A Heartbreaking Rejection of The Gospel

Romans 9:1–5

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised![a] Amen.

To reject something is to refuse to have, take or recognize something as your own.

The rejection of the gospel can take many forms, but the two primary ways of rejection are forcefully rejecting the gospel and by neglecting the gospel.

forcefully rejecting the gospel says... “I will not have Jesus’ rule over me”.

and neglecting the gospel says... “Speak to me about it some other time”

Are you heartbroken by the unbelieve around you? Do you feel love and compassion for those you know who have rejected the gospel?

If you do, you’re the kind of person that unbelievers are more likely to be receptive to.

Topic Scripture: Romans 9 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

I. Paul reassures the Jewish Christians at Rome that justification is truly by faith alone and sanctification is truely by the Holy Spirit.

9 1I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—

a. The Truth is in Christ

John 14 6-7 6 Jesus answered (Thomas, one of his disciples and said), “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

b. The Truth will make you free

John 8:31-32 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

More Than Conquerors

Romans 8 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 1 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”[f]

II. Paul was heartbroken over his kindred’s failure to accept the gospel...Paul felt compassion for them, and his sorrow and anguish was a visible manifestation of this compassion.

Romans 9:2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

a. Paul possessed a visible compassion towards his kindred

Ephesians 4:29-32 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

b. Paul is mindful of the great commission.

Matt 28:19-20 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

He is also mindful that some Jews are his enemies because of his commitment to the Gospel.

c. Matt 5:43-48 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Romans 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel.

Paul is willing to die for his Jewish people, but he is not qualified to die for their sin

a. No normal human being is qualified to be the sacrifice for humanities sin

Romans 3 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

11 there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.”[b]

b. Christ is the only one qualified to die for our sin

Galatians 3:13-14 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

III. Paul is sorrowful that many of his Jewish kinsmen were missing the full benefits of the Gospel.

Many Jews missed the full benefit of their Jewish advantages (privileges)

Romans 9:4 Theirs is the adoption to sonship;

theirs the divine glory,

the covenants,

the receiving of the law,

the temple worship and the promises. (redemption)

5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised![a] Amen.

Conclusion - A Conversion Testimony...

“Must Jesus Be Lord to Be Savior?” by William Webster.

In the appendix the book the author’s wife Paula wrote that...

She had been raised in a Christian home.

She had been given a Christian education.

And was in what seemed to be a Christian Marriage

She was active in Church

Attended Bible Conferences

And a regular time for personal bible study

She said that if anyone where to have asked her if she was a Christian, she would have said yes immediately and emphatically.

Yet something was missing. She knew about God but she sensed that she did not actually know him. She was frustrated and unhappy and as for as her on spiritual life was concerned, she knew that she was getting know where. As she studied the bible she was particularly attracted to David and Paul, because each clearly had a heart for God. They knew about God, but in addition they each loved Him and wanted to obey Him as an expression of that love. As she studied their lives, she realized that something was wrong with her on heart and asked God to change her. GOD DID! He taught her that she had never actually given herself to him and that the surrender of herself was necessary. She needed to become Jesus’s genuine disciple.

Here in her on words is what happened. “At the moment that I surrendered my life entirely to God. I knew that he had heard me and had accepted my surrender. I was conscience immediately that a great burden had been rolled away. I knew that I had been forgiven and cleansed. I knew that I had been changed. Peace like a great calm following a storm at sea and joy unspeakable filled my heart. I knew that the great war within had ceased. The sense that all had been made right replaced the agitation and restlessness that I had felt only minutes before. God no longer seemed distant and impersonal. Nor I unclean and unsure before him. I had been born again. She confessed that her earlier faith had been a dead faith only an intellectual acceptance of facts relating to Jesus and that the advantages that she had received in a Christian environment had not changed her heart.

She had now truly accepted Christ’s offer of salvation and been born again.

John 3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Prayer...Lord may we have your heart for the unsaved. A heart of love and compassion. Show us how to help those that do not know Jesus Christ and are perishing without him and use us to bring those closest to us to you.