Romans 11:1-10
Notes
Transcript
I know it seems like oh man we are in Romans again
But let us press on and continue to go through Romans
This morning we find ourselves in Romans 11.
If you will recall Romans 9-11.
Romans 9 is all about Gods sovereignty
That God is Sovereign over the world
Romans 10 is all about what you do
That your response to a loving God dying in your place is to repent of your sin and trust in Him
Church Paul's message to the Jewish believers in Rome who have believed that is to spread that message to your fellow kins men
That in fact that good news Paul has preached and is teaching them is open to anyone and everyone who will believe to the Jew first and then the Greek
And now Romans 11 puts it all together
Paul left us with a bit of a cliff hanger at the end of Romans 10.
21 But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
Paul again is sharing with them you are not automatically saved just because you are a Jew
I wonder if we call into that category
Of a disobedient and obstinate people
All the while God is saying Jeremy trust me and walk with me, while I say but God I need to see a, b and C before I will walk
Paul left the readers wondering if it was over for the nation of Israel
Could God be done with Israel forever
Is there no Hope for Israel
So Paul continues on
1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Remember Paul asks questions so He can give them the correct response
If he left them last with is Hope over for Israel
Then Paul dives right back into that to give them correct information
Of Course Not
Paul the writer of the letter gives his response
No God has not turned His back on the nation of Israel
Look at my own life
4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;
Paul Himself is of the nation of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin
Of course not God has not rejected His chosen people
Remember His chosen people did not mean they were saved just because of their blood line or that they were not punished because of their blood line
To be God’s chosen people meant they would be known by God
But that God knew them and that God had chosen to use them to bring salvation to an entire World
And then Paul uses the Old Testament
Where He reminds the readers that Elijah pleads with God
10 He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
After a disobedient Nation of Israel had turned their back on God and killed the prophets and torn down the Altar of God
Elijah says that He is the only one left
To show Elijah that God has not turned His back on the nation of Israel
Even though they deserved to be wiped out because they walked away from God
Because they acted evil towards God
God reminds Elijah and the Jews in Rome
4 But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.
I have kept 7000 men who have turned away from me
You are not alone Elijah
I have kept a small remnant for myself to be used
I have noticed that as you read through the Old Testament
God does some absolutely amazing things with a remnant
He reminds the Church in Rome that has both Jewish and Gentile believers
That they are the remnant and that much can be done with a remnant
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
Church to understand that a remnant can do much
In just 52 long or short days a Remnant of the nation build the city walls
To think just because a church is small doesn’t mean they can be doing kingdom work
Church might I remind you what we did
We sent a small group of people
Now we have 2 small groups of people
Maranatha and Holton
Mighty is the remnant when the seek after the Lord
It should be noted that Matt met with the Pastor of First Baptist in Holton who was excited to hear another church was being planted in Holton who preaches the Gospel
He told Matt that he and the elder of his church had been praying churches would be planted in Holton, KS who preach the true Gospel and not just tickle ears
2 Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
Church mighty is the Remnant who seeks the Lord
That is what Paul is getting them to understand
It is no longer about your blood line but the grace of God and church the grace of God is for anyone and everyone who will believe
It was by the grace of God there was a remnant in Elijahs day and it is by grace we are still here
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
Grace is defined as the unmerited favor
Getting something you do not deserve
Paul says that when someone mixes grace with works it is no longer grace but man made works
Grace is outside of what you bring to the table and we struggle to understand that this side of heaven because of our world and how we were raised
Paul says that by the grace of God there has been left a Remnant in elijah’s day and by grace there was a Remnant in Nehemiahs day as well
We can look throughout history and see the grace of God allowing there to be left a remnant
This Remnant would continue to be used by God to bring about salvation to a lost world
Church today there are few believers in Jesus
Don’t know the numbers exactly but if you simply look at the world and see the fruit being produced you could agree fewer people believe in Jesus
It is the Remnants job or calling or command to live faithfully and be a light in the dark world point the others back to Jesus
Dare I say it church but we are part of that Remnant and we have a calling to live our faith in such a way that God is glorified and others are drawn to Jesus
Before Paul goes on he is going to assert a truth from
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
That anyone and everyone is saved by grace through faith in Jesus
Not that you can earn it or work for it but it is grace through faith In Jesus that one is saved
As Paul continues He is going to bring that truth to life
7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.” 9 And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, And a stumbling block and a retribution to them. 10 “Let their eyes be darkened to see not, And bend their backs forever.” 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
Paul is saying that a small group of Hebrews have been saved not because they followed the law but because they had faith in Jesus Christ
The rest were hardened
And church that is a justified act on the part of God
That those who reject God He will hand over to their hardness of heart
In the history of the Nation of Israel they were given the law first
They were given ample opportuinty
They were chosen so they were given the law, they were given the priests
They were given the presence of God first
And yet some rejected God and because of that God moved on and hardened their heart
We don’t like that because we often like the niceness and kindness of God
Understand through church God is a Holy and Just God
Because God is holy He cannot and will not be a part of sin in your life
So do not for once think God can or will bless you if you remain in sin
It doesn’t work
If you live how you want and walk in sin then you cannot come to church to check a box and say please God bless me
Thats like eating a big greasy cheese burger praying it will turn to vegetables as it goes down
Why because God is a Holy God and He expects, His kids to be holy
Knowing they can’t be perfect He sent His only Son Jesus to die in our place on the cross
To stand in the Holiness of Jesus God says we must repent and trust Jesus
Because God is holy
Because they rejected God not that God rejected they
They were given the opportunity to know God through a personal relationship with Christ
And they rejected God so God did the Godly thing and said ok
Moved on and allowed Salvation to come through the remnant to the gentiles
Church praise the Lord for that Remnant
This morning as we come to our time of invitation
You still have the opportunity to come to know God through a personal relationship with Jesus
This morning you can repent from your sin and trust in Jesus
Or maybe you already have a personal relationship and need to understand you cannot live how you want
To be a believer you are to be Holy because God is Holy
And maybe this morning you need to spend sometime in prayer this morning and repenting at the altar and return to Jesus
Or maybe there are other things you need to spend time praying about
The altar is open
