Who Makes us Worthy?

Recap What’s holding us back

We continue in our sermon series on the early church. We have been looking at Paul’s letter to the Romans. There were several issues that the church dealt with back then that the modern church deals with today. Last week we looked at the fact that these people should expect that there will be opposition. However, there is assurance in that because God is for us, so who can be against us? Plenty of people can be against us, but they won’t win because God is the victor. God is the One that has won the victory. Since we belong to Him, we also have that victory. We didn’t do the work, God did. Even so, we get to enjoy that victory. We benefit tremendously from it.

So Paul is encouraging them to do what God has called them to do. As believers, our lives are not meant to be spent in seclusion, hiding our faith from others. Instead, our faith should be lived and visible in everything we do. Paul addressed the fact that there is nothing out there that can separate us from the love of God. Absolutely nothing. The only thing that can separate us from the love of God is for us to reject Him altogether. God gives us free will. We have the ability to choose. As long as we choose Him, then nothing can separate us. Ephesians 4:30 “And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.” How do we grieve the Holy Spirit, we deny Him altogether. What is interesting about this command to not grieve the Holy Spirit is that I have had some Christian brothers and sisters ask me if I think they are guilty of grieving the Holy Spirit. The simple answer is this, if you were grieving the Holy Spirit, then you would not be aware of it. The fact that we are aware of Him and are concerned we might be grieving Him demonstrates that we are not. I know it sounds odd. How about we look at it from this perspective. One thing the Holy Spirit does is convict us of our sins. When I became a Christian, I was not nearly as aware as I am today about how sinful I currently am. Why did that happen? Because the older I get and the longer I walk with Christ, the more I realize just how messed up I am. It is not me that is identifying that sinfulness, it is the Holy Spirit doing it. So as painful as it is to have sin identified in our lives, let’s rejoice that we do feel that guilt. And then let’s go sin no more.

We also talked about how when God calls us to do something, He has called us to do it. Where God guides, He provides. There are several examples of people not wanting to go and do God’s will, but He made them go anyway. So when God is telling us to do something, He is directing us specifically to do it. We can’t pass that buck to someone else. Now I know that some of us might be feeling God calling us to do something, but we are having a hard time discerning whether God wants us to do it. One of my seminary professors, Dr. Ed Hindson, explained to our class that discerning God’s will is not that difficult. If we are reading our Bibles regularly, if we are confessing our sins regularly, if we are praying regularly, and worshipping regularly, when we feel a call from God, there should be no doubt that He is directing us since we are walking lockstep with Him. It’s pretty amazing that God would choose little old us to go and do things for His kingdom. What an awesome privilege that the God of the Universe, the maker of heaven and earth, would have such trust in us to carry out His plans.

Today we are going to get into Romans 9. There is a bit of an issue here. Salvation is open to everyone, but not everyone is going to get salvation. It’s a free gift that must be freely taken. If you have your Bibles, please turn them to Romans 9:1-13

Romans 9:1–13 CSB

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience testifies to me through the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises. The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen. Now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac. That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring. For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. And not only that, but Rebekah conceived children through one man, our father Isaac. For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand—not from works but from the one who calls—she was told, The older will serve the younger. As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.

Paul has been working to teach the converted Jews in the Roman church about their heritage in dealing with the law and things of that nature. We see a bit of tender heartedness here in Paul. It should come as no surprise that he would feel this way. Paul was a Jew before converting to Christianity. In fact, he was such a supporter of Judaism, that he spent his Jewish life seeking to imprison followers of Christ. He was known as the chief persecutor. When Jesus confronted him on his way to Damascus, Paul had special permissions to go in and arrest any Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem for a trial.

Here is a man that so understood the law that now he sees just how Jesus fulfills that law. So now he wants his former Jewish brothers to also understand Christ, to stop rejecting Him. What’s more is that Paul states he would be separated from Christ if it meant they could come to know Jesus.

Do we have people in our lives that we grieve over for their disbelief? What do we do for them? Well, for one, we keep praying. Who knows? Maybe one day they will finally see the truth and follow Christ. I have people in my life and Dania does as well where we just don’t understand how these people don’t get it. There are family members that at one time proclaimed faith, but now have nothing to do with Christ. We have one family member that was struggling and so we were praying for her, like all of us here, and when she would talk to Dania should would give reports about all these prayers being answered, but as far as she was concerned, it was mere coincidence. It grieves the heart, right? Paul had friends that he grieved over. These folks knew the truth, they knew the Law, but they were so blinded by what they wanted that they missed it. They miss the forest for the trees as the old saying goes.

So there is this sense of despair as we see them all headed toward destruction. When we care about someone, it pains us to watch them go through times of tumult and pain. Paul is grieved because there are all these brothers of his that are destined for pain because they cannot see who Jesus is.

As far as the Israelites go, they were the chosen ones. They had all the advantages. God had made them separate from the other nations. He led them through the wilderness. He gave them the details on how to set up the tabernacle and later the temple. He defeated their enemies for them. They were the ones that all this was intended for, but they fail. They don’t get it right. So Paul is answering an inferred question, who is at fault? Is it God or is it them? The answer of course is that it is them.

Jesus tells the parable of the two sons to the chief priests. The chief priests knew the Law. They knew the prophecies. They could not figure out who Jesus is. They ask where He gets His authority from, so Jesus answers their question with a question. They know that from a political standpoint, they cannot answer the question without upsetting certain people. So they just say “We don’t know.” Then we read in Matthew 21:28–32 ““What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go work in the vineyard today.’ “He answered, ‘I don’t want to,’ but later he changed his mind and went. Then the man went to the other and said the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he answered, but he didn’t go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.”

The Israelites represent the first son. They had been told what to do, but they just decided not to. They got called away by other stuff. So even though they were the original chosen ones, it’s the sinful people, the tax collectors and prostitutes that are now following God and doing His will. They set out with the intention to do what they want, but God got ahold of them and now they work for Him. Jesus reminds them there that John had come to them by the way of righteousness. John was so righteous and mysterious that when he first came on the scene, the chief priests sent messengers out to figure out whether John was the Messiah or not. John answered that he was not, He was merely the herald. He even quotes Isaiah 40:3 “A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.” Even though they thought he might be the Messiah, when John informs them that he is the precursor, the one that was to come before as a herald, these guys miss it. They are so close, but they miss it. No wonder some folks think that the wailing and gnashing of teeth we hear in hell are those that moan “I missed it, I was so close, but I missed it.” As I was preparing this sermon, I had the thought that trying to get people to understand their need for Jesus is like trying to convince people they need an umbrella when it is sunny out. I can stand out on a corner with a bunch of umbrellas and say “here take this umbrella, free of charge” and it is sunny and hot outside, most people are going to look at me like I’m crazy and tell me no thank you if they even take the time to even acknowledge my presence at all. I can implore them to take that umbrella, but most are going to walk away without it. It won’t be until later when it is pouring down and they are drenched that they realize they should have taken the umbrella. For many, they will understand their need for Jesus when it is too late.

So who fails? Is it God and His word that failed to convert and convict? Paul gives us an irrefutable no. God’s word does not fail. As people, we have the choice to either follow God or reject Him. We see that play out regularly throughout the Bible. Even the people that had been set apart and called holy managed to stray from God regularly. Rather than look to God and His mercies for fulfillment and rule, they looked to the nations around them and thought they could find contentment there. Of course, that’s what everyone is seeking. Everyone is seeking contentment. The sad fact is, only a few people will find that source of true contentment. That water that always satisfies. John 4:14 “But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”” We can look all over for fulfillment. Some things will fill that void for a bit, but that satisfaction eventually fades and we have to go back to looking for something else. We all have a God shaped hole in our lives and the only thing that can truly plug it up is God Himself. Yet people miss it, even people that were chosen miss it.

The plan of salvation was always Jesus. It was always God’s plan to send His Son here to die a terrible and gruesome death so that humanity could be saved. It was always that way. He was not meant to be a blessing only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. When God promised Abraham that he would be a blessing, God promised him he would be blessing to all nations. However, that blessing comes through one of Abraham’s kids. It is through Isaac that we see that blessing fulfilled. Isaac marries Rebekah. She becomes pregnant with twins. It was a hard pregnancy. So hard in fact that she asked The LORD about it. Genesis 25:23 “And the Lord said to her: Two nations are in your womb; two peoples will come from you and be separated. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” Already there is a power struggle between the two. When it the time comes for Rebekah to give birth, the first one comes out covered in hair like a fur coat. He is names Esau. His brother comes out right after, grasping Esau’s heel. In the Ancient Near East custom, since Esau came out first, He is heir apparent. Out of all the inheritance from his father, he would get one half of that and any other sibling would get the other half divided among themselves. The fact that Jacob is clutching onto his brother’s heel raises the question, is Esau the first born or are they both technically the first born. Normally when we are dealing with twins, at least a minute or two goes between the birth of the children. I have known several twins in my life and the one that was born 5 minutes earlier tends to joke about how they are the older one.

To further complicate things, Isaac loves Esau. Esau is more of the hunting type. Jacob is a good old fashioned mama’s boy. Rebekah loves him. We see several examples of why parents should not play favorites when it comes to their children. Jacob is always scheming. At one point when they are older, Esau comes in hungry from hunting. Jacob has made some stew, aka the red stuff, and demands his brother give him a bowl. Now, according to the Ancient Near East custom and hospitality regulations, Jacob should have just freely given it over. That’s not the case, though. Instead, he demands that Esau sell him his birthright in exchange for the stew. Now, when we read the story, we can look at Jacob as if he’s the bad guy for exchanging his meal for the the birthright. Jacob certainly is a trickster, but we don’t see that side of him until a little bit later.

Esau’s Complete Rejection of His Birthright.

Who is to blame for Esau’s loss? He is. In reality Esau is to blame. He despises his birthright. When we get into Hebrews we will see that the author of that book describes Esau as unholy. He doesn’t understand the importance and significance that God has promised to fulfill through Isaac’s descendants. Esau made a terrible choice. He gave up his birthright just for some stew. He gave up the promise that was set apart for him, that would have lasted his lifetime, and gave it up for something that would satisfy his gut for a few hours. As a quick aside, this is an example of why it is never a good idea to make a decision while you are hungry! There were plenty of other options to satisfy his hunger, but Esau was set to get the red stuff that his brother was making. He had choices, but he chose terrible wrong.

Getting the birthright was relatively easy, but getting the blessing would be a different matter. When Isaac is old and cannot see, Rebekah eavesdrops to discover that Isaac is getting ready to give his blessing to Esau. So she confronts Jacob and hatches a plan to ensure that her favorite gets the blessing. She makes a meal, not with the wild game that Isaac has requested Esau bring him, but with delicious food that Isaac loved. She put Esau’s clothes on Jacob so he smelled like him. Then she took goat skins and put them on the bare parts of Jacob so he would be hair like Esau. I mean, Esau must have been an incredibly hairy man. Isaac is still not convinced this is his son because he doesn’t sound like him. Jacob tells an outright lie. Genesis 27:19–20 “Jacob replied to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?” He replied, “Because the Lord your God made it happen for me.”” Jacob keeps on with the lie. He gives Isaac food and wine. Eventually Isaac calls him closer and we read in Genesis 27:28–29 “May God give to you— from the dew of the sky and from the richness of the land— an abundance of grain and new wine. May peoples serve you and nations bow in worship to you. Be master over your relatives; may your mother’s sons bow in worship to you. Those who curse you will be cursed, and those who bless you will be blessed.” This blessing that Isaac is pronouncing goes far beyond the normal blessings of those days. Isaac is playing on the idea that all nations will bow down to his heir. He also gives a play on words that God had given Abraham in pronouncing the curse on anyone that curses him.

Esau comes back just after they have finished the blessing. It’s a pretty emotionally charged event. Isaac is heartbroken because his son has deceived him. Esau is heartbroken and enraged because he has lost the blessing. His trickster brother has taken advantage of him once again. It’s easy to label Esau as the victim here, but there is one thing that we have to remember. Esau was the one that rejected his birthright. He was technically the oldest. That birthright belonged to him, but he gave it away for some “red stuff”. I am not certain, but I am pretty sure that Isaac would have told Esau about the amazing things God said He would do through their bloodline. Esau rejected it, though. He chose to satisfy his temporary hunger by giving up an eternal reward. I’m sure at the time he didn’t realize what a terrible mistake he was making, but that set the stage for Jacob to go one way and him to go another.

Jacob goes off to hide from his brother that has sworn to kill him off. They will meet again and Esau will be in a much better mood than he is in this chapter. However, we really don’t hear much about Esau after this. He comes up a couple of times, normally as a bad example. We know that he gets involved with the Ishmaelites, eventually Edom is founded, consisting of his descendants. But other than that, he kind of drifts off.

But we follow Jacob’s line throughout the Old Testament. The 12 tribes of Israel are all from the 12 sons of Jacob. Here he is, a trickster and a liar, but God is going to use him to do His work. Why? Well, because that’s what God had decided. Also, the reality is that Esau rejected his spot. He was the first in line. He should have had the birthright, but he rejected it. He got rid of it. I look at this story and I know how it goes. I know that it happened this way because God made it happen that way, but I still find it a little unsettling that Jacob does this to the rightful heir and he gets away with it. Maybe that’s because I’m the oldest out of my family. So why is Jacob chosen instead of Esau? Because. God is God and we are not. He can do what He wants. He used a liar and a cheat to establish His chosen people. Later on Jacob will go and wrestles with God. They come to a stalemate. Genesis 32:28 ““Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”” Israel literally means to wrestle with God. And through the entire Bible we see a people group wrestling with God. I dare say that if we look at our lives, we too are guilty of wrestling with God.