Family Value #3 | We Share Good News

Introduction

Main Point of Romans 9-11 | God is faithful to his promises.

This point needs to be made for a couple of reasons

Chapters 1-8: Paul argues that the church made up of both Jews and Greeks by faith in the righteousness that comes from God now possesses all the benefits of Christ (sonship, righteousness, reconciliation, the gift of the Spirit, ability to keep the law, future salvation). This then raises the question what about the Jews as a nation? As an ethnic people who descended from Abraham?

The Jewish Unbelief: Although there were exceptions like Paul, the majority of the Jews rejected Christ. As a nation they turn from Christ as the Messiah. They lacked faith. They remain hard towards the gospel. Therefore the promises of God escape them.

If God’s promises to the Jews are null and void and are now transferred to the church, then how can the church no his promises are sure? Paul had just written a very glorious statement about the promises of God and the certainty of GOd’s work. He promises justification, sanctification, and glorification. He promised eternal life in a world renewed and free of agony. These promises are wonderful, but what good is a promise if the promise cannot be counted on? If God did not keep his promises to the Jews, and instead transferred them to the church, what confidence does the church have that God’s promise to them will not also be done away with?

In Rome, this question rang very loudly, for the church in Rome consisted of many Gentiles and very few Jews in comparison. An apparent transition from the Jews as God’s people to the Gentiles / Church as God’s people would have been a very easy conclusion to make. Paul knew this would tempt the Gentile Christians to pride, that is why he warns them in chapter 11 that must not become arrogant or God will cut them off just as He had cut of the Jews.

God’s gospel which is powerful did not save the Jews… why not?

Big Idea | God is powerfully saving men and women through the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ; therefore, we share good news!

God is powerfully saving men and women through the gospel.

So, we share good news

We share good news about Christ (v. 17b)

We share good news because it is God’s means to bring about salvation (v. 14)

We share good news without discrimination (v. 14) [the “they” refers to Jews and Greeks in v. 11-12]

We share good news with confident expectation (v. 17a)

We share good news with joy (10:15b)

We share good news with accuracy and faithfulness (v.14, 17)

How do we respond?

Praising and thanking God for His mercy to us who believe. Did he not send you a messenger? Did he not allow you the merciful opportunity to hear the good news about Christ? Even more did He not mercifully save you with power through that word? Dear friends, it is not that God simply gave you the word. But, if you believe, he gave it to you with power. He did not owe you this. You are a recipient of great mercy!