Hope for Israel / Hope for Everyone
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
What a glorious predicament for God to make available to the rest of the world the same hope He has for Israel not to be totally rejected from rejecting God. The stubbornness of many did not cancel out the chance of many to be given hope of being save from eternal condemnation. Israel will one day be restored to God’s original plan to carryout the message to world. So it is that all will be given a chance to be restored to having a right standing with God. A promise given to any who genuinely believes. People everywhere can be saved if they will turn to God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
Discover the evidence of God’s graciousness.
Discover the evidence of God’s graciousness.
People everywhere can be saved if they will turn to God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.
1 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
Romans 10:1-3
Despite Israel’s disobedience was on basis of unbelief.
21 But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
As a nation they did not believe or obey God, they even rejected Jesus ()
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
Thus it would not be unreasonable to ask the question is GOD DONE WITH ISRAEL?
But here’s where the hope is:
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
The promised was given through Abraham contingent to his obedience and scripture accounts that he did exactly as God said.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
To ask if God has cast away His people, should not be a surprise. But Paul’s response was “MAY IT NEVER BE.”
God’s promises to Israel did not mean that all Jews were locked in to salvation no matter how sinful and disobedient they were. It did not mean that an unbelieving and disobedient Jew was acceptable to God simply because he had been born a Jew. God’s promises were intended for those who believed and obeyed Him. The people who believed and obeyed Him have always been “His people.” Paul gives five evidences to show that God has not rejected every Jew. God accepts and fulfills His promises to all those who believe and obey Him.
God’s promises to Israel did not mean that all Jews were locked in to salvation no matter how sinful and disobedient they were. It did not mean that an unbelieving and disobedient Jew was acceptable to God simply because he had been born a Jew. God’s promises were intended for those who believed and obeyed Him. The people who believed and obeyed Him have always been “His people.” Paul gives five proofs to show that God has not rejected every Jew. God accepts and fulfills His promises to all those who believe and obey Him.
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Romans (p. 201). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
Discover the evidence of God’s graciousness.
Discover the evidence of God’s graciousness.
Evidence #1: It took one to mess up the plan, it also took ONE to restore the plan. (v.1)
Evidence #1: It took one to mess up the plan, it also took ONE to restore the plan. (v.1)
1 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 being alive and used by God at this point is evidence that God did not cancel out all of Israel as a nation.
Paul was a pure Jew, a true descendant of Abraham, not a mere proselyte; and he was of the elite, of the Benjamite aristocracy.
God chose ancient Israel, being in covenant with God to be the agent to carry the Word of God the the world. Yet their zeal was not good enough to make them right with God.
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Romans (p. 202). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
Unlike the unbelieving Jews, he believed in God thus claimed to be a true child of God, a true son of Abraham, one whom God has not cast away.
Side note: Paul alludes to being a descendant of Abraham whom God chose to lead the historical Israel but even Abraham was not a Hebrew. Based from scripture such as and that God called Abraham, a Chaldean, out of Ur of the Chaldeans so that Abraham would follow God to the land that God had promised to him and his descendants.
Review the 12 tribes of Israel.
But despite of Israel’s misdirected zeal, God was able to work with Paul to turn to the Gentiles.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5 When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.
6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus,
7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,
10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?
11 “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.
12 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.
13 Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
14 But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.
15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.”
16 Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:
17 “The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it.
18 “For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.
19 “When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took about four hundred and fifty years.
20 “After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.
21 “Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
22 “After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’
23 “From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,
24 after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 “And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26 “Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.
27 “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.
28 “And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed.
29 “When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.
30 “But God raised Him from the dead;
31 and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people.
32 “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers,
33 that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today i have begotten You.’
34 “As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’
35 “Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.’
36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay;
37 but He whom God raised did not undergo decay.
38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,
39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.
40 “Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you:
41 ‘Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’ ”
42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.
43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.
44 The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord.
45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.
46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
47 “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’ ”
45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.
46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
47 “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’ ”
Acts 13:45-46
Acts 10:4-47
Despite the label as “God’s chosen people” they were still subject to how God wants the whole world to be right with God through Jesus Christ.
In they rejected Jesus
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
Evidence #2: God revealed through His foreknowledge a guaranteed remnant. (v.2)
Evidence #2: God revealed through His foreknowledge a guaranteed remnant. (v.2)
2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said,
3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.”
4 But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Borrowing from the principle demonstrated in and 19 where Jezebel was out to kill Elijah and rest of God’s prophet for killing Baal’s prophets, Elijah cried to God for help.
is a controversial verse regarding predestination
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
This passage is often abused and misused. It is not dealing so much with theology or philosophy, but more with the spiritual experience of the Christian believer. If the pure logic of philosophy and theology are applied, then the passage says that God chooses some for heaven and others for a terrible hell. But this is simply not the meaning God intends for the passage. What God wants believers to do is to take heart, for He has assured their salvation.
This passage is often abused and misused. It is not dealing so much with theology or philosophy, but more with the spiritual experience of the Christian believer. If the pure logic of philosophy and theology are applied, then the passage says that God chooses some for heaven and others for a terrible hell. But this is simply not the meaning God intends for the passage. What God wants believers to do is to take heart, for He has assured their salvation.
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Romans (p. 164). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
This verse is part of bigger picture on how God is aware (FOREKNOWLEDGE, even before the foundations of the world) of the daily sufferings that believers will go through.
But no matter how great the suffering, no matter how great the opposition, no matter how great the struggle, God is going to complete His purpose for believers. God has “predestinated [believers] to be conformed to the image of His Son,” and absolutely nothing can change that. Why? “That Christ might be the first-born [have the preeminence] among many brethren” ().
Despite a nationwide rejection, God can and will work with the remaining faithful. This is a reflection of God’s faithfulness and patience. He is patient because He is faithful to carryout His promises.
In the same manner, as God foreknew that His purpose will prevail, he also foreknew that He will have a remnant use to finish his plan for the nation Israel. God’s foreknowledge of a remnant guarantees.
Despite a nationwide rejection, God can and will work with the remaining faithful. This is a reflection of God’s faithfulness and patience. He is patient because He is faithful to carryout His promises.
God fulfills His promise to those who believe.
It is the same with salvation, you have it now because you believe.
10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
The verb form of the word HOPE is in the present tense - meaning is it happening now and continues to happened. Which means you have salvation now. Salvation is given immediately to those who genuinely believe.
Your hope - TRUST, BELIEVING IN JESUS - guarantees that one will be and is saved, those who are saved will be saved. Hope is being sure.
HOPING is no longer being definite. There is that element of uncertainty.
Heb
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
And God promises that nothing can take it away from you.
27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
WARNING against fake Christianity:
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
This is for those who think that by mechanically saying Lord, Lord similar to mechanically repeating prayers thinking that it is the mechanical repetition that cause it to work.
Evidence #3: Elijah foresaw the planned remnant. (v.2-4)
Evidence #3: Elijah foresaw the planned remnant. (v.2-4)
Not only that God foreknew but Elijah foresaw the remnant. 1 King 19:9-18
1 Kings 19
This is evidence from the very highest authority among men: the authority of Scripture itself.
This is proof from the very highest authority among men: the authority of Scripture itself. From the very beginning Scripture very clearly says that not all Israel was saved, but only a remnant truly followed God. This is clearly seen in Elijah’s experience. His day was a terrible day of sin and apostasy, and he himself was being marked for death because he refused to stop his preaching of righteousness. In a moment of extreme pressure and uncertainty, he cried out to God in prayer wondering if he was the only godly person left in Israel. God assured Elijah by telling him there were still seven thousand godly believers in the nation. The point is this. In Elijah’s day the vast majority of people were as they are today: disobedient and disloyal to God, rejecting and denying God, controlling their own lives and following after the man-made and humanistic gods of this earth. But there was a remnant, a few who were loyal and obedient to God. There were only seven thousand; nevertheless there was a remnant, a few who were trusting God to fulfill His promises to them.
From the very beginning Scripture very clearly says that not all Israel was saved, but only a remnant truly followed God. This is clearly seen in Elijah’s experience. His day was a terrible day of sin and apostasy, and he himself was being marked for death because he refused to stop his preaching of righteousness.
In a moment of extreme pressure and uncertainty, he cried out to God in prayer wondering if he was the only godly person left in Israel. God assured Elijah by telling him there were still seven thousand godly believers in the nation.
The point is this. In Elijah’s day the vast majority of people were as they are today: disobedient and disloyal to God, rejecting and denying God, controlling their own lives and following after the man-made and humanistic gods of this earth. But there was a remnant, a few who were loyal and obedient to God. There were only seven thousand; nevertheless there was a remnant, a few who were trusting God to fulfill His promises to them.
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Romans (p. 202). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
IF we were take that figure 7,000 and compare it to today’s current population base on 2017 numbers - 7.5 billion. 7k is .00000093%. Going by this %, 7K is a remnant.
God will work with the few to carryout His purpose.
How many loafs of bread and fish did he need to feed the 5000. () Five loaves of bread and two fishes. If the devil is the destroyer, God is the multiplier.
(Note: there also the feeding of the 4000 starting with seven loaves and a few fishes.)
Evidence #4: There is a remnant at this present time. (V.5)
Evidence #4: There is a remnant at this present time. (V.5)
5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.
if there were remnants before, there will also be remnants today.
If there were a remnant in Israel in the day of Elijah, there is bound to be a remnant of believers today. Why? Because of grace: the grace of God in Jesus Christ has now come to earth, and the Spirit of God is actively at work making God’s grace known.
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Romans (p. 203). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
God does not extend saving grace for first time after one dies. Scripture is clear, today is the day of salvation.
God has been offering His grace even in the past.
2 for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—
2 Cor
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Titus 2:11-14
Evidence #5: God’s grace guarantees a remnant. (vv.6-10)
Evidence #5: God’s grace guarantees a remnant. (vv.6-10)
6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.
7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.
8 As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.”
9 Likewise, David said, “Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve.
10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.”
Romans 11:
A person is not saved because he merits or works for salvation. No man deserves God’s grace. No one deserves being chosen by God for anything. God does not bestow His grace upon a man because a man deserves or earns grace. A man does not secure God’s acceptance because he wills or runs after God (). God has mercy upon a man because He is a gracious God. If a man was saved because of works, then salvation …
A person is not saved because he merits or works for salvation. No man deserves God’s grace. No one deserves being chosen by God for anything. God does not bestow His grace upon a man because a man deserves or earns grace. A man does not secure God’s acceptance because he wills or runs after God (). God has mercy upon a man because He is a gracious God. If a man was saved because of works, then salvation …
would not be by grace (of God) but by works (of man)
• would not be by grace (of God) but by works (of man)
would remove grace (God) from the picture and put works (man) in the forefront
• would remove grace (God) from the picture and put works (man) in the forefront
Thus we don’t need Christ anymore. Therefore HE died needlessly. If drowning man can save himself then sure it won’t be necessary to throw him a life saver.
If Christ is not necessary then so it is with Grace.
Who saves man? Jesus
What saves man? Faith in Jesus
When is man save? The moment he believes!
THE POINT: As far as Israel as a nation or as a people, God’s grace (not man’s performance, will see to it that there is always a remnant of believers among them. What God guarantees, it will happened. In the case of Israel
The Case against the majority who are perishing. (vv.8-11)
The Case against the majority who are perishing. (vv.8-11)
The Chosen Few
Majority of Israel did not obtain righteousness because then sought after it through works or deeds. By the grace of God not everyone was disobedient, there were a chosen few who followed.
The Many Who Disobeyed:
Scripture condemns Israel’s of three things:
Of being spiritually drowsy. ( and ). Verse 8 said God fave them a spirit of stupor - a state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility.
10 For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers.
Verse 8 said God gave them a spirit of stupor - a state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility.
b. Of being worthy of judgement and condemned to judgment. ()
22 May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap.
Verse 9 And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
c. Of being blind and condemned to blindness ()
23 May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually.
Psalm 6
Verse 10 “Let their eyes be darkened to see not, And bend their backs forever.”
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
The picture is that of men sitting and feasting comfortably at a banquet table. They are at ease, secure, and possessed with a sense of safety. In fact they are so comfortable that their safety becomes their ruin. The enemy sneaks upon them unaware.
The picture is that of men sitting and feasting comfortably at a banquet table. They are at ease, secure, and possessed with a sense of safety. In fact they are so comfortable that their safety becomes their ruin. The enemy sneaks upon them unaware.
Verse 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
God will never leave Himself without a witness, nor will He ever leave His people without fellow laborers throughout the world. We may not know about each other, but we can be rest assured there are other witnesses scattered around, witnesses who are bearing testimony for the Lord Jesus. God has His remnant, His faithful few.
God will never leave Himself without a witness, nor will He ever leave His people without fellow laborers throughout the world. We may not know about each other, but we can rest assured there are other witnesses scattered around, witnesses who are bearing testimony for the Lord Jesus. God has His remnant, His faithful few.
37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
In Mar
What was happening before is still happening now. Israel’s hope was carried out by a faithful few reminding us that our hope today comes not from people but from ONE SAVIOR who continues to work with a few to carryout His purposes. It is a demonstration that He is GOD!
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). Romans (p. 202). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.