Great to see you, and it's wonderful to be here today to look at the Scriptures. I have to start with an apology. I was a little rushed this morning, and I didn't get a PowerPoint presentation finished, so I decided to just throw up my notes. So I do apologize.
What you see here is all of my notes, and hopefully you can follow along with me. If you can't read it, we can probably enlarge it a little bit. But I want to take up today a fascinating passage of Scripture. Absolutely fascinating.
I want to take up Romans 9, 10, and 11, and it is deep, profound truth. I'm going to attempt to do this in 45 minutes. So I'm going to speed up, and I'm going to go through the points that I feel I need to make. My goal is to be finished on time, so that nobody has to worry about leaving late.
But I want to take you with a high level view of God's plan for the ages. So I've called this the telescopic plan of God for the ages. In Romans 9, 10, and 11, Paul unpacks for us God's sovereignty. And I really believe that that's what Romans 9 is all about.
God's sovereignty. But in Romans 10, there is a distinct change in the topic. In Romans 10 is about human responsibility, that each one of us are accountable and responsible before God. Romans 11 is a high level view of God's plan for the ages.
And when I'm done today, we're going to sing Him of the ages. God's plan for the ages. So I'm going to have a fair bit of scripture reading, and I would really like you to follow along. So if you have your Bible, let's start by reading in Romans 1.
All my scripture readings are right up here. We're going to read in Romans 1, and I'd really like you to pay attention and follow as we read through these verses. That way you'll get my message. Romans 1 and verse 16, it says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation.
Notice to everyone who believes, and then it says to the Jew first, underline that to the Jew first, and then to the Greek or to the Gentile. In it the righteousness of God is revealed from heaven from faith to faith as it is written, the just chill of by faith. Chapter 3, Romans chapter 3 and verse 22, it says, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ unto all. A-L-L unto all.
And then it says, and upon them that believe, for there is no difference. That is concrete foundational truth. The righteousness of God comes by faith in Jesus Christ, and it is unto all. But only the ones who believe really benefit from it.
Now let's go to chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 and verse 29. Romans chapter 8 and verse 29. For whom he did for know, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born of the preeminent one amongst many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called, and whom he called them he also justified. And whom he justified them he also glorified. What shall we say then to these things? If God before us who can be against us, he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Shall God that justifies? Who is he the condemning? Shall Christ that died?
Yea, rather, that has risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also make his intercession for us? Now let's move to chapter 9 and verse 1. Paul says, I say the truth in Christ, I lie not. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, for I have a great heaviness in continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren that's Israel, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Look at verse 9. For this is the word of promise. At this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son, and I think you know the rest of that little passage verse 13, it says, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated? Verse 14, what shall we say then?
Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runeth, but of God that shows mercy.
Verse 18, therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and on whom he will he harden eth. That will say then unto me, why does he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay, but oh man, who art thou?
That replyest against God. Who are you? Who am I to talk back to God? Shall the thing formed?
Say unto him that formed it, why have you made me thus? Does not the potter have power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? Look at verse 24. Even us who have he called not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.
Now if you go down to verse 30, verse 30 to 33 is a very important passage. It says, what shall we say then? That the Gentiles, that's us, who followed not after righteousness, has attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, who followed after the law of righteousness, has not attained the law of righteousness.
Why? Why? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. And they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
As it is written, behold I lay in Zion as stone a rock of offense. Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Chapter 10, brethren, my heart's desire and God for Israel is that they may be saved. Look at verse 3.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Look at verse 8, the word is near you. It is even in your mouth, in your heart. It is the word of faith which we preach.
That if you will confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart, that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, notice what it says, whosoever, that's available to anyone, whosoever believeth on him shall never be put to shame. Verse 13, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on 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 except they be sent?
Verse 17. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Verse 21, but to Israel he says, all day long I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and contrary people. Chapter 11, verse 1, I say then, has God cast away his people?
God forbid. For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham. Look at verse 5, even so then at this present time, the remaining remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works.
Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it is of works, then it is no more grace. Otherwise work is no more work. When a profound, simple argument is salvation of works or is it of grace?
It can't be both. It's of grace. Drop down to verse 25. This is a key summary statement, where I would not brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery.
Less you should be wise in your own conceits. Blindness in part is happened unto Israel until blindness in part is happened unto Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles come in. Verse 32, for God has concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy on them all. Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God.
How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out who have known the mind of God or who has been his counselor or who had first given to him and it had not been recompensed and had been recompensed to him again. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. Do you got all that?
That's a whole lot of very deep profound truth. I'd like to ask five difficult questions and I would like to answer them today by the scriptures. Here's my five difficult questions. Has God forsaken Israel?
No, absolutely not. Question number two, why did Israel reject Christ? That's a profound and difficult question to answer. I think it's twofold.
Number one, for the purposes of God and number two, because of their willful unbelief and we're going to develop that. Question number three, is God sovereign? Yes. Okay.
So question number four, is man responsible? Yes. Man is responsible. Okay.
Question number five, is God unrighteous? No. God is not unrighteous. Okay.
So let me give you the telescopic view of God's plan for the ages. Let's zoom out and go right to the beginning and let's go right to the end. Here is God's telescopic view and plan for the ages. In the beginning, God creates man in his own image and he gives man a free will.
Man disobeys God. In one act of disobedience, he has rejected God and sin enters the world, infiltrating his wicked sinful heart and that sinful nature is passed on to every man. And then what happens? God shows his mercy in sovereign grace, calling sinners to come to himself.
God shows his mercy. You know what? God reveals to man his utter depravity, utter depravity. God reveals to man his brokenness, his habitual inability to please God.
Now let me ask you a personal question. Have you noticed that in your own heart? I have. The whole age of the law, God is setting his standard and he is showing mankind his utter depravity, his inability to meet God's standard and showing him his brokenness.
God shows mercy then in sovereign grace, calling sinners to himself. What does God do? He sends a redeemer. Jesus Christ, his only well-beloved son who had no sin, who is very early God, yet he becomes truly human to die on a cross for the sins of the entire world.
Let me stop. You may not agree with me. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the entire world. Not just the sins of the elect.
I believe that the Bible teaches that Christ died for the sins of the entire world. First John chapter 2 makes that very clear. He is a propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but for the sins for the entire world. And then he rises again.
And Jesus Christ conquers death, hell and the grave. And he offers this mercy. The gospel comes into the world. Romans chapter 1 and verse 16, the power of God.
And listen to this. The gospel goes to the Jews first. What happens? They reject it.
The gospel goes to the Jews first. The nation of Israel rejects Jesus Christ and Israel is blinded in part until the fullness of the Gentiles come in. And you get that very clearly. In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus shifts.
So in the earlier part of the gospels, Jesus sends the 72 out and he says, don't go to the Gentiles. Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Tell them the gospel. And if they won't have it, check the dust off your feet.
God's going to move to the Gentiles. It goes to the Jews and the Jews reject it. What does this say in John chapter 1 and 12? He came unto his own and his own received him not.
But to as many as received him to them gave him the power to become the children of God. So God now moves to the Gentiles. And he offers salvation by grace through faith. And the church age comes in.
What's that all about? These wretched, guilty Gentiles sinners are shown sovereign grace. And out of the nations, God calls a people for his namesake. He calls it the church.
And on the outside of that door, it says, whosoever will may come. And we step into the door and we look back and we say, wow, I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. I am elect. God chose me.
What an awesome moment of worship. When I was realized that I was predestinated before the beginning of time. Amazing truth. So then what happens?
Israel's done? No. God takes up Israel again. And the Messiah returns the second coming of Christ in blazing glory, not in obscurity, but in blazing glory.
And he is manifested to the entire world. He manifests himself. And the gospel once again is preached to the entire world. Says that in Matthew 24.
And a remnant are saved. A remnant are saved. And Israel has this opportunity to either reject Christ once and for all or repent of their sin and receive Jesus Christ. And that's when Isaiah 53 is really fulfilled.
When it says we did esteem him, stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. And Israel as a nation realizes, wow, he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. And we made a horrible, horrific mistake in rejecting him.
You know what it says in Zechariah 13 and 8? It says that a third of the nation of Israel will be saved and the rest will perish. So there is a remnant out of the nation of Israel that are going to believe Christ and the rest are not. So then what happens?
Christ reigns on the earth for a thousand years. It says it twice in Revelation chapter 20. And it talks about the first resurrection. So those who are killed during the tribulation, their bodies are cut off and killed.
They did not take the mark of the beast. They did not bow. They were faithful to Christ. They take part in the first resurrection and they live and their souls are raised up and they reign with Christ for a thousand years and they are priests unto God.
And in that millennium reign of Christ, there is Jews and there is Gentiles and they worship Jesus Christ. So the epistle to the Romans is really an epistle of the doctrine of salvation. Takes you through the whole, the whole encompassing truth of salvation. Ungodly sinners like you and me, Gentiles have been saved by the grace of God through faith.
So what about the Jews? Israel had all this privilege. Romans chapter 9, it says, the covenants of God belong to Israel. All this amazing truth and promises all given to Israel, the law given to Israel, the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, given to Israel.
So they have all now been forsaken, right? No, they haven't been forsaken, but they rejected their Messiah. What did they say? We will not have this to reign over us.
Crucify Him, His blood be on us and on our children. That's what they said. The nation rejected their Messiah. And so what happened?
Blindness in part came unto Israel until the fullness of the Jews. Gentiles are brought in. So question number one, I want to answer it from the scripture. Has God forsaken his people Israel?
No. Paul has longing desire and so does God that Israel would be saved. In chapter 11 and verse 2, it says it very clearly. It says, God has not cast away his people.
God has a purpose for the nation of Israel and it is yet to be fulfilled. In chapter 11 and verse 5, God says there has always been a remnant. So even though Israel as a nation has rejected Christ, there's part of the Jews that have been faithful to God all the way through every generation. There is still, even to this day, remains a remnant of those that believe.
We call them today Messianic Jews. Those are the ones that believe in Jesus Christ as a Messiah. Chapter 11 and verse 23, God says this, if they abide not in unbelief, they shall once again be grafted in. This all of branch that we as Gentiles are unnatural.
They are grafted in unnaturally, but Israel will be revived if they repent and if they believe. So chapter 11 and verse 25, we get God's plan for the ages where he goes to Israel, Israel rejects Christ, he presses pause. Not delete, he presses pause. And so God presses pause for the purposes of Israel so that the fullness of the Gentiles will be brought in and at the second coming of Christ, God's purpose for Israel will resume.
How do we know that? Daniel chapter 9. Daniel is 70th week. I don't have time to get into Daniel.
It's very, very deep. But there is a promise coming. Messiah will be cut off. The clock of prophecy will stop.
The church age will be brought in and at the tribulation when that last week of years is brought back in, the clock of prophecy will start up again and God will have purposes for the nation of Israel. So clearly, God has not forsaken Israel. There are purposes of God for Israel. Question number two, why did Israel stumble over Jesus Christ?
Why? Well, could I just say this, there's very practical lessons for us to learn here. Israel stumbled over Christ because of spiritual pride, because of legalism, because they had stubbornness in their heart. They were rebellious against God and they were willfully blind.
Okay, Warren, have you ever met anyone like that? Do you know how many people walk in the streets of this city that when we go to tell them the gospel, they are willfully blind. They have hardness in their heart. They don't need God.
They're good. They have their own religion. They have all their own answers and they're walking blind on the road to destruction. And I hope that there's nobody here today and you have the revealed truth of God presented to you and you're willfully blind and you have a stubborn rebellious heart and you won't repent.
May God awaken you today. May God show you your own depravity, your own wretchedness so that we can call upon God who's willing to give you mercy. Israel would not do that. They sought not God by faith.
Look, here is a critical, critical teaching of the book of Romans. Romans chapter 9, I'm going to read it again because it's so critical. Israel who pursued righteousness attained it not because they followed after the law having sought it by their own works, not of faith. Okay.
Don't mean to burst your bubble, but you have no righteous works that will ever garner the attention of God. There is nothing in us that will ever merit God's favor, not my baptism, not my going to church, not my giving to the poor, not all of these things that I want to show God how good I am. No, the only way that righteousness is attained is by faith alone in Jesus Christ. That is the whole teaching of the book of Romans, not of works.
Jesus is by faith alone and Israel stumbled over this great truth. They said to the Lord Jesus, we're not born to fornication. You didn't come up through our school. You have no pedigree.
Who are you to teach us? They said in John chapter 9, this guy is all together full of sin and we are of our Father Abraham. We were never in bondage. We are free.
They were blind and they didn't even understand their own depravity. And Jesus tried to point that out to him. And the lesson here for all of us is please understand your own depravity. Please understand your own sin because it's in your best interest so you can come to God and repent and receive mercy.
You know, in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 23, Paul just says this amazing statement. He says, we preach Christ Jesus and him crucified. And it says to the Jews, this is a stumbling block. This is a stumbling block.
How can anyone be saved by Jesus Christ being crucified? Do you know what's still a stumbling block today? The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God unto salvation. You will never know, this sounds like a very simplistic statement, you will never know the joy of salvation until you believe it.
You'll never experience it. You'll never know the freedom, the forgiveness of sins, the removal of your guilt until you believe that Christ died for your sins and was buried in rose again. This is the gospel and to many people it's a stumbling block. You know, I love that parable in Mark chapter 12 and verse 10.
Jesus told this parable, listen to this, Jesus told this parable probably about three days before he was going to the cross. It was the Passion Week. He was about to be crucified and the Jews, the Pharisees and the leaders of that nation were trying to destroy him. How can we shut this man down?
Everybody's following him. This man's got to be stopped. And Jesus said, I will tell you a parable. He said, you know, a certain man had a vineyard and he leased it out to tenants.
And after many years that passed, he sent servants to check on the tenants and the tenants beat one and they killed another and they put another one out. Last of all, God says to the nation of Israel, you've slaughtered the prophets from the blood of Abel all the way down to the last book in the Old Testament. You've killed them all. You've rejected them all.
You've banished them. You've put them in prison. You've put them in a log. You've sought them in thunder.
You have committed atrocities. Last of all. He will send his son. Surely they will reverence him.
His only well beloved. What did they do? They said, this is the heir. Let us come and kill him.
And they cast him out and they killed him. Jesus predicted right to these people's face what was going to happen. And he said, I have placed in Zion a stumbling block, a rock of offense. And in another parallel passage, he says, what do you think the Lord of the vineyard will do to those people?
He will grind them to powder. They were outraged. And yet they went on rejecting Jesus Christ. Caiaphas says you know nothing at all.
He prophesies that one man should die for the people. He didn't even realize that God was using him to prophesy. And here he was, a leader of the nation blind and willfully rejecting Christ. You know what's so sad about that?
In Matthew 23, Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem. And you can go there today. You can stand on the Mount of Olives and you can see over the whole city. Jesus stands there.
He's God. He knows what's going to happen in 80, 70. He knows that Titus, that Roman governor is going to roll in and demolish the city. And all of these people are there and he weeps over the city.
He says, how often would I have gathered you together, but you would not have it. Your house is left unto you, desolate. Whose house? Your house.
God's not there. He's left the temple. It's your religion. You've rejected Christ.
Your house is left unto you desolate. And then he says this, they knew not the time of their visitation. Could I say this very, very compassionately? I go out on the streets with my brother Warren and a bunch of other people and we share the gospel and people ridicule.
They reject Christ. They're passing by. They're living in the pleasures of sin and their unrighteousness. And you know what they think?
They think they've got all the time in the world. They think they don't need this. They don't want God. The world at large today doesn't want God, but they have the condemnation of the Almighty God hovering over their head.
And they're on a broad road that leads to destruction and they're about to perish. And they're willfully blind and they're asleep. That's where the nation of Israel was when Christ came. Is there anybody here today and you're asleep spiritually?
Wake up. The days are evil and the time is short. And you don't have long to be saved. Don't miss the time of your visitation.
If God is calling you, come to Christ today because a lot of people have this hardness in their heart and they won't come. Question number three is God's sovereign in his electing choice to choose some to salvation and to predestinate them. And the answer is yes, God is sovereign. In Matthew 22 and verse 14, Jesus said this parable, that a great King made a great feast and invited many guests.
And you know the parallel passage in Luke chapter 14, I think it is, where they all began to make excuses. I'm married to wife. I can't come. I got a piece of ground.
I bought this oxen. I got to go take care of this. I can't come to that. This is the gospel message.
The message has gone out to all. Whose whoever will may come. It's an invitation that is available to all. But Jesus Christ makes this incredible point at the end of that parable and he says this.
Many are called. Few are chosen. Many are called. Few are chosen.
Is God sovereign? He is absolutely sovereign. It is God's right to show mercy on whom he will show mercy. Okay.
So that is a passage that refers back to Exodus chapter 33 and 34. Do you know what happened in Exodus 33 and 34? Moses is up Mount Sinai and the nation of Israel are worshiping a golden calf. They have rejected God and they said these are gods that brought us out of Egypt.
And God sends Moses down and Moses is filled with horrific anguish as he sees what these people have done. And God is about to wipe out the nation. And Moses says, please God, have compassion. Please God, don't destroy this people.
And God says this in the next chapter, an intimate relationship with Moses. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will show compassion for giving thousands upon thousands of their iniquity. Okay. So let me tell you some hard truth.
The absolute hard truth is that if God was to wipe out the entire human race and send every one of us to hell without salvation, God would still be righteous because he is holy and we are not. God is sovereign and in his sovereignty, he convicts us of our sin. He grants repentance and he offers salvation. God in his sovereignty reveals truth to sinners that he chooses.
This is not an obligation. This is a gift. Okay. Now listen to these words for by grace, you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should ever boast. God is the sovereign choice of God. God in his sovereignty chose Abraham. He chose Isaac over Ishmael.
He chose Jacob over Esau. Even before they were born. He chose Israel. I want to say this today.
If you're sitting in this meeting and you are saved by the grace of God, he chose you. Praise God. He chose you. And not to burst your bubble again, but not because of anything that was in you.
It was because of God's sovereign choice that he chose you. Is God sovereign? He is. You know it is a deep, deep mystery.
God is sovereign. So question number four is does that mean that man is no longer responsible? Man is responsible even though God is sovereign. These are two parallel lines.
They don't meet. You can't reconcile in your mind God's sovereignty in choosing some to salvation, in predestinating them and in his will offering salvation to who whoever will may come. holding man accountable for refusing to believe Jesus Christ. These are two lines of divine truth that we cannot join.
Is man responsible? 100% man is responsible. Why? First and foremost, every human being is accountable for their own sin.
And you might say, well, God made me that way. How often do we hear that, Warren? God made me this way. I love this person because God made me this way.
I do this thing because God made me this way. God gave me that desire. Wait a minute, did God give you that desire? No, God did not give you that desire.
Every single one of us have a sinful nature that pushes us in a direction to commit sin. That is true. But we are still responsible and accountable for our own sin. How do we know that?
Romans chapter three and verse 19. We got a picture in Romans chapter three of the entire human race standing before God. Being judged by God's standard. All have sinned.
All fall short. None are righteous. No, not one. And then you get to the conclusion, verse 19.
So that every mouth may be stopped. I talk to a lot of people say, when I meet God, I'm gonna give him a peace of my mind. No, no, you are not gonna give God a peace of your mind. Well, I can't wait to meet God.
Cause when I meet God, I'm gonna tell him all the things that happen to me. No. Every mouth will be stopped and all the world will be guilty before God. That will be a fearful, fearful day.
Man is responsible. Do you know that every single man? And when I say man, I mean generically, man woman, every single person is commanded to repent. Commanded is not optional.
In Acts chapter 17, when Paul goes into the city and he preaches in Mars Hill and he says, in Acts chapter 17 and verse 30, he said, God now commands all men everywhere to repent because he is appointed a day when he will judge the world in righteousness. And so then we make this other excuse and we say, I don't know anything about this. I don't know the gospel. What am I supposed to go up to heaven and get Christ and bring him down?
What am I supposed to do going to the abyss and find out if he actually rose from the dead? I love what the scripture says in Romans chapter 10. It says no. The word of God is near you.
It's right here, the Bible. The word of God is near you. You've heard it. It's in your heart.
It's on your conscience. You have heard it. The Holy Spirit is convicting you of your sin. The word of God is near you.
So what do you got to do? Confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord. Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved. That is an unconditional promise from God.
Doesn't say anything in there about being elect. In fact, in that chapter, three times it says, everyone who's to ever will, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Is God sovereign? Yes, he is.
Is this truth revealed? Yes, he is. Is it on your conscience? He's put his law in your heart.
Christ has made provision for all. And everyone here is responsible and accountable to repent of their sin and put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Every person is responsible to believe the gospel. Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Is God unrighteous? No. Why? Because he is omnipotent.
God has unlimited authority. He has made provision for all. Let me prove to you that he's made provision for all. I read to that verse in Romans 3 and 22.
That righteousness comes by faith unto all. All. But it's only upon those that believe that actually benefit from it. But I love the verse in 1 Timothy 2, verse 4 and 6.
It says, God will have all men to be saved. He doesn't want anyone to perish. And so he has provided a mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for the elect. No.
Who gave himself a ransom for all men. God in his holiness has been propitiated because of the death of Christ. God is satisfied. Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free.
And God the just is satisfied to look on him. And pardon me. God is not unrighteous. Salvation is available for all.
And God has given us free will. And the gospel goes out to the whosoever will. OK. Here's my wrap up.
What are the takeaway points from this message? In case you missed it, here's the takeaway points. Number one, pay attention to the truth of God. And don't resist divine promptings.
It's very dangerous to turn away from the truth that God has given you because your light will become darkness. Don't resist the promptings of God. Number two, parents, teach your children the truth of scripture. I want to stress that.
You're raising children in a heathen nation in an ungodly world that has rejected God. Teach your children the word of God. Have them memorize it. Get it into their heart.
It is planting the foundation of the truth of God in their heart. Accept God's righteousness by faith. Not of works by faith. Confess with your mouth.
Jesus says, Lord, I love going out in the streets and just saying, Jesus Christ is Lord. This is not everybody believes it. And people react to it. Our role is a role of faith, obedience, and worship.
When it comes to the sovereignty of God and election and predestination, we accept the truth of God for what it says. And we bow to it, even if we don't understand it. God says it, I believe it. And that settles it.
And our role as Christians is to fulfill the great commission, to go and share the truth of the gospel with the entire world. I hope that God blesses his word to our souls. And I hope that this profound truth that we've looked at today will give us all something to think about. We're going to pray.
And then we're going to sing in hearts of worship, him of the ages. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the truth of God. We thank you for your character.
We thank you, Lord, that you are righteous and you are holy. And yet you shall mercy to sinful men and women and wicked sinners like ourselves. And you have shown us your grace. And we thank you that you've given the Lord Jesus to die as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.
Father, we love you. We thank you for this truth. And we pray that you would help us to walk in it, help us to be obedient to you, help us to worship you, and to live our lives for your glory. We just pray that you would part this church with your blessing and be with us all this week as we walk with you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.