THE LORD HAS STRETCHED FORTH HIS HANDS

Pastor James J. Barker

Text: ROMANS 10:1-21




INTRODUCTION:


1.     There is a noticeable change in the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, after chapter 8.  Chapters 9-11 are considered parenthetical.  In other words, if you were reading chapter 8 and then went straight to 12:1 you would not be conscious of any interruption in Paul’s reasoning.

2.     Romans chapters 9-11 deal primarily with the nation Israel (cf. 9:1-5; 10:1-4; 11:1).

3.     It is on the basis of these Scriptures (and others as well) that we firmly believe that God is not finished with the nation Israel.  God has committed Himself to bless the nation Israel.

4.     To no other nation has He said, “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).

5.     However today Israel is set aside nationally (individual Jews are still being saved), and today the Gospel is to be preached to all nations without distinction (Romans 10:9-13).

6.     I would like for us to focus this morning on Romans 10:21.  And as we study this portion of Scripture let us be careful to apply it to all people (cf. Rom. 3:23; 5:12).

7.     There is no question but that Romans 10:21 is dealing with the nation Israel.   Paul plainly says, “But to Israel he saith…”

8.     Furthermore, Paul is quoting from Isaiah 65, which also refers to Israel.  In Isaiah 65:2, they are referred to as “a rebellious people.”

9.     In the next verse, Isaiah 65:3, they are referred to as “a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face.”

10. Now that we have established the context, let us concentrate on the interpretation and the application.

 

I.      GOD’S MESSAGE TO THE JEWS & GENTILES

1.     Before He ascended into heaven, our Lord gave important instructions to His disciples.  He said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15, 16).

2.     The Bible teaches us that Jesus died for all, and that the Gospel must be preached to all.  When John the Baptist saw our Lord coming unto him, John said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29; cf. 3:16).

3.     In fact, as you study the Gospel of John, you see this truth over and over (cf. John 1:11-13, 29; 3:16, 17; 4:42).

4.     Paul says in Romans 1:16 that the Gospel of Christ “is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greek” (Gentile).

5.     This does not necessarily mean that Jews should be given priority in our soulwinning efforts, but it does mean we should sincerely try and reach them.

6.     I think Romans 1:16 means that chronologically the Gospel went to the Jew first.  This is an historical fact.

7.     Now let us consider Paul’s words in Romans 10 (cf. Rom. 10:12-18).  The Gospel is for “whosoever” (10:13).

8.     Charles Hodge was a Bible teacher at Princeton Seminary back when that school was one of the best in America.  Unfortunately it went liberal a long time ago. Back in 1882, Dr. Hodge wrote these words, “Christianity is, from its nature, adapted to be an universal religion.  There is nothing, as was the case with Judaism, which binds it to a particular location, or confines it to a particular people.  All its duties may be performed, and all its blessings enjoyed, in every part of the world, and by every nation under heaven” (A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, p. 552).

9.     Judaism is for the Jews, and Hinduism is for the Indians, Islam is for the Arabs, Buddhism is for the Chinese, Shintoism is for the Japanese, and so on.  But Christianity is for everyone (Rom. 10:12-18).

10. But what about Israel?  What about their stubborn unbelief?  How did God respond to their obstinacy?  Paul first quotes Moses from Deuteronomy 32:21. The “foolish nation” refers to the Gentiles.

11. It would be thought that since Israel was the first to hear the Gospel, they would have been the first to believe the Gospel.  But that has not been the case.

12. Next Paul quotes Isaiah 65:1 (Rom. 10:20).  Those who were not called by God’s name have enjoyed the blessings of salvation, while those who should have believed walked “in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts” (Isa. 65:2).

13. I was thinking of the terrible fire in Williamsburg, Brooklyn last week during the Passover celebration.  A Jewish family deliberately left a lit burner on their stove and this caused a fire, resulting in the death of three children.  “Strict religious practices on the Sabbath and holidays like Passover, which began Saturday at sundown, forbid Orthodox Jews from kindling or extinguishing a fire.  On Friday, the Matyas family turned on three burners, and put a layer of aluminum foil over the wooden paneling of the kitchen wall behind the stove to protect it from the heat, sources said.  On Sunday night, they asked a non-Jew in the building to turn off two of the three burners.  Yesterday, the paneling began to smolder from the heat of the remaining burner, sources said” (NY Post, April 26, 2005). (Cf. Isaiah 65:1-6).

 

II.   GOD’S MESSAGE TO SINNERS (10:9).

1.     One of the most precious words in the English language is the word “saved.”   Words cannot describe the joy I felt when I first understood what it meant to be saved.

2.     Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary says to be saved means to be “preserved from final and everlasting destruction; to be delivered and rescued from the power and pollution of sin.”

3.     Then after this definition, Noah Webster quotes two Scripture verses.  “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (I Timothy 1:15).  “And thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

4.     Unfortunately the modern Webster’s Dictionary leaves out the Bible verses.

5.     The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word “saved” this way – “delivered from damnation.”

6.     These are all good definitions.  Now let me ask you, have you been delivered from damnation?  Have you been rescued from the power and pollution of sin?

7.     Salvation is available to all. As we walk down the streets we see sin-scarred people on every hand.  We see people destroyed by lust, by drugs, by alcohol, and other terrible sins that are dragging them down into hell.

8.     Salvation is available to all.  As we open our newspaper we read horrible stories of rape, suicide, thievery, deceit, and numerous other reports of murder and mayhem. 

9.     “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).  This is one of the great texts of the Bible.  Let us not lose sight of the simplicity of the Gospel.  A child can believe the Gospel and be saved.

10. I cannot understand people who will not get this settled once and for all.  I ask people, “Are you saved?”  Some folks will reply, “I’m trying.”  But you are not saved by trying.  You are saved by believing (Rom. 10:9; John 3:16).

11. Some go a little further and say, “I’m trying to believe.”  Here is my response to that statement: Trying to believe whom?  God has already given us His Word.  You either believe Him and are saved or you do not believe Him and you are lost.

12. To be frank, I think it is insulting to God to say that you are trying to believe Him.  Is He not trustworthy?

 

III.    GOD’S HANDS WILL NOT REMAIN OUTSTRETCHED FOREVER

1.     Romans 10:21 says, “All day long I have stretched forth my hands…” Unsaved friend, it is presumptuous to think that God is going to keep waiting for you while you continue in your sin.

2.     There are two principles I would like to emphasize before I conclude my message this morning.

3.     First, God is gracious.  We see this all through the Bible.  He instructed Noah to build an ark.  Noah preached and Noah warned sinners but they would not listen. But the people in Noah’s day were a disobedient and gainsaying people.

4.     The LORD said in Genesis 6:3, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.”

5.     God would have spared Sodom & Gomorrah if there were only ten righteous people there, but alas there weren’t even that many!

6.     Over and over throughout the Bible we see the grace and mercy of God.  “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

7.     “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).

8.     Our Lord looked out over the city of Jerusalem and said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:37, 38).

9.     Note that last statement – “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”  This is our second principle – there is a limit to God’s patience.  The Holy Spirit will not always strive with man.

10. “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Pro. 29:1).

11. God’s hands will not stay outstretched forever.  If you are not saved why don’t you come to Christ today?

12. Maybe you are saved but you need to get some things right.  Why don’t you come up and pray and get things right with God today?

 

CONCLUSION:


1.     As we consider our Lord’s hands stretched forth, let us remember that they are nail-pierced hands.  Those hands were nailed to the cross for our sins.

2.     Sir John Bowring was one of the world’s greatest linguists.  He was able to read 200 languages and speak 100 languages.

3.     He had a very interesting career, which included being the governor of Hong Kong.

4.     One day Sir John Bow­ring was sail­ing past the coast of Ma­cao, Chi­na and on the shore were the re­mains of an old church, destroyed by a typhoon. Above the ru­ins, he saw the spire still stand­ing, topped by a cross.

5.     Bowring was impressed and moved by this uplifted cross which seemed to defy the ravages of time and storm.

6.     The sight inspired him to write his hymn, “In the Cross of Christ I Glory.” The ti­tle of this hymn was carved on his tomb­stone.

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me,
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.



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