Restoration

I needed some supplies from a Sunday School cupboard that was seldom used and was secured with a lock. I didn't know the combination, but our clergyman offered to give it a try. Father Jack placed his fingers on the lock's dial and raised his eyes heavenward for a moment. Then he confidently spun the dial and opened the lock. Seeing how impressed I was with this demonstration of faith, he smiled and confided, "The numbers are written on the ceiling."

Friends, there is a mystery to what Paul is referring to, and yet this mystery is now revealed to us. God’s Mercy is in play, let’s look up to discover that mystery this morning.

The Power of God for Restoration

The Power of God for Restoration

The Power of God for Restoration

Romans 11:23–24 ESV

23 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. 24 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.

All things are possible with God. Scripture teaches that what is “impossible with man is possible with God.”

In verse 23-24, Paul points out that it is completely possible for Jews to be included in the people of God. There is a catch...”They do not continue in their unbelief.”

If they were cut out because of their deliberate unbelief, they could be brought in again if they turned to God in faith. The ONE truth that creates the possibility is the power of God. Remember ?

Romans 1:16 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Paul suggests the power of God here with the phrase...”how much more”

For anyone to suggest that Israel cannot be saved, or anyone else for that matter, is to deny that God is able to DO ALL THINGS.

Jesus says in that “with people salvation is impossible, but with God “all things are possible.” Here, Paul is simply saying agin, GOD HAS THE POWER.

Our God is a God who specializes in doing the difficult and even the impossible thing. says “God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.”

Paul is telling you this morning, “If God can save you, you who were born without the privileges of 9:4-5, then HE can certainly save a Jew, who was born into them!”

It is unreasonable to expect that anyone would be saved, but standing where Paul is standing it seems more probablye to

Write this down, as we sing it often… “Our God is Mighty to Save!”

The Prophecy of God for Restoration

Romans 11:25–27 ESV

25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

Romans 11:

Problems - Verse 25a - Christ, as a Jew, was rejected by the Jews. , . In reference to the “partial hardening...”

Luke 23:18 ESV

18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—

John 1:11 ESV

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

The closer near the end of this time, man is becoming more hardened to Christ.

Here yet again, another warning against spiritual pride, arrogance. What the Gentiles needed to know was a mystery, but Paul is about to reveal that mystery so that pride does not set up shop in the heart of the Gentile.

Chapters 9,10 & 11 all deal with this blindness and rejection of Israel. But the outcome is different, there will be a time of salvation.

The Mystery? - Israel’s hardness is not permanent, and that “all Israel will be saved.”

Who is in view? - It refers to the Jews as a whole body.

What’s being said? - It says they will be “saved.” What does that mean? It means a person is delivered from danger, a serious impending danger.

We are all in the same lost condition, separated from God, and so to be saved means that you are SAVED FROM THE GUILT AND POWER OF SIN. “The wages of SIN is death...” It’s who we are outside of a personal relationship with Jesus.

Yet you, by yourself, or even as a people group, lack the POWER, the ABILITY to save yourselves. Just ask Israel.

Acts 4:12 ESV

12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

John 3:17 ESV

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

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Here, saved in the verb tense references a past action that has ongoing effects.

Romans 5:9–10 ESV

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Here & now we can be saved from God’s wrath and saved by His life.

For Paul, there is always an aspect of salvation that happened in the past, and is ongoing today in the present, and certainly it is filled with future hope.

In verse 26, Paul quotes from , and states there a “Deliverer will come”.

Christ, Messiah would come to deliver man from His ungodliness. First given in .

So Paul is saying at some point, “Israel” as a whole will experience salvation through Jesus Christ. So Paul is saying once again, don’t give up on Israel.

We’ve seen just recently how some think the truth that Jesus is the only way to the Father to be hateful and even anti-semitic.

How many will be saved? What does “all” mean? Most likely it does not mean every single Jew without exception. So it means a great number of Jewish people.

The promise is that when Christ would come, He would deliver man from His sin. .

It could happen in a last minute, large-scale mass revival of Christianity and Jews.

Could also mean that its a steady but growing flow of Jews into Xnity until we arrive at a place where more of most Jews have come to believe.

Salvation will occur on the basis of personal faith in Israel’s Savior and Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Israel’s greatest problem is their sin and ungodliness. Guess what your greatest problem is? Sin and ungodliness. Guess what Jesus can do for you today? He can take away your sin and the ungodliness in your life.

The Promise of God for Restoration

Romans 11:28–32 ESV

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

The Promise - Verse 28 - The Jews fought the good news. Due to their rejection, the gospel was preached to the Gentiles. But God loves the Jews because of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Despite the hostility to the Gospel, God still loves them.

The gifts (grace) and calling of God (His commitment to make Israel His people).

His Personality - Verse 29 - “The gift and calling of God are without repentance.” God does not change His mind when HE chooses men and gives them His gifts.

clearly states this. God keeps His word, He will not change.

Hebrews 13:8 ESV

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

What ever gifts God had given to Israel, they were given as grace gifts, they were never deserved, and God will not take them back.

The Promise - Verses 30-31 - This salvation is and will be through the mercy of God.

God’s mercy is given to both Jew and Gentile.

Mercy - here, mercy describes an emotional response and resulting action after encountering the suffering and affliction of another.

Giving undeserved kindness or forgiveness to those who do not deserve it.

The ultimate expression of God’s mercy triumphing over judgment is the death of Jesus, which secures the final salvation for all who believe.

He chose, because of compassion, to have mercy.

We must understand this simple truth:

Before Christ, I disobeyed God and refused to believe the Gospel.

Meeting Christ - I learn of the truth of God’s mercy

After Christ - I am now saved from the wrath of God in part because the gospel reached beyond disbelieving Israel.

So if God can reach me with His mercy through their disobedience, He can certainly reach them with His mercy through my faith!

When salvation came to the Gentiles, it was completely the mercy of God because they were walking in deliberate unbelief. It will be the same for Israel…all based on God’s mercy!

The Problem - Verse 32 - This is not universalism which says, God will have mercy on all and save all. Romans does not allow us to take it in this fashion. clearly tells us that some will receive God’s judgment at the end.

God is not showing favoritism or preference…He used the Jews to reach the Gentiles and the Gentiles to reach the Jews.

All people, both J & G, have been and are disobedient, and yet people, both J & G, will find God’s mercy, or rather be found by it.

God’s mercy is coming without distinction!

Galatians 3:22–23 ESV

22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

The same factors that come into play in the salvation of Israel must come into play in the salvation of every man. They are simply put:

The Power of God

The Faithfulness of God

The Mercy of God

It takes a God who has the power to save, a God who is faithful to keep His promises to save, and a God who is merciful to grant His salvation to those who do not deserve it.

From our side, there is the responsibility to respond in FAITH through God’s grace.

There is only ONE WAY to find salvation. JESUS ONLY AND ONLY JESUS.

God is all wise! Always present, and all powerful.

Our God does not make mistakes.

He is the Alpha and Omega, He is Eternal. He had no beginning and will have NO ending.

He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor.

He is unique.

He turns beauty from ashes, strength from fear, gladness from mourning, and peace from despair.

There is only ONE true and living God.

He knows your past and loves you by having paid for your past so you’d have a future. He knows all about the future, because He’s already there.

He works all things together for the good of those who love Him, for those called according to His purpose.

Though many reject Him today, God still loves and seeks to save that which was lost.

He does so through His Son, Jesus. Come and receive Him today through faith and trust.

He will not leave you the same!

He will take away sin and ungodliness.

You’ll be different than when you came this morning. Sin forgiven, with a new livin’ and a NEW CREATION in Christ, justified by faith in Christ Jesus.

Someday, the Jews will have a fresh start in Christ....You can have your fresh start today!

Respond to the MERCY of God!