In the sermon titled 'All day long have I stretched forth my hands,' Steve Hopkins discusses Romans 10:16-21, emphasizing the responsibility of believers to spread the gospel as part of the Great Commission. He highlights that while the message of salvation is available to all, not everyone believes or accepts it, as was the case with Israel, who had heard and understood the gospel but largely rejected it. The sermon explains that God's plan included provoking Israel to jealousy by bringing salvation to the Gentiles, who were not seeking God yet found Him through divine grace. Pastor Hopkins describes God's attitude as one of loving patience, continually reaching out to a disobedient people. The sermon concludes with a call to respond to God's invitation, highlighting the urgency of accepting the gospel and the assured salvation for all who call upon the name of the Lord.

Welcome back to Burnet Bible Church. Join us this week as Pastor Hopkins continues his sermon series through the book of Romans. Good afternoon again. If you would turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Romans. We're going to finally, after several weeks, return to our study of the book of Romans chapter 10, where we will be reading verses 16 through 21.

So if you would stand with me for the reading of the word of the Lord. Romans chapter 10 verses 16 through 21, three together the word of the Lord. But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard?

Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Isaiah is very bold, and saith, I was Let's pray. Not after me.

But to Israel he saith, all day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Let's pray. Father, high above the whole world, once again we, Lord, ask that you might be pleased to open our hearts to receive truth for your word is truth and that you might be pleased to grant us understanding by the Spirit for we ask it in Jesus name. Amen. Let's be seated.

So we ended our last session on the Book of Romans 10 with this verse, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. And we just ended with this note, the feet of those who bring the good news of Jesus to sinners are beautiful feet in the eyes of those who have come to call upon His name. But we also looked at this, Paul said, you know, how are they going to call on Jesus? He had these four questions. They haven't come to believe that he's able to save them.

How are they going to believe if they've never heard of him? How are they going to hear about him without a preacher? How are they going to have a preacher to preach Christ to them unless one is sent to them? And we looked at how every one of us who names the name of Christ, even though we may not be an ordained minister or sent as a missionary into a foreign land, has a responsibility under the Great Commission to take the gospel to the world around us, knowing that everyone who calls in the name of the Lord shall be saved, no matter who they may be, whether Jew or Gentile. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But again, I stressed in our last session that message that no one is going to do that unless they hear the clearly proclaimed message of the gospel. And we looked at Acts chapter 8 where we were told that there was this great persecution against the church at Jerusalem and all the believers were being scattered throughout the region, Throughout Israel and even beyond the borders of Israel, it says, except for the apostles, the believers were scattered. Why? Because there was persecution. Stephen had just been martyred, stone to death.

Saul was wrecking havoc in the church and bursting into houses with his guards and taking away men and women and committing them to prison. And then we read in Acts chapter 8 verse 4, therefore they were scattered. The believers were scattered abroad and they went everywhere, the scripture says, preaching the word. These were not ordained ministers. They went everywhere preaching the word.

Preaching the word is not limited to ordained ministers. It is the responsibility of every believer to tell others the good news that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the Son of God come from heaven to earth, that he came into the world to save sinners, that he is the Savior of the world, that he has power to forgive sins, that he has power to save from the wrath to come. And there is wrath coming. That he alone can reconcile sinners to a holy God and give them resurrection life. And that whosoever, whosoever, no matter his background, no matter his ethnicity, no matter how long a sinner, no matter how great a sinner, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And we ended that this mandate that Christ gave to his apostles before he was ascended to go into the world and preach the gospel to every living creature. It's a mandate that's never been rescinded. It's never been withdrawn. It's rested upon the church ever since. In the words of Martin Lloyd Jones, the church is a body of people sent out to proclaim the message of Christ to the world.

And I asked, you know, why does this church support missionary work? Because we love people? Yes, because we love people. Because we want everyone in the world to know the one true and living God through his son Jesus Christ and be sent just as we've come to know him. Yes, yes, but above all because Jesus said to, Jesus said to, why should we evangelize our neighbors and friends and coworkers and family members that are lost because we love them yes because we love them because the gospel that was shared with us that graciously saved our souls was brought to us one day by some beautiful feet yes yes but above all because Jesus said to because Jesus said to he said to preach the gospel to everyone, and whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

I quoted John Bunyan, I will never be content until I see all the world, the greatest and the least, brought to the knowledge of Christ and made partakers of his salvation. Wouldn't that be so wonderful if that was our motivation, every one of our motivation. I can't be content, Lord. I will never be content, Lord, until I see all the world, the greatest and the least, brought to the knowledge of Christ and made partakers of this salvation. Oh how blessed are the feet of them that bring the good news.

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news to sinners. How beautiful are the feet of that person who brought the good news to you that day when you came to put your trust in Christ for your salvation from sin's penalty and power. But as we pick up with verse 16 this afternoon we hear the Apostle expressing what is really no less than a lamentation. He says, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, but they have not all obeyed the gospel who have heard the gospel.

Everyone who hears the message doesn't believe the message. A note in my Reformation Heritage Bible commentary says, as vital as the preaching of God's word is, it does not produce faith in all who hear it. Such was the case with Israel. This is what the apostle Paul is talking about here. Such was the case with Israel in Paul's day.

And such has been the case with Israel over the past 2000 years. And Paul quotes Isaiah, Lord, who believed our report? See, Isaiah was foreseeing this. God had shown him what was going to be coming, and he knows that the good news, the Messiah is going to come, the good news is going to go into all the world, it's going to go throughout Israel, and the question is going to be coming, who has believed our report? Yes, the message has been given, but who's believed it?

Who's actually believed it? He's lamenting the rejection of the gospel by the vast majority of the Jews in his day, his own countrymen, his kinsmen according to the flesh. And it's as though he's saying, we know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God So what happened to Israel? Look at your Bible he asked a couple of questions. He says have they not heard Did they not hear the gospel?

Certainly they have. The Apostle affirms that they have. He says, yes, yea verily their sound went into all the earth and their words under the ends of the world. The issue was not that the Jews had not heard the message of the gospel. The gospel had been preached within their hearing, writes Matthew Henry, and the sound of it had reached even unto them, close quote.

So it wasn't a case of ignorance. It wasn't that they could plead ignorance. We never heard the gospel. They heard, they heard. It wasn't that the message had not reached their ears.

Paul says, yes, they certainly heard the message. His second question, well, did not Israel know? Maybe they didn't understand. Maybe they heard the message, but they just didn't understand it. Maybe was it just a matter of them not really understanding what they heard?

No, they understood the message that was being proclaimed to them. They had Moses. They had the oracles of God committed to them. They had the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses. They had the prophets.

They had the writings of Moses and the prophets. Jesus had told them back in John chapter 5, search the scriptures. That is the very scriptures that you have in your possession. For in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." They heard, and they understood the message that was being brought to them. In Acts chapter 18, we read that Paul reasoned with the Jews every Sabbath in their synagogues, testifying to them that this Jesus is truly Christ.

They gnashed on them with their teeth. They both heard the message and it was clearly expounded to them. So What's going on? Paul provides the answer in the next sentence, quoting the word of God to them from the lips of Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 32. Here's the answer.

I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are not a people. That is by the conversion of the Gentiles. In Deuteronomy it goes like this, it's God speaking and he says they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God. This is what Paul is quoting from. They have moved me to Jealousy with that which is not God.

This is what Paul is Quoting from they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God that is with their vain idols And I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. That's what's going on. Does everyone understand what's going on here? That's what's going on. Not only had Israel heard the gospel invitation and understood what was being offered to them, they were also told centuries before what would happen to them if they rejected it.

Martin Lloyd-Jones, not only have they heard the gospel, but they were told centuries ago that this very thing would happen if they did not believe." Close quote. I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people and by a foolish nation I will anger you. And brothers and sisters that foolish nation of people that Paul is referring to is you. It's us. It is the Gentiles.

God's intent was twofold. To take the gospel to the Gentiles, to convert a people who weren't even looking for God and in doing so at the same time to provoke the Jews to jealousy through the conversion of the Gentiles to the one true and living God. Dr. Sproul, this was not a last-minute switch in God's plans. God had told the people of Israel that he would make them jealous by taking the proffered benefits across the border to all nations.

The benefits of the offer held out to Israel through the gospel, which they both heard and understood the offer of the salvation of their souls, of the forgiveness of their sins, of the offer of reconciliation with God, of life everlasting in His presence. If they would only put their trust in their long-awaited Messiah Jesus Christ would now be taken to the Gentiles, to the regions beyond their borders, and they will believe it. They will believe. Friends, the benefits of Christ's perfect obedience in life and His all-atoning sacrifice on the cross of death is only for those who believe. For the Jew or Gentile.

And God warned Israel of that fact so many centuries before. He warned them. Spurgeon, Moses himself, the great lawgiver, whom they revered so highly, had warned them, they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God, it was their idols, and I will move them to jealousy with those who are not even a people, God had said centuries before that he would pass Israel by and call the Gentiles, and now he's doing exactly what he said he would do. How could this be? Grace given to the Gentiles?

Remember, we were referred to as dogs. Grace given to the Gentiles? In the mind of the Jews, this thing was almost unimaginable, but yet it happened. Yet it happened. The very thing that was so unlikely to take place, it happened.

Spurgeon goes on, see how God keeps his word. The Jews rejected Christ, so the apostles turned to the Gentiles. And when the Gentiles believed and were saved, the very sight of such mercy to those whom the Jews referred to as dogs and sinners was meant to provoke the Jews to a holy jealousy. So brothers and sisters don't misunderstand what's happening here. This was not only divine anger being displayed towards the Jews for rejection, but a display of divine love towards them in mercy.

Do you see that? Do you see it? Again Spurgeon, God was angry enough to pass them by, yet loving enough to plan that even This passing by should be a means to awaken them. God says, I will provoke you to jealousy, not destroy you. See what he said?

I'm not going to destroy you. I'm going to provoke you to jealousy, awaken you, stir you, and make you long for what you've rejected. And what God said would happen did happen. Paul quotes Isaiah in verse 20, look in your Bibles. Isaiah is very bold and he says, I love these words, they apply to me.

Love these words, they apply to you. If you're a believer here today and you're not Jewish of descent, if you're not of Jew ethnicity, this is talking about you. Isaiah is very bold and says, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. That includes you, that includes me today.

We Gentiles weren't looking for God. We had no interest in the things of God. Christ was found of us who weren't even seeking after Him. And of course, that's true of both Jew and Gentile. But he's driving home a point here.

Again, Martin Lloyd-Jones, God himself is represented as saying, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. Think of it. The eternal God, the Holy One of Israel, the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity. He says, I was found by people who were not even looking for me.

I revealed myself to people who never asked after me. This is the ultimate statement of pure, free, sovereign grace, the sovereign grace of God. Here is God taking the initiative entirely. Here are Gentiles, Pagans, idolaters, people who had never even heard of the true God, people who were not seeking God at all, seeking Him at all, and God in grace comes to them and manifests Himself to them and saves them. Why does Isaiah say boldly?

Because the Jews had always prided themselves that they alone were the people of God that they alone sought God that they alone had the oracles of God and God says this is still Martin Lloyd-Jones very well I will show you that I am not limited to your seeking. I will go to people who are not seeking me at all, and I will reveal myself to them, and they will become my people. That will become their God. This is exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost and throughout the book of Acts. The Gentiles heard the gospel, they believed in crowds, while the Jews with all their seeking and all their religion rejected and crucified the Lord of glory.

Lord Jones goes on, this verse is the death blow to every form of self-righteousness and religious pride. If ever a man is to be saved, it will not be because he sought God, but because God sought him. Salvation is of the Lord from the beginning to end. This is the glory of the gospel, that God comes to the Gentiles, to the undeserving, to the ungodly, to those who were not seeking after him at all, and he says, here I am, I reveal myself unto you. This is grace amazing, Close quote.

And brothers and sisters, you who have come to trust Christ and rest under the wing of divine mercy, this word of God to the Gentiles is the word of God to you. You were found by God. Everyone listen to me. You were found by God. You didn't find God.

God found you. God was never lost. You once were lost, but now you're found. You were blind, but now you see. It is a pride-shattering gospel.

It is a pride-abasing gospel. Love and mercy found you, as the hymn says. Love and mercy found you when you weren't even looking for it. The bright and morning star shed his beams around you. Again Lloyd-Jones, after the astonishing statement of sovereign grace in verse 20, Paul now gives us the most tragic verse in the whole Bible.

Lloyd Jones says this is the most tragic verse in all of the Bible right here, but to Israel he saith all day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and again saying people. Look at the contrast. To the Gentiles who never saw him, I was found, I was made manifest to Israel who had every privilege all day long, I've stretched out my hands to a disobedient people. What a picture. The eternal God, the Lord of glory, standing with arms, outstretched all day long, century after century, pleading, inviting, beseeching His own covenant people to come to Him.

And the only response is no. A disobedient and gainsaying people who refused and who contradict. No, the phrase all day long is heartbreaking. It means from the call of Abraham right down to the coming of Christ and even now After the coming of Christ, God's arms are still outstretched. He sent his prophets, he sent his son, he sent the apostles, he sent the gospel, and still the arms are outstretched.

This is an attitude of entreaty, of pleading, of love. It's a picture of a father with his open arms calling to his child or a mother pleading with a wayward son. God is not aloof. God is not angry only. God is grieved.

God is longing. God is beseeching. And yet Israel is ascribed to his disobedient, deliberately refusing to obey, gainsaying, literally contradicting, talking back to God, saying no to God's face. This is the terrible sin of Israel. They had everything, and yet they rejected everything.

They had the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the promises, the fathers, and finally the Messiah Himself. And they said, we will not have this man, Jesus, to reign over us. So the chapter ends on this note of infinite pathos. God's arms are still stretched out even now to a disobedient and a gainsaying people. And God's arms are still stretched out today to every one of us.

Let no man think that God is hard or cruel. The fault is entirely ours. All day long have I stretched forth my hands. Will you still say no? Will you still say no?

Will you still say no? Will you still say no? Close quote. What about you today? Maybe there is someone here today who is still saying no to God.

Maybe. Maybe there's someone here today that's still saying no to God. How long has God stretched forth his hands? How many times have you heard the gospel of redeeming love? How many times has the divine invitation been graciously extended to you?

How long will you say no to God? Anyone remember the Paul Washer message? Here is God on the day of creation. He looks at the stars and he says, All you stars, move yourselves to this place and start in this order and move in a circle and do exactly as I tell you, until I give you another word and they all obey him. And he says to the planets, pick yourselves up and whirl and make this formation in my command until I give you another word." He looks at the mountains and he says, be lifted up and they obey him.

He looks at the valleys and he says, be cast down and they obey him. He looks at the seas and he says, you could come this far and go no further and the seas obey him. And then he looks at you and he says, come and you say no. Does anyone have a problem with that? End quote.

The prophet Isaiah says, speaking in the place of God, All day long have I stretched forth my hands to a disobedient and again saying people. Brothers and sisters, friends, it isn't just the greater number of the Jews who say no to God. It is the greater number of the Gentiles. There may be people here in this room today, this auditorium today, who are saying no to God, who refuse to turn from their sins to God, who love their life in this world so much that they would never dream of parting with it for Christ. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

There's a man going round taking names. He decides who to free and who to blame. Everyone won't be treated all the same. There'll be a golden ladder reaching down when the man comes around. That's Johnny Cash in one of the last songs he wrote before he died.

And he's talking about the return of Jesus and the judgment of the world, the judgment of the living and of the dead, a day that's coming, a day that is closer than you think. The hairs on your arms will stand up at the terror in each sip and in each sup. He's talking about the wrath of God that will be poured out in full measure upon those who go on still in their sins and will for rejection of God and say no to God. And the wrath, he's talking about the wrath, the cup of God's wrath that they will drink down for all eternity. He goes on, will you partake of that last offered cup, that is the last offered cup of the mercies of God offered you in the gospel?

Come unto me, all you that labored or heavy laden under the burden of sin, Take my yoke upon you. My yoke is easy. My burden is light. I will give you rest. I will give you rest for your souls.

Will you partake of that last offered cup or disappear into the potter's ground when the man comes around. Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers, a hundred million angels singing, multitudes marching to the big kettle drum, voices calling, voices crying, some are born and some are dying. It's Alpha and Omega's kingdom come. The whirlwind is in the thorn tree. The virgins are all trimming their wicks.

The whirlwind is in the thorn tree. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. In measured hundred weight and penny pound when the man comes around. And I heard the voice in the midst of the four beasts that I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed with him. Johnny Cash end quote.

Oh friends, brothers and sisters, I hadn't originally intended to end on this note, but we have an eternity staring us in the face. Paul says, their sound went out into all the earth, the gospel, but they've not all obeyed the gospel. Have you? Let's pray. Father, We thank you that you have stretched forth your hands to the objects of your mercy.

We thank you that you've caused the people to draw near. We thank you, Lord, that you melted our once stone-cold hearts with the gospel of grace found in Christ Jesus, your Son. We thank you, God, that you sent the gospel over the borders of Israel so many years ago and that it reached us, oh God, even us. We thank you that you pierced our hearts with the love of it and the mercy of it and the truth of it. We thank you that Christ died for our sins and rose again the third day and that we who have come to trust Jesus, Lord, we thank you that in mercy you didn't leave us in the state in which we were born.

We thank you that you raised us from the graveyard of the spiritually dead and granted us the grace of repentance and faith to believe and a heart to cry, God be merciful to me a sinner. We thank you God that we were found of you who sought you not, who were not seeking you. And we thank you God that you have assured us that all who call in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. And we pray God that not a soul in this place will enter eternity saying no to you. Oh God, or anyone who hears this message you're after will not enter eternity saying no to God, but that every soul will come to embrace the mercies provided in your Son, for we ask it in his most blessed and holy name, Jesus.

Amen. Amen. In the name of Jesus, amen.