Our scripture reading is in the book of Romans chapter 10. And we're concluding our study together in Romans chapter 10. And we're going to begin in verse 15. And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news. But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation. With a foolish nation, I will make you angry. Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me. I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. but of Israel, he says, all day long, I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. And let's pray. Oh God, we thank you for your inspired, infallible word. And Lord, we ask Lord in this moment that you would help us and give us your instruction. And Lord, let's pray. Lord, teach us thy truth. We pray in Christ's name. Amen. Well, the beginning of the new year, we also think sometimes of a fresh start. Maybe we're going to start something new. And for me, it's a few more pounds I want to get rid of. Or maybe you have a new project you're going to start. Or maybe you've got some new goals that you and your family are going to work on. And with everything you think about in store for the new year, We have confidence that our God is the same. He's the same loving, merciful, omnipotent God who will be with us every step of the way. And so we look with confidence as we face the new year, because we know that all things work together for good, those who are called according to his purpose. God has given his word, which has not changed, and God's word will not change. God will not change, his message will not change. So as we think about the world that we're living in, with all the change that goes on, it's constantly changing, we have an unchanging gospel that God has given to us in his word. And that's what I want us to look at as we look in these verses, through these verses that we read. Because the theme in the study of Romans is the gospel. And Paul began, even in chapter one, he said, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are at Rome. He said, I am not ashamed of the gospel because it's the power of God for salvation to everyone that believes, the Jew first and then also to the Gentiles. Because in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as is written, the righteous shall live by faith. Now we see here in Romans, particularly in chapter 9, chapter 10, chapter 11, the focus is on how God is saving the Jews. It's not as though the word of God has failed. Paul pointed that out in chapter nine. The Jews are not coming to Christ. Some are, but majority of Jews rejected Jesus. They rejected his message. They rejected him as the Messiah, but yet God in his sovereign work in chapter nine, his sovereign work, God's purpose of election stands because God picks those and chooses those. We see that in chapter nine, but in chapter 10, the emphasis is on man's responsibility and that is this, that man is responsible to confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. We saw that in verse 13 of chapter 10, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the unchanging gospel. It's the same Lord. We saw that in verse 12 of chapter 10 where he says, for there is no distinction between the Jews and the Greek because the same Lord is Lord of all. And he says, he bestows his riches on all who call on him. Whether you're a Jew or whether you're a Gentile, God saves all who call upon his name. So we're going to look this morning at several ways this unchanging gospel It's unchanging. First of all, I want us to think about in how it's delivered. And we began a little bit last time in verse 15, where it says, it's how are they to preach unless they're sent? And we saw the sequence of how the gospel is delivered, but how should they call and whom they not believe, and how should they believe and whom they have not heard, and how should they hear without a preacher, someone preaching, and how are they to preach unless they're sent? And then how beautiful are the feet of those who bring and preach the good news. That's what we're looking at right here. This is the quote from Isaiah 52 and verse 7. I just want to read that right quickly. In Isaiah 52 and verse 7, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says design, your God reigns. Now it's not looking at how beautiful the voice, that's not important. It's not how beautiful the face. That is not important, but it's those who carry the gospel to a lost and dying world. I think of missionaries who travel and even on foot, they get to remote places in the world, who carry the wonderful news of Jesus. I think of those who preach the gospel throughout the world. How beautiful are the feet of those who carry this wonderful good news of salvation. Now, to the unrepentant heart, there is nothing beautiful about the messengers, nor even the message of the gospel. So because of that, some have suggested, well, you know, it kind of turns people off when you're preaching a gospel. And some people are going to kind of turn off to that. So let's change our method of delivery. And so next Sunday, we won't have the preacher in the pulpit. We're going to change up some things a little bit. We're going to get Bozo the clown to do some little tricks and things and real cute things. And he may put a little gospel message. We're going to change the method of delivery. In other words, to make it a little more enticing, more appealing. more attractive. And we've talked about this before. So many ministries want to turn the whole ministry like a six flags over Jesus and try to make it some ear tickling sound to it and put some celebrities there and really give it sort of a circus like atmosphere. What has happened when people do that, when churches do that, they not only change the delivery, but they also change the message. You see, the lost world is turned off by anything about sin. We don't want to talk about sin. confrontations kind of thing and convicting and that really bothers us so we want something that is real pleasing. We don't want to hear about Jesus who makes you holy. We want a Jesus who makes us happy and so people are into that. But the Bible says this about Jesus in Isaiah and in fact it's in Isaiah 53, that great chapter of the Old Testament. It talks about our Lord here. He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him. He had no beauty, no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. There was nothing about the Messiah that the Jews were attracted to. They wanted a political Messiah. They want a militant Messiah. They want a Messiah that would run off all the Romans and set up a kingdom and the Jews would just be in a glorified kingdom. But Jesus came to seek and to save. That was lost. He came to be the suffering servant. He came to suffer and die on the cross. And He was the stone of stumbling to the Jews. Well, the delivery, how it's delivered, you simply tell the good news. Some people are all wrapped up in how to be real professional, how we're going to deliver it and all that. Just listen to the message that the messenger has given to the Word of God, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I think of Charles Spurgeon when he was about, oh, I guess he was a 15-year-old, and the story is told about his conversion. It was on a Sunday morning, and it goes like this, because of a snowstorm, The path to the church was he diverted down to a side street and he found shelter in a primitive Methodist chapel on a certain street. And an unknown substitute lay preacher stepped into the pulpit and read his text. Isaiah 45 verse 12, where it says, Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God and there is none else. Look unto me and be ye saved. Charles Spurgeon at the age of 15 was listening to, he was listening there, and here's what he said. Here's what Spurgeon said. He had not much to say. Well, thank God for that compelled him to keep on repeating his text. And there was nothing needed by me at any rate except his text. Then stopping, he pointed to where I was sitting under the gallery and he said, That young man there looks very miserable. And he shouted, as I think only a primitive Baptist can, look, look, young man, look now. Then he says, I had this vision, not a vision to my eyes, but to my heart. I saw what a Savior Christ was. Now I can never, I can never tell you how it was, but I know sooner saw whom I was to believe, then I also understood what it was to believe. And I did believe in one moment. And then Spurgeon, he went on, he said this, he says, and as the snow fell on my road home from the little house of prayer, I thought every snowflake talked with me and told of the pardon I had found, for I was white as the driven snow through the grace of God. not some fantastic speaker, but how beautiful are the feet that someone read a text and it produced faith in the heart of Spurgeon and it gave us life to Christ. Well, the gospel is unchanging in how it's delivered, but I want you to think of this also It's also unchanging even when it's rejected. If you'll notice there in verse 16, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. And I believe this is referring to the Jews. Some translations even use the word Israelites here, but I believe it's referring to all people. They have not all obeyed or received or accepted the gospel. For Isaiah says, and this is a quote here from Isaiah 53 and 1, who has believed our report? Who has believed what he has heard from us? They, the Jews, rejected the Lord Jesus. The Bible says in John 1 verse 11, he came unto his own and his own received him not. And they, there's a reason for that. And it's the reason why people don't receive Christ today. It's plainly and clearly here it is. People do not receive Christ because they are in love with their sin. And Jesus pointed this out in John's gospel, John chapter three and verse 19. He says, this is the condemnation. Light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light because things were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates that light and does not come to the light lest his work should be exposed. So they hide from the truth. They don't want to be exposed. It's repulsive. When you talk about a crucified savior, it's actually repulsive to the unconverted heart. They don't want to hear that. That doesn't make sense for them. So, but regardless how they reject it, how they turn from it, how they are so bold in their sin, The gospel is still the same. It's the unchanging gospel. You don't change it because people will not accept it, because really there's no other message to give. That's it. You say, well, you know, it just won't work with this generation, this hip hop generation. You want to call this generation? What are you going to call the culture we're living in? They say it won't work. I'll tell you one thing, it will work. It'll work for a dying soul who is tired, sick and tired of his sins and is looking for relief. He'll find relief in Christ. Christ will save them if they'll come to Him. And so it's unchanging even when people reject it. But the third thing I want you to think of in verse 17. This unchanging gospel, it's an unchanging in how you are saved. How you are saved, now how is that? Verse 17, it says, faith comes from hearing and hearing and by the word of God. And some of you say the word of Christ is the same thing, the word of Christ. And I believe it's saying the same thing as we saw back up there in verse 14. Because who is it that saves? Well, it's Christ who speaks his word to you. Do you remember the time when you came to Christ? It was as if God was right there, Jesus was right there speaking to you through his word. It had gripped your heart. You didn't have to have a preacher to talk you into it, like a salesman, you know, sign on a dotted line. We don't do that. But the Holy Spirit takes the word of God and Christ speaks to you. And if you back up to verse 14, that's what same thing there. How should they call him whom they don't believe? And how are they to believe in him? And the word, the phrase of whom, as some believe it's been added there, but it's of him they've never heard. It's Christ they've never heard. They haven't heard Jesus. Jesus speaks. I'm not talking about an audible voice. If you're saying God speaks to you in audible voice, we didn't have a conversation. I didn't hear about that. But nevertheless, he speaks to us in our very spirit. And Jesus said this in John chapter 10 about the shepherd. And he says in John 10 verse 3, he says, to him that gatekeeper opens, the sheep hear his voice. And he calls his own sheep by name. He goes on and he says, when he's brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. His voice. And how does he speak? He speaks through his word. And so here it is. How are you saved? Well, God speaks to you just like when the Lord spoke to Saul of Tarsus. He was bound and determined to rebel and to arrest Christians. And God spoke to him on the Damascus Road. Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Oh, who are you, Lord? He heard the voice. He heard the voice of the Lord. And God speaks to us through his word. So today, If you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. God is still speaking. And that does not change. Number four, let's look at verse 18. The unchanging gospel is also unchanging regardless of excuses. And mankind has come up with a lot of excuses. And we'll look at just a few of those. The first one the Jews would probably say is this, but I ask, Have they not heard? Here's maybe someone coming up with an excuse. Have they not heard? And Paul responds, indeed they have. Indeed they have. Well, how do they hear? Well, he quotes from Psalms 19 and verse four. And it's interesting how God speaks in this way. Let me read you that in Psalms 19 and verse four. 1 through 4. The heavens declare the glory of God. Okay? You look up and see the skies, you see the stars, you see the planets, and I saw that, you saw, did you see those two, was it Jupiter? Jupiter and Saturn got together. I saw that. I had to get away from some lights. That was fascinating and I didn't have to have a telescope. But when you look up and you see all the things that God has made, the heavens, the sky declares the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day it pours out speech, and night to night it reveals knowledge. There is no speech, listen, nor their words whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." I mean, wherever people are, the voice of general revelation, natural revelation, God reveals himself, it's like, I hope this don't ever happen to you, but let's say it is. I know you're on a ship somewhere and it's going down and you swim, if you're a good swimmer, you make it to a deserted island, huge island. And you're the only one there, you think. You walk around, you walk around for days and days. And all of a sudden, you see this big mansion. And you say, somebody had to build that. Some engineer, some contractor, someone. You know, how in the world can you look at what God has made and say, did that just pop into being? No. There was a creator. God created this world. That's how God reveals himself. And we saw this in the first chapter of Romans. And Paul said this, that man is without excuse. He's without excuse. Let me read it to you. One, verse 19. What can be known about God? What can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made, so they are without excuse. So someone says, well, I've never heard of God. God speaks loudly through his creation. He's God. And you know, I just have to leave it in the hands of God. I believe a person, if that's all they've got and they truly want to know this God, I believe God will work out a way where they'll hear about Jesus. I just have to leave it in the hands of God and believe that God does what he does. He's an all-wise God. And so there's that. But then we have special revelation, that is God's word. Special revelation is God's word. And the climax of that is the Lord Jesus, who is the word of God. And God verified Jesus with signs and wonders and attesting to the fact that he is who he is, he is the son of God. And God made it clear, made plain. And so man is without excuse. Let's look at a second excuse they give in verse 19. But I asked, did Israel not understand? He said, well, you know, I still understand. Well, first of all, there's Moses and the Jews, they knew about Moses. They knew about Deuteronomy chapter 32 and verse 21. It's a quote from that section in the book of Moses there, book of Deuteronomy. I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation. With a foolish nation, I will make you angry. If you read that passage in Deuteronomy, here's what it is. God said to Israel, He said, listen, because you have made me jealous, because you went after idols, and because you've caused me to be angry, He says, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to make you jealous of those who are not a nation. That is, they're not a people. They're not like the children of Israel. That is God reaching out and saving the Gentiles. And he says also, with a foolish nation, a pagan nation, a pagan heathen nation, I will make you angry. So all they had to do is look in the scriptures, their own scriptures, and read this text and say, hey, that's exactly what's happening. God is moving among the Gentiles and bringing them to know the Lord. And so they're without excuse. Isaiah 65 and verse one says the same thing there. He says, I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me. And he goes on, he says, I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I mean, the Jews, they boast that they are the ones who seek God. Well, here the Lord has revealed himself to people who did not even seek him. You're talking about grace. That's what God does. And so this provokes the Jews to anger and jealousy, and God has truly blessed the Christian community down through the ages. And there are eyewitnesses to that. And you know what? It's wonderful to hear that there are some Jews, even today, who are coming to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And we'll get into this, Lord willing. God will come, and there will be a revival among the Jewish nation. and they'll come to see Jesus as truly the Lord and Savior, as he says in his word. Then number five, in verse 21, we'll look at verse 21. He says, but of Israel, he says, all day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate, contrary or obstinate people. And so here's the thing about it. The gospel is unchanging because It's unchanging in its mission. And here you see the picture of the outstretched hands of the Lord God. I have all day long, I've held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. This is a quote from Isaiah 65 in verse two, he quotes that. And a couple of things I want you to think about is this. for God to do this. In contrast to this disobedient people, they're obstinate, that means they're contrary, that means they are so headstrong in their rebellion against God. In contrast to that, God is compassionate. His compassionate hands are extended to the nation of Israel and to all people. That's the way our Lord came. Our Lord came with compassion. I mean, His hands reached out to the hurting, the sick. He touched the blind, the deaf, the lame. He raised the dead. His hands were on a mission of mercy and compassion. He poured out His love for God so loved the world that He gave a compassionate hand of God that has been extended. I think of what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 23 when he was walking among the Jerusalem there, he said this, Matthew 23 said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones, those who are sent to it, how often would I have gathered your children together as a hand gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing. You were not willing. So your house is left to you desolate. And so that's God's compassion to reach and gather his children together. His arms are extended. You know, that's a wonderful thing today. His hands are extended even today. It's a day of grace. Those who want to come can come. You say, well, I don't know if I'm chosen. Listen, don't worry about that, whether you're chosen or not. You don't, you don't ask those questions. You come and you come in faith. You're, you're, you're chosen. You come to Christ, but also his hands are the wounded hands. You look at his hands, there are the print of the nails in his hands. You remember what Thomas said in John chapter 20? Thomas, he missed out on seeing the resurrected Lord Jesus. And the disciples said, listen, we've seen the Lord. And Thomas said, I just can't believe it. I can't believe it. Except I see the print of the nails in his hands, I will not believe. And the Lord Jesus appeared right there. And he said, Thomas, come here, look at my hands. And put your hand in my side. and believe. He said, you saw me because you believed because you saw me. Blessed are those who have not seen but yet they believed. I never saw the visible literal hands that were wounded but by the eyes of faith I believe in it and I believe and I receive Christ. And so we have the mission that's been extended here and it will never change. What about the heart? And I close with this with the parable. If you want to look at it in Matthew 13, the parable of the soils or the parable of the sower, some call it that, but it's a, A parable that Jesus gave, he said, a sower went out to sow. And some seed fell on rocky ground, hard ground. You know, they crisscrossed the terrain with paths. It reminds me of an old cow path. As a kid, we in the pasture, my brothers, we would follow a path of cows. It's all hard. And a seed, the sower, would drop on that hard path. And birds would come down and devour the seed. And some seed would fall on some rocky ground. And it had just a very thin little, some soil, but not deep enough for roots. Because as it comes up and the sun would scorch it, and it would wither away. And then thirdly, some seed would fall on thorny ground. And as the plant grows a little bit, but the thorns would take over, and it would choke it all out. And then some would fall on good ground, good soil. And Jesus explains it. In Matthew 13 and verse 18, he says, hear this parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and doesn't understand it, it's like the evil one comes and snatches away what was been planted in their heart. That's the one that's been sown on the hard path. And then those on rocky ground, that's those who receive the word and boy, they're so excited. They're so excited, but they don't develop roots. There's no soil that goes down. There's no moisture. And then when persecution comes, when trials come, then they flee away. And then the third is the thorns, the cares of this world. People receive it. Oh, it's exciting. Oh, I want Christ in my life. But then the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke it all out and they don't grow and they don't develop and they wither away. But the good ground, is that heart that's been cultivated. It's been broken up. The fallow ground's been broken up. It receives the word and it grows and it produces a harvest. You see, there's nothing wrong with the seed. There's nothing wrong with the gospel, but there is something wrong with the heart. It must be changed. And people will say, well, let's just change the gospel. No, you don't change it. You change your heart. Something like Billy Sunday said one time, he's preaching. And someone said, Billy Sunday, listen, you're rubbing the fur of that cat the wrong way. He said, turn the cat around. You don't change the message. You don't change the gospel. But you do change your heart. And if you're here, you don't know Christ. Jesus is speaking to you. Hear His voice. Call upon Him. Hello, this is Pastor Chris Gown. Thank you for listening to the broadcast. We hope the message was helpful and edifying. If you're not a follower of Christ and you want to learn more about the Christian life, please contact us through this website. We would love to respond to your questions. For now, may our Lord bless you and yours with His amazing love and abounding grace. Goodbye.