God’s Wonderful Offer! – Romans 9:30-10:1-21
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 18, 2007 AM
Recently, Baptist Press reported on a story concerning a “radical new website” that is gaining popularity by “challenging people to deny the existence of God.” It is run by an obtuse atheist, a Mr. Fleming, who claims he “became a born-again Christian when he was 13.” (You can claim you are rational, but it doesn’t mean you are!) The really dim-witted thing is that he is giving away a free DVD on how to be an atheist. You have to go to a web site called YouTube and post a video of yourself denouncing God by saying the phrase, “I deny the Holy Spirit.” The website explains that “the phrase is required because Mark 3:29 says, ‘Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.’” This is so illogical and intellectually ignorant on so many levels. First, if you are truly born of the Spirit you cannot “blaspheme” Him no matter what you say. (Look at the context of Jesus’ teaching.) Secondly, why would a true atheist care what anyone believes? Third, if a real atheist does not believe in God, by simply suggesting to others to denounce Him, you are tacitly saying you believe there is a God to denounce!
Some people really have no idea of the wonderful offer God has given us. Yet Paul did and he teaches us exactly what it meant for the Jews of his day and for us today as well. Let’s find out for ourselves this morning as we discover what Paul teaches about God’s wonderful offer!
READ: Romans 9:30-10:21
Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Concerned Women for America, told Cybercast News Service that by arrogantly rebelling against God’s authority, the website I mentioned earlier implicitly acknowledges His existence. Most atheists I have met and spoken with are usually stunted in their intellectual growth. While trying to convince others of their non-belief, one comes away with the clear idea that they are never quite sure of themselves. It comes down to arrogant ignorance of relationship. Like the Jews of Paul’s day…
I. People can be ignorant of God’s wonderful offer (Romans 9:30-10:4)!
1. It does not matter how foolish you are, you can still be saved! Does this mean that the Jews who tried hard to do good things blew it? Good question! Paul effectively says, “Yes.” Why? “Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the ‘stumbling stone,’” Jesus! They were spiritually ignorant. Now in case they misunderstood Paul’s intention here or that he might not care about his own people, Paul retorts: “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved!” In fact, Paul could “testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.” Like a lot of folks, the Jews had a knowledge of God but it was not a complete knowledge. So like a lot of folks do, who do not have a full understanding of God, they “sought to establish their own” righteousness and “they did not submit to God’s.” Paul knew that “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” It is by faith, not by being good or even in knowing there is a God. See, people can be ignorant of God’s wonderful offer!
EXAMPLE: Ignorance of the law is no excuse. We have all heard that adage. It comes from the Old Testament, by the way. And it perfectly describes what will occur to anyone who takes Fleming seriously and truly believes that they have been lost forever by doing what he suggests. Yet, in fact, the one person who truly could be guilty of what he is trying to describe from Mark’s gospel is Fleming himself, if he does not know God personally. Tragically he will one day discover that God never really knew him at all. God is more than a genie in a bottle or a good old boy that we can just cozy up to and say whatever we want to. Fleming, like a lot of folks do, misunderstood prayer. While prayer is a conversation with the Lord, it is not just any old thing that comes to mind. It is a sacred moment of when you, the created thing, stop, put aside whatever you are doing, whatever you think is important, and whatever is the master of the moment and you give your full attention to the Creator of the universe as you worship and converse with Him. And contrary to what Fleming’s adolescent thinking my be, He does speak back if you listen. The reason that you may not hear God is that you fail to understand His wonderful offer.
Fleming stated, “I loved Jesus and he was my best friend and I talked to him and God all the time,” tells me he misunderstood his relationship. He went on to say, “I have to admit that they never talked back to me, and I think some people would say that God does talk to them and I think they’re not being honest with themselves.” What Fleming is relating to us that he never intellectually got past his own juvenile attitude and attention span. Sadly, there are many adults calling themselves “Christian” who never do. They fail to comprehend their relationship with Jesus and God’s wonderful offer. They remain immature, like Fleming, building their relationship on their selfish terms. The Jews of Paul’s day did the same thing. In fact, we discover that…
II. God’s wonderful offer is on His terms and not ours (Romans 10:5-13)!
1. Today might be the day God offers salvation to you, but it is on His terms! Paul wrote that “Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: ‘The man who does these things will live by them.’” In other words if you believe you can earn your righteousness before God, you will live like it. You will try and try and fail. If you live your faith thinking God is your best buddy, you will live like it (shallow) and fail in your relationship. Just like Fleming did. You will try to relate to God on your terms! However, a “righteousness that is by faith” will not try to “bring Christ down” to your level, nor will it try to “bring Christ up from the dead” over and over again! A works oriented or infantile faith does these very things! Paul asks, “But what does [Scripture] say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart!’” In fact, “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!” We discover that “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” It does not matter who you are, God’s wonderful offer is on His terms and not ours! “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
EXAMPLE: Herein is uncovered the fallacy of atheistic thinking. Whatever they may decry or try to claim, they want their life on their terms and no one else’s. Life revolves around them. They are self-centered individuals. This is why atheism leads to neglect in relationships, situational ethics, and closed-mindedness. Often atheists will try to say they are the ones who are “liberated” in their thinking because they are not held back by believing in things that are myths to them. Yet when all the shine is rubbed off the apple, the truth is atheism is egocentric. It is like the old joke -- QUESTION: How many atheists does it take to screw in a light bulb? ANSWER: What light? I can see perfectly well in the dark. If I do not screw in a light bulb, there can never be light, and if there is no light that means there is no darkness because there is no light! Therefore, darkness is actually light. Besides… I am perfectly happy living in darkness. Paul relates that God’s wonderful offer is on His terms and not ours.
Paul had related to his readers earlier that “For although [people] knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Just like Fleming. He knows about God, he knew God in a literal sense, but never in a truly relational one. In that knowledge Paul tells us they are “without excuse…. what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” Yet they “suppress the truth by their wickedness…. [and] Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools!” (Romans 1:18-22) Trying to get teenagers to “sell their souls,” by blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not only spiritual suicide, it is foolishness in the extreme and arrogant. This rebellious action does not in anyway disprove God nor make Him any less real. Quite the opposite, in fact. So what is the answer? Paul related that…
III. God’s wonderful offer must be offered by those who already know about it (Romans 10:14-21)!
1. With whom have you personally shared God’s offer? After proclaiming God’s gracious offer in Christ, Paul confronted the natural questions that arise, each additional question building on the key verb from the preceding question: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” The answer: ““How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Just like the Israelites, not everyone will accept the good news, the gospel. That is their choice. However, “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” The message of the gospel has gone out throughout the entire world! Paul would say that the message of salvation has been heard: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” God has given His wonderful offer to every “nation.” God says, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” How is it possible? God’s wonderful offer must be offered by those who already know about it!
EXAMPLE: Baptist Press relates: “Fleming is aggressively targeting teenagers by advertising his site on 25 websites frequented by teens, including Xanga, Boy Scout Trail, Teen Magazine, CosmoGirl and Seventeen, according to Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink.” “As young people are the most vulnerable to religious indoctrination, we feel it is important to reach them with the concept of challenging the doctrine they are told to unquestioningly believe,” blasphemychallenge.com says. So far at least 955 videos have been posted, including one from someone named Joel. “My name is Joel. I deny the Holy Spirit, as well as God, Jesus, Buddha, Zeus, Mohammad, Joseph Smith, Sponge Bob, the pope, Santa Clause, Mother Mary, the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, Optimus Prime, all the saints and Spiderman,” he says, according to Nightline. What is the answer to this? God’s wonderful offer must be offered by those who already know about it!
Conclusion:
People can be ignorant of God’s wonderful offer. God’s wonderful offer is on His terms and not ours! God’s wonderful offer must be offered by those who already know about it!
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 18, 2007 AM
Recently, Baptist Press reported on a story concerning a “radical new website” that is gaining popularity by “challenging people to deny the existence of God.” It is run by an obtuse atheist, a Mr. Fleming, who claims he “became a born-again Christian when he was 13.” (You can claim you are rational, but it doesn’t mean you are!) The really dim-witted thing is that he is giving away a free DVD on how to be an atheist. You have to go to a web site called YouTube and post a video of yourself denouncing God by saying the phrase, “I deny the Holy Spirit.” The website explains that “the phrase is required because Mark 3:29 says, ‘Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.’” This is so illogical and intellectually ignorant on so many levels. First, if you are truly born of the Spirit you cannot “blaspheme” Him no matter what you say. (Look at the context of Jesus’ teaching.) Secondly, why would a true atheist care what anyone believes? Third, if a real atheist does not believe in God, by simply suggesting to others to denounce Him, you are tacitly saying you believe there is a God to denounce!
Some people really have no idea of the wonderful offer God has given us. Yet Paul did and he teaches us exactly what it meant for the Jews of his day and for us today as well. Let’s find out for ourselves this morning as we discover what Paul teaches about God’s wonderful offer!
READ: Romans 9:30-10:21
Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Concerned Women for America, told Cybercast News Service that by arrogantly rebelling against God’s authority, the website I mentioned earlier implicitly acknowledges His existence. Most atheists I have met and spoken with are usually stunted in their intellectual growth. While trying to convince others of their non-belief, one comes away with the clear idea that they are never quite sure of themselves. It comes down to arrogant ignorance of relationship. Like the Jews of Paul’s day…
I. People can be ignorant of God’s wonderful offer (Romans 9:30-10:4)!
1. It does not matter how foolish you are, you can still be saved! Does this mean that the Jews who tried hard to do good things blew it? Good question! Paul effectively says, “Yes.” Why? “Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the ‘stumbling stone,’” Jesus! They were spiritually ignorant. Now in case they misunderstood Paul’s intention here or that he might not care about his own people, Paul retorts: “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved!” In fact, Paul could “testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.” Like a lot of folks, the Jews had a knowledge of God but it was not a complete knowledge. So like a lot of folks do, who do not have a full understanding of God, they “sought to establish their own” righteousness and “they did not submit to God’s.” Paul knew that “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” It is by faith, not by being good or even in knowing there is a God. See, people can be ignorant of God’s wonderful offer!
EXAMPLE: Ignorance of the law is no excuse. We have all heard that adage. It comes from the Old Testament, by the way. And it perfectly describes what will occur to anyone who takes Fleming seriously and truly believes that they have been lost forever by doing what he suggests. Yet, in fact, the one person who truly could be guilty of what he is trying to describe from Mark’s gospel is Fleming himself, if he does not know God personally. Tragically he will one day discover that God never really knew him at all. God is more than a genie in a bottle or a good old boy that we can just cozy up to and say whatever we want to. Fleming, like a lot of folks do, misunderstood prayer. While prayer is a conversation with the Lord, it is not just any old thing that comes to mind. It is a sacred moment of when you, the created thing, stop, put aside whatever you are doing, whatever you think is important, and whatever is the master of the moment and you give your full attention to the Creator of the universe as you worship and converse with Him. And contrary to what Fleming’s adolescent thinking my be, He does speak back if you listen. The reason that you may not hear God is that you fail to understand His wonderful offer.
Fleming stated, “I loved Jesus and he was my best friend and I talked to him and God all the time,” tells me he misunderstood his relationship. He went on to say, “I have to admit that they never talked back to me, and I think some people would say that God does talk to them and I think they’re not being honest with themselves.” What Fleming is relating to us that he never intellectually got past his own juvenile attitude and attention span. Sadly, there are many adults calling themselves “Christian” who never do. They fail to comprehend their relationship with Jesus and God’s wonderful offer. They remain immature, like Fleming, building their relationship on their selfish terms. The Jews of Paul’s day did the same thing. In fact, we discover that…
II. God’s wonderful offer is on His terms and not ours (Romans 10:5-13)!
1. Today might be the day God offers salvation to you, but it is on His terms! Paul wrote that “Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: ‘The man who does these things will live by them.’” In other words if you believe you can earn your righteousness before God, you will live like it. You will try and try and fail. If you live your faith thinking God is your best buddy, you will live like it (shallow) and fail in your relationship. Just like Fleming did. You will try to relate to God on your terms! However, a “righteousness that is by faith” will not try to “bring Christ down” to your level, nor will it try to “bring Christ up from the dead” over and over again! A works oriented or infantile faith does these very things! Paul asks, “But what does [Scripture] say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart!’” In fact, “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!” We discover that “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” It does not matter who you are, God’s wonderful offer is on His terms and not ours! “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
EXAMPLE: Herein is uncovered the fallacy of atheistic thinking. Whatever they may decry or try to claim, they want their life on their terms and no one else’s. Life revolves around them. They are self-centered individuals. This is why atheism leads to neglect in relationships, situational ethics, and closed-mindedness. Often atheists will try to say they are the ones who are “liberated” in their thinking because they are not held back by believing in things that are myths to them. Yet when all the shine is rubbed off the apple, the truth is atheism is egocentric. It is like the old joke -- QUESTION: How many atheists does it take to screw in a light bulb? ANSWER: What light? I can see perfectly well in the dark. If I do not screw in a light bulb, there can never be light, and if there is no light that means there is no darkness because there is no light! Therefore, darkness is actually light. Besides… I am perfectly happy living in darkness. Paul relates that God’s wonderful offer is on His terms and not ours.
Paul had related to his readers earlier that “For although [people] knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Just like Fleming. He knows about God, he knew God in a literal sense, but never in a truly relational one. In that knowledge Paul tells us they are “without excuse…. what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” Yet they “suppress the truth by their wickedness…. [and] Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools!” (Romans 1:18-22) Trying to get teenagers to “sell their souls,” by blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not only spiritual suicide, it is foolishness in the extreme and arrogant. This rebellious action does not in anyway disprove God nor make Him any less real. Quite the opposite, in fact. So what is the answer? Paul related that…
III. God’s wonderful offer must be offered by those who already know about it (Romans 10:14-21)!
1. With whom have you personally shared God’s offer? After proclaiming God’s gracious offer in Christ, Paul confronted the natural questions that arise, each additional question building on the key verb from the preceding question: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” The answer: ““How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Just like the Israelites, not everyone will accept the good news, the gospel. That is their choice. However, “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” The message of the gospel has gone out throughout the entire world! Paul would say that the message of salvation has been heard: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” God has given His wonderful offer to every “nation.” God says, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” How is it possible? God’s wonderful offer must be offered by those who already know about it!
EXAMPLE: Baptist Press relates: “Fleming is aggressively targeting teenagers by advertising his site on 25 websites frequented by teens, including Xanga, Boy Scout Trail, Teen Magazine, CosmoGirl and Seventeen, according to Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink.” “As young people are the most vulnerable to religious indoctrination, we feel it is important to reach them with the concept of challenging the doctrine they are told to unquestioningly believe,” blasphemychallenge.com says. So far at least 955 videos have been posted, including one from someone named Joel. “My name is Joel. I deny the Holy Spirit, as well as God, Jesus, Buddha, Zeus, Mohammad, Joseph Smith, Sponge Bob, the pope, Santa Clause, Mother Mary, the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, Optimus Prime, all the saints and Spiderman,” he says, according to Nightline. What is the answer to this? God’s wonderful offer must be offered by those who already know about it!
Conclusion:
People can be ignorant of God’s wonderful offer. God’s wonderful offer is on His terms and not ours! God’s wonderful offer must be offered by those who already know about it!
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