ROMANS 9 PT 2

LAST WEEK

We looked at the beginning of

We saw the heart of Paul for his brothers and sisters

How he would rather be accursed from God for the sake of his Jewish brothers and sisters.

We also saw Paul bring clarity to his Jewish Brothers and Sisters

Bringing Theological Clarity about the promises of God and how they would come to pass.

Friends, according to the Bible the promise of Salvation comes through a very unique channel

It is not many ways, or different ways, it is one way.

Not a pretty way, but through a lineage riddled with failure, but destined for glory

A lineage riddled with failure, but destined for glory

THIS WEEK

We are going to continue to watch Paul bring clarity to his Jewish Brothers and Sisters

We must remember that they were a bit entitled

They based their Salvation on their heritage and not what God had done through Jesus.

They knew all about the Messiah, but did not care to be in relationship with him.

After coming back to Rome, their attitude was not right, and Paul wanted them to know

For the Jews, they had everything pertaining to life and godliness in their hands, but their was one missing ingredient.

TURN TO

Romans 9:14-

Romans 9:14–33 NKJV

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25 As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” 26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” 27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. 28 For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.” 29 And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.” 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

PRAY

Romans 9:14–18 NKJV

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

Romans 9:14-

GOD IN HIS SOVEREIGNTY & FOREKNOWLEDGE WAS VERY SPECIFIC IN A LOT OF THINGS

HOW HE CREATED LIVES, AND HOW HE WOULD SAVE LIVES

Colossians tells us that everything was created through the lens of the Savior

That God created with the intention to love and be in communion with.

But what if the thing created has a free will?

What if the thing created begins to work outside of the original intent that God had for it?

What happens when our children begin to wander, challenge, and neglect your direction?

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

WOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR CHARACTER TO FIT THE NEEDS OF YOUR OWN CREATION?

WOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR WAYS IN ORDER TO APPEASE THEM?

WOULD YOU COMPROMISE YOUR INTEGRITY CHANGE THE BLUEPRINT TO ALLOW YOUR OWN CREATION TO GO ASTRAY.

AS PARENTS, IT IS CRUCIAL FOR US TO HAVE GOALS.

FOR US TO STICK TO OUR GOALS.

IT STRENGTHENS THE INTEGRITY OF OUR MARRIAGE.

IT ALSO EXEMPLIFIES THE UNCHANGING CHARACTER OF GOD.

IS GOD UNRIGHTEOUS FOR CHOOSING TO WORK IN SPECIFIC WAYS?

IS GOD UNRIGHTEOUS IN MAKING THE WAY OF SALVATION SINGULAR?

IS GOD UNRIGHTEOUS FOR CREATING PEOPLE, KNOWING THAT SOME WOULD BE SAVED, AND SOME WOULD BE DAMNED?

AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN’T OWN

WE CAN’T HANDLE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF KNOWING WHO WILL BE SAVED AND WHO WILL NOT.

THINK ABOUT IT, WE ALREADY TREAT CHRISTIANS DIFFERENTLY

There are things we would do for Christians that we would not do for unbelievers

There are words that we use in front of christians that we would not use with unbelievers

We even put higher expectations on the Christians.

ON THE FLIPSIDE

There are

The way they should live, act, and speak.

IMAGINE, IF THERE WAS A WAY TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN AND THOSE DAMNED TO HELL

WE CAN’T FORCE GOD’S HAND TO DO AND WILL WHAT WE WISH.

We would draw an even bigger line in the sand between us and them.

We would probably go as far as homogenizing communities

Setting rules for the citizens of our cities.

Maybe even preventing people from living amongst us in fear they may in influence us with their ways.

GOD, AS CREATOR, IS IN HIS OWN SPACE.

THOUGH PRESERVATION BY ISOLATION WORKS, ISOLATION LACKS GOSPEL MISSION.

ISOLATION PREVENTS THE GOSPEL FROM IMPACTING OTHERS

AS CHRISTIANS, WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD, BUT NOT BE CONFORMED BY THIS WORLDLY MOLD

WE ARE CONFINED TO THIS SPACE, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE HEAVENLY PLACE

MIGHT AS WELL DO SOMETHING IMPACTFUL WHILE WE ARE HERE.

SHOWING COMPASSION AND MERCY ON WHOM HE CHOOSES.

Paul here is using Eternal Language

Language that speaks from the Eternal/Authoritative Position of God

Language that separates humanity

When we consider the people of Heaven

They are those who have received mercy, grace, and are the most loved people on the planet

That should change the way they love, show mercy, and show grace to others

That more people would know the God of the Bible through their actions

When we consider those who have not yet been adopted into the family of God

They are those who know not of the redemptive qualities of God

They are those who are at enmity with God

They are those who will never experience the true meaning of Godly Mercy and Compassion

And when they come to judgement day

Though that seems harsh

Though it seems

Because they did not accept Jesus, God’s most merciful act on behalf of humanity, God will show no mercy on them.

Why?

Because The Mercy that was readily available was neglected

Because the unique way that God chose for Salvation was seen as rubbish

Be

Though we may not understand this

When we come to what we don’t know, we should fall back on what we do know

That God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of His Son

That He does not delight in the death of the wicked

That He is willing that none should perish but that all should come to repentance.

ONE THING THAT WE MUST KNOW

THAT WHATEVER HUMANITY CHOOSES TO DO WITH THEIR FREE WILL

Romans 6:16 NKJV

16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

WHETHER OF SIN LEADING TO DEATH, OR OF OBEDIENCE LEADING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED

REMEMBER WHAT WE SAW IN REVELATION?

IT PROVES WHO HE IS AND IT PROVES WHO WE ARE.

HE ALLOWS WHAT HE WILLS

We saw the Saints crying out for righteousness

We heard them plead for the martyrdom to end

God was longsuffering toward unsaved humanity

He waited, giving them a chance to repent, and they would not repent.

In the end, what we saw was God being glorified

Both in the Truth of Heaven, and His Righteousness displayed in Hell.

CHURCH, GOD WILL DO ANYTHING, SHORT OF SIN, TO DRAW PEOPLE UNTO SALVATION

HIS HOLY SPIRIT HAS CHASED DOWN EVERY HUMAN ON THIS PLANET

CONVICTING THEM OF SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND JUDGEMENT

ALLOWING BLESSINGS AND HARDSHIP IN ORDER TO DRAW PEOPLE CLOSER TO HIM

WHAT HE ALLOWS TO HAPPEN IN YOUR LIVE HAS A PURPOSE

WHAT HE WILLS ALWAYS HAS AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE, TO SAVE OR TO DEEPEN A RELATIONSHIP.

HE ALLOWS FOR GRACE, AND MERCY

IT IS UP TO US, HOW WE HANDLE IT.

IT IS UP TO US WHAT TYPE OF GLORY GOD WILL RECEIVE.

ROMANS 9:19

Romans 9:19–21 NKJV

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL IF HE WILL BE GLORIFIED EITHER WAY, WHY DOES HE JUDGE US

CAN WE EVEN RESIST HIS WILL?

IF WHAT WE DO, HE ALLOWS, WHY DOES HE JUDGE US?

PAUL SAYS:

Who are we to question God?

Who are we to reply against the Lord’s doing?

Aren’t we the created ones?

Aren’t we his masterpiece?

Aren’t we, His workmanship?

WILL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM WHO FORMED IT “WHY HAVE YOU MADE ME LIKE THIS?”

When we question the Lord’s doing

When we question His commandments

When we question His motives

We become just like Adam and just like Eve

Questioning his design, when we weren’t even there to begin with.

YOU CAN TELL PAUL WAS A LITTLE FRUSTRATED

HE CLOSES HIS STATEMENT WITH THIS:

CREATING CONFUSION IN REGARDS TO SALVATION

The Potter has power and authority to make people through the lens of Christ

In the same way He creates the saved, he creates the unsaved

TRYING TO MANIPULATE THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE INTO CONFORMING TO THEIR IMAGE

He creates people with the same intentions

TO THEIR LIKING, AND TO THEIR THEOLOGY

Through the same lens

With the hope that one day, they will come to know Him

In the same womb. Esau and Jacob were knit, one for the promise, and one for contention.

The same way Jesus came into this world, is the same way the Anti Christ will come.

There is only a 5% difference between all people, genetically speaking

In the end, some will be worlds apart

This should motivate us

This should lead us into action

This should move us to reach those that still have breath in them

Romans 9:22–24 NKJV

22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Romans 9:22-

THE CHRISTIAN, OUT OF ALL PEOPLE, SHOULD KNOW HOW MERCIFUL GOD IS

THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES THAT ARE NOT SAVED

WHY HASN’T HE JUST KILLED THEM OFF?

WHY HASN’T HE ALLOWED THEM TO DIE?

CHURCH, GOD IS LONGSUFFERING

IT IS HIS LOVINGKINDNESS THAT LEADS US TO REPENTANCE

WE DON’T KNOW IF THEY WILL EVER CHOOSE LIFE

WE DON’T KNOW IF THEY WILL EVER RESPOND TO THE GOSPEL

This isn’t our job or our right

Our job is to love them

To show them grace

To show them mercy

That we would find out if they are chosen

That we would find out if they are citizens of Heaven

THINK ABOUT THE BIBLE FOR A SECOND

JEWS HAVE THE LONGEST STANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT THEY HAVE HAD THE HARDEST RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Though they have seen miracle after miracle

Though they have been led by God into the promised land

They have chosen to neglect his

Though they have seen Him work

They have the hardest time recognizing His unique plans for salvation

When the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among them

They treated Him like a false prophet

ON THE FLIPSIDE

THOSE WHO WERE ALWAYS CONTRARY TO THE LORD

FIGHTING AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF GOD ALL THROUGHOUT HISTORY

ARE NOW THE CLOSEST TO HIM THROUGH JESUS

Romans 9:25–29 NKJV

25 As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” 26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” 27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. 28 For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.” 29 And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.”

:25-

GOD CALLED IT

HE PAINTED THE PICTURE THROUGH AN UNEQUALLY YOKED MARRIAGE

A MARRIAGE THAT THE JEWISH CULTURE DID NOT UNDERSTAND

BUT A MARRIAGE THAT GOD HAD ORDAINED FOR HOSEA

BUT NOT ONLY THE GENTILES

ISAIAH PROPHECIED THAT THERE WOULD BE A REMNANT OF JEWS THAT WOULD BE SAVED

PROCLAIMING TO US THAT THERE WOULD

THIS REMNANT HAS BEEN PRESERVED

THIS SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO THE GODS OF THIS EARTH

IF IT WASN’T FOR THEM, ALL OF ISRAEL WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED JUST LIKE SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

Romans 9:30–33 NKJV

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

THE GENTILES

THE OSTRACIZED

THE MARGINALIZED

THOSE WHO WERE FAR, HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR

THEY, THAT DIDN’T PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, HAVE BEEN MADE RIGHT

BUT ISRAEL, WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GOVERNED BY GOD, PURSUING THE LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, DID NOT OBTAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS

WHY?

BECAUSE OF THE MISSING INGREDIENT

BECAUSE IT BECAME A ROUTINE

BECAUSE IT TURNED INTO A CHORE

BECAUSE FAITH WAS NOT PRESENT

IN KEEPING THE LAW, THEY FOUND WORTH

BUT THE LAW WAS WEAK THAT IT COULD NOT SAVE, SO THEY DAMNED THEMSELVES

STUMBLING OVER THE STONE OF ZION

BEING PUT TO SHAME AT THEIR DISOBEDIENCE

CHURCH, IT IS BOTH AND

WE SHOULD STRIVE TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS

WHO NOT ONLY KEPT THE LAW

BUT FUNCTIONED BY FAITH IN ALL THAT HE DID.

NOT COMPROMISING HIS INTEGRITY

BUT FLOURISHING IN FAITH

WE CAN DO EVERYTHING THAT PLEASES GOD, AND STILL FALL SHORT OF HEAVEN, IF FAITH IS EXTINCT.