Christian Education and Discipleship

What Sinners Hate to Hear Part 1 of 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Education and Discipleship

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-12-03

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver addresses the essential truths that sinners need to hear for salvation, emphasizing that hearing God's Word is vital. He explains that there is an external and internal hearing, and only God's grace enables spiritual hearing. The message focuses on two key distinctions: the difference between ability and responsibility, and the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. Weaver argues that while all sinners are responsible to repent and believe, they lack the natural ability to do so; these are gifts from God. He warns against relying on mere human decisions or persuasive speech, stressing that true conversion requires divine illumination and drawing by the Father. The sermon concludes with applications urging sinners to seek God's mercy and believers to rest solely in Christ's work.

[John Weaver] If you would please to Isaiah 55, Isaiah 55, we're going to read one verse. And the message today is entitled, What Sinners Need to Hear. And I will tell you this, it's going to take two Sundays to finish this message, and I'll mention that again, but I think that you will understand why in just for a moment. Look at Isaiah 55 and verse 3 at what God says,"...incline your ear and come unto me and hear, and your soul shall live.

[John Weaver] And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Note now again, verse 3,"...incline your ear and come unto me and hear, and your soul shall live." I want you to understand that hearing is vitally important to salvation. Our Lord said very plainly, hear and your soul shall live. So the question is, have you ever heard unto salvation? If so, what did you hear? And how did you hear? I hope you understand there is an external hearing of the Word and there is an internal hearing of the Word. The external is merely physical, the internal is spiritual.

[John Weaver] Many have the ability to hear externally and outwardly, but I'm going to show you this morning that no one has the ability to hear inwardly and spiritually apart from the grace of God. I have been asked a number of times, and that's what really triggered this message as I was thinking about it, in light of a lot of people having lost loved ones and lost friends, I've been asked this question, what do you say to a sinner? What do they need to hear? So let me ask you this question.

[John Weaver] How would you witness to an unconverted friend or family member? Have you ever considered what you would really say to them or what they really need to hear?

[John Weaver] Now naturally if you had several weeks or several months where you could just talk endlessly You can cover an awful lot of things and cover very, very many doctrines. But you're only going to have that situation if you have a close neighbor or a close family member that you can do that with. Usually when it comes to witnessing to someone, it's under an hour, sometimes under 30 minutes. So what in the world do you tell someone when you're trying to give them what you would call an irreducible minimum of truth because of time's sake.

[John Weaver] You see, there's a problem that exists in telling people what they need to hear. The problem that exists is how to condense the truth without compromising the truth. In order to demonstrate this, it's going to take me two weeks to finish this message so that you may see The completeness of the truth. You might see the completeness, but then you're going to have to be able to condense it down and say, here is what you need to hear. So how in the world then do we communicate that which is absolutely fundamental, needed, and necessary without perverting the truth? We need to know what people need to hear in order that we may actually give them the truth. And I must emphasize this, it is indeed the truth that sinners need to hear. It is a truth that we've been commanded to hear.

[John Weaver] It doesn't matter if you look in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or any of the prophets, you'll see this command over and over where God says, Hear ye the word of the Lord. And oftentimes when you hear that command and you read that command in the Scripture, it's even given to God's professing people. And if God's professing people will not hear His Word, is it any wonder that sinners won't listen to Him? So over and over He says, hear you the Word of the Lord. Many of you will remember that numerous times in the New Testament our Lord said, such as in Matthew 13 in verse 19, He who hath ears to hear, let him hear. In Matthew 15 and verse 10, He called the multitude and said unto them, Hear and understand. So our Lord then has commanded us to hear. And an interesting thing is this, when you get to Mark 4, without turning there, in verse 24, the Word of God says this, Take heed what you hear. Take heed what you hear. We're not obligated to hear everything.

[John Weaver] but we are obligated to hear the Word of God. And then when you get to Luke 8 and verse 18, He said, take heed how you hear. So God is going to hold us responsible for not only what we hear, He's going to hold us responsible for how we hear. That means those times when we stay out too late on Saturday night, and we come up sleepy-headed on Sunday morning, and we're kind of dull of hearing and we really don't pay attention, God will hold us accountable of how we heard His Word. Not only take heed what you hear, but also take heed how you hear. Now, let me tell you, there is a real theological dilemma for those who will not hear the Word of God. I don't know if you've thought about this or not. The theological dilemma is like this. Remember what our Lord said in John 10 in verse 27. He said this, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Well, I want you to turn in your Bible to John chapter 8.

[John Weaver] You need to see this passage. John chapter 8. After having quoted John 10, where our Lord says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow Me." Look what He said to those unbelieving Jews in John 8 and verse 47. Very interesting. He said, He that is of God, heareth God's words. You therefore hear them not, because you're not of God. Wow! Did you hear what I just read? Here's what our Lord is saying. My sheep hear My voice." In other words, if you hear and heed the Word of God, it's evidence that you're one of His sheep. If you refuse to hear and heed the Word of God, it's obvious that you're not His sheep. He said, He that is of God, hear God's words, you therefore hear them not, because you're not of God. Look in John 8, since you're right there, in verse 31. Look at what He said. Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, You continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed.

[John Weaver] The proof that our conversion is genuine is that we continue in the faith, we continue in the Word of God. What does that mean then for someone who professes at one time they were saved, but they hadn't been to church and they hadn't read their Bible, hadn't heard any Word or any teaching for 20 years. Our Lord says the proof that you're genuinely His disciple is that you continue in His Word. So, the proof that you are one of the Lord's sheep is that you hear His voice and you follow Him. The evidence that you're not His sheep is that you do not hear Him, you do not heed Him, you do not obey Him. Thus, when someone turns his ear away from hearing the Word of God, he's treading on very dangerous ground. He's condemning himself and he's exposing himself as one who does not belong to the Lord.

[John Weaver] The Puritans used to have a saying that went like this. The Puritans would proclaim, I have great news for a sinner if I can ever find one.

[John Weaver] Now stop and think about that. I have great news for a sinner if I can ever find one. You say, Brother Weaver, we are all sinners. I know that. You know that. But I don't care who you go to and you begin to talk to them about their sin and their attitude is this, well, I'm not that bad. We know we're sinners, but we don't understand the complexity of our sin, the depth of our sin, the judgment of our sin, That's why those Puritans always would say, have great news for a sinner if I could find one.

[John Weaver] But they followed it up with another saying. They said this, a sinner is a precious thing for only God can make one so.

[John Weaver] Now what did they mean by that? They meant when a sinner really genuinely sees and understands his sin, his depravity, the wickedness of it, the just deserts of it. When he's really, really understanding who and what he is, it's God who opened his eyes and taught him and showed him exactly what he was. Only God can make a sinner see his need of Jesus Christ. That's why they said a sinner is a precious thing. for only God can make Him so.

[John Weaver] Now, assuming that you have a lost family member or assuming that you have a friend, assuming that you have someone that will listen, what do you tell him? I'm going to give you a minimum of four truths. I'm only going to cover two of them today, two next week, Lord willing. But I'm going to show you that I believe that at an absolute minimum, these four truths should be communicated. The first truth is this, listen carefully.

[John Weaver] We must communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. We must communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. Why in the world do I begin with such a point? Let me just tell you, the difference between these two concepts is absolutely, vitally important. You see, in the garden, when God had created Adam, he not only walked with God, he had the ability to please God. And he did so during their time of communion. However, when Adam sinned against God, when he rebelled against God, God drove him from the garden and he was cursed. Adam and all of his posterity lost their ability to please God, but they did not lose their responsibility. When Adam sinned, he did not cease to be God's creation. He was still God's creation, but now He is a sinner and a sinful creation. And as God's creature, He is still accountable and responsible to God, even though He is now a sinner. You have to remember that Adam, according to the Scripture, was created with original righteousness, knowledge, and holiness. And by the way, Adam...

[John Weaver] Everybody wants to talk about the will of man? Adam, with original knowledge, original righteousness, and original holiness, in a perfect environment, used his will to sin against God. See, the problem with Adam was this. Although he had original righteousness, knowledge, and holiness, he was created mutable, that is, changeable. He could lose it. And he did lose it when he sinned. and when he rebelled against God. He could change, and he did change.

[John Weaver] And he lost his position, and he lost his ability. He lost everything in the fall, and he changed from being holy to unholy, and from being righteous to unrighteous.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to Romans 5 and verse 12. Here's a verse that is very important. Romans 5 and verse 12. And I want you to notice what the Scripture says. Romans 5 verse 12. Look at this, Romans 5 verse 12. Paul writes, wherefore as by one man, which is Adam, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

[John Weaver] Now let me just stop there just for a moment. The scripture says, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world. May I ask you, who actually was the first to sin? Eve? That's correct. Well, why is it the Bible said, by one woman, sin entered the world? Because the covenant was with Adam. And Adam was our federal head and representative. I want you to look at verse 12 again. Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered in the world, and death by sin, And so death passed upon all men, now look at this phrase, for that all have sinned. Now let me explain something about that phrase.

[John Weaver] I realize not everybody is a Greek scholar and I'm not trying to make you a Greek scholar. But I am going to tell you that when it says for all have sinned is an aorist passive in the Greek. That means this. It is something that happened one time, once and for all, with continuing results. When did all of us sin at one time? In the fall in Adam.

[John Weaver] Because he was our federal head and our representative. We lost it all when Adam fell. Here's what this means. If you had been in the Garden of Eden, You would have done exactly the same thing Adam did. You would have. We all sinned, we all fell on him. Now, since Adam was our federal head and federal representative, you can find that by the way, not only in Romans chapter 5, but in 1 Corinthians 15 as well. When he sinned, we sinned. When he fell, we fell. When he lost his ability, we lost our ability.

[John Weaver] That's why the Bible says now in Ephesians 2 and verse 1, hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins." So man now is dead in trespasses and in sin. What can a dead man do? Absolutely nothing.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 2, then we're coming back to Romans 8, so just hold Romans if you would. But look in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, and notice if you would, Now I'm telling you that we lost everything in the fall. Okay? Look in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. The scripture says, but the natural man, that's the unsaved man, that's man apart from grace, man without Christ, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for their foolishness unto him Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Now, look at that very carefully. The natural man, the unsaved man, does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. Why? Their foolishness of them. Look at this next phrase. Neither can he know them. In other words, fallen man does not have the ability to receive or to know or to understand the things of God. Period. Now go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 8 and look at verses 6 through 8.

[John Weaver] Let me just show you how bad it really is. Look in Romans 8 beginning there with verse 6. Here the Apostle Paul writes, For to be carnally or to be fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Now watch verse 7, Because the carnal mind, that's the fleshly mind, that's the unsaved mind, That's the natural mind. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Watch verse 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Now what does the Bible just tell us? The Bible just tells us that natural man, unsaved man, by nature hates God. Not only does he hate God, his mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. And then he makes this statement, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. How many are in the flesh? All of us. How many of us have no ability to please God in and of ourselves?

[John Weaver] All of us. There is not one sinner. There's never been one sinner that had the ability to please God. Nothing he could ever do could please God. For by nature, he hated God. He cannot please God. That's a term of ability. And according to 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, he cannot receive the things of God and he cannot know the things of God because they're spiritually discerned.

[John Weaver] Now, just to show you how this is emphasized in the Bible, I want you to turn to the book of John, and let's begin in John chapter 3. And let me just show you the cannots in the book of John. Look in John chapter 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. John 3 and verse 3. John 3 verse 3. Watch carefully what our Lord says. John 3 verse 3.

[John Weaver] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Now notice what he said, except a man be born from above, anathon is the Greek word, from above, except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So unsaved man cannot even glimpse the kingdom of God. He can't see, he's blind.

[John Weaver] Look in verse 5, John 3 verse 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So what is it that a man cannot do so far? He cannot see the kingdom of God? He cannot enter the kingdom of God? That is, he has no ability. Let me just stop here. You know this, but I'm just repeating it.

[John Weaver] There's a difference between the words may and can. May is a term of permission. Can is a term of ability. So, if Dr. Holmes asked me, can I play your piano? My response would be, you may if you have the ability. I don't think he has the ability to play the piano, but you see the difference. May is a term of permission. Can is a term of ability. So our Lord says no man has the ability to see the Kingdom of God. No man has the ability to enter the Kingdom of God in and of himself.

[John Weaver] Look in John 6 and verse 44. Now I will come back to this one, but let me just show it to you. John 6 and verse 44. Look what our Lord says. John 6 and verse 44. Here it is. John 6, verse 44, our Lord says it very plainly, No man can come unto Me, except the Father which sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up the last day.

[John Weaver] Now how many men, in and of themselves, have the ability to come to Christ on their own? Not one. We cannot see, we cannot enter, we cannot come. Look in your Bibles to John 8 and verse 43. John 8, verse 43. In fact, we can read verse 41. He's talking to these unbelievers and he says this, You do the deeds of your father. He's talking about the devil.

[John Weaver] They said unto him, We be not born of fornication. We have one Father, even God. So now they're accusing Christ of being an illegitimate child. Verse 42. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love Him. For I proceeded forth and came from God, and neither came out of myself, but He sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Watch. Even because you cannot hear my word, you are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father you will do.

[John Weaver] What did He say to them? You cannot hear my word. So sinners cannot see, they cannot enter, they cannot come, they cannot hear. Look in John chapter 12. John chapter 12, in verses 39 and 40. John 12 verse 39, Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He had blinded their hearts and hardened their hearts, blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes and understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them. Therefore they could not believe.

[John Weaver] What is it that a sinner can't do here? He can't believe. So if you just take the book of John, you can't see, you can't enter, you can't come, you can't hear, you can't believe. It should be an obvious fact from Scripture, it should be a clear and certain fact from Scripture that fallen man has lost his ability to please God. However, that does not mean that he's lost his responsibility to please God. I told you, you have to communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. You may lose your ability, but not necessarily your responsibility. God did not make man sin. God does not make you sin. You choose to sin because you're a sinner. You choose to sin because you have Adam's fallen nature. And simply because man has lost his ability to please God, does not mean that God has lost His right to command. God is still God. He is still the sovereign God of heaven and earth. He's the sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who has the absolute right to command.

[John Weaver] And God does command. He still commands sinners although they have lost their ability. They have not lost their responsibility.

[John Weaver] Now let me try to distinguish between these two things for you. And then I'm going to make the application in just a moment. Simply because someone is responsible to do something, does not mean that he has the ability to do it. A 13 year old girl and a 14 year old boy can produce a baby. If and when that happens, does that mean that they have the ability to marry?

[John Weaver] raise the child, educate the child, and be the kind of parents and spouses that God demands? Does the 14-year-old boy have the ability to make a living, support, and sustain his 13-year-old wife and child? No. He didn't have that ability. He may have the responsibility, but he does not possess the ability. There's a difference between ability and responsibility. If I borrowed $10,000 from Ed, Carrie's shaking her head, he didn't have it. That's alright. But if I borrowed $10,000 from Ed, am I responsible to pay it back? Am I? Yes. Alright. But suppose I borrow the $10,000 from him and I leave and get involved in a horrible automobile wreck. And I'm incapacitated. Do I now have the ability to pay it back after I've already spent it? No. I have the responsibility, but I don't have the ability. So there's a big difference between ability and responsibility.

[John Weaver] Now, what I want to do is apply this, this same principle, to the commands of Scripture and let you see it. So I want you to turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 17. Acts 17. And look if you would please, beginning there with verse 30 and 31. Acts 17 verse 30. Look at what the Scripture says. Acts 17, verse 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Why does God command all men everywhere to repent? By the way, please note that He does command all men to repent. Why does God command all men to repent?

[John Weaver] Well, first of all, He has the right to. He's God. He can do whatever He pleases. But secondly, if you'll look in verse 31, He tells you why He issues this command. Because He hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he had raised him from the dead." Now here's why God commands men to repent. Because God has appointed a day in the which he will judge the world. There is a final judgment And He's going to judge that world in righteousness. Notice the Scripture says,"...by that man whom He hath ordained," which is Jesus Christ. Watch."...whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, and that He hath raised Him from the dead." So, just as surely as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, there's going to be a day of judgment. Okay? Watch this. Why does God command all men everywhere to repent? And the answer is because God has appointed His Son judge of everything and He is going to judge every man.

[John Weaver] And the assurance of that is that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now, we know that God has commanded every man everywhere to repent. Look in your Bibles very quickly to Luke 13. Let me show you what happens if there is no repentance. Luke 13, and let's read the first five verses. Luke 13, beginning there with verse 1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Alright, Luke 13, verse 1. The Scripture says, There were present at that season some of them that told Him, that is, told Christ, of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. So Pilate has murdered some of these people who were offering sacrifices. Watch. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you nay. But except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.

[John Weaver] Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them Thank you that they were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay. But except you repent, you shall all likewise perish."

[John Weaver] Now look what our Lord said. He said, just because some great catastrophic, horrible, tragic incident happens to someone, does not necessarily mean that they were sinners exceedingly. And our Lord said, no. But I'll tell you, unless you repent, you shall always likewise perish."

[John Weaver] Now, we know from Acts 17, God commands men to repent. We know from Luke 13, that if men do not repent, they're going to perish. So God commands men to repent. Yes. Well, as His creatures, we owe Him glory. As sinners, We owe Him repentance because we have violated His law, we've transgressed His commands, and we've sinned against His person. Now, we know that God commands repentance. So, why are not sinners repenting? We know that if they don't repent, they will perish. Why are they not repenting?

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you this. Have you sinned this week? Oh yeah. Janet's shaking her head and pointing at Henry, yeah.

[John Weaver] Now, you see what I'm saying? Well, alright, you say, yeah, well I guess I've sinned this week. Well, repent. Let me see you repent. Go ahead and repent right now. Do you realize? You cannot repent. unless God gives you repentance. I don't care if you're a non-Christian or a Christian. It is the absolute truth. How does one receive repentance? Where does it originate? Repentance, like faith, is the gift of God. God must give it. If God does not give it, I cannot repent. Repentance is His gift. Repentance comes from Him and from Him alone. When I turn from my sin, I am exercising the gift of repentance that He gave me. Repentance does not reside in man by nature, not even a Christian man. No man can repent apart from the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go to the book of Acts. Let me show you this. Look in the book of Acts chapter 5 verses 30 and 31. And here the scripture tells us one of the reasons why Christ was raised from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father. Look in Acts 5 verse 30 and 31. Acts 5 verse 30. The scripture says the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you slew and hanged on a tree, him hath God exalted with or at his right hand to be a prince and a savior, watch, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." For to give. In other words, repentance and forgiveness or gifts from Jesus Christ. He must actually give it. Look in your Bibles to Acts 11. You remember in Acts chapter 10, Cornelius and his household were converted.

[John Weaver] And of course, when Peter comes back to Jerusalem, those other Jewish folks who believed jumped on Peter, said, you know you're not supposed to go into the house of someone who is unclean. And of course, Peter rehearsed everything that God had showed him. And look what happens when he finishes. Look in Acts 11. Let's read verse 17. Peter says, For as much as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God? Now watch.

[John Weaver] When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted, or given, repentance unto life. Where did they get repentance? They got it from God. It's His gift. He gave it. If you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy, look if you would please, beginning there with chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter 2, and we'll begin reading there with verse 24. 2 Timothy 2, verse 24. Watch carefully. 2 Timothy 2, verse 24.

[John Weaver] Paul is telling Timothy really his only hope in preaching and teaching. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 24. He says, And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves. Now watch. If God, peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him and his will.

[John Weaver] Now, here's my first question. When do men recover themselves out of the snare of the devil? The answer is, according to verse 25, when they acknowledge the truth. My next question is, when do men acknowledge the truth? According to verse 25, it's when God gives them repentance. If God does not give them repentance, they do not acknowledge the truth. nor do they recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. So, here it is, God demands repentance. Men are responsible to repent. Are you listening? But they don't have the ability to repent.

[John Weaver] Where does that leave the sinner? I'll tell you. It leaves him right where it should leave him, at the mercy of God. I want you to understand something. Self-reformation is not repentance. I want you to look in your Bibles very quickly to Matthew 12. Let me show you what I mean. Self-reformation is not repentance. You say, well, I'm going to stop smoking, I'm going to stop drinking, I'm going to stop chewing, I'm going to stop going to the girls that do.

[John Weaver] You'd probably live a little longer and feel a little better. But self-reformation is not repentance. Look in Matthew chapter 12, beginning there in verse 43. Here's what our Lord says. Matthew 12, verse 43. Our Lord said, When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return unto my house from whence I came out, And when he's come, he findeth it empty, and swept, and garnished.

[John Weaver] Then goeth he, and taketh with him seven other spirits, more wicked than himself. And they entered to dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also in this wicked generation." What's he saying? Self-reformation is not repentance. Where does that leave a sinner? Let me tell you right now, it leaves him right where it should leave him, at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, begging for mercy. He must seek repentance from the Lord Jesus Christ. He must acknowledge his responsibility and yet his inability. He must understand that if he is not given the gift of repentance, he is doomed. And the realization of this should make him cry and beg for mercy.

[John Weaver] The same, by the way, is absolutely true with faith. Look in your Bibles to 1 John 3 and verse 23. 1 John 3, verse 23. Look at what the Scripture says. 1 John 3, verse 23. Here we go. 1 John 3, verse 23. And this is His commandment.

[John Weaver] that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He has given us a commandment. What? And this is His commandment that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. Wait a minute. God has also commanded men to repent. Now God commands men to believe on the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not going to ask you to turn there because I know that you can quote this passage. So listen.

[John Weaver] Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For by grace are you saved through faith. What's his next part? And that not of yourselves is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. What did he just say? For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves. Faith does not originate in man. Faith is not inherent in man. It's the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.

[John Weaver] Now, I was being facetious earlier when I told you to repent. Because I know you can't on your own. So let me be a little facetious here. Have faith. Go ahead and exercise faith right now. You can't unless God gives you faith. Faith is the gift of God.

[John Weaver] Now, if you want to turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, and I do ask you to turn there, just because I want you to see this, just to prove a point. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. You see, there is a... I suppose the Apostle Paul and Peter would refer to it as a damnable lie. that is very prevalent in Christian circles. And unhappily, a lot of preachers preach it as a truth.

[John Weaver] They try to say that every man has faith. He just needs to exercise it. I've heard preachers say that. Well, look in 2 Thessalonians 3 and verse 2. Paul is asking prayer for himself and for those traveling with him and he says this, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for all men have not faith." Well, who are you going to believe? The Apostle Paul? Or some preacher that says, well, everybody's got faith. All they've got to do is just simply exercise it. I've heard preachers use this illustration. So help me, I've heard them use this illustration. They would say, here's a chair. Do you believe that chair will hold you up? Well, yes. Well, you don't really believe it until you sit in it. And then when you sit in it, that's exercising faith. The only problem is, there's a real difference between believing that a chair will hold me up and saving believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] One is a physical act. The other is a spiritual act. Who can give faith? The answer is God alone. Who can give repentance? The answer is God alone. Where does that leave the sinner? It leaves him right where it should leave him, at the feet of Jesus Christ, begging for mercy and for repentance and faith. Every sinner has a responsibility to repent and believe, but no sinner has the ability to do so. Only God. that can give him the ability to fulfill his responsibilities.

[John Weaver] Sinners need to hear the truth. If you think for one minute that the key is in your hand for your salvation, and that you can insert that key in the door of salvation and turn it whenever you want, well, like most sinners, They'll say, well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to sin as long as I can, and right before I die, I'm going to insert that key in the door of faith. Ah!

[John Weaver] But you've just got to remember, repentance is not yours in and of yourself. Faith is not yours in and of yourself. And if God doesn't give it to you, you'll never repent and you'll never believe. It's just like one scholar said, many who plan on repenting at 12 o'clock, die at 11.30. It's not yours. It's God's. There's a second truth I want to communicate very quickly. We must communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. And we must communicate the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And I want us to read the first five verses. I want you to see the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Here we go. Look in verse 1. Paul writes, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

[John Weaver] For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, them crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Watch, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

[John Weaver] Now go back to verse 1. Paul said, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with the excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Jesus Christ. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, him crucified." Verse 4, And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. There is a vast difference between the power of God in salvation and the effects of human wisdom in producing a decision.

[John Weaver] I should make this exceedingly clear. A decision does not save. Jesus Christ is the one that saves. There have been many people who decided to become Christians. They decided to get baptized. They decided to join the church. They claim to be Christians, yet their lives are totally, completely unchanged, and contrary to Scripture, they live like the world, they love the world, they have no holiness, they have no obedience in their lives, and practically speaking, you cannot tell them apart from any other individual who is unsaved. The only difference is, every now and then they go to church, and they profess that they are Christians. And their salvation is based upon a decision.

[John Weaver] I want you to mark something down in your little black book. Here it is. Mark it down that psychology, oratory, persuasive arguments, and pressure is often enough to make, to coerce someone into a decision. And many times, those to whom you're witnessing, if there's enough pressure, they'll make a decision just to get rid of you. They will. I find it strange that all of these churches that have all these decisions... I know of churches in certain areas that claim in one year they've had a hundred thousand decisions for Christ.

[John Weaver] The people are never baptized and never added to the church. No culture changes. No society changes. Their home doesn't change. Their lives doesn't change. What has happened? Well, they had a decision. Do you realize that most people can be talked into a decision, especially a child, in order to come to Jesus Christ savingly? One must be drawn by the Holy Spirit of God.

[John Weaver] Now I told you I wanted you to go back to John chapter 6 and I want you to see this. Look in John chapter 6 and let's read verse 44. John chapter 6, look in verse 44. We read this verse earlier and I'm reading it just so I can read the next verse. Okay? John 6 verse 44. Look what our Lord says. No man can come unto Me except the Father who hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up the last day." Now, our Lord has just gotten through saying, no man can come unto Me except the Father draw him.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you a question. What good is a decision if the sinner has not been drawn to the Father or to be drawn to Christ by the Father? Our Lord says, no man can come unto Me except the Father who has sent had sent me, draw him." And by the way, the word here is draw, not drag. When the Father draws a man to Christ, the man does not come kicking and screaming, hollering, but I don't want to be saved! I don't want to be saved! No. That's ridiculous. But here's how the Father draws. Watch. John 6 verse 44, no man can come unto me except the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him up the last day.

[John Weaver] It is written in the prophets, here it is, and they shall all be taught of God. Now watch, every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. Now how does God the Father draw men to Christ? The answer is through illumination and education. The importance of this fact is they are taught of God. You see, God may use men to speak the truth. God may use men to communicate the truth. But if the illumination of the Holy Spirit and the education of the Father is missing, so is salvation.

[John Weaver] I want you to go back to Matthew 11. And I want you to see this passage. And then we'll go to Matthew 16. Matthew 11. And look at verse 27 at what our Lord says. Matthew 11 and verse 27. Watch this. Matthew 11, verse 27. Look carefully. Our Lord said it so plainly. All things are delivered unto me of my Father. And no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son. And He to Whomsoever the Son will reveal Him." What? He says no man knows the Father but the Son. And no man knows the Son but the Father. And He to Whomsoever He reveal Him.

[John Weaver] So let me put it like this, if there is no revelation, there is no salvation. If there is no illumination and no education, there is no salvation. Let me show you how this works. Look at Matthew 16, and let's begin reading there with verse 13. Matthew 16, verse 13. Matthew 16, verse 13.

[John Weaver] When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and other Jeremiahs, or one of the prophets. He said to them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Watch. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona. Thou art smarter than everyone else. Thou hast figured this thing out by thyself.

[John Weaver] Oh, I'm not reading it correctly, am I? No. Watch what he said. And blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. How did Peter know that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God? God the Father revealed it. It was not Peter's intellect. It was not Peter's education in the school of the Pharisees.

[John Weaver] It was not that he had a college degree. The only way that he knew who Jesus Christ was, was the Father had revealed it unto him. So if people are satisfied with the decision, and a pronouncement by some preacher that they're Christian, that's their choice and their problem. If someone really, genuinely, truly wants to be converted and saved according to the Word of God, he must have a revelation who Jesus Christ is, he must be illuminated, he must be educated, he must be drawn by the Father to Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] I want to show you how simple this is and yet how complicated it could be if you don't understand the Scripture. So I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Here's one verse that should blow a hole in most modern day evangelism. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul says it like this, Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. And that no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost. Now, the first part of this verse is very simple. When he says, Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. And the word accursed there is anathema, to be damned, doomed. So, No man speaking by the Spirit of God can curse Jesus Christ. Very obviously, the reason why is the Spirit of God, according to Scripture, exalts Christ and honors Christ. So if anyone is cursing Christ, obviously, it's the work of the flesh, the work of the devil, it's not the work of God.

[John Weaver] The Holy Spirit does not curse Jesus Christ. We understand that. But look at the latter part of the verse. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. We need to understand the impact of that statement. Obviously, anyone who has a tongue, and the ability to speak could frame the words in his mouth and say, Jesus is Lord. Now here's my question. Does the ability to frame those three words with the tongue, Jesus is Lord, does that make a man a Christian? Obviously not. What you have to understand in verse 3 is this. Now look at it. Watch it with me. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus a curse. And that no man can, and I would insert one word here, no man can savingly say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost. In other words, it is the power of God the Holy Spirit, it is the work of God the Holy Spirit in man that enables a man to savingly confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

[John Weaver] Men may imitate, but only God can authenticate. And you have an awful lot of people going around using their tongue saying Jesus is Lord, and they have no earthly idea of what they're saying. Incidentally, I've told you repeatedly, and I want to remind you even now, that the word Lord literally means boss. Owner. Sovereign. Master. So when you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord, you're saying, in essence, He's in charge. He's the boss.

[John Weaver] He tells you how to live. He tells you how to talk. He tells you where to go. He tells you where not to go. He can tell you whatever He wants to. He's the Lord. He's the boss. He's the owner. He's the master. And the Scripture's telling us it is only the Holy Spirit of God that enables us to savingly say that Jesus Christ is Lord. And the evidence that we have savingly acknowledged Jesus Christ is Lord is that we're enabled to submit our lives to Him and we obey Him.

[John Weaver] That's why I said if you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed or then are you my genuine or my true disciples. We bow to His Lordship. So, what is it sinners must hear? They must hear the difference between ability and responsibility. And they must hear the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. Paul said, I did not come with excellency of speech.

[John Weaver] There's no amount of oratory, no illustrations, No sermon outlines that can save. Only Jesus Christ can save. You can persuade someone to make a decision, but if God has not opened His eyes, illuminated Him, educated Him, and brought Him to saving to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, He is not converted no matter how many decisions He makes. Two applications. The first one is this. Ability and responsibility are not the same. Every sinner is accountable and responsible to God, but not one has the ability to please God in and of himself. Sinners are commanded to throw themselves at the feet of Jesus Christ and beg for mercy, beg for repentance, and beg for faith. Beg for the ability to fulfill their responsibilities.

[John Weaver] And the blessed truth of John 6.37 is true. For our Lord said, All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and he that cometh unto me I shall in no wise cast out. And if we come to Him in seeking repentance and faith on His terms, He said, He will in no wise cast us out. The second application is if one is not convicted of his sins, if he is not given repentance and faith, if he is not drawn by the Father, if he is not enabled to savingly confess Jesus Christ as Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit, he's not saved.

[John Weaver] I don't care which church he is in. I don't care how many times he's been baptized. I don't care how long he's taught or how long he's preached. He's just not converted. Salvation is not by decision. Salvation is by grace through faith. Salvation is the work of God and not the work of man. Jonah said it very concisely in Jonah 2 and verse 9 when he said, Salvation is of the Lord. The Bible tells us that He is the author and the finisher of our faith.

[John Weaver] Everything rests upon Jesus Christ. Like that old hymn that we sing, Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling. We rest only in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to You this day. We thank You for Your love, for Your grace, for Your mercy. We pray, Lord, that You would indeed help us to see these truths, understand these truths, help us to be able to communicate them, Lord, because this is what sinners need to hear. Thy Word, Thy truth, Thy mercy, Thy grace, and its salvation is of the Lord. Help us, Father, to honor Thee In Christ's name we pray, Amen.

What Sinners Hate to Hear Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	hqOdACDmmgg
Subject	Education and Discipleship
Course	Christian Education and Discipleship
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-12-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 152: What Sinners Hate To Hear — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	85

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Importance of Hearing

Weaver introduces the message by reading Isaiah 55:3, emphasizing that hearing is vital to salvation. He distinguishes between external (physical) and internal (spiritual) hearing, noting that only God's grace enables the latter.

If you would please to Isaiah 55, Isaiah 55, we're going to read one verse. And the message today is entitled, What Sinners Need to Hear. And I will tell you this, it's going to take two Sundays to finish this message, and I'll mention that again, but I think that you will understand why in just for a moment. Look at Isaiah 55 and verse 3 at what God says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 55:3

"...incline your ear and come unto me and hear, and your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."

Note now again, verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 55:3

"...incline your ear and come unto me and hear, and your soul shall live."

I want you to understand that hearing is vitally important to salvation. Our Lord said very plainly, hear and your soul shall live. So the question is, have you ever heard unto salvation? If so, what did you hear? And how did you hear? I hope you understand there is an external hearing of the Word and there is an internal hearing of the Word. The external is merely physical, the internal is spiritual.

Many have the ability to hear externally and outwardly, but I'm going to show you this morning that no one has the ability to hear inwardly and spiritually apart from the grace of God. I have been asked a number of times, and that's what really triggered this message as I was thinking about it, in light of a lot of people having lost loved ones and lost friends, I've been asked this question, what do you say to a sinner? What do they need to hear? So let me ask you this question.

The Problem of Condensing Truth

Weaver explains the challenge of witnessing to sinners in limited time, stressing the need to condense truth without compromising it. He introduces the sermon's two-part structure to cover four essential truths.

How would you witness to an unconverted friend or family member? Have you ever considered what you would really say to them or what they really need to hear? Now naturally if you had several weeks or several months where you could just talk endlessly, you can cover an awful lot of things and cover very, very many doctrines. But you're only going to have that situation if you have a close neighbor or a close family member that you can do that with. Usually when it comes to witnessing to someone, it's under an hour, sometimes under 30 minutes. So what in the world do you tell someone when you're trying to give them what you would call an irreducible minimum of truth because of time's sake. You see, there's a problem that exists in telling people what they need to hear. The problem that exists is how to condense the truth without compromising the truth. In order to demonstrate this, it's going to take me two weeks to finish this message so that you may see the completeness of the truth. You might see the completeness, but then you're going to have to be able to condense it down and say, here is what you need to hear. So how in the world then do we communicate that which is absolutely fundamental, needed, and necessary without perverting the truth? We need to know what people need to hear in order that we may actually give them the truth. And I must emphasize this, it is indeed the truth that sinners need to hear. It is a truth that we've been commanded to hear.

It doesn't matter if you look in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or any of the prophets, you'll see this command over and over where God says, Hear ye the word of the Lord. And oftentimes when you hear that command and you read that command in the Scripture, it's even given to God's professing people. And if God's professing people will not hear His Word, is it any wonder that sinners won't listen to Him? So over and over He says, hear you the Word of the Lord. Many of you will remember that numerous times in the New Testament our Lord said, such as in Matthew 13 and verse 19, He who hath ears to hear, let him hear. In Matthew 15 and verse 10, He called the multitude and said unto them, Hear and understand. So our Lord then has commanded us to hear. And an interesting thing is this, when you get to Mark 4, without turning there, in verse 24, the Word of God says this, Take heed what you hear. Take heed what you hear. We're not obligated to hear everything.

Theological Dilemma of Not Hearing

Using John 8:47 and John 10:27, Weaver shows that hearing God's Word is evidence of being His sheep, while refusal to hear indicates not being of God. Continuing in Christ's Word proves genuine discipleship.

but we are obligated to hear the Word of God. And then when you get to Luke 8 and verse 18, He said, take heed how you hear. So God is going to hold us responsible for not only what we hear, He's going to hold us responsible for how we hear. That means those times when we stay out too late on Saturday night, and we come up sleepy-headed on Sunday morning, and we're kind of dull of hearing and we really don't pay attention, God will hold us accountable of how we heard His Word. Not only take heed what you hear, but also take heed how you hear. Now, let me tell you, there is a real theological dilemma for those who will not hear the Word of God. I don't know if you've thought about this or not. The theological dilemma is like this. Remember what our Lord said in John 10 in verse 27. He said this, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Well, I want you to turn in your Bible to John chapter 8.

You need to see this passage. John chapter 8. After having quoted John 10, where our Lord says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow Me.

Scripture Reading — John 10:27

" Look what He said to those unbelieving Jews in John 8 and verse 47. Very interesting. He said, He that is of God, heareth God's words. You therefore hear them not, because you're not of God. Wow! Did you hear what I just read? Here's what our Lord is saying. My sheep hear My voice."

In other words, if you hear and heed the Word of God, it's evidence that you're one of His sheep. If you refuse to hear and heed the Word of God, it's obvious that you're not His sheep. He said, He that is of God, hear God's words, you therefore hear them not, because you're not of God. Look in John 8, since you're right there, in verse 31. Look at what He said. Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, You continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed.

The proof that our conversion is genuine is that we continue in the faith, we continue in the Word of God. What does that mean then for someone who professes at one time they were saved, but they hadn't been to church and they hadn't read their Bible, hadn't heard any Word or any teaching for 20 years. Our Lord says the proof that you're genuinely His disciple is that you continue in His Word. So, the proof that you are one of the Lord's sheep is that you hear His voice and you follow Him. The evidence that you're not His sheep is that you do not hear Him, you do not heed Him, you do not obey Him. Thus, when someone turns his ear away from hearing the Word of God, he's treading on very dangerous ground. He's condemning himself and he's exposing himself as one who does not belong to the Lord.

First Truth: Ability vs. Responsibility

Weaver introduces the first essential truth: the distinction between ability and responsibility. He explains that Adam's fall resulted in the loss of ability to please God, but not the loss of responsibility.

We must communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. We must communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. Why in the world do I begin with such a point? Let me just tell you, the difference between these two concepts is absolutely, vitally important. You see, in the garden, when God had created Adam, he not only walked with God, he had the ability to please God. And he did so during their time of communion. However, when Adam sinned against God, when he rebelled against God, God drove him from the garden and he was cursed. Adam and all of his posterity lost their ability to please God, but they did not lose their responsibility. When Adam sinned, he did not cease to be God's creation. He was still God's creation, but now he is a sinner and a sinful creation. And as God's creature, he is still accountable and responsible to God, even though he is now a sinner. You have to remember that Adam, according to the Scripture, was created with original righteousness, knowledge, and holiness. And by the way, Adam...

Everybody wants to talk about the will of man? Adam, with original knowledge, original righteousness, and original holiness, in a perfect environment, used his will to sin against God. See, the problem with Adam was this. Although he had original righteousness, knowledge, and holiness, he was created mutable, that is, changeable. He could lose it. And he did lose it when he sinned, and when he rebelled against God. He could change, and he did change.

And he lost his position, and he lost his ability. He lost everything in the fall, and he changed from being holy to unholy, and from being righteous to unrighteous. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to Romans 5 and verse 12. Here's a verse that is very important. Romans 5 and verse 12. And I want you to notice what the Scripture says. Romans 5 verse 12. Look at this, Romans 5 verse 12. Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — Romans 5:12

wherefore as by one man, which is Adam, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Now let me just stop there just for a moment. The scripture says, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world.

May I ask you, who actually was the first to sin? Eve? That's correct. Well, why is it the Bible said, by one woman, sin entered the world? Because the covenant was with Adam. And Adam was our federal head and representative. I want you to look at verse 12 again. Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered in the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, now look at this phrase, for that all have sinned. Now let me explain something about that phrase.

I realize not everybody is a Greek scholar and I'm not trying to make you a Greek scholar. But I am going to tell you that when it says for all have sinned is an aorist passive in the Greek. That means this. It is something that happened one time, once and for all, with continuing results. When did all of us sin at one time? In the fall in Adam. Because he was our federal head and our representative. We lost it all when Adam fell. Here's what this means. If you had been in the Garden of Eden, you would have done exactly the same thing Adam did. You would have. We all sinned, we all fell on him. Now, since Adam was our federal head and federal representative, you can find that by the way, not only in Romans chapter 5, but in 1 Corinthians 15 as well. When he sinned, we sinned. When he fell, we fell. When he lost his ability, we lost our ability.

That's why the Bible says now in Ephesians 2 and verse 1, hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1

" So man now is dead in trespasses and in sin. What can a dead man do? Absolutely nothing.

Biblical Evidence of Inability

Weaver cites multiple scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:6-8, John 3:3-5, John 6:44, John 8:43, John 12:39-40) to demonstrate that fallen man cannot see, enter, come, hear, or believe apart from God's grace.

Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 2, then we're coming back to Romans 8, so just hold Romans if you would. But look in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, and notice if you would, now I'm telling you that we lost everything in the fall. Okay? Look in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. The scripture says, but the natural man, that's the unsaved man, that's man apart from grace, man without Christ, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for their foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

" Now, look at that very carefully. The natural man, the unsaved man, does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. Why? Their foolishness of them. Look at this next phrase. Neither can he know them. In other words, fallen man does not have the ability to receive or to know or to understand the things of God. Period. Now go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 8 and look at verses 6 through 8.

Let me just show you how bad it really is. Look in Romans 8 beginning there with verse 6. Here the Apostle Paul writes, For to be carnally or to be fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Now watch verse 7, Because the carnal mind, that's the fleshly mind, that's the unsaved mind, that's the natural mind. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Watch verse 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Now what does the Bible just tell us? The Bible just tells us that natural man, unsaved man, by nature hates God. Not only does he hate God, his mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. And then he makes this statement, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. How many are in the flesh? All of us. How many of us have no ability to please God in and of ourselves?

All of us. There is not one sinner. There's never been one sinner that had the ability to please God. Nothing he could ever do could please God. For by nature, he hated God. He cannot please God. That's a term of ability. And according to 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, he cannot receive the things of God and he cannot know the things of God because they're spiritually discerned.

Now, just to show you how this is emphasized in the Bible, I want you to turn to the book of John, and let's begin in John chapter 3. And let me just show you the cannots in the book of John. Look in John chapter 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. John 3 and verse 3. John 3 verse 3. Watch carefully what our Lord says. John 3 verse 3.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Scripture Reading — John 3:3

" Now notice what he said, except a man be born from above, anothen is the Greek word, from above, except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So unsaved man cannot even glimpse the kingdom of God. He can't see, he's blind. Look in verse 5, John 3 verse 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So what is it that a man cannot do so far? He cannot see the kingdom of God? He cannot enter the kingdom of God? That is, he has no ability. Let me just stop here. You know this, but I'm just repeating it.

There's a difference between the words may and can. May is a term of permission. Can is a term of ability. So, if Dr. Holmes asked me, can I play your piano? My response would be, you may if you have the ability. I don't think he has the ability to play the piano, but you see the difference. May is a term of permission. Can is a term of ability. So our Lord says no man has the ability to see the Kingdom of God. No man has the ability to enter the Kingdom of God in and of himself.

Look in John 6 and verse 44. Now I will come back to this one, but let me just show it to you. John 6 and verse 44. Look what our Lord says. John 6 and verse 44. Here it is. John 6, verse 44, our Lord says it very plainly, No man can come unto Me, except the Father which sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up the last day.

Now how many men, in and of themselves, have the ability to come to Christ on their own? Not one. We cannot see, we cannot enter, we cannot come. Look in your Bibles to John 8 and verse 43. John 8, verse 43. In fact, we can read verse 41. He's talking to these unbelievers and he says this, You do the deeds of your father. He's talking about the devil.

They said unto him, We be not born of fornication. We have one Father, even God. So now they're accusing Christ of being an illegitimate child. Verse 42. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love Him. For I proceeded forth and came from God, and neither came out of myself, but He sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Watch. Even because you cannot hear my word, you are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father you will do.

What did He say to them? You cannot hear my word. So sinners cannot see, they cannot enter, they cannot come, they cannot hear. Look in John chapter 12. John chapter 12, in verses 39 and 40. John 12 verse 39, Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He had blinded their hearts and hardened their hearts, blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes and understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them. Therefore they could not believe.

What is it that a sinner can't do here? He can't believe. So if you just take the book of John, you can't see, you can't enter, you can't come, you can't hear, you can't believe. It should be an obvious fact from Scripture, it should be a clear and certain fact from Scripture that fallen man has lost his ability to please God. However, that does not mean that he's lost his responsibility to please God. I told you, you have to communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. You may lose your ability, but not necessarily your responsibility. God did not make man sin. God does not make you sin. You choose to sin because you're a sinner. You choose to sin because you have Adam's fallen nature. And simply because man has lost his ability to please God, does not mean that God has lost His right to command. God is still God. He is still the sovereign God of heaven and earth. He's the sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who has the absolute right to command.

Responsibility Remains Despite Inability

Weaver illustrates with examples (a young couple, a debt) that responsibility does not imply ability. He applies this to God's commands: God commands all men to repent (Acts 17:30) because He has appointed a day of judgment, yet repentance is a gift from God (Acts 5:31, 11:18, 2 Timothy 2:25).

And God does command. He still commands sinners although they have lost their ability. They have not lost their responsibility. Now let me try to distinguish between these two things for you. And then I'm going to make the application in just a moment. Simply because someone is responsible to do something, does not mean that he has the ability to do it. A 13 year old girl and a 14 year old boy can produce a baby. If and when that happens, does that mean that they have the ability to marry?

raise the child, educate the child, and be the kind of parents and spouses that God demands? Does the 14-year-old boy have the ability to make a living, support, and sustain his 13-year-old wife and child? No. He didn't have that ability. He may have the responsibility, but he does not possess the ability. There's a difference between ability and responsibility. If I borrowed $10,000 from Ed, Carrie's shaking her head, he didn't have it. That's alright. But if I borrowed $10,000 from Ed, am I responsible to pay it back? Am I? Yes. Alright. But suppose I borrow the $10,000 from him and I leave and get involved in a horrible automobile wreck. And I'm incapacitated. Do I now have the ability to pay it back after I've already spent it? No. I have the responsibility, but I don't have the ability. So there's a big difference between ability and responsibility.

Now, what I want to do is apply this, this same principle, to the commands of Scripture and let you see it. So I want you to turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 17. Acts 17. And look if you would please, beginning there with verse 30 and 31. Acts 17 verse 30. Look at what the Scripture says. Acts 17, verse 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Why does God command all men everywhere to repent? By the way, please note that He does command all men to repent. Why does God command all men to repent?

Well, first of all, He has the right to. He's God. He can do whatever He pleases. But secondly, if you'll look in verse 31, He tells you why He issues this command. Because He hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he had raised him from the dead.

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:30-31

" Now here's why God commands men to repent. Because God has appointed a day in the which he will judge the world. There is a final judgment and He's going to judge that world in righteousness. Notice the Scripture says, "

...by that man whom He hath ordained," which is Jesus Christ. Watch. "...whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, and that He hath raised Him from the dead.

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:30-31

" So, just as surely as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, there's going to be a day of judgment. Okay? Watch this. Why does God command all men everywhere to repent? And the answer is because God has appointed His Son judge of everything and He is going to judge every man. And the assurance of that is that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now, we know that God has commanded every man everywhere to repent. Look in your Bibles very quickly to Luke 13. Let me show you what happens if there is no repentance. Luke 13, and let's read the first five verses. Luke 13, beginning there with verse 1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Alright, Luke 13, verse 1. The Scripture says, There were present at that season some of them that told Him, that is, told Christ, of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. So Pilate has murdered some of these people who were offering sacrifices. Watch. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you nay. But except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.

Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay. But except you repent, you shall all likewise perish." Now look what our Lord said. He said, just because some great catastrophic, horrible, tragic incident happens to someone, does not necessarily mean that they were sinners exceedingly. And our Lord said, no. But I'll tell you, unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish."

Now, we know from Acts 17, God commands men to repent. We know from Luke 13, that if men do not repent, they're going to perish. So God commands men to repent. Yes. Well, as His creatures, we owe Him glory. As sinners, we owe Him repentance because we have violated His law, we've transgressed His commands, and we've sinned against His person. Now, we know that God commands repentance. So, why are not sinners repenting? We know that if they don't repent, they will perish. Why are they not repenting?

Now, let me ask you this. Have you sinned this week? Oh yeah. Janet's shaking her head and pointing at Henry, yeah.

Now, you see what I'm saying? Well, alright, you say, yeah, well I guess I've sinned this week. Well, repent. Let me see you repent. Go ahead and repent right now. Do you realize? You cannot repent unless God gives you repentance. I don't care if you're a non-Christian or a Christian. It is the absolute truth. How does one receive repentance? Where does it originate? Repentance, like faith, is the gift of God. God must give it. If God does not give it, I cannot repent. Repentance is His gift. Repentance comes from Him and from Him alone. When I turn from my sin, I am exercising the gift of repentance that He gave me. Repentance does not reside in man by nature, not even a Christian man. No man can repent apart from the Lord.

Now, I want you to go to the book of Acts. Let me show you this. Look in the book of Acts chapter 5 verses 30 and 31. And here the scripture tells us one of the reasons why Christ was raised from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father. Look in Acts 5 verse 30 and 31. Acts 5 verse 30. The scripture says

Scripture Reading — Acts 5:30-31

the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you slew and hanged on a tree, him hath God exalted with or at his right hand to be a prince and a savior, watch, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."

For to give. In other words, repentance and forgiveness are gifts from Jesus Christ. He must actually give it. Look in your Bibles to Acts 11. You remember in Acts chapter 10, Cornelius and his household were converted.

And of course, when Peter comes back to Jerusalem, those other Jewish folks who believed jumped on Peter, said, you know you're not supposed to go into the house of someone who is unclean. And of course, Peter rehearsed everything that God had showed him. And look what happens when he finishes. Look in Acts 11. Let's read verse 17. Peter says, For as much as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God? Now watch.

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted, or given, repentance unto life. Where did they get repentance? They got it from God. It's His gift. He gave it. If you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy, look if you would please, beginning there with chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter 2, and we'll begin reading there with verse 24. 2 Timothy 2, verse 24. Watch carefully. 2 Timothy 2, verse 24.

Paul is telling Timothy really his only hope in preaching and teaching. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 24. He says, And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves. Now watch. If God, peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him and his will.

Now, here's my first question. When do men recover themselves out of the snare of the devil? The answer is, according to verse 25, when they acknowledge the truth. My next question is, when do men acknowledge the truth? According to verse 25, it's when God gives them repentance. If God does not give them repentance, they do not acknowledge the truth, nor do they recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. So, here it is, God demands repentance. Men are responsible to repent. Are you listening? But they don't have the ability to repent.

Faith as a Gift, Not a Human Decision

Weaver extends the argument to faith, showing that God commands belief (1 John 3:23) but faith is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). He refutes the idea that all men have faith (2 Thessalonians 3:2) and warns against self-reformation (Matthew 12:43-45).

Where does that leave the sinner? I'll tell you. It leaves him right where it should leave him, at the mercy of God. I want you to understand something. Self-reformation is not repentance. I want you to look in your Bibles very quickly to Matthew 12. Let me show you what I mean. Self-reformation is not repentance. You say, well, I'm going to stop smoking, I'm going to stop drinking, I'm going to stop chewing, I'm going to stop going to the girls that do.

You'd probably live a little longer and feel a little better. But self-reformation is not repentance. Look in Matthew chapter 12, beginning there in verse 43. Here's what our Lord says. Matthew 12, verse 43. Our Lord said, When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return unto my house from whence I came out, and when he's come, he findeth it empty, and swept, and garnished.

Then goeth he, and taketh with him seven other spirits, more wicked than himself. And they entered to dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also in this wicked generation." What's he saying? Self-reformation is not repentance. Where does that leave a sinner? Let me tell you right now, it leaves him right where it should leave him, at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, begging for mercy. He must seek repentance from the Lord Jesus Christ. He must acknowledge his responsibility and yet his inability. He must understand that if he is not given the gift of repentance, he is doomed. And the realization of this should make him cry and beg for mercy.

The same, by the way, is absolutely true with faith. Look in your Bibles to 1 John 3 and verse 23. 1 John 3, verse 23. Look at what the Scripture says. 1 John 3, verse 23. Here we go. 1 John 3, verse 23. And this is His commandment.

that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He has given us a commandment. What? And this is His commandment that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. Wait a minute. God has also commanded men to repent. Now God commands men to believe on the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not going to ask you to turn there because I know that you can quote this passage. So listen.

Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For by grace are you saved through faith. What's his next part? And that not of yourselves is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. What did he just say? For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves. Faith does not originate in man. Faith is not inherent in man. It's the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.

Now, I was being facetious earlier when I told you to repent. Because I know you can't on your own. So let me be a little facetious here. Have faith. Go ahead and exercise faith right now. You can't unless God gives you faith. Faith is the gift of God.

Now, if you want to turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, and I do ask you to turn there, just because I want you to see this, just to prove a point. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. You see, there is a... I suppose the Apostle Paul and Peter would refer to it as a damnable lie that is very prevalent in Christian circles. And unhappily, a lot of preachers preach it as a truth. They try to say that every man has faith. He just needs to exercise it. I've heard preachers say that. Well, look in 2 Thessalonians 3 and verse 2. Paul is asking prayer for himself and for those traveling with him and he says this, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for all men have not faith." Well, who are you going to believe? The Apostle Paul? Or some preacher that says, well, everybody's got faith. All they've got to do is just simply exercise it. I've heard preachers use this illustration. So help me, I've heard them use this illustration. They would say, here's a chair. Do you believe that chair will hold you up? Well, yes. Well, you don't really believe it until you sit in it. And then when you sit in it, that's exercising faith. The only problem is, there's a real difference between believing that a chair will hold me up and saving believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

One is a physical act. The other is a spiritual act. Who can give faith? The answer is God alone. Who can give repentance? The answer is God alone. Where does that leave the sinner? It leaves him right where it should leave him, at the feet of Jesus Christ, begging for mercy and for repentance and faith. Every sinner has a responsibility to repent and believe, but no sinner has the ability to do so. Only God can give him the ability to fulfill his responsibilities.

Sinners need to hear the truth. If you think for one minute that the key is in your hand for your salvation, and that you can insert that key in the door of salvation and turn it whenever you want, well, like most sinners, they'll say, well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to sin as long as I can, and right before I die, I'm going to insert that key in the door of faith. Ah!

But you've just got to remember, repentance is not yours in and of yourself. Faith is not yours in and of yourself. And if God doesn't give it to you, you'll never repent and you'll never believe. It's just like one scholar said, many who plan on repenting at 12 o'clock, die at 11.30. It's not yours. It's God's. There's a second truth I want to communicate very quickly. We must communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. And we must communicate the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And I want us to read the first five verses. I want you to see the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Here we go. Look in verse 1. Paul writes, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

Second Truth: Power of God vs. Wisdom of Man

Weaver presents the second essential truth: the difference between the power of God and human wisdom. Using 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, he argues that salvation is not produced by persuasive speech but by the demonstration of the Spirit's power.

For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Watch, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Now go back to verse 1. Paul said, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with the excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Jesus Christ. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." Verse 4, And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. There is a vast difference between the power of God in salvation and the effects of human wisdom in producing a decision. I should make this exceedingly clear. A decision does not save. Jesus Christ is the one that saves. There have been many people who decided to become Christians. They decided to get baptized. They decided to join the church. They claim to be Christians, yet their lives are totally, completely unchanged, and contrary to Scripture, they live like the world, they love the world, they have no holiness, they have no obedience in their lives, and practically speaking, you cannot tell them apart from any other individual who is unsaved. The only difference is, every now and then they go to church, and they profess that they are Christians. And their salvation is based upon a decision.

I want you to mark something down in your little black book. Here it is. Mark it down that psychology, oratory, persuasive arguments, and pressure is often enough to make, to coerce someone into a decision. And many times, those to whom you're witnessing, if there's enough pressure, they'll make a decision just to get rid of you. They will. I find it strange that all of these churches that have all these decisions... I know of churches in certain areas that claim in one year they've had a hundred thousand decisions for Christ.

The Necessity of Divine Drawing and Revelation

Weaver explains that no one can come to Christ unless drawn by the Father (John 6:44-45), which occurs through divine teaching. He cites Matthew 11:27 and Matthew 16:13-17 to show that knowing Christ requires revelation from the Father, not human intellect.

The people are never baptized and never added to the church. No culture changes. No society changes. Their home doesn't change. Their lives doesn't change. What has happened? Well, they had a decision. Do you realize that most people can be talked into a decision, especially a child, in order to come to Jesus Christ savingly? One must be drawn by the Holy Spirit of God.

Now I told you I wanted you to go back to John chapter 6 and I want you to see this. Look in John chapter 6 and let's read verse 44. John chapter 6, look in verse 44. We read this verse earlier and I'm reading it just so I can read the next verse. Okay? John 6 verse 44. Look what our Lord says. No man can come unto Me except the Father who hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up the last day." Now, our Lord has just gotten through saying, no man can come unto Me except the Father draw him.

Let me ask you a question. What good is a decision if the sinner has not been drawn to the Father or to be drawn to Christ by the Father? Our Lord says, no man can come unto Me except the Father who has sent me, draw him." And by the way, the word here is draw, not drag. When the Father draws a man to Christ, the man does not come kicking and screaming, hollering, but I don't want to be saved! I don't want to be saved! No. That's ridiculous. But here's how the Father draws. Watch. John 6 verse 44, no man can come unto me except the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him up the last day.

It is written in the prophets, here it is, and they shall all be taught of God. Now watch, every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. Now how does God the Father draw men to Christ? The answer is through illumination and education. The importance of this fact is they are taught of God. You see, God may use men to speak the truth. God may use men to communicate the truth. But if the illumination of the Holy Spirit and the education of the Father is missing, so is salvation.

I want you to go back to Matthew 11. And I want you to see this passage. And then we'll go to Matthew 16. Matthew 11. And look at verse 27 at what our Lord says. Matthew 11 and verse 27. Watch this. Matthew 11, verse 27. Look carefully. Our Lord said it so plainly. All things are delivered unto me of my Father. And no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son. And he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." What? He says no man knows the Father but the Son. And no man knows the Son but the Father. And he to whomsoever He reveal him.

So let me put it like this, if there is no revelation, there is no salvation. If there is no illumination and no education, there is no salvation. Let me show you how this works. Look at Matthew 16, and let's begin reading there with verse 13. Matthew 16, verse 13. Matthew 16, verse 13.

When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and other Jeremiahs, or one of the prophets. He said to them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Watch. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah. Thou art smarter than everyone else. Thou hast figured this thing out by thyself.

Oh, I'm not reading it correctly, am I? No. Watch what he said. And blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. How did Peter know that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God? God the Father revealed it. It was not Peter's intellect. It was not Peter's education in the school of the Pharisees.

It was not that he had a college degree. The only way that he knew who Jesus Christ was, was the Father had revealed it unto him. So if people are satisfied with the decision, and a pronouncement by some preacher that they're Christian, that's their choice and their problem. If someone really, genuinely, truly wants to be converted and saved according to the Word of God, he must have a revelation who Jesus Christ is, he must be illuminated, he must be educated, he must be drawn by the Father to Jesus Christ.

Saving Confession by the Holy Spirit

Weaver expounds 1 Corinthians 12:3, emphasizing that no one can savingly say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit. True confession implies submission to Christ's lordship, evidenced by obedience.

I want to show you how simple this is and yet how complicated it could be if you don't understand the Scripture. So I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Here's one verse that should blow a hole in most modern day evangelism. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul says it like this, Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. And that no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost. Now, the first part of this verse is very simple. When he says, Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. And the word accursed there is anathema, to be damned, doomed. So, no man speaking by the Spirit of God can curse Jesus Christ. Very obviously, the reason why is the Spirit of God, according to Scripture, exalts Christ and honors Christ. So if anyone is cursing Christ, obviously, it's the work of the flesh, the work of the devil, it's not the work of God.

The Holy Spirit does not curse Jesus Christ. We understand that. But look at the latter part of the verse. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. We need to understand the impact of that statement. Obviously, anyone who has a tongue, and the ability to speak could frame the words in his mouth and say, Jesus is Lord. Now here's my question. Does the ability to frame those three words with the tongue, Jesus is Lord, does that make a man a Christian? Obviously not. What you have to understand in verse 3 is this. Now look at it. Watch it with me. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus a curse. And that no man can, and I would insert one word here, no man can savingly say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost. In other words, it is the power of God the Holy Spirit, it is the work of God the Holy Spirit in man that enables a man to savingly confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

Men may imitate, but only God can authenticate. And you have an awful lot of people going around using their tongue saying Jesus is Lord, and they have no earthly idea of what they're saying. Incidentally, I've told you repeatedly, and I want to remind you even now, that the word Lord literally means boss. Owner. Sovereign. Master. So when you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord, you're saying, in essence, He's in charge. He's the boss.

He tells you how to live. He tells you how to talk. He tells you where to go. He tells you where not to go. He can tell you whatever He wants to. He's the Lord. He's the boss. He's the owner. He's the master. And the Scripture's telling us it is only the Holy Spirit of God that enables us to savingly say that Jesus Christ is Lord. And the evidence that we have savingly acknowledged Jesus Christ is Lord is that we're enabled to submit our lives to Him and we obey Him.

That's why I said if you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed or then are you my genuine or my true disciples. We bow to His Lordship. So, what is it sinners must hear? They must hear the difference between ability and responsibility. And they must hear the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. Paul said, I did not come with excellency of speech.

Applications and Conclusion

Weaver applies the truths: sinners must seek God for repentance and faith, and assurance comes from Christ's promise in John 6:37. He warns that without divine conviction and drawing, one is not saved regardless of religious activity. Salvation is entirely of the Lord.

There's no amount of oratory, no illustrations, no sermon outlines that can save. Only Jesus Christ can save. You can persuade someone to make a decision, but if God has not opened His eyes, illuminated Him, educated Him, and brought Him to savingly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, He is not converted no matter how many decisions He makes. Two applications. The first one is this. Ability and responsibility are not the same. Every sinner is accountable and responsible to God, but not one has the ability to please God in and of himself. Sinners are commanded to throw themselves at the feet of Jesus Christ and beg for mercy, beg for repentance, and beg for faith. Beg for the ability to fulfill their responsibilities.

And the blessed truth of John 6.37 is true. For our Lord said, All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and he that cometh unto me I shall in no wise cast out. And if we come to Him in seeking repentance and faith on His terms, He said, He will in no wise cast us out. The second application is if one is not convicted of his sins, if he is not given repentance and faith, if he is not drawn by the Father, if he is not enabled to savingly confess Jesus Christ as Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit, he's not saved. I don't care which church he is in. I don't care how many times he's been baptized. I don't care how long he's taught or how long he's preached. He's just not converted. Salvation is not by decision. Salvation is by grace through faith. Salvation is the work of God and not the work of man. Jonah said it very concisely in Jonah 2 and verse 9 when he said, Salvation is of the Lord. The Bible tells us that He is the author and the finisher of our faith.

Everything rests upon Jesus Christ. Like that old hymn that we sing, Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling. We rest only in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to You this day. We thank You for Your love, for Your grace, for Your mercy. We pray, Lord, that You would indeed help us to see these truths, understand these truths, help us to be able to communicate them, Lord, because this is what sinners need to hear. Thy Word, Thy truth, Thy mercy, Thy grace, and its salvation is of the Lord. Help us, Father, to honor Thee In Christ's name we pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Necessity of Spiritual Hearing

Summary: Salvation requires not just external hearing of the Word but internal, spiritual hearing enabled by God's grace.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Many have the ability to hear externally and outwardly, but... no one has the ability to hear inwardly and spiritually apart from the grace of God.' (99.8-134.7s)

Distinction Between Ability and Responsibility

Summary: Sinners are fully responsible to obey God's commands (repent, believe) but have lost the natural ability to do so due to the Fall; ability must be given by God.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Every sinner has a responsibility to repent and believe, but no sinner has the ability to do so. Only God can give him the ability to fulfill his responsibilities.' (2616.4-2649.8s)

Repentance and Faith as Divine Gifts

Summary: Both repentance and faith are not inherent human capacities but gifts from God, granted through Christ's work.

Evidence: Weaver cites Acts 5:31, 'Him hath God exalted... to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins,' and Ephesians 2:8-9, 'by grace are you saved through faith... it is the gift of God.' (2002.7-2071.3s; 2405.7-2440.8s)

The Insufficiency of Human Decisions

Summary: A mere human decision, prompted by persuasive speech or pressure, does not constitute true salvation; only God's power can save.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'A decision does not save. Jesus Christ is the one that saves... psychology, oratory, persuasive arguments, and pressure is often enough to make... someone into a decision.' (2791.9-2892.0s)

Divine Drawing and Revelation

Summary: Coming to Christ requires being drawn by the Father through illumination and education, not human wisdom or effort.

Evidence: Weaver explains John 6:44-45, 'No man can come unto me except the Father... draw him... they shall all be taught of God.' (2962.8-3062.2s)

The Lordship of Christ in Salvation

Summary: Saving confession of Jesus as Lord, enabled by the Holy Spirit, implies submission to His authority and obedience.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'When you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord, you're saying... He's the boss... the evidence that we have savingly acknowledged Jesus Christ is Lord is that we're enabled to submit our lives to Him and we obey Him.' (3492.1-3564.4s)

Salvation as Entirely of the Lord

Summary: Salvation is not a cooperative work between God and man but a sovereign work of God from beginning to end.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Jonah 2:9, 'Salvation is of the Lord,' and concludes, 'Everything rests upon Jesus Christ.' (3723.8-3776.4s)

Key Arguments

Hearing is essential for salvation, but spiritual hearing requires grace.

Summary: Weaver argues from Isaiah 55:3 that hearing is commanded for life, yet only God can grant the internal hearing needed for salvation.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Hear and your soul shall live... no one has the ability to hear inwardly and spiritually apart from the grace of God.' (54.8-134.7s)

The Fall rendered all humans unable to please God, but responsibility remains.

Summary: Through Adam's sin, all lost the ability to obey God, but as creatures they remain accountable to His commands.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Adam and all of his posterity lost their ability to please God, but they did not lose their responsibility.' (694.1-785.3s)

Scripture repeatedly declares human inability in salvation.

Summary: Weaver cites multiple 'cannot' passages in John to prove that fallen man cannot see, enter, come, hear, or believe without divine enablement.

Evidence: Weaver lists John 3:3, 3:5, 6:44, 8:43, 12:39-40, concluding, 'It should be an obvious fact from Scripture... fallen man has lost his ability to please God.' (1220.6-1530.1s)

God commands repentance and faith, but they are gifts He must give.

Summary: Weaver demonstrates that while God commands all men to repent (Acts 17:30) and believe (1 John 3:23), Scripture shows these are gifts (Acts 5:31, Ephesians 2:8-9) that sinners cannot produce.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Repentance, like faith, is the gift of God. God must give it. If God does not give it, I cannot repent.' (1912.9-2002.6s)

Human wisdom and persuasion cannot produce genuine conversion.

Summary: Weaver argues from 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 that Paul deliberately avoided manipulative rhetoric so that faith would rest on God's power, not human wisdom.

Evidence: Weaver quotes, 'My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.' (2737.2-2790.0s)

True coming to Christ requires the Father's drawing through teaching.

Summary: Weaver explains John 6:44-45, showing that the Father draws by teaching, and those who learn from the Father come to Christ.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'How does God the Father draw men to Christ? The answer is through illumination and education... they are taught of God.' (3018.5-3062.2s)

Saving confession of Christ's lordship is a work of the Holy Spirit.

Summary: Weaver interprets 1 Corinthians 12:3 to mean that no one can savingly acknowledge Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit, and this confession results in a life of submission.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'No man can savingly say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost... the evidence... is that we're enabled to submit our lives to Him and we obey Him.' (3360.8-3564.4s)

Salvation is entirely God's work, not man's decision.

Summary: Weaver concludes that salvation is by grace through faith, authored and finished by Christ, leaving no room for human boasting.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Salvation is not by decision. Salvation is by grace through faith. Salvation is the work of God and not the work of man.' (3675.1-3720.0s)

Scripture References

Isaiah 55:3

Context: Weaver reads this verse to introduce the message, emphasizing that hearing God's Word is linked to the soul living and the everlasting covenant.

Matthew 13:19

Context: Referenced as an example of Jesus commanding those with ears to hear.

Matthew 15:10

Context: Cited as Jesus calling the multitude to hear and understand.

Mark 4:24

Context: Quoted to show the command to take heed what you hear.

Luke 8:18

Context: Quoted to show the command to take heed how you hear.

John 10:27

Context: Quoted to establish that Jesus' sheep hear His voice and follow Him.

John 8:47

Context: Read to show that those who are of God hear God's words, and those who do not hear are not of God.

John 8:31

Context: Read to show that continuing in Christ's word is evidence of genuine discipleship.

Romans 5:12

Context: Read to explain that sin and death entered the world through Adam, and all sinned in him as federal head.

Ephesians 2:1

Context: Quoted to describe man as dead in trespasses and sins, unable to do anything spiritually.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Context: Read to show that the natural man cannot receive or know the things of the Spirit of God.

Romans 8:6-8

Context: Read to demonstrate that the carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot please God.

John 3:3

Context: Read to show that unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:5

Context: Read to show that unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

John 6:44

Context: Read to show that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him.

John 8:43

Context: Read to show that unbelievers cannot hear Christ's word because they are of their father the devil.

John 12:39-40

Context: Read to show that some could not believe because God had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts.

Acts 17:30-31

Context: Read to show that God commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day of judgment.

Luke 13:1-5

Context: Read to show that unless people repent, they will all likewise perish.

Acts 5:30-31

Context: Read to show that Christ is exalted to give repentance and forgiveness of sins.

Historical References

Puritans

Context: Weaver quotes a Puritan saying: 'I have great news for a sinner if I can ever find one,' and explains that only God can make a sinner truly see his sin.

Important Quotes

Many have the ability to hear externally and outwardly, but I'm going to show you this morning that no one has the ability to hear inwardly and spiritually apart from the grace of God.

Significance: Establishes the foundational premise that spiritual hearing is a gift of grace, not a natural human capacity.

Every sinner has a responsibility to repent and believe, but no sinner has the ability to do so. Only God can give him the ability to fulfill his responsibilities.

Significance: Summarizes the core distinction between ability and responsibility, a central argument of the sermon.

A decision does not save. Jesus Christ is the one that saves.

Significance: Directly challenges decision-based evangelism, emphasizing that salvation is a divine act, not a human choice.

No man can savingly say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost.

Significance: Highlights the necessity of the Holy Spirit's work for genuine confession of Christ's lordship.

Salvation is not by decision. Salvation is by grace through faith. Salvation is the work of God and not the work of man.

Significance: Concisely states the sermon's conclusion that salvation is entirely God's sovereign work.

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling.

Significance: Quotes a hymn to illustrate the posture of total dependence on Christ alone for salvation.

Discussion Questions

What is the difference between external hearing and internal hearing of God's Word, and why is internal hearing necessary for salvation?

Context: Weaver distinguishes between physical hearing and spiritual hearing, stating that only God's grace enables the latter (99.8-134.7s).

How does the concept of federal headship in Adam (Romans 5:12) affect our understanding of human ability and responsibility?

Context: Weaver explains that all sinned in Adam, losing ability but not responsibility (870.3-992.9s).

Why is it important to distinguish between 'may' (permission) and 'can' (ability) when discussing biblical commands like repentance and faith?

Context: Weaver clarifies the linguistic distinction to show that God commands what humans cannot do apart from grace (1275.6-1313.8s).

In what ways might modern evangelism rely on human wisdom and persuasion rather than the power of God, and what are the dangers?

Context: Weaver warns that decisions can be coerced through psychology and pressure, but true conversion requires the Spirit's work (2791.9-2892.0s).

What does it mean to be 'drawn' by the Father to Christ, and how does this drawing occur according to John 6:44-45?

Context: Weaver explains that drawing happens through illumination and education, being taught of God (2962.8-3062.2s).

How does the confession 'Jesus is Lord' (1 Corinthians 12:3) serve as evidence of genuine salvation, and what does it imply for daily living?

Context: Weaver states that saving confession by the Spirit results in submission and obedience to Christ's authority (3492.1-3564.4s).

What should a sinner do when they realize they are responsible to repent and believe but lack the ability?

Context: Weaver urges sinners to throw themselves at Christ's feet, begging for mercy, repentance, and faith (2350.6-2364.7s; 2616.4-2649.8s).

How does the truth that 'salvation is of the Lord' (Jonah 2:9) provide assurance and humility for believers?

Context: Weaver concludes that everything rests on Jesus Christ, not on human effort or decision (3723.8-3776.4s).

Applications

Seek God for the gifts of repentance and faith.

Summary: Sinners must acknowledge their inability and cry out to God for the repentance and faith they cannot produce themselves.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'He must seek repentance from the Lord Jesus Christ. He must acknowledge his responsibility and yet his inability... the realization of this should make him cry and beg for mercy.' (2350.6-2364.7s)

Rest in Christ's promise to receive those who come.

Summary: Believers can have assurance because Jesus promised not to cast out anyone who comes to Him (John 6:37).

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If we come to Him in seeking repentance and faith on His terms, He said, He will in no wise cast us out.' (3635.9-3673.6s)

Examine the basis of your salvation.

Summary: If one lacks conviction of sin, God-given repentance and faith, and the Spirit's enabling to confess Christ as Lord, they are not saved regardless of religious activity.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'If one is not convicted of his sins, if he is not given repentance and faith, if he is not drawn by the Father... he's not saved.' (3675.1-3720.0s)

Communicate the full truth in witnessing.

Summary: When witnessing, believers must condense truth without compromising it, emphasizing human inability and divine sovereignty.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We need to know what people need to hear in order that we may actually give them the truth... how to condense the truth without compromising the truth.' (190.8-327.1s)

Submit to Christ's lordship in obedience.

Summary: True confession of Jesus as Lord must be evidenced by a life of submission and obedience to His commands.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The evidence that we have savingly acknowledged Jesus Christ is Lord is that we're enabled to submit our lives to Him and we obey Him.' (3492.1-3564.4s)

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:04:49Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:17:55Z

Clean Transcript

What Sinners Hate to Hear Part 1 of 2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

If you would please to Isaiah 55, Isaiah 55, we're going to read one verse. And the message today is entitled, What Sinners Need to Hear. And I will tell you this, it's going to take two Sundays to finish this message, and I'll mention that again, but I think that you will understand why in just for a moment. Look at Isaiah 55 and verse 3 at what God says, "...incline your ear and come unto me and hear, and your soul shall live.
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And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Note now again, verse 3, "...incline your ear and come unto me and hear, and your soul shall live." I want you to understand that hearing is vitally important to salvation. Our Lord said very plainly, hear and your soul shall live. So the question is, have you ever heard unto salvation? If so, what did you hear? And how did you hear? I hope you understand there is an external hearing of the Word and there is an internal hearing of the Word. The external is merely physical, the internal is spiritual.
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Many have the ability to hear externally and outwardly, but I'm going to show you this morning that no one has the ability to hear inwardly and spiritually apart from the grace of God. I have been asked a number of times, and that's what really triggered this message as I was thinking about it, in light of a lot of people having lost loved ones and lost friends, I've been asked this question, what do you say to a sinner? What do they need to hear? So let me ask you this question.
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How would you witness to an unconverted friend or family member? Have you ever considered what you would really say to them or what they really need to hear?
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Now naturally if you had several weeks or several months where you could just talk endlessly, you can cover an awful lot of things and cover very, very many doctrines. But you're only going to have that situation if you have a close neighbor or a close family member that you can do that with. Usually when it comes to witnessing to someone, it's under an hour, sometimes under 30 minutes. So what in the world do you tell someone when you're trying to give them what you would call an irreducible minimum of truth because of time's sake.
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You see, there's a problem that exists in telling people what they need to hear. The problem that exists is how to condense the truth without compromising the truth. In order to demonstrate this, it's going to take me two weeks to finish this message so that you may see the completeness of the truth. You might see the completeness, but then you're going to have to be able to condense it down and say, here is what you need to hear. So how in the world then do we communicate that which is absolutely fundamental, needed, and necessary without perverting the truth? We need to know what people need to hear in order that we may actually give them the truth. And I must emphasize this, it is indeed the truth that sinners need to hear. It is a truth that we've been commanded to hear.
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It doesn't matter if you look in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or any of the prophets, you'll see this command over and over where God says, Hear ye the word of the Lord. And oftentimes when you hear that command and you read that command in the Scripture, it's even given to God's professing people. And if God's professing people will not hear His Word, is it any wonder that sinners won't listen to Him? So over and over He says, hear you the Word of the Lord. Many of you will remember that numerous times in the New Testament our Lord said, such as in Matthew 13 and verse 19, He who hath ears to hear, let him hear. In Matthew 15 and verse 10, He called the multitude and said unto them, Hear and understand. So our Lord then has commanded us to hear. And an interesting thing is this, when you get to Mark 4, without turning there, in verse 24, the Word of God says this, Take heed what you hear. Take heed what you hear. We're not obligated to hear everything.
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but we are obligated to hear the Word of God. And then when you get to Luke 8 and verse 18, He said, take heed how you hear. So God is going to hold us responsible for not only what we hear, He's going to hold us responsible for how we hear. That means those times when we stay out too late on Saturday night, and we come up sleepy-headed on Sunday morning, and we're kind of dull of hearing and we really don't pay attention, God will hold us accountable of how we heard His Word. Not only take heed what you hear, but also take heed how you hear. Now, let me tell you, there is a real theological dilemma for those who will not hear the Word of God. I don't know if you've thought about this or not. The theological dilemma is like this. Remember what our Lord said in John 10 in verse 27. He said this, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Well, I want you to turn in your Bible to John chapter 8.
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You need to see this passage. John chapter 8. After having quoted John 10, where our Lord says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow Me." Look what He said to those unbelieving Jews in John 8 and verse 47. Very interesting. He said, He that is of God, heareth God's words. You therefore hear them not, because you're not of God. Wow! Did you hear what I just read? Here's what our Lord is saying. My sheep hear My voice." In other words, if you hear and heed the Word of God, it's evidence that you're one of His sheep. If you refuse to hear and heed the Word of God, it's obvious that you're not His sheep. He said, He that is of God, hear God's words, you therefore hear them not, because you're not of God. Look in John 8, since you're right there, in verse 31. Look at what He said. Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, You continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed.
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The proof that our conversion is genuine is that we continue in the faith, we continue in the Word of God. What does that mean then for someone who professes at one time they were saved, but they hadn't been to church and they hadn't read their Bible, hadn't heard any Word or any teaching for 20 years. Our Lord says the proof that you're genuinely His disciple is that you continue in His Word. So, the proof that you are one of the Lord's sheep is that you hear His voice and you follow Him. The evidence that you're not His sheep is that you do not hear Him, you do not heed Him, you do not obey Him. Thus, when someone turns his ear away from hearing the Word of God, he's treading on very dangerous ground. He's condemning himself and he's exposing himself as one who does not belong to the Lord.
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The Puritans used to have a saying that went like this. The Puritans would proclaim, I have great news for a sinner if I can ever find one.
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Now stop and think about that. I have great news for a sinner if I can ever find one. You say, Brother Weaver, we are all sinners. I know that. You know that. But I don't care who you go to and you begin to talk to them about their sin and their attitude is this, well, I'm not that bad. We know we're sinners, but we don't understand the complexity of our sin, the depth of our sin, the judgment of our sin. That's why those Puritans always would say, have great news for a sinner if I could find one.
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But they followed it up with another saying. They said this, a sinner is a precious thing for only God can make one so.
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Now what did they mean by that? They meant when a sinner really genuinely sees and understands his sin, his depravity, the wickedness of it, the just deserts of it. When he's really, really understanding who and what he is, it's God who opened his eyes and taught him and showed him exactly what he was. Only God can make a sinner see his need of Jesus Christ. That's why they said a sinner is a precious thing, for only God can make him so.
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Now, assuming that you have a lost family member or assuming that you have a friend, assuming that you have someone that will listen, what do you tell him? I'm going to give you a minimum of four truths. I'm only going to cover two of them today, two next week, Lord willing. But I'm going to show you that I believe that at an absolute minimum, these four truths should be communicated. The first truth is this, listen carefully.
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We must communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. We must communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. Why in the world do I begin with such a point? Let me just tell you, the difference between these two concepts is absolutely, vitally important. You see, in the garden, when God had created Adam, he not only walked with God, he had the ability to please God. And he did so during their time of communion. However, when Adam sinned against God, when he rebelled against God, God drove him from the garden and he was cursed. Adam and all of his posterity lost their ability to please God, but they did not lose their responsibility. When Adam sinned, he did not cease to be God's creation. He was still God's creation, but now he is a sinner and a sinful creation. And as God's creature, he is still accountable and responsible to God, even though he is now a sinner. You have to remember that Adam, according to the Scripture, was created with original righteousness, knowledge, and holiness. And by the way, Adam...
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Everybody wants to talk about the will of man? Adam, with original knowledge, original righteousness, and original holiness, in a perfect environment, used his will to sin against God. See, the problem with Adam was this. Although he had original righteousness, knowledge, and holiness, he was created mutable, that is, changeable. He could lose it. And he did lose it when he sinned, and when he rebelled against God. He could change, and he did change.
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And he lost his position, and he lost his ability. He lost everything in the fall, and he changed from being holy to unholy, and from being righteous to unrighteous.
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Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to Romans 5 and verse 12. Here's a verse that is very important. Romans 5 and verse 12. And I want you to notice what the Scripture says. Romans 5 verse 12. Look at this, Romans 5 verse 12. Paul writes, wherefore as by one man, which is Adam, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
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Now let me just stop there just for a moment. The scripture says, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world. May I ask you, who actually was the first to sin? Eve? That's correct. Well, why is it the Bible said, by one woman, sin entered the world? Because the covenant was with Adam. And Adam was our federal head and representative. I want you to look at verse 12 again. Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered in the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, now look at this phrase, for that all have sinned. Now let me explain something about that phrase.
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I realize not everybody is a Greek scholar and I'm not trying to make you a Greek scholar. But I am going to tell you that when it says for all have sinned is an aorist passive in the Greek. That means this. It is something that happened one time, once and for all, with continuing results. When did all of us sin at one time? In the fall in Adam.
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Because he was our federal head and our representative. We lost it all when Adam fell. Here's what this means. If you had been in the Garden of Eden, you would have done exactly the same thing Adam did. You would have. We all sinned, we all fell on him. Now, since Adam was our federal head and federal representative, you can find that by the way, not only in Romans chapter 5, but in 1 Corinthians 15 as well. When he sinned, we sinned. When he fell, we fell. When he lost his ability, we lost our ability.
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That's why the Bible says now in Ephesians 2 and verse 1, hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins." So man now is dead in trespasses and in sin. What can a dead man do? Absolutely nothing.
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Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 2, then we're coming back to Romans 8, so just hold Romans if you would. But look in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, and notice if you would, now I'm telling you that we lost everything in the fall. Okay? Look in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14. The scripture says, but the natural man, that's the unsaved man, that's man apart from grace, man without Christ, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for their foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Now, look at that very carefully. The natural man, the unsaved man, does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. Why? Their foolishness of them. Look at this next phrase. Neither can he know them. In other words, fallen man does not have the ability to receive or to know or to understand the things of God. Period. Now go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 8 and look at verses 6 through 8.
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Let me just show you how bad it really is. Look in Romans 8 beginning there with verse 6. Here the Apostle Paul writes, For to be carnally or to be fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Now watch verse 7, Because the carnal mind, that's the fleshly mind, that's the unsaved mind, that's the natural mind. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Watch verse 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Now what does the Bible just tell us? The Bible just tells us that natural man, unsaved man, by nature hates God. Not only does he hate God, his mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. And then he makes this statement, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. How many are in the flesh? All of us. How many of us have no ability to please God in and of ourselves?
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All of us. There is not one sinner. There's never been one sinner that had the ability to please God. Nothing he could ever do could please God. For by nature, he hated God. He cannot please God. That's a term of ability. And according to 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, he cannot receive the things of God and he cannot know the things of God because they're spiritually discerned.
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Now, just to show you how this is emphasized in the Bible, I want you to turn to the book of John, and let's begin in John chapter 3. And let me just show you the cannots in the book of John. Look in John chapter 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. John 3 and verse 3. John 3 verse 3. Watch carefully what our Lord says. John 3 verse 3.
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Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Now notice what he said, except a man be born from above, anothen is the Greek word, from above, except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So unsaved man cannot even glimpse the kingdom of God. He can't see, he's blind.
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Look in verse 5, John 3 verse 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So what is it that a man cannot do so far? He cannot see the kingdom of God? He cannot enter the kingdom of God? That is, he has no ability. Let me just stop here. You know this, but I'm just repeating it.
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There's a difference between the words may and can. May is a term of permission. Can is a term of ability. So, if Dr. Holmes asked me, can I play your piano? My response would be, you may if you have the ability. I don't think he has the ability to play the piano, but you see the difference. May is a term of permission. Can is a term of ability. So our Lord says no man has the ability to see the Kingdom of God. No man has the ability to enter the Kingdom of God in and of himself.
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Look in John 6 and verse 44. Now I will come back to this one, but let me just show it to you. John 6 and verse 44. Look what our Lord says. John 6 and verse 44. Here it is. John 6, verse 44, our Lord says it very plainly, No man can come unto Me, except the Father which sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up the last day.
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Now how many men, in and of themselves, have the ability to come to Christ on their own? Not one. We cannot see, we cannot enter, we cannot come. Look in your Bibles to John 8 and verse 43. John 8, verse 43. In fact, we can read verse 41. He's talking to these unbelievers and he says this, You do the deeds of your father. He's talking about the devil.
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They said unto him, We be not born of fornication. We have one Father, even God. So now they're accusing Christ of being an illegitimate child. Verse 42. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love Him. For I proceeded forth and came from God, and neither came out of myself, but He sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Watch. Even because you cannot hear my word, you are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father you will do.
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What did He say to them? You cannot hear my word. So sinners cannot see, they cannot enter, they cannot come, they cannot hear. Look in John chapter 12. John chapter 12, in verses 39 and 40. John 12 verse 39, Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He had blinded their hearts and hardened their hearts, blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes and understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them. Therefore they could not believe.
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What is it that a sinner can't do here? He can't believe. So if you just take the book of John, you can't see, you can't enter, you can't come, you can't hear, you can't believe. It should be an obvious fact from Scripture, it should be a clear and certain fact from Scripture that fallen man has lost his ability to please God. However, that does not mean that he's lost his responsibility to please God. I told you, you have to communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. You may lose your ability, but not necessarily your responsibility. God did not make man sin. God does not make you sin. You choose to sin because you're a sinner. You choose to sin because you have Adam's fallen nature. And simply because man has lost his ability to please God, does not mean that God has lost His right to command. God is still God. He is still the sovereign God of heaven and earth. He's the sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who has the absolute right to command.
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And God does command. He still commands sinners although they have lost their ability. They have not lost their responsibility.
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Now let me try to distinguish between these two things for you. And then I'm going to make the application in just a moment. Simply because someone is responsible to do something, does not mean that he has the ability to do it. A 13 year old girl and a 14 year old boy can produce a baby. If and when that happens, does that mean that they have the ability to marry?
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raise the child, educate the child, and be the kind of parents and spouses that God demands? Does the 14-year-old boy have the ability to make a living, support, and sustain his 13-year-old wife and child? No. He didn't have that ability. He may have the responsibility, but he does not possess the ability. There's a difference between ability and responsibility. If I borrowed $10,000 from Ed, Carrie's shaking her head, he didn't have it. That's alright. But if I borrowed $10,000 from Ed, am I responsible to pay it back? Am I? Yes. Alright. But suppose I borrow the $10,000 from him and I leave and get involved in a horrible automobile wreck. And I'm incapacitated. Do I now have the ability to pay it back after I've already spent it? No. I have the responsibility, but I don't have the ability. So there's a big difference between ability and responsibility.
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Now, what I want to do is apply this, this same principle, to the commands of Scripture and let you see it. So I want you to turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 17. Acts 17. And look if you would please, beginning there with verse 30 and 31. Acts 17 verse 30. Look at what the Scripture says. Acts 17, verse 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Why does God command all men everywhere to repent? By the way, please note that He does command all men to repent. Why does God command all men to repent?
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Well, first of all, He has the right to. He's God. He can do whatever He pleases. But secondly, if you'll look in verse 31, He tells you why He issues this command. Because He hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he had raised him from the dead." Now here's why God commands men to repent. Because God has appointed a day in the which he will judge the world. There is a final judgment and He's going to judge that world in righteousness. Notice the Scripture says, "...by that man whom He hath ordained," which is Jesus Christ. Watch. "...whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, and that He hath raised Him from the dead." So, just as surely as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, there's going to be a day of judgment. Okay? Watch this. Why does God command all men everywhere to repent? And the answer is because God has appointed His Son judge of everything and He is going to judge every man.
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And the assurance of that is that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now, we know that God has commanded every man everywhere to repent. Look in your Bibles very quickly to Luke 13. Let me show you what happens if there is no repentance. Luke 13, and let's read the first five verses. Luke 13, beginning there with verse 1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Alright, Luke 13, verse 1. The Scripture says, There were present at that season some of them that told Him, that is, told Christ, of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. So Pilate has murdered some of these people who were offering sacrifices. Watch. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you nay. But except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.
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Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay. But except you repent, you shall all likewise perish."
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Now look what our Lord said. He said, just because some great catastrophic, horrible, tragic incident happens to someone, does not necessarily mean that they were sinners exceedingly. And our Lord said, no. But I'll tell you, unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish."
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Now, we know from Acts 17, God commands men to repent. We know from Luke 13, that if men do not repent, they're going to perish. So God commands men to repent. Yes. Well, as His creatures, we owe Him glory. As sinners, we owe Him repentance because we have violated His law, we've transgressed His commands, and we've sinned against His person. Now, we know that God commands repentance. So, why are not sinners repenting? We know that if they don't repent, they will perish. Why are they not repenting?
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Now, let me ask you this. Have you sinned this week? Oh yeah. Janet's shaking her head and pointing at Henry, yeah.
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Now, you see what I'm saying? Well, alright, you say, yeah, well I guess I've sinned this week. Well, repent. Let me see you repent. Go ahead and repent right now. Do you realize? You cannot repent unless God gives you repentance. I don't care if you're a non-Christian or a Christian. It is the absolute truth. How does one receive repentance? Where does it originate? Repentance, like faith, is the gift of God. God must give it. If God does not give it, I cannot repent. Repentance is His gift. Repentance comes from Him and from Him alone. When I turn from my sin, I am exercising the gift of repentance that He gave me. Repentance does not reside in man by nature, not even a Christian man. No man can repent apart from the Lord.
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Now, I want you to go to the book of Acts. Let me show you this. Look in the book of Acts chapter 5 verses 30 and 31. And here the scripture tells us one of the reasons why Christ was raised from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father. Look in Acts 5 verse 30 and 31. Acts 5 verse 30. The scripture says the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you slew and hanged on a tree, him hath God exalted with or at his right hand to be a prince and a savior, watch, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." For to give. In other words, repentance and forgiveness are gifts from Jesus Christ. He must actually give it. Look in your Bibles to Acts 11. You remember in Acts chapter 10, Cornelius and his household were converted.
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And of course, when Peter comes back to Jerusalem, those other Jewish folks who believed jumped on Peter, said, you know you're not supposed to go into the house of someone who is unclean. And of course, Peter rehearsed everything that God had showed him. And look what happens when he finishes. Look in Acts 11. Let's read verse 17. Peter says, For as much as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God? Now watch.
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When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted, or given, repentance unto life. Where did they get repentance? They got it from God. It's His gift. He gave it. If you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy, look if you would please, beginning there with chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter 2, and we'll begin reading there with verse 24. 2 Timothy 2, verse 24. Watch carefully. 2 Timothy 2, verse 24.
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Paul is telling Timothy really his only hope in preaching and teaching. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 24. He says, And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves. Now watch. If God, peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him and his will.
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Now, here's my first question. When do men recover themselves out of the snare of the devil? The answer is, according to verse 25, when they acknowledge the truth. My next question is, when do men acknowledge the truth? According to verse 25, it's when God gives them repentance. If God does not give them repentance, they do not acknowledge the truth, nor do they recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. So, here it is, God demands repentance. Men are responsible to repent. Are you listening? But they don't have the ability to repent.
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Where does that leave the sinner? I'll tell you. It leaves him right where it should leave him, at the mercy of God. I want you to understand something. Self-reformation is not repentance. I want you to look in your Bibles very quickly to Matthew 12. Let me show you what I mean. Self-reformation is not repentance. You say, well, I'm going to stop smoking, I'm going to stop drinking, I'm going to stop chewing, I'm going to stop going to the girls that do.
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You'd probably live a little longer and feel a little better. But self-reformation is not repentance. Look in Matthew chapter 12, beginning there in verse 43. Here's what our Lord says. Matthew 12, verse 43. Our Lord said, When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return unto my house from whence I came out, and when he's come, he findeth it empty, and swept, and garnished.
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Then goeth he, and taketh with him seven other spirits, more wicked than himself. And they entered to dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also in this wicked generation." What's he saying? Self-reformation is not repentance. Where does that leave a sinner? Let me tell you right now, it leaves him right where it should leave him, at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, begging for mercy. He must seek repentance from the Lord Jesus Christ. He must acknowledge his responsibility and yet his inability. He must understand that if he is not given the gift of repentance, he is doomed. And the realization of this should make him cry and beg for mercy.
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The same, by the way, is absolutely true with faith. Look in your Bibles to 1 John 3 and verse 23. 1 John 3, verse 23. Look at what the Scripture says. 1 John 3, verse 23. Here we go. 1 John 3, verse 23. And this is His commandment.
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that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He has given us a commandment. What? And this is His commandment that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. Wait a minute. God has also commanded men to repent. Now God commands men to believe on the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not going to ask you to turn there because I know that you can quote this passage. So listen.
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Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For by grace are you saved through faith. What's his next part? And that not of yourselves is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. What did he just say? For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves. Faith does not originate in man. Faith is not inherent in man. It's the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.
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Now, I was being facetious earlier when I told you to repent. Because I know you can't on your own. So let me be a little facetious here. Have faith. Go ahead and exercise faith right now. You can't unless God gives you faith. Faith is the gift of God.
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Now, if you want to turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, and I do ask you to turn there, just because I want you to see this, just to prove a point. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. You see, there is a... I suppose the Apostle Paul and Peter would refer to it as a damnable lie that is very prevalent in Christian circles. And unhappily, a lot of preachers preach it as a truth.
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They try to say that every man has faith. He just needs to exercise it. I've heard preachers say that. Well, look in 2 Thessalonians 3 and verse 2. Paul is asking prayer for himself and for those traveling with him and he says this, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for all men have not faith." Well, who are you going to believe? The Apostle Paul? Or some preacher that says, well, everybody's got faith. All they've got to do is just simply exercise it. I've heard preachers use this illustration. So help me, I've heard them use this illustration. They would say, here's a chair. Do you believe that chair will hold you up? Well, yes. Well, you don't really believe it until you sit in it. And then when you sit in it, that's exercising faith. The only problem is, there's a real difference between believing that a chair will hold me up and saving believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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One is a physical act. The other is a spiritual act. Who can give faith? The answer is God alone. Who can give repentance? The answer is God alone. Where does that leave the sinner? It leaves him right where it should leave him, at the feet of Jesus Christ, begging for mercy and for repentance and faith. Every sinner has a responsibility to repent and believe, but no sinner has the ability to do so. Only God can give him the ability to fulfill his responsibilities.
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Sinners need to hear the truth. If you think for one minute that the key is in your hand for your salvation, and that you can insert that key in the door of salvation and turn it whenever you want, well, like most sinners, they'll say, well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to sin as long as I can, and right before I die, I'm going to insert that key in the door of faith. Ah!
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But you've just got to remember, repentance is not yours in and of yourself. Faith is not yours in and of yourself. And if God doesn't give it to you, you'll never repent and you'll never believe. It's just like one scholar said, many who plan on repenting at 12 o'clock, die at 11.30. It's not yours. It's God's. There's a second truth I want to communicate very quickly. We must communicate the difference between ability and responsibility. And we must communicate the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And I want us to read the first five verses. I want you to see the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Here we go. Look in verse 1. Paul writes, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
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For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Watch, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
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Now go back to verse 1. Paul said, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with the excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Jesus Christ. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." Verse 4, And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. There is a vast difference between the power of God in salvation and the effects of human wisdom in producing a decision.
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I should make this exceedingly clear. A decision does not save. Jesus Christ is the one that saves. There have been many people who decided to become Christians. They decided to get baptized. They decided to join the church. They claim to be Christians, yet their lives are totally, completely unchanged, and contrary to Scripture, they live like the world, they love the world, they have no holiness, they have no obedience in their lives, and practically speaking, you cannot tell them apart from any other individual who is unsaved. The only difference is, every now and then they go to church, and they profess that they are Christians. And their salvation is based upon a decision.
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I want you to mark something down in your little black book. Here it is. Mark it down that psychology, oratory, persuasive arguments, and pressure is often enough to make, to coerce someone into a decision. And many times, those to whom you're witnessing, if there's enough pressure, they'll make a decision just to get rid of you. They will. I find it strange that all of these churches that have all these decisions... I know of churches in certain areas that claim in one year they've had a hundred thousand decisions for Christ.
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The people are never baptized and never added to the church. No culture changes. No society changes. Their home doesn't change. Their lives doesn't change. What has happened? Well, they had a decision. Do you realize that most people can be talked into a decision, especially a child, in order to come to Jesus Christ savingly? One must be drawn by the Holy Spirit of God.
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Now I told you I wanted you to go back to John chapter 6 and I want you to see this. Look in John chapter 6 and let's read verse 44. John chapter 6, look in verse 44. We read this verse earlier and I'm reading it just so I can read the next verse. Okay? John 6 verse 44. Look what our Lord says. No man can come unto Me except the Father who hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up the last day." Now, our Lord has just gotten through saying, no man can come unto Me except the Father draw him.
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Let me ask you a question. What good is a decision if the sinner has not been drawn to the Father or to be drawn to Christ by the Father? Our Lord says, no man can come unto Me except the Father who has sent me, draw him." And by the way, the word here is draw, not drag. When the Father draws a man to Christ, the man does not come kicking and screaming, hollering, but I don't want to be saved! I don't want to be saved! No. That's ridiculous. But here's how the Father draws. Watch. John 6 verse 44, no man can come unto me except the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him up the last day.
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It is written in the prophets, here it is, and they shall all be taught of God. Now watch, every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. Now how does God the Father draw men to Christ? The answer is through illumination and education. The importance of this fact is they are taught of God. You see, God may use men to speak the truth. God may use men to communicate the truth. But if the illumination of the Holy Spirit and the education of the Father is missing, so is salvation.
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I want you to go back to Matthew 11. And I want you to see this passage. And then we'll go to Matthew 16. Matthew 11. And look at verse 27 at what our Lord says. Matthew 11 and verse 27. Watch this. Matthew 11, verse 27. Look carefully. Our Lord said it so plainly. All things are delivered unto me of my Father. And no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son. And he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." What? He says no man knows the Father but the Son. And no man knows the Son but the Father. And he to whomsoever He reveal him.
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So let me put it like this, if there is no revelation, there is no salvation. If there is no illumination and no education, there is no salvation. Let me show you how this works. Look at Matthew 16, and let's begin reading there with verse 13. Matthew 16, verse 13. Matthew 16, verse 13.
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When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and other Jeremiahs, or one of the prophets. He said to them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Watch. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah. Thou art smarter than everyone else. Thou hast figured this thing out by thyself.
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Oh, I'm not reading it correctly, am I? No. Watch what he said. And blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. How did Peter know that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God? God the Father revealed it. It was not Peter's intellect. It was not Peter's education in the school of the Pharisees.
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It was not that he had a college degree. The only way that he knew who Jesus Christ was, was the Father had revealed it unto him. So if people are satisfied with the decision, and a pronouncement by some preacher that they're Christian, that's their choice and their problem. If someone really, genuinely, truly wants to be converted and saved according to the Word of God, he must have a revelation who Jesus Christ is, he must be illuminated, he must be educated, he must be drawn by the Father to Jesus Christ.
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I want to show you how simple this is and yet how complicated it could be if you don't understand the Scripture. So I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Here's one verse that should blow a hole in most modern day evangelism. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 3. The Apostle Paul says it like this, Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. And that no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost. Now, the first part of this verse is very simple. When he says, Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. And the word accursed there is anathema, to be damned, doomed. So, no man speaking by the Spirit of God can curse Jesus Christ. Very obviously, the reason why is the Spirit of God, according to Scripture, exalts Christ and honors Christ. So if anyone is cursing Christ, obviously, it's the work of the flesh, the work of the devil, it's not the work of God.
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The Holy Spirit does not curse Jesus Christ. We understand that. But look at the latter part of the verse. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. We need to understand the impact of that statement. Obviously, anyone who has a tongue, and the ability to speak could frame the words in his mouth and say, Jesus is Lord. Now here's my question. Does the ability to frame those three words with the tongue, Jesus is Lord, does that make a man a Christian? Obviously not. What you have to understand in verse 3 is this. Now look at it. Watch it with me. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus a curse. And that no man can, and I would insert one word here, no man can savingly say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost. In other words, it is the power of God the Holy Spirit, it is the work of God the Holy Spirit in man that enables a man to savingly confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
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Men may imitate, but only God can authenticate. And you have an awful lot of people going around using their tongue saying Jesus is Lord, and they have no earthly idea of what they're saying. Incidentally, I've told you repeatedly, and I want to remind you even now, that the word Lord literally means boss. Owner. Sovereign. Master. So when you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord, you're saying, in essence, He's in charge. He's the boss.
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He tells you how to live. He tells you how to talk. He tells you where to go. He tells you where not to go. He can tell you whatever He wants to. He's the Lord. He's the boss. He's the owner. He's the master. And the Scripture's telling us it is only the Holy Spirit of God that enables us to savingly say that Jesus Christ is Lord. And the evidence that we have savingly acknowledged Jesus Christ is Lord is that we're enabled to submit our lives to Him and we obey Him.
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That's why I said if you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed or then are you my genuine or my true disciples. We bow to His Lordship. So, what is it sinners must hear? They must hear the difference between ability and responsibility. And they must hear the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. Paul said, I did not come with excellency of speech.
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There's no amount of oratory, no illustrations, no sermon outlines that can save. Only Jesus Christ can save. You can persuade someone to make a decision, but if God has not opened His eyes, illuminated Him, educated Him, and brought Him to savingly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, He is not converted no matter how many decisions He makes. Two applications. The first one is this. Ability and responsibility are not the same. Every sinner is accountable and responsible to God, but not one has the ability to please God in and of himself. Sinners are commanded to throw themselves at the feet of Jesus Christ and beg for mercy, beg for repentance, and beg for faith. Beg for the ability to fulfill their responsibilities.
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And the blessed truth of John 6.37 is true. For our Lord said, All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and he that cometh unto me I shall in no wise cast out. And if we come to Him in seeking repentance and faith on His terms, He said, He will in no wise cast us out. The second application is if one is not convicted of his sins, if he is not given repentance and faith, if he is not drawn by the Father, if he is not enabled to savingly confess Jesus Christ as Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit, he's not saved.
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I don't care which church he is in. I don't care how many times he's been baptized. I don't care how long he's taught or how long he's preached. He's just not converted. Salvation is not by decision. Salvation is by grace through faith. Salvation is the work of God and not the work of man. Jonah said it very concisely in Jonah 2 and verse 9 when he said, Salvation is of the Lord. The Bible tells us that He is the author and the finisher of our faith.
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Everything rests upon Jesus Christ. Like that old hymn that we sing, Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling. We rest only in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to You this day. We thank You for Your love, for Your grace, for Your mercy. We pray, Lord, that You would indeed help us to see these truths, understand these truths, help us to be able to communicate them, Lord, because this is what sinners need to hear. Thy Word, Thy truth, Thy mercy, Thy grace, and its salvation is of the Lord. Help us, Father, to honor Thee In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:04:49Z

What Sinners Hate to Hear Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver addresses the essential truths that sinners need to hear for salvation, emphasizing that hearing God's Word is vital. He explains that there is an external and internal hearing, and only God's grace enables spiritual hearing. The message focuses on two key distinctions: the difference between ability and responsibility, and the difference between the power of God and the wisdom of man. Weaver argues that while all sinners are responsible to repent and believe, they lack the natural ability to do so; these are gifts from God. He warns against relying on mere human decisions or persuasive speech, stressing that true conversion requires divine illumination and drawing by the Father. The sermon concludes with applications urging sinners to seek God's mercy and believers to rest solely in Christ's work.

Introduction: The Importance of Hearing

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 55:3

"...incline your ear and come unto me and hear, and your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."

Note now again, verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 55:3

"...incline your ear and come unto me and hear, and your soul shall live."

The Problem of Condensing Truth

Theological Dilemma of Not Hearing

You need to see this passage. John chapter 8. After having quoted John 10, where our Lord says, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow Me.

Scripture Reading — John 10:27

" Look what He said to those unbelieving Jews in John 8 and verse 47. Very interesting. He said, He that is of God, heareth God's words. You therefore hear them not, because you're not of God. Wow! Did you hear what I just read? Here's what our Lord is saying. My sheep hear My voice."

First Truth: Ability vs. Responsibility

Scripture Reading — Romans 5:12

wherefore as by one man, which is Adam, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Now let me just stop there just for a moment. The scripture says, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world.

That's why the Bible says now in Ephesians 2 and verse 1, hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1

" So man now is dead in trespasses and in sin. What can a dead man do? Absolutely nothing.

Biblical Evidence of Inability

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 2:14

" Now, look at that very carefully. The natural man, the unsaved man, does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. Why? Their foolishness of them. Look at this next phrase. Neither can he know them. In other words, fallen man does not have the ability to receive or to know or to understand the things of God. Period. Now go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 8 and look at verses 6 through 8.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Scripture Reading — John 3:3

" Now notice what he said, except a man be born from above, anothen is the Greek word, from above, except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So unsaved man cannot even glimpse the kingdom of God. He can't see, he's blind. Look in verse 5, John 3 verse 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So what is it that a man cannot do so far? He cannot see the kingdom of God? He cannot enter the kingdom of God? That is, he has no ability. Let me just stop here. You know this, but I'm just repeating it.

Responsibility Remains Despite Inability

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:30-31

" Now here's why God commands men to repent. Because God has appointed a day in the which he will judge the world. There is a final judgment and He's going to judge that world in righteousness. Notice the Scripture says, "

...by that man whom He hath ordained," which is Jesus Christ. Watch. "...whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, and that He hath raised Him from the dead.

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:30-31

" So, just as surely as God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, there's going to be a day of judgment. Okay? Watch this. Why does God command all men everywhere to repent? And the answer is because God has appointed His Son judge of everything and He is going to judge every man. And the assurance of that is that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now, we know that God has commanded every man everywhere to repent. Look in your Bibles very quickly to Luke 13. Let me show you what happens if there is no repentance. Luke 13, and let's read the first five verses. Luke 13, beginning there with verse 1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Alright, Luke 13, verse 1. The Scripture says, There were present at that season some of them that told Him, that is, told Christ, of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. So Pilate has murdered some of these people who were offering sacrifices. Watch. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you nay. But except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.

Now, let me ask you this. Have you sinned this week? Oh yeah. Janet's shaking her head and pointing at Henry, yeah.

Scripture Reading — Acts 5:30-31

the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you slew and hanged on a tree, him hath God exalted with or at his right hand to be a prince and a savior, watch, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."

Faith as a Gift, Not a Human Decision

Second Truth: Power of God vs. Wisdom of Man

The Necessity of Divine Drawing and Revelation

Saving Confession by the Holy Spirit

Applications and Conclusion

What Sinners Hate to Hear Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	hqOdACDmmgg
Subject	Education and Discipleship
Course	Christian Education and Discipleship
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-12-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 152: What Sinners Hate To Hear — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	85

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Importance of Hearing: Weaver introduces the message by reading Isaiah 55:3, emphasizing that hearing is vital to salvation. He distinguishes between external (physical) and internal (spiritual) hearing, noting that only God's grace enables the latter.
The Problem of Condensing Truth: Weaver explains the challenge of witnessing to sinners in limited time, stressing the need to condense truth without compromising it. He introduces the sermon's two-part structure to cover four essential truths.
Theological Dilemma of Not Hearing: Using John 8:47 and John 10:27, Weaver shows that hearing God's Word is evidence of being His sheep, while refusal to hear indicates not being of God. Continuing in Christ's Word proves genuine discipleship.
First Truth: Ability vs. Responsibility: Weaver introduces the first essential truth: the distinction between ability and responsibility. He explains that Adam's fall resulted in the loss of ability to please God, but not the loss of responsibility.
Biblical Evidence of Inability: Weaver cites multiple scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:6-8, John 3:3-5, John 6:44, John 8:43, John 12:39-40) to demonstrate that fallen man cannot see, enter, come, hear, or believe apart from God's grace.
Responsibility Remains Despite Inability: Weaver illustrates with examples (a young couple, a debt) that responsibility does not imply ability. He applies this to God's commands: God commands all men to repent (Acts 17:30) because He has appointed a day of judgment, yet repentance is a gift from God (Acts 5:31, 11:18, 2 Timothy 2:25).
Faith as a Gift, Not a Human Decision: Weaver extends the argument to faith, showing that God commands belief (1 John 3:23) but faith is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). He refutes the idea that all men have faith (2 Thessalonians 3:2) and warns against self-reformation (Matthew 12:43-45).
Second Truth: Power of God vs. Wisdom of Man: Weaver presents the second essential truth: the difference between the power of God and human wisdom. Using 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, he argues that salvation is not produced by persuasive speech but by the demonstration of the Spirit's power.
The Necessity of Divine Drawing and Revelation: Weaver explains that no one can come to Christ unless drawn by the Father (John 6:44-45), which occurs through divine teaching. He cites Matthew 11:27 and Matthew 16:13-17 to show that knowing Christ requires revelation from the Father, not human intellect.
Saving Confession by the Holy Spirit: Weaver expounds 1 Corinthians 12:3, emphasizing that no one can savingly say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit. True confession implies submission to Christ's lordship, evidenced by obedience.
Applications and Conclusion: Weaver applies the truths: sinners must seek God for repentance and faith, and assurance comes from Christ's promise in John 6:37. He warns that without divine conviction and drawing, one is not saved regardless of religious activity. Salvation is entirely of the Lord.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Hearing is essential for salvation, but spiritual hearing requires grace.

Weaver argues from Isaiah 55:3 that hearing is commanded for life, yet only God can grant the internal hearing needed for salvation.

Weaver says, 'Hear and your soul shall live... no one has the ability to hear inwardly and spiritually apart from the grace of God.' (54.8-134.7s)

The Fall rendered all humans unable to please God, but responsibility remains.

Through Adam's sin, all lost the ability to obey God, but as creatures they remain accountable to His commands.

Weaver states, 'Adam and all of his posterity lost their ability to please God, but they did not lose their responsibility.' (694.1-785.3s)

Scripture repeatedly declares human inability in salvation.

Weaver cites multiple 'cannot' passages in John to prove that fallen man cannot see, enter, come, hear, or believe without divine enablement.

Weaver lists John 3:3, 3:5, 6:44, 8:43, 12:39-40, concluding, 'It should be an obvious fact from Scripture... fallen man has lost his ability to please God.' (1220.6-1530.1s)

God commands repentance and faith, but they are gifts He must give.

Weaver demonstrates that while God commands all men to repent (Acts 17:30) and believe (1 John 3:23), Scripture shows these are gifts (Acts 5:31, Ephesians 2:8-9) that sinners cannot produce.

Weaver says, 'Repentance, like faith, is the gift of God. God must give it. If God does not give it, I cannot repent.' (1912.9-2002.6s)

Human wisdom and persuasion cannot produce genuine conversion.

Weaver argues from 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 that Paul deliberately avoided manipulative rhetoric so that faith would rest on God's power, not human wisdom.

Weaver quotes, 'My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.' (2737.2-2790.0s)

True coming to Christ requires the Father's drawing through teaching.

Weaver explains John 6:44-45, showing that the Father draws by teaching, and those who learn from the Father come to Christ.

Weaver says, 'How does God the Father draw men to Christ? The answer is through illumination and education... they are taught of God.' (3018.5-3062.2s)

Saving confession of Christ's lordship is a work of the Holy Spirit.

Weaver interprets 1 Corinthians 12:3 to mean that no one can savingly acknowledge Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit, and this confession results in a life of submission.

Weaver states, 'No man can savingly say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost... the evidence... is that we're enabled to submit our lives to Him and we obey Him.' (3360.8-3564.4s)

Salvation is entirely God's work, not man's decision.

Weaver concludes that salvation is by grace through faith, authored and finished by Christ, leaving no room for human boasting.

Weaver says, 'Salvation is not by decision. Salvation is by grace through faith. Salvation is the work of God and not the work of man.' (3675.1-3720.0s)

Scripture References

Isaiah 55:3: Weaver reads this verse to introduce the message, emphasizing that hearing God's Word is linked to the soul living and the everlasting covenant.
Matthew 13:19: Referenced as an example of Jesus commanding those with ears to hear.
Matthew 15:10: Cited as Jesus calling the multitude to hear and understand.
Mark 4:24: Quoted to show the command to take heed what you hear.
Luke 8:18: Quoted to show the command to take heed how you hear.
John 10:27: Quoted to establish that Jesus' sheep hear His voice and follow Him.
John 8:47: Read to show that those who are of God hear God's words, and those who do not hear are not of God.
John 8:31: Read to show that continuing in Christ's word is evidence of genuine discipleship.
Romans 5:12: Read to explain that sin and death entered the world through Adam, and all sinned in him as federal head.
Ephesians 2:1: Quoted to describe man as dead in trespasses and sins, unable to do anything spiritually.
1 Corinthians 2:14: Read to show that the natural man cannot receive or know the things of the Spirit of God.
Romans 8:6-8: Read to demonstrate that the carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot please God.
John 3:3: Read to show that unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:5: Read to show that unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
John 6:44: Read to show that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him.
John 8:43: Read to show that unbelievers cannot hear Christ's word because they are of their father the devil.
John 12:39-40: Read to show that some could not believe because God had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts.
Acts 17:30-31: Read to show that God commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day of judgment.
Luke 13:1-5: Read to show that unless people repent, they will all likewise perish.
Acts 5:30-31: Read to show that Christ is exalted to give repentance and forgiveness of sins.

Historical References

Puritans: Weaver quotes a Puritan saying: 'I have great news for a sinner if I can ever find one,' and explains that only God can make a sinner truly see his sin.

Important Quotes

Many have the ability to hear externally and outwardly, but I'm going to show you this morning that no one has the ability to hear inwardly and spiritually apart from the grace of God.

Establishes the foundational premise that spiritual hearing is a gift of grace, not a natural human capacity.

Every sinner has a responsibility to repent and believe, but no sinner has the ability to do so. Only God can give him the ability to fulfill his responsibilities.

Summarizes the core distinction between ability and responsibility, a central argument of the sermon.

A decision does not save. Jesus Christ is the one that saves.

Directly challenges decision-based evangelism, emphasizing that salvation is a divine act, not a human choice.

No man can savingly say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost.

Highlights the necessity of the Holy Spirit's work for genuine confession of Christ's lordship.

Salvation is not by decision. Salvation is by grace through faith. Salvation is the work of God and not the work of man.

Concisely states the sermon's conclusion that salvation is entirely God's sovereign work.

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling.

Quotes a hymn to illustrate the posture of total dependence on Christ alone for salvation.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What is the difference between external hearing and internal hearing of God's Word, and why is internal hearing necessary for salvation?

[Context]

Weaver distinguishes between physical hearing and spiritual hearing, stating that only God's grace enables the latter (99.8-134.7s).

[Question]

How does the concept of federal headship in Adam (Romans 5:12) affect our understanding of human ability and responsibility?

[Context]

Weaver explains that all sinned in Adam, losing ability but not responsibility (870.3-992.9s).

[Question]

Why is it important to distinguish between 'may' (permission) and 'can' (ability) when discussing biblical commands like repentance and faith?

[Context]

Weaver clarifies the linguistic distinction to show that God commands what humans cannot do apart from grace (1275.6-1313.8s).

[Question]

In what ways might modern evangelism rely on human wisdom and persuasion rather than the power of God, and what are the dangers?

[Context]

Weaver warns that decisions can be coerced through psychology and pressure, but true conversion requires the Spirit's work (2791.9-2892.0s).

[Question]

What does it mean to be 'drawn' by the Father to Christ, and how does this drawing occur according to John 6:44-45?

[Context]

Weaver explains that drawing happens through illumination and education, being taught of God (2962.8-3062.2s).

[Question]

How does the confession 'Jesus is Lord' (1 Corinthians 12:3) serve as evidence of genuine salvation, and what does it imply for daily living?

[Context]

Weaver states that saving confession by the Spirit results in submission and obedience to Christ's authority (3492.1-3564.4s).

[Question]

What should a sinner do when they realize they are responsible to repent and believe but lack the ability?

[Context]

Weaver urges sinners to throw themselves at Christ's feet, begging for mercy, repentance, and faith (2350.6-2364.7s; 2616.4-2649.8s).

[Question]

How does the truth that 'salvation is of the Lord' (Jonah 2:9) provide assurance and humility for believers?

[Context]

Weaver concludes that everything rests on Jesus Christ, not on human effort or decision (3723.8-3776.4s).

Applications

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