The key verses we're going to look at today is verses 18 through 23. Verses 18 through 23. I'm going to read 1 through 23. I say the truth in Christ I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises, who are the fathers, and of whom are concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh. These are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise. At the time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will hearteneth. Thou wilt say unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay man, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay? of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. What of God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering, the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath afar prepared unto glory. You may be seated. Dear Heavenly Father, as we go before, you're an inspired and an infallible and imperfect word today. Lord, I pray that we are edified by not any of us, but by your word. We glorify your magnificent and almighty word. Above every other word in this world, help us to be enriched by it, to hide your word in our heart, we give you glory and praise. The title of today's message is Vessels of Mercy and Vessels of Wrath, to kind of give you a recap of last time I was here on Romans chapter nine. Listen, saints, we gather around to heed the weighty words of Romans chapter nine. For in this holy and sacred text, the Apostle Paul unleashes the thunderous declaration of God's unyielding sovereignty. Like the mighty hammer shattering the fragile vessels of human pride, Paul proclaims that God's choices are not bound by our feeble notions of fairness, And in verses 14 through 15, we find the foundations of our faith shaken to its core. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? The answer echoes throughout eternity. God forbid. For in his infinite wisdom, he weaves a tapestry of salvation and hardening, defying human comprehension. And then in verses 16 through 17, the potter's hand is revealed, shaping destinies with unyielding purpose. Jacob and Esau, though we know that Jacob wasn't deserving of it, but God chose him. and he chose to love a people from eternity past, he did not choose to love everyone from eternity past. God does love, but he loves few. God does hate, and he hates many. A truth that many suppress. May we not suppress the word of God today, May we know that those who are in Christ chosen before eternity past, God chose to love you, not on the basis of what you can do for him, but on a basis of his choice and will and purposes and the mystery of it all alone. One is chosen and the other is not. A mystery that silences human arrogance. God's sovereignty reaches, in verse 18, you see, so then here is the conclusion of what prior verses have been saying. He concludes by saying, so, in conclusion, then, God, or he has mercy on whom he desires and whom he wants. And he hardens whom he desires and whom he wants. That is the unsearchable riches of God's wisdom. The unyielding majesty of his will. The Armenians will question God of the reformed. or the Calvinist, they will question Romans 9, God. Too many churches will just do topical sermons, but you are approached when you expository preach verse by verse, chapter by chapter, you are led to this position, the position that we believe that God is sovereign and he chooses only the elect and the others. He's chosen them for reprobation. God isn't passive with the reprobates, but He's active. But He's active with a purpose, and there's always a purpose in whom He saves and in whom He hardens. And when God hardens, He doesn't choose to be passive about it, just withholding His grace, as modern-day reformers believe. God is actively hardening. He actively hardened Pharaoh's heart to display his name, to be displayed his power, to be made known. Let us tremble before the sovereign God this morning. Let us abandon the fleeting fantasies of human control. For in his inscrutable purposes, we find the very foundation of our hope. A hope that echoes throughout eternity. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. For in Romans 9, 18 through 23 this morning, the apostle Paul unleashes a call to surrender all human pretenses. You may have in your mind as many Armenians in some New Age Calvinist due to the majesty of God's will. Will you dare to question the Almighty's decrees? Will you presume to grasp the unsearchable mysteries of his will? And ways. O, but beware, lest you be consumed by the very fire of his holiness, daring to question God. The problem with many have is they want to conform God into their likeness because they don't understand the God of Romans 8 or the God of Romans 9. They try to make understanding of it, and they make it as, well, God loves everyone. No, God doesn't hate anyone, so this must mean something different. God doesn't actually Not save everybody. God, they have to do away with the scriptures to try to make God conformed to their understanding. Guess what? You're not gonna understand everything about God. Although his ways Because we are reminded by the holy scriptures that his ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. And his wisdom, we have to understand, is unsearchable. The Armenians try to search it. And they claim they have found it. We who know the truth. Come to Romans 9 and 10, we'll clearly see that God's ways are unsearchable. So will you today dare to question God's decrees? Will you presume to grasp the unsearchable mysteries of his ways? For in these verses we find the stark reality of God's sovereignty laid bare. He hardens whom he will and he shows mercy to whom he will. No human counsel can thwart his purposes. No mortal power can stay his hand. So I ask you, dear church, will you bow before the throne of God's majesty? Will you acknowledge the limits of human understanding and surrender to the infinite wisdom of his ways, or will you perish in the wilderness of your own making, lost in your own pride? Let us approach these verses with reverence and awe, lest we be found fighting against the very hand of God. In the sacred passages in verses 18 through 23, we find the almighty potter shaping the very fabric of humanity from a single unified lump of clay. With divine authority, he chooses to craft some vessels of honor, while others are fashioned for different purposes, vessels of dishonor. Note well, dear friends, the potter's absolute dominion over the clay. He is the master craftsman, unbound by human expectations or explanations. His creative will is unfettered. His purpose is inscrutable. He shapes, he molds, he fashions, and who can question his mighty hand? as many do. God ordains vessels of honor and dishonor from the very same lump of clay. For in his infinite wisdom, he has decreed some unto glory and others unto wrath. Who are we to question the potter's sovereign design? Shall the clay presumptuously Demand an accounting from the potter, nay! For God is the potter and we are but mere clay subject to his irresistible will. He has chosen some to be vessels of honor, sanctified and set apart for his purposes, others ordained to dishonor. And interesting, Paul knows how to answer, gives their questions before their questions are even being made. But he's familiar with their type of questions because people have been arguing against the God of the Old Testament for a very long time. And he's using a lot of Old Testament verses to bring to our remembrance on building a case for God's sovereignty. Not all Israel is of Israel. The problem in America is Christian Zionism. The glory, a land as if it is Israel. Not all Israel is of Israel. Anybody who studied the New Testament can clearly see, especially in Romans chapter 2, 3 and on, you explicitly see God's purposes for the Israel, spiritually the church. It is not by circumcision of the flesh, but circumcision of the heart. That comes by repentance and faith. and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we look to verse 19. Paul. anticipating the invitable pushback, addresses the objection that arises from the bold declaration in verse 18. God has mercy on whom he desires, on whom he wants, and he hardens whom he desires, recognizing that his statement may provoke accusations to question God. Paul responds to the imaginary objector in verses 19. verse 19. Verse 19 says, Thou wilt say unto them unto me what doth yet he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will. In essence, Paul is Paul's critics asked, if God's sovereignty extends to mercy and hardening, doesn't that absolve humanities of responsibility? Why would God hold us accountable for choices that are ultimately his to make? Paul's response will unfold in the subsequent verses as he delves into the mysteries of God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Arthur Pink, a renowned Calvinist theologian, writes about Romans 9-19 in his book, The Sovereignty of God. Quote, in verse 19, the apostle anticipates an objection which might be raised against the doctrine of divine sovereignty. That will say then unto me, what doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? The objector argues that if God's will is irresistible, then why, Does he blame us for our sins? The answer is because we are responsible creatures. Though God's decrees are irresistible, our sin is still our own. We act voluntarily, though God's decree is the ultimate cause of our action, end quote. Pink emphasizes that human responsibility compatible with divine sovereignty. Pink understood that our sin is still our own. We are responsible for our sinful choices. You can't just blame Adam because he was born in sin. God's blame is not unjust, even if His will is irresistible. I briefly wanna touch on the doctrine of irresistible grace. We confront this morning a pivotal question. Is God's grace resistible or irresistible? Can we, Wretched sinners say no to his sovereign call, his effectual call. On one hand, scripture thunders warnings not to resist the Holy Spirit in Acts 7.51, or quench his mighty hands, quench his spirit, quench his will. In 1 Thessalonians 5.19, but don't be deceived. This is not a permission slip to defy God's will. Rather, it is a solemn reminder that our rebellion is real and that our sin is our own. But on the other hand, we encounter the unyielding truth of Romans 9.19, for who hath resisted his will? The answer echoes throughout eternity, no one. When God chooses to make his will irresistible, all human resistance crumbles like dust beneath his feet. So behold, dear church, the balance of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, a mystery, an unsearchable mystery. We are responsible for our sins, a truth we do know. Yet God's grace is the sole author of our salvation, a truth we also know. We can resist God's grace, but only until he unleashes his irresistible will. You can quench the spirit of God, but then all of a sudden, when God wants to make his will irresistible, In many cases, I will show, he makes it irresistible. Something Armenians don't understand, our position. The wonder of it all, God's sovereignty isn't a distant concept, but a living, breathing reality that invades our lives. When he saves, he saves utterly, completely, and irresistibly. So let us praise him for his irresistible will, which shatters our resistance and saves us from ourselves. He makes us willing. We weren't unwilling. He makes us willing when he displays his power. Remember, dear saints, God's grace is not a mere offer. God's grace isn't a mere offer. but a sovereign decree. And when he decrees, who can resist? No one. Look at the Armenian position who struggle over this doctrine of irresistible grace. Look at Jonah. God chose Jonah, and Jonah tried to resist, but God made it irresistible. When God's will was for him to go to Nineveh, when Jonah desired to go another path, God made sure he's still going to Nineveh. Apostle Paul, who was on the road to Damascus to persecute the Christian church, God on that road stopped him and changed his direction, blinded him, gave him a new heart, redirected him. Paul was resisting the truth of the Christian message until the road of Damascus. Lydia's conversation in Acts 16, 14, and a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. Another example, her heart had to be opened by God. The unregenerate sinner has only one nature, so their choices can only be according to their sinful nature. Until God can give you a new heart, give a spirit within you, you then receive another nature. Then you're able then to choose that which is good, because in your flesh dwelleth no good thing, and in your nature In your sinful nature, it is impossible for you to have faith. It is impossible for you to seek after God. And no man can come unto me unless the Father draws him. So God is the only one who can enable the sinner to become a saint with a completely new identity. Christian Church today, you are not identified by your past. You are no longer identified as a sinner. Your identity is in Christ. You are A saint, sanctified. A sinner is one who is a slave and unforgiven, in bondage to sin. It's different than the definition of sin. Sin and sinner. Sinner is one who conditionally and habitually is offending and sinning against God. So when Apostle Paul stated that I am a chief among all sinners, he's referring to who he was. If Apostle Paul was the worst sinner in the entire world presently, you got a problem to not even trust what he has to say. Obviously, he's not referring to presently, but to what he just said as testimony of his unsaved past. Your identity, though we still fall short whether we're thought, word, or deed, your identity isn't defined by your slavery and bondage to your habitual, sinful nature. Our identity is in Christ as Romans chapter six has taught us, a truth that the church has forgotten. Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto Christ. You are to consider, you are to understand something that you are today dead to sin. Act like it, live it. So many people got religion in their life. Most people today who profess Christ today, I will say even in the reformed circles, most of these pastors as well that have a intellectual knowledge of God's existence, they'll never go outside those walls and preach the gospel. It's easy to preach behind the pulpit. It's very easy. Very easy to preach behind the pulpit. It's easy. It's easy to get that paycheck, it's easy to do all those things, it's simple stuff. But when you start making disciples on a personal basis and caring for those people, raising up a plurality of elders like they did in the New Testament church, it's so dangerous to have a one-man system. There's accountability. So important that the gift of a pastor has a passion for souls as part of the qualification is to do the work of an evangelist. What's the evangelist? Isn't the gift for the wicked? according to Ephesians chapter four, but a gift for the body. So we need a church today with that spiritual gift to edify the body of Christ and how to evangelize, how to share their faith. And then they go out and I will follow me. Why do we follow you? I will make you fishers of men. People want to serve the Lord when it's convenient. You will stand before the Lord. What is stopping you today from going to church? What is stopping you today from prayer? What is stopping you today from reading your Bible? What is stopping you today from telling sinners to repent and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Whatever is stopping you from going to church, whatever is stopping you from prayer, studying, and evangelizing, it is completely satanic. You're then going against God's will, God's word. You bow down to the Lordship and surrender to His will today. How hungry are you? for God as we should be hungry and thirsting after his righteousness, a truth that is hard for us. For me, may I be more hungry for the Lord. May we as a body of Christ become more hungry and thirsting for his righteousness. How dare anyone dare to question, is God unfair? You don't want God's fairness. You want fairness? You were born in sin, you deserve hell. That's what you deserve. The wrath of almighty God you deserve. But God can do what he wants. Who is man to question what God wants to do? Oh, wretched sinner. What a dangerous slope Armenians go when they question who God is and how he works. What a dangerous thing. I mean, woe, woe unto them. It's as if they're completely foreign to the God. It's a spiritual thing. I wasn't born understanding the doctrines of grace. I didn't, wasn't born to understand these things. It's a spiritual thing. You come to know the doctrines of grace twofold through his word and spirit. Let me share something. Paul has just spoken to Pharaoh here. In prior verses, and God hardened his heart. Now the question arises, why does God still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will noticed God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart was not a mere permission, wasn't just allowing it, but a sovereign act. God didn't just allow Pharaoh's heart to be hardened, he actively hardened it. God didn't just actively withhold his grace, God's purpose was purposeful in hardening his heart. And in doing so, God made Pharaoh unable to resist his will as well. Not only does God make his grace to those whom he wants to save irresistible, the same goes for the unbeliever. God's will was for Pharaoh to be hardened. God's will is to not love Pharaoh, but was purposeful to make his name known. Amen? Think about it. If God's will can be resisted, then isn't our salvation uncertain then? But if God's will is irresistible, then we can be confident in his sovereign decree. And in Pharaoh's case, God hardening was part of his plan, or other words, will to demonstrate his power and glory. And in our salvation, God irresistible grace ensures that we will come to him willingly and joyfully. Verse 20 says, Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replyest against God? Who are you to reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Why have you made me this way? Paul rebukes the hypothetical objector who dares to summon God to justify his ways. Paul confronts the presumptuous questioner who attempts to put God on trial, demanding explanations for his unsearchable ways. As we've done presuppositional apologetics, one of the things we've learned is the danger of many Christians putting God on trial. Very dangerous. Every building, there's a builder. We almost appeal to the world, proving that there is no God. When you don't stand on the word of God in your evangelism, but on evidence. There's no such thing as an atheist. So don't appeal your evangelism as if atheism is true. They believe, but they suppress. Believe in it. And so when your evangelism comes, don't, no, you believe, but you suppress. God has made it known, as Larry has shared in Sunday School, both twofold, that God has showed, the evidence of him is clearly seen in creation. His glory is manifested. in his creation, and secondly, God has written his law on every man's heart, so our conscience bears witness to the law of God. That's why the Roman's Road is a problem in evangelism, because it omits two things, the law in evangelism, and repentance from sin. The problem we have today in American church, we have many believers, but no repenters. Many people believe, but they don't live according to his will. They're unholy. They have no desire for holiness and sanctification and servitude. May we believe and obey. Much can be said, but let me continue. O Clay, dare ye question the potter's sovereign decree? Who are you, O man, to talk back to God? You think you can stand in judgment over the Almighty, critiquing His decrees as if you were His equal? You are a mere mortal, finite and fallible, presuming to know better than the Infinite One. God says, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will harden on whom I will harden. And you, in your puny rebellion, dare to say, no, Lord, that's not fair. Fair? You want fair? You who have rebelled against him from the womb, who was spat in his face and trampled, his mercies underfoot. You who are but dust and ashes dare to demand fairness from the one who gives you breath. No, dear sinner, you will not dictate terms to the sovereign. You will not question his ways. You will bow and you will tremble. and you will acknowledge his absolute dominion over all things. For he is God and you are not. He is the potter and you are but clay. Nothing but dust and ashes. And if he chooses to make some vessels for honor and others to dishonor, who are you to question his design? Many professing believers adhering to Armenian theology boldly question God's sovereignty in a way that reveals a deep-seated hatred to the Reformed Calvinistic understanding of God. In fact, some go so far as to reject the God presented in Romans 9, declaring that this God is not the one they want to believe in. in their zeal to defend human free will, they pridefully end up questioning God's righteousness and sovereignty, effectively dismissing the God of Romans 9 as a God they cannot accept. Stephen Lawson stated that is the arrogance that we see here. As Paul calls it out, who are you, oh man, who answers back to God? This is more than just asking God, The objection is irreverent. It is foolish. It is blasphemous." End quote. This verse is a powerful rebuke to those who would question God's sovereignty and wisdom. Remember this verse when they do. And they will, remember Romans 9. Paul is essentially saying, who do you think you are, a mere human, to question the creator of the universe? Do you think you have the right to challenge God's decisions or question his ways? These believers are exhibiting a kind of practical atheism by questioning God's sovereignty and wisdom even though they claim to believe in him. By doing so, they are essentially denying the potter's got his right to shape and mold creation as he sees fit. This attitude reminds me of the Israelites in the wilderness, who constantly questioned God's leadership and provision. Despite witnessing his miraculous deliverance and care, it is a dangerous unbelief to take, as it can lead to a hardening heart of loss of true faith in the true God. Numbers 14 and 11 and 27 through 30, it says, and the Lord said unto Moses, how long will this people provoke me? And how long will it be ere they believe in me? For all the signs which I have shown among them, how long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me, saying to them, as truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ear, so will I do to you. Your carcasses shall fall. in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you according to your whole number for 20 years of old and upward, which have murmured against me. In this passage, the Israelites questions God's ability to lead them unto the promised land, despite the many signs and miracles they witnessed. They doubt the power and goodness of God, which then angers God. God is angry with the wicked, not some days, but every day. It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a living God, who both loves his people, but hates the worker of iniquity. As Psalms 5-5 reminds us, the foolish shall not stand in thy sight, thou hateth all workers of iniquity. God hates The workers of iniquity, not the iniquity of the worker, but the worker who's committing sin against God. Isaiah 45, 9 says, woe unto him that striveth with his maker. And in Romans 9, Paul now taps into the rich Old Testament imagery that vividly portrays God's sovereign control over human destiny. Now verse 21, hath not the potter power of the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and the other dishonor? Beloved, this verse is a powerful affirmation of God's sovereign prerogative. The potter, our majestic God, has absolute authority over creation. He can take the same lump of clay, shape it into a vastly different vessels, one for noble purpose and the other for other purposes, wrathful purposes. This is not merely a statement about God's creative power, but a declaration of his sovereign right to dispense mercy and justice as he pleases. He can take two individuals equally sinful and deserving of wrath and choose to bestow mercy on whom while leaving the other fitted for destruction. Notice the word he uses, fitted for destruction. But before I go into there, we must not question the potter's fairness. His ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts. He is the sovereign lord and we are but clay in his mighty hand. So let me give you a few examples from the Bible where God uses individuals or nations as vessels unto dishonor. Pharaoh. Exodus 9, 16, we see God raised him up for this very purpose. He put him in, who was lowly decree, and he rose him up to that purpose. It wasn't just a one-time event. That's how I know that he didn't allow it or permiss it. or he just withheld his grace. How I know that God was actively in Pharaoh because he took him from an infant and raised him up for that very purpose of being hardened, to display the purpose of God's power being displayed. If he didn't, maybe Pharaoh would have listened a lot sooner and his power and name would have been made known. God raised a Pharaoh up to demonstrate his power and to glorify himself through Pharaoh's hardness of heart, hardening his heart. Nebuchadnezzar, God used the Babylonian king to punish his people for their sin, making him a vessel of wrath. Assyria, in Isaiah 10, five through seven, God called Assyria the rod of my anger and used them to punish Israel, despite Assyria's own wicked intentions. How about Judas Iscariot? God wasn't just withholding his grace there. He wasn't just passive over it, as New Age reformers believe. Does it make sense? Would it make sense? God rose up and chose Judas, well knowing you're gonna rebel against me. But he did it for a purpose. Chose Judas Iscariot, Jesus called him a son of perdition. Indicating his role in fulfilling God's plan despite his treacherous actions. In Psalm 73, we see God using the wicked. God uses the wicked as vessels of wrath, ultimately leading to them, to their own destruction. God even uses Satan. 1 Chronicles 21 and 1, God even used Satan as a vessel to accomplish his purposes. As seen in the story of David's census. Remember, God uses sinful action and individuals to achieve his sovereign purposes. There's so much to talk about, but we're coming to a close shortly. Now, God touches on the reprobate in verse 22. What if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with such long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? The depth of God's wisdom, oh, the mystery of his ways. Here we see the sovereign Lord, who could have destroyed the wicked in an instant, instead chooses to endure their rebellion with patience and long-suffering. Why? That he might demonstrate his wrath. That he might make known his power. That's the ultimate purpose. Why those who are fitted for destruction. That God is displaying power of his wrath in judgment. Understand that. That God isn't just choosing them to go to hell for the sake of them going to hell. That's not what God does. The passages doesn't even indicate that. Why did God choose Pharaoh? Just a heart in his heart for no specific purpose? Why did God Not save everyone. In both cases, he's sharing his power being displayed. He's displaying his what? Power and purpose and judgment in both cases. Not just those who are fitted for destruction, specifically and vainly just sending them to hell for the sake of putting them in there. That's not his purpose. It's always a purpose, doing so to display his authority and power and judgment to make his name known. God has chosen to demonstrate his wrath and power through those who are fitted for destruction. Think of it like this, both the vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath are made from the same clay, symbolizing humanity's shared sinful nature. However, God the potter chooses to shape some vessels for honorable use, salvation, and others for dishonorable use, fitted for destruction. And in this sense, the vessels of wrath are not created for the sake of destruction, but are rather prepared or suited for it. by God's sovereign purpose. That is not based on their actions or merits, but solely on God's decrees, though they're responsible and give an account of their sinful life. And mystery of the God's sovereignty and his responsibility is unsearchable. So let me go further in explaining Well, it is true that God as the potter has power to mold and shape the clay as he pleases. The idea that the vessels of wrath are not created with the intention of being destroyed, but rather they are created to fulfill God's purposes, which include demonstrating his wrath and power. That's why they are not, they are fitted for that purpose, for destruction. That makes sense. In other words, God created vessels of wrath, not with the sole intention of destroying them, but to showcase something, right? Pharaoh was to showcase something. The same context as to fit it for destruction is to showcase something. To showcase his justice, his holiness, his righteousness, his power through their destruction. This destruction serves as a creative purpose in God's overall plan, highlighting his glory and majesty. Verse 23, you see, now the elect, that he might make known the riches of his glory of the vessels of mercy, which he had afar prepared unto glory. We definitely know the golden chain of salvation which began from eternity past, foreknowledge, which is not foresight, which makes no sense, foreknowledge, predestination, called, justified, and glorified. Here we see the sovereign lord who has chosen to lavish his glory upon those who he has mercifully prepared for glory. These vessels of mercy fashioned by the potter's skilled hands are destined to display the radiant splendor of his glory. Note, dear brethren, that these vessels were afar prepared, as the scripture teaches, chosen before the foundation of the world to receive the glorious inheritance. This was not an afterthought, no whim, but an eternal purpose hidden in the recesses of God's sovereign heart. And what is the purposes of this glorious display that God might make known the riches of His glory, that's the purpose, always the purpose in both cases. The majesty of His holiness and His splendor, the splendor of the King. Oh, the wonder of His mercy, He delights to showcase His glory. In the lives of those who He has redeemed. You are trophies of his grace. You are not there to live a religious life, but God has called you, raised you up that you will do his will. You are called to serve. May we tremble at the potter's prerogative. In conclusion, we see the sovereign hand of God at work. God has chosen to radiate his splendor to a world in darkness, saving the elect and destroying the wicked. God is orchestrating all things to glorify himself. He shows mercy. upon whom he wills, and hardens whom he wills. His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts not our thoughts. We surrender our lives to the sovereign purpose. May we tremble before his majesty and praise him for his wisdom, power, and grace. For in the end, it is not about our deserving or undeserving, but God's glory. May we be vessels of mercy prepared for glory and may his riches be our eternal inheritance. May the sovereignty of God be our comfort, our hope, and our peace. For he is the Lord and his judgments are just. His ways are perfect and his glory will be revealed in all. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we give you glory that you are in control of all things, and we are not. We are a destroyer of all things. We are a destroyer that which is perfect. Lord, forgive us. Help us not to be prideful men and women of God, who dare to question you, fight against you, resist you, Help us to redeem the time as life is fleeting. Life is but a vapor. Help us to serve you with all our heart. Lord, we confess you as our Lord and Savior. You are the King of all kings, above all. You have no equal. You are God of all creation, the God of all. universe. We give you all glory and praise this morning. Amen and amen. If you will, please turn in your hands to page 453, page 453.