Grafted Into the Family
Notes
Transcript
Romans 11:1-24.
Today we will examine God’s eternal purpose and plan that reaches far beyond the nation of Israel and the Jewish people- God’s Chosen People.
God’s ultimate plan has always been to have all peoples from all nations find their Salvation through Jesus Christ.
God’s master plan is the only thing that can bring all ethnic groups together in true unity as one complete church community.
We have all been invited to be a part of the Family of God.
It’s been said that God loves us in our sins- True enough
But it is equally true that He loves us so much, He doesn’t leave us there
But provides a way for us to remove ourselves from our sins and live in
Right relationship with God.
It has always been God’s plan for Body of Christ to be unified under one standard-
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord WILL be saved,”
In our text today, Apostle Paul details how the rest of humanity is “Grafted into” covenant with God.
Using a familiar gardening term that his audience could easily identify with-
Grafting is the practice of taking a branch or shoot from one tree or bush and attaching it to another similar tree or bush.
The advantage is that you can take starts from less productive root sources and attach them to stronger root systems so they can flourish
We can be encouraged in knowing that our identity or status is not based on or limited to our past.
We all can find hope in knowing God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises is far greater than anything we can comprehend.
His desire to include all that call out to Him, as part of His family is what makes Him the Omniscient and all-powerful God that He is.
In summary:
We all have been invited to become a part of God’s Family.
As God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, reconciles us and gathers us all together as one body of believers.
We start with:
1- God is Faithful Forever
1- God is Faithful Forever
I ask, then, has God rejected his people?
By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?
“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.”
But what is God’s reply to him?
“I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works;
otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Drawing from the OT experience of the Prophet Elijah, Paul reminds his readers that not all Jews have rejected the Messianic message.
Apostle Paul, along with the chosen Disciples, were all Jews-
All part of the remnant of faithful believers
That God has always promised to preserve-
Against all odds.
The promise of the restoration of that remnant should argue against any sense of anti-Semitism-
God’s plan has always included the Jewish people.
And still includes God’s chosen remnant
The Jews in Paul’s audience had heard all of this before.
2 Kings 21, and Jeremiah 7, both tell of God’s judgment of the rebellious chosen ones
For their wickedness and evil.
So Paul asks the rhetorical question-
Has God finally grown weary of Israel’s continued rejection of God’s love and finally has rejected them forever?
His answer, “By no means!”
A more literal reading of the text, “May it never be!”
Regardless, Paul’s intent is clear.
BY his own admission- If there was ever a Jew that deserved being rejected by God-
It was Paul-
Known by his Jewish name of Saul, he was the chief persecutor of the early believers of this “New Way” being taught by the Disciples.
Yet God, in His Sovereignty, chose Paul and completely flipped his heart and the direction of his life around-
Changing Paul’s focus on spreading the Good News of the Gospel to the rest of the world.
1 Samuel 12, Psalms 94, Jeremiah 31 are just a small example of God’s promise to NEVER forsake His people.
Throughout history, God has preserved a remnant of faithful people, even in the darkest times.
Consider the time of Elijah when he felt utterly alone, declaring to God that he was the only prophet left.
Yet, God reassured him, saying that there were still 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed their knees the false gods of the day
This remnant assures us that no matter how bleak our circumstances may appear, God always has a faithful few who stand for Him, reminding us to hold onto hope.
In the days of the Babylonian exile, Israel’s situation seemed hopeless. Yet, amidst the ruins, God raised a remnant led by Ezra and Nehemiah.
They rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and reinstated the covenant relationship with God.
This illustrates that God always sustains a group that remains devoted, even when hope seems lost.
It stands as a powerful reminder that we are never truly alone, and God is able to revive and restore His people from the ashes of despair.
So that was history- Now Paul cuts to his present day
So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works;
otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Just as God always kept a remnant in times past-
Despite Israels constant rebellious nature
God is now restoring that remnant
Through Jesus Christ.
And only because of God’s over-arching Sovereignty and Grace,
Just as Paul declared it in his time-
We can also hold fast in Faith, that, no matter how dark and evil our present time seems to be-
God has always preserved a people-
Chosen by Grace.
The entire point of Salvation through the finished work of the Cross of Calvary- eliminates the possibility that we could ever work hard enough to surpass that one act of Grace and Mercy.
If it were not so- Then grace wouldn’t really be grace at all.
No matter your ethnicity or social background-
Belief in Christ is not a denial of any of that, but rather-
The understanding of what ethnicity and family heritage truly mean.
So something to consider before we move on:
Romans God’s Mercy on Israel / 11:1-10
GOD’S GOOD GIFT
2- Grace Extended
2- Grace Extended
What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking.
The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”
And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”
So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall?
By no means!
Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
This passage nicely encapsulates the idea that Paul has expressed in the text.
God’s chosen people tried so hard to earn something that was impossible to work for-
God’s Grace
Just as God ultimately rejected Israel for their stiff-necked stubbornness
God has always welcomed those that did believe- No matter where they came from-
As long as they properly responded to God’s calling for belief in Him through Faith.
The Jews, trapped in their own trappings of traditions, rituals and selfish motives-
Had their own hearts hardened by their own refusal to understand-
Hardened hearts do not feel or sense the drawing of the Word of God or God’s calling to them.
Paul uses two OT passages to nail his point down.
Deuteronomy 29, and Isaiah 29.
To be given over to a spirit of stupor with the result of spiritual blindness and deafness-
Is a dangerous place for the human heart to be.
Romans God’s Mercy on Israel / 11:1-10
Resisting God is like saying to him,
Yet, again- God has always had a plan.
Just as Paul, on his missionary journey’s, would present himself to the local Jewish synagogue with the gospel message-
Often rejected by his own people, Paul was still not deterred.
In Fact, Paul used that rejection as a motivator to validate his call to the Gentiles
And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.
Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
But, as with everything else in God’s plan- This was only a part of the total plan
Because Israel had lost sight of their only reason for existing in Gods plan-
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
At least temporarily, Israels loss was the rest of the worlds gain-
While still a part of Gods plan-
They Gospel message was now being spread across the population of the know world at the time-
And continues to spread in our present day, as well.
During the Reformation, when the Church seemed to have lost its way, God raised a remnant through figures like Martin Luther and others.
Their bold actions spurred a movement that brought the Church back to its scriptural foundations.
This historical remnant was not just a small group; it ignited a Spiritual Renewal that reshaped Christianity.
God’s ability and desire to use a few faithful individuals to impact history underscores His power and the importance of remaining true to His calling amidst adversity.
We must also understand that his must all be done in an
“Attitude of gratitude”
Lest we fall into the same trap of sinful pride the Israelites did.
3- Gratitude in Belonging
3- Gratitude in Belonging
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles.
Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.
For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches.
If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
Romans God’s Mercy on the Gentiles / 11:11-24
UNITED AROUND CHRIST
One can almost feel the intense tone Paul now takes on.
“I am now speaking to you, Gentiles...”
If anyone listening to this message is NOT Jewish-
The following words are for you.
It is clear-
God has included the Non-Jewish to become part of His family
In right relationship with God-
As long as they exercise their Faith and Belief in Him.
But just as Gods plan for Israel is not exclusive to them
Neither is it exclusive to the Gentile World, either.
The church of the first century was not a replacement for God promise to His chosen people
And neither is the modern church of today.
There is no foundation of truth in any “Replacement Theology” of today.
Israel’s rejection of Gods plan simply opened up reconciliation for the rest of the world.
Israel’s refusal to be used as a “Blessing to the World...”
Simply open the door of those blessing to the world
In a way, through the Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ...
That only God could have orchestrated
And is still today undeniable by mankind
Paul’s warning to those “Grafted in” is a reminder for us today
That we have been made a part of the main branches
Enjoying and being nourished by the same sap as the rest of the tree.
We are not the main tree, nor have we taken over the tree.
Jews and Gentiles, alike are all branches connected to the same root.
Neither Jew nor Gentile support the root.
The Root- Being God’s Word- Support us
Both Jew and Gentile receive the same nourishment from the root
Based on our faith in God.
We are all a part of the same remnant of Gods chosen people
This remnant serves as a testament to God’s unending faithfulness, even when many have strayed.
Paul’s assurance that 'not all who are descended from Israel are Israel' encourages us to recognize that being part of God’s remnant transcends geographical or cultural boundaries.
It is about a heart devoted to Him, united in grace and purpose.
In Summary:
Romans God’s Mercy on the Gentiles / 11:11-24
SINNERS AND SAVIOR
4- Hope in Restoration
4- Hope in Restoration
Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
That is true.
They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith.
So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness.
Otherwise you too will be cut off.
And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
Paul finishes this section with the reminder of God’s power over the Grafting and the Restoration.
Jesus used much of the same imagery in John 15, in regards to the Vine, the branches and the Vinedresser
It is always paramount that we do not take on an attitude of arrogance in our faith.
We are warned that God does not tolerate pride and lack of humility-
Not sparing the “The Natural Branches” ie: the Nation of Israel
We must be diligent to not become victims of our own arrogance and suffer the same fate.
Humility and a Reverent respect of the Deity of God is required.
As a reminder of our place in God’s Family-
Romans God’s Mercy on the Gentiles / 11:11-24
He is utterly consistent in the diversity of his personality.
