Romans 9:1-8
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1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Romans 9:1-
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SLIDE 4
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Romans 9:4-
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SLIDE 5
Romans 9:
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
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INTRO:
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Paul is basically, beginning a new message beginning at chapter 9.
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In the previous chapters, the argument has been laid out with clarity and conviction… we receive and experience salvation… not according to the demands of the law… not by our works or by our effort…
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But solely by the grace of God.
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We are not bound to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law. We are unable. And fortunately, Jesus has fulfilled them on our behalf.
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We stand in the grace of Jesus, as those who have fulfilled the law… not because of our heritage or our birthright…NOT because we are born into a certain family, tribe or nation....
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But solely, because of faith on our part, and THE loving grace on God’s part.
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The message ended with a promise… that we are… not just conquerors… we are… super conquerors… because God is on our side… because His love cannot be separated from us..
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We are incredibly, and amazingly blessed. You can’t walk away from , and 8 without amazement.
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And yet… in all of this, there was probably a question in the minds of the Roman church… there was still, a nagging thought…
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If God’s promises for us are so great… well, what about Gods promises to Israel?
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If this new, great, amazing message for anyone, Gentiles included is so great… well, what about Israel? Has God abandoned them? Has He washed His hands? And if so, what if He decides later to abandon us and wash His hands of us....
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In , , and 25… Paul was opposed and even arrested because of His message… -that the Gospel was available to the Gentiles. The Jews took great offense, that this man who was formerly a devout Jew, is now bringing a message of salvation to Gentiles… claiming that Jesus was actually the true Messiah.
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Some would be regarding Paul as a traitor… even amongst those who were in the church at Rome…
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And so… in true form, Paul anticipates this opposition… and lays out a very important lesson beginning in . It’s a lesson about Israel. What’s the story? Where do they fit in? Has God washed His hands of them? Has Paul given up on his own people?
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Paul knows these questions exist… so Paul takes some time to answer them.
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SLIDE 6
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1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Romans 9:1
13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
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I appreciate the tone that Paul is setting forth in verse one. - Verse two and three are full of emotion. - And I don’t know about you, but when I hear emotional pleas… I immediately wonder if it’s an act. Don’t you? The bigger they play up the emotion… be it a preacher, a politician, a protester, or a salesperson… the more I wonder if I’m getting snowed.
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I don’t know if this would have been an issue in Paul’s culture… but based on his sincere plea in verse one, I’m thinking that maybe… it was. - In three different ways, Paul is letting his readers know… that he is sincere.
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I know, that those of you who think I’m a traitor to Israel might think that I’m lying… but I am speaking the truth in Christ. Then he restates it, communicating how emphatic this statement is… I AM NOT LYING. - Then, a third time… I know, that those of you who think I’m a traitor to Israel might think that I’m lying… but my conscience bears me witness in the HS.
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What Paul is about to say in verse two and three needs to be received as being true. This is his heart… this is how he honestly and sincerely feels about this issue.
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What is all this heartfelt emotion about?
In what regard, does Paul have great sorrow and anguish?
On whose behalf is Paul willing to sacrifice himself for?
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The end of verse three tells us… for his kinsmen… according to the flesh.
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Up until this moment, Paul has been speaking extensively about his kinsmen according to the spirit. He regards his spiritual family, in Christ as being a real and true family… - But in the flesh, he was born from the tribe of Benjamin… from his flesh, he is from the nation of Israel. In his flesh, he is a Hebrew.
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And concerning these kinsmen, according to the flesh… Paul declares… that he wishes he could trade his life… even his own salvation, if it meant that Israel would be saved.
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He doesn’t rejoice that the majority of Israel has rejected the Messiah. He mourns it deeply. He mourns for those who do not embrace the truth that he embraces..
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I have to say… I think the church could benefit from a little more mourning. Think with me for a moment… how do we generally deal with people we disagree with? How do we deal with people who don’t see things as we do? How do we deal with people who embrace different doctrines and follow after different teachings?
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Here’s what I have a tendency to do… I have a tendency to draw a line in the sand… and declare that I am on my team, and they are on their team… and my team is better than their team.
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Paul could’ve said… “Oh, those dumb followers of a dead religion! I have found truth and those losers are floundering in their old ways.” - Paul could have set himself apart… and because he had truth, and they had a lie… he could have elevated himself over them… and dealt with them harshly.
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But that’s not what he does… even though they, as a group, had persecuted Paul… he doesn’t cast hatred and aspersion towards them.
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But we have a tendency to do this… it’s natural, and it’s easy to fall into it. To curse the Christians who follow after false doctrines because we embrace true doctrine.. or to criticize and demote the Christians who follow after petty and shallow platitudes because we study the whole counsel of God. Or to shake our social media fists at those who practice a form of Christianity that is devoid of the Gospel, while we are saved and blessed fully in the Gospel.
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I have a friend… a pastor friend… who is one of the most passionate and devoted guys I know. I respect his zeal and his commitment to give his all for Jesus. However… when it comes to his fellow Christians who don’t believe exactly as he does… He’s just mean. - I’m often a bit uncomfortable with the judgment he casts towards
Paul mourns deeply for the lost and the deceived. The ones who hated him… the ones who beat him… the ones who had him arrested… the ones who hired assassins and plotted his death… - Paul doesn’t hate them back… Paul mourns deeply for them… because they don’t know the freedom and the blessing that he knows in Jesus.
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He’s going to re-state it with clarity at the beginning of chapter 10
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SLIDE 7
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1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
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When Paul writes to Timothy, he challenges him to do his best to present himself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. … you’ve heard this verse before… ...
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Then, after telling him what to do, he tells him what to avoid… - to not participate in irreverent babble… (vs. 16)… to avoid those who preach false ideas about the resurrection (vs. 18). To cleans himself from dishonor, (vs. 21)… then he gets real direct in vss 22-26…
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flee youthful passions… pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.. Avoid foolish controversies… Don’t be quarrelsome, but be kind.... able to teach, patiently enduring evil… - Then vss 25-26 is where he brings this message home.
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SLIDE 8
25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
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I said earlier… that the church would benefit from a little more mourning… I’m going to add to this… - gentleness. - We would benefit from gentleness when we interact with our opponents.
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This is what a worker who is approved by God will do… this is the tenor of our approach, if we are rightly handling the word of truth.
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In … we find the Jewish people hating a man name Zacchaeus. Why? Because he was a wealthy tax collector. He was an agent of Roman government, and that made him a traitor… a sinner… a horrible person.
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But… as they hated this man, and turned their backs on him… Jesus loved him, and received him. Zacchaeus became a believer in Jesus and was a changed man. - When the Jews grumbled that Jesus showed this horrible tax collector compassion.... JESUS SAID THIS:
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SLIDE 9
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19
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Back to … this is Paul’s desire concerning his kinsmen according to the flesh… THEY ARE LOST.. and he wants to see them saved.
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Paul defines his kinsmen.. - their heritage and their great privilege in verses 4-5
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SLIDE 10
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
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To them belong the adoption:
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It says in … “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”
SLIDE 11
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22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,
EXODUS
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The term, ‘firstborn son’ speak of inheritance.... God has an incredible inheritance for Israel… but, Israel wasn’t really a ‘born son’… Israel was adopted. In fact… Israel was the result of God’s third mission of mankind.
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God had a whole world full of people.... but they became so utterly wicked, that He chose to destroy them with the flood… Then, God started over with Noah… and after 8 or 9 generations beyond the flood… the people were unified in both language and mission. Their mission… was to build a great tower to the heavens… to become a great nation in need of nothing from God..
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So… God confused them… and dispersed them.
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Millions of people, before and after the flood… - But God decided to take a different approach in . He picked one man… a man named Abram was chosen… and God made a covenant with Abram… And through his son Isaac, a man named Jacob was born… and Jacob’s name was changed to Israel… and Israel fathered 12 sons, who ultimately became 12 tribes… who ultimately became that nation...
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These people, were born with a heritage of great privilege… Theirs was the adoption… the result of God’s third mission of mankind. Mission number one: Adam to Noah ended in the flood. Mission number two: from Noah to Babel… ended in confusion and dispersion… But mission number 3… From Abraham to, and through Jesus… was the mission that brings a blessing to all the nations of the world.
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Look what Israel… the adopted son of God… gets to be part of… -This great mission of mankind… to win back and restore, those who were confused and dispersed at Babel.
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SLIDE 12
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18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
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When Paul says, “to them belong the adoption”… - he is recognizing… that Israel is part of something really big.
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To Israel also belonged the glory. - They had the “Shekinah”… the visible token of the Divine Presence in the midst of them. It rested on the ark and filled the tabernacle as they wandered in the wilderness… and it continued to be present in the temple… in Jerusalem
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No other nation had anything like that. They had temples and they had gods… but they did not have the shekinah presence of God the creator.
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To Israel also belonged the covenants… - There were many covenants… but mainly, they had the one which was given to Abraham… and until Jesus came… it was all theirs.
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SLIDE 13
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16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
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To Israel also belonged the ‘giving of the law, the worship, and the promises…’ -
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To those who doubted Paul’s position concerning Israel… - Paul was making it abundantly clear. He mourns deeply for his people… and he recognizes the amazing heritage that God has given to His people.. - But as we see in verse 5… - The privilege that God extends in and through family of Abraham… both stops, and begins… at Jesus.
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We just read … the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring… singular… which is Christ.
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Then, back in today’s passage… … from their patriarchs… is the Christ… who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
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Paul is declaring it… no holds bar… Jesus is God over all.
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The great privilege of these people, for whom Paul mourns deeply… for these people to whom Paul confronts with gentleness… to these people who were born into the richest of all heritages ever… — Their blessing either ends… or begins… with Jesus.
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Without Jesus… the promised blessing given to Abraham… comes to an end.
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They have all this great heritage… but if they fail to recognize Jesus for whom He truly is… they might wonder: “Has the word of God failed them?”
Paul picks this argument up in the following verses.
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SLIDE 14
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6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
ROMANS 9:6-
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These three verses are going to serve as an overlap with next week’s message. They set the stage for a profound message on election and God’s sovereignty.... but they also wrap up the story of Israel that Paul is currently telling.
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Romans 9(-
What about Israel?
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Well, first off… the word of God has not failed Israel. - And Paul explains it in terms that that they would understand.
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He is going to take them back to Isaac, the son of Abraham.. - who was not the only son of Abraham. Isaac was the son of promise… but Ishmael wasn’t… and Isaac would have two sons… and Jacob would be the son of promise… but Esau wouldn’t.
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The people of Israel understood this idea…
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So with this understanding… Paul tells them, that not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.
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The word ‘Israel’ literally means: prince with God… or Governed by God.
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The Romans who were wondering about Israel… are now beginning to get an answer. -Not all who are born of this nation, are truly, ‘Governed by God’. - He’s not really going to bring this message home for quite some time… but we get a glimpse of the conclusion in chapter 10:
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SLIDE 15
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3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Romans 10:
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Israel will always be Israel… as Paul’s kinsmen… according to the flesh… but according to the Spirit… Israel is as they are named: Governed by God..
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And look what says… - being ignorant of the righteousness of God that is only available in Jesus… they did not submit to God’s righteousness. They are still trying to gain righteousness in the law… and Christ is the end of that endeavor.
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It all ends and begins with Jesus.
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Paul has so much more to say… about God’s sovereign plan… about God’s right to mold his creation… like a potter with clay… in whatever way He sees fit… But it all leads to this conclusion..
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Not all who are Israel in the flesh… are Israel in the spirit… not all are Governed by God.
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Jesus is the end of the law for righteousness… -it all ends, or begins with Jesus. And you don’t have to be a Jew for this to be true. This is true for all of us..
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It all ends… or begins… with Jesus.
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If you are still trying to please God by being religious… by doing works… by being good… by going to church… by fulfilling a list of religious obligations… - Know this. It isn’t going to work.
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God is pleased with Jesus… and if you want God to be pleased with you.. then you need the one whom God is pleased with in your life. - You don’t gain His favor… His friendship… or His fellowship, without Jesus.
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Your laws will not give you righteousness… - Only Jesus will give it to you.
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the Bible says, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead… you will be saved.
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If you have never been saved. If you have never accepted His forgiveness. If you are still trying to fulfill some false idea of making God happy with your works… - then you are not Governed by God.. YOu are not a child of promise. YOu are not an heir of Abraham.
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But, you can be… and today, if you are ready to make that decision… I invite you forward to pray during our closing song.
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end.