So we've been working through Romans chapter 9. It's a chapter that I will say most churches don't pay a whole lot of attention to. It's not hard to understand, it's just hard to accept. And so we continue to worship and we're dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Let's read and stand as we do verse 14 through 24. Let's stand together. I know, I know I'm seating you down and standing you up. If Brother Kent would just think things through a little bit, he would say, please remain standing. All right, let's start at verse 14. Here's the word of the Lord. Listen closely. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then, it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will? But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, Why have you made me like this? Why have you made me like this? Now 21, Has the potter no right over the clay? to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory. Even us, whom he has called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles. Again, thus ends the reading of God's word. And this time I'm pretty confident you may be seated. This is your word that through the foolishness of preaching, you have determined to make yourself known. It amazes us. And without your Holy Spirit help this morning, because this preacher and those who hear his voice must hear your voice. And those who pray, we pray for your help and grace. in his name. Amen. Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones tells of a popular preacher in his day who, when preaching through Romans chapter 9, said to his congregation, if I could just sit down with the Apostle Paul for just 30 minutes, I would straighten him out on a few things. Straighten out the Apostle Paul on a few things? Well, this preacher was not only harmful to the sheep in his pride in what he said, but he didn't take the inspiration of Scripture into account. Because the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, what the preacher was really saying was this, if I could just sit down with God, For 30 minutes, I would straighten him out on the teaching in Romans chapter 9. Well, although few professing believers would be so foolish to actually say something that brash. If Christians diligently study through Romans chapter 9 like we have been doing, like we are doing, if they diligently study through Romans chapter 9 and still reject Paul's clear teaching on the sovereignty of God in salvation, they are arm-in-arm with... similar to him. They would be saying, I know better than you, Paul. I know better than you, God. Actually, there is one very big thing that I really appreciate about the preacher. He understood and openly acknowledged that Paul was clearly teaching God's absolute sovereign bestowal of saving mercy on whomever he wills. I really appreciate that about him. The preacher wasn't saying that Paul was unclear in his teaching. He was saying he just didn't agree with it. And so he refused to embrace it and accept it. And he felt like that if he could just get the chance to tell Paul a thing or two about his objections to sovereign grace, that Paul would not have any other choice but to revise his thinking on the matter. But the preacher missed something very important, didn't he? In Romans chapter 9. He missed the fact that in Paul's own day, Paul had already heard the objections to his teaching in Romans chapter 9 on sovereign grace. Well, the Apostle Paul knew that this teaching, although very clear, my dad, when he raised us, used to say, well, that's as clear as a bell. What I want you to do is clear as a bell. Well, the Apostle Paul knows that Romans chapter 9 is clear as a bell. It's just hard for the sinful human heart to accept, especially at first. And so Paul concluded the common objections that people have in verses 14 and 19. Well these are age old objections. Age old objections that always rise up out of the heart of man in one form or another whenever sovereign grace and mercy are put forth. As we noted a couple of weeks ago, the fact that the Apostle Paul addressed these objections is the proof that we were right on target in our interpretation of Romans chapter 9. If Paul was teaching here an Arminian view of free will, well, he never would have included these objections. There wouldn't have been any objections to that. But there are. And you find the first one in verse 14. We've already considered it, and it goes like this. Paul, if God is as sovereign as you say He is, then it's not fair. It's not fair. God choosing some and not others would make God unjust. And if that's the way God is, if He's not fair, if He's not just, then I don't want any part of a God like that. I don't want any part of Him. Well, there's nothing new about that objection. That's an age-old objection. And isn't it interesting that after hearing the objection time and time again, Paul did not revise his teaching one iota in Romans chapter 9 on the sovereignty of God and salvation, did he? No. To the contrary. He hammered down on it. Do you remember Paul answering this first objection? as you say it is, Paul, well that wouldn't be good. Well, in my own words, here's how he answered it in summary. If you don't want a God who is absolutely sovereign, then you don't want God. That's how he answered it. If you don't want a God who is absolutely sovereign, then you don't want God. You'll recall what Paul did. He took the Old Testament, the sacred, inspired Old Testament manuscripts in hand to answer that first objection, and he turned them back all the way to Moses, to Exodus chapter 33, where God said to Moses, I will be merciful to those whom I will be merciful, and I will show compassion upon those I show compassion. That was Paul's answer. So what Paul is proving from the scriptures is that that objection about God not being fair and just is absolute hogwash because A, the scriptures show God to be sovereign in salvation and B, the scriptures show him to be just and fair. It's absolutely critical that you get this. Absolutely critical. Paul did not try to explain the objection on a philosophical, intellectual level. He didn't say, well, let's try to think of it this way. Okay, now let's try to think of it that way in the hope that Christians would respond and say, oh, I get it now. I totally understand now, you know, as long as I totally understand something, I'm on board. And boy, I'm on board now. He didn't go that direction. Because it's impossible to do that. He simply said, what do the scriptures say? What do they say? And he did that as if to say, you had better rethink your idea of fair. Because salvation depends, and we read it, Romans 9, not on human will or human exertion. It completely depends on, it utterly depends on, it solely depends on God who has mercy. Then Paul, then Paul turned the Old Testament pages to a different spot. to Pharaoh and highlighted something that is even more distasteful to the sinful human heart. And he said this, God is not only sovereignly merciful to whomever he wills, but he also hardens whomever he wills in their sin. He hardens them in their sin. Oh, that's clear. That's clear. In fact, it was so clear that those who originally heard Paul say it and were still not satisfied arrogantly shot back with another objection. It's in verse 19. Why does God still find fault with men then, Paul? Who can resist His will? I say they arrogantly shot back because this objection is just a variation of the first objection, and it leads to the same conclusion. God can't be fair if that's the way things are. This age-old objection says this, Paul, if God is as sovereign as you say He is, then it wouldn't be fair of God to hold sinners accountable for their sin and unbelief. It wouldn't be fair. Your sovereignty, Paul, would make men like robots. You've heard that. I know you have. And yet, you would still unfairly, Paul, hold them accountable for sin. Well, at that point, brothers and sisters, Paul could have given a very thorough lesson from Scripture on God's sovereignty and the fact that men are still fully responsible for their actions. But he wasn't on that subject, and that wasn't his pastoral concern at that point. His pastoral concern was for those who were refusing to accept what God's Word was clearly teaching about sovereign grace. That was his concern. Paul clearly taught it. Moses clearly taught it. And God clearly declared it. But it's still not easy for the fallen sinful human heart to accept, is it? The fallen human heart. Here's how it reasons. Either men are completely free, autonomous, independent, and in charge, or God is unjust. Well, Paul refuses to even answer the second objection. Instead, he brings a rebuke. And why not? He had already plainly showed from the scriptures that God is absolutely sovereign in his bestowal of saving mercy. And if we don't humbly bow to the truth of what God has said, pray tell what are we bowing to? You know, the second objection could have really been asked first, and Paul would have answered it the same way. What do the scriptures say? He would have answered it the same exact way, because it's really a variation of the first objection. So instead, he shifts the focus to the real problem and brings a stern rebuke. And in this rebuke, the apostle does three things. First, he exposes a sinful attitude because that's really the problem. It's not God's problem, surprise, it's ours. He exposes a sinful attitude. Second, he clarifies that attitude with an analogy of the potter and the clay. And finally, he reveals the potters, the divine potter. He reveals his purposes. Well, the apostle, yes, the apostle exposes a sinful attitude in 20a. But who are you, oh man, to answer back to God? You're talking back to God, Paul says. Who are you, little puny man, answering back to God? He's just clearly told you something in His Word and you're talking back to Him with your free will agenda. That's what you're doing. You're saying, this makes more sense to me. Let's sit down and I'll tell you a few things, God. You know it's bad enough when an adult tells a little child something and the little child disrespectfully and pridefully talks back to the adult. Do you know what a 62 year old man says to a child like that? He says, don't you talk back to me, young man. Don't you talk back to me, young lady. The Greek meaning for the English words answer back in verse 20 is to talk back with an attitude. You would be surprised how many Christians there are in our present day who are talking back to God, especially on this subject. You'd be surprised Here is puny little sinful man talking back to the infinite, eternal, and unchangeable God, who is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. He created all things, and as you read Genesis chapter 1, it's almost like an afterthought, and He threw the stars into the sky. And He placed them there. That's all it says in Genesis 1. And the stars. Here's these two great lights. The Creator of all things. He created you. He created me. He created all things. We're breathing His air. Who are you, O man, to demand that I, the living God, fit into your self-exalting pattern of thinking? And so through the Apostle Paul, God exposes and rebukes man's sinful attitude. And then Paul clarifies that sinful attitude with an analogy of the potter. The analogy she calls us to repent. of our sinful attitudes, and it should really color and impact our entire theological framework throughout the Scriptures. In other words, what the entire Bible teaches about the relationship between God and man is pictured in this analogy, and we should humbly receive it as the Word of the Lord, starting at 20b. Will what is molded say to the molder, why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and one for dishonorable use? That's a rebuke. To ask that question is to answer it. Of course the potter has authority over the clay. Of course. He's the one that puts it on his wheel and does his thing and he does whatever he wants to. Of course the potter has authority over the clay. He can do whatever he wants with the clay. Now don't lose the context. Paul has been teaching that salvation is based on God's unconditional election. Nothing within us. No conditions within us and within man. caused God to choose anyone. It was out of his graciousness and good pleasure to sinners dead in trespasses and sins. That's the context. God's unconditional election. Don't lose that context when you think about this analogy of the potter and the clay. It's almost comical. Hey, I'm the one in the driver's seat here. The slot bucket says to the potter, I'm in the driver's seat. Why have you made me like this? I wanted to be a beautiful fruit bowl. It's almost comical. It's ridiculous. And that's Paul's point. Think about the difference between the potter and the clay. There's an enormous difference between the potter and the clay. But that difference between them cannot even compare with the difference between the infinite God and us, his creation. I can't even compare. That gap is obviously an infinite one. We've been created in God's image, but we are more unlike God than we are like him, because he is infinite in his wisdom and being and justice and goodness. and so on. We're not. We're finite. We're his creatures. That's why the analogy of the potter and the clay is just that, an analogy. And earthly analogies, when representing the things of God, can only hint, only hint, at the way things really are. Of course, the potter is the one in charge. Of course, the potter fulfills all his sovereign will and no one can thwart him. Of course, he is sovereign in his bestowal of saving mercy, extending mercy and grace to whomever he wills and hardening whomever he wills. Yes, of course, it's God's prerogative to make out of the same lump One vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use. Think of that. Jump out of the analogy for a second because it's giving us an opportunity here. Out of the same sinful rebellious lump of humanity. Out of the whole lump of humanity fallen in Adam dead in trespasses and sins. Yes, God has the right to choose some for Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ, and not others. Yes, yes, yes. That's covenant theology. that the story of redemption begins right at the fall and God begins a plan of redemption and He is going to succeed as the second Adam where the first Adam failed in his representation. Out of the same lump All we have to do is take the Old Testament manuscripts and turn back and say to ourselves, yes, God chose Isaac and not Ishmael. God chose Jacob and not Esau. Yes, the potter has a right over the clay. In Jeremiah 18, the Lord led Jeremiah to the potter's house in order for Jeremiah to see the potter work. So Jeremiah went to the potter's house and watched the potter work the clay as it seemed best to him. And the Lord said in verse 6 of Jeremiah 18, O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so you are in my hand. But the Apostle Paul is most likely primarily thinking about Isaiah 45 when he talks about the potter and the clay in Romans 9. And in Isaiah 45 it begins with a curse and it's a warning. You see this is a rebuke in Romans chapter 9. And whenever you see these words in the Old Testament, woe to you. Woe to them. It's a judgment. It's a curse. Woe to him, Isaiah the prophet says, who strives with him who formed him. A pot among earthen vessels. Does the clay say to him who forms it, what are you making? You see, God is sovereign and for humans to seek the autonomy that only belongs to God is to place oneself under judgment. Men have been seeking that autonomy and that independence since the fall in the Garden of Eden. Well, the Lord exposed a sinful attitude. Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy to him I show mercy. Then He clarified that sinful attitude with the analogy of the potter. And finally, the potter reveals his purposes. Verses 22 through 24. Paul is so gracious. And yet the human heart has a hard time receiving all this. What if God desiring to show his wrath and to make his power known has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory. Even us, whom He has called, not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles." Here's the Divine Potter saying, I hate sin. I am holy. And it goes against everything that I am. I hate it. And I desire to execute my just wrath against it and unleash my holy power in punishment upon sin and upon sinners. But instead of doing that right away, I have held myself back with great patience so that I could make known the riches of my glory to vessels of mercy, even to whom we have been effectually called through faith in Jesus Christ. With the first sin in the garden, just the first sin, God desired to give mankind what it deserved in full and unleash His just wrath upon sin. He hates sin. But He endured. And He continues to endure with much patience vessels of wrath who are prepared for destruction. Why did He do it? He did it in order to highlight His mercy in Christ to His covenant people who deserve the same eternal destruction. We come out of the same lump! Who deserve the same eternal destruction as the vessels of wrath. I'm no better than a person who rejects Jesus Christ. God gets all the glory. He gets all the glory. Does the divine potter have the right to do this? And so instead of punishing sin immediately and destroying the world that he loves, God patiently endured sinners and gave grace along the way. He gave it to Adam and Eve. He gave it to Seth before you even get to Genesis 5. He gave it to Noah. He gave it to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Moses, David, and a multitude of others, all the way down to our day, even to you and me, who have been effectually called in Jesus Christ, and that's why we believe. Oh, and He did it so that the riches of His glory would be made known. That's His purpose. So that the riches of His glory would be made known. What in the world is that? The riches of God's glory is the revelation of Jesus Christ. and the redemption he won for them in his life, death, and resurrection for vessels of mercy prepared beforehand for glory. It's a wonder that God has anything to do with sinful man. It's an absolute wonder. We should really be shocked if there was only one person that was saved after the fall. Just absolutely shocked. He could have destroyed everything. God is just! He's not one of these flimsy judges that we have on the state or federal level that lets some people go and sends them to McDonald's for a happy meal and just, don't worry about it, it's no big deal. God is just. He's holy. He hates sin. But He implemented a plan of redemption. so that Jesus Christ, so that God's glory would be seen in the face of Jesus Christ. Oh, it's amazing. It's crazy. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4-6, listen to this, for God who said, let light shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge, here it is, and of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. You're familiar with this one, John 1.14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory. Glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. He's the only Son. We've seen His glory, John said. That's the riches of His glory. God gets all the glory. Amen. Aren't you glad that God endured vessels of wrath in order to give undeserving vessels of mercy like us the riches found in Jesus Christ? In closing, the Lord says to those who object to His absolute sovereignty, Who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Instead of talking back to God, we should be saying, what is man that you are mindful of him? O Lord, we should repent for exalting ourselves and making God in our own image. Did you know that a rebuke, a divine rebuke to God's people is a gracious thing? You may not have felt that along the way. You may not have felt that at first, especially. But it's a very gracious thing for God to rebuke His people. He graciously rebuked us to flatten us. And there's no doctrine in all of scripture that flattens the sinful human heart more than this one. Because God knows for his people the only way up is to go down. The only way up is to go down. There's no other doctrine in Holy Scripture that exalts God more than this one. He alone is God. There is no other God besides Him. Well, the last thing I want to mention is that there's always a concern when You go verse by verse through Romans chapter 9, there's always a concern about evangelism. Well, why should we tell anybody God's in charge? Why should we do that? All you have to do is look at the larger context. Chapter 9, verses 1-6, Paul says, I would go to hell myself if my fellow kinsmen could come to faith in Christ. If they would stop trusting in themselves, if they would stop trusting in the law, I would go there and be cursed myself if they would be saved. And all you really have to do is ask two questions to figure this out. Who's writing this and what does his back look like? Who's writing all this about sovereign grace and what does his back look like? That's all you have to do. Isn't this the kind of God we want to serve? If He wants to use us as a means to give the gospel, isn't that what we want to do? That was the Apostle Paul's attitude. Because we would gasp to look at his back. So let's pray. Our Father, our backs are clean, but through your Spirit and through your Word, prepare us to be better servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for this very clear word, and we pray that you would soften all of our hearts because we all are tempted on a daily basis to do what Adam did in the garden. We want to be God. We want all this in our own hands. And I pray, Lord, that you would be glorified in our little church family. the way you were glorified with Bethlehem, and that manger, the Christ God was there. And we pray for help and grace for our children to understand and know you, and to follow you with all their heart. We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.