Let’s Pray

Today’s scripture gives us a glorious look at Paul’s heart and love

Paul loved those he preached to

those he shepherded

Paul felt and experienced and more importantly knew God’s love for him in Jesus and loved others as he was loved by Jesus

Now as we get going this morning you need to realize this week and next week go together

our scripture this morning shows Paul’s love for his kinsmen

Israelites

verses 4-5 describe who Old Testament Israelites were

so we will touch on that because it leads into next week

Romans 9:1-5

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Romans 9:1–5 “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”

I am going to start with verses 4-5....sorry Logan...I know it is out of order but will be the best way to handle this section of scripture

Romans 9:4–5 “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”

Paul here is reminding us and his readers of the day who Old Testament Israel was

God’s chosen people

God knew the outcome before the journey

He knew before the world was formed and before man was created that Israel would reject Him and that through Jesus salvation would be offered to all people not just Israel

Deuteronomy 4:13

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Deuteronomy 4:13 “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.”

What separated Old Testament Israel from all other people groups.....God chose them

God designed for them to be set apart

He would be their God and they would be His people

Now as we discuss Israel I want to be clear

You hear nation of Israel preached or read it in scripture and many try to use our understanding of nations such as USA and apply that to Israel and that was not the case

When we think of nation we think of USA or Canada or Mexico

That is not what is being discussed

God chose a people not a region or nation in terms of boundary and government etc

The Bible calls them Nation of Israel and that is accurate but not our nation

God chose a people group.....boundaries and government came later but that was not the design

Her is also what Old Testament Israel is not

Many today hear Israel of the Bible and think of the country in the middle east that was formed on May 14 1948....modern day Israel

So many people claim to be a Christian you must stand with modern day Israel....they are God’s chosen people

I believe through scripture that is not true

Now with that said I do stand with Israel but not for that reason

I believe based on the USA and how God set up our government that His chosen earthly government is democracy

since I believe that and Israel has a democracy I believe they should be supported just like any nation who has or is trying to move to a democracy

they are not God’s chosen people of the old testament

If you have questions about that hit up calendly and get a time to sit down together and I can walk through scripture with you

Back to this morning

What separated Old Testament Israel was

first God chose them and set them apart.....

how

by covenant

Most today do not understand covenant

when you read or hear covenant you think contract

wrong

not the same

God operates under covenant not contract so lets work this morning to understand covenant

Contract as we understand today is legally binding....if you breech a contract the other party is released from their obligation and you are able to take them to court

If you sign a contract to work....you agree to work as described by the contract and you agree to work for as long as described in the contract

take a teacher contract for example

our contracts are for 185 ish days...our contract time is 7:30-3:30 pm meaning on those days we are to be at our assigned school and teaching position from 7:30 to 3:30 every day

If i..the teacher break the contract I am charged anywhere from $4000 to $8000 depending on when it happens and if fine is not paid then school board could go after my teaching license as a result of breech of contract

once I break the contract...quit....the school district is no longer obligated to pay me

contract now is null and void due to breech or breaking

Covenant is not a contract

when one enters into a covenant it is legally binding until it is fulfilled or death

there is not getting out of covenant....even if the other party fails to uphold their end of the covenant you must hold up your end

this is why marriage and divorce is such a bid deal

God instituted marriage and declared it covenant

when you get married you enter into covenant

marriage is until death do you part...that is the deal

God, knowing we were weak, did allow two ways for people to get a divorce

first adultery.....cheating

second if one is saved and the spouse is not and the spouse who is unsaved asks for divorce you are allowed to divorce

Now divorce is not the unpardonable sin however today people including Christians are so quick to divorce and it breaks God’s heart and law

God called Israel

chose Israel

set Israel apart

God entered into covenant with Israel

In Genesis 17 we see God enter into covenant with Abraham....formally forming God’s people Israel

the sign was physical circumcision

this was an everlasting covenant and even though Israel rejected God and failed to keep their end of the covenant God kept His part...not only by sending Jesus to fulfill it but setting apart 144,000 a remnant of Israel

All of the old testament the old covenant expectations and rules were to appease God’s wrath against sin and set Israel apart as a holy

peculiar people

all was based on God’s ways not man’s ways

Feasts

food rules

worship

sacrifices

all were fulfilled by Jesus who opened salvation to everyone not just Jews and Israel

Paul was a Jew

the old testament Jews were his kinsmen

He loved his kinsmen

He also loved the gentiles....anyone who was not a Jew

Ephesians 2:12

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Ephesians 2:12 “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”

without Christ the gentiles.....you and me… were aliens

outsiders

strangers

we are not Jews we are gentiles

we become spiritual Jews upon repentance that leads to salvation

how

Jesus

we will look next week why Paul’s heart breaks for his kinsmen

jews trying to earn salvation by works....keeping the law etc

the rest of this morning I want to look at Paul’s love

Romans 9:1-3

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Romans 9:1–3 “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”

Shows just how deeply Paul loves people...in this case his kinsmen

Heaviness

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Greek means sadness....grief....sorrow

Continual

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Greek means permanent, without ceasing

Sorrow

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Greek means grief sorrow

This is more than

man this sucks for them

i am sorry this happened

If you have ever experienced grief

or loved someone who has you know it is consuming

it can’t be pushed away

it is constant

always there

paul was torn up

heaviness

permanent sorrow in his heart for those rejecting Jesus

paul goes as far as to say he would switch them places

he would stand against Christ if it meant them being saved

that is heavy

that is love

give yourself over to eternal damnation and punishment

willingly take God’s wrath so someone else can have life and eternity with God in heaven

Is that your heart?

do you love people as Jesus loves you

do you love people as God loves you

This world needs you to love people as God loves people

this world needs you to love people as paul loved people

John 15:13

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John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

I John 3:16

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1 John 3:16 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

If you are honest these two verses are very convicting

selfless love

as humans our love is always conditional

that is why loving our way is wrong

you must love God’s way with HIS love Holy Spirit produces in you

our love...human love....is conditional

if you do something for me I will love you

i will love you as long as I am happy

I will love you as long as you serve me

think about your last disagreement you had with someone

what would it have looked like if you laid down your life for them

if you loved them selflessly

unconditonally

killed your pride

what would it have looked like?

let’s go further

when you meet someone on the street

do you see them as God sees them

someone Jesus died for

is your biggest concern their salvation

are they saved

if not how can I show them Jesus

or

do you see them and think

what a problem

what a waste

they are dirty

stinky

filthy

they choose drugs and addiction over those they love etc

what do you think when you see people

get honest with yourself

would you willingly trade them places in terms of salvation

do you love them enough

where does that love come from

Jesus

Paul was killing Christians as Saul

he met Jesus and Jesus changed him

he spent three years in the desert with Jesus learning who Jesus was

Paul knew Jesus in fact gave Himself for everyone and paul wanted to do the same

is that you

do you have paul’s heart

this is more than semantics

this is more than words

do you truly love others as Jesus loves you

if not get with God this morning and figure it out

invitation