Paul's Heart for His Breathern
Notes
Transcript
Paul’s Heart for Israel.
Paul’s Heart for Israel.
My friends, I’m glad to see you here this morning. It is a joy to gather together as brothers and sisters.
We are the church my friends, the ones called out of the world for His glory and purposes.
And we are thankful for that calling! Aren’t you glad to be saved today? Aren’t you glad that you know your eternal destination is heaven when your days come to an end?
Yes! We are! We are extremely thankful for the salvation and hope we have in Christ. And this place in Christ, being saved should motivate us to seek that others come to know Jesus as well.
As we move into chapter 9, we see Paul’s heart. He loves his people, his Jewish brothers and sisters and what does he want? What does he wish for them? That they would come to know Jesus like he has..
That is a righteous thought my friends.
Do you have a desire like Paul’s? Do you want to see the lost community around us saved? Yes, heaven’s yes.
We are going to look at Paul’s heart this morning, but while looking at Paul we will see that it mirrors what the Father desires in the lives of his children, all of them.
So lets begin this morning with this thought..
1. Brokenness for Lost Brothers....
Here is a thought for you; Every saved person should have a desire to see the lost people around them come to faith in Christ. We want to see them saved.
This should be a priority focus of our life.
And if you don’t, well something’s wrong. You might need to ask God to inspect your heart and see what is there that shouldn’t be...
Paul wanted to see people saved, especially those who were like him in so many ways; namely they were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Look with me at verses Romans 9:1-3
1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
In this passage my friends, I want you to see Paul’s heart.
He begins with a very unique point that perhaps people hadn’t realized that Paul wants other believers to know, His words are truthful.
A. He says “I am speaking the truth in Christ… I am not lying, my conscience bears witness with the Holy Spirit…” verse 1.
No one could call his integrity into question, why? He says I am speaking the truth in the very presence of Christ. The very one who is “Truth” knows my heart and my spirit and His Holy Spirit and I are in agreement.
Paul was speaking the truth in Christ, He heart, His ways, message and work all lined up with that of Christ. And rightly so, He was called of God, an Apostle. He was leading and working as He was directed, he didn’t do His own thing. He followed the Father’s will.
And even though he was called to minister to the Gentile world, he had a burden for his brothers and sisters...
B. I am heart broken, sorrowful…His heart was burdened with great sorrow for the lost, especially the household of Israel.
Friends, here is one of the most beautiful parts of Paul’s life, He wanted other to know Christ. He was broken hearted.
Are you heartbroken for the lost? Are you praying for them, are you asking God daily to save the lost, some specifically by name.
Jesus stood above the city and mourned because they would not listen...
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
Listen to be a child of God, means you were once lost but now are found and you want others to be found as well.
I was reminded of this all the more this week, (A dear family lost a member, a dear friend who told me who to be saved.) We must be concerned, we must care and we must act.
And then listen again to Paul’s heart...
C. I wish I could trade places with them… There is a statement friends, have you ever seen someone say, I wish I could trade places with them. I’ve seen husbands and wives wish they could take the pain a child goes through. Or perhaps take the place of the other.. But strangers??
But this is Paul’s heart. He was heart broken for his brethren, He almost wished himself cursed by God, cutoff from Christ, if that would in some way benefit his brothers and sisters.
Friends, I am afraid that we as the “church” have lost our sorrow for the lost. Oh we want to see people saved, but we are not doing anything about it.
So what can we do?
1. Pray for the lost, by name specifically and personally every day.
2. Share with the lost.. not only inviting them, but sharing your story with them. You have a testimony, you were lost and now are found, share that and invite others to embrace the risen Savior.
3. Go and tell the lost… At times, we need to actively seek and tell. How will they hear unless we go. Unless we help others go.
My friends, those outside of the household of faith must be our concern. If the church doesn’t care, who will....
We must be broken hearted for lost my friends, sorrowful...
Now lets move on to our second thought for today...
2. Covenant People Were Called....
The people of Israel are special, they were when God promised a nation would follow his servant Abraham. And they were during Paul’s day. And don’t forget they are today as well. Israel will always be God’s people.
The nation had followed after men, rejecting God in both Old Testament and they rejected Jesus in the New Testament era.
Now that Paul has come to faith in Christ, he truly understands the consequences of their (Israel’s) choice and his heart is broken for them, he wants them to be saved and enjoy the blessing he is now experiencing.
Lets look at verses Romans 9:4-5… and here what Paul is saying..
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Paul’s forefathers had a great spiritual heritage.
They were the children of God, His forefathers were the ones who had entered into a covenant relationship with there before Mt. Sinai as they had been led out of slavery in Egypt.
They were called of God, a people prepared for Him.
And their place held wonderful promises… Look at what Paul says..
They were His children through...
A. Adoption… They were brought to the family of God. God had chosen them, He called them as the descendants of Abraham, listen to what God told Moses to tell Pharoah in Exodus 4:22-23
22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”
And in Hosea 11:1
1 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
They were His people, he loved them and cared for them. Paul says next that they experienced the glory of God.
B. His glory Went with Them… One of the most beautiful facts is that God’s glory went with them as they traveled out of Egypt and into the promised land.
In theology we call this a Theophany (Manifested presence of God for all to see and experience.) Listen to Exodus 13....ver 21
21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
And then 3 chapters over in Exodus 16:10
10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
How wonderful it was for them to have the presence of God, as it is for us to have His Spirit with us, never leaving us or forsaking us. Then they experienced the covenants of God and received the law.
C. Covenants … The first covenant was with Abraham and then He ratified is again in Genesis 15. And He gave them the law, He promised them life that He would be their God and they his people.
D. The law. God gave His children the law, to ensure that they knew how to walk in front of Him. Ps 147:19 says
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules to Israel.
E. Worship… He gave them the regulations for worship… and entrusted to them the F. Promises of the future as God sought to redeem mankind from their sin - Isa 9:6
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The nation began as a person; Abraham to whom God gave a promise which passed to Isaac and then Jacob. These patriarchs God entrusted the calling of the sons and daughters of God.
It was through them that the final promise arrived and God brought salvation to them and to the whole world.
They were a covenant people, called by God to follow him, and while Israel are His covenant people, my friends we are His people and are called to walk with Him as a lighthouse to the world around us.
God calls for us to enter into that covenant with Him, but we have to live in that covenant.
Are you walking in a way that is worthy of our relationship with Him?
This is always the call of God, walk with Him. Entering into a relationship with Him through salvation and then growing in Him as we move through our days.
Now lets look at this last point...
3. God’s Promises Remain faithful....
As we open up this next thought, we must ask ourselves this question as we think about the nation of Israel.
Q. Have the promises of God failed them? Have they failed us?
No!
The Jewish people have lived recklessly at times, they have pursued everything but God, and they have experienced both blessing and cursings for their actions.
And their struggle continues, they did not come to faith in Christ as they should have, and now the Gentiles are experiencing the blessing of the gospel message.
This led to the question being asked, “...Have the Promises of God failed?” Paul is hearing this from both Jewish and Jewish Christians
Now we know the answer to that, No, God’s promises never fail, those who were of the bloodline of Abraham needed to see Jesus as their Savior.
Faith is always key my friends, if you believe and trust God. God’s message was the same for everyone.
Look with me at verses 6-8 Romans 9:6-8
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
As you examine what Paul is saying to them. The very heart of the message is this.. The heart truly reveals who we are...
Bloodline is never enough. God chose Abraham, but Abraham had to accept or reject the message of God. Abraham accepted and His faith was counted as righteousness.
The heart reveals who you/we are: This is a similar argument that John the Baptist had with the religious leaders during his earthly ministry.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Being a Jew or Israelite by birth doesn’t mean you are a part of the true Israel. Why? Birth is not enough for heaven, not enough for salvation.
That is no different than saying Granny is a member of the church, since I am her grandson/daughter, I am a member as well. Her decision for Christ and the church is hers.... it doesn’t carry over to you. You have to make a personal decision for Christ.
The heart is the indicator.
The Israelites failure to believe wasn’t God’s fault. It was their fault...
John the Baptist said if you are a true member of the household of faith, the it should be seen my your actions. That is why we told them to “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Verse 8.
A true member of the household of faith will be those who have believed and followed the Messiah.
God’s promises are faithful and they have not failed them, and even today many have not followed them.
Now to further carry the point home, lets go to the end of the chapter and lets look at verses 30-33
30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Here is the reason why many Jews failed to believe, it wasn’t that God was unfair or unfaithful.
Israel pursed the law that would and could help lead a person to righteousness, they did it by works and not faith.
Remember Righteousness is a key term in this book, think about Paul in Romans 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
So for the Gentiles, they never pursued the law, no in chapter 1 the Gentiles lived as they pleased, falling into debauchery. They never sought a right standing with God. But upon hearing they believed and followed.
The Jews did just the opposite, they did choose to obtain righteousness but treated it as a system of works and accomplishments. They chased after it with all their strength but failed to obtain it because they did not beleive.
They failed, not God.
My friends, God comes to us and calls for us to come and follow Him, to receive His message and forgiveness by faith, and as we call on Him by faith we are redeemed.
God gives the call for all to be saved, He wants all to come.. but he gives us the free choice in what we do…
When we fail to do so, how can we blame God.
Oh God you made me like this… Oh God why dont you help me… Friends He did make us, sin seeks to change and warp us. But we can push back against sin by help of the Holy Spirit and honor God with the life He has given us.