Untitled Sermon (43)

We are beginning chapter 11 and this chapter brings up a discussion we have spent much time on and it would be worth it to look at what we have already covered.

Not just for the sake of contacts but to remind us hose what's Paul is talking about because he is the one that brings this topic up again.

If you remember back when we were in chapter 8 I told you all that the closing verses of chapter 8 all the way through chapter 11 are some of the most controversial chapters in all of scripture amongst Christians.

It may not be the most debated section not just within our time but throughout history.

And if you remember I shared with you all that this section of scripture is so controversial that pastors will go their entire careers never preaching out of the sections.

The type of preaching that I do is called expository preaching and the message that I do is called exegesis.

This is where you allow the text to speak for itself and you use scripture to interpret scripture and what you were doing is you are trying to the best of your abilities to create the original message the way it was originally meant to be understood.

You exegete the text, you do not read into the text things that are not there. The other route of preaching is called eisegesis and this is where you place yourself in the text and you pull out things that are not there.

Another way to look at this is that the first method starts with the text and builds up from their applying it to the self and the other method begins with the self and then tries to apply the self to the text.

Snout expository is the classic way of preaching. Only in recent history has expository preaching fallen by the wayside.

It is coming back and I'm glad to see it come back and there are different forms where people do expository topical series which I find a bit strange but the ones who are capable of doing it are good at doing it.

Put the common form of preaching that we have all been mostly used to have been topical style preaching where people begin with the self and try to put himself into the text rather than beginning with the text and then trying to figure out how it fits to us.

This is very method of topical sermons you begin with yourself because you were trying to decide what is relevant what do you feel like you need to speak on so on and so forth.

And so it always begins with the self rather than beginning with the text. The topical sermon preached through got the topic in mind and he goes okay now what verse is do I need to turn to in order to prove the point that I want to make.

And then we wonder why there are certain things we never heard of in the Bible. Because preachers not handle the word correctly because preachers did not take what they were doing seriously. And what a tragedy that has been.

But now that we have conditioned the human mind to think a certain way even though expository preaching is coming back we still face the issue of preachers not willing to tackle on the difficult issues.

Preachers who struggle with preaching on the difficult subjects and the reason why they struggle on this so much is because they’re not used to it.

They are not used to studying it they are not used to hearing it they are not used to hearing it being preached on and so they're kind of clueless on it.

so some expository preachers will go through the book of Romans but they will actually skip the end of chapter 8 and go right into chapter 12.

And the reason why preachers will go their entire preaching ministry without talking about this topic and the reason why there are some preachers out there who do expository preaching yet they will skip sections of chapter 8 and pick up at the beginning of chapter 12 is because of this word election.

And this is the topic that we are going to be discussing today. We spent a lot of time on and already but Paul brings it up again and so it is fitting we talked about it again.

Sinners the point of scripture and that is the point of expository preaching is that certain topics are repetitive because they are worth discussing over and over again.

in certain topics are repetitive because God wants us to hear this over and over again. Is God did not want us to hear such things he would not have put them in his word but he put this in his work for a purpose and our job is to understand that purpose and understand the teaching that God is laying out for us.

I have shared my own struggles with this doctor and as I did wrestle with this quite a bit but the one thing I could not stand or could not tolerate any longer was hearing I can tell you what it isn’t every time I ask what it is. what is this mean faster while I can tell you what it doesn't mean.

now the difference between us discussing it back when we began discussing it in chapter 8 verses now is that Paul is in the context of talking about Israel where in chapter 8 he was just talkin about salvation in general.

the context has changed a bit but much of it still applies as the same language is being used. And Paul does that on purpose he repeats and uses the same language so the reader knows what he is alluding to.

he has laid the foundation of the doctrine already and now he expects the reader to comprehend what he is saying now. and I think it is rewarding to walk through and I think it is comforting to look at. And I think that when we measure this up against our own culture that there is some comfort for us to take and a message like this.

In a culture that seems like it has turned its back on God. In a culture that has rejected his law and his morality and has done what is right in their own eyes. A culture that makes us scratch our head and go what in the world is going on and how much longer do we have.

So I am glad for all who are here now because I think that this is such a great topic and I think this is such a great discussion and if our hearts are open and receptive this is very comforting message to grasp onto.

So let us look at what Paul is saying to help us complete the narrative that he has already started.

Romans 11:1 NASB95

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Paul begins with the statement I say then. This word should take your mind to what was previously said. And in this case what has been said in the last two chapters.

He then asked God has not rejected his people has he? And this is kind of a double negative question that insinuates the answer. And he does answer with the emphatic may it never be.

The idea behind this word we have seen before it means far be it from your mind do not even allow that thought to enter. So why is Paul asking this question in the first place? What based on what he just concluded about the Jewish people.

And what he has been saying is that not all of Israel is of Israel and that he himself wishes he could be accursed for their sake. But he can't and so it is important that he preaches.

He then went into how the Jewish people should have known about this, not only their rejection but also the grafting in of the gentiles.

now Paul has already had this conversation and he already knows what people are going to say. You are saying that God went back on his promises about the Jewish people and that is the very thing that started this conversation to begin with.

Paul began speaking about election and then the question rose up what about the Jewish people if what you are saying is true about election, what about the Jewish people.

And he then explains the current condition of the Jewish people. Now when I say the current condition I mean the current condition of Paul’s day.

It is clear that there were a lot of gentile converts and not a lot of Jewish converts in the days of Paul. it is important to keep in mind that the New testament does document that there were a lot of Jewish converts and a lot of those Jewish converts were the first believers.

And so based on his experience of what he has taught in the past Paul already knows what is going to be asked before it can be asked and so he goes ahead and jump the gun for the people. Has God rejected his people? May never be. Don't even think such a thing. Why?

He says for I too I’m an Israelite a descendant of Abraham of The tribe of Benjamin. All the things you was people rested in Paul brings up. I am an Israelite meaning he comes from Jacob. Affirming his abrahamic descent and that he is from The tribe of Benjamin.

He is saying you do not to get more Jewish than I. I come from an esteemed bloodline. If God has rejected his people that means he has rejected me as well. so may it never be because then I would not be here. That is what Paul is saying but then he continues in verse 2.

Romans 11:2 NASB95

God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

now this verse does not need a whole lot of explanation it is pretty clear because he makes the statement that God has not rejected his people and then he also says do you not know the scripture is kind of leading their brain to the word of God.

He is pointing out that this is not just his opinion on the subject he is going to the word of God and he says what does the passage about Elijah say. what's the word that does need explanation is that word foreknew.

This is the first word that leads us back to chapter 8 and what was said there about for knowledge and election. Now the common understanding today when not properly looked at is that God look down the scope of time and is aware of people who would be faithful. And that is his foreknowledge.

The problem with that understanding is the word foreknew or foreknow itself. The word is not an adjective. It's a verb. Meaning it is an action by God. For whom he foreknew.

And not only is this an action done by God but the word itself has at in internment action. That not only does God has intellectual awareness of your existence before the foundation of the world but it states that God for loved you before the foundation of the world.

Which is why in history it has often been translated as for loved. We will talk more about this but before we do I really want to get into the context of what Paul is saying. So he moves on in verse 3 and 4.

Romans 11:3–4 NASB95

“Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

Paul is quoting from 1st Kings chapter 19 and to paint a picture of that story Elijah had just been on Mount Carmel and they’re alone he had been facing 850 false prophets.

This one man stood against them and defeated them and having defeated them he heard about the intentions of Queen Jezebel the intentions were to put him to death.

And upon hearing that he goes to God in prayer and he's praying that God do something about the people of Israel his prayer was a prayer against Israel. So he is praying that God does something against Israel.

He says they have broken your laws and they have killed your prophets and they have destroyed your altars. I alone am left and now they are threatening to kill me. Do something about these people destroy these people.

so that is the backstory of Paul addressing it in verse 3 and inverse for Paul gives us an answer. And the answer reveals to us that Elijah I was misinformed. Because Paul States what is the Divine response that I have kept for myself 7000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

Elijah thought that he was alone and that there were no one else who was on his side or on God side. And God told him no I have kept for myself 7000 men. What is the text say? I have kept. Who kept? God kept.

Now what is interesting is that we are talking about a time where they only counted the head of the household which were the men. And the men always represented their entire family.

So it could be well over 7,000 people. We don’t know for certain but if we were to take history and consideration that 7000 families that are being considered.

It doesn't mean that every man had a family but it could mean that there is well more than 7,000. This is also true of the feeding of the 5000 that's when they counted they only counted the head of the household. So there were well more than 5,000 people when Jesus fed them.

but for the sake of conversation let's just keep it at 7,000. The ratio between a person thinking that they are the only ones left to being informed that’s no there’s actually 7000 more like you, is huge. Compare that to something else and you would lose your head. I can only have one slice of cake?

Alright you convinced me here's 7000 slices of cake. That's a huge difference and so Paul is bringing up this old testament tax possibly because he may even have felt that way at some time. But there is a point to Paul bringing this up and he now makes that point in verse 5.

Romans 11:5 NASB95

In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.

Paul makes the connection to his day and is 100% saying that in his time there is a remnant. And he is 100% saying that this remnant is according to God’s gracious choice. There is no other explanation that Paul gives.

Now just in case anyone is curious the Greek word for choice is eklogey where we get the word election from. Or elect. Do you see why now it would benefit us to go back and remind ourselves of this doctrine?

Because Paul is assuming that the reader has an understanding of this already. Because he had spent so much time defending it and using Israel to defend this doctrine.

so he is now back at where he started when he started this conversation talking about the sovereignty of God. Now it is my belief that every true believing Christian believes in the doctrine of election whether they know it or not.

Because every true Christian will be inconsistent in their philosophy and in their theology when it comes to this subject if they rejected the subject. You will see it in the way that they pray.

Because according to those who reject this doctrine man is the one who decides and yet they will pray that God changes them. That is the doctrine of election pokes that God is changing people.

and so even though with their words they reject this in their prayer life they affirm it's quite a bit. But it's not only in the prayer life where the Christian affirms this doctrine but in their view of Israel. They have no problem when it comes to Israel affirming this doctrine.

Christians will even defended the nation of Israel by stating they are God's chosen people. So the issue people have is not with the doctrine of election generally speaking. The issue that they take is that they're not in control.

I mean let’s just be honest about the situation when you fight harder for your will vs. God’s will what does that say? However let's discuss the doctrine of election because this doctrine does not teach that God works against the will of man.

So we go to what they call the Golden chain of redemption or the golden chain of salvation. Those whom God foreknew he predestined to become conformed to the image of his son.

Listen to those words carefully those whom he foreknew he predestined to become conformed to the image of his son.

if we are to take scripture seriously and we should we need to recognize a few things. First, is there free will in the scriptures?

Yes there is before the fall. Mankind was created with free will before the fall and man exercised that free will to the destruction of the entire human race.

The fall of Man changed that freedom. The scripture is no longer show us nor do they teach that we have a free will after the fall. On the contrary we are told that we are slaves to sin. Not only are we told that we are slaves we are also told that we are dead in sin.

God promised that if man rebelled against him they would die and the day that Adam took a bite of that fruit we surely did die. It was a spiritual death. So the scriptures do not paint fallen man as free or as alive.

Nor do the scriptures tell us that man is innocent. So you have to understand first you were guilty, second you are dead. So the concept as you being a sinner dead it said enslave the same having a free will is nonsense and silly at best.

those who walk the streets celebrating saint are The walking Dead amongst us. And so election is the teaching then I only did God make us born again, made us alive again, made us a new creation, but he also changed our will which was inclined to sin to be inclined to righteousness.

It is not a working against the will of man it is changing the corrupt will of man. Do not forget that mankind is already guilty. But that the God has chosen a remnant out of an already pronounced guilty race.

So it's time to put your imagination caps on. You are guilty. You have violated the Divine laws and the lost you have violated are deserving of death.

So now you are on death row. And you were amongst other inmates were also on death row. And we will save for the sake of analogy that one person is executed a day on this death row.

Now here is what I want you to imagine. It is your week and you will be executed toward the end of the week let's say you're executed on Friday. And you have to watch other people go to the electric chair everyday and never see those people again because they were executed.

And now it's Friday and your day has come and the guards come and take you and they walk you to the electric chair than get you all strapped in and now they are just waiting for that clock to turn the midnight so they can pull the lever.

But then the phone rings, and it's the governor and he says do not pull that lever. This criminal has been pardoned. And so you were just minutes away from death and a sovereign makes the call for you to be pardoned. The people before you were not parted but you were.

In that situation there was nothing unjust. The people who were executed before you were guilty they deserved that punishment. The problem in our thinking is that we honestly think we don’t deserve punishment.

But if God allows one to go to the electric chair and keeps another from not going to the electric chair that does not mean he is unjust or unfair.

It just means he chose to pardon somebody and not someone else. but you cannot accuse a Divine judge of not being fair amongst people who are lawbreakers.

So then what does election look like? A common analogy that is giving about salvation in our culture is that of a person drowning.

They would describe it like this, you are in the ocean and you are drowning and the water is covering your face your hand is barely sticking out over the surface of the water and God throws you a life preserver. But it is up to you to grab onto that life preserver.

And I am going to argue that is not at all how salvation is depicted in the New testament. But I will use it the same scene to give you a different analogy. So the one analogies says you were sinking you are almost dead with your hand is just above water.

I’m going to argue that salvation is this you are in the water you are dead you’re at the bottom of the ocean and you were not breathing.

Completely lifeless. And then God those into the oceans went the deepest he can go to rescue you from that depth and pull you out and then he gave divine cpr 2u breathing new life into you.

And upon you waking up and realizing that you have been rescued from death and the depth of the ocean you are grateful and you respond to your rescuer who’s saying follow me.

Because the scriptures do not communicate that we were almost a dead or that we are parsley alive the scriptures communicate that we are dead in our trespasses. That there is no life in us and then we go to and we see that God is giving life to dead bones.

It is the ultimate rescue story and we try to change the narrative to include ourselves into the story.

This my friends is the doctrine that has been buried in our American culture and it is one that Paul leans on for comfort. And Paul cause this a gracious choice. And then he goes on to State and verse 6

Romans 11:6 NASB95

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

This is where he pulls the rug from underneath so many Christians today. Grace is unmerited favor. Unmerited favor. Meaning God has found a favor in somebody apart from their merit, apart from their works. And so Paul has to explain if it is by Grace it is no longer by works otherwise Grace would no longer be grace.

If you are reaching for the life preserver then it is no longer Grace. if you argue that God look down the scope of time and seen the merits that you would be doing then it is no longer Grace that you are teaching. And we have to understand this.

because this is something that I am not just making up and this is something that Paul is making up but this is the biblical picture of salvation. You may not like it but this is how God reveals it to us. But what is the application here and why does Paul find comfort in this.

Well let's think about the section of scripture that Paul is quoting. Elijah was outnumbered and he felt betrayed by his own people. He looked around and he said there is nobody left. They have all given into the ways of the world.

But the thing is Elijah cannot see what God sees. And we cannot see what God sees. It is a frightening time to be God’s people in America right now and sometimes it feels like we are defeated and then that’s all have gone astray.

And we are seeing ministries give in to a leftist agenda. I am witnessing Christians who will not get serious about their face and their entertainment takes a higher priority over what is right. But I have to ask you all a question right now, is everyone in here breathing.

Has Jesus returned? Well then folks, God still has a remnant. He still has people. In Acts chapter 18 Paul is in Corinth and he is extremely frustrated with the Corinthians.

This is one of the worst churches in the New testament. And out of his frustrations he said the blood be on your heads I'm washing myself clean of this.

They too stubborn to talk to you they were too hard headed and Paul just had enough. And then God spoke to Paul innovision and this is what the scriptures say.

Acts 18:9–10 NASB95

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

God still has people. And God is still in control. And there will never be a moment where he is out of control. And yes that includes the salvation of people. Let's pray.