Why Men Do Not Receive the Truth of God

Driving home: The things of the Spirit of God are the truths which cluster around the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Illustrates that the word 'receive' in the text means to embrace with delight, contrasting it with the loose usage of receiving a spanking or a demotion.

And this word receive means to give a hearty welcome, to embrace with delight. Now, we use the term very loosely. We say, so and so received banking from his parents. Well, that's not the way the word is received here.

14:11 - 14:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: To welcome tenderly, to receive as something precious. Now, it's that word that is used here. The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God.

Uses the tender image of Simeon receiving the infant Jesus to convey the meaning of 'receiving' as welcoming something precious.

It's to welcome him from the heart, to welcome his person and the message which he brings. There's a very tender use of the word in the second chapter of Luke where it speaks of Simeon receiving the babe into his arms. Now, how do you hold an eight-year-old? Don't just pick it up.

15:20 - 15:40 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And it's the Greek word from which we get our English word moron exactly the same word

A hypothetical PhD who dismisses Christ as the answer to life's complexities because it seems too simple or foolish to his natural mind.

truly believe the virgin's womb a certain man didn't say complicated than that to be issues of life and Paul said this is why he doesn't receive them his non-reception is rooted in his non-perception it's because he doesn't perceive them to be the wisdom of God foolishness this is why he rejects them suppose we could go out and round up a PhD this morning a natural man who's a PhD and we say to him sir all wisdom of the ages is bound to Christ Christ

22:53 - 24:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And it's the Greek word from which we get our English word moron exactly the same word

Contrasts with the PhD, showing that the common laborer also finds the gospel foolishness, highlighting the commonality of spiritual blindness in natural men.

as the incarnate God the crucified Lord of the exalted Savior at the right hand of the Father Christ as the sender of the Holy Spirit and he says come off it now I've come to see in my studies that life is much more complicated than to have its basic issues resolved simple little trivia to talk about Christ incarnate Christ crucified Christ exalted and you tell me that all will end up in that no no I'm sorry sir and Paul's words are fulfilled the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God why they are foolishness unto him but then we go out to the street and we tell him we sa...

24:19 - 25:47 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And it's the Greek word from which we get our English word moron exactly the same word

Describes a young person who doesn't openly deny the gospel but is indifferent, finding it not exciting and thus not receiving it as foolishness.

to the young person of Christian parents that's why they don't receive the things of the Spirit of God the truth and that life alone can be understood in him and Christ is presented to you the things of the Spirit of God are held before you urged upon you and what I just can't get excited about it I don't deny it and I see it seems to help mom and dad but you don't receive those things oh you don't openly deny them or blaspheme them but you don't receive them you haven't embraced and given yourself up this text tells us they're foolishness to you you probably think this fella here has just gon...

25:47 - 27:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And it's the Greek word from which we get our English word moron exactly the same word

Contrasts the natural man's understanding and excitement for baseball with his inability to grasp or be excited by the gospel, which is foolishness to him.

to the young person of Christian parents that's why they don't receive the things of the Spirit of God the truth and that life alone can be understood in him and Christ is presented to you the things of the Spirit of God are held before you urged upon you and what I just can't get excited about it I don't deny it and I see it seems to help mom and dad but you don't receive those things oh you don't openly deny them or blaspheme them but you don't receive them you haven't embraced and given yourself up this text tells us they're foolishness to you you probably think this fella here has just gon...

25:47 - 27:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: neither can he know them

Illustrates spiritual inability by comparing a blind man's inability to see even intensified sunlight, showing that more external stimulus doesn't grant the faculty to perceive.

this is one of the most pointed statements on human inability to be found anywhere in the word of god neither can he know them notice the relationship until he knows them perceives them in their proper light he'll never receive them there must be perception before there will be reception and what's the reason for this helplessness notice the words they are spiritually judged or spiritually discerned that is the thing the spirit the issues of the gospel demand a spiritual faculty to understand them and see them and natural man that which is born of the flesh that's why jesus said don't be amaze...

29:24 - 30:49 Read in full sermon

Driving home: neither can he know them

Illustrates spiritual inability by comparing a deaf man's inability to hear a symphony, even at maximum volume, showing he needs repaired hearing, not louder sound.

It's exactly what Paul says in this text. Need can he know that he has no spirit was not more light the ability to see. Take the deaf man. His optic nerves are dead.

32:10 - 32:34 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And my friend, it's no less a miracle that has to occur before you, as a natural man or woman, will ever be ravaged by the beauty that's on the canvas of the panorama of the gospel.

Illustrates spiritual inability by comparing a toad's inability to appreciate a magnificent painting, showing it sees form but not beauty without a transformed nature.

To change the analogy, suppose we were to go out and find a toad this morning and take this toad into one of the local art museums and put down that toad in the face of a beautiful, magnificent work of art that captures the fancy of those who have an appreciation for art. The toad sees something in front of him. If he starts to run in the direction of the picture, he'll know enough to stop. Something's there.

34:53 - 35:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And my friend, it's no less a miracle that has to occur before you, as a natural man or woman, will ever be ravaged by the beauty that's on the canvas of the panorama of the gospel.

Illustrates spiritual inability by comparing the need for a TV tube in a head to receive pictures, showing that a natural man lacks the necessary faculty to 'receive' spiritual truth.

Of the things of the spirit of God. You've got no faculty to see it. Oh, you may gaze upon it with your toad-like eyes and see the form, but fail to perceive its beauty. Right here this morning, this very building is not only filled with the sounds that are coming up from my larynx and being articulated by my lips and my tongue, but right now, this room is full of pictures.

36:48 - 37:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Humble every unsaved person by showing them their absolute blindness and inability to grasp spiritual truth, which is not due to intellectual inferiority but a lack of spiritual faculty.

Lists great minds like Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, and Calvin who received spiritual truth, contrasting them with those who claim intellectual superiority for their unbelief.

For minds far more profound than yours have received these things and have spent their days reveling in them. The Apostle Paul had a mind that makes any mind here look like a kindergarten mind. Jonathan Edwards and Saint Augustine and Knox and Calvin and we could string out the list for minutes if not hours. Men with great minds.

40:35 - 41:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Acknowledge your blindness and ask God to perform a miracle, giving you spiritual sight, just as the blind beggar asked Jesus to receive his sight.

References the blind beggar in the Gospels who asked Jesus, 'Lord, that I may receive my sight,' as an example of acknowledging blindness and seeking divine help.

Make this toad-like disposition into that which can appreciate all the beauty that surrounds your beloved son. And which is inherent in his everlasting gospel. You better take the place of that beggar in the gospels. When the Lord said what wilt thou that I should do unto you?

42:30 - 42:54 Read in full sermon