The Potter and the Clay
Romans the Gospel great and glorious • Sermon • Submitted
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· 12 viewsIf face of the tragic rejection of the gospel by the jews.. How shall we understand promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
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Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Less than a week ago the people of Jerusalem were singing Hosanna and celebrating him as the prophesied messiah. The redeemer of Israel and now those crowds are again shouting for Jesus.. but they are shouting something else.. Crucify Him..
If this story feels fresh to you at all then you should feel shocked by the betrayal of Jesus by his own people...
It is a betrayal that was only beginning. The leaders of the Jews and the people of Israel began rejecting Jesus then.. but they would continue. After his Crucifixion, his Resurrection, and they would persecute the church as it began.. Imprisoning the apostles and even killing those who proclaimed Jesus as King.
Now the shocking part of this is that this was God’s chosen nation.. A nation that had a long history with God - and the nation that Jesus himself came from.
As Paul says, In Romans 9.
They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
With all that God had given Israel- With all that God had Promised.
How could they reject Jesus.. and how in turn could they be rejected by God?
Now if we remember anything about Paul the writer of Romans we can remember that Paul was one of those that had outright Rejected Jesus, and had hated and persecuted the church.. But Jesus stopped him on the road to Damascus.. and revealed his loving kindness to him.
He was one of those who Rejected Jesus..And he was one of those saved by him. By the will and grace of God alone.
So now in chapter 9 of Romans.. After the wonderful good news of Chapter 8. Paul pauses to answer a pressing Question for him and for the many other jews in the roman church. How is the Gospel good news if so many of our fellow jews are under judgement?
Now this is a big question.. and it is one that Paul is going to take three chapters to answer in full, but in chapter 9 his focus is on the nature of god’s promise- Can we trust God’s promises to be true if all Israel is not saved?
Now remember the triumphant Joy of is rooted in God’s promises for believers.- and those promises are massive!!!
So in answering this question Paul is raising a question for us all.
Does God Keep his Promises?
And of Course the question of the rejection of Jesus by Israel is a test case for this.. did God promise to bless Israel. Weren’t they supposed to be the favorites of God.. Why are they now refusing to believe while the Gentiles rush to receive the free gift of the Gospel.
Paul’s answer is The word of God has not failed! But it is not understood.
A. The nature of the Promise.
Not all are Israel-
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 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. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Romans 9:6
Abraham had many sons. One Before Issac was born, Ishmael,- of nautical fame. And several after Issac was born. But God’s promise was only for Issac.
And then Paul gives a second example.
Issac had two sons- twins.. Esau and Jacob. But God only chose one of them to be a progenitor of the promise.
As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Now if you are still paying attention- you might be feeling like that isn’t very fair. Should God be choosing based on merit.. or if not on merit then he should be blessing both sons equally.
But Paul reminds us that isn’t how God works or life works.
Romans 9:
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
And once again Paul looks to the old testament to make his point..
When doing theology it is absolutely necessary to do it from Scripture. Otherwise it is just theoretical philosophy. We can learn about gGd best by going to his word where he reveals himself to us.
So in this text Paul turns to Pharaoh an example of not God rescuing someone but rather hardening his heart..
remember the story- God had a plan for rescuing the people of Israel from slavery- and part of that plan was to reveal his power, glory and even his plan for our redemption through the 10 plagues.. So to accomplish this god hardened pharaoh's heart so that he persisted in disobedience until the very end.
Paul’s point is two fold. God is to be glorified in each person’s Story. And sometimes God is glorified in the defeat of wicked and sometimes He is glorified in the redemption of the wicked.
Both are his to Choose.
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—
Ro 9:21-
Paul is saying that god’s plan is his own.. we are part of it.. intended to glory him in our redemption or in our judgement.
And then Paul points out that God has been saying this from the beginning. Being a Israelite was never enough.. And God was always planning to build his kingdom from all the nations of the earth.
Romans 9:25-
As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ”
“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ”
And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.”
So God has not broken his promises- Israel has stopped listening to Him.
But God his true to his Word.. and
God’s Promises are Solid!
And then Paul explains what he sees happening with Israel- how they have missed the boat.
What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Romans 9:30-
Paul explains that it is the simplicity of the gospel that has lead to the rejection of Jesus by the Jews. Jesus who came not as a king to rule but as a King to die for his people was not what the Jews were expecting. They saw him but they never saw him.. They were looking for the law and he called them to faith in him.. and that was their loss.
But their Loss is not the Christian’s loss. because faith in Jesus is enough..
I repeat as Paul Quotes- “ Who ever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So what can we learn from this passage.
We learn that God’s Promises are true..
We learn as well that God’s plan is sovereign- He will call who he calls and he will rescue who he chooses. As Paul experienced first hand God’s call is irresistible.
And his plan is reveal his Glory.. remember the potter and Clay anology- All of mankind exists for a singular purpose- to reveal the Glory of God.. And Only he know how he will do that with each of our lives. Either through Grace or through judgement.
Finally, We can learn that this can not be a passive intellectual conversation!
Paul’s heart for his brethren..
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 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.
Paul’s pattern of ministry shows that this wasn’t just Idle Talk.. every city he went to first he went to the jews.. till the kicked him out of the synagogue. Then he went to the gentiles. He was stoned by jewish leaders. persecuted, whipped and imprisoned by jewish leaders.. and still he kept going back to them to preach the gospel.. and when at last he got to Rome.. what was the first thing he did… He called the leaders of the Jewish community together and shared with them the gospel.. .
Paul knew that God had a plan.. and he believed that his part in it was to share the good news!
belief in God’s power to choose his own should not cause us to be passive in evangelism and prayer but joyfully active knowing that he can call many to righteousness and there are none that can resist his Call.
So let Paul’s example spur us on.. As we think of those we know who are lost in this hurting world.. There are none so far gone that God can not call them to himself!
So let your prayers be tempered with Paul’s passion and conversations may they be filled with the hope that we share.