Beautiful Feet

Beautiful Feet
Romans 10:1-21
February 14, 2015

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. And a great Valentine's Day. Yesterday. And what beautiful weather it was.

And when I think about Valentine's Day, I think about when we were first married and just starting out in ministry and how poor we were. Yes, we were so poor, this is a true story, how poor were we? We were so poor that, true story, we would go into the store where they sold cards. And we would pick out the card that we would have bought and exchange it right there in the aisle and go, 'Ough', and put it back in the cards and then we would go and get from the bulk a few of those cinnamon hearts and walk out hand in hand.

Yes. Well, here's a couple of funny stories from Valentine's Day. My high school English teacher was well known for being a fair but hard grader. One day, I received a B- on a theme paper. In hopes of bettering my grade and in the spirit of the Valentine's season, I sent her an extravagant heart-shaped box of chocolates with the preprinted inscription, 'Be mine'. The following day, I received in return a Valentine from my teacher. it read, 'Thank you, but it's still a B MINUS'.

Here's some great comments from kids. Question: The great debate. Is it better to be single or married? Will, age 7 says, 'It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid! I don't need that kind of trouble'.

How does a person decide whom to marry? Karoline, age 8, says, 'My mother says to look for a man who is kind. And that's what I'll do. I'll find someone who's kind, tall and handsome'.

What is the proper age to get married? Eighty-four. Because at that age you don't have to work anymore and you can spend all your time loving each other. That's what I did. That's great! But Bert, age 5, has a different answer. 'What's the proper age to get married? Well, once I'm done with kindergarten, then I'm going to find me a wife!'

How do you make love last? Aaron, age 8, says, 'Well, don't forget your wife's name'. Cause that will mess up love. Speaking of messing up love, here's my favorite Christian break up line. There were several, but here's my favorite of them all. 'God loves me and must have a better plan for my life.' Okay, that was bad. Alright. moving on. That was just for fun.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans Chapter 10. the themes of Romans is victory. Spiritual victory, not just victory, surpassing victory. And I love that phrase, he says, 'surpassing victory through him who loved us'. For I'm convinced, I'm persuaded that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is found in Christ, Jesus our Lord.

But then he goes on, in chapter 9. Paul says, 'What great sorrow, an unceasing grief he has in his heart for his brethren', the Israelites because they don't have this surpassing victory. In fact, he went on to say he would even be himself of course, separated from Christ in their behalf if it were possible. Now, that's a great picture for us. If you care about someone, if you care about their soul and you care about their eternal... because this is the heart of God for each one of us. See, the point he was making is that some of the Jews actually thought that Paul was against them. Some of his writings, some of the things he said.

That could not be farther form the truth. Paul is saying, 'I want to point out the problem'. The problem is this: They have rejected the very one that God sent for their salvation. His point is this: the entire key of the Old Testament points to Jesus Christ and yet they missed it. All of God's promises, all of God's promises are laid on that foundation, on that cornerstone. And they stumbled over it! And it became a rock of offense.

How did they stumble over it? They didn't like it, they didn't like the plan. That's the whole point of Romans 9. Well, God gets to make the plan he wants. If you speak and all things come into being that have come into being, you create the heavens and earth by your great power. You pretty much get to make the plan you want.

And his plan before the foundation of the world is that his son, his only begotten son, would be the answer. That's his plan. He would be the answer to every sinner's dilemma. How can an unrighteous sinner ever have any hope of a relationship with the holy, righteous God? God has a plan. That's his son.

Well, they didn't like God's plan. Why not? Because they couldn't be the heroes of the story. There's a part of us that longs, likes to be the story. We achieved, we conquered to the credit of our own fame. But God decided before the foundation of the world that those who come to him must come in simple faith. 'That's my plan. Simple faith in my son. And with all humility.'

The problem, and this is what Paul is trying to point out to them and to us, problem is hardness of heart. That's why Paul brought up pharaoh as an example of a hard heart. Hardness of heart will keep you from the promises of God. But God keeps reaching put. God doesn't quit. In fact, at the end of chapter 10, in that last verse, he says, 'All day long I've stretched out my hands to disobedient and abstinent people'.

I. Have Zeal with Knowledge

Let's read the chapter and understand then how it's to be applied to our lives. Romans 10:1: 'Brethren, my heart's desire, my prayer for God for them, is for their salvation, for the Jews, for I bare them witness that they have is zeal, a zeal for God', but it's not in accordance with knowledge. That's just a tragedy. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they want to be the heroes of the story. They didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law will live by that righteousness, and later he says, and be judged by it. But the righteousness which is based on faith says something different. It says this: don't say in your heart who will ascend up to the heavens, who will climb up into the heavens to bring the messiah down. Don't say that. Or who will descend into the abyssal and bring the messiah up from the grave. Don't say that.

But does it say? The word offends us. The word is near you. It's so close to you. It's in your mouth. It's in your hearts. This is the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth, verse 9, Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation.

For the Scripture says whoever believes in him will not be disappointed. Whoever! There's no distinction between Jew and Greek for the same Lord is lord of all. I love this phrase, abounding in riches for all who call upon him. For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Emphasis on 'whoever', without distinction.

How then shall they call on him who may not believe? And how shall they believe in him who may not have heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless their sent? Just as it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things. He's not referring to the quality of your pedicure, he's talking about the quality of the fact that you bring good news, they love you. 'Thank you for the glad tidings! Thank you!'

But verse 16. Wait. 'They did not all heed the glad tidings for Isaiah says, Lord, who's believed I'll report'. And then verse 17, this is the famous verse, one of the most famous verses in the Book of Romans, I've quoted it many, many times because it answers a great question, where does faith come from. Do you want more faith? Do you want to grow in faith? Would you like to have more faith? I know I would. He says how it's done here. 'Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.' But I say surely, they've never heard, have they? Oh, indeed they have. Their voices one out in all the earth, their words to the end of the world. Oh, they've heard. But I say, surely, they did not know, did they? Oh, they knew. They knew.

And he goes on through Moses, and he says, 'I got to do something to stir them up, open their ears'. He says, 'I'm even going to provoke them'. Notice verse 19, 'I'm going to make you jealous by a nation, by that which is not a nation, by a nation without understanding, I'm going to anger you'. Really, what does this mean? He's saying when Jews see the spirit poured out in church, the favor of God, the igniting of the Holy Spirit upon the church, they're going to become jealous. He said, 'Yeah, be jealous. And even be angry'. He's going to stir them up. Because he wants to open their ears.

Goes on in verse 20. Isaiah is very bold and he says, 'I was found by those who sought me not. I became manifest to those who did not ask for me'. That's us. By as for Israel he says, 'All day long, I stretched out my hands to disobedient and abstinent people'.

Alright. Powerful chapter filled with great insight. And one of the things we got to see right out of the gate is this important application for our lives. Have zeal. They had zeal. That's good. Have zeal, but with knowledge. Accurate, on the truth. Paul says, 'I'm praying for them, for their salvation. They've got a zeal, but it's not in accordance with knowledge.' Lack of knowledge can be dangerous and lack of knowledge can be embarrassing.

Maybe you've got your stories. I have several. I remember many years ago, the church had an old white Chevy bus. And we were... A bunch of us men were going down to Eugene in the bus cause promise keepers had an event in Eugene. We're all going down I5 together. And as we're going down the highway, all of a sudden it starts acting up and lurching and misbehaving. We don't know exactly what it is, but a whole bunch of us, we got to figure it out. I jump onto the aisle. And I said, 'Okay, guys. We got to figure this out. We got to get down there so we got to figure out what's wrong with the bus'. Yeah, like we're going to figure it out with me in the aisle. 'Okay, I think it's the vacuum advanced module. Anybody have a different idea? How many people think it's the vacuum advanced module?' Actually, some of the guys we're raising their hands. Yeah, like a vote of hands is going to do anything. So okay, I'm pretty sure myself. So we start looking and we see this shop. We can see it from the freeway so we pull off on the exit, we go over there. Sure enough, it's open, the mechanic is there. 'Would you mind looking at the bus? We're going down to Eugene.' 'Sure.' So he opened the big old hood and the guy's all sprawled over it and Mr. helpful here, I'm there with him and said, 'Well, pretty much know what it is'. And he goes, 'Oh, really? What's that'. I go, 'It's vacuum advanced module'. And he's all sprawled out, 'No. I don't think it's that'. 'Really? How could you be so sure?' I will never forget. He's all sprawled out and he looks at me real slowly, 'Cause it isn’t got one'. Well, that could be the thing.

A. Be subject to the truth

See, lack of knowledge, he says this is a tragedy. This is just a blooming tragedy. They have a zeal. They have a zeal for God. That is a good thing. But they missed the entire point. The entire Old Testament points to Jesus. The entire TFT points to Jesus, but they stumbled over it and took offense because they didn't like the plan. They preferred the self-righteousness advanced module. Okay, I just did that in. That was bad. This is what he's saying, 'Look, you have the truth, be subject to the truth'. That's the point. Be subject to it! He says, 'Not knowing about God's righteousness, they didn’t' subject themselves to it, but they could've known and they should have known'.

There was an interesting story when one day some of the Jewish leaders, the Sadducees, who were very sure of themselves that they had a superior position to Christ. They did not believe in the resurrection from the dead for any, so they confronted Jesus, all very sure of themselves they confronted Jesus with this... what they thought was a spiritual conundrum. What they got was a sharp debut, but Jesus' answer is very insightful. Matthew 22-29, Jesus answered and said to them, 'You are in error not understanding the scriptures nor the power of God'. Very interesting. You're in error cause you don't understand. You have the scriptures, but you don't understand them.

Now, Paul himself had great zeal. Great zeal for God, but he was in error, became an enemy of the church until literally God knocked him off his high horse. 'So why are you persecuting me?' He's blinded buy this light. Who are you, Lord? Jesus, whom you are persecuting? It's interesting because Jesus said something very much like this in John 16:2. 'An hour is coming for everyone who cues you to think that he's offering service to God. But they're wrong! These things they do because they have not known the father or me.' Ah, there it is. That's the point. There's the transition right there. They knew the scriptures, but they didn't know the father who gave them the scriptures. So they didn't know the son.

John 8:42. You got to read John 8 sometime. It is just an amazing discussion. Actually, it's more like a fiery debate between Jesus and the Jewish leaders that's filled with fireworks and explosions. But in John 8:42, Jesus said to them, 'If God were your father, you would have loved me for I have preceded forth and have come from God. I'm not even come on my own initiative. He sent me'.

Here's a question, how is it possible that someone could have the truth but not be subject to the truth? This is an important question cause we have the truth. How is it possible that someone could have the truth but not be subject to the truth? Answer is hardness of heart. Very dangerous. That's why in 7:51-53, Steven is confronting the Jewish leaders and what he says, it's fireworks, it's power. He's confronting their hard hearts and this is what he says, 'You men are stiff-necked, uncircumcised and hard in the ears, always resisting the holy spirit. You receive the law as ordained by angels, but you wouldn’t keep it, wouldn't heed it, wouldn't be subject to it'.

B. Jesus is the final word

Jesus is the truth of God. Jesus is the truth sent by God. And if you subject your life to the truth, he'll bless you man. In John 14:6, Jesus made this amazing, powerful declaration. He said, 'I am the way. I am the truth. And I am the life. No one comes to the father but through me. If you had known me, you would have known my father also'. There's the point. But that's very narrow. I don't like that plan. That's God's plan. It's his son. He is the truth.

But this is what we see if you look at Romans 10. And Jesus is that final word, Jesus is that final answer. See in Romans 10:4. Paul says, 'Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes'. It means Christ is the culmination of it. He is the finale. He is the final chapter and he's the beginning of grace. All of the Old Testament finds its finale, its culmination in Christ. He's the end.

In John 19:30, tells us about this moment when Jesus is on the cross and they had lifted up a sponge filled with sour wine and he received that. But it goes on to say when Jesus had received the sour wine he said, 'To tell us thy, it's finished'. And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. That word, to tell us that it's finished is the same... it's based on the same word that we find here in Romans 10, Christ is the end. He is the end of the law, the requirement of the law has been finished. Fine, finale, culminated, everything has been paid in full. Alright.

Having laid that foundation, I want to ask a question. Very, very important question that begs to be asked. How do we know that we're right? How do you know? How do you know that we're right? Maybe Islam is right and we should all join ISIS and catch the next plane to Syria. Maybe Jehovah's witnesses are right. Maybe [Marxism] is right. Maybe Buddhism or Hinduism is right. How do you know? It begs to be asked. I would like to give one definitive answer. One answer. That answers the question definitively. This is how we know that we are right, that we're standing on the truth.

Jesus declared in all openness that he is the son of the living God and he was raised from the dead on the third day. That's how you know. It is the definitive answer. It is the answer above all answers. See, if Christ wasn't raised form the dead, you are most to be pitied and you're still in your sense. But Christ is raised form the dead and therefore, he made a way to the father and everyone therefore out to call, out to him and be saved.

Let me give you some verses. I Corinthians 15:17-19, Paul is writing, but listen to what he says, 'If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless and you're still in your sins'. I love these words! Cause if you know Paul, you know that he's bold. But here, I love this! He's just bodaciously answering and he's just going right down the throat of it. I love Paul! And I love the strength of this statement that he's making. 'Listen, I'm going to be straight up. I'm just going to answer what begs to be asked. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is completely worthless and you're still in your sins. Let's go. Right down the throat of it.' If we hoped in Christ in this life only, we're at most to be pitied. But he answers, 'But Christ has been raised'. He's been raised form the dead for sins by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

Alright. Listen to this bodacious statement. Powerful! 'Having overlooked the times of ignorance God is now declaring to all men that all people everywhere should repent because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness through a man whom he has appointed.' That's Christ. But get this. 'Having furnished proof to all men by raising him to all men by raising him form the dead.' That is the answer. That is the definitive proof. You are standing on the truth.

II. The Word of Faith is near You

But notice something. Paul then takes us back in Romans 10. He says this is now. Something that you take into your heart by faith. Faith is everything here. Faith is absolutely everything here. And he says, 'The word of faith is near you'. Paul says Israel's problem is that they did not pursue by faith. But as though it were by works. That's why they stumbled over the stumbling stone. Faith is everything here. If they had faith, they wouldn't have stumbled over the rock of offense.

A. Many prefer something more difficult

Paul is speaking to one of the problems of man, the nature of man. Here's the thing. Many prefer something more difficult. It's too simple. Want something more difficult. In verse 6, Paul says, 'The righteousness which is based on faith says, don't say this, don't say who will ascend up into the heavens and bring the hope of Messiah down'. Don't say that. It doesn't say who is going to go down into the abyss and bring the Messiah up from the grave. No, the word of faith does not say that. Who will take it upon himself? No. We like the difficult thing because we like to be the hero of the story.

Back in the 80's there was a movie, a very powerful, moving movie. And it was called 'The Mission'. Maybe some of you saw. It was a story about a slave trader in South America named Rodrigo Mendoza. He was hard and cold. And one day he finds his brother in bed with his fiancée and flies into a rage and kills his brother and falls into despair. Just the dreads of despair. His life is just worthless now. And so he finally turns to father Gabriel, Jesuit priest, and the priest gives him a penance. Something to pay, something to do in payment. And he's told that he should take a net and close all of his armor and his weapons and then carrying it that with the rope, he is to skeet the famous Iguassu falls which is practically sheer-faced with falls coming down right next to it. So this is what he does. He takes his net, he puts all his armor in his net, he closes it and ties it with a rope and he begins climbing. Two priests are joining him and he's one step as he's climbing and dragging this net filled with armor and weapons, he's dragging them step... anguish, the music builds and the anguish and the pain and the suffering of what he's doing. And the Jesuit priest, one of them watches this of course and just so internally, in anguish himself, just watching this guy suffer that he finally can't take it anymore. At one point the guy, just trying to drag this over and there's like a log right there and the rope is stuck on it and he's just at the end of himself. Finally, the priest takes out a knife and just out of anguish begins hacking at the rope. And off the thing falls! And this very powerful scene where Rodrigo Mendoza doesn't say a word, he stands up and he looks at him and he literally pushes him aside and he goes right down. And he goes down to the bottom and he takes the rope that he still got to him and he takes the rope and he starts tying it in a knot. He just looks like, 'Don't you ever touch me'. He ties it and he goes right back at it. And there's a part of you that goes, 'There's a strength in that man'. And he climbs all the way up to the top of the Iguassu falls and he find mercy. Very moving. But here's the problem. The problem is he's the hero. He found mercy by his own endeavor. He climbed. Who will ascend and find mercy?

B. The word is as close as your heart

This is what Paul is saying. Now listen. Listen. The word of faith is not at the top of Iguassu falls, it is right in your mouth. It's so close. It's so near to you. It's right in your hearts. Verse 8, 'The word is near you. It's in your mouth. Your heart. That is the word of faith. Faith. If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord. If you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved'.

See, salvation is not difficult. You don't climb any mountains. Descend to any pits. It's so close to you. It's right in your mouth. It's right in your heart. It's not difficult. Why isn't it difficult? Because Christ paid it all. He carried the entire burden on himself. There's nothing for you to do. There's nothing for you to do. Except believe. The simplicity of believing. Whoever believes, it says, will not be disappointed.

You confess with your mouth because you believe with your heart. This is important to understand. It's not just the words. Just say, 'Okay. So there's a word formula here. Jesus is Lord. I will just say the words'. No, you believe with your heart and then that's what makes you say those words. Jesus is my Lord! Without the heart, the words are empty. Without the heart, the words mean nothing.

Reminds me of back when I was part owner of a restaurant and my partner was not a believer. We started witnessing him and inviting him to church and he came to faith. And it was beautiful. Glorious. What zeal, what exuberance he had! So much so that he wanted everybody around him to be saved, which was awesome. And one day I came in the restaurant and there was my partner and he and one of the cooks. And I'll never forget the conversation. As I could hear it coming up to the conversation, my partner was saying, 'Just say the words. Just say the words. Just repeat after me. Just say the prayer. Just say the prayer. Just repeat after me'. And I went where only he could see me and I said, 'Can I talk to you? That's not the way it works! If he doesn't believe it, the words mean nothing'. It's like Valentine's Day. It's like coming home with flowers for Valentine's Day and throwing them down on the counter and saying, 'There! There's your flowers'. 'Why did you even bring them if you're going to bring them with that heart?' The heart is everything here!

Paul goes on to say that God receives the authentic heart of faith without distinction. Doesn't matter. The same Lord is Lord of all, bounty and riches for all who call upon him. Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Without distinction. I love this.

The chapter before this, Romans 9, it's often used as a proof text for a theology that says... you know that verse that we read that says, 'God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and God will harden whom he will harden'. That verse is sometimes taken to me that God will save those whom he wishes and he rejects whom he wishes without regard to their personal choice. But here in chapter 10, Paul is making this point over and over, whoever calls. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Without distinction. You call on the name of the Lord, you will be saved!

Maybe we could see it this way. One of the ways I like to consider it is this: there will be no one in hell who says, 'You know, I wanted to be saved, but God put my name on the wrong list'. No one can say that. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved! Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!

Some years ago I got a call form one of the guys in the church. He was witnessing one of his coworkers at his house, it was in the evening, he said, he called me and said, 'Can you come over here? I'm stuck'. I said, 'Sure, I'd love to'. So I come over and I said, 'Hey, how can I help you guys', and my friends says, 'I cannot answer his objection'. I said, 'Well, tell me what it is'. And the guy in all sincerity said, 'I would like to be saved, but I can't be saved'. I said, 'Really? Why can't you be saved'. 'Because God has put my name on the list of those whom he has rejected'. 'Really? You believe this?' Somehow he picked up some theology and got himself all turned around and he was sincere. 'I can't be saved. My name has been put on the list of those whom he has rejected.' I said, 'Actually, I don't believe that. And in fact, I have a word to you from God to you. God has given me a word to give to you.' Now, a smile came over his face, which is to suggest, 'You know this conversation was going pretty well here until you got weird'. But I meant it. And so I said, 'I want you to listen very carefully to what I have to say'. And he said, 'Okay. What is it'. Long silence. 'God has asked me to say to you I beg you in the name of Jesus Christ, be reconciled to God.' The look on his face, he was stunned, didn't expect that. I said, 'That's God's heart for you cause God gave me that word to give to you. Would you like to know how I know that's the word of God for you'. Is right here in the Bible. I opened the II Corinthians 5:20. And I put it in his lap. I said, 'Could you read those words'. 'As though God were making an appeal through us, we beg you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God!' That's God's heart. That's God's heart. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

C. Faith comes from having ears to hear

He sends out the invitation. He sends out the word. That's the word of reconciliation. By the way, that's the word of reconciliation he's given to each one of us. That's why he says how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. Bring that good news! You have the word of reconciliation. You know someone, Paul has got the same heart, 'My desire and prayer is for their salvation'. You should have the same heart. Me too. Reach out, be reconciling people. God's given us a word to give.

But here's the thing. The last section of this chapter really is telling us that not everyone's going to heed. Verse 16, 'They did not all heed the glad tidings'. Who's believed our report? And then he gives this famous verse, 'Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of Christ'. You know what it actually means? It doesn't mean faith comes from just words that reverberate in the room. It means comes from having ears to hear. Ears to hear. Faith is built. Faith is built from heeding, form listening, from taking those words into the heart.

Jesus gave a parabola that spoke to it powerfully. He said, 'A sower went out to sow one day'. It's a farmer. And he says, 'The seed being sown is the word of God being sown abroad. And some seed fell on the hard path'. Hard hearts. They don't receive it at all. Other seed fell on rocky soil or the soil was thin and it did receive it and it sprouted, but as soon as the heat of the day came, it welted, it withered. It took offense at the easiest thing. Others' seed fell amongst the thorns and the thistles and it began to bear, to sprout, but the thorns and thistles chocked it and it bared no fruit. Those are those who hear but the concerns of the world and the seeking after the riches and pleasures all choke it out and there's no fruit. Others have good hearts. And they receive the word. And it bears and sprouts and bears fruit, 30, 60, 100 folds.

When he finished the parabola, he added these words, Mark 4:9, and he was saying, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear'. Ears to hear. Reminds me of when we were teaching our kids to drive and I remember we had our two adopted boys, and I was teaching the oldest boy to drive and we were going down this country road and we had a couple of the kids. I think Jordy's mom was in the car. In other words, several people. We're going down this road and there's a sharp turn. And so I said, 'Sash, slow down'. But he didn't slow down. So I stepped up the intensity, 'Sash, slow down'. I start going like this, 'Sash, slow down! Slow down! Sash'. And he goes [inaudible 00:36:21] around the corner, everybody is screaming in the car. So learning my lesson, when it comes time to teach the youngest one to drive, the very first day, before we even turn the ignition, we're sitting in the seats and I said, 'Let me give you the number one rule of learning to drive. The number one rule, the rule which is above all rules, the rule which must first and foremost and always be heard, the rule which rules all other rules... And that rule is this: you listen to everything I say'. Anyone who's taught somebody to drive? You know exactly what I'm saying. And when I give that word, it doesn't mean it just reverberates off this glass. It means you heed everything I say.

Here's why I say this. Israel heard but didn't have ears to hear. But God continues to reach out to them. God continues to speak out to them, reach out to them. In fact, God will provoke them to try to break something, open their heart. He says, 'I'll even provoke them. I'm going to stir them up. I'm going to provoke them to jealousy. And see what's happening in the gentles, the church, the Holy Spirit, the igniting of God. They're going to be jealous. You be jealous. They're going to get angry. Well then be angry. Because all day long I'm reaching out my hands to disobedient and hard-hearted people'.

You know what I love about that? I love the fact that he doesn't quit. And does anyone with a hard heart here this morning, would you know that God will even stir you up? Well, he'll even provoke you. Cause he loves you so much. They want you to hear. Be subject to the truth because he'll transform your life, man. God's got one plan. God's got one plan. It's his son. And he's sent his son with that word of reconciliation. You know to climb a mountain, let it go under any pits, it's so close to you. It's right in your heart. It's faith. Faith is right there. Right there. Belief, it's always about belief.