Goodness and Severity of God: Extent of Israel's Fall

Morning church. Have you have your Bibles with you won't be in a few Bibles. Right? But if you have your own Bibles turn or your tablets or whatever, turn to Romans chapter 11.

Romans chapter 11 and this morning will be on verses 11 through 24, Romans 11 11, through 24.

It says, I say then. Have they stumbled that they should fall and he's talking about Israel, certainly not but through their fall to provoke them to jealousy. Salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is Rich's for the world and their failure Rich's for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness for? I speak to you Gentiles and as much as I'm an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my Ministry is, by any means. I may provoke to jealousy. Those who are my flesh and save some of them. For if they're being cast away is the reconciling of the world. What will their acceptance be? But life from the dead? For the first fruit is Holy. The lump is also holy, and if the route to Holy sword, the branches, and if some of the branches were broken off and you being a wild olive tree wood wrapped it in, among them, and with them, became a partaker of the root, and the fatness of the Olive Tree, then do not boast against the branches. But if you do both remember that, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then branches were broken off that. I may be grafted in well said, because of unbelief they were broken off and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty but fear, Or if God did not spare the natural branches. He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God on those who fell severity but toward you goodness. If you continue in his goodness, otherwise, you also will be cut off and they also if they do not continue in unbelief will be grafted in. For God, is able to grab them in again, or if you were cut out of the Olive Tree, which is Wild by nature. And we're grafted contrary to Nature until I cultivated Olive Tree. How much more will these or natural branches be grafted in to their own? Olive Tree, what's more? Let's go to the Lord in prayer this week. And this this sermon next week sermon I have spent a lot of time in prayer and understanding the text. But, as I was sitting here this morning, I felt a weakness. I felt a lack of power. Something was just not right with me and it occurred to me that in all my prayer, which is good for understanding the text. I did not go to the Lord much this week and actually preaching the sermon as I as I normally do, and the Lord, by the power of the spirit, taking the words, preached by a man and then going into the ears and the understanding of the church, and then being transformed into the image of Christ through that. And I'm glad I, at least thought of it better late than never, they say, right. So, let's go to the Lord in prayer for that right now. Father God. I am very uneasy because of this, this text, and that is the good thing is, I think, in many ways, Lord, because I do, I fear The fact that I may get some things wrong got in that troubles. Me and the fact that there have been such a great a debate in a and controversy and difference of opinions of Great Men of God on this text and the text that will be looking at next week. Let's meet realized my humility Garden in my my shortcomings. God. I like all of us. And not you. Oh, god, there are many things that we will continue to grow into continue to improve our understanding in and we might not understand everything fully now. And then fact, I know we do not know God. I ask that you would first and it's been my prayer throughout the week. Help me to explain this text in a way. God, that is accurate and that is true to your word. Led by your spirit, but also now I Lord I pray, as I just mentioned to the church got that, you would let this sermon be a time that we can reflect on who you are. First and foremost, God, and that God, we would be changed by our understanding of you. And what does Texas saying about you even more than what it's saying about Israel? Even more than what it's saying about the church, but have you? Oh, God. And so, Lord do this thing. Father, use me as a mouthpiece as an instrument for your word to be real proclaimed. That it would reverberate through this building God, but into the, the ears, the hearts of your children that we may grow in and understanding of who you are and be changed as a result, more and more one degree of Glory at a time by your spirit into the image of Our Lord, Our Savior Jesus Christ, but is in his name, we do pray. Amen.

I think one of the great misconceptions. In our day and time and probably throughout church history, you know, it's amazing when you read biographies, one of the great things about reading, biographies of men and women of God of old is that you see that they actually went through the same problems that you think are unique to your time that they're going through them. And so I say that to say it's probably been the problem all throughout the church history, but we know it is a problem. Now, is that? Because God is love. He is not Rascal. He is not to be feared as Larry read indusind a text. He is not necessarily led to be contrite in spirit and to be fearful of God, well, because God is loving and he's merciful, and he's forgiving, Even my little Harmony is starting to process these things and one day approached me and said, well, Daddy is God's just going to forgive me. In the end, why is it necessarily wrong that? I don't take something out of the the cupboard when Mama doesn't know. She really said that and I at one point I was thankful that she's thinking of anything but it also fearful because it reveals the depravity of of her already of mankind. That would that we all have weather Works 7 years old or 77 years old, but that is the thought. If God is love, then how could it be rathmore? He is not wrathful. He's not angry with with Sinners everyday. Like the Bible actually says he is we just need to do our best and then when in the end we've done that there is no way that a loving God will judge us because of our son. I mean if I've never even been in a court of law with some of us have not because of a v d at criminal activity, if I'd passed through my life. Without even receiving the the Judgment of a man that know how will God judge me and the Heavenly courtroom. We got it backwards. Haven't we? We thinking that the standards a man is higher than the standards of God and it's the other way around. We think maybe Hitler, maybe Jeffrey Epstein on a more modern time. Maybe some of these fellows would be would be judged by God, but not me. I'm not that bad. By the way, after all, God is loving. That's what bible-believing church like, I believe we are. I hope that we readily and rightly see the flaws in this type of reasoning. But this is the guy that is being presented in many churches in our own country and I've been around the world to a few different places and I've seen it in other churches around the world as well. Now, it is true. Obviously. I'm not demeaning this about anything. Any means that God is love that he's merciful and gracious, forgiving long-suffering kind good.

And we rightly praised him for these attributes because if he were not these things, we would be most miserable. Would we not? So, I do not make any light of this. I'm so thankful. So thankful that God is these things, obviously. But while God is everything I just mentioned, he is at the same time raffle.

Holy holy. Holy as we sang vengeful, even not like us not at not in the same way. And when I say angry, not in the same way that we are but he is angry with Sinners. The scripture say And he's a just judge and his judgment will be severe. In fact, I would say that is great as his love is is as great as his wrath and judgment will be the two are intertwined. I think you can see this like do you love life? Would the more that you love life? The more that you're going to hate abortion? So love and rice go together. They're intertwined. Idolatry is the making of a God that suits us.

And we commit idolatry when we say, we serve a God who is love a truthful statement, but not necessarily wrathful than the two cannot go together. We made a God out of the figment of our imagination.

But this is not the god of the scriptures and I asked you this morning. Are you? And I do litter in this sense. Have you created a god? Out of cherry picking the things that you like and basically you've met God in your image or the image, the imagination that you think he should be in. Instead of laying the scripture, say who God is. And to look at the full scope of the being of God that is made very clear and its group scriptures, but we often ignore it because we sometimes become uncomfortable and we just actually distain because of our depravity. Some of these attributes of God that are part of his perfection.

This morning's title of the sermon is the goodness. And the severity of God and is taken from verse 22 in in are in the text of that, we read now. It's related to the extent of Israel's fall. And so on the extent of Israel's fall, we're going to see the ultimate theme emerge and that is the goodness and the severity. Of God last week. We looked at the remnant of Israel that is left, that God said he is preserved in the times of Elijah. He's, I've seen in the fact that Paul himself an Israelite is of the people of God. And we saw those that ultimately, what God was showing was something about himself in this and that was his faithfulness. Remember, we sing great is thy faithfulness at the Lord had put those things together. And then today, we're singing. Holy, Holy! Holy, and we're talkin about the goodness and the severity of God with something. I think Holiness, it kind of goes to the broad spectrum of both of those attributes and we're going to see that in a text. Because even though we would read Romans 9 through 11 and we would say, oh, it's about Israel. So it's about the church, but there's something that's more about even than that. And it's about God himself and his son Jesus Christ. So what moves do we learn first? Informed? About God this morning and a text. And that is that he is good, and that he is severe. This is the god like him or not. This is the perfect God, who is eternal, who has created the world and all that is in it and we must bow, our knees to him. And as we do, so, we will learn to appreciate how perfect and how good he is, and even how his severity is part of his goodness because of his hatred, for all that is evil, and all that is wicked. And we're going to see that in his dealings with Israel and his dealings with church and in the history of Salvation on the over the process of mankind, in the history of redemption of mankind, over the thousands and thousands of years that man has been on the face of this Earth.

To Paul continuing his talk about Israel. In verse 22 comes to the line that I already read and as he's making his points and as he's talking about Ezra's is talking about the church. Then the The Olive Tree and the different things that we're going to get to. He says, therefore consider the goodness and the severity of God on those who fell severity. But towards you goodness, if you continue in his goodness, so there he is. The god of the Bible, good and severe. That's the main point of the text of this morning and I think the texts can be broken down and this is I spent a lot of time in because it fall just keeps going until it's hard actually ever make a stopping point in when you're preaching these these these texts, but let me say this also. Church, we cannot be lazy when we preach through books of the Bible. Now, that is not necessarily expository preaching when we supposed to Tory preaching and we say, was breaking through books of the Bible that often is the way it is done. But that's not necessarily the definition of expository preaching. Now, I do think that should be the main diet of the church is going through books, but there's a danger in doing the in preaching. The way we preach here at Woodside Baptist Church for the most part. I'm going through books and this is the danger is that we can lose the forest for the trees. We get so caught up on this text like one through eleven last week and it 11 through 24 this week that we forget the overall picture and it's been what a year. I don't know, two years since I was originally, Paul started Roman, even remember what happened back in Romans 1. So these are books that they're coming to the church in the church. Reads them in one setting. And we take years to expound them. Now. I'm not saying I still think that's the best way to do it primarily. But here's where I think we fall short. I think the preacher often fall short and relating the parts to the whole but it's an art. It's a it's a science to be able to to do that. But also I think the church fall short in their laziness in continuing to go to the word and reading the book of Romans and digesting it on their own. And not just waiting for Sunday morning when we're back enrollment. Because there is no way really that you're going to have the full rasp. Can you imagine when you're into something in your reading it? And you read Romans 11 several times throughout the week and you come into and you already have questions in mind because you've formulated them with your own thinking from reading the text. And so you're sitting there almost on the edge of your seat waiting for the preachers respond. And you're going to learn more that way. Why? Because of the effort and energy that you put into it yourself throughout the week. Don't take for granted your ability to read when I went to the Dominican Republic. One of the things we try to do was set up the classes and stuff where people could learn to read and we found out that it wasn't going to happen. In a lot of the folks mainly the older folks because their brains are just shut off from that type of thing. And don't think I'm speaking to put my finger to you. It took me forever to learn the language cuz I was already of the age where my brain was starting to shut off from that. However, pliable this thing, it is that God makes when your kids I got there. And at the same time that a two-year-old was there, obviously just was born. They were too, I was thirty-two and in four years later that kid was 6 and I was 36 and they knew Spanish way better than I did. And they were I started learning at the same time. I did, they were too and I was 32. You think I'd have the advantage know they could speak some circles around me obviously. So when I'm trying to make is we can read. And so read your scriptures. Listen to your scriptures in the book. Even that were in, it's going to make it so much more fruitful as we're going through, the start being able to remember and how to tie in chapter 3, which was like a year ago or probably more and tied into the text of this this morning. And then the preacher will Aid you as well? As he's doing, as he's going through the book, but this morning, I think the texts can primarily be put into two sections. Okay? Verses 11 through 15 and which is where we'll see the pattern, the pattern and its purpose. Then he put that slide up there the pattern The pattern and its purpose. Verses 12 through 15, not talk about what I mean by that and then in verses 16 through 20 for the analogy and its purpose. So the pattern is purpose in the analogy 16 to 24 and its purpose. So let's go into the pattern. ended verse 11 of chapter 11, Paul gives What we start off by saying that in an s in phatic Lee that Israel has not stumbled to the point where they will not rise again. Have they Fallen? Have they stumble to where they will fall and Paul says no, he clearly says it emphatically, know that what that means is different, people have different opinions, but in some former some fashion and I'll say what I think later. It means that Israel is the god is not done with Israel.

Know why did they stumble? Then? This is the pattern. Okay, because God has a pattern in Salvation. The first thing is is that he chose Israel and the Gentiles were on the out. They know, that's just take it for granted, that's not mentioned in the text with that's actually what happens before we dive in to the text, the pattern that they stumbled for two reasons that the Gentiles would hear the good news because they were on the out. So it did gospel went to the Gentiles as Israel rejected it as a and unbelief. The gospel was in taken to the world to the Gentiles. That was the first reason that they stumbled. So the gospel to go to the Gentiles. And then ultimately, that's the second reason they stumbled was so that they would be safe if you do how, so, because God uses the jealousy that was in them, when they looked at the Gentiles coming to their Messiah, to their God and it sparked jealousy in them. Actually, let them back to their Messiah, a, to their, their God. And that's the pattern that we see. Look at it, didn't I? This is all in chapter 11 and it's a little small. So I don't know if you can see it, but in verses 11 through 12, we see the trespass of Israel. Okay, so so their rejection there, their fall. Lisa salvation for the Gentiles, which leads back to the fullness of Israel to full inclusion of Israel, then verse 15. The rejection of Israel. The reconciler reconciliation of the world and then the acceptance again of Israel. So there's the pattern and it keeps going verses 17 through 23 is a little bit of a larger sexual get it to today, but we talked about the natural branches broken off. So there's a rejection of Israel. We see the wild shoots crafted in, that's the Gentile salvation and then we see the natural branches drafted back in. So, once again, we see the pattern and then it's 25 and 26. That's next week. We'll see the hardening of Israel, the fullness, then the Gentiles get saved, those rules are ejected Gentiles and then all Israel will be safe. So the inclusion of Israel again and then 3231 Disobedience of Israel. So their rejection, they're being turned away from Mercy to the Gentiles and then mercy to Israel. That's what. That's what Paul says. In his closing a chapter 11 in wife praising, a god, that is a sign. All the Disobedience that he would have a blessing on all three seats and trying to make a point here. There's an obvious a pattern here that's being made and just say it succinctly, the purpose of God's unfolding pattern of salvation. Is to save the Gentiles by Israel's rejection and then to save Israel by the The Jealous by their jealousy over Gentile conversion. Like I said, it really it starts with disobedient Gentiles and then it's goes to disobedient Israel. Which turns, obedient Gentiles, which then leads to obedience it Israel. Now again, we're going to go over the the, the majority of this and especially in verse 26. You see there on the 123, 4th set, 25, or 26. All Israel will be saved or going to talk a lot about that. What that means next week, but I do think versus 12 and vs 15, which are in the text before us. This morning, kind of look forward to what over 26 says when it says, all Israel will be saved. Now. We're at the latest at Paul's arguing from the Lesser to the greater. So, what are you saying? Is that?

If they're fall, if Israel's fall and rejection was bad. Okay, they missed their own Messiah, their own God, and he mention how bad that is. But if that was bad, and it's a gentile acceptance and salvation was good. They found the Messiah, they weren't even looking for. And that what the last week's text. I said the Jewish Messiah, that would save the world of their of their sins. So it was good bad. And if the Jin Sol acceptance was good. Then how much greater Will. Israel's salvation be when they discover their Jewish Messiah and when they discover the their God, the god of their ancestors of the Patriarchs. And that's what we see in verse 12. It says, this is, how great will the fullness or how much more the fullness of Israel's salvation and then reverse 15, that says the acceptance of Israel by God will beginning Compares it to being like, from the dead Paul saying, it's going to be great. So These verses coupled with 26 have led me to believe that kind of ventured maybe off of of where I've actually been before in my in my view on this topic is that this is talking on a corporate level. I think, why do disagree with me on this, but they're on a national level on a corporate level. I think there's going to be some turning of Israel to the Lord that I do not know yours and I'll talk about in a minute, some misconceptions that I think that may bring and I'll definitely talk about some misconceptions next week that I think that that brings with it, but I think that's to me that's what makes sense when Paul said how much greater If they sell how much greater it's not in, it's like, it's not going to be a Remnant anymore. It's going to be a full thing. I don't think that means every single Jewish person. I don't think that, I don't know how many people actually do, and it started making me think. What's it going to look like? How's it really going to happen? And I can't say cuz I don't really, I don't know. I mean, how are, how is a bunch of Jewish people if I'm right in and what I'm saying here?

That. Let alone don't know their Messiah, Jesus. Don't even know their God. Jehovah. God. Going to suddenly just in Mass conversion, be be saved. I don't know that and I'm not going even keep continue to talk about that too much now because we're going to go into that next weekend. I might have I might change my mind by the time next week comes and how I interpret all of this. So we'll see. This is where I'm at right now. So just to recap all of this and verse isn't it? Again? I'm already done with verses 11, through 15, believe it or not. I'm going to camp out. Mainland is next the next section. So we see God's goodness. And God severity in this pattern of salvation. Throughout history in the rejection of Israel and the acceptance of the Gentiles. And then in the subsequent, return and acceptance of Israel, which demonstrates that the extent of the fall of Israel was not final. It is not final. So then we come to verse 16. Okay? In verse 16, most commentators agree is a transitional statement is like a transitional verse between 11, through 15 and 17 through 24. But really I had to cut it off at 24 but it keeps it keeps going. And this is what Paul says in verse 16. He says.

I got to go back to the toxin. Where is the first fruit is? Holy? The lump is also holy, and if the route is Holy, so are the branch. So now, with the word branches II, there's two metaphors, given their the lump, and then the bush and specifically the road in the branches and you can kind of see why the transitional statement and not only, I but many people because what does Paul go and start talking about in the next versus The Olive Tree? He start talking more in detail about these these branches. So he's transitioning into this analogy, which is our second section of the texts. We seen the pattern and then we're going to the analogy. But right now, we're in that transitional statement, and Paul makes two metaphors. That he says Nana want. The first is a route, that's wrong. The first is the first fruit and do, and the second is of a bush, specifically the roots and the branches of that bush.

So, if the first fruit is Holy. been so,

Is the lump. Now in numbers 15 17 through 21. God told Moses to tell the people that when they enter the promised land, they were to offer up to the Lord. The first fruits of their do, the first fruits of their do that, they use to make red. Now the old Frontier doesn't really allude to the fact of it. It consecrated the rest of the do that part. That was not the first fruits, but that's what Paul says here by inspiration of the holy spirit. So the idea is is that in the offering of the first fruits whether it's do or whatever type of firstfruits a consecrate and makes holy the the rest.

The question then though. It is. What is the first fruit relating to? And then in the next metaphor? What is the roots related to what is its reference? Yeah, I think it's they're the same thing. I think these are parallel. So what I say for the first fruit is what I'm going to say for the root think. Paul was just saying it twice and then he transitions into that bush analogy of the are all Olive Tree there. Make suggestions though. Just like an all this text. There's any suggestions from people that I respect, but I think that was referring to the Patriarchs. I think it's referring to the the fathers of the faith, Abraham, Isaac. Jacob is a wall. You just pulled that one out of thin air. Know. I, I didn't. My first of all, it's it is, what makes the most sense to me? Out of all of the suggestions you have the nation of Israel. They're called are elected in the person of Abraham before Abraham. Was he was called out of her. There was no nation of Israel up until that point and really the nation didn't even start. Moving until Jacob when he had his 12 sons, which became the 12 tribes would have started with Abraham. He received the election. He received the adoption. He received the promise he received the covenants and then they were repeated, weren't they to the Patriarchs to Isaac and Jacob and two got what it's saying. This texture is that God will keep his promises to them. Navigate confusing here, because on other parts on other and other places.

Stay with me cuz I almost didn't say what I'm about to say. I already started it. So now I have to say it. I had it in my nose and I took it out because it just, I just thought it was an ad to confusion, but I went there. So I got to go because now if I leave you're going to be like that's going to be not. Satisfying. Yeah, that's right. That's from the spirit. That's when we go to that one.

In Galatians.

Paul is saying that the Gentiles or made partakers of Abraham because of their faith. So, we're talking on a spiritual level here. Here. So basically, so that even the Gentiles benefit from Abraham's Faith because of their faith. They're made partakers of the promise. That's you, and me unless you're Jewish, even, even if you are Jewish on your spare on a spiritual level, that's referring to you, too. Here, it's kind of that and it's kind of not that. That's where it gets confusing in this. Because you got to think that there's that when they want Paul saying is real and this, and this text, he's talking about it on a national, physical ethnic level out of their blood. But then when he says back in like Romans 9, when he's trying to differentiate between the ethnicity in the blood, in the spirituality of it, it was not all Israel, Iz Israel. So then he's using Israel in the sense of a spiritual sense. White, true is real. This is what I said that I believe Gentiles are part of shrew is real, in that sense, because it and that's what I said last week. The right here. When he says, That. Did lump is made holy because of the first fruit and it's the first fruit of the Patriarchs. I think the lump here is referring to National Israel, but also True Israel on a spiritual level. So there's this overlap because if you were National Israel. But your unbelieving, you're not a part of spiritual Israel. When you die. Are you going to be wholly in the Lord know? You're going to go to hell and spend an eternity in Hell being judged by your sin. Even if you are a, the blood of the Jews just like the Pharisees were, you did not have rejected in the ones who did not turn to Christ appears. Some of them are like Nicodemus when the most of them didn't. So when Paul says here, that because the first fruit is Holy, the lump is Holy. I think you talkin to blood Israelites, but also believing blood Israelites. It so God is keeping his promise here to ethnic Israelites and that's what we saw last week. That the remnant Falls point was all I'm saying, is that I think it's going to bloom into a lot into a corporate. Return at the End of the Age. Now.

Let's go to verse. The Saint versus Steven Ellis. Go to the, the branch. I'm sorry verse 28. Also helps me to think that the first fruit is related to the father's. Paul says, in verse 28, same chapter next week's text concerning the gospel. They are enemies for your sake. I'm believing Jewish people are in these for your sake, but concerning the election, they are beloved for the sake of the father's. So I think even within this chapter, there's contextual support that would say that the first fruits and the root it's talking about the fathers of of, of Judaism within, really of the Christian faith. Also,

Okay, then the tree Paul moves from the first room that do metaphor to the tree metaphor, specifically the root in the branches and I said, we're in transitional statement here. This is saying the same thing, the route, I believe is the Patriarchs and not only them. But even in a, in a, in a way, also the covenants and A promise is a given to them before the branches.

The branches. Are the believing community? Now they are believing Jews. But then we will see that it will be made wider to believing Gentiles as well because they'll be grafted in. So, as a transitional statement does, let's start. Let's move in to the analogy of the Olive Tree other so much controversy here, guys, that are farther is, I'm Sweating Bullets. Let me, let me there's two extremes that I think we need to the Olive Tree will help us avoid. Okay, before I get to the main point of the Olive Tree, the analogy and its purpose with a purposeful, David. I have to talk to talk about two things that were not pause main point, but that I do think needs to be said, because analogy of the olive trees helps us to under understand and to clarify that one is, there's a theology known as replacement theology. Now. I think that the, I think that's wrong and I think that the olive tree helps us to avoid this. Extreme for the simple fact that the Olive Tree which is the people of God that you got believing. The once the the unbelieving Jews were cut off the branches were cut off. Ahead of myself. Let's read it. Can talk about it without reading it a fresh. Okay, we're 17 through 24. Sorry, to stop that, but I need to do this first, and if some of the branches were broken off and you being a wild, Olive Tree were grafted in among them and with them, became a partaker of the route. Partaker of the root Gentiles and the fatness of the Olive Tree. Then do not boast against the branches. But if you do both remember that, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. Salvation is of the Jews first and then the Gentiles you will say then branches were broken off that. I might be grafted in. Well said, but because of unbelief, they were broken off. And you stand by faith. Do not party. But fear for God, did not spare the natural branches. He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness in the severity of God. On. On those who fell severity, but towards you goodness. If you continue in his goodness, otherwise you also will be cut off and they also they do not continue and unbelief will be grafted in for God, is able to grab them in again, for if you were cut out of the Olive Tree, which is Wild by nature and were grafted contrary to Nature into an olive tree. How much more will? These are natural, branches, be grafted in or Tommy says it into their own Olive Tree. Okay? Back to the analogy of the all of the tree and replacement theology. Branches that were cut off. That's why I read the text because I had to read the text again to refresh our memory. The branches that were cut off or unbelieving Israel. The branches that remain that were not cut off are the remnant, right? Believing is real now.

Nnnn, the Gentiles were grafted into the same people of God. Do the same. All of tree, same tree. The tree was almost cut down, wasn't it? It was a stump. It was a branch just coming out of a stump, you know what? I cut down trees and I'm doing lawn care, every once in awhile or a bush or what, you'll just see this little Twigs start to come up from where and it'll start all over. Again. That's what happened with Israel. Who is the righteous branch of David that remained Jesus. Who is the shoot from the stump of Jesse? It's David. It was never cut down. Did Israel? Come down to almost being gone, almost extinct as a believing people. Yes, but then the Son of God was born in the flesh, the faithful Israelite whom there is no guile true Israel, the Messiah, God and man, Jesus, the Christ. In an end to him was incorporated, all those who would have faith and into that all of tree, which is Jesus. Really, you're saying here was incorporated all those who would have faith Juve living Jews and believing Gentiles. It goes down to Faith. Do you see that? We are united to cry through faith? Where grafted into this olive tree? And it's through believe it's through faith, but it was just one organism. It was not cut down and a new one planted know. It's the same one. I like to look at it as a view of a butterfly. It was a caterpillar and then it in Metamorphosis turn into a butterfly. One organism, looks different than it looks a lot different. Now, the people of God, So that's one extreme is replacement theology. I do not think the church has replaced. Israel know, the Gentiles were grafted leaving, Gentiles were grafted into this already. People of God, is already organism. That Paul makes an allergy of an olive tree. Now. Here's the other extreme.

I still think there are those within a church. I don't know if I don't know anybody and I don't know, all the full fights and views of everyone and in here, but I have heard it said that there are still those who maintain there are two people of God in a spiritual sense that there are two separate people of God in a spiritual sense. There's just one Olive Tree though. There's just one people of God. So now, I think that the other extreme is to say that perhaps in a future time when Israel comes and returns to their lord. That they will be a separate or distinct. People from that Olive Tree, but it's so clear. Here, that that's not the case, why they're being grafted back in. It's the one people of God. They're being drafted back in to the same people of God. So that leads me to say this that when Israel is say like I behold in a, in a, in a future time. So I know that's a controversial statement even and I respect the the the, the controversy on that, but that they will be Christians. They will be the church. They will be the people of God. They will be a member of the body of Christ. Whatever their salvation looks like. They will be re grafted back in to the Olive Tree. They will be United to Jesus Christ through faith. They will be the cold out one, which is what Equus Sia means the the church.

Now, let's get to the main point of the Olive Tree analogy. Those against those are just gleanings. The main point is this it is a Paul's May point. So if you disagree with me on some of those on the Lesser points, I'm not saying they're unimportant but let's focus here on the main point and that is that wants the Gentiles to become humble. Through what's being said here through the, the analogy, the analogy, and its purpose. Its humility. The purpose of Paul giving this analogy is to Humble the church and I hope we leave being humble, because we're looking at the goodness of God and the severity of God as seen in the extent of Israel's fall, they fell that severity but they didn't fall finally. That's the goodness. And Paul wants the church to learn from this. Now. There's an interesting Dynamic that we have to understand that was going on in this church, and this would be a tough situation that they were in. In Acts, 18, 1 and 2. There's the reference to Claudius the emperor at that time, expelling the Jews from Rome. So did Roman Church was probably primarily Jewish at one point. And then the Jews had to leave Rome. And so in the place of the, the population probably being primarily Jewish of the church, the the Gentiles. Were. Brew in dominance and number. And then the Jews were actually 10. Listen, whether it was primarily Gentiles are primarily Jews. I don't have any way of knowing that for sure, but I'm just looking how yummy the first started being Jewish. And so, I'm looking at it from that point of view. The main point is, this the Jews left and then it definitely became primarily Gentile, but the Jews were allowed to come back in by Claudius. And so now the Jews are coming back into the church and who are all the leaders now, their gentiles. Imagine that this way, imagine there being a church primarily white, some black people here and there, but for some reason, the white people had to leave the church and when they came back to Woodside Baptist Church, it look totally different. Black leaders old negro spirituals for the music. Maybe different styles, different Customs. Would that create some tension? I think so because we're human, send to make this racist necessarily, but that would there would still be tension because when things are different from the way we are, we don't always necessarily like that. So there was a extreme tension, most people think, and the church in Rome, the first century between the, the Jews and the Gentiles and Paul seems to be even quoting him. And verse 19 says you will save in and I will be speaking for them if he's actually Said branches were broken off that. I might be grafted in. So there was this haughtiness in the Gentiles. Because they seem to now have the favor of God and be the dominant people of God and Paul saying no, no, no, no, no. No, he broke them off your right, but it was because of unbelief. If you do not continue and believe, he will break you off also, and don't you think that if he grafted you win, contrary to Nature a wild, all of you going into a cultivated tree, which was the other way around, really? How they did it.

Don't you think that a natural branch? A Jewish. Person would return to their Messiah would would return when he returned to their God of their fathers would be a naturally grafted back in. Don't you think that would be more natural thing? And what Paul is doing is he's reasoning with the Gentiles, he saying be be humble. Dear God, don't become party. And if you remain humble, this will keep you in the face. This if you look to God and you see his goodness, will melt your heart. The kindness of God, leads to repentance. And if you see his severity, which strikes a sobering alertness, a sobering fear in You by. Wow, he's done is real and you for that. How he didn't, he only slept it Israel, thousands of years ago in the vast population of the world died and went to hell. No. To the severity of going to die because of their sins and they were judged justly and rightly. But look at the severity of God is, God Is Not Santa Claus in the sky. But he is so good. He's so much better than Santa Claus is at the same time. So we'll look at the goodness of God. Look at the severity of God. Stay home. If you do not continue in faith. He can break you off again. To a gentile salvation is by Grace. That's what Paul says she has. Again. We can't dissect can't. Look at this text just cuz we didn't see the word Grace. We saw Grace mentioned, like, 3 or 4 times. And verses 1 through 11 is still in Paul's mine. He said, salvation is bike, race bike election. It's by God's Sovereign. Lee choosing placing his love, sneaking out, opening Hearts. Like he did Lydia giving years to see or hear and eyes to see to understand the grace of God. In the face of Jesus Christ. This is of God's grace. How can you be haughty? It was not because of you, it was because of God's love God's initiative, God's Sovereign Grace.

Because otherwise, you will be cut off. If you continue if you start to unbeliever just like they were now does that mean that they will lose their salvation know? Because their scriptures are so clear that he's someone who is born again will not become unborn again. Someone who is Regina or the holy spirit will not become unregenerate somehow. It's not even a language that Paul would even understand. It doesn't even attempt too many times to debate that or to argue that that point. It says, he takes it for granted. So What is this mean here? Well, it's one of those things. I think this is what we're saying to text a lot of gospel warning. I think it's a means of Grace God, through Paul. If they're some of the other Riders riders in Hebrews, gives warnings to the church to remain. Faithful to continue and his grace to continue in his kindness to continue and believe. If you don't, you will be lost. If you don't, you will be cut off, isn't that what he says right here, but you go but I can't lose my salvation. That doesn't make any sense. Why would even say it? Well because he's he's creating a soberness and you with a means of Grace to keep you in the face, you saying, stay humble, please. This will keep you in the face. Do not be haughty or you will be returned from looking to God and look into yourself and you will be cut off. Don't go the way of the sons of Perdition know, remain faithful. It's always warning them and it's because of those warnings that the True Believers will continue on the straight and narrow. They will continue in believe if they do. Go out from us, it will demonstrate that they were never of us. Yes, of course, but it is a valid warning given to even true. Believers primarily to True. Believers to keep them believing. That's a little bit of a difficult Doctrine, but I see it over and over again in the scriptures. So Church in conclusion. My exultation to you this morning off of this space. Off of this text is primarily fear God. Be humble with your salvation. Now we're up removed from the situation where they're not Jews or not Gentiles, but there's so many different ways that we need to apply the Salvation in our lives even to unbelievers and to realize what do we have that? We were not given in the first place and sometimes that can even mean to understanding of different doctrines in the Bible amongst other believers that other believers haven't come to yet or not. Seeing at the same way. Why do you see it and they don't, what do you have that? You did not receive by Grace. This will keep us humble. We need to have a spirit of humility and remember infusions for that. We preach on the other night that leads to Unity within the church, which is our, which is the primary part of our high calling that we have in Jesus Christ. So this text is exhorting us to fear. God, do not fear the one who can destroy the body. In-N-Out, by physical means, fear Him who can destroy body and soul and throw into gehenna hell. Who is that? God? He's the one that we were instructed to fear. So that's what the text is saying. The goodness of God as seen in the pattern, as seen him in an alley that severity of God as seen in the pattern of Salvation throughout the history of the Church of being before the church. And also the analogy of the Olive Tree. Behold the kindness for the goodness and severity of God. So we seen in Hebrew, Romans 1, Romans 11, 1 through 11. The faithfulness of God is saving a room that we seem to goodness the severity of God in vs. 12, verses 11 through 24, this morning. Next week. We're going to look at the wisdom of God as we close out of this, this chapter of Romans 11, so please be be reading this text. Come with questions in your mind. The next morning. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Next next. Lord's morning. Next Sunday, father.