What is the condition of lost people who cannot see the gospel?
The lost are blinded by the god of this world, so the gospel is hidden from them. They do not understand their plight or why they are as they are, and they are on a merry way to a Christless eternity, unable to see the good news.
Les explains from 2 Corinthians chapter 4 that if our gospel is hid, it is hid to them who are lost. The believer understands the gospel because it is what got him where he is, but the lost masses of humanity really do not know the plight they are in or understand why they are what they are. Les notes that God sometimes hides things, as when the twelve heard none of Jesus' words about His coming death and resurrection, but here the other side of the coin is that the god of this world has blinded the minds of these unbelievers. Les says we cannot take on the world, but the Bible makes it plain that the gospel is hidden to them that are lost.