I Could Wish Myself Accursed

In one paragraph

Pastor Jonathan opened by introducing an unusual sermon structure: he would preach only the "A section" of what he believes is a chiastic construction running through Romans 9 through 11, with the goal of drawing the congregation into reading all three chapters on their own before the following weeks. He started by explaining chiastic construction, a literary device common in Hebrew and Greek...

Read together

1. Genesis 6-9 used as an example of chiastic construction in the flood narrative, tracing the structure from Noah's introduction through God remembering Noah and back
2. Romans 8:28 all things working together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose, described as last week's message
3. Romans 8:38-39 nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, heights nor depths nor death nor life
4. Romans 9:1-5 the A section preached: Paul's great sorrow and unceasing grief for Israel, wishing himself accursed for their sake, listing Israel's privileges including the patriarchs and Christ according to the flesh
5. Romans 9:6-29 identified as the B section, noted but not preached
6. Romans 9:30-10:21 identified as the C section, noted but not preached
7. Romans 10:11 whoever believes in him will not be disappointed
8. Romans 10:13 whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved, cited as the central point of the chiastic structure
9. Romans 11:1 God has not rejected his people, has he? May it never be
10. Romans 11:33-36 the closing A section: depth of riches of wisdom and knowledge of God, unsearchable judgments, from him and through him and to him are all things, to him be glory forever
11. John 14:6 Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through him
12. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 words of institution quoted during communion: this is my body, this is the new covenant in my blood, proclaim the Lord's death until he comes
13. Romans 6 referenced as the passage where Paul says when Christ died you died with him

Talk about it

1. Paul says he could wish himself accursed and cut off from Christ if it would mean salvation for his fellow Israelites. What does that kind of burden for other people look like in your own life, and do you feel it?
2. Pastor Nathan described two ditches: the legalistic ditch and the license ditch, and said people in either one can miss the gospel. Which ditch do you think is harder for people raised in church to recognize they are in, and why?
3. The chiastic structure of Romans 9 through 11 places 'whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved' at the very center. What does it mean to you that God arranged the passage so that this is the main point everything else points toward?
4. Pastor Nathan said all good theology should lead to doxology, a word of praise for God's glory. Can you think of a time when wrestling seriously with something hard about God ended up deepening your worship rather than killing it?
5. Romans 11:33-36 closes with 'from him and through him and to him are all things.' How does that shape the way you think about what you owe God, and what he owes you?