Stubborness Persists
Rom.10:1-10…………….Notes on file 9/06
Cf…little boy in car with father, standing in back, ask to sit down be quite for while… “I’m still standing inside me.”
Stubbornness persists in all of us, from time we are child, till day we die.
The kind of stubbornness we speak of today is in regard to Israel’s turning from the Lord time and again.
Cf…Ps. 32:9…says…I’ve heard that all my life till I discovered it here in Bible.
(Mama was right)
We live in a stubborn world today…nations are blind to righteousness,
We live in a stubborn society today…multitudes rush toward idolatry…
Cf…Fox news, Bill O’Riley, showed lewd dancing by teens (girls backing into boys) called grinding…
In churches stubbornness persists often times---among those who want things to remain same…
Israel developed her own way of righteousness and wouldn’t change for anything.
Israel was blind to the righteousness Christ presented…
Paul was bothered by this.
I. PAUL’S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY…V.1
He had a desire and prayed continually for his brethren…Why?...he had been where they were still at >
…Lost and ignorant to the love and righteousness of the Lord.
A. ALL ISRAEL MIGHT BE SAVED…that they would find this salvation in Jesus.
There stubborn attitudes toward Jesus as He walked among them sent Him to cross.
They had rejected the only means left in God’s plan for redemption of mankind.
Cf…Isa, 8:14…for the believer He is our sanctuary (shelter)…but the unbeliever He is a trap; ensnared—judgment.
Multitudes today are in this trap, for they cannot see the need for Christ in there lives.
Cf…stubbornness was one of Balaam’s problems (expound)…Num.22:26-32
Stubbornness persists today among our own society.
II. ISRAEL’S MAIN PROBLEM…V. 2-3
Like many today, even then, Israel had developed an attitude of indifference about need to change.
If you talk to someone today about salvation (change) they will quickly point out they as good as so and so.
Cf…member slips drinks; “If I lived with that woman I’d drink too.”
A. THEY HAD THERE OWN SET OF RULES…in matters of law and what righteous meant.
And they worked hard at keeping all the rules…
Cf…remember Paul; the Zeal he had going about persecuting the church…thought he was right.
Most in Israel at this time (not all) pin there hope on there own works of righteousness--- Deut.9:4
Cf…Jesus said in John 8:37---”my Word makes no headway among you.”…
They were challenged by claims (from Jesus) they unwilling to meet.
Even today His goodness is unbearable; the world will hear nothing of it.
Folks make there own rules.
III. CHRIST HAD PROVIDED…V. 4-10
That which all mankind needs, since Adam till now, all need this gift the Lord so freely gives.
Cf…think about how quickly Lord provided for Adam/Eve to cover there shame; killed animal for skins…
The message Paul brought to the “Jews” was a message of freedom from…
…Freedom from the “form & ritual” of working to attain righteous.
A. AND SECURED RIGHTEOUSNESS ON CROSS…Rom.5:1-2…it is freely given.
Cf…Jesus said, Matt. 5:6---but the people of Jesus’ day as well as our day are like those Micah described, Mic. 6:14
Hunger is not just of the flesh (our bodies) but the spirit of man hungers…”Blessed are they…”
Only true source of satisfaction is found in Jesus.
CONCLUSION: (three points above; Jesus provides righteousness for Jew & gentile alike.)
God punished Israel for turning away---in Jeremiah’ day he was forced to go with remnant into Egypt to escape.
Jeremiah preached to them the Words of the Lord but they rejected it…Jer. 44:15-18
Stubborn toward the mercy of God; they were later destroyed.
Folks have same attitude today.
They burn up there minutes (time allotted here on earth) in futile attempts at getting satisfaction.
It’s futile.