Romans Week 29, April 23, 2023

Introduction

Introduction:

Welcome to Romans Rumble!

where we'll speed through Romans 1-8 in a fun and engaging way. We'll use catchy rhymes, a dash of humor, and a pinch of enthusiasm to bring these crucial Gospel messages to life. So, buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Use this music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjWwR5FGj1k

The Rhyming Recap:

Romans One, we've just begun, Paul and the Romans join as one, Partners in the Gospel, spreading love and light, To share God's grace and make things right.

Romans Two, oh, what to do? Everyone needs the Gospel, yes, it's true! No matter your background, your race, or your creed, The Good News of Jesus is just what you need.

Romans Three, can't you see? Even Jews need the Gospel to be free, No exceptions, no debate, God's love and mercy, we all await.

Romans Four, there's so much more, Righteousness and faith, we can't ignore, Through trust in Jesus, we find our way, The Gospel's gift, it's here to stay.

Romans Five, we come alive, Peace from the Gospel helps us thrive, God's love poured out, for all to see, A life transformed, through faith, we're free.

Romans Six, a problem to fix, How the Gospel saves us from sin's tricks, No longer slaves, but alive in grace, United with Christ, we find our place.

Romans Seven, a slice of heaven, Free from the law, a gift we're given, Through Jesus, we overcome, The battle's fought, and victory's won.

Romans Eight, don't be late, New life in the Spirit, it's truly great, With God on our side, we'll never fear, His love and power, forever near.

Conclusion: And that's Romans Rumble, our rapid-fire journey through Romans 1-8! Remember, the Gospel is for everyone, and it brings righteousness, faith, peace, and new life in the Spirit.

So, keep these rhymes in your heart and share the Good News near and far!

Ok, onto Romans chapter 9.

A story of unfairness

So that’s a wrap in more ways than one of chapters 1-8 of Romans.

We’re going to dive into Romans 9 which is the beginning of sort of another side note in Romans. But in order to understand this chapter we need to read a story of unfairness.

Matthew 20:1–16 ESV

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

To truly understand what Paul has to teach in Romans chapter 9, we must embrace the parable that Jesus taught here. We find ourselves in our modern world as creatures of our economy. We live in a world where labor unions guarantee workers' rights, world retirement plans, and some job security. We live in a world with maternity and paternity leaves; we live in a world where we expect to get things because we feel like we deserve them. And it's tough for us to accept that we receive so much from God simply by his mercy.

The Gospel is the intersection of our Responsibility and God’s sovereignty.

Think about the Gospel like a great road trip. God exercises sovereignty and calling and purposes drawing people to the journey, but He gives them responsiblity for the choices they make as well. There are so many choices and options along this route from ny to la.

Romans 9:1–5 ESV

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. 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 expresses sorrow over his past choices in light of God’s grace

In these verses, Paul is expressing the sorrow in his heart that his own people were willing to put Christ to death.

a kingdom of priests

Exodus 19:6 ESV

6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

was willing to put their messiah to death.

In fact Paul was one of the people who opposed Jesus at first wasn’t he?

Acts 9:1–2 ESV

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

He was one of those violently opposing Jesus.

And yet 18 verses later

Acts 9:20 ESV

20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

He was teaching Jesus in th e synagogues.

And all the Jews who heard Paul teach were “baffled”

Acts 9:21–22 ESV

21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

Paul experienced this radical change in his heart and yet in Romans he’s still struck and filled with sorrow. I wonder if Paul had ptsd…and grief over what he did to the beleivers.

Throughout Paul’s ministry, even though he was known as “the apostle to the gentiles” he always started his work in a town with the synagogue. He always wanted to see fellow Jews come to faith.

Paul experienced forgiveness for his actions in the past but this does not mean he didn’t feel regret for what he did. I think this is reflected in the first few verses of Romans chapter nine.

Consider this idea. Perhaps you love house shows as much as Ashley and I do. If you live in a house that was totally renovated and you saw the before....you would always remember and be thankful for what you have now. But you would remember what it was before.

Paul is grateful for the life He has now but He also remembers what life was like before. He remembers what he did before.

So in this first section of Romans Chapter 9 verses one through three we see Paul expressing his deep sorrow and regret he’s also going to pivot now in these next two verses to talk about this idea of God’s sovereign election his choosing.

Paul reminds us of God’s sovereignty in choosing Israel

Think of God’s choice in guiding and choosing the ancestors of Jesus. God made and fulfilled promises about who Jesus would descend from.

Romans 9:4–5 ESV

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.

The gospel is both God’s abundant grace which we could never deserve. And it’s also the reality that god has the right to choose one people over another. The Bible account is clear that there is nothing special about Abraham. He had an abundance of flaws. In short God did not choose Israel because they deserved it but because God wanted to choose in his love and purpose

Deuteronomy 7:7 ESV

7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,

OK in this passage we see that God has chosen Israel not because they deserved it but because God had a purpose in mind. But the problem is we see that Israel has strayed away from God at many times and their choices to walk away from code commands led to God punishing them time and time again. And Paul has made it clear throughout this book that the Israelites need the gospel as much as gentiles do so the question that Israelites face here is has God failed to keep his word to Israel?

I mean if we have responsibility to choose but God has sovereignly chosen Israelites to be his people what do we do with all the Jews today who have rejected Jesus?

If God has failed to keep the Jews (whom He chose) faithful, what does that say about His promises to us?

And if God has failed to keep the Jews faithful to God then what does that say about God’s capacity to remain faithful to his other promises

remember back at the end of Romans 8?

Romans 8:30 ESV

30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

In order to answer this question and understand how God works in human salvation at large we need to understand how he has and is working in the salvation of Israel. And that’s exactly what we will be getting into in the upcoming verses and chapters.

The Gospel Has Always Been Tied to Election

Romans 9:6–9 ESV

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. 9 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.”

This first verse is the most important verse for understanding Paul’s concept of election here. Not all who are descended from Israel belonged to Israel. The gospel has never just been about genetics. God’s promise has never just been about whom you share DNA with

You see in verse 7 not all are children of Abraham because they are as offspring. The truth is Abraham had two sons Isaac through Sarah and Ishmael through Hagar but the promise was given to sara’s son not hagars it was through Isaac that the offspring would receive the promise of God

The modern Arab nations are descendants of Ishmael and yet it is through Isaac that God passed on his promises. And don’t mistake God called his chosen descendants to walk faithfully before him as well.

As Paul said in verse eight of Romans it’s not the children of the flesh who are children of God but the children of the promise those who live out the promise God has given.

But we need to clear something up here even though Paul has already covered it earlier in Romans. Paul isn’t saying that salvation simply comes to the descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and his twelve sons. But he’s saying that salvation is based on the promises of God that brings salvation. God’s promises are what drives and enables us to be saved not heredity. But God’s promises worked out in faith reveal the sons of God.

Palm has made it clear throughout Romans that we do need to choose to walk in faith. But he wants us to understand in these four verses that the beginning of salvation is in God’s elective power.

Romans 9:10–13 ESV

10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

God made a choice here God demonstrated his power and before either of the sons had done something good or bad Rebecca was told that the older would serve the younger. But why was it that Jacob was chosen to rule over esau? So that God’s purpose would stand.

Jacob was chosen over Esau so that God’s purposes would stand.

These are the same purposes and this is the same God of

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Deuteronomy 29:29 ESV

29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Here is a reality that we need to grapple with ourselves. We don’t always get to understand God’s purposes and his election. We don’t always get the answers to the questions that we ask.

Walking with Jesus means sometimes simply choosing to trust God

Some of God’s purposes we know:

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

His purpose is set, is based on foreknowledge, and included the death of his own Son (Acts 2:23).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

Individuals apparently serve God’s purpose during their lifetimes, as did David (Acts 13:36).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

Believers are called according to God’s purpose, and God causes all things in their lives to meld with his purpose (Rom. 8:28).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

Part of God’s purpose involves displaying his power and proclaiming his name in all the earth (Rom. 9:17).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

God’s purpose requires some noble vessels and some common ones (Rom. 9:21; 2 Tim. 2:20).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

God has a plan by which his purpose is worked out, which includes the choosing of individuals to fulfill certain parts of his purpose through his predestined plan (Eph. 1:11).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

God’s purpose is eternal and is accomplished through Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:11).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

God works his will, to include even our actions, in and through us to accomplish his purpose (Phil. 2:13).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

Believers are saved and called to a holy life on the basis of nothing in themselves but because of God’s purpose enacted through grace (2 Tim. 1:9).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

God’s purpose is unchanging in nature (Heb. 6:17).

These purposes don’t tell us as much as we’d like to know about God’s purpose and his plans but knowing and understanding God’s word should cause us to have a better understanding of the things that God is working and doing and achieving through his choices. We can grow to trust God more as we study how he has acted throughout the Bible and throughout our lives.

But back to Romans 9:13

Romans 9:13 ESV

13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

This is poetic comparison; not an absolute statement

In the same way Christians are to hate their families

Matthew 10:37 ESV

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

It’s not that we are not to love our families....it’s that we comparatively love them way less that Jesus.

The focus in these first 13 verses of Romans 9 is on the choosing of God for salvation according to His purposes. It’s not that God hates those He doesn’t choose.

To summarize this section for today..

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

The nation of Israel was chosen as a people through which his blessings would flow to the world (Gen. 12:1–3; Amos 3:2).

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

Within that people, God’s purpose resulted in additional choices (elections) being made which involved individuals.

Romans B. The Gospel Has Always Been Based on Election (9:6–13)

God’s word (promises) has not failed. The elect Israel within national Israel still are recipients of his promises.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the main point of today's sermon is the intersection of our responsibility and God's sovereignty in the gospel. The story of unfairness in Matthew 20:1-16 and the truth about God's election in Romans 9 both teach us that our salvation is not about what we deserve, but about the grace and mercy of God.

To illustrate this, let me share a story about a wealthy man who decided to throw a grand feast for his community. He sent out invitations to everyone, from the wealthiest to the poorest, the most righteous to the most sinful. On the day of the feast, people began to arrive, each given a beautiful garment to wear as they entered. Some accepted the garment gratefully and put it on, while others refused, feeling they deserved something better or didn't need it at all.

As the guests gathered around the table, the host noticed that some were not wearing the garment he provided. He asked one guest why he chose not to wear it, and the guest replied, "I have my own clothes; I don't need yours." The host, saddened by the response, asked the guest to leave.

(You can also find this story in Matthew 22)

This story reminds us that, like the garment provided by the host, God's grace and mercy are offered to us freely through Jesus Christ. It is not about what we think we deserve or the works we have done; it's about accepting and embracing the gift God has provided. Our responsibility is to put our faith in Christ and trust in His sovereign plan.

As we leave here today, let us remember that God's grace is available to each of us, no matter our background or our past mistakes. It is not our achievements, righteousness, or heritage that saves us, but the unmerited favor and love of God. In our journey of faith, let us lean on the grace of God, trusting in His sovereign plan, and humbly accepting the salvation He offers.

May we walk in the knowledge that our salvation is rooted in the grace and mercy of our loving God, and may that truth empower us to live lives of gratitude, humility, and love for others. Amen.