During the Sermon, Part 6

Introduction: The Command to Take Heed How You Hear

0:03 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, July 16th, 1995, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. We turn again this morning to Luke chapter 8 and verse 18,

0:23 where our Lord Jesus, speaking to His own inner circle of followers, gives them this very straightforward command, Take heed, or pay careful and close, constant attention, therefore, how you hear. For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away, even that which he thinks or seems to have. Now let us again ask the help, the help of God the Holy Spirit, as we turn to this vital subject of taking heed, how we hear. Let us pray.

1:18 Holy Father, we have been reminded that you call us as your people to wrestle, to fight, to pray, to stand against daunting foes, even the prince of darkness, and all the organized host of hell. And we pray that even now we may become strong in our Lord Jesus and in the strength of His might, and that we may know the effectual wielding of those weapons that are not carnal but mighty through you to the pulling down of the very strongholds of the prince of darkness. We pray that your word will be a mighty battering ram against His most strongholds, strong defenses. Grant, our Father, that your work will be advanced in each of our souls this morning. Do this, we plead, for the glory of Christ, our conquering captain, and for the good of our own needy souls, we ask in His worthy name. Amen.

2:30 Now according to our Lord Jesus and the clear teaching that He gave in the context, immediate, immediately preceding the verse read in your hearing, that context being the parable of the sower and the soils, our Lord is underscored that the manner in which the word of God preached is received is the very issue which determines the eternal destinies of those who hear that word. In the parable, the human heart is the soil, the seed is the word of God preached, and it was in each case the state of the soil that determined the fate of the seed, and that in turn determined the eternal state of the hearer. Surely then it should not surprise us that having given a parable that highlights the great issues of how the word of God is received into the human heart, that our Lord should say, take heed therefore how you hear. And with these words of our Lord Jesus establishing the duty of paying careful attention to the hearing of the word,

3:58 we have been opening up and applying this command of our Lord in three clearly defined categories. What it means to take heed to our hearing before we hear the word of God. What it means to take heed to our hearing before we hear the word of God. Before the preaching of the word, during the preaching of the word, and after the preaching of the word.

Review: Hearing with Fixation and Appropriate Responses

4:18 Our present focus is on the category of taking heed how we hear while the word is being preached. And I have sought to demonstrate from the word of God that first of all there is a sobering fact to be faced whenever we hear the word of God. And that fact, that the insidious soul destructive influences of sin and of the devil himself are neither negated nor suspended under the preaching of the word. In Luke 8 and verse 12 this is very clearly stated by our Lord.

5:01 These are they that have heard then cometh the devil. Our Lord was a realist with respect to the devil's proximity to the activity of the preaching of the word of God. But then in addition to this sobering fact to be faced I've stated that there are some simple directives to be implemented as we take heed how we hear under the actual preaching of the word. The first, we must hear the word with the resolute fixation of our minds.

5:39 And the second, directive, we must hear the word of God determined to render the appropriate responses of the heart which the word demands of us. We gave as a first example that sin exposing convicting words from God demand an immediate response of a tender heart and of renewed repentance. He that covers his sin shall not prosper but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy. And then last Lord's day we focused on this example of the principle a word presenting a divine provision promise or prophecy demands an immediate response of faith in that word and in the God who has given it. Our key text was Hebrews 4.2 the word preached. It did not profit them not being mixed with faith.

6:44 And then we illustrated from two contrasting examples in Luke chapter 1. Mary who gave an immediate response of faith to the word of the Lord through the angel Gabriel that she would become the mother of Messiah. And then Zacharias who had a word from that same angel but who doubted that word and was chastised. For his doubts.

7:11 And I could not help but think in my preparation and in my preparing of the review of that beautiful example of this principle in Acts chapter 27 and I simply quote the text as we end the review when Paul in the midst of that apparent disastrous situation of this tremendous storm that went on day after day and all hope was abandoned. And yet he says in Acts 27.28 There stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am whom also I serve saying fear not Paul you must stand before Caesar and lo God has granted you all them that sail with you. Wherefore sirs I want you to know that having heard this word from God I am earnestly praying that I will eventually be able to lay hold of it in faith that is if God is pleased to give me the faith but until then let's carry on our tragic state of dejection, despondency and despair. Now that's the way some of you would have responded but that's not what Paul did.

8:31 Wherefore sirs be of good cheer. Why? For I believe God. That it shall be even so as it has been spoken unto me.

8:47 There was the immediate response of faith in the word of God and in the God who gave it. And you see how these two things are inseparable in the text. A messenger of God brought me a word from God and I believe God and I believe his word. Be of good cheer.

9:10 Break your fast. The heavens had not parted. He didn't say now I'm praying for faith and if God will give me a sign and we'll see a little patch of blue. No!

9:22 The sea raged in its turbulence. The heavens were blackened in the storm but he says be of good cheer. God has spoken. I believe him.

9:37 Now dear people that's what we're talking about. When a word setting forth a provision of God comes though the statement of that provision seems so contrary to all that you see and feel you are to believe God.

9:57 When a promise comes the fulfillment of which seems utterly beyond any possibility of realization you're to be like Abraham who looking to the promise of God staggered not through unbelief being fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able to perform the inseparability of God and his word worthy of our confidence. Unbelief therefore is not some kind of spiritual illness to be pitied it is moral and spiritual perversity and wickedness. Men will be damned for unbelief. He that believeth not shall be damned. And Jesus scolds his own when they don't believe. Oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have written. Oh unbelieving and perverse generation how long shall I be with you?

Directive: Chastened Silence and Reverent Praise Before Impenetrable Mystery

11:04 May God help us that under the preaching of the word every announcement of a divine provision every setting forth of a divine promise every articulation of a divine prophecy may be met by the spirit of faith in each of our hearts. Now we come thirdly and finally this morning in this matter of taking heed how we hear under the preaching of the word to address a third and crucial example of how we should respond and I'm expressing it this way a word from God asserting or doinging or demonstrating the impenetrable mystery of his ways and works demands an immediate response of chastened silence and reverent praise. Now I know that's a lengthy statement and in a slogan age that trivializes the most sacred thing into three words on a bumper sticker I know I'm standing against the whole tide of this generation but I intend to stand against it till I go to my grave. There are some things that can't be trivialized into a bumper sticker and when we think of God

12:29 in all of the mystery of his being the magnitude in the infinitude of his being and the mystery of his ways some things can't be stated in three words and what I'm stating is that when under the preaching a word from God comes in the opening up of scripture asserting or demonstrating for the Bible not only makes statements it sets before us history and fact and biography a word from God then either asserting or demonstrating the impenetrable mystery of his ways and works we will confront again and again under any ministry that is true to the word of God those things that God says and does before which we stand and say to figure that out it is an impenetrable mystery it is not something that is all convoluted and contrary to all sense of logic but it transcends our ability to grasp it goes beyond us it is out of sight in terms of being able to feel that we have mastered

13:54 our understanding of it there are these impenetrable mysteries of his ways and his works and I say under the preaching of those dimensions of truth God demands of us an immediate response of chastened silence and reverence and praise now in opening this up the outline will be the same as in previous weeks the directive established from the scriptures and then the directive applied to your conscience first of all the directive established what in the world ever moved me to sit at my desk and come up with a statement like this a word from God asserting or demonstrating the impenetrable mystery of his ways and works demands an immediate response of chastened silence and reverent praise well the directive is established first of all when we turn to a text such as Isaiah 55 8 and 9 we should assume that God's ways and works will often be characterized by an impenetrable mystery for here in Isaiah chapter 55 verses 8 and 9

15:22 God asserts through the prophet for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord God asserts that there is a great disparity between his thoughts and our thoughts our ways and his ways and what is that fundamental disparity well some say the context indicates it's the disparity between our wicked thoughts that we are to forsake verse 7 and God's righteous thoughts that we are to embrace our ways which are devious are to be abandoned and we are to embrace God's ways which are righteous and there is an element of truth in that but you see the great point of contrast is not looking back at what precedes but looking at the next verse that follows look at it my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord and the contrast is not to be derived from the preceding verses but notice verse 9 for here's the fundamental area of difference as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts

16:50 than your thoughts you see God himself interprets the significance of verse 8 in what way are his thoughts unlike ours and his ways unlike ours well they are unlike ours and here's the imagery as the heavens are higher than the earth they transcend and are above the earth and it is this very nuanced dimension that E.J. Young in his masterful commentary in Isaiah highlights when commenting on this very verse he says the implication is that just as the heavens are so high up of the earth that by human standards their height cannot be measured so are God's ways and thoughts so above those of man that they cannot be grasped by man in their fullness in other words the ways and thoughts of God are incomprehensible to man even though God revealed them to man man cannot fully understand them to him they are incomprehensible it is for this reason that God's ways are not to be identified with man's ways now if God says of himself my ways are not yours my thoughts are not yours

18:19 and the point is that God's ways are not yours and the point of emphasis is the heavens are high above the earth so are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts then surely if this Bible contains the record of the ways and thoughts of God we're going to be confronting the incomprehensible again and again and again and again and the element of impenetrable mystery will be confronting us again and again and again and I say in a day that trivializes the most noble things imaginable God will not trivialize his thoughts and his ways and reduce the religion of the Bible to bumper sticker slogans and to three minute soundbites God will not accommodate himself to such nonsense with respect to the sacred issues of his being of his ways and of his works one other text that points in this direction and there are so many in the book of Job chapter 11 seeking now just to establish why we need to be told that in taking heed how we hear we better know

19:47 how to respond when we face impenetrable mysteries seeking to demonstrate from the Bible that God's ways and thoughts and works are often shrouded in impenetrable mystery Job chapter 11 you remember in reading the book of Job responsible reading must remember at some point you have good men saying good things but in a bad setting or drawing from the good things they say bad conclusions and in one of Job's so called comforters Zophar is responding to Job and in the midst of his response he says these words that are applicable to anyone at any time in any set of circumstances regardless of the setting verse 7 can you by searching find out God can you find out the almighty unto perfection it is high as heaven what can you do deeper than Sheol what can you know the measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea

21:13 if he pass through and shut up and call into judgment then who can hinder him you see his question Job can you by searching can anyone else by searching find out God when I used to play games with my kids where I'd hide pennies in various places in the living room in the cracks of the pillows and under the rug etc by searching they could find every penny I had hidden till there were no more pennies to be found is God such that if you search hard enough and long enough in all the cracks and crevices you can say I know all that is God the rhetorical question obviously has a negative answer can you by searching find out God can you find out the almighty unto perfection it is high as heaven what the knowledge of God it is high as heaven what can you do deeper than Sheol deeper than the grave deeper than the shrouded world where the departed souls of the dead are kept what can you know the measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea now you see if that's the God who is and the Bible

22:41 is the record of his works and his ways and his thoughts then surely we are going to be confronting again and again impenetrable mysteries because they are revelations of the God who is incomprehensible who can be known with a knowledge essential to salvation for this is eternal life that they may know thee the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent but who cannot be known with a knowledge that exhausts him a knowledge that encompasses him we know the word of God says in sea but the edges of his ways now when in the preaching of the word we confront some aspect of the ways and works of God which are impenetrable mysteries what are we to do I have said we are to respond immediately with chastened silence and reverent praise and I want you to look at three passages that illustrate this assertion the first one is Romans chapter 9 what do I mean by responding before those mysteries with chastened silence and reverent praise

Illustration 1: Romans 9 and God's Sovereign Election

24:09 for those of you familiar with the structure of the book of Romans will remember that after expounding the heart and soul of the gospel of the grace of God the apostle turns in chapters 9 through 11 to deal with this whole question of the dismay and dispensation of that gospel in the sovereign purpose of God with respect to the nation of Israel and to the nations of the earth and he begins chapter 9 by saying I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience bears witness with me in the Holy Spirit I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren's sake my kinsmen according to the flesh he says my heart breaks and yearns with an indescribable burden for my fellow Israelites who are in for the most part a state of unbelief and impenitence and then he takes up what would be the logical cause well Paul if so many of your fellow Jews are in blindness and unbelief has God's purpose failed are his promises being frustrated verse 6 but it is not as though the word of God has come to naught for they are not all Israel that are of Israel and he begins to take up this whole issue

25:36 God is not frustrated God is not disappointed God has not failed to accomplish his purpose from the very beginning God has made a distinction between the earthly seed the carnal seed and the seed according to promise and that distinction has its roots in the absolute sovereign purpose of God verse 11 for the children having not yet been born neither having done any good or bad that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calls it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated and the immediate response before this impenetrable mystery of a man saying my heart is broken I long to see my fellow Jews saved that yearning is but a reflection of the heart of God then he goes on to say but God's promises have not been frustrated God's purposes have not been cancelled and limited God's purposes according to election have been and are and shall be fulfilled well then someone says I can't figure that out this must not be right that God should say of one before anything was done by them

27:05 I'll love this one and bypass this other Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated that isn't right wait a minute Paul says what shall we say then is there unrighteousness with God God forbid God is God and he's going to illustrate it he said to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy I will have compassion on whom I have compassion I'm under no obligation to show compassion to any of the fallen hell deserving sons of men if I will to show mercy upon one or ten or a thousand or an innumerable company my mercy is in submission to my will and my will acts at the behest of the integrity of my whole holy being no one has me on a hammerlock saying if you show mercy to one it must be mercy to all mercy to all or mercy to none he said wait a minute you're dealing with God don't presume to teach God what's right and wrong I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and whom I will he says I will harden verse 18 now we come to verse 19 all of this has been to show the flow of thought thou wilt then say unto me why does he

28:32 still find fault for who withstands his will Paul if men's actions are ultimately resolved in the sovereign will of God the will of his decree how in the world can he hold men accountable for their actions if what they do is but the transcript of what he purposed how can he blame them for what they do that's the question you see it you will then say to me why does he still find fault for who has withstood his will what men do is but the transcript of what God is will how can he hold the moral evil how can God be totally sovereign and man totally responsible and how does Paul answer there's an impenetrable mystery and what does he do he does not do what he does he does not do he does not do he does not do he does not do he doesn't cheapen the mystery by a philosophical response look what he says but nay oh man creature of the dust whose breath is in his nostrils oh man who are you that replies against God shall the thing

30:02 formed say to him that formed it why have you made me thus you say you see what Paul is saying before that impenetrable mystery of a God who is absolutely sovereign a God whose will determines all of the actions of all men in all of human history and yet a God who holds man fully accountable for his sin and rebellion even his sin and unbelief before that mystery Paul says put your hand upon your mouth and remember who you are your man and God is God that's what I mean by chastened silence who in the world are you to go strutting up to the throne of God and say hey God sort out what you're doing to satisfy my sense of propriety you marvel that God doesn't consume the creature for his arrogance but nay oh man who are you to reply against God shall the thing form say to him that formed it why have you made me thus does not the potter have a right out of the same lump of clay

31:28 to make a vessel to honor and a vessel to dishonor and then he illustrates it but you see he doesn't philosophize he doesn't say oh I'm sorry you misunderstood me in my being carried away in trying to affirm that God is absolutely sovereign I really overstated the case a little bit God's sovereign in everything but men's eternal destinies God would never intrude on man's free will with regard to whether he goes to heaven or hell that would be unthinkable many in our day try to protect God by that kind of nonsense Paul to protect God God needs no one's protection he needs neither yours and therefore he says chase in silence nail man who art thou to reply against God if God declares that his will determines all things then bow before him as a righteous holy sovereign of the universe and if that God says he'll hold you accountable for every sin in thought and word in thee oh wilt and fall before that God suing God for mercy and pardon

32:58 through the blood of the cross of his son for the sins for which he holds you accountable and for which your eternal damnation will be an eternal monument of your accountability unless you go to Christ and find pardon and forgiveness in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world there's an example of it and you see at the end of the day when people are struggling with the doctrine of election this is the problem what about this text what about this put your hand upon your mouth and remember you're a man and God is God by the grace of God I have believed what is taught here intelligently not comprehensively but intelligently self-consciously confessed my belief in it since 1964 and I've never spent five minutes arguing with anyone about this impenetrable mystery of an absolutely sovereign God and a totally responsible man that I've told more than one individual put your hand on your mouth and remember God is God well I don't like a God like that well I'm sorry God didn't consult

34:26 you or me with respect to what kind of God he would be and you either break yourself over the power of God like that in your arrogance or pride or you fall at his feet and ask him for mercy second example Romans chapter 11 Paul goes on in developing this theme through these chapters and the wheels within wheels of God's dealings with the unbelief of Israel and he uses the imagery of the olive tree and the natural branches are broken off in wild olive branches the Gentiles are grafted in to partake of this mercy and saving gospel pardon and acceptance and as he comes to this marvelous conclusion he says in verse 30 of chapter 11 for as you Gentiles in time past were disobedient to God but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience even so these also now have been disobedient that by the mercy shown to you they may obtain mercy God has shut up all unto disobedience that he might have mercy upon all he's showing how man's impenitence and blindness and willful perversity has been overruled of God in his judgment upon the nation of Israel to send the gospel to the Jews that these

Illustration 2: Romans 11 and God's Unsearchable Ways

35:54 Gentiles having received gospel mercy might in turn feel a sense of indebtedness to the Jews who once were the sole depository of those gospel truths and he says then out of love and pity you bring the gospel back to them and God will save a remnant out of them it's amazing through their unbelief and disobedience the gospel goes to the world and as it goes to the world it bounces back to the Jews and out of the Jews God calls a remnant and he says before this impenetrable mystery of how a sovereign God weaves into the fabric of his purposes of mercy to the greatest number he uses unbelief impenitence the aside the killing of his own son all of this is used to advance the purposes of his grace and before that impenetrable mystery what does he do look at the last verses of the chapter oh the depth oh the depth oh the depth of the riches of the both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God oh unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past tracing out you can't take God's

37:24 ways and punch him into your computer that will make him utterly predictable and contained by your formula that's not the God he said we've been talking about and he said he's a God whose judgments are unsearchable his ways past tracing out who has known the mind of the Lord whose IQ will match God's or who has been his counselor whoever sat God down and taught God right and wrong fair and unfair when was God confused and his confusion had to seek out a counselor to help sort out his mental confusion where individual who can say almighty God called me to his side to be his counselor rhetorical questions the answers are obvious or who hath first given to him and it should be recompensed unto him again who can say God owes me something I gave something to him first wait a minute the very fact that you're sitting there thinking is because God gave you life and he continues to give you breath and all things the very fact that you can think about anything including God is because God has given given you life gives you breath

38:52 gives you all things there's no one who can say God owes me one who has first given to God and therefore has something coming to him the answer is obvious and therefore what does he do look for of him through him unto him are all things to whom be the glory forever and ever amen so be it that's revered praise not mindless praise Jesus now everybody let's praise Jesus by what I don't know I just praise Jesus praise Jesus I abominate that mindless emotional manipulation of men in the name of praise here is praise it is the human mind stretched to its breaking point thinking about God the sovereign righteous holy God who in his saving mercy incorporates the government of nations incorporates wicked unbelief that kills his son perverse unbelief that rejects the gospel divine judgments that take the gospel from that nation give it to the Gentiles divine wisdom that overrules that judgment to bring the gospel pouncing back upon the Jews

40:21 so that Jew and Gentile constitute the new Israel of God and Paul says you know where I am now when I think of these things I'm not in my backyard pool where I can see the bottom four feet away you know where I am I did my homework I took out my National Geographic Atlas here's a big one I have to sit it next to one of my lateral files and there's a map of the ocean as best they've been able to map it and I'm going to I'm going to and do you know there's a spot I think it's the deepest spot that I could find in my limited time to look at it it's over there in the area of the Philippines where they estimate the ocean floor is over 10,000 meters down I tell you you swim there and you ain't going to see the bottom and I tried to imagine the difference between swimming in someone's backyard pool where I could see the bottom if someone were to throw a 25 cent coin there I could see it and dive down and get it and swimming in an ocean where I knew that there was six or seven miles of water between me and the bottom what a sense one would have of his own smallness his own meanness and if that ocean could open itself up as the Red Sea opened what it would be like to be engulfed by seven miles of the depth of the sea it's something

41:51 of what Paul felt in this passage he looked down and he didn't say oh there's a little refraction because of sin's effect upon my eyes and the shining of the sun upon the water the influence of the world but I can see that's a quarter down there at the bottom of the pool I can figure it all out I can dive down and get it no no when Paul's mind contemplated these things he said impenetrable mystery 10,000 meter depths of sea and he worships all the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God instead of being mad at God that God's ways are an incomprehensible mystery an impenetrable wall he worships he worships oh the depth of the riches how unsearchable are his judgments his ways past tracing out well hasn't he been tracing out the ways of the of God in bringing gospel mercies first of all to the Jewish nation and then through their unbelief to the yes but he says trace them out to perfection I can only trace them as far as scripture allows me and the revelatory work of the spirit enables me as an apostle who was

43:19 promised special inspiration of the spirit of God but even with that he said I'm conscious I'm not in the backyard pool where I can see the quarter at the bottom his ways are past tracing out and the end of it is he says to this God be glory forever and forever and as if that were not enough he said and I mean what I say and he adds his amen so be it let it be for me and for every other creature that contemplates this glorious God you see the words oh the depths are strange words in an age that trivializes everything bumper sticker mentality so my religion but almighty God has not come down to it and he never will so you got a choice friend go with the flow and immerse yourself in trivialized religion even enough to immerse yourself sprinkle yourself in trivialized religion or get out in the depths and have the blessed blessed experience of using your mind to concentrate on all God's revealed of himself and seek by grace to believe it

Illustration 3: Matthew 11 and Jesus's Response to Mystery

44:48 and when you've traced it as far as God enables you to trace it following the track of scripture then it explodes in the bright light of mystery and rather than run away scared or say the light's too bright you put your hand on your mouth in chastened silence and you take your hand off your mouth you bow your knees and you render reverent and I want to turn to one other passage where to me it's overwhelming to see this illustrated in none other than incarnate wisdom the one of whom it is said all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden I'm referring to our Lord Jesus I want you to turn to our third passage Matthew chapter eleven remember now trying to prove just one thing that when you're sitting under preaching and a word comes from the scriptures asserting or demonstrating the impenetrable mysteries of his ways and works God demands of you and of me an immediate response of chastened silence and of reverent praise we've established why this would be so in the very nature of who God is Isaiah fifty-five Job eleven now we're illustrating it Romans nine Romans eleven now our third passage

46:17 Matthew eleven follow as I begin reading in verse twenty then speaking of our Lord Jesus at that time Jesus began to upbraid now we don't use the term upbraid this term is translated this Greek verb on a deed so is translated in our English Bible reproach denounce revile it's the very word used in the Beatitudes blessed to you and men shall revile you Jesus began to revile denounce reproach oh you say gentle Jesus meek and mild am I Jesus he would never if you're Jesus never reviles and reproaches with sinless reviling and reproaching he's an idol he's not the Jesus of the Bible get rid of him the Jesus of the Bible who will end this chapter by saying I am meek and lowly in heart come to me the gentle meek lowly Jesus is castigating these cities why look at the text he began to upbraid he began to reproach denounce he began to revile with sinless sanctified reviling he began to insult the cities where most of his mighty works were done because they did not

47:46 repent I wonder when he was doing his mighty works and calling them to repentance if some did not say but Lord Jesus didn't the prophet say turn thou me and I shall be turned I can't I wonder if he had some hypers back then who tried to blame God for their impenitence well if so they got the blame thrown right back in their own lap by the son of God he began to castigate upbraid scold them because they did not repent and now he gives the examples woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon that were done in you they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes that I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment for you and you Capernaum shall you be exalted unto heaven you shall go down unto hell for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom that were done in you it would have remained unto this day but I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you what has the Lord been saying in his castigating of these cities he is saying your impenitence is aggravated by these facts if the works that you have seen that validate my presence as

49:15 God's Messiah if those works validating my presence had been done in the ancient city of Tyre and in the wicked city of Sodom those works would have been effectual to bring about true repentance in the case of the Sodomites he said the fruit would have lasted to this day wait a minute if mighty works of that nature had been wrought in Tyre and Sodom and would have produced repentance they were not wrought neither of those cities repented both were brought under the judgment of God why why if God knew that those mighty works done in Capernaum and done in Bethsaida and Chorazin would only intensify the fires of hell in the day of judgment which instead of producing repentance as they would have for Tyre and Sodom are only going to make hell hot why did God do that why didn't he reverse it hell would be a little less hot

50:41 for Chorazin and Bethsaida and think of all the people who would have been converted in Tyre and Sidon and in Sodom now I tell you that is a statement that is a statement of an impenetrable mystery now what are you going to do what did Jesus do remember now he's true man as much true God and in his human mind responding to this reality what did Jesus do look at the text verse 25 at that season with his mind and spirit and as a true preacher Jesus never just dumped a bunch of words in water walked away and felt no after heat felt no after shock upon his soul a true preacher who travels with the truth in his preparation goes through birth pangs in delivery I say it not to be coarse he doesn't get rid of his after birth on the birthing table he carries it with him to wherever he goes the pressure and something of the sense of something yet undelivered is within his bosom within his spiritual belly

52:08 and yet at that very season no doubt contemplating the perplexity that his mighty works produced nothing but intensified hell fire for the people where he did at that very season Jesus answered and said I thank you oh father lord of heaven and earth that you did hide these things from the wide and understanding and did reveal them unto babes yea father for so it was well pleasing in your sight you see what he says I thank you father that you've done it just the way you've done it because it pleased you to do it end of the prayer did that satisfy the son of god and it better satisfy you and me I thank he doesn't say now I'm only father struggling with no at that season he answered and said I thank thee oh father lord of heaven and earth

53:35 you did hide and you did reveal for so it was well pleasing in your sight in a marvelous treatise it's not a long treatise flaky goddish godly scottish preacher writer of another generation writing on the inner life of our lord has a beautiful chapter on the peace of jesus he says my peace I give unto you and he's expounding what the peace of christ was for him and in the midst of doing that he says one of the strands of the peace of christ was his totally total acquiescence in the will of the father and his absolute confidence in the ways of the father and he says so often with us we are anxious about such things as our addressed in matthew six what you will eat what should we drink but then he goes on to say and here I pick up the quote but there are other perplexities far more terrible than these temporal ones to which the human spirit lies exposed this class of perplexities concerns the rectitude of god's doings that is the rightness the propriety the justice of god's doings it sometimes seems as if the judge of all the earth were not doing justice his ways have the appearance of not being even he does things that seem to be incompatible

55:03 with infinite generosity and love there are no subjects that are more apt to trouble his children sometimes the perplexities arise in their own minds sometimes they are forced harshly upon their notice by jibes and taunts of objectors a godly man loses a godly son on the threshold of his manhood and the unbeliever says is that how your god treats his children they taunt the ways of god that seem to be uneven that's what the author is addressing how did jesus feel or act with reference to such subjects of perplexity no doubt his human soul could see through difficulties of this kind much further than we can many things that are dark to us were not dark to him on some awesome topics where we can only speak with trembling lip his utterances were clear and authoritative yet jesus lets us understand that on certain deep questions involving the rectitude of god's ways he simply fell back on the spirit of trust it is a perplexing question why any of the sons of men are allowed to come short of eternal life if god loves men and god is the power to save all men and there is a virtue in the death of christ adequate

56:31 for all and any who will cast themselves upon the savior why is it that god does not put forth the spiritual power to bring all men to salvation he says this is a perplexing question why does the light of the gospel not shine with such commanding and controlling luster to fill everyone to fill every eye and convert every soul to make it more pointed why does god not here and now this morning pull away the veil from the eyes of some of you who've never seen one ray of glory beaming from the face of christ as he's been preached to you for decades one beam of glory from his face and you'd understand why some of us love him and trust him and serve him and would count it a privilege to spill our blood prior you see no beauty in christ why doesn't god pull the veil just a corner and what let one beam of the glory of christ dart in and strike your soul your chains would fall off your love of the world would cease your love of sin would receive a death blow you'd be done in for god forever why don't we do that perplexing question why does the god

57:59 often prove unsuccessful with men of culture and intelligence whose intellectual faculties would seem to fit them so well to understand the excellence of the gospel why in a word are the things of salvation often hid from the wise and prudent while they are revealed to babes our blessed lord does not seek to escape from this perplexity through any outlet peculiar to himself he doesn't attempt to solve the problem he doesn't attempt he comes to rest in regard to it simply through trust in the father he gets rid of perplexity by shutting his eyes and thinking how certain it is in spite of all appearances to the contrary that the father will do right even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight he quotes this very text how touching and beautiful to find the blessed lord solving his difficult problems by the spirit of trust in his father and coming to rest how instructive for us to know that much of the peace and serenity of his soul was due to this very process and then he goes on to say unlike those of us who weary ourselves trying to figure god out get god in a hammer lock and get him to tell us the reason for his ways

59:28 and then find us and failing in all of this exhausted and spiritually tired and distraught we finally cave in and say oh god you have a right to be god he said jesus went to that place directly he didn't go through the process that we so foolishly go through woe to you Bethsaida woe Chorazin if the works had been done they would have at that season luke says he rejoiced in spirit luke says he rejoiced in spirit chapter 10 a parallel passage he rejoiced in spirit said i thank thee father you have hidden you have revealed so it seemed good in your sight now my friend i say it reverently if anyone could have asked the father for human understanding before impenetrable mystery and done it without sin it would have been the son of god you remember in Gethsemane you remember in Gethsemane when he was struggling with drinking the cup there was no sin in his request if it be possible let this cup pass from me my father if there is a way unyet revealed to my human understanding reveal it to me i plead but i plead from the posture of determination to do your will

60:55 if there is no other recourse but here you see the lord does not ask for any further unfolding of the rationale for god's ways now my friend if you sit under a biblical ministry mark my word if it's a biblical ministry you're not going to be able to sit there and be able to reduce everything you hear to a bumper sticker slogan that you can put on your car the next week you're going to confront impenetrable mysteries again and again and again and again and again and again why for the god of the bible says my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are my ways your ways for the heavens are high above the earth so are my thoughts above your thoughts and my ways above your ways and the question of so far comes to our consciences can you little creature of the dust can you by searching find out the almighty i've sought to demonstrate the biblical basis of this directive that you must be prepared for the coming of the lord under the preaching of the word to respond when confronted with those impenetrable mysteries with chastened silence and reverent praise

Application: Rejecting Trivialization and Embracing God's Immensity

62:20 in applying the directive very briefly what you'll be tempted to do when you face those impenetrable mysteries is to start to put yourself in the seat of mr ito and you're going to make yourself the judge and you're going to determine a standard to which you are going to be judged and to which you are going to make god accountable in your court the moment you find yourself doing that say oh god that's the essence of blasphemy i've made myself the judge of the world and you will not look favorably upon me doing that there is one lord and one judge and his name isn't spelled like yours or mine it is jehovah the one true and living god existing in the mystery of the triunity of his being don't judge god by your standards standards of fair and unfair don't determine what is reasonable and unreasonable you see when you shrink god down to the point where he's small enough to fit between your left and right ear and the upper half of your skull in case you didn't know it that's where your brain is when you shrink god to the size where he fits between your left and right ear and the upper half of your skull you may feel comfortable with a god like that but let me tell you something

63:48 you'll never fall down and worship him you'll never throw your life at his feet saying oh great infinite god you are worthy of a thousand hearts that i have them to give you may feel comfortable with a god like that but when your back's against the wall and you need an intervention that is beyond human resources you won't call upon that god for trouble you'd have to first of all get him out of your skull before you could even address him so you make your choice whittle god down and you kids going off to college remember this how suave and how impressive the young phd may be no matter how persuasive male or female teacher who tries to get in the leaven of egalitarianism and feminism and moral relativism when they leave the lids of this book they are fools who've got a god that is stuck between their left and right ear and the upper half of their skull if they have any God at all that God will never be worshipped, that God will never be trusted and I'll tell you something that God will do you no good in the day of judgment when you stand before the God of whom it is said the heaven and earth will flee away at the very sight of him the immense, glorious

65:17 majestic, holy God who will set his throne in judgment I beg you don't trivialize God the mystery confronts you when you open your Bible, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and a little child knows enough to say but daddy if God was there in the beginning and he created how did God get there, who made God and you say to your little son or daughter, God can't be made he always was, but daddy I can't understand how something can always be and you say that's right if you could understand him he wouldn't be worthy to be worshipped, there's mystery in the opening words of the Bible no attempts to prove the existence of God philosophically no attempts it's simply announced it's in the beginning God and he's so immense and glorious a God that he creates and you know how he does it he just opens his mouth and speaks he doesn't need all of the epochs of the so called construction of evolutionary theory to get his work done he just opens his mouth and out come galaxies by the word of his power he spake

66:45 and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast and you come to John 1 1 picks up the Genesis theme in the beginning was the word, oh you mean this God is not a pure monism, in the beginning God created, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God who is this word, who is just there in the beginning with God and the word was God oh, within the Godhead there is another person, another distinct personality called the word how can God be one and yet God be the word and we find other passages that show him to be the spirit and we are confronted with the mystery of how can the one be truly and solely and distinctly one and yet three, and how can the three be one, the Muslim says utterly ridiculous utterly incomprehensible you worship three gods and therefore we will choose to worship Allah who is the true God a true monism not your three headed idol that you Christians worship

68:10 how can the three be one and the one be three I don't know I bow before the incomprehensible mystery and then you come to John 1.14 and the word became flesh oh, another mystery the word who is God and ever was God and was in the beginning with God without ceasing to be God it doesn't say the word lay aside his divinity and became, no, the word while still being the word and all that constitutes in the word becomes, how does deity take humanity to itself I don't know how does the deity maintain all of its undiminished undiluted integrity of Godhead while having undiluted full integrity of manhood, true human soul and body, yet not to Christ but one Christ in two distinct natures mystery, mystery, mystery but blessed be God in that glorious person is my salvation and my only hope for if he were not God he would not have the power to touch me at the point of my need for I need the intervention of divine power

69:37 if he were not true man he wouldn't touch me where I am living the life I should have lived dying the death I should have died and in that mysterious glorious person true God, true man in the one person in two distinct natures forever is all my hope and all my salvation mystery here I am conscious here you sit conscious mind and body you've always been that way yet if you're a Christian another person has come to indwell your body a person, the Holy Spirit how does a person indwell my person and yet I'm still conscious that my person acts as my I don't understand it but I thank God for the blessed reality of it for something's been done in me as well as for me that has no explanation but the divine being has come and touched me at every single facet of my humanity dear people if you don't want mystery then become an atheist go out in nihilism and despair now what do you do when these mysteries come to you in the word well I hope you're under a ministry where you confront them and God have mercy on the day and all this pulpit does is traffic and trivia sad to say that's ninety percent of evangelical religion trafficking and trivia I love Jesus

71:07 yay yay yay you love Jesus yay yay yay that's it God have mercy on us how long has it been since as a congregation we've been swallowed up in the depths left breathless before the mysteries am I talking like a wild-eyed fanatic do I sound like someone who's a fanatic? or some lame-brained mystic to you? or is there that in your heart that says oh God I've seen but the edges of your ways I long to be swallowed up and engulfed in that which is beyond me outside of me bigger than I may God grant that under the preaching of the word dear people we'll take heed how we hear and when we confront the impenetrable mysteries of the ways and works of God our response is not to be to sit there in proud arrogant intellectual cynicism trying to whittle God down to where we fit in between the left and right ear but chastened silence and revered praise it ought to be ascending from this place continually if the word is preached and you and I are taking heed I'll be here let us pray

Conclusion: Prayer for Humility and Faith

72:36 our father we confess the wickedness of our light and unworthy thoughts of you for our arrogant efforts to whittle you down to the point where our poor little brains would feel comfortable with you forgive us to the extent that we've been caught up in the spirit of our age which trivializes the most lofty sacred realities oh help us that your word will take us into that realm where we are cause to cry out all the depths oh the depths we pray for those who've never seen their sin for whom this hour has been by your mercy a time of unveiling when they have begun to feel the wretchedness of their own efforts to figure you out oh God humble them bring them in the repentance of mind and heart to embrace the unrighteousness the unrighteousness the unrighteousness the unrighteousness the unrighteousness the unrighteousness the offers of mercy in your dear son while they cannot understand

74:03 much of what is revealed in the gospel may they by your grace believe unto everlasting life help your people help us all oh God we pray we beg of you to take the things we've sought so poorly to try to utter oh Lord who can speak of you may your word do its work may the soul of your son bowed in worship before those impenetrable mysteries may our gazing upon him cause us to be made like him seal then your word we plead in his name Amen