Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Those who have not heard are not excused

A. God is made known through creation

Ro 1:18–20 As God is made known to all through nature, human ignorance of God is inexcusable.

See also Ps 19:1–4; Ac 14:17; Ac 17:24–28; Ro 2:14–15

B. God revealed himself to Israel

See also Ex 19:10–11; Ex 19:16–19; Ps 103:7; Ps 147:19–20; Eze 20:5

II.

Ignorance of God the Result of Sin and Rebellion

A. Among the Gentiles

See also Ex 5:2; Jn 4:22; Ac 17:23; 1 Th 4:3–5

B. In Israel

See also Is 56:10; Je 2:8–9; Je 4:22; Je 5:4–5; Je 8:7–12; Je 9:6; Je 10:21; Ho 4:1; Ho 4:6; Am 3:10

III.

You may claim to not have heard of God but God has heard about you

See also Ex 3:7; Job 28:12–28; Ps 139:1–6; Ps 147:5; Eze 11:5; Mt 6:8; Ac 1:24

IV.

Ignorance does not excuse sin

Le 5:17–19 The law made provision for atonement of sins committed as a result of ignorance.

​Leviticus 5:17–19 ESV17 “If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity.

18 He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven.

19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the Lord.”

See also Le 4:27–35; Nu 15:27–29; Eze 45:20

​Leviticus 4:13–21 ESV13 “If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt, 14 when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting.

15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be killed before the Lord.

16 Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting, 17 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the veil.

18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

19 And all its fat he shall take from it and burn on the altar.

20 Thus shall he do with the bull.

As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this.

And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.

21 And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.

See also Nu 15:22–26; Heb 9:7

​Hebrews 9:7 ESV7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.

​Leviticus 4:22–26 ESV22 “When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, 23 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, 24 and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering.

25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.

26 And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings.

So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.

See also Le 4:3–12

V. Ignorance of God and salvation

VI.

Ignorance and God’s judgment

A. God’s justice

See also Dt 32:4; Ne 9:33; Pr 24:12; Da 4:37; Lk 12:47–48

B. God’s judgment falls on all who do not know him

See also Ps 79:6; Je 10:25; Ro 2:8

C. God’s judgment falls severely on those who choose to disobey him

God’s Plan of Salvation

​Romans 10:17 ESV17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

​Hebrews 11:6 ESV6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

​Luke 13:3 ESV3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

​1 Timothy 6:12–13 ESV12 Fight the good fight of the faith.

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,

​Acts 2:37–38 ESV37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

​Revelation 2:10 ESV10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer.

Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.