Romans 18

The depth and power of God’s amazing grace Northside Churh

Jamey Mills Title: "The power and depth of Grace"  Romans #18

Scripture Reading: Romans 11:1-10:  - 

Romans 11:1–10 NLT

I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!” It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.” Likewise, David said, “Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.”

Good morning Northside, My name is Jamey Mills.  I’m the lead pastor hear. 

What a great day to be here and to be together… It’s always one of the best parts of my week. 

This last Mon-Wed, Matt, Blake, and I were up at Cannon Beach for what they call a prayer summit… with about 100 other pastors and ministry leaders from our valley… Praying with and for each other, for the valley and just sort of seeking Him together… Lots of singing, lots of prayer, time in the word, getting to know the other leaders in our valley… 

But for me, the most powerful time is when I can break away and be alone. 

To reflect on what they are talking about, process it before the Lord, to pray for my family and for you all… 

That word ALONE… is a bit of a mystery to me. 

In those moments, before the Lord… with my mind and heart set on Him… alone is powerful… Even Jesus did it… when you read through the NT… you constantly see Jesus breaking away… to be alone… to connect with the Father…  to pray… 

Stone’s throwaway

All night 

Before selecting disciples 

A ways off… 

Jesus' prayer life was robust… in part to set that example for us… 

And I think we’d agree…

If Jesus, the price of peace, and the Lord of Lords stepped away to be alone with the Father to pray, how much more do we need that?

So, there is an aspect of being alone that can be formative, powerful

But there is this other side of alone… that is painful, isolating… that can be destructive… that often comes with the feeling of rejection… and from what I read, can be connected to things like social anxiety and depression. 

One of the things I’ve been kicking around a lot lately is… 

What is the difference between those two concepts of alone? 

Not always, but one of the things I’ve noticed that is true of me… is… what I’m focused on… 

In one case, my eyes and focus are on the Lord and drawing near to Him. 

On the other, My eyes are pretty much on me… on what I’m not getting or even fixed on what I think others think of me. 

Here is the interesting thing… 

As I left in 1993 for undergrad… I wasn’t very serious about God at all. 

Stepping into this Bible college where people were training for ministry… was pretty rough. Everyone was serious… I was getting in trouble…

That first year of college was the most alone I’d ever felt. 

One thing I learned a few years later was… Even there, God was at work. This idea of a potter… molding… removing what's needed… forming… God doing that sort of work in our lives… at least to me, even sounds painful, yet it wasn’t wasted. In that hard alone… God was molding me in ways that people back home could see more clearly than I could.

So painful… yet not wasted. 

One of the things I’ve been kicking around is… is there a way… in the face of the really tough alone… to somehow… restructure my perspective… to invite God into… my perspective and loneliness… 

Romans 11:1-10 reminds us of three key truths:

God has not rejected His people ( V 1-4)

God’s grace sustains His people and His purpose (V 5-6)

Rejecting God leads to a hard heart, dim eyes, and deaf ears (V 7-10)

This passage is both an incredible encouragement and a severe warning. 

Tim Keller suggests this might be one of the toughest passages in all of scripture to understand… That might be overstating it a little, but… this is a tough one. 

One of the struggles with it is this… 

God used Paul to write to the Church in Rome… which contained two groups of sinful people, coming to Jesus… with very different perspectives… in the face of growing persecution… 

The Jews and the Gentiles… 

One struggling with pretty deep immorality… 

The other with self-righteousness… 

And the issue then is trying to interpret that… as Paul seems to go back and forth to address the issues with both, how do we translate that… 

Is it that what’s true for one group, also true for the other? 

Somehow… at the same time, is it addressing both groups and moving them both to understand the centrality of Christ?

So for instance, as God largely seems to be addressing the Jews in this passage… as His chosen people… is that now, somehow… true for how He will work in and through His Church…  

In my view, there are good reasons to read it that way… both in the purpose that Paul writes Romans, the fact that Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles, and… the way Paul repeats very similar word pictures that are aimed at the Jews and Gentiles both. 

Does God reject His people?

Romans 11:1–4 (NLT)

Romans 11:1–4 NLT

I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”

I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, 3 “LORD, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 

4 And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”

Paul starts this section off with another question that sort of brings with it an expectation.

Has God rejected His chosen people… Israel? 

What happened to God’s chosen people? 

And Paul’s answer is really strong… 

He uses this line… “by no means” 9 times I think in Romans… but its literally like saying… Don’t be foolish. Paul says He’s living proof… he was as Jewish as a Jew could be… yet… His life was radically changed by Jesus.

I think that question is trying to do two things… 

In light of what it says at the end of Chapter 10… 

That salvation is for everyone… and… that God waited with His arms wide open for them… but they were… “disobedient and rebellious.”

I feel like Paul is asking us to consider LONG record… of God’s favor, blessing, love, and faithfulness… in view of Israel’s repose to it. 

It wasn’t that they didn’t hear or understand the Gospel… That the Messiah they had waited for… Jesus… had come… but they were wanting and looking for something else al together and in that, rejected Jesus.

Which I think is the other part of Paul's question… 

I think he’s really trying to get people to think… who rejected who here.     

And Paul reminds them of this incredible OT hero… the prophet Elijah, who saw God do some incredible stuff. 

It was during the reign of an incredibly immoral King… Ahab (powerful position, weak leader) and seductress of a wife Jezebel… who history has denounced as a murderer, prostitute, and enemy of God… (lingerie lines and missile names). Her name became synonymous for evil… and suduction and love of all things wordly…  

When Jezebel came to Israel, she and the false, man-made, and immoral destructive gods she brought gained incredible favor and influence… 

Baal and Asherah… fertility and agriculture…

… the name Baal itself… basically translates to counterfeit god… 

Over fertility and agriculture… Sexual charged… tolerant for all that chose God… manipulative… anything goes…  

To be,

Baal seems to represent a humanity that willfully longs to live apart from God, His truth, and His values. 

And it sounds so much like our culture… 

And Jezebel did all she could to suppress those who believed in God… including trying to put them to death… including Elijah. 

And it led to this showdown between the 850 false prophets and the one…  Elijah… who honestly believed and felt he standing for God alone… 

It starts off with this… 

1 Kings 18:21 (NLT)

1 Kings 18:21 NLT

Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

In this defining moment for God’s children… they had nothing to say… they just stood there… 

Elijah tells us God’s people had broken their covenant with God, tore down the altars of God… and even killed off God’s prophets… 

It almost sounds almost like Joshua’s statement… (Jo 24:15)... chose this day.. Here and now… who and what you’ll be about.  God… you and pleasure, false gods..  But here and now… as a husband, father, and follower God… I am telling you… as for me and my family… even if we have to go alone… we will now bow before culture… of the false gods it produces… but we will serve the Lord. 

And so the prophets of Ball danced around… and shouted… and did all their Baal things… the fire to ignite the altar never came… 

And then… Elijah… had the altar doused multiple times with water… 

Cried out to the only true God… and the fire came… and not only consumed the wood and offering… but melted the rocks… licked up all the water… 

Elijah ended running for his life…alone… scared… suicidal… crying out to God…  who reminds Him… 

Even when all seems lost, He is at work. 

He is faithful to you, His promises, and His purposes. 

And this is Israel… God’s chosen people… are living in this crazy and dangrous place… They know Him and call Him by name, but reject Him in practice. 

And I hate what I am about to say… 

I see so much of that in the American Church today. 

And just to be completly honest… I am sad… and convicted… and feel this deep need to repent i my own life. I think i do that. 

And this is Israel… God’s chosen people… are living in this crazy and dangrous place… They know Him and call Him by name, but reject Him in practice. 

Maybe you know… People that claimed Christ and no longer follow… 

From families that for years followed Jesus… and no longer does. 

Most scholars I read use the word apostasy here… 

Which literally means… the rebellion or rejection of God in word or deed.

It's like saying… I know God… and I know what he stands for and have me do… but… I’m going my way. I’m doing my thing… 

And I find so much peace in this phrase that is mentioned no less than 3 times in scripture…  

The God will never leave you or forsake you... 

Where God doubles down on the most repeated promise in all of scripture… that reflects the power of His presence, His goodness, and His intention for you. 

Vs 4 tells us that even if you feel alone… even if all seems lost… He is in control… and at work… in ways we don’t always see. 

That all around the world… even now… there are a faithful few who’ve remained faithful… who have not bowed to culture… who don’t demand their own will and way… whose hope is securly in Christ alone… 

Even when things seem hopeless, God is still at work. He preserves His people even in the darkest times.

Does that describe you? 

We see the power of the christian community: Support, encouragement, accountability… 

The willingness to be faithful, even if you have to go alone. 

You never do… God is there 

There are others, even now… that are faithful. 

God will not reject you… 

But do you reject Him? 

Paul is part of a remnant that has been preserved… 

Christ… truth… acceptance… I live like both are real and important… and the substance of life. See Christ as Lord… and… only true hope. 

A remnant… that has been preserved… that means God is not finished with Israel… or His Church… and that He will be faithful… He will fulfill the promises He’s made to His people. 

God continues to hold out His hand to disobedient and obstinate people… 

Paul brings forward some biblical evidence, namely the situation in the time of Elijah. After the prophet’s victory over the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, he fled from Queen Jezebel into the desert, and later took refuge in a cave on Mount Horeb. There he appealed to God against Israel (2b), saying: ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me’ (3). God’s reply to Elijah was that he had got his arithmetic wrong. He was by no means the sole surviving loyalist. On the contrary, God said: ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal’ (4). So Israel’s national apostasy was not complete. Although the doctrine of the remnant was not developed until Isaiah’s time, the faithful remnant itself already existed during the prophetic ministry of Elijah at least a century earlier.

#2 God’s grace sustains His people and His purpose: (vs. 5-6)

Romans 11:5–6 (NLT)

Romans 11:5–6 NLT

It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

Grace means: getting what you do not deserve 

Mercy means: Not getting what it is you do deserve. 

And both are at play here. 

Israel, did NOT get what they deserved… and thats part of point. 

What did Israel earn based on their rejection of Jesus and His grace? 

What do you think God should have done? 

Breaking their covenant with God… tearing down these sacred places of remembrance and worship and sacrifice… killing off His messengers… 

God did not deal with them they way they deserved…  and makes it clear, they are not beyond hope,. 

God was merciful… and the way Paul addressed it, is an unexpected mercy. 

Even though they deserved to be rejected by God… Paul presents this powerful and unthinkable Gospel truth… where we learn about the patience and kindness of God… where we learn about the power, length, depth, and height of His love and His grace… 

And in this place where guilt and gratitude often collide… we can know for certain… that God has not given up on you… even if it’s what you deserve. Even if it is what you deserve. 

God’s grace accomplishes what human effort never could…

Restoration between humanity and God… The transfer of God’s wrath… from you to Christ… 

That by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone… we can take hold of that in which in sin we lost… 

Salvation is always by God’s mercy, his withholding what we deserve… 

And by His grace… exercised through faith… 

No matter how dark things get, God’s grace is still calling people back to Himself.

Even you… 

Even now. 

HUGE part of this idea of the faithful few…

That in a world full of BAAL… clinging to Christ and His church… 

Being true salt… and true light… in a world that desperately needs it… Calling it back… by grace through faith… to its original, purposeful, and designed intention. 

For hope… direction… meaning… purpose… 

#3 Rejecting God leads to a hard heart, dim eyes, and deaf ears (vv. 7-10).

Romans 11:7–10

Romans 11:7–10 NLT

So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.” Likewise, David said, “Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.”

(NLT)

7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. 8 As the Scriptures say, 

    “God has put them into a deep sleep. 

    To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, 

      and closed their ears so they do not hear.” 

9 Likewise, David said, 

    “Let their bountiful table become a snare, 

      a trap that makes them think all is well. 

    Let their blessings cause them to stumble, 

      and let them get what they deserve. 

    10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, 

      and let their backs be bent forever.”

And they still haven’t found what they're looking for… 

Why… They traded the truth of God for a lie…  

It sounds like Romans 1.. 

They knew God… but didn’t give Him that seat and authority in Their life… 

They thought up foolish ideas of What God is like… 

Worshiped things they made… or other things God created instead of God… (BAAL)

So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things they desired… doing vile and degrading things with each other's body…  

They traded God’s truth for a lie

Worshiped the created (self, idols, sex, money, others) instead of the creator…  

In so many ways… Baal… becoming synonymous with any way that is not God’s…  with embracing the world around us that is ran by satan… embracing own own desires which is tainted by our sin and sinful nature… 

And Paul says… this doesn’t happen over night… but the continued rejection of God… 

Continually not acknowledging Him as God, or His truth, this continued lack of obeying Him… 

This continued ignoring of God’s nudge, voice and word  

This continued rebellion and disobedience

Paul says if we live that way… it leads to a hard heart… 

To this place where we question if God has rejected us when in reality, we have rejected Him… 

This hardening is a result of the continued rejection of God.

It leads to 3 spiritual conditions: 

A heard heart

Deaf ears 

Blind eyes 

If God is moving you to a place of repentance, responding to that is important.

Spiritual blindness… Not being able to see God, His work happening around me… No longer to see His priorities for me in the same way. 

A hardened heart does not happen overnight—it comes from repeatedly ignoring God’s voice.

In Romans 11, we see this incredible encouragement… 

Even when we are unfaithful… God is faithful… 

He will be true to you, to His promises, and to His purpose

Even when we feel like we are alone… we are not… and he is at work. 

Even when all hope seems lost… he is at work. 

But there is also this severe warning… 

And to be honest, I think the American Church has a lot in common with the Jews of that day… 

Born into the right country… the right family… maybe even going through some of the right motions… saying that they “know” God, but the truth is…  

They refuse… or reject the idea of knowing God in a way that leads them to the reality of the cross… 

They refuse and reject God in ways 

That leads to them being done with godless things… 

Refuse to allow the presence and truth of God impact their life, their marriage, their singleness, their parenting and family. 

Still clinging to the things of the world and the things of the fleas… 

Trading the invaluable truth of God for a lie… 

And the warning is… if you allow that to be true of you… 

Eventually, you will be swallowed by it… loosening our grip and losing our way… embracing, entertaining, and surrounding ourselves with worldly and godless ideology… 

Does that sound like you? Knowing the name of God… but not treating Him as God? Denying Him, His truth, and rejecting His work in your life?

Trusting in things that cannot hold it… Listening to messages that grate against our very soul… Being shaped not by the presence of God in our lives, His word, or the Holy Spirit, but by embracing the Jezebel of this world… urges us to worship all that is broken in us… instead of allowing the light of God’s truth to deal with it. 

Having one foot at best in Christ… yet really not knowing Him or worshiping Him as God… claiming His name, but rejecting Him, His way, His truth, and His life.

If you were to ask me… do I think this might be a reality at Northside?  Let me ask you…

Part of the reason it’s a strong yes… is because I’m here… 

And… to be honest… I know its not just me. 

And we can and should take comfort… knowing that God is and will be faithful… to us, His promise, and His purpose… 

But there is also this… heavy warning… about playing games with God that leads to a hard heart, spiritual blindness and spiritual deafness… 

And… that there will be a day when God separates the wheat from the chaff.  Those who place their hope in Christ alone in ways that shape them and their life… and those who don’t 

And for me… I hear this massive call to repentance… 

Have you claimed ther name of Jesus… but constantly… rejected Him… as God… as your hope… His way, His truth, and His life… 

Repentance is three fold… 

Addressing the sin… and thanking God for His forgiveness and grace that is already available through Christ’s one and for all sacrifice on the cross. 

Turning from it… and asking God for help in making changes in your life that reflect your true heart's desire to turn from it… 

It might be getting accountability stuff on your phone… 

Or, even changing the people you spend time with 

Or, changing where you spend your time… 

That mindset of, Jamey that’s too far… might reflect a heart that is still clinging to the world.

Turning to and moving toward Jesus. 

So, today I want to give you that opportunity… 

Northside is… more and more… wanting to see prayer become a bigger part of what we as a church… as the people who make up this church… do… 

As we take communion today… if you (like me) feel the need to repent of embracing the world and rejecting Christ… 

I and the elders and staff… 

Will be in the back… it is absolutely a big deal to respond… when God is moving you… so if you feel that… meet one of us back there