethnic, no people who have not had the gospel at least once. But because of communism and Nazism and Bolshevism and Islam and Hinduism, they give it up those things. And so you know what? They need to hear it again. But they cannot say our people have never heard God said indeed you have. But hear it again you will. Now the Jews will fall back in their last ditch, their last trench, level their spiritual rifles and fire their final shell. Okay, we heard. We heard, but we just never understood. And Paul smashes that down like one final blow to a rocking fire who's about to go out for the count. He says you did understand and that's why God is treating you like he treats you. Look at verse 19. What surely I say, Israel did not know, did they? At first, at the very first Moses says, I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation. By a nation without understanding will I anger you. And Isaiah is very bold to say I was found by those who sought me not. I became manifested to those who did not ask for me. But as for Israel, he says, all day long, I have stressed out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people. Look at Paul's question in verse 19. But I say, I ask on their behalf this final question, surely Israel did not know. They did not understand, did they? And here's his answer. It was Moses at first, the law giver. Notice how all through this passage 9 and 10, he has quoted Moses and Isaiah profusely. This is the ninth time he quotes Moses and the sixth time he quotes Isaiah. Why? Because they put their stock, these Jews and the law and prophets who was the great law giver, Moses, who was the greatest prophet, Isaiah. We call him Isaiah. He said, your own law, your own prophets, your greatest law giver and the greatest prophets speak to you. Here's what Moses told you in the beginning, but you would reject this thing. And therefore he would take what belonged to you as a nation and give it to a people, not a nation that gentiles the peoples. Listen, by a nation without understanding, which implies that it Israel had understanding, he would take something that you understood and give it to those who did not understand and those who sought him not would find him and you who seek him and your own self righteousness will not find him. Why? Because all day long I've held out my hand to you and you've consistently slapped it away. God has never gone after a people like he's gone after Israel and he never will. They are the apple of his eye, the old testament church, our fathers and mothers in the faith, the blood and flesh of Jesus, his son. And so finally, after so many rejections, God withdraws his hand and offers it no longer to Israel, but to the Gentile. The good news is we'll learn in the very next verse and in the very next chapter that that withdrawal of God's hand of grace is only for a season. It's meant to make Israel jealous that someone else is receiving their birthright, their own son, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It is because Paul says of their jealousy of the Gentile that they will come back and like an older child about to be cut out, they'll weasel their way back in and say, tell me one more time. What belongs to me? And then he says, all Israel will be saved. What a gracious God. What a good God. To continually talk to people who are not prone to listen, to send men who they are prone to kill, to say the things they are prone to dislike, because God knows what we don't know, that faith come up by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. I have three things to tell you this morning and then we'll go. Number one, I want to tell you that if you know you're unconverted, you are always welcome in this church. We're not offended by the fact that you're not a Christian and we're not embarrassed by it. We're just concerned about it. Whether you become a Christian or not is between you and God. I'm here to tell you on behalf of the session in this people whose heart I know, if you don't know Jesus Christ, you are always welcome here. You can hear about him all you want and make up your own mind, but you will always have a place to go on Sunday morning to hear about Jesus Christ. I also give you this morning, secondly, that you cannot presume upon God's grace for the hospitality of Christ. It is possible, quite possible, that as you slap the Lord's hand away again every day. There may come a day when He withdraws it. You will not reject Him. He might reject you. You have time today. That's why Paul says in another place, this is the day of salvation. This is the day to believe because you don't know if you have tomorrow and you don't know how many times you offend God once too often. I also need to say this, if you are converted person and you have loved ones who are not saved, I want to tell you that I pledge to you as long as I am alive and this breath in me, that I will do my very best Sunday morning and Sunday night to tell them about Jesus Christ, so that you can go and talk about what I say for good or bad and talk about them, these things and talk about their souls and their sins and their salvation just as people once talk to you. There are many things I am concerned about in this world, but none more than the gospel. I agree, not just in heart, but in my tears with prophet Jeremiah who says, summer has come and the harvest is over and still we are not saved. I know you are burdened for people in your family and friends who are not saved. I am here to preach to them. I believe that the final harvest is not taken place. There is still a chance for you to be saved. I know you are burdened for people in your family and the final harvest is not taken place. There is still a chance for God to save and buy his grace, but only if they hear and only if they are told for faith come with my hearing and hearing
by the Word of Christ through the Word of the preacher. All you are listening, do you understand, do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Will you be saved? Let's pray. Father, there
is nothing more important than all of the world that takes place every week than for us to hear your Word and to believe it. It is the beginning of our spiritual life. It is what continues to give our spiritual life life, and it will be the very last thing we hear before we close our eyes and death, that those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. You are screaming it to us, calling it out to us. You are pursuing us, cornering us, reasoning and arguing and fighting with us, so that we might hear and might believe. So our prayer is that
you would make us more bold to bring our friends to church, to speak a word for Christ, to pray for them, that you might give them the gift of faith, your grace. You might open up their dead minds and soften up their stony hearts and break their iron will that they might repent of themselves in their sins and believe in Jesus Christ and be saved. Make us faithful with you, preacher and people alike in this partnership, and thank you God for the truth, for the Word, for this glad tidings of good things, this power of God unto salvation, to all who believe. Faith come with by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. Give us this faith, and give
us ears to hear we pray, for our salvation and for the sake of Jesus Christ, in his name we both proclaim and preach and pray. Amen. And now may that saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, his Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be yours now and forevermore. Amen.