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, When
the woes of life o’ertake me, |
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