God’s Good-Good Sovereignty – Part 2 (Romans 9:14-29)

Yes, Lord.

I will go where You want me to go.

I will speak what You want me to speak.

I will pause when You want me to pause.

I will pray the dangerous prayers of change.

I will ask to be inconvenienced for Your name sake.

I will say yes to Your invitations that make no sense.

I will.

Just because You ask me to.

We’re looking at a message titled god’s good, good sovereignty.
And, uh, love the title, especially in light of the section of uh, book of Romans.
We’ve come to Romans chapter 9, Romans 10, Romans 11, talking all about god’s foreknowledge, god’s predestination, god’s election, who god chooses, who god chooses, and who god does not choose based on what we’re studying this.
And I’ve discovered this week by the response of notes and letters that I’ve gotten that I have succeeded thus far already in the early studies of chapter 9, to successfully upset both camps that are either Armenian in their view or calvinistic in their view.
I’ve got people arguing for me and against me on both sides, which means I’m right in the middle of the sweet spot.
And, I don’t believe in in, uh, propagating the doctrines of men.
I believe in propagating the doctrines of god. And, uh, that’s what we’re looking at today.
We’re not here to win anybody over to any any particular person.
Uh, we are here, though, to win you over to Christ himself.
And so we are looking and we’ll read it together. Romans chapter 9. I’ll begin in verse 14.
Uh, we are in our second study. We’ve got about 3 more.
Uh, to go as we dissect this incredible portion of scripture.
But, uh, pick it up in verse 15, if you would, I’ll take verse 14. What shall we say then?
Is there unrighteousness with god? Certainly not.
I will have passion on whomever I will have compassion.
So then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of god who shows mercy.
That I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the others.
Wow. Therefore, He has mercy on whom he wills and whom he wills he hardens.
For who has resisted his will.
But indeed, oh man, who are you to reply against god?
Will the thing formed, say to him who formed it? Why have you made me like this?
From the same month to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
What if god wanting to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.
You might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had prepared beforehand for his court.
Verse 24, even us whom he called, not of the Jews only, but also the gentiles.
As he says also in Mosaic, I will call them my people, who are not my people, and her beloved It was not beloved.
And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, you are not my people, There, they shall be called the sons of the living god.
I say it also cries out concerning Israel.
Though the number of the children of Israel, he has the sand of the sea, Kerun, that will be saved.
Wow. For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because the lord will make a short work upon the earth.
And as Isaiah said before, unless the lord of the sapphire had a look, we would have come like soft and we would have been made, like, tomorrow.
You guys each week a second week you’ve stumbled over that word savvy off. It is difficult.
You’re thinking it’s misspelled. Right? Aren’t you thinking the lord of of the Sabbath? It’s not.
It’s savvy oath, and we’ll we’ll hit that later on in a couple of months. I mean, a few weeks.
Father bless us with the going forth of your word in Jesus name and all god’s people said.
Amen. Amen. You may be seated. God’s good, good sovereignty.
The sovereignty of god, it is a very very good thing for you, for me, for us, who believe, who trust him, We’ve been arguing the fact that in god’s sovereignty, there is built in obviously from the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, god’s great plan of redemption.
That god is being sovereign, meaning that god is in control. God knows all things.
It is god alone. Who is the sovereign lord. God is sovereign in all aspects.
And even in the creation of who we are, as human beings.
Creating the image of god, it is god who engineered within us that portion that peace of us, whereby he’s given us, a realm of sovereignty to choose and to decide when given the invitation, to accept Christ tonight.
If god didn’t do that, then there wouldn’t be any true worship.
If god didn’t do that, there would be no true relationship.
Listen, if god didn’t do that, then hell would be a fraud and something that’s wrong.
Where there is no choice, there’s something that is programmed.
I saw on the news the other day that Tesla is having to tune up some other vehicles because their self driving vehicles are not going to the destinations that were requested by the driver.
And so the AI is is going to its own place, and so they’ve gotta tweak it.
Listen, according to the Bible, you and I, we were going to our own place.
And that is called hell. You may not like that or not, but the Bible tells us that the day that Adam and Eve sin, they sent the entire human race on a sla slope and a slide straight into hell.
These are all disagree it doesn’t matter if you disagree.
The Bible says, our original mom and dad blew it for all of us.
And by default, men is lost. By default, we are rebels against god.
Did you know that I know you look so beautiful this morning and smell so good.
I smell good at for a service even. I even I even look okay at for a service.
Come back to buds or come back to 3rd, and it’s another story.
But no matter what we might look like or think or whatever, no matter how refined we might be.
According to the Bible, we are lost without Christ. And it’s god’s sovereignty that sent Jesus as lord and savior.
That’s why we talk about god’s good, good sovereignty. It’s remarkable.
I’m gonna hammer this into you over and over again because The prerequisite to Romans chapter 9, Romans 10, and Romans 11, please write it down as Romans chapter 8 verse 28.
And onward to there. And we know that all things work together for good, to those who love god, to those who are the called according to his per That means god’s got a plan.
He knows exactly what he’s doing, and those that are involved in his plan for the positive are those that have been called by god and he’s doing a work in your life.
If you don’t know if you’re called by god right now, pay close attention.
For whom he fore knew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son That’s called sanctification friends.
That’s what’s going hap that’s what’s happening in your life right now. You and I, we’re growing.
That he might be the 1st born among many brethren, the preeminent one.
Moreover, whom he predestined, remember, what came before predestination? For knowledge? Never forget it.
You ought to write it down.
For knowledge, for knowledge, god’s sovereignty that you and I relate to and understand, we can and we must begin with the doctrine of foreknowledge.
Foreknowledge comes before everything else. Based on his foreknowledge.
Moreover, whom he predestined verse 30, these he also called, whom he called, these he also justified and whom he justified.
Vizio. So glorified. God is working in your life and in my life right now in that realm of glorification.
Right now in our lives, you and I are being sanctified. God’s working in our lives.
And none of us exactly understand this.
We just know that when we come to the end of our lives, All the things that you and I have been tried in going through, the fires, the difficulties, the suffering, the things that are native to your life.
Some people listen, you may or may not know, but there’s people in this church that are suffering decade after decade of incredible suffering.
And you say, why? Why? The world has fallen.
This world is lost without god, but even for the believer we suffer because we are suffering in a world that filled with evil and danger and disease and mayhem, which is a result of sin.
However, not all is lost, those who are suffering, think about the person who is maybe, I don’t know, doesn’t matter.
The worst kind of suffering you can think of. When they pass, trusting Christ when they pass into eternity.
All of a sudden, all of that suffering will be evaporated And they will be blessed by god in such a way based on their level of suffering that their eternity will be all the sweeter, certainly all the sweeter than mine.
I’ll be somewhere in the back looking at them up front as they’re recognized for their years and decades, maybe lifetime.
Of being confined to a wheelchair, maybe on some sort of a life support type system, or maybe that they were blind or that they were deaf or whatever it might be?
Listen. If you remove god from the factor and his sovereignty from the factor, you have no hope.
And in the midst of all things, god is gonna make all things good in the end.
He’s remarkable. And, um, and all of these things, not to be confused at all.
I’m gonna read this to you. Hopefully, it comes out right.
That these verses that we’re looking at and the ones that we’re gonna be studying here, um, the term would be that there’s symbiotic and characteristic.
If that doesn’t help you, then the word would mean that they’re homogeneous in structure.
If that doesn’t help you, then it would be that they are united. God’s words united.
They’re bound together. One word to the other bound together.
One book of the Bible bound together to the other from Genesis through Revelation bound together. No contradictions.
Perfect harmony with one thing in mind that the ultimate destination for the believer is before the throne of god and worship forever in him and to enjoy him forever and his new creation that he’s gonna bestow upon us.
But in that same sovereignty, God must be just.
And for those who do not want him, to those who do not care to have him in their lives, They would rather reject god from their lives.
What what has got to do with them? Think now, friends, before we get going here, think now.
There are those who want to go to heaven. I’m one of them.
I’m telling you right now, I want to go to heaven.
One of the biggest reasons I’m not joking, One of the biggest reasons why I wanna go to heaven is because I’ve read my bible to find out that when I get to heaven, there’ll be nothing left of the old jack.
The old jack will be gone.
Number one reason for for me to get to heaven, I, me, the part that I battle with, the fallen part will not be there.
I’ll be completely redeemed by the blood of the lamb. And I look so forward to that.
I will be the absolute, glorified person that god wants me to be, and that’s how he does it by the blood of Jesus.
It’s like, who would you like to say goodbye to you forever? Me.
Well, uh, what would you like to enjoy forever?
Jesus, I want geez goodbye to me. Hello Jesus.
That is what it’s gonna be like, but what about people who don’t want Jesus? Think about it.
You know people like that right now. You and I know them. They don’t want him.
They think his word is a joke.
He all they do is grumble about him, even though they deny his existence, or or they or some just absolutely hate him.
What has got to do with them? Put yourself for a moment in god’s sandals. What would you do?
Do you make them go to heaven? Why not? Think about it.
Just make them go. Well, first of all, if they’re up there, Who wants a bunch of griping, moaning people in heaven?
I don’t wanna be here. Of course not. You know where I’m going with this.
In god’s sovereignty, There are those who want nothing to do with god. Here’s the punch.
We learned some of this last week.
Ferro, God said, I want to show my glory and my power through pharaoh.
That’s all god said. Farrow had a choice to honor god or not.
And you remember last week, pharaoh chose to dishonor god.
And so the Bible says that when pharaoh hardened his heart, the Bible says god hardened pharaoh’s heart.
And then it says that pharaoh hardened his heart again, and the Bible says, then god harden furls hard again.
And that is a very important truth to keep in mind.
In god’s sovereignty.
We saw the fact that the good, good sovereignty of god is rooted in his character, who he is, that he himself is righteous, he himself is merciful.
We learned that he himself is compassionate. We study that in detail.
All of these things explain the fact that god’s character is rooted in these beautiful attributes.
And then we saw in verses 16 to 18 that god’s good, good sovereignty is anchored to his justice.
Justice. I mentioned this last week, I sound like a broken record because it was mentioned even more again in this week’s news.
Justice. I’m sick of hearing about the word.
There is no justice apart from god.
The only way that this nation worked in the first place is because our founding fathers read and listened to some like John Locke, who in his 2 volume writing, on government references the Bible 1500 times.
Right now, we have an interesting dynamic going on in well, it’s not in our nation, exactly, in England, but Richard Dawkins continues now to make comments about what’s going on in the world.
You guys all know who Richard Dawkins is? He’s probably the most famous atheist And I love him.
I just love him. He if you’ve never seen the great debate, it’s called the great debate at the Museum of Natural History in London, England, between John Lennox and Richard Dawkins.
It’s one of the greatest debates you’ll ever see in your life. You ought to watch it.
Millions have watched it. Dawkins now is saying, I would rather live in a world where there’s people who believe in Christ and believe in the Bible and believe in Christianity than in a world that doesn’t.
This is an atheist. He’s waking up. Uh, pray for him.
And and I here’s the reason why I love him.
He he he does he says god does not exist, and then he then he gets all upset about how the universe is being run.
He’s all upset about evil in this world.
Listen, we’re sick about the evil in the world. We’re not upset about it.
We know where it came from, and we know where it’s going, hallelujah.
It’s part of the fall.
He doesn’t understand that yet, but you want justice We’d learned this about god’s justice.
Verse 16, we learned that god is just in all of his plans.
In verse 16, we learned so then it is not him of him who wills, that man, you and I do not will this or that into being.
We may be been given some sovereignty, but it’s choice of what we do with what’s presented to us.
It’s a choice we make with what’s been given to us.
We don’t will this into existence or will that out of existence.
And then the Bible says, nor is it of him who runs, you cannot put forth enough effort to change the plan of god And this is where faith must be implemented.
When we talk about what god has put into place, we must remember that god very nature is love.
And what god does, he does out of love.
And you remember that in this world of all this trying time in which we’re in that god is love.
He’s not happy about all this stuff that’s going on in the world around us. Grieves is heart.
He even told us in advance. These things would happen.
We learned also that god is just in his plans where it says, but it is but it’s god or of god who shows mercy.
That is so key. You ought to circle those few words right there. God is the one who shows mercy.
See, god’s god’s sovereignty cannot be mean. It cannot be ill. It cannot be unfair.
God’s mercy cannot be unjust because he’s a god of mercy. Malibuya.
You may have been taught differently that there’s nothing you can do about it, but god chose you to go to hell, and that’s the way it is.
But I don’t wanna go too bad. That’s not true.
That’s very weak, by the way, thinking.
There’s an almost, I don’t know, violent demand to the Christian if you think about it, the Christ follower, to fall into the arms of the awesome joyful sovereign God of mercy.
When I say there’s almost a violent demand, when you think about the the ramifications of sin and the fallen nature of man, this god of the Bible comes on the scene and says, come to me and be saved.
The Bible says of him, come to me, and I’ll be your fortress. And I’ll be your strong tower.
Will you run to him? Will you come to him with that invitation? Nope.
Not gonna do it. God throughout all eternity knew that you would say that today.
Did you know that? By his foreknowledge, He knew that when you were given the chance to believe that Christ died in the cross, according to the scriptures, rose again from the dead according to the scriptures, that when given the opportunity to choose Christ, according to the scriptures, you would say no.
God knew that before time ever began.
He didn’t preprogram you like a Tesla that this is what you’re supposed to do.
He gives you opportunity. That’s his great plan.
And we saw also this in verse 17, and we’re just about where we left off.
And that is god is just in his actions.
God’s actions are just verse 17th says for the scripture that is the Bible says that the pharaoh for this very purpose, I have raised you up that I may show my power in you, and it blows my mind that people so easily skip over the fact that pharaoh was not preprogrammed to destruction based on god’s foreknowledge based on god’s foreknowledge, god knew what pharaoh would decide.
And so in predestination, pharaoh was on the course for destruction.
Do you do you get that? Do you hear that? It’s quiet in here.
Why is it so quiet? Are you getting this?
It’s important that you get this, and it make you much more happier, Christian, by the way, if you do.
We also learned this in verse 1718, and this is where we we left off.
And that is god is just in his purpose or in his response, I should say, his response.
God has anchored in his justice And it’s his response that my name, that’s god’s name, may be declared in all of the earth.
Therefore, he has mercy on whom he wills and whom he wills he hardens.
You just write down right next to that margin or right to that open space in your Bible based on god’s foreknowledge.
Can you do that based on god’s foreknowledge?
And you could write down Romans chapter 8 verse 28 to verse 30.
The book of Hebrew is under this says in Hebrews 3 verse 12. Beware. Watch out.
This is the writer. I I believe it’s the Apostle Paul.
It’s irrelevant, but I believe Paul wrote the book of Hebrews and for good reason.
He’s he’s a he’s a Hebrew himself speaking to Hebrews who’ve come out of Judaism and have claimed to embrace Christ as Messiah.
He says beware, brethren, lest there be, in any of you, an evil heart of unbelief.
In departing from the living god. That’s a strong statement. Watch out. Listen. Number 1, watch everybody.
You and I do we’re not sovereign in the area of knowing everything. Are we? We don’t know everything.
We know that we’ve been given a pinch of sovereignty to choose. So watch this.
When that warning goes out from the book of Hebrews, beware, watch out.
List your heart itself become hardened, you experience unbelief. How do you and I take that verse?
Do we ignore it? Do we say, oh, I’m a believer. I don’t need to pay attention to that.
You ought not to do that. Here’s what you ought to do.
You ought to answer that verse with Romans chapter 10 verse 17.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of god. What are we supposed to do about that warning?
We are supposed to consume god’s truth. Be with god’s people. Do church together.
Do ministry together. I mean, look at listen. Do fellowship together. How can you how can you re refuse?
That invitation to go on the fishing trip.
By the way, Jordy, after falling into the pond caught a terrible cold, and no.
I’m kidding. No. I was just joking.
The things that those kids will do to get you to sign up The things that god has done to get you to sign up.
To proclaim Jesus Christ is lord.
To know him personally so much so that even death, if it were to come to you, you would embrace it because you know, it’s a door that takes you into his presence.
Or if threats came upon you, you would not tremble or fear. Because you have already gone through that.
You have trumbled at his word. You have put your awe before the almighty god.
And he knows. And I love it. God has given us such a great response.
It is god’s will, that his name be declared in all of the earth.
The question is before you in verse 18, what do you want?
Do you wanna have mercy given to you by god?
Or do you wanna dig your heels in and have your heart hardened?
Because god will eventually agree with your heart. You don’t want me?
I’ll leave you to yourself.
I can’t think of anything worse for an individual that experiences god’s departure.
You don’t want me? Then I’ll go.
I have a question for you. Is America going through a hard time right now?
Or has America left god. I don’t know.
I don’t wanna be quick to say because both of those words are terrifying to me.
Look, I’m old. I could die today. My life has been awesome.
God has done exceedingly abundantly beyond what I could ever ask of him, but I’ve got kids.
And I’ve got grandkids. It was just me.
Let’s check out, but it’s not just me.
And as I speak, probably some of your families even having babies now, that being the case, will we fight for what is right?
Will we fight for righteousness? What will we do? Oh, I don’t get involved in that stuff. No. No.
You don’t. That’s exactly how we got here. All the lunatics get involved, and that’s how we got here.
But listen, you say, well, you know, god knows what’s up.
God knows He’s invited you to be involved. He’s invited you to share Christ.
He’s invited you to make sure that the gospel is alive in you.
That you’re not just a Christian, a name, or title, but you’re an actual Christian.
Because I know that being a Christian’s like, you can you’re gonna get ridiculed. I know. And let’s be honest.
We agree with the world when they ridicule us. Let’s let’s be honest.
The when the world attacks us, I agree with them 99% of it.
Those that’s a self inflicted wound by the church in America, all committed to all these other things, looking like a circus on a Sunday morning.
Looks like a sideshow. Preaching without the gospel?
Uh, a Christ without a cross?
Oh, I want the Jesus that’s gonna make me rich.
I want the Jesus that’s gonna make me happy.
Now I want the Jesus that paid the price to get me to heaven and that he’s walking me through this world who is bring with me as many men and women and boys and girls as is possible until the time runs out on my life.
And he knows that day. That is the sovereignty of God. He knows the day that I leave here.
Did you know that? Your day’s number. He knows the day you’re checking out. Was that great?
Have you ever called the hotel when it’s time to go and and your wife’s not re I mean, your husband’s not ready?
Your your husband’s not ready to leave, and you gotta call the front desk and say, can we ask about a late checkout?
You’re not gonna get the desk.
Michael’s not gonna pick up the phone in heaven and say, Lord, he’s asking for a later checkout.
Nope. We don’t do that here.
At just the right moment, you came into this world, and at just the right moment, you’re gonna leave this world.
And in between those two moments, you had the opportunity to accept Christ or not. To follow Jesus.
And as a believer to obey him, the Bible says in 1st John 4, verse 14, And we have seen John said and testify that the father has sent the son as savior of the world.
Oh, wait. The s as savior of the world? Let me here.
I’m gonna step on somebody’s doctrine here in a moment.
Just but just get it out there real far so I don’t miss.
John says we’re making we are testifying that god sent his son to be savior of the World.
Why didn’t John say savior of the elect only?
Why didn’t John say for for to be the savior of the chosen, to be the savior of the predestined?
To be the savior of the 4 knowledge ones. He could’ve. He could’ve, but he didn’t.
You wanna know why? Jesus Christ died for the world.
And that’s the fact that his out the sins of mankind.
And for you to reject that is the ultimate hell.
I don’t believe that’s too much suffering. That’s too terrible.
You have no idea how terrible it is. You wanna know why. Neither do I.
Apparently from scripture to reject what Jesus did, the innocence of Christ on the cross for the sins of all the world was so great of a price paid.
That in god’s sovereignty, which is holy, hell is the only answer.
And sometimes I wonder in god’s goodness if maybe even hell is mitigated in his mercy. I don’t know.
I dare not say, but for somebody to say, I think it’s horrible that the god of the Bible sends people to help.
God sends nobody there. He paid the price for no one to go there.
There are people hell bent on getting there, and they don’t want anything to do with them.
Get this god away from me. He’s an intrusion in my life. He interrupts things in my life.
I don’t want him in my life. And it breaks his heart.
Now, listen, god sent his son as savior of the world.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the entire world accepted his offer?
Verse 15 proves what I just said, uh, that second ago whoever. Not everybody.
Whoever. Are you a whomever?
If you say I’m not a whoever, then you’re not a whoever. You are correct.
You’re not a whoever. If you’re saying, well, I wanna be whoever, than you’re a whoever.
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of god That’s a by the way, that’s a statement of deity there.
We don’t get this in the Western world. Jesus never claimed to be god.
You can you don’t know what Bible you’re reading. But this is one verse right here that that says it.
When when g when when you confess Jesus is the son of god, It’s exactly the same thing, and everybody in the middle east understands it perfectly to say that is to say Jesus is god.
The father is god. The son is god. The Holy Spirit is god. One god.
See, oh, that’s possible. How is that possible?
I don’t even I don’t know how it’s possible. It’s one god that manifests himself in 3 personalities.
It’s too hard. No. I I got it pastor. It’s like an egg. It’s not like an egg.
It’s like water. It’s not like water. You can’t you can’t describe him.
You’ve ever seen the statue Janice? I saw Janice.
I think it’s in the Vatican.
Janice is the idol is the you know, somebody January is named after Janice.
The goddess or the god. Jan listen, January looks ahead and it looks back.
The beginning of the new Pega, New Year, Janice looks ahead and looks back. Some investment firm is called Janice.
It looks back and it looks ahead. It’s 2 face, though. It was a 2 faced god.
When you study about Janice, it’s 2 faced. Well, doesn’t that make god with 3 faces?
Janice was 2 separate gods.
One one god looking in two different ways, but 2 separate gods and paganism.
The god of the bible is 1.
And it took god the father to send god the son to die on the cross to be resurrected by god, the Holy Spirit, because you are worth it.
Isn’t that amazing? I don’t know how you’re feeling today, but this ought to this ought to begin to help that.
Listen. According to god’s word, you’re worth it. You’re worth it.
Watch you’re you’re worth it, not because you can play the piano.
You’re worth it, not because you’re so cute.
You’re worth it, not because you this, that or the other, you’re worth it because he has sovereignly put value on you.
He did that. He did that.
You look at you and you value you a certain value. Let’s be honest.
Even if you’re the most conceited stuck up person in this room, and you think you’re amazing.
That we’re all so blessed to be in your presence.
God looks past all of that sin of yours and says, because you’ve been created in my image, because I love you sovereignly.
I’ve invited you to be in my family. What will you do with the invitation?
Now god knows the decision you’re gonna make, but he doesn’t make you make the decision.
Amazing.
That verse goes on to say that there’s it still continues that verse.
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of god, god abides in him and he and god.
And we have known and believed the love that god has for us.
This is a characteristic of god’s nature. Here it is. God is what? Love.
And he who abides in love abides in god and god in him.
I don’t feel love. Tough. God loves you. I’m not feeling it today.
Doesn’t matter. He loves you. That’s a life of faith. You wake up? This is it. God loves me.
I’m gonna I’m gonna give that love back to god. I’m gonna live my life.
Thirdly, verses 19 to 21, is this god’s good, good sovereignty is established in its purposes, established in its purposes.
And it brings us to an interesting portion here. We have our questions. Don’t we?
We have our questions. Verse 19 says, you will say to me then, how does he still find fault?
For who has resisted his will. But indeed, o man, who are you to reply against god?
See, listen. Paul, if you’re telling me this about his mercy, but he hardens whom he will harden and he has compassion on whom he has compassion.
Watch this So you’re telling me that it’s all written down, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
It’s a done deal. So who’s to blame here?
I love this. This is exactly the common conversation on the street today, 2000 years later.
So wait a minute. If some are chosen and some aren’t, How can god find fault with me?
That’s to look at this in a surface level.
It’s to violate the scripture and not understand the full counsel of god.
And, listen, whenever we do not understand god’s counsel, god’s word, we do the exact same thing.
We begin to reply against god. The question is.
It’s not wrong to have questions. By the way, how many do you have teenagers in your life?
Raise your hand. Raise your hand. That’s it. Wait a minute.
So, hopefully, we don’t have a youth service at this hour about your It’s Sunday.
They’re all in they’re all sleeping still. Maybe. But, um, listen.
How many of you have little kids? How many of you are retired?
Raise your hands. That’s it. There we go.
Oh, I forgot. I forgot this was first service. Silly me.
Well, that analogy went out the window.
Do you remember when When your little child came to you and they just asked questions, I mean, they just asked questions.
Did you know god made them like that? They asked questions and listen.
They know they’re so smart, but they’re so little when they they ask this huge thing. Mom, dad.
What is it? How do birds fly? Well, like this, and they do this.
And then mom, dad, what?
New worms young, So where does this come from?
All of it’s beautiful. You wanna know why they’re creating the image of god, and they’re human?
Okay? And they ask questions because they’re thinking about it right then and there, and they gotta get an answer.
You gotta give them an answer.
When you’re when your kid asks you, Dan, why did Jesus go to the cross?
You better get them an answer. Don’t say, I don’t know. Ask your mom.
You better not say, I don’t know. Oh, don’t do that.
That is a very divine appointment right then and there. We all have questions.
We just need to get them answered properly.
Colossians chapter 1 verse 21 says and you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he is reconciled.
He’s created the opportunity for us to be made up.
I wanna share this beautiful quote from RW Newell. RW Newell, great, uh, pastor of yesterday.
Tells of a conversation he was having with a man that he had sat down next to on a train.
The conversation went in the direction of faith and belief in god.
At some point in the conversation, Newell described that he asked the young man if he believed in Jesus Christ as lord and savior.
The young man burst out loud and laughed her saying, well, If I’m part of the elect, then I’ll be going to heaven.
And if I’m not part of the elect, there’s no use in me worrying about it anyway.
To that, I sharply rebuked him with these words.
The Bible says, Truly, these times of ignorance got overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.
That word is metanoia to change your mind because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained.
He has given assurance of this to all what’s the what’s the proof of coming judgment by raising him from the dead.
What a tremendous statement? Well, if I I don’t I don’t think about spiritual things because I’m either going or I’m not.
Listen, that is sloppy thought, sloppy thinking, fatalistic, and it’s wrong.
Anybody who would admit that kind of logic is somebody who has a problem with god, of course, or even believes in him at all.
Questions. They’re normal. People are gonna ask questions.
Peter tells us we need to be ready always to give people the answer.
To the questions they ask of us and with that with respect. We also learn about motives.
We not only have questions, but we have motives in verse 20.
Well, the thing formed, say to him who formed it, why have you made me this?
Now this is a reference to Jeremiah. We’ll hear more of this in a moment.
God formed us. He created us.
Boy, we could sure go off on this right now in the 21st century. God created us.
Oh, dare I say it? Maybe I should just turn myself into the jail to the police station after I say it.
Can you feel it? Here it comes. It’s coming. It’s right about here. Right about now.
God says that he formed you. Okay.
And he formed us male and female He created us, male and female. He created them.
God did that. God did that. I can’t believe God did that. Well, god is the perfect scientist.
He’s the perfect biologist. Perfect chemist. He knows that a build everything, including the family. Yes.
You know what it’s doing? Look, just because we crash relationships on our own without god, does it mean you can make up any gender you want that works.
None of the made up gender’s work. Look, the 2 that he did make that work barely work.
Without him. Okay? Without him, it’s just the crazed sex free for all.
But with him, it is an enduring relationship that displays a relationship with god himself.
The closest thing that you can experience in this life apart from god being with us should be the state of marriage.
Did you know that? That’s why marriage is hard. Married is difficult.
Mister Chisholm a ministry.
I love this group participation. The best.
So imagine shall this shall the thing formed?
Can you imagine there’s the the wheel of spinning, the potters working on the clay, the clay’s water forming it must hitting it, squeezing it, starting again, and then he makes this whatever it is, and he takes it off.
And he sets this little figuring there that he made. And then the figurine starts talking backed up.
He said, oh gosh. That’s ridiculous. Isn’t it, though? The figure research talking.
Why’d you make me like this? I wanted to be taller. I wanted to be shorter.
My nose is too big. What’s going on here?
You say, well, that’s so silly. That would never happen.
It it’s what we did.
He created us, and then we say, what’s up? Why have you made me with us?
Remarkable. All of a sudden, this is getting real personal for all of us.
Because we’ve all turned to him with a motive of, I know, listen, god god, can you just sit down?
Let me tell you how it’s going to go.
That’s the clay telling the pot or how to do stuff.
And the biggest thing to this is our pride.
Some of you are not liking what I’m saying right now. Honey, we’re not coming back here next week.
I understand that, but just know this. If I’ve said something wrong, then find fault with it.
If you don’t like me as a person, get in line. That’s fine. But truth is truth.
And god made us as clay and he’s and he’s formed us.
And then he sets us there, and it’s best for us to say, actually, it’s best for the pottery to just bow down.
Instead, we start mouthing off. Uh, remember that guy he’s in big trouble now.
I think he’s in jail or he’s dead. I’ll just say his name.
Remember, uh, Bill Bill Cosby? Yes.
He he on one on one of his, uh, stand up comedian sessions, He he was reminding his kids that were being rebellious.
He told his son, listen, it is one thing is certain.
Your mother and I, Look, I brought you into this world, and it is certain I can take you out.
And he said that to his teenager.
Now he’s being cute, but we laugh because there’s a bit of truth to that.
You may not do it, but you may want to do it. God who made you?
What are you doing with the life god gave you?
Is it all about you? Is it all yours?
You see this thing that is formed has no standing, even to ask a question.
Who are we to question god? This thing has no capability of even asking the right question.
By the way, if you’re an employer, you wanna know how to hire people?
Well, they got their degree from USC. That’s definitely not how to hire people or MIT, apparently.
So here’s how you hire people. I’m I’m dead serious. This is free.
Has not do the bible studies. Ask them questions.
See how they respond to the questions, then give them opportunity to ask questions.
You will find more about their personal, their personality, EQ. There’s IQ.
IQ is not that big of a deal. You can fix IQ. You can’t fix EQ.
Their emotional stability is set. You can make people smart if you’re patient.
But the inside of them is set.
And you can ask somebody questions and then let them have the opportunity to ask you questions back.
And you’ll learn more about that potential employee than you could ever imagine by how and what they ask in the form of questions.
Questions? Job asked god a lot of questions.
There were some of them brilliant questions. Some of them out of sheer pain and brokenness.
According to the thing formed, we have no relevance to the reality that we’re actually in.
We don’t understand it. Let’s be honest. We have no relevance to the reality that we’re in.
Right now, right where we’re at. Explain to me. Explain to me how tomorrow’s gonna go.
Explain to me how what is this? This is an election year. How’s that gonna work out?
Explain to me how that’s gonna work.
Explain to me how the world’s in the the wars in the world that are going on right in.
Explain to me how that’s gonna work out. We must be so humble for our maker.
That we can’t even relate to what is relevant around us because we’re so blind.
And we write books and we go on circuits and we have TV shows and we are pundits on this and pundits on that, and god in heaven laughs.
We are just clay, but, apparently, love god loves to play in the dirt because he loves you.
Romans chapter 3 verse 10 says, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.
There is none who understands There is none who seeks after god. They have all turned aside.
They have altogether become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues, they have practiced deceit.
The poison of ice, venomous snakes is under their lips.
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood.
Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of god before their eyes. This is god’s assessment of the human race.
What did he do with it? He sent his son to die in the crust for it.
Because you are a forever living soul and god wants you in heaven with him.
Isaiah 64 verse 5, we need to be saved.
The scripture says, but we are all like an unclean thing, and all of our righteousness starts filthy rags.
We all fade as a leaf. And our inequities like the wind have taken us away.
Tremendous. And then thirdly, verse 21, it is this. We have our opportunity.
Does not the potter have power of the clay? Of course.
From the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another to dishonor?
He said, well, Jack, isn’t this proof that god makes some people to go to hell and some people not to go?
No. No. Make watch your are are you awake? Yes.
I still have notes, but we’re we’re out of time. So we have to make this work.
You would look at this verse.
There are people who look at this verse and say, you’ve got read verse 21, dude.
You’re you’re like that guy that Newell was talking about. It’s set. You can’t do a thing about it.
Here, they’re going on your knot. You you’ll find out. Nothing you can do about it.
Watch. Does not the potter have power? The answer is yes.
Um, when the potter makes something on the potter’s wheel, is it an accident?
Why is it not an accident?
The reason why it’s not an accident is because the potter had the image that he was making in his mind.
It’s not that he’s just a potter.
He’s got the skills, but what preempts the skills? What’s in his knowledge? Are you hearing me?
4 knowledge preempts the clay on the wheel.
He knows that when he’s done, even even though he hasn’t even started on it yet, he knows what it’s going to do when it’s sitting on the pedestal.
Is it gonna talk back, or is it gonna bow down? He knows what it’s going to do.
The potter has built into the clay responsibility to choose on its own.
So that if they wind up in hell, they get all the blame themselves.
He didn’t want them to go there.
If they go to heaven, it’s because he provided the way of salvation.
And he gets all the glory.
Remarkable opportunity when Christ knocks on your heart. What would you do with that? Opportunity?
I’ll end here with this.
2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 19 says nevertheless, the solid foundation of god stands having this seal.
Oh, I love this. The lord knows those who are his church When did the lord know those who are his?
Let me put you this way. Did god ever learn Nope. So how long?
When did god know those who are his? Internally? For knowledge.
For the lord knows those who are his and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from inequity.
But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold in silver, but also of wood and clay and some of for honor and some for dishonor.
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the ladder, Well, when you insert the word, therefore, if anyone, you have a choice in the matter.
Don’t you? Cleanses himself repents from the ladder. He will be a vessel for honor. Excuse me.
What? You mean, you can change the perceived bit of clay that you are, does this mean that you can be a peace Clay in this audience right now heading to hell, and you can find out that you don’t wanna be a a vessel of dishonor, but a vessel of honor?
Yes. It does. Sanctified and useful for the master’s use.
You might be saying, I want that. Prepared for every good work. I want that. Great.
Fleet also youthful lust, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with all those who call on the lord out of a pure heart, but avoid foolish and ignorant disputes knowing that they generate strife.
The whole thing is this. You may be a vessel of dishonor right now.
But you’re you just heard this and you wanna you wanna change. You want that changed.
I’m gonna ask you to bow your heads right now. I’m gonna ask you to pray with me.
All of us together. I’m gonna ask all of you to remain seated.
Heavenly father in Jesus name, almighty god we come.
And we ask of you, lord, that in a moment when this soul You know who that is?
This one soul. Responds by today’s message saying, I get it.
I finally get it. I wanna be a vessel of honor.
I wanna be in the master’s house. I wanna be in the master’s hands.
I wanna be on the potter’s wheel, and I wanna be a vessel that he loves.
And I understand today that I need to agree with god.
I need to repent of my sin. I need to agree with god. It is wrong what I’ve been doing.
It’s wrong, and I know it’s wrong. I have sinned against god. And I’m here today.
God, I didn’t even realize it, but I’m here today. To have my life changed forever.
I didn’t know that when I walked into this building, but I hear it now.
And I have a chance to change my life because I wanna be, uh, whoever.
That’s me today, god.
As we play this song, I’m gonna ask you right now, without fanfare, without any pressure.
You’re smart. You’re not silly.
That uncomfortable pressure you’re feeling inside of your chest right now, that very uncomfortable unsettling feeling that’s god speaking to you saying, get up, and let’s close this deal and your soul forever.
Let’s settle this once and for all, become my child, become a son of the living god, a daughter of the living god.
If god is speaking to you, please obey him.
And I’m gonna ask you to get up and come forward and stand up front here at the base of this platform, and I’ll pray with you in a moment, but I’m not gonna beg you.
He’s speaking. I’m not speaking to you. He’s speaking to you. Get up and come without delay.
If you’re in the courtyard overflow, come now. Come quickly. Without delay, you come.
Right now, those of you here, Will you pray this nice and loud?
Church family, you wanna join them if you would? Dear lord Jesus? Dear lord Jesus. I’m a sinner.
I have done wrong and I have offended you. I ask you to forgive me.
Based upon the cross of Christ. Based on the cross of Christ. Who died for me?
Die for
me. And rose again from the dead. That is my confession.
That Jesus Christ is lord.
And I receive him now as my savior. And I thank you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen. Amen. Amen.