From Valley to Victory (Part 13)

Well Rogers was so well known for his short scripts.

Once he said there are two inherent in American history. The passing of the buffalo and the passing of the buck while excuse making. Making excuses is been as old as creation itself. Our generation has perfected the art of excuse making. I was reading the other day about a judge he was asking a motorist is how did it happen to hit the other car an amazing was really my wife's fault, she fell asleep in the backseat when the father asked her college-age son. His son, how come you flunked the semester is your dad this semester. I thought, architect, basket weaving course thinking that I'll get us at least to get a may. But then two Navajos enrolled in the class and to raise the level and flunked, but I really love the story that vans have no summary might know that name was a great man. Vans have not said tell the story about a pastor who ran into a lapsed member in the store and he said well I haven't seen your church in a while. Is it well you know it's like you know the kids were sick and then it rained and it rained and it rained is it was always dry inside the church is in the other two test in Romans chapter 10 I hope returned to it with me. God is making it clear in his word that when it comes to salvation.

There is no one has an excuse for not accepting Jesus's gift of forgiveness and eternal life no excuse the full responsibility of rejecting God's only means of salvation, namely the Lord Jesus Christ is squarely on the head of the individual who has done the rejection notice of your following a series of messages from Roman you remember when we looked at chapter 8 and nine. We saw one side of the coin. This is a two-sided court.

We saw one side was of the sovereignty of God in the plan of God.

The election we saw that the work of God's election in Rome understand the apostle Paul shows us the other side of the coin. Make no mistake about it. It is a two sided coin man's responsibility and God's sovereignty.

Hear the word of God is saying that if a person dies without Christ. It is not because he was not elected but because he or she has rejected God's loving invitation of forgiveness and eternal life. In acts chapter 17 the apostle Paul particular verses 30 and 31. The apostle Paul was speaking to the opinions and he said the time of ignorance as before Christ the time of ignorance God has overlooked, but now, after Christ. He commands all men everywhere to repent. For he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world with righteousness by the man Jesus and for proof. He raised him from the dead five times in Romans chapter 10 Paul places the full responsibility for rejecting God's plan of salvation squarely upon the heads of those who reject do the rejection you see it in verse eight, 11, 12, 16, 21, in fact, verse 21. The concluding verse here in this chapter 10 includes a very poignant plea on the part of God but concerning Israel, he God says all day long upheld my hands to disobedient and obstinate people.

In fact, if you have ever asked the question and I'm sure some of you have.

If you have ever asked the question, why don't all people believe in Christ, what, why would anyone reject the loving invitation of Christ to realize that question. Chapter 10 gives you the answer. In fact, here he gives us for reasons as to why people reject the invitation to come to know Christ and repent and believe in him and be eternally saved. First of all, he said they rejected Jesus out of misguided zeal, verses 1 to 4. Secondly, they reject Jesus by the misdirected efforts you found that in verses 5 to 13. Thirdly, he said. They reject Jesus because of a deliberate mishearing of the message. 14 to 17. Finally he said that reject Jesus out of sheer disobedience and stubbornness verses 18 to 21 misguided zeal, misdirected efforts, deliberate mishearing and sheer stubbornness. Let's look at these very quickly. First of all, misguided zeal, I think you agree with me that there is no more tragic situation than a sincere person who is sincerely wrong. We see it on television.

Just about every night examples of how religious zeal for those people got mad and kill in the name of the religion. Suicide bombers will kill themselves and kill other innocent people thinking that they can receive paradise. In exchange of killing misguided religious zeal, and who will better understand a misguided religious zeal than the apostle Paul himself out of his religious zeal and zeal for Judaism. He authorized the killing of the first? Or Stephen even when he had an encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.

He was on his way to go and terrorize the believers in the city of Damascus look at the zeal of so many people put their coats with OB Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons or Scientology and the rest of it not have to confess to you, I find those zeal puts me to shape their zeal for falsehood puts me to shame.

For my lack of zeal.

What I know the truth. Listen carefully.

If Christians believers have have the seal for their faith, as some of the others on talk about those in the Colts group can literally evangelize the world.

If we have half of the zeal I am absolutely convinced of this but the lukewarmness of most believers is keeping God in a constant state of nausea and totally preventing any possibility of a revival. I am convinced as I'm standing here today all how easy it is for people who can be zealous for the denominational for up programmer for a project of politics or sports or church traditional hundreds of other way and yet they totally lost spiritually. Look at verse two. Religious zealousness without knowledge is deadly. That is eternally deadly and you heard me many times in our site, they are die.

Religion kills but Jesus gives life. So not only did the misguided zeal because the rejection of Christ. Secondly, there misdirected efforts equally hard. Verses 5 to 13.

You know in these nine verses, that's 5 to 13. The apostle Paul saying listen I'm not been reported in modern-day language.

Okay, you don't have to go anywhere to find salvation you don't have to go to the Far East to study mysticism to find salvation is not there and you don't have to go to the forest climb up a tree or hug a tree to find salvation is not there. You don't have to get our yoga cake to find salvation it's not there. Salvation is only found in Jesus Christ and he is close to you as calling his name as the word of God is saying that I'm not saying the Lord God look with me at verse 10. The word is near you, in your mouth in your heart. The only thing you need to do is repent with all of your heart confess Christ publicly with your mouth believe that he rose from the dead, and he is going to do the rest.

He is going to raise you from spiritual death to life. He will lift you up from their best.

It will save you eternally in many workers.

It is the simplicity of Christianity is the simplicity of the Christian gospel that causes a lot of people to stumble.

If you give them a complicated formula that will follow this a couple Christ with us too easy as I reject today is not a great deal of difference between the date of the apostle Paul in our day, except for this I believe with all my heart that those of us who are living in the West and these days are gonna have greater judgment than the days of the apostle Paul far greater judgment think with me. We have zillions of Bibles available to us.

We have zillions of Christian books and and available to us. We have zillions of Christian programs on radio and television in the media everywhere available to us. We have zillions of question seminars and conferences and conventions. It available to us, and yet we have distorted the gospel we have watered it down. We have taken all the rough edges to make it palatable to people by then end up not being the gospel. We have more knowledge available for us today and yet that knowledge seem to make us depart further from God's absolute truth listen to me. The hunger in people's heart today is being filled with all sorts of stuff you know will talk about stuff. Stuff that never satisfied and never will satisfy anyone. And yet we do all of that is to get away from being firmly established in the truth is in Jesus. American corporations are spending upwards of $4 billion a year on sensitivity training and on New Age consultants and all that seem to be doing is moving us backwards because we doing everything to get away from the truth, even among professing Christians.

There are so many head believers only very few hard believers under a very, very, very few for both heart and head. Romans 1010, Paul is saying that for a person to be genuine believer, the heart and the head have to be united making confession without faith would be in vain and their having an professing faith without confession is equally futile. Misdirected efforts is as long as I believe in God.

I'm not responsible for my behavior on the times have you heard that God created me this way. My uncontrollable anger was not really my fault. People make me angry as long as I'm sincere. God doesn't care how I live. I know God wants me to be happy and therefore my happiness is paramount and I know God will bless me now nine Paul is saying that all of these excuses will not wash with God. But the true faith of head and heart and behavior. They all must work together in sync in submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, amen belongs here today. There are many preachers who would say it doesn't matter if the resurrection really happened on that.

I know them. Some of them I've known well it doesn't matter if the resurrection happening as long as you just accepted by faith is doubletalk as gibberish as out of nonsense. Blind faith is not the Christian faith. Look at verse nine, Paul tells us that if you do not believe in the physical literal bodily resurrection of Jesus. You are as lost as those who have rejected Jesus out. I love the story of a courageous high school student few years ago from this church and where the teacher was intimidating her and try to say well you know there are so many messiahs who claim to be God that many messiahs who did this a minute and and she was in most professors, universities and colleges in high school. They tried to do that intimidate Christian kids, but this wonderful courageous young woman said ma'am. I believe in the one who rose from the not only is misguided zeal, dangerous not only misdirected efforts useless.

Preferably deliberately mishearing of the message can be just as deadly. Verses 14 to 70. God does not leave himself without a witness, God sends heralds and then announce the good news that God speaks through the family members serve as mutual neighbors in speech and coworkers God speaks through preachers and Bible teachers God speaks through physical circumstances.

I have some nonbelieving friends band when then troubles it will you pray for me.

You got understand that those difficult circumstances.

God's way of speaking.

Don't let them get off the hook. Let them know that God is forever speaking to those who truly hear and respond wholeheartedly are the ones who are saved, if I ask any believer to tell me how did you come to Christ with very few exceptions, which lets God use somebody or humor you several people lead me to himself. Someone cared enough for you to hear and respond to the message of salvation and when you heard it and called upon the name of the Lord you are saved into eternal life, my beloved, that is why my lives motivation.

What I'm talking to one on one, as I do often around speaking to 2 1/2 million people. It doesn't make any difference to me. It makes no difference whatsoever. I want people to hear me not mishear me then, after hearing the truth. My prayer is that their hearts would be convicted and they would believe the truth in Jesus and then there would call upon the name of the Lord and be saved but also encounter some who deliberately mishearing the word of truth deliberately. I don't let them get away with it. They deliberately mishear the truth and that deliberate mishearing of the truth is going to serve as a witness on the day when they stand before the High Court of God question. Why must every single believer every single believe that you cannot or will he speak it's my wife's minimal has an anonymous review can pass the buck on speaking to every believer around the world. Here why must every believer should be and must be a proclaimer of the truth. Why, because this is how the sovereign God chose for his truth to be disseminated for this truth to be revealed that so I chose it. Listen to me if I was a sovereign Lord and thank God I'm not, but Ava is a sovereign God, I would not have chosen me to do this I promise you I would've chosen me, don't get uppity when shows you either just in case. The bottom line is this. When you and I refuse to disseminate God's truth when you're not ignore the responsibility to tell others about God's truth when you're not my place our own self interest above the gospel message God we never lose your salvation, but is going to place you on the shelf.

If you ever been on the shelf and all are talking about if you and I refuse to tell our neighbors about Jesus, we, God is gonna look down from heaven and he says well you know what on the frustrated by your disobedience. I'm just going to put you on the shelf and I'm going to get somebody else who's obedient who's willing and using the problem is when that happens we are the ones who miss out on the joy and the blessing of seeing someone come to Christ, the one who miss out on them untold blessings of seeing a spiritually dead person rises to life.

The very reason why God chose Israel and Paul makes it clear here.

Even Moses made it very clear the reason God chose Israel so that they may be a light to the nations so that they would get Yahweh known to the pagans, but instead you know what they've done. They become so navelgazing and thought war.

God is a smart guy. He chose us. God is really bright guy who chose us know know know know God chose them to make his name known to the Gentiles. That's the purpose for calling them and because of their unwillingness to introduce others to the Jehovah God God withdrew his commission from Israel and he handed it to the church read it in every last part of the gospel. The four Gospels and the book of acts five times God has the commission to the church and of God.

11 listen to me if God withdrew his commission from the people whom Zechariah 28 sends the apple of his eye with. He hesitated for a moment of taking it from individual believers taken from a church travel to Europe you see with your eyes. Thousands of churches of turn to be museums for Taurus God departed. He said my spirit will not strive with man forever, and of God speaking to you listen to me and you constantly overriding the voice of the Holy Spirit. Be very careful because one day is going to stop speaking now nothing about salvation now. Don't force the hand of God to place you on the shelf and moving on with somebody who is willing is obedient question. Why would God place a disobedient child on the shelf and move on because God intends for his message to be heard not misheard. He wants the message to be pronounced.

He wants the message to be witness to. He wants the message to be spoken, spoken truthfully. He wants to be revealed to others through us for this is the way he said my sheep hear my voice, and then respond to me. Verse 15 how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news here. The apostle Paul is quoting from the Old Testament book of Isaiah particular chapter 52 in verse seven, was amazed at the way God works in order and I hope that I will be until the day takes me home that never lose that kind of wonder and amazement about the sovereign God working in different ways with different people. Sometimes he chooses most unlikely people he does in fact most often I heard so many stories through the years with the one that stuck with me when a friend of mine told me the story. He was embarrassed by the state in America or were in England is a high, talking lawyer. The other is for the best in England is a high cotton lawyer. He was very successful and one that he finishes work in the court in London. He was going in the truck sitting in the trance reading the newspaper and a semi-homeless man sat across from him and he tapped on the newspaper and my friend push his paper down the gutter system. Sir Dino Jesus, yes, thank you very much.

The man would give up… That sure reports of paper down since I Dino Jesus, yes, thank you very much. Reports of paper back up again. He kept doing this until my friend got so irritated he got off a station early before his where is homeless erotica neck strain disguise aggravating me but then he goes home he's eating dinner. The voices ring in his ear Sir Dino Jesus goes to sleep. Sir Dino Jesus what's up in the morning and shaving Sir Dino Jesus because in the shower. Sir Dino Jesus and the voice kept ringing four days in his heirs until finally one day he grabbed the Bible and began to read and gave his life to Christ Sir Dino Jesus later on. Gave up a lucrative career in the law and rolled into seminary and literally help found an entire movement in England through holy Trinity Brompton.

His name is Sandy Miller. He told me the story personally.

Elizabeth was with me. God has used them uniquely to revive many of the church in London. Amazing work of God beloved God can take almost feeble efforts don't just pass the gift of the don't despise yourself. He can take the most feeble efforts and he can transform a life and that life can transform a whole lot of lives.

It was a Sunday school teacher who led Neil Moody to Christ as a young man, and DL Moody rock two continents for Christ problem today, very few people doing the work of announcing the good news of Christ.

But you know why you know why whether they know it or not they read deep down there ashamed of the gospel. They're afraid of rejection vast majority of believers today are spectators beloved, listen to me why miss out on the blessing years ago a lady walked up to deal Moody, Mrs. or Mr. Moody. I don't like the way you do evangelism.

His rod don't like it either. How do you do it just that I don't. Is it well, I rather do it the way I'm doing instead of your way of not doing it not only misguided zeal is dangerous not only misdirected efforts are useless not only deliberately mishearing leads to hardening of the heart, but forcefully and lastly repeated rejection out of stubborn pride will lead to God's ultimate judgment. Look at verses 18 to 21 beloved, if the announcing of the good news leads to hearing and hearing leads to believing the question is why not everybody believes what all the Jews in the time of Jesus did not believe in him as the Messiah. Well, it's very simple but effective in the early church all the villagers roared Jewish but there were small number one of everybody believed in him and that's a good question and I believe with all my heart I wanted to go home and read this passage, read it carefully particular the last few verses because you will see that this is the very question that has perplexed the apostle Paul is saying far from God being neutral toward the Jewish people.

He's persuaded them.

He pleaded with him him him he holds his hands all night like a parent was inviting a wayward child to come back home for hugs and kisses and warm welcome God said, I have my hands all up in my arms all day and night. But instead of responding to the invitation of mercy. They chose to remain disobedient and obstinate. Read the passage when you go home you cannot help but feel the anguish in the heart of the great Jewish apostle Paul and slowpoke comes to the end of chapter 10 of Romans and he comes full circle and he said he places hundred percent of the responsibility of rejecting Jesus squarely in the lap of those who rejected him. Beloved, on the day of judgment, no one, no one will be able to have a single excuse not one. No one will be able to save about. I sought him in my mystical experience, but I traveled the world to find him now because then they will know that all of the research were just running away from him not one will be able to say, but I sought God in my meditation speculation philosophizing for then they will know that all of these wild goose chases was just a way of running away from the truth. No one will be able to say, but I wasn't predestined I was not elected I was not chosen. No, no, I don't like the preacher.

Good luck with that one. I just didn't hear correctly.

No I just couldn't help myself. I wanted to live my way and I will be happy.

Scripture said the Romans to chapter 1, you are without excuse.

All men or woman without excuse. That is why my beloved friends that come to the end. I want to tell you this. Those who know must tell and those who hear must respond. I don't know what category ring whether you know I'm not telling whether you heard or not responding. I'm going to let the Holy Spirit work this one out in your life.

But as we bow our heads in prayer D your prayer wherever you are. Help Holy Spirit.

We pray with me.

Father, I thank you that you have never left yourself without a witness and for every one of the sound of my voice, whether they know about not telling whether they heard never responded Holy Spirit of God, would you move with power move with strength move with conviction and as you gathering your church in these last days as you gathering your sheet from all across the world are pray for Jesus sake that if it is a lost sheep today would come to that you will wake up your children was stop talking and begin walking for Jesus sake. Amen and amen and amen. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael.

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