Will God Surprise in Missions: The Election

Introduction

The Call to Worship verse this morning was the familiar verse from Romans 8:28-30. Paul is going to expand on these verses in Chapter 11. We will see the purpose of God come out in this chapter for sure. He has already broken the ice, so to speak in chapter 9 when he said “not all Israel is Israel.” meaning there is a true Israel inside the nation Israel. It is a reflection of the world from beginning to the end. God has a remnant of people within the whole group of people.

Today, we will see further the purpose of God in the remnant of people and how Paul describes the groups.

Romans 11:1–7 KJV 1900

1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

Hath God cast away his people (1)

Has God cast them away? Has be utterly abandoned them to wrath and ruin eternally? Has God taken the Gentiles and now has left the Jews to themsleves?

Paul answer with an inphaic NO! May it never be!

Paul is raising another objection to answer what some may be saying about his teaching.

Paul is teaching and preaching that God has rejected Israel.

It may even seem so when the Spirit was working much more with the Gentile than with the Jews.

He says, “I am an Israelite from from the tribe of the Benjamin.” Most certainly God has not cast me off.

God has not cast off his people which He foreknew. (2)

It may seem like God has cast them off but he foreknew them.

To foreknow is to have thought of love toward them.

We have already learned that those God did know he also predestine them to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Romans 8:28–30 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

How does that affect your thinking about Israel? God foreknew Israel. So, this is part of God’s plan for Israel.

Read Jeremiah 31 this week. It talks about the New Covenant.

This is the chapter that speaks of the New Covenant and what the LORD did to Israel for breaking the Old Covenant.

Notice these verses; notice the rest in :2; Drawn thee :3; save thy people the remnant :7; The stumbling stone was Jesus but now they do not stumble :9;

Notice verse :15, this speaking forth to the time when Herod killed all the babies two years old when the angel told the Magi to go home a different way after Jesus’ birth.

:18ff the Lord gathering the remnant back; This is how the Lord judged them but now is bringing them back, :28 - 30

The New Covenant :31-34

Maybe, this is still a little fuzzy.

Here is a short story to help understand what is going on with Israel and what seems like God casting away Israel.

Numbers 12 1-16

Do you see the parallel here Miriam spoke against Moses and she was shut out of the camp for seven days.

How much more then should Israel be shut out for rejecting the God himself coming down in human flesh in Jesus the Christ, whom they should have been looking for?

To continue this thought, God foreknew Israel and He also did predestinate them to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Just as a reminder, Paul has already taught us that “not all Israel is Israel.”

Do you not remember what God said when Elijah said a similar thing? (2-3)

Romans 11:2–3 “2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.”

Elias makes a complaint to God against Israel saying that they have left-off serving God and that he is the only one left.

Elias says they have killed your prophets. The implication is that He is one of God’s prophets.

They have digged down your altars so that they could build altars to the baals.

Elias say that he is the only one left and they seek my life.

But what did God tell Elias? (4)

Romans 11:4 “4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.”

Seven thousand is not a small number of people, but out of all of Israel is is not a great percentage.

It is more that we might think there to be when they are scattered over the whole land, but when you put them altogether it is a significant number.

Just like the church today, there are small groups of Christians across the whole, but when you put them altogether it is a multitude.

Revelation 7:4 “4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

Revelation 7:9–12 “9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

You see this is not a small undertaking it is big but it is a remnant of the whole.

It is a remnant according to the election of grace (5)

We have heard it many times, “Why did God foreknow anyone?” “How did God decide who?”

Ephesians 1:5 “5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

No amount of work can be mixed with grace, else it is not grace (6)

Romans 11:6 “6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

Ephesians 2:8–10 “8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

It is God’s work not ours.

“The Election” (7)

Romans 11:7 “7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded”

Israel has not obtained that which they sought.

In trying to establish their own righteousness, they have not obtained it.

But the election have obtained it.

This group of believers are called the Election.

God’s chosen ones are the elect.

The rest are blinded.

It is not as though they are not smart enough to understand, they just cannot see it.

Why? How? It is God’s good pleasure. It is the Wisdom of God. It is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18–29 “18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

Paul has said it in many ways to us. It is commanded of men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel.

Have turned to the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Do it today. do it now.