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Speaker 3Very good to see you. It's kinda quiet in here. Is everyone okay? Alright. Hey.
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What do you say we stand up? We serve a a great and awesome God. And Timothy says there's one God, there's one meat eater between us and God, and that's the man Jesus Christ. And we are here to worship him, to serve him, to sing. Pour out our praise to him.
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Speaker 2He takes found the captives. We found the captives. Broke the bondage of our chains. We have redemption through the fruits that he has paid. He gave life to purchase freedom from the fall.
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I mean, he gave me the rest and pour us all. Of course, you know Can we pray together?
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Speaker 3God, we're grateful for another day. Thank you for breath in our lungs. I thank you, God. Thank you, Jesus, for being our mediator, the one between standing between us and God. I thank you, God, for the life that you give.
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And I thank you, God, that you fill us to overflowing, and I pray that you would do that in us through us this morning. In Christ's name, amen. You can have a seat, and I think Ray's got some announcements for you.
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Speaker 1Last Monday night as a big success. As always, when you're trying to get the scripture into the hearts and minds of kids. So, that'll be again tomorrow night. 06:00. Come on in.
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Middle school. Thank you very much, Lindsey. Middle school youth group started last Thursday at 06:30 in the evening. Middle school youth group. If you're in middle school, come on.
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If you have a middle schooler, send them on. That was fun this Thursday evening in the past and it'll be every Thursday night at 06:30. We've got high school breakfast starting at 07:45. They are, he's given fifteen extra minutes of sleep time for you instead of 07:30, it's starting at 07:45. Breakfast was great by the way.
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I have leftovers on Friday mornings. There is a girl study that's starting today. It's from ten until eleven. So, that is after this service during the connect hour time, ten to eleven downstairs in the library. Melissa's got donuts.
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Alright, sounds good. Guys, study starts today also. That's from 09:30 until 10:30. So that's about the time the sermon starts here. Guys, high school guys can head on down to Renzy's office and donuts, anybody?
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Yes. Okay, donuts for there too. Alright. Children's church starts today. I think those are red potatoes and tater tots.
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So, the potatoes are up here and the tater tots are downstairs. Maybe. Peak Children's Church. The grades for children's church are what, Krista? Alright.
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So, kindergarten through fifth grade is children's church. There's nursery down there for younger than kindergarten and Monday nights at first B happen on Monday nights at first B starting at 06:00 which is the same time as Awana. Come on down the hall. There'll be meal, music, and a message and you're preaching on what this week? Luke
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Speaker 2four. Luke five. Sorry.
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Speaker 3Luke five.
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Speaker 1Yep. Alright. Thank you very much and for everything else and there are lots of other things including small groups and lots of other things to be involved in or concerned with that are coming up. The ladies retreat, I just saw your face, Anne. Ladies retreat, when is that again?
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Speaker 2Third weekend in October.
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Speaker 1The third weekend in October. You can see Ann for details or there are lots of people who probably know but you're the one who knows most of the details. Alright. That's Ann Stalker.
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Speaker 2Heart six Buffalo
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Speaker 1Heart six Buffalo Valley. Third weekend in October. Thank you very much. There's, I think that's it. Would you stand up and greet one another?
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And we'll try to bring you back together with a peppy song.
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Speaker 2Alright, before the world was made. Before the world was made, before you spoken to thee, you were the king of kings, and you were, and you were. And now you're reigning still and thrown above all things. Angels and saints cry We join them as we sing. Glory to God.
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Glory to God. Glory to God forever. That's why we're here. Let's sing. Sing glory to God.
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Glory to God. Glory to God forever. Creator God, you gave. Creator God, you gave me breath so I could praise your great and matchless name. All my deeds all my deeds to let my whole life be a blazing offering, a laugh that shouts and sings the greatness of our king.
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Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God forever. We sing glory. We sing glory to God.
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Glory to God. Glory to God forever. And take my life and let it be. I take my life and let it be offering you for your glory. Take my life and let it be yours.
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Speaker 3Sing glory let it be
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Speaker 2to God. Glory to God. Amen. Glory to God forever. Say glory to God.
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Glory to God. Glory to God forever. Amen to that. Do you believe that? And to your word, we're digging deep into our father's heart.
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And to the world we're reaching out to show them who you are. Let's repeat that verse again, okay, into your word. Into your word, we're digging deep to know our father's heart. That's what we are here to do. And to this world, we're reaching out to show them who you are.
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Living water. It's a living water flowing through. God, we thirst for more of you. Fill our heart before our sold one desire. Just didn't know you until making known the gift to name all than hard and merry life.
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It's time for us to mourn and just survive when we were made to thrive.
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Speaker 3Amen. God, really, you have created us to more than just survive. You truly have created us to thrive, but that comes through living in you, remaining in you. You say, I'm the vine, and you're the branches. We're the branches.
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And if we remain in in you and you and us, then we'll bear fruit. And I'm asking God that you would move so powerfully in your spirit that you would bear fruit, that we'd be fruit bearers of you, and it would be good fruit that lasts. And it really does. It just comes down to remaining in you, to trusting in you, yielding to your spirit. And I pray that that would be our story.
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God, we have a lot of distractions. We are distracted people, and I'm praying that we would be drawing close to you as we draw near to you. You draw near to us, you say. Amen.
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Speaker 2You give life. Let's sing it together. You give life you are loved, you bring light to the darkness, you give hope, you restore every heart that is broken.
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Speaker 3Let's repeat that verse again. You give life.
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Speaker 2You give life Oh
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Speaker 3lord. Truly, you are great and you are good and I thank you that your mercies are made new every day. We can come before you with gladness and joy in our heart even in spite of difficult circumstances. You give a peace that transcends all understanding. And I'm just I'm praying, God, that you'd give us hunger and a thirst for more of you.
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You say ask and seek and knock. And if we're not asking and seeking and knocking, how are we supposed to know more of you? But you're there. You say you stand at the door and knock, and you're you're waiting for a response from us. And I I pray that we would see that you are greater, you are better than what the world has to offer.
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You are our creator and our sustainer. I thank you, God, for everything that you've given us, and I pray that, truly, in our time of worship through giving, that it would be our joy to give you our gifts because you deserve me. You just, I mean, really, what why not? Why wouldn't we? And especially if it means that it means that the the gospel will spread here in Jackson to the ends of the earth.
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That's that's our prayer, God, as a church, that the world would know you. They they would know that you are the one, true, and living God. And you're the answer to life's question. Would you move in power, God? Would you accept these gifts as we give with a joyful heart?
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In Christ's name.
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Speaker 1Alright. So, the children are now dismissed to head down to children's church Peak Children's Church. And this is this is interesting for me because about three weeks ago, I think it was now, I'm not sure, about three weeks ago. We had an elders meeting couple or three weeks ago and one of the elders mentioned, he has five girls. It's it's Eric Waco.
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I just try not to. So, Eric said, on the way into church, they said, What's going on? He said, Well Ray's out of town, and Carl's preaching. She said, Good. And I love that, that he would admit that.
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First of all, but then she said it and she said, because the ABCD thing has gone on far too long. She didn't mean it as a cut. She just ready to take a break. So, I thought I'll preach the last of that series at the time when the kids go downstairs. I'm practicing the mercy that God has gifted me with but I I think that it's funny and I I do think that it needs to close off.
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I have a, are you motioning me that the slides are not in there? They're in there now? Hey, good. That's good. So, this is what we have been going over in this progression from nine chapter nine through chapter 11.
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We've been going over these different things and I pointed out that I think the middle of this Chiastic construction is what it's all about. But it answers these questions. Is it God's fault, the lost status of the Jews? At Paul's time, the lost status of the Jews, is it God's fault? And of course, it has to be answered.
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No. The first week, we went over these two things. The introduction and the conclusion. Paul's personal empathy is personal sorrow. If I would, if I could, I would give up my own saved status so that all of them might accept but I can't and then, at the end of it, he concludes with praise and rejoicing for God's wisdom and knowledge.
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The next week, we covered B, the section B in chapter nine that was, is it God's fault? No. God has not failed Israel. He points that out. In the past, God has not failed Israel.
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She had walked away over and over. He continued to be faithful but God has not stepped away or had not stepped away from Israel. So, then, we went into all this in the same sermon. Is it Israel's fault and we decided that throughout all of that, yes, it was actually Israel's fault because in all of those sections, excuse me, it was works righteousness. They had taken the heart of God and the gift of God and the grace of God and they had taken that and they had reduced it to a code and they had reduced it to just doing the things that they were supposed to do and not doing the things that they were not supposed to do but they lost the heart of it.
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So, they were seeking God through a works based righteousness so far at least. Then, we got to the great centerpiece of it. Whoever believes will be saved. If you confess with your mouth, Jesus says, lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Praise the Lord.
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For the heart of person believes resulting in righteousness and with the mouth, he confesses resulting in salvation. And I said, this is the center point of this whole study. You'll be saved if you believe in your heart. You confess with your mouth. Pointed out the very centerpiece is about your heart.
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It's an issue of the heart. And it matters what you say because out of the overflow of your heart is where the mouth speaks. If you find that continually venom is coming out of your mouth, that's what's in your heart. So, this morning, I'm going go back to the last B section right down here. Seeing that Israel's fault was a failure to believe.
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Now, this is an unusual thing because every different systematic theology has come up with exactly what this chapter means. I hope that I don't try to present something from a particular systematic system, okay? I want for you to take this personally this morning and consider what Romans 11 means from God's heart to your ears, okay? What is it that he's trying to communicate? Was it Israel's fault?
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Yes. Israel had begun not believing God. Now, there are a lot of different ways to put this. I'm going try to frame it as best I can, past, present, and future. Think about the present time when he was writing it and Paul is a Jewish guy who has accepted Christ.
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He was opposed to him. He was literally opposing him when he was arrested. You know what I mean by Jesus? Caught and converted and so Paul understands the grace message because he was going against God when he was saved. Do you get that?
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It wasn't because of his merit. So, if you're considering this time period and you're considering the past, God chose his people, Israel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, he leads them through his guys, judges. He leads them through kings sometimes. He leads them by his word. He leads them by his tradition.
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He leads them by a lot of different prophetic voices and yet a lot of them didn't believe. Are you with me there? A lot of them actually not just didn't believe but went completely against what God had said and it shows the pattern of our humanity. If we let it, if we look at it rather than just saying, yeah, those sticking stiff necked Jews. If we think of ourselves, say, yeah, that's sticking stiff neck gray.
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I know what God has said, yet I go against it. Romans seven. Anyway, in the past, what was required of the people of God is to put their faith and their trust in him and in his provision. We see that throughout the Old Testament, he asked them for mercy, not sacrifice but the sacrificial system was the big system but he's asking for mercy and not sacrifice. He's asking for people to give grace.
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He's asking for people's hearts to be soft towards other people, to be good to their neighbor. He's asking for all this kindness and all along, everything is pointing towards Christ and so the people from the Old Testament time, this is one of my biggest questions when I was a little kid. What happens to those people that were the Jews before Jesus? Because it hadn't happened yet. They had not, he had not accomplished redemption.
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Well, to me now, looking back, I say, well, we have to look back to what he did and they had to look forward to what he would do. Now, that's a little bit harder for them to do because they have no idea but will not my lord do what is right? I put my trust in you, lord. I put my trust in your provision, in your way. So, that's what they had to believe in order to be saved.
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They were God's chosen people and I think we're going to see that in a couple of stories that Paul uses as illustrations today. Now, what we need to believe is in the provision that has been made. Not that would be made but that has been made in Christ Jesus and so order our lives around that salvation proffered, offered, and and accepted by at least by me and by most of you would proclaim Christ. So, we have to live by that but it's by the finished work of Christ that we live. It was by the work of Christ to come that they would have to live.
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Are you with me? With me. That maybe an oversimplification but thank you, David. Is it God's fault? Whoever believes will be saved.
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So, since it's a whosoever, no, it's not God's fault but this whole section will go into it. God has not failed Israel. The first part of this, I think this is the theme sentence for the first part of this chapter. Eleven one through 10 can be summarized by just this, God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Take hope in that.
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He has not turned his back on his people. And eleven eleven through 32 admits that they have fallen but they have not fallen irrevocably. It's not something that they cannot pull out of. Their tailspin by turning to God because whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Are you with me still?
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So, the first B section was pointing past. The second B section is primarily pointing towards the future but it mentions a couple of things from the past. Now, hope and humility is what stands out. The longer I read this and I had prepared it for three weeks ago, honestly. Two weeks ago, I had prepared to preach this one.
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If nobody had showed up that morning, I probably would have. Does it make sense? I prepared two messages. When lots of people came, I I gave them what I thought was better. Keep on thinking about that.
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This is this is the bad sermon right here. Why would you say that? Humility. Hope and humility. I I actually think it's really good.
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It's a little long. The passage is a little long. Let's read it quickly. So, Paul asked the question that comes up naturally from what he has just said. Since the majority probably of this church were Gentile, Christian, believers, Gentile flavored, actually pagan flavor.
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They're coming out of paganism and then there were also some Jewish believers that were coming back in and probably trying to enforce Jewish tradition and the way church had been before all these Gentiles started taking over. So, he's speaking and he says later on primarily to the Gentiles right here. I say then, God has not rejected his people, has he? Think about the ramifications of that question. If God has rejected his people, Israel, then it divorces the Old Testament from the New Testament.
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It cuts Christianity off from its Jewish root and he'll go into that in a little bit. I say then, God has not rejected his people, has he? May it never be. Meganoito, absolutely not. Uh-uh.
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No way. God forbid. He has not rejected his people. For I too, Paul says, am an Israelite. So, he's talking about ethnic Israel here.
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I am ethnically Jewish. A descendant of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. It was something that he took great pride in for much of his life. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Or do you know that what scriptures or do you not know what scripture says in the passage about Elijah?
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First Kings 19, if you wanted to look that up but do you not know what the scripture says in the passage about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel? Do you remember that passage? Paul will summarize it very shortly. It was during a real bad time Ahab and Jezebel, not the best leaders, perfectly selfish, awful to their people, and everyone around them, went completely against what prophets of God had to say over and over and over again.
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So, Elijah pleading with God against Israel says, lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left and they are seeking my life. Does it sound a little bit like the iron side story at the end of the sermon last week? I'm the only one lord. He was feeling it though. It was a depth of feeling he was feeling.
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I alone am left and they are seeking my life. But what is the divine response to him? Paul says, I have kept for myself 7,000 men who have not bailed, bowed the knee to Baal. So, God is saying that you feel like you're the only one but there are plenty who trust me in their heart And the sovereignty of God issue here is he said, I have kept them for myself. I have kept them from bowing the knee to Baal.
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I have kept them for myself. Whereas all of the others might be hardened against me, these are still with me and actually, y'all know that seven is a perfect number in scripture. It's considered to be a number of perfection when Peter says, oh 70 times seven, he didn't mean four ninety, he means ongoing forever forgiveness, right? So, the seven here and a thousand here could be. Now, I know how literal we can become.
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There may have been exactly 7,000 people but it looks more likely that there were a perfect number of God's people that were left. It was the perfect fullness as he'll get into later on. There's a perfect number that had not bowed their knee to Baal. So, I like 7,000 though. I like to think when he thinks he's alone in there, 7,000.
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That's pretty good group. It's better than Gideon's army of like what, 400? Yeah, 7,000. I like that. I like that but he says, it was a surprise to Elijah to find out that he was not alone and I think, like I said, hope and humility.
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For one thing, the humility of thinking, oh Lord, forgive me for thinking I was the only one. I'm not the lone ranger. And the hope of thinking, with 7,000 more people, there's an actual possibility that God might do something here. He might turn the tide completely. That's hope and humility in that passage.
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In the same way then, and Paul says, for his day and for hours, in the same way then, there has also come to be at this present time, a remnant, A remnant who according to God's gracious choice. Now, Paul would include himself in that remnant because he is Jewish and his people, the Jews, had turned their backs on God over and over and over again collectively and he was one of them until Jesus. By God's gracious choice, Paul was saved. Not by his merit, not by anything that he had done but definitely because of what God would do with him. Surrendered guy.
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There's come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. Lord God, may we always be within the remnant. No matter what is going on around us, may we be faithful and true despite persecution and blame. May we always be a part of that remnant. Amen.
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But if it is by grace, then it is no longer on the basis of works. Otherwise, grace is no longer grace. So he's saying at Elijah's time nor at his time, was it because of what the guys had done? It was by God's gracious choice. So this points pretty heavily towards the sovereignty of God, right?
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Amen. He is sovereign. What then? Verse seven says, what Israel is seeking it has not obtained. It's looking for it.
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In fact, it's scratching around and working for it but it has not obtained it but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened. He'd consider himself in that number too. Those who were chosen obtained it. He still sees himself as the chief of sinners. He still sees himself I'm sure when he goes to bed at night, he has dreams about the people he had persecuted, and the rest were hardened.
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Every time Paul goes into a new town on his missionary journeys, where does he start? The synagogue. Every time. Do we do that? Do we just stand politically with Israel or we actually engage people on spiritual concerns that are of the chosen of God?
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Just as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see and ears to hear not, down to this very day. And Paul had experienced that himself because he had been ministering to these people who just couldn't see it. Although everything in the Old Testament and the prophets was pointing towards Jesus. They couldn't see it. Down to this very day, God has given him a spirit of stupor but he was still trying.
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Eyes to see but not hear. Ears ears to hear not. Eyes to see and ears to hear not. And David says, let their table become a snare and the trap table, the traditions, all of the traditions. Let those traditions become a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
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Let their eyes be darkened and see not. Some of these are from one of these is from Psalms. The other one is from another story. I've forgotten where it is, honestly. Let their eyes be darkened to see not and bend their backs forever.
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It's a dark time. I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall irrevocably. Did they? Like to fall forever, like they will never be able to pull out of this, never come back. I say then, Paul says, I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they?
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Well, if he had thought that they had fallen, he would not have gone to the synagogue every time and tried again. He would not have continued and persisted with those who had Jewish heritage. Meganoito, may it never be. Absolutely not. Uh-uh.
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God forbid. No, they have not stumbled whereas they will never fall again. God has not rescinded the promises that he made to the Jews. He has not taken them back. God does not take back promises.
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He's already said that he doesn't break them. But by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles. So, in God's marvelous plan of choosing a people for himself and what the Jews did when they found themselves as the chosen people, they became insulated and insular and proud. And they did not spread God's goodness and grace and his proto gospel, his gospel before Jesus. They did not spread it to the nations and act as a light of nations as they should.
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They became insulated, insular, and proud. And that was their transgression that pressed the gospel outwards unto the Gentiles. By their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make them jealous. What? They get it?
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They get it and we don't get it? That that's not right. We're the chosen people. All along in the study of Romans in order to personalize this study since it's Jewish Gentile, Jewish Gentile. I've asked you, if you see Jewish representation, the traditions of men and that sort of thing.
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Think of it as the churchy church people. Okay? It's not a direct correlation but it's pretty today. It's pretty it it helps bring it into today. If you grew up in church and you know you're not supposed to wear blue jeans and you know that you're not supposed to wear flip flops or you know that you're not supposed to, I don't know, give the whole list of the traditions of different places.
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Mexico, was blue jeans. That's why I brought it up. Can't wear blue jeans to church. Oops. You're not a Christian if you wear blue jeans to church.
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All of that, I look back and I say the traditions part and consider the folks coming in from the outside that don't get that or they or they don't get it yet. They haven't been suckered into believing that yet. This is always going to be traditions of men against the heart of God. It's always going to be a balance. It's always going be something that's pulling away from the heart of God.
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So, anyway, this is to make them jealous. Their transgression brought salvation to the Gentiles to make them jealous and Paul believes that works. They're living better than we are. Now, if their transgression means riches for the world and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be? It's hopeful.
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He's looking forward to a time when the Jews would get it. When just like he did on the road to Damascus, get it and see that, oh my goodness, all of the Old Testament, all the prophets are pointing towards Jesus. This is what they've been talking about. He wants for them to get him. How much more will their fulfillment be?
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If God had saved some regular pagan, just random pagan on the road to Damascus and sent them into the synagogues. First of all, they wouldn't let him in the door. Second of all, he would have had no understanding whatsoever of the Old Testament. Let's just absolutely divinely give and I guess that's possible but he took a guy that knew this book inside and out, knew everything about it and he showed him, this is what it means. Now, he can argue like a lawyer.
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We've seen that. To bring people to a knowledge of Jesus and give them the choice to grab hold. I'm speaking to you who are Gentiles. In as much then as I am an apostle of the Gentiles, me being Jewish, then I magnify my ministry. If somehow I might move to jealousy, my fellow countrymen, the Israelites, the Jews, to bring and save some of them.
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For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, You know, to think that you're God's chosen people is one thing. Oh, we're chosen. We're chosen. Nannie, nannie, boo boo. Too bad for you.
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You weren't here. You're chosen for what? You're chosen for a purpose. You're chosen to spread the gospel that whosoever will may come. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
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Amen. If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also. And if the root is holy, the branches are too. Now, right here, he's about to go into this root and branches analogy that has spawned a lot of systematic theology and a lot of disagreement. I want you to look at it for you.
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I want you to pay attention personally to it and see how this goes but if some of the branches, some of those who are of Jewish heritage, some of the people that were were broken off. There's always a remnant. So, there's always a healthy tree in there. It's connected to a good root. By the way, there's a play on words, Netzer, Nazareth, Netzer means root.
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So, Jesus, root. I don't know if it's a play on words in there. If some of the branches were broken off and you, Gentile, pagan, you being a wild olive, actually, a better translation might be an uncultivated weed. You are an uncultivated weed. If you were grafted in among them, those that have the rich heritage of the fathers, those that have the rich root below, but you were grafted in among them and you became a partaker with them of the rich root of that olive tree.
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Think about that. That's what's happened. God has grafted you into his chosen people. The thing to follow that up with is a warning. Do not be arrogant toward the branches.
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Do not be arrogant toward the branches. But if you are arrogant, remember that it's not you who supports the root. You didn't come up with this thing. But the root is what supports you. Don't divorce yourself from the Old Testament.
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Don't divorce yourself from the chosen people of God. I know in America, we've taken this very, very specifically and very, very politically to stay true to Israel, the nation of Israel. Every time I'm asking you to take it right now personally. Okay? Don't look down on those who have been raised in Judaism that missed Jesus.
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Don't look down on them. Live your life in front of them and witness to them the truth of the gospel by all means, but live your life in front of them that lives out Jesus' life in front of them. Do not be arrogant though. That's hard to do when you think you're right. Do not be arrogant.
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Remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. Consider that. That in order for you to take your place, it had to come to pass the way that it did that they would be broken off, and that is in the sovereignty of God that that happened. It's great to be you.
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Feels like it's terrible to be them. Quite right. They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. You've put your faith and your trust in Jesus. Do not be conceded.
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Do you see how humility comes up over and over and over about this? Now, a lot of the different lines of systematic theology, I actually agree with a lot of them and that's what's hard because they seem to not agree with each other. I see the point in all of it. I think though that do not be conceded comes out to me much more personally than anything else. But fear, for if God did not spare those natural branches and it's by his grace that he's chosen you, it's not like you deserve it.
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It's not like you've done anything to be drawn in. For if God did not spare the natural branches, then he would not spare you either. Is that something to call for greater humility? It's kind of killing hope right here for a minute. But it's saying, it's it's basically like, take it easy.
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God, yes, he is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the one who is able to keep us true until the end, persevering. But since we don't know exactly what he's doing with Israel and this is says, they have not, he's not turned his back on him and they've not fallen irrevocably. So, they can be lifted back up. He's saying, have some humility about it and don't just go off on them with your theology.
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Behold then the kindness and the severity of God considering his kindness and his severity. Numinous, all powerful. To those who fail, it was severity But to you, it's God's kindness. If you continue in his kindness, otherwise, you also will be cut off. Your theology does matter.
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Your heart really matters where it is. What should we do with the words of warning? I'm an eternal security guy. I do hold on to it. Nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus and he, what's going to pluck you out of his hand?
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I've got all that. So, if you are like me in the camp that God is faithful and he's able to do what he's promised, what should we do with the words of warning? Listen to them. Listen to em. Order your life by what you believe.
47:42
Order your life by what you believe. These things were meant to be encouraging and hopeful. They also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, he's saying there is hope. They will be grafted back in. For God is able to graft them in again.
48:00
It's what he does. For if you were cut off from what is by nature, a wild olive tree or an uncultivated weed and you are grafted contrary to nature, contrary to your nature, you're grafted in and cultivated into this great and godly root. How much more will these who were natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? I believe God's got a great hope for Israel. I believe that he's got that.
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I don't know how he will do it exactly. I know the ones before Jesus had to look forward to him. I know the ones after him need to look back to him. I don't understand how he does it and I can't put a sharp point. I almost called Rich and asked him to preach this sermon because this is one of his specialties about the how God deals with the Jews and he knows it better than I do.
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But I do know that we are to be humble about what we believe. I do know that we can be hopeful about what God does. This olive tree with its roots of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I would say, also Jesus planted by the great vine dresser, God. Knows what he's doing. I don't want you brethren to be uninformed of this mystery because it is a mystery so that you will not be wise in your own estimation.
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Do you see he keeps bringing it down and saying, don't get too over the top about this. You don't know exactly what I'm doing. Be humble about it so that you will not be wise in your own estimation that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Now, this to me does seem to point to a time in actual history where lots and lots of racially, ethnically Jewish people start turning towards Jesus. That a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in and so all Israel will be saved.
49:58
Just as it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion and he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. So, the question in this passage is, what is all Israel mean? And there are so many people so much smarter than I that I'm not gonna side with any of them. Okay? You can choose to believe that it is Israel, the ethnic Jews plus the church.
50:21
That's one way of looking at it. And you can look at it and say, it is all of the Jews that are racially and ethnically pure Jews. You can look at it and say, it has completely excluded the Jews and it is only the church, the ecclesia. I'm looking at it as humble and hopeful. God will save.
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Don't be haughty in your own opinion. Just it is as it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion who remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. So, God has to remove sins. There is no other way.
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What takes away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. So, it has to come through Jesus. Here we are. From the standpoint of the gospel, back to Paul's times, from the standpoint of the gospel and it's going forth, they are enemies for your sake.
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What Jesus say to do to our enemies? Love them, right? From the standpoint of the gospel, when he's going forth and sharing the message of the cross with all these different places and he goes into the synagogue, he knows their enemies. They have beaten him. They've done everything to get rid of him.
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They run him on down the road multiple times. They've tried to stop him. From the standpoint of the gospel going forth, yes, they are enemies for your sake but from the standpoint of God's choice, they're beloved for the sake of the fathers. They're beloved. By God's gracious gifting, he's given them the whole Old Testament.
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He's given them the fathers For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. I believe great things are coming for Israel. I want to see a movement among Israel that brings them towards Jesus. I pray for it. I pray that the church would be enriched by some of the stuff we've been missing in the Old Testament for a long time by some of these rabbis and their study.
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For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Most of the time when I read that verse, it is in a missionary prayer letter after somebody has had a slip of some sort whether it's drugs or some other sin and then they wanna stay on the field and they go, the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. I don't think that's what it means. Not in this case. He's saying that I chose you to be my people, to spread my word, to shed light to the nations, and that's an irrevocable call.
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You still have they still have Torah. They still have all of that. The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. That stands for eternal security too. For just as you once were disobedient to God but you now, Gentile folks, have been shown mercy because of their disobedience.
53:03
So these also now have been disobedient that because of the mercy shown to you, they may also now be shown or they also may now be shown mercy. The may right there is subjunctive and I mentioned this only point of grammar this week, I guess. The May is contingent upon their will whether they go with it or not. If they reject it, it's just like anyone of us rejecting Christ. Because of the mercy shown to you and they see that and they become jealous of that, they also may now be shown mercy by calling out on the name of the Lord because whoever calls in the name of the Lord will be saved.
53:42
Jesus, amen. That may be in subjective carries over to the next verse too and if you were trying to prove universalism and lots of people do, they try to prove that everyone will eventually be saved. That God saves everyone. Rob Bell wrote a book a few years ago called Love Wins and Love Wins says that does not matter what happens, does not matter what you believe. Everyone will eventually be saved.
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It's called universalism. It is an old heresy, not a new one. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that he may show mercy to all. He may. But it is contingent upon two wills.
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The will of God is that no one should perish but that all should come to saving knowledge but he will not interfere with their ability to choose. He'll draw, he'll present, and he may show mercy to all. Now, that's not. He might do it. He may now do it.
54:42
He may. He has this plan and I could go back to this. Whoever believes will be saved. So, no, God has still not rejected them because whoever believes will be saved. Do y'all get that?
54:58
Did I did I muddy the waters this morning? Was it the worst of the two sermons? I agree. It was. No.
55:05
I'm just kidding. I think that that's it. Now, the last time that I when I started this, I said, all good theology should lead to doxology. We should be humble before God and not haughty, and we should be full of hope for the future because of what God has done, the finished work of Christ. All good theology should lead to doxology.
55:32
So, save those last three slides and we use those for the benediction or last couple slides. Alright? Would y'all stand with us? I'll invite the band back up. God, where your word is, we want to be and I studied and studied and studied lord to show myself approved as a workman who's ready.
55:54
God, I could not get away from the humility and the hope this week. I pray that you would inject that into our lives that that be something that we are filled with hope, not just hope of our incorruptible hope in you in heaven but filled with hope for other people that they are have not fallen irrevocably and that you have not rejected those that you've chosen. So, would you have us present our lives as living sacrifices and our words in accordance with yours so that others may come and know you. In Jesus name, amen.
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Speaker 2Your grace is enough. Your grace is Your grace is enough. Your grace is enough for me.
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Speaker 1Okay, so the last three verses of this whole section or four verses of this section are these and it's where that theology that Paul was presenting ends up in doxology. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways for who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his counselor or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again for from him and through him and to him are all thanks. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
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Amen.
