Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Romans 10:16-11:32
Transcript
- 0:00Please take out your copy of God's Word, which I hope you brought with you this morning, and turn to Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 10.
- 0:07To be honest and humble this morning, I have been dreading coming to this point in the book of Romans.
- 0:22And by this point, I mean chapter 11, verse 26, which we're going to get to today, if you can believe it or not.
- 0:31But, beginning in chapter 9, I have been wrestling with the meaning and the implications contained in such difficult, difficult text.
- 0:44I have taken some comfort in kind of widely reading and seeing that I'm not the only one, a bit confused by it.
- 0:51I take comfort that Peter himself, the apostle in 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 16, said that there are some things in Paul's writings that are hard to understand.
- 1:01Even Peter himself was a tad confused at times.
- 1:05I have been actually kind of physically in anguish over the bearing and the meaning of this text that we're going to get to today.
- 1:16You're going to think I'm crazy.
- 1:18We are going to go from chapter 10, verse 16, through chapter 11, verse 32, taking a particular look at Israel and the meaning.
- 1:30What is Paul getting at about Israel?
- 1:32How is it that the grace of God is relating to Israel?
- 1:36And that has been really the argument that he began for us at the beginning of chapter 9.
- 1:44So let's read it together.
- 1:45And I just ask that you be very attentive.
- 1:47As we normally do verse-by-verse exposition, I won't be quite verse-by-versing it today.
- 1:54So this is your verse-by-verse dose.
- 1:57And then I'm going to kind of jump a little bit through the chapter so that we can actually make it through today.
- 2:03And I hope you'll see the value in that by the time we finish our time together, which is starting at 11.
- 2:08We'll see how this goes.
- 2:10All right.
- 2:10So begin reading in verse 16 of chapter 10.
- 2:13But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
- 2:16For Isaiah says,
- 2:17Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?
- 2:21So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
- 2:25But I ask, have they not heard?
- 2:27Indeed they have.
- 2:28For their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
- 2:33But I ask, did Israel not understand?
- 2:35First, Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation.
- 2:39With a foolish nation, I will make you angry.
- 2:42Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me.
- 2:48I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.
- 2:52But of Israel, he says, all day long I've held up my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.
- 2:58I ask then, has God rejected his people?
- 3:02By no means.
- 3:03For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
- 3:09God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
- 3:11Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah?
- 3:14How he appeals to God against Israel?
- 3:17Lord, they have killed your prophets.
- 3:19They have demolished your altars.
- 3:21And I alone am left, and they seek my life.
- 3:25But what is God's reply to him?
- 3:27I have kept for myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
- 3:31So too, at the present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace.
- 3:36But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works.
- 3:39Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.
- 3:44What then?
- 3:45Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking.
- 3:47The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened.
- 3:49As it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see, and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.
- 3:58And David says, let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
- 4:05Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.
- 4:09So I asked, did they stumble in order that they might fall?
- 4:14By no means.
- 4:16Rather, through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
- 4:22Now, if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles,
- 4:27how much more would their full inclusion mean?
- 4:30Now, I am speaking to you, Gentiles, and as much then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles,
- 4:35I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them.
- 4:42For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
- 4:48If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
- 4:55But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others,
- 5:02and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches.
- 5:08If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
- 5:13Then you will say, branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.
- 5:18That is true.
- 5:19They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith.
- 5:23So do not become proud, but fear.
- 5:27For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
- 5:31Note then the kindness and the severity of God.
- 5:34Severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness.
- 5:41Otherwise you too will be cut off.
- 5:44And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
- 5:51For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted contrator nature into a cultivated olive tree,
- 6:01how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree?
- 6:07Lest you be wise in your own sight.
- 6:09I want you to understand this mystery, brothers.
- 6:12A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
- 6:17And in this way, all Israel will be saved.
- 6:20As it is written, the Deliverer will come from Zion.
- 6:24He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
- 6:26And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
- 6:30As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake.
- 6:32But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
- 6:36For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
- 6:39For just as you were at one time disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
- 6:44so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you, they also may now receive mercy.
- 6:51For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
- 6:56Let's pray together.
- 6:57Father God, I feel the weight of this text this morning.
- 7:02But I pray as we've read from your Holy Scripture,
- 7:06and as we listen to the preaching of it, and just even as I preach it,
- 7:10that you will teach us from it.
- 7:14We know that all Scripture is profitable.
- 7:17So this text is for us this day.
- 7:19And I pray, God, that will be the case.
- 7:22That by your Spirit, we will feel the truth, and it will move us to action.
- 7:28And I pray this in Christ's name.
- 7:31Amen.
- 7:32So we've been in the book of Romans for quite some time now.
- 7:35We've been marching through it.
- 7:36I need to go back and look and actually see how long we've been at this now together.
- 7:40But those of you who are here may remember in Romans chapter 3,
- 7:46I preached a sermon on verses 19 through 16,
- 7:49and I said that this text was the crux of Romans.
- 7:55For those of you not familiar with that term,
- 7:58I used to, I don't really anymore, but used to rock climb quite a bit.
- 8:02And every route has or had, for me, a crux.
- 8:06And the crux was always the most difficult move in the entire climb.
- 8:10So if you could pull the crux off, with fair certainty,
- 8:14you were going to be able to finish that particular route.
- 8:17And that is this for Romans.
- 8:20Martin Luther actually called it the center of the Bible,
- 8:23verses 19 through 26.
- 8:26And it's where we see that the whole world,
- 8:30verse 19, is going to be held accountable to God.
- 8:32For no human being will be justified in his sight.
- 8:38Down in verse 22, there's no distinction.
- 8:40For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
- 8:43And could be then only justified, verse 24,
- 8:47by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ,
- 8:53who's the propitiation, the replacement for our sin.
- 8:57We received his righteousness in what Martin Luther called the great exchange.
- 9:00So to understand the entirety of Scripture,
- 9:05as well as just where we're at today in Romans,
- 9:08we have to get this right.
- 9:11The case that Paul has been building,
- 9:13beginning in chapter 1 and working his way through,
- 9:15is that all man is condemned in God's sight,
- 9:19because all men have sinned.
- 9:22There is no good thing we can do.
- 9:25There's no lineage we can have,
- 9:27no associations,
- 9:29no activity that's going to make us right before God
- 9:33except faith in his Son,
- 9:37which is a grace to us.
- 9:39I didn't know it at the time.
- 9:43I didn't have verse 26 and chapter 11 in mind
- 9:47when I said that this was so key,
- 9:48so important that we get this absolutely right.
- 9:50I'm glad I did,
- 9:51and I'm glad I'm saying it again now.
- 9:52We must see that this is the case.
- 9:55This is the lens by which we must look at
- 9:58the rest of Romans and all of the Scriptures.
- 10:02It's very key that we get that right.
- 10:06Man has sinned,
- 10:08and therefore we are found unworthy.
- 10:11We are depraved,
- 10:13utterly worthless in God's sight.
- 10:17But by the propitiation,
- 10:19the work of Christ,
- 10:21and our faith in him,
- 10:22we can be redeemed,
- 10:23have a right standing before God.
- 10:25That is the way of salvation.
- 10:28Not a way of salvation.
- 10:30That is the way of salvation.
- 10:35So Paul continues to go on
- 10:37and build a case for what now life in Christ looks like.
- 10:41This receiving of the Spirit
- 10:43and life by the Spirit.
- 10:44The difficulty that we're going to experience
- 10:46as Christians in chapter 8.
- 10:48And then he gets at the end of chapter 8
- 10:49to talk about the sovereignty of God in salvation.
- 10:52And so if God was sovereign in our salvation,
- 10:55he's also going to be sovereign in our perfection
- 10:57and our final completion.
- 10:58He is sovereign over all things.
- 11:00So as we suffer,
- 11:02we have this great and glorious truth
- 11:03that if God is for us,
- 11:04who can be against us?
- 11:06No one.
- 11:06Not even ourselves.
- 11:07Right?
- 11:08He is good and loving to us
- 11:10because he is God
- 11:11and he is in control.
- 11:12Right?
- 11:13Then he, in chapter 9,
- 11:15says,
- 11:15but,
- 11:16the question in his own mind,
- 11:17and I'm sure the question he was asked many times
- 11:19is,
- 11:20what about the Jews?
- 11:23What about the people that,
- 11:24that culturally they had an understanding
- 11:26were God's people?
- 11:27These were the people
- 11:28that God had given all these blessings to.
- 11:31You see in verse 4 and verse 5 of chapter 9,
- 11:34they had the glory,
- 11:35the covenants,
- 11:35the giving of the law,
- 11:36the worship,
- 11:37and the promises,
- 11:38the patriarchs.
- 11:39And it's from their flesh,
- 11:41according to the flesh,
- 11:42that Christ was born.
- 11:44He himself was a Jew.
- 11:46What about those people,
- 11:48right,
- 11:48that had all these benefits
- 11:49given to them?
- 11:52And Paul then gives us his famous argument
- 11:55in chapter 9
- 11:56of God's sovereignty and salvation.
- 11:58We see the introduction of the term election
- 12:01in verse 11.
- 12:04That God's purpose of election might stand
- 12:06not on the basis of works.
- 12:08Jacob and Esau is the example
- 12:09given there, right?
- 12:11Esau was the eldest son.
- 12:13His work was that he came out of the womb first,
- 12:15but the promise was given to Jacob,
- 12:18so that the eternal purpose of election
- 12:20might stand not on the basis of works,
- 12:23but because of him who calls.
- 12:26That's verse 11.
- 12:28He turns back then in chapter 10,
- 12:31end of 9 and then into 10,
- 12:34to talk once again about the Jews.
- 12:36So what is it that's going on
- 12:38in God's sovereign eternal purposes?
- 12:41How is it that he still is relating
- 12:42and he kind of rewinds back
- 12:44to the beautiful simplicity
- 12:46of the gospel
- 12:47that anyone who believes in him,
- 12:52verse 13 of chapter 10,
- 12:53for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
- 12:55will be saved.
- 12:59Verse 14,
- 12:59how will they call on whom they have not believed
- 13:02and how will they believe in him
- 13:03and whom they have never heard?
- 13:04And how are they here without someone preaching?
- 13:06We talked over the past three weeks
- 13:08about the mission of the church,
- 13:10which is to preach the gospel,
- 13:12the good news of Jesus Christ,
- 13:13because anyone who hears it
- 13:15and believes it
- 13:15and calls on the name of the Lord
- 13:17will be saved.
- 13:18So as Paul talks about
- 13:21the exclusion of some
- 13:24in Romans chapter 9,
- 13:25he then wraps it back around
- 13:26and says,
- 13:26but anyone who believes
- 13:28will be saved.
- 13:31And then he turns back
- 13:32in the most challenging text
- 13:35I've ever had to preach,
- 13:37I hope ever will have to preach,
- 13:39at the end of 10
- 13:40and into 11
- 13:41to continue to address Israel.
- 13:44And that's what we're going to talk,
- 13:45we're going to focus in on today.
- 13:47Next week,
- 13:48Lord willing,
- 13:49we're going to talk about us,
- 13:51the Gentiles,
- 13:51and how it is we've benefited
- 13:52from this.
- 13:55This morning's going to be
- 13:55a bit academic,
- 13:56and for that I apologize.
- 13:58At the end,
- 13:58I promise to make it practical
- 13:59for your living.
- 14:00But I think it's important
- 14:01that we get this
- 14:02absolutely right
- 14:04to the best of our ability
- 14:06by the grace of God.
- 14:07But let's see things.
- 14:10In Paul's argument,
- 14:11he's argued in chapter 9,
- 14:13verse 27 through 29,
- 14:14that God has always saved
- 14:16a remnant of Israel.
- 14:18Okay, so look at that there
- 14:19at the end.
- 14:21And Isaiah cries out
- 14:22concerning Israel,
- 14:23though the number of the sons of Israel
- 14:24be as the sand of the sea,
- 14:26only a remnant of them
- 14:27will be saved.
- 14:27For the Lord will carry out
- 14:28his sentence upon the earth
- 14:29fully and without delay.
- 14:31And as Isaiah predicted,
- 14:32if the Lord of hosts
- 14:33had not left us offspring,
- 14:35we would have been like Sodom
- 14:36and become like Gomorrah.
- 14:37So, number one,
- 14:38we have to recall
- 14:39that he's already stated
- 14:40that God has always saved
- 14:42a remnant of Israel,
- 14:43remnant being the operative word
- 14:45in this case.
- 14:47Secondly, God has the right
- 14:49to show mercy
- 14:50or to harden
- 14:51whomever he desires.
- 14:53He is God.
- 14:55We talked about him
- 14:56being the great I am.
- 14:58Everything plugs into him,
- 14:59but he plugs into nothing else.
- 15:00He is God.
- 15:02And the question
- 15:03asked in verse 19 of chapter 9,
- 15:06the person who says,
- 15:07you will say to me then,
- 15:08why does he still find fault?
- 15:09For who can resist his will?
- 15:11And Paul's response to them is,
- 15:13who are you, O man?
- 15:14To answer back to God.
- 15:16God has spoken.
- 15:16He has decreed
- 15:17that he'll have mercy
- 15:18on whom he will
- 15:18and he'll harden whom he will
- 15:20because he's God.
- 15:21Don't be so haughty.
- 15:23Don't be so arrogant
- 15:23and stand in judgment over him.
- 15:25He's God.
- 15:26You're a man.
- 15:27As the creation,
- 15:28worship your creator
- 15:29for who he is.
- 15:31He's worthy of that praise.
- 15:34So that's the second one.
- 15:35God has the right
- 15:36to show mercy
- 15:37or to harden
- 15:38whomever he desires.
- 15:41Number three,
- 15:42Israel has rebelled
- 15:43against God
- 15:44throughout her history.
- 15:45It's been a constant theme
- 15:46throughout the history of Israel.
- 15:49Rebellion,
- 15:49even though they had received
- 15:51all of these
- 15:51beautiful pictures
- 15:53of God's grace,
- 15:54the things that were meant
- 15:55to point to
- 15:56the Christ that was coming,
- 15:57the tabernacle,
- 15:58the law,
- 15:59the sacrifice,
- 16:00the patriarchs,
- 16:01the prophets,
- 16:02all of those things,
- 16:03these reflections
- 16:04or shadows,
- 16:05if you will,
- 16:05of the coming glory
- 16:06in Christ.
- 16:08Yet,
- 16:09she continued to rebel
- 16:10in chapter 10,
- 16:11verse 21.
- 16:12But of Israel,
- 16:13he says,
- 16:13all day long,
- 16:14I've held out my hands
- 16:15to a disobedient
- 16:17and a contrary people.
- 16:21And that's the stage.
- 16:23We can't divorce
- 16:24where we're about to be
- 16:25in chapter 11
- 16:26from where we've been
- 16:28in chapters 1
- 16:29through
- 16:30first half of 10.
- 16:32Right?
- 16:32We can't do it.
- 16:33It would be
- 16:33exegetically unfaithful
- 16:35to do so.
- 16:38But let's step
- 16:39even a little bit
- 16:40further back
- 16:40from the book of Romans.
- 16:41Okay?
- 16:42And let's just see
- 16:42how Jesus
- 16:44dealt with the Jews,
- 16:46speaking to the Jews
- 16:47in Matthew chapter 8.
- 16:49If you'll turn with me there,
- 16:50we're going to look
- 16:50at three texts
- 16:51in Matthew
- 16:52and then two in Zechariah,
- 16:54which you don't have
- 16:55to turn to.
- 16:55Okay?
- 17:03Matthew chapter 8,
- 17:09verse 11.
- 17:10Jesus says,
- 17:10now remember,
- 17:11in all three of these texts,
- 17:12he's speaking to a Jewish audience.
- 17:13He says,
- 17:13I tell you,
- 17:14many will come from east
- 17:16and west,
- 17:17the world,
- 17:17and recline at table
- 17:18with Abraham,
- 17:19Isaac,
- 17:20and Jacob
- 17:20in the kingdom of heaven,
- 17:22while the sons
- 17:23of the kingdom,
- 17:24Israelites,
- 17:25will be thrown
- 17:26into the outer darkness.
- 17:27In that place,
- 17:28there will be weeping
- 17:29and gnashing
- 17:30of teeth.
- 17:31Here,
- 17:32Jesus is already
- 17:32beginning to expand
- 17:33the gospel message
- 17:34out beyond
- 17:35just the nation
- 17:36of Israel.
- 17:37Okay?
- 17:37We see Paul
- 17:38as the carrier
- 17:38of that message,
- 17:40as the culmination,
- 17:43the fulfillment
- 17:43of what Jesus
- 17:44is saying here
- 17:44as he begins
- 17:45to take the gospel
- 17:46out to the Gentiles.
- 17:47And just in case
- 17:48you don't know,
- 17:48Gentiles is everybody
- 17:49but Jews,
- 17:50just in case.
- 17:51I think we're all,
- 17:51I'm pretty sure,
- 17:52we're all Gentiles
- 17:52in this room.
- 17:54That's what the scriptures mean.
- 17:55All right?
- 17:56So,
- 17:56there's going to be
- 17:56this passing
- 17:57of the gospel
- 17:58from the unbelieving Jews
- 17:59to the nations,
- 18:01to the world.
- 18:03Matthew chapter 21,
- 18:04verse 43.
- 18:07He says,
- 18:07I'm going to read it
- 18:08as you're getting there.
- 18:10Please don't dislike me
- 18:11for that.
- 18:11Therefore,
- 18:12I tell you,
- 18:13the kingdom of God
- 18:14will be taken away
- 18:15from you
- 18:15and given
- 18:16to a people
- 18:17producing its fruits.
- 18:19Okay?
- 18:19So,
- 18:19again,
- 18:20the same thing
- 18:20he's been saying
- 18:21in Matthew chapter 8.
- 18:22The gospel
- 18:22is going to be
- 18:23passing from the Jews
- 18:24to the Gentiles.
- 18:27Okay?
- 18:28And then,
- 18:28Matthew 22.
- 18:30So,
- 18:30turn just a little bit there.
- 18:33Verse 1.
- 18:34And again,
- 18:35Jesus spoke to them
- 18:36in parables,
- 18:36saying,
- 18:38The kingdom of heaven
- 18:39may be compared
- 18:40to a king
- 18:40who gave a wedding feast
- 18:42for his son,
- 18:44God throwing a wedding feast
- 18:45for Jesus Christ,
- 18:46and sent his servants
- 18:48to call those
- 18:48who were invited
- 18:49to the wedding feast,
- 18:50but they would not come.
- 18:52Again,
- 18:53he sent other servants,
- 18:54saying,
- 18:55Tell those who are invited,
- 18:56See,
- 18:56I have prepared my dinner,
- 18:58my oxen and my fat calves
- 18:59have been slaughtered,
- 19:00and everything is ready.
- 19:02Come to the wedding feast.
- 19:04Okay?
- 19:04So,
- 19:04these are all the blessings
- 19:05given to Israel.
- 19:06All right?
- 19:06The prophets,
- 19:08the sacrificial system,
- 19:10the tabernacle,
- 19:10all these things,
- 19:11these pictures
- 19:12of the coming Christ.
- 19:14Verse 5.
- 19:15But they paid no attention
- 19:16and went off,
- 19:17one to his farm,
- 19:18another to his business,
- 19:19while the rest seized his servants,
- 19:21treated them shamefully,
- 19:22and killed them.
- 19:23And those are the prophets.
- 19:24The king was angry,
- 19:26and he sent his troops
- 19:27and destroyed those murderers
- 19:29and burned their city.
- 19:31Then he said to his servants,
- 19:32The wedding feast is ready,
- 19:33but those invited were not worthy.
- 19:36Go therefore to the main roads
- 19:37and invite to the wedding feast
- 19:38as many as you find.
- 19:39And those servants went out
- 19:41into the roads
- 19:41and gathered all whom they found,
- 19:43both bad and good.
- 19:46So the wedding hall
- 19:46was filled with guests,
- 19:48but when the king came in
- 19:49to look at the guests,
- 19:50he saw there a man
- 19:51who had no wedding garment,
- 19:52and he said to him,
- 19:53Friend, how did you get in here
- 19:54without a wedding garment?
- 19:56And he was speechless.
- 19:57Then the king said to the attendants,
- 19:59Bind him hand and foot
- 20:00and cast him into the outer darkness.
- 20:02In that place,
- 20:02there will be weeping
- 20:03and gnashing of teeth.
- 20:04For many are called,
- 20:06but few are chosen.
- 20:09So there's this expansion,
- 20:10once again,
- 20:10of the invitation
- 20:11to come to the party.
- 20:14Both good and bad,
- 20:15he says,
- 20:15are invited.
- 20:16The both good and bad,
- 20:19in reference here,
- 20:20are the Jews
- 20:21and the Gentiles.
- 20:23The Jews
- 20:24and the Gentiles.
- 20:25So they go out
- 20:26and he invites,
- 20:27he brings.
- 20:28And a man comes in
- 20:29and he's not wearing
- 20:30a wedding garment.
- 20:31In these days,
- 20:32if you showed up to a wedding,
- 20:33you were given something
- 20:34to put on
- 20:35to show that you were
- 20:36an invited guest.
- 20:37I didn't have time
- 20:38to research what it was
- 20:39you would put on,
- 20:39but it was a garment
- 20:40of some sort
- 20:41you would wear
- 20:42and you would joyfully
- 20:42put it on to say,
- 20:43I am here celebrating
- 20:45what's going on
- 20:46in this place.
- 20:48And this is ultimately
- 20:48talking about
- 20:49the marriage supper
- 20:50of the Lamb.
- 20:51Jesus Christ
- 20:52feasting with his people
- 20:54and guess what
- 20:55our wedding garment
- 20:55is going to be?
- 20:56It's going to be
- 20:56the righteousness of Christ.
- 20:58Because we're invited guests.
- 21:01So there's this picture.
- 21:03Then in Zechariah,
- 21:04there's just some prophecy.
- 21:06So Zechariah 12.10,
- 21:08God speaks through Zechariah
- 21:09and says,
- 21:10and I will pour out
- 21:11on the house of David
- 21:12and the inhabitants
- 21:13of Jerusalem
- 21:13a spirit of grace
- 21:15and please for mercy
- 21:16so that when they look
- 21:18on me
- 21:18on whom they have pierced
- 21:20they shall mourn for him
- 21:21as one mourns
- 21:22for an only child
- 21:22and weep bitterly
- 21:24over him
- 21:24as one weeps
- 21:25over a firstborn.
- 21:27Chapter 13,
- 21:28verse 1 of Zechariah.
- 21:29On that day
- 21:30there shall be
- 21:30a fountain open
- 21:31for the house of David
- 21:32and the inhabitants
- 21:33of Jerusalem
- 21:33to cleanse them
- 21:35from sin
- 21:35and uncleanliness.
- 21:38So we see
- 21:39that the gospel
- 21:40passes
- 21:41from the Jews
- 21:42to the Gentiles
- 21:44but it has not
- 21:45left them entirely.
- 21:47The grace of God
- 21:48has been expanded
- 21:50across the world
- 21:51including those
- 21:54who are of the nation
- 21:55of Israel,
- 21:55including the Jewish people.
- 21:59Paul asks that question
- 22:00in chapter 11,
- 22:01verse 1, right?
- 22:02I ask then,
- 22:03has God rejected
- 22:04his people?
- 22:04By no means.
- 22:05And he makes the case
- 22:06of himself,
- 22:06his present day self.
- 22:08I'm a Jew
- 22:08and I'm a believer.
- 22:11By and large
- 22:12the nation
- 22:12had rejected Christ
- 22:13but many Jewish
- 22:15yep,
- 22:18not a good word for that,
- 22:19Jewish people,
- 22:19right?
- 22:20Many Jewish people
- 22:21had been turning
- 22:22to Christ
- 22:22at this time.
- 22:23God hadn't rejected
- 22:24his people
- 22:24and you see here
- 22:25the teaching
- 22:27of Jesus
- 22:28and Matthew
- 22:28and this prophecy
- 22:30in Zechariah.
- 22:31We see these two things.
- 22:32Both
- 22:32are going
- 22:33to be true
- 22:35and that's
- 22:37where Paul's wrestling.
- 22:38Alright?
- 22:39So we've
- 22:39seen the stage
- 22:40in Romans.
- 22:42We've come back
- 22:43from it a little bit
- 22:43just to look at
- 22:43some other scriptures
- 22:44generally.
- 22:47And so we get
- 22:48to this phrase
- 22:49in chapter 11,
- 22:52verse 26.
- 22:54And in this way
- 22:55all Israel
- 22:57will be saved.
- 23:00There are three
- 23:01major
- 23:02arguments
- 23:04for what this means.
- 23:07And within those
- 23:08three majors
- 23:09there are some
- 23:09variations certainly
- 23:10on them.
- 23:12I say to you
- 23:13humbly
- 23:14that I have
- 23:15an opinion
- 23:15that is not
- 23:17inspired.
- 23:19Certainly what I say
- 23:20should only be
- 23:22weighed against
- 23:22the scriptures.
- 23:23I hope I make
- 23:23a clear case
- 23:24because if I don't
- 23:25then I shouldn't
- 23:27be studying to preach.
- 23:28I hope that
- 23:29the opinion
- 23:30I've arrived at
- 23:30makes some sense
- 23:31to you
- 23:32as I present it
- 23:33to you.
- 23:34But I want to
- 23:35quickly tell you
- 23:35these three arguments
- 23:37and then tell you
- 23:38kind of where
- 23:38I rest
- 23:39on this.
- 23:41Number one,
- 23:42there's an argument
- 23:43that when
- 23:44he refers to
- 23:45all Israel
- 23:46that he's
- 23:47speaking of
- 23:48the church.
- 23:50And that kind
- 23:50of logic is
- 23:51pulled from
- 23:51the beginning
- 23:52of chapter 9,
- 23:53verse 6
- 23:54when Paul says,
- 23:55but it is not
- 23:56as though the word
- 23:56of God has failed
- 23:57for not all
- 23:58who are descended
- 23:58from Israel
- 23:59belong to Israel.
- 24:01And he makes
- 24:02this argument
- 24:03that those of us
- 24:04who are of the church
- 24:05are of the spiritual
- 24:06Israel.
- 24:07And certainly
- 24:07the scriptures
- 24:08do that.
- 24:09They do do that.
- 24:10And I can see
- 24:11why somebody
- 24:11would be tempted
- 24:12because it cleans
- 24:12it up.
- 24:13It makes it
- 24:13really nice
- 24:13and neat
- 24:14to do it
- 24:14that way.
- 24:15But you kind
- 24:16of have to
- 24:17ignore the rest
- 24:17of the chapter
- 24:18for that to be
- 24:19possible.
- 24:20Paul is speaking
- 24:21of the nation
- 24:23of Israel.
- 24:24Look with me.
- 24:25I'm going to do
- 24:25this really fast
- 24:26so we don't
- 24:27run out of time.
- 24:28But look with me
- 24:29beginning in
- 24:30verse 1 of chapter 11.
- 24:34He asks the question,
- 24:35has God rejected
- 24:35his people?
- 24:37No.
- 24:38I myself am an
- 24:38Israelite.
- 24:39So he's talking
- 24:40about his heritage.
- 24:42I'm an Israelite.
- 24:43His people
- 24:44an Israelite.
- 24:45Then he goes on
- 24:46in verse 2
- 24:46to talk about
- 24:47his people
- 24:47whom he foreknew.
- 24:48And at the end
- 24:49of verse 2
- 24:50being Israel.
- 24:53Verse 7.
- 24:54What then Israel
- 24:55failed to obtain
- 24:56what it was seeking?
- 24:57The elect obtained it.
- 25:00Verse 11.
- 25:01They,
- 25:02so I ask
- 25:03did they stumble
- 25:03in order that they
- 25:04might fall?
- 25:05And it goes on
- 25:06and it goes on.
- 25:06I'm probably
- 25:07wasting time
- 25:08to continue to do
- 25:09this, right?
- 25:10Verse 11.
- 25:11There.
- 25:12Israel.
- 25:13Verse 12.
- 25:14There.
- 25:15Then you see
- 25:15the world.
- 25:16And if there.
- 25:17Failure.
- 25:18Riches for the Gentiles.
- 25:19How much more
- 25:20will their inclusion
- 25:21mean?
- 25:22Okay, so
- 25:22if we follow
- 25:23the pronouns
- 25:24through,
- 25:25and I'm just
- 25:25going to stop
- 25:25there,
- 25:25but it keeps
- 25:26on marching
- 25:27its way
- 25:27up to verse 26.
- 25:29We follow
- 25:29the pronouns.
- 25:30Certainly we can't
- 25:31say that he just
- 25:32suddenly changes
- 25:33his language
- 25:33at this point.
- 25:34He just suddenly
- 25:35totally throws out
- 25:36and shifts it
- 25:37just to massively
- 25:38confuse everyone
- 25:39who might read
- 25:40this letter,
- 25:41right?
- 25:41That's not the case
- 25:42at all.
- 25:42So we can very
- 25:43quickly and easily
- 25:44dismiss that.
- 25:45Paul is not
- 25:46arguing here
- 25:47that in verse 26
- 25:49that in this way
- 25:50all Israel,
- 25:51meaning all the
- 25:52church,
- 25:53will be saved.
- 25:55It's not what he
- 25:55means.
- 25:57The second option,
- 25:58and this is the
- 25:59most prevalent
- 26:00and popular,
- 26:01which is not
- 26:01the one I'm
- 26:03resting on,
- 26:03which gives me
- 26:04great hesitation,
- 26:06is the national
- 26:08argument,
- 26:09right?
- 26:09It's an eschatological
- 26:11argument.
- 26:11It's an end times
- 26:12argument that the
- 26:13day will come
- 26:14one day when
- 26:16all of the
- 26:17Gentile peoples
- 26:17meant to be
- 26:18saved will be
- 26:18saved,
- 26:19and then all
- 26:21Israel will be
- 26:21saved.
- 26:23My challenge
- 26:24with this is
- 26:26that it seems
- 26:27inconsistent.
- 26:28I want to
- 26:29focus in,
- 26:30these people do,
- 26:31on the word
- 26:31all Israel.
- 26:33I want to
- 26:33focus in on
- 26:34that,
- 26:34but then neglect
- 26:35what that would
- 26:36actually mean.
- 26:37If we just
- 26:38simply look at
- 26:38the phrasing
- 26:39all Israel,
- 26:40would that not
- 26:40mean every Jew
- 26:41who ever lived?
- 26:43From the beginning
- 26:44to the end?
- 26:45That in some way
- 26:46God is a
- 26:47universalist in
- 26:48regards to this
- 26:49nation?
- 26:50And here's where
- 26:51chapter 3,
- 26:52verse 19 through
- 26:5326 serves us
- 26:54well.
- 26:55There's not a
- 26:56separate promise,
- 26:57as some have
- 26:57suggested.
- 26:58There's a
- 26:59separate covenant
- 27:00for the Jewish
- 27:01people and a
- 27:02different covenant,
- 27:03the covenant of
- 27:04grace, for the
- 27:05church.
- 27:06They're one and
- 27:07the same.
- 27:07That's the
- 27:07argument Paul was
- 27:08making for us.
- 27:09Jew or Gentile,
- 27:10there's no
- 27:11distinction,
- 27:11doesn't matter,
- 27:12all of a sudden
- 27:12fall short of
- 27:13the glory of God
- 27:13and will only be
- 27:15redeemed,
- 27:15only be redeemed
- 27:17through Christ,
- 27:19through his
- 27:19propitiation,
- 27:20the covenant of
- 27:21grace.
- 27:23So if we're
- 27:23going to be
- 27:24exegetically
- 27:24consistent,
- 27:26we can't say
- 27:27that all means
- 27:28all Israel
- 27:30from the beginning
- 27:31to the end,
- 27:31all those who
- 27:32have Jewish
- 27:33heritage.
- 27:34So most who
- 27:35hold this view
- 27:36don't believe
- 27:36that.
- 27:37They believe
- 27:37that there
- 27:38will come a
- 27:38time when
- 27:39all the Gentiles
- 27:40will be included
- 27:40in the end of
- 27:41all things and
- 27:42then all of the
- 27:44Israelites who
- 27:45are left will
- 27:46turn to Christ.
- 27:46There will be a
- 27:47great national
- 27:48turning back to
- 27:49Christ.
- 27:52Maybe, but I
- 27:53don't believe
- 27:53that's what Paul
- 27:53is saying here.
- 27:54There are some
- 27:56who say, well,
- 27:56not all of them,
- 27:57but at least a
- 27:58lot of them.
- 27:58I mean, there's
- 27:59just going to be
- 27:59a big revival
- 28:00that will happen
- 28:01in Israel.
- 28:02But then you
- 28:03have to read it
- 28:03and say, and
- 28:04in this way,
- 28:05all Israel,
- 28:06well, I mean,
- 28:06at least most
- 28:07of them, or
- 28:07not all Israel,
- 28:10but the people
- 28:11who are left
- 28:12alive at this
- 28:12time that we
- 28:13don't understand.
- 28:15That's what you
- 28:15have to do.
- 28:16Now, just to be
- 28:18clear, I disagree
- 28:19with the Johns
- 28:20who all hold
- 28:21this view.
- 28:22You know who
- 28:22the Johns are?
- 28:23John Piper,
- 28:25John MacArthur,
- 28:26and Jonathan
- 28:27Edwards.
- 28:29This is what's
- 28:29been making me
- 28:30mentally sick
- 28:31about this.
- 28:34Generally
- 28:34speaking, if
- 28:35you disagree
- 28:36with these
- 28:36three men,
- 28:37you really
- 28:37ought to
- 28:38reconsider your
- 28:39stance, which
- 28:42I've been doing
- 28:42for the past
- 28:43two months,
- 28:45yeah, about
- 28:46two and a
- 28:46half months.
- 28:47I've been
- 28:48really, really
- 28:48wrestling with
- 28:49this.
- 28:49these men
- 28:51are godly
- 28:52and wise.
- 28:55I just
- 28:55think in this
- 28:56case they're
- 28:56wrong.
- 28:57I don't think
- 28:58that's what it
- 28:59means.
- 28:59Now, granted,
- 29:00if they're
- 29:01right, it
- 29:01does not
- 29:02ultimately
- 29:02change what
- 29:03this text
- 29:03really means
- 29:04for us.
- 29:05And we'll
- 29:05get there
- 29:05when we get
- 29:05to the
- 29:06practicality
- 29:06of it.
- 29:07They're not
- 29:07distorting it
- 29:08in order to
- 29:09meet some
- 29:10end of their
- 29:10own.
- 29:11I hope and
- 29:12pray that
- 29:13they're right.
- 29:14I hope and
- 29:14pray that there
- 29:15will come a
- 29:15time when the
- 29:16whole nation
- 29:17of Israel who's
- 29:18alive will turn
- 29:18to Christ.
- 29:19And that
- 29:19may happen.
- 29:20I just
- 29:20don't think
- 29:20that's what
- 29:21Paul is
- 29:22trying to
- 29:22teach us
- 29:23in this
- 29:24case.
- 29:25So the
- 29:25third argument,
- 29:26and the one
- 29:27I believe is
- 29:27right, is
- 29:28that he's
- 29:29referring to
- 29:30the remnant.
- 29:32He's referring
- 29:32to those of
- 29:34Israel that
- 29:34will be saved.
- 29:35He means
- 29:36all of Israel
- 29:38intended to be
- 29:39saved.
- 29:39And I
- 29:39recognize I
- 29:40have to do
- 29:40the same
- 29:41thing, right,
- 29:42to be
- 29:42exegetically
- 29:44consistent.
- 29:44I have to
- 29:45go, but
- 29:46we've got to
- 29:46add a few
- 29:46more words in
- 29:47there to make
- 29:47that make
- 29:47sense.
- 29:48And so I'm
- 29:48going to
- 29:48show you
- 29:49contextually
- 29:50why I
- 29:50think that's
- 29:51what he
- 29:52means when
- 29:52he says
- 29:53all Israel.
- 29:54So, firstly,
- 29:56he's speaking
- 29:56in the present
- 29:57tense throughout
- 29:57the entire
- 29:58chapter up
- 29:58to this
- 29:59point.
- 29:59He's speaking
- 29:59present tense,
- 30:00which is why
- 30:01I believe he's
- 30:02continuing to
- 30:03speak in the
- 30:04present tense.
- 30:05Okay?
- 30:07Many who
- 30:07hold to the
- 30:08remnant still
- 30:09think it's an
- 30:09end times
- 30:10issue, right?
- 30:11I think it's
- 30:12the remnant
- 30:12present day.
- 30:14Because,
- 30:15verse 1,
- 30:17right?
- 30:17When he
- 30:18asks, I
- 30:18ask them,
- 30:19as God
- 30:19rejects his
- 30:19people, he
- 30:20says, by
- 30:20no means,
- 30:21and he
- 30:21gives his
- 30:21current day
- 30:23evidence,
- 30:23present tense.
- 30:24I myself
- 30:25am an
- 30:25Israelite,
- 30:26and I'm
- 30:27a recipient
- 30:28of God's
- 30:29grace.
- 30:30Verse 5,
- 30:31says, so
- 30:32too at the
- 30:32present time
- 30:33there is a
- 30:34remnant
- 30:34chosen by
- 30:35grace.
- 30:37Verse 13
- 30:38and 14,
- 30:39he says,
- 30:39now I'm
- 30:40speaking to
- 30:40you Gentiles.
- 30:41In as much
- 30:42then as I
- 30:43am an
- 30:43apostle to
- 30:44the Gentiles,
- 30:44I magnify
- 30:45my ministry
- 30:46in order to
- 30:47somehow make
- 30:47my fellow
- 30:48Jews jealous
- 30:49and thus
- 30:50save some
- 30:50of them.
- 30:51When?
- 30:51Present tense,
- 30:52right?
- 30:53He's speaking
- 30:53about his
- 30:54ministry.
- 30:54Now, I
- 30:55magnify it
- 30:56to make
- 30:56Gentiles be
- 30:58Christians so
- 30:58that the Jews
- 30:59will be jealous
- 30:59so that some
- 31:00of them will
- 31:00be saved.
- 31:02And then look
- 31:02in verse 30
- 31:03and 31 of
- 31:04the use of
- 31:05now.
- 31:06Okay?
- 31:06So once
- 31:06again,
- 31:07for just as you
- 31:08were at one
- 31:09time disobedient to
- 31:09God, but now
- 31:10have received mercy,
- 31:11because of their
- 31:11disobedience.
- 31:12So they too
- 31:13have now been
- 31:14disobedient in
- 31:14order that by
- 31:15the mercy shown
- 31:15to you, they
- 31:16also may now
- 31:17receive mercy.
- 31:19Right?
- 31:19So even after
- 31:20the infamous
- 31:21verse 26, we
- 31:22see present
- 31:23tense language
- 31:24in verse 30
- 31:26and verse 31.
- 31:29Okay?
- 31:29So I think
- 31:30we're still
- 31:31speaking in
- 31:32present tense.
- 31:33And I want to
- 31:33show you,
- 31:34beginning in
- 31:35verse 11,
- 31:36and Michael
- 31:37Q, verse 11,
- 31:39a pattern that
- 31:40Paul has
- 31:41established
- 31:42throughout the
- 31:43scripture to
- 31:44get us here.
- 31:45Okay?
- 31:46So number
- 31:46one, we see
- 31:47the Jewish
- 31:48rejection of
- 31:49the gospel.
- 31:50That's the
- 31:51red lettering.
- 31:51Okay?
- 31:51We see the
- 31:52Jewish rejection
- 31:52of the gospel.
- 31:54We see that
- 31:55in chapter 10,
- 31:56verse 21,
- 31:57which is a
- 31:57quotation from
- 31:58Isaiah 65,
- 31:592.
- 32:00I spread up my
- 32:00hands all the
- 32:01day to a
- 32:01rebellious people
- 32:02who walk in a
- 32:03way that is not
- 32:04good, following
- 32:05their own
- 32:06devices.
- 32:07That's what he's
- 32:07talking about,
- 32:08chapter 10,
- 32:09verse 21.
- 32:09That's why he
- 32:10brings that up.
- 32:10Jewish rejection
- 32:11of the gospel.
- 32:13Secondly, the
- 32:14grace extended to
- 32:15the Gentiles in
- 32:17blue, up here.
- 32:19Grace extended to
- 32:20the Gentiles.
- 32:21Chapter 10,
- 32:22verse 20, he's
- 32:23quoting from
- 32:23Isaiah 65,
- 32:251.
- 32:26I was ready to
- 32:27be sought by
- 32:27those who did
- 32:29not ask for me.
- 32:29I was ready to
- 32:30be found by
- 32:31those who did
- 32:32not seek me.
- 32:33I said,
- 32:34here I am,
- 32:35here I am,
- 32:35to a nation that
- 32:36was not called
- 32:37by my name.
- 32:39So again,
- 32:39here we see,
- 32:40grace extended to
- 32:41the Gentiles and
- 32:43presented in
- 32:44chapter 10,
- 32:45verse 20,
- 32:46and again and
- 32:47again and again,
- 32:48which I'm going
- 32:48to show you in
- 32:48just a moment.
- 32:49Thirdly, we see
- 32:50the envy of the
- 32:52Jews.
- 32:53Chapter 10,
- 32:54verse 19, he
- 32:55quotes Deuteronomy
- 32:5632, 21.
- 32:57They have made me
- 32:58jealous with what
- 32:59is no God.
- 33:00They have provoked
- 33:00me to anger with
- 33:01their idols.
- 33:02So I will make
- 33:03them jealous with
- 33:04those who are no
- 33:05people.
- 33:05I will provoke
- 33:06them to
- 33:06anger with a
- 33:07foolish nation.
- 33:09So the part of
- 33:11the goal of this
- 33:12rejection is that
- 33:13Gentiles receive the
- 33:14gospel so that
- 33:15Jews become jealous
- 33:16so that Jews
- 33:17receive the gospel.
- 33:18This pattern.
- 33:19And fourthly,
- 33:20the salvation of
- 33:21Israel.
- 33:22Chapter 11,
- 33:23verse 1-4.
- 33:27We see
- 33:27Elijah basically
- 33:30saying,
- 33:32destroy them.
- 33:33I'm the only
- 33:33one left.
- 33:34God's response to
- 33:36them.
- 33:36But what is God's
- 33:36reply?
- 33:37I have kept for
- 33:37myself 7,000 men
- 33:38who have not
- 33:39bowed the knee
- 33:40to Baal.
- 33:41So he establishes
- 33:42it for us there
- 33:42and then continually
- 33:43on and on and
- 33:44on.
- 33:45So the envy of the
- 33:46Jews is in green up
- 33:47there and then the
- 33:48salvation of Israel
- 33:49not found in verse
- 33:5011 is going to be
- 33:51in orange.
- 33:52We're going to go
- 33:52through these
- 33:52together.
- 33:53Okay?
- 33:54Verse 11,
- 33:54So I ask,
- 33:55did they stumble
- 33:55in order they
- 33:56might fall?
- 33:57By no means.
- 33:58Rather,
- 33:59through their
- 33:59trespass,
- 34:00the rejection
- 34:01of the gospel
- 34:02by Jewish
- 34:03peoples,
- 34:03salvation has
- 34:04come to the
- 34:05Gentiles,
- 34:05right?
- 34:06Grace extended
- 34:06to the Gentiles
- 34:07so as to make
- 34:10Israel jealous.
- 34:11Okay?
- 34:11So the third,
- 34:12the envy of the
- 34:13Jews.
- 34:14Right?
- 34:15Verse 12.
- 34:17Now if their
- 34:18trespass,
- 34:19right?
- 34:19Jewish rejection
- 34:20of the gospel,
- 34:21means riches
- 34:22for the world,
- 34:24grace extended
- 34:24to the Gentiles,
- 34:25and if their
- 34:26failure,
- 34:27Jewish rejection
- 34:28of the gospel,
- 34:29means riches
- 34:29for the Gentiles,
- 34:31grace extended
- 34:31to the Gentiles,
- 34:32how much more
- 34:33will their full
- 34:34inclusion mean?
- 34:35Salvation to
- 34:36Israel.
- 34:37So are you
- 34:37seeing the
- 34:37pattern?
- 34:39Here we go
- 34:39again.
- 34:40Verse 13.
- 34:41Now I'm
- 34:41speaking to you
- 34:41Gentiles.
- 34:42Inasmuch then
- 34:43as I am an
- 34:44apostle to the
- 34:44Gentiles,
- 34:45I magnify my
- 34:46ministry.
- 34:46There's the
- 34:46grace extended
- 34:47to Gentiles,
- 34:48in order somehow
- 34:49to make my
- 34:50fellow Jews
- 34:51jealous.
- 34:52There's jealousy
- 34:53to Israel,
- 34:54and thus save
- 34:55some of them.
- 34:56Salvation to
- 34:56Israel.
- 34:57Verse 15.
- 35:01For if their
- 35:02rejection,
- 35:03rejection of the
- 35:04gospel by the
- 35:05Jews,
- 35:05means the
- 35:06reconciliation
- 35:06of the world,
- 35:08grace extended
- 35:08to the Gentiles,
- 35:09what will their
- 35:10acceptance mean
- 35:11but life from
- 35:12the dead?
- 35:13Salvation to
- 35:14the Jews.
- 35:15Verse 25
- 35:16and 26.
- 35:19Lest you be
- 35:20wise in your
- 35:20own sight,
- 35:21I do not want
- 35:21you to be
- 35:21unaware of
- 35:22this mystery,
- 35:23brothers,
- 35:24a partial
- 35:24hardening has
- 35:25come upon
- 35:25Israel,
- 35:26rejection of
- 35:27the gospel
- 35:27by Israel,
- 35:29until the
- 35:29fullness of
- 35:30the Gentiles
- 35:30has come in,
- 35:31extended grace
- 35:31to the Gentiles.
- 35:33And in this
- 35:34way,
- 35:34all Israel
- 35:35will be
- 35:35saved.
- 35:36The inclusion,
- 35:37the salvation
- 35:38of Jews.
- 35:40Verse 30
- 35:40and 31.
- 35:42Let's throw
- 35:42those together.
- 35:43Yeah,
- 35:43I did it up
- 35:44there.
- 35:44Okay.
- 35:45Verse 30
- 35:46and 31.
- 35:46For just as you
- 35:47were at one
- 35:48time disobedient
- 35:48to God,
- 35:48but now have
- 35:49received mercy,
- 35:50grace to the
- 35:50Gentiles,
- 35:51because of
- 35:52their disobedience,
- 35:54rejection of the
- 35:54gospel by the
- 35:55Jews,
- 35:56so they too
- 35:56have now been
- 35:57disobedient,
- 35:58in order that
- 35:59by the mercy
- 36:00shown to you,
- 36:01grace to the
- 36:02Gentiles,
- 36:02they also may
- 36:03now receive
- 36:04mercy.
- 36:06You see the
- 36:06pattern that
- 36:08he's establishing
- 36:09for us there?
- 36:09He's simply
- 36:10making this
- 36:11argument,
- 36:12right?
- 36:13That the
- 36:13rejection of the
- 36:14gospel by the
- 36:14Jews has
- 36:16caused God's
- 36:16grace to extend
- 36:18to the Gentiles
- 36:18by his
- 36:19sovereign plan,
- 36:19not like God
- 36:20threw a plan
- 36:20C in place,
- 36:22right?
- 36:23By his
- 36:23sovereign plan,
- 36:24that's how he
- 36:24always intended
- 36:24for it to be,
- 36:25grace extended
- 36:26to all peoples,
- 36:27praise God,
- 36:28were some of
- 36:28them,
- 36:29right?
- 36:30Will cause the
- 36:31nation of
- 36:31Israel to be
- 36:32jealous,
- 36:32those who are
- 36:32truly worshipping
- 36:33their God,
- 36:35by the right
- 36:36way,
- 36:36and they will
- 36:37turn to
- 36:38Christ.
- 36:39Okay?
- 36:39So,
- 36:39we see this
- 36:40continual pattern
- 36:41being worked
- 36:43through.
- 36:44So,
- 36:44that all needs
- 36:45to be contextually
- 36:46tied together,
- 36:46right?
- 36:47So,
- 36:47as he's referred
- 36:47in the very
- 36:48beginning of
- 36:48chapter 11,
- 36:49verse 5,
- 36:51so at the
- 36:51present time
- 36:51there is a
- 36:52remnant,
- 36:53right?
- 36:54So,
- 36:55what is he
- 36:55referring to
- 36:55then as he
- 36:56says all
- 36:56Israel?
- 36:57And that's
- 36:57why I
- 36:58believe he
- 36:59means all
- 37:00intended
- 37:00Israel.
- 37:01All of
- 37:02those that by
- 37:03sovereign purposes
- 37:03are meant to
- 37:04be saved,
- 37:05will be saved
- 37:06through this
- 37:07process.
- 37:10Verse 26,
- 37:13I'm proud of
- 37:13the ESV.
- 37:14I believe it's
- 37:15properly rendered
- 37:16here,
- 37:16and in this
- 37:17way.
- 37:18Some of
- 37:19your
- 37:19translations
- 37:20might say
- 37:20and then,
- 37:22right?
- 37:22Which has
- 37:23in mind
- 37:23that once
- 37:24the fullness
- 37:25of the
- 37:25Gentiles has
- 37:26come in,
- 37:27then this
- 37:28thing will
- 37:28happen,
- 37:29right?
- 37:29It's not the
- 37:30proper rendering
- 37:30of the Greek
- 37:31phrase there.
- 37:32The proper
- 37:33rendering is
- 37:33and in this
- 37:35way,
- 37:36which I
- 37:36believe,
- 37:37with great
- 37:38humility,
- 37:39refers to
- 37:40the mystery
- 37:41that he
- 37:41mentions in
- 37:42verse 25.
- 37:43Lest you
- 37:44be wise
- 37:44in your
- 37:44own sight,
- 37:45I want
- 37:45you to
- 37:45understand
- 37:45this
- 37:46mystery.
- 37:48That this
- 37:48is the
- 37:49way in
- 37:49which God
- 37:51is including
- 37:52Israel in
- 37:54the plans
- 37:54of grace.
- 37:56He hasn't
- 37:56rejected them,
- 37:57he hasn't
- 37:58cast them
- 37:58off entirely,
- 37:59he's still
- 38:00working amongst
- 38:02the people
- 38:03of Israel,
- 38:04the peoples
- 38:04of the world
- 38:05and the
- 38:06people of
- 38:07Israel.
- 38:10Verse 30,
- 38:11verse 32,
- 38:14for just as
- 38:15you were at
- 38:15one time
- 38:15disobedient to
- 38:16God but
- 38:16now have
- 38:17received mercy
- 38:17because of
- 38:18their
- 38:18disobedience,
- 38:18so they
- 38:19have now
- 38:20been
- 38:20disobedient
- 38:21in order
- 38:21that by
- 38:21the mercy
- 38:21shown to
- 38:22you they
- 38:22also may
- 38:23now receive
- 38:23mercy.
- 38:24For God
- 38:25has consigned
- 38:25all to
- 38:26disobedience
- 38:26that he
- 38:27may have
- 38:27mercy on
- 38:28all.
- 38:29We are
- 38:30not
- 38:30universalists.
- 38:32If you
- 38:33read this
- 38:33out of its
- 38:34context,
- 38:34you have
- 38:35to be.
- 38:36If I
- 38:36hand you
- 38:37just
- 38:37verse 32
- 38:39and say
- 38:39these are
- 38:39the scriptures,
- 38:40the scripture.
- 38:43You read it
- 38:43that way,
- 38:44you say,
- 38:44man,
- 38:45God's pretty
- 38:45fantastic because
- 38:46all people will
- 38:47be saved even
- 38:48though they're
- 38:48all his
- 38:49enemies,
- 38:49all people,
- 38:50it doesn't
- 38:51matter.
- 38:51It's not
- 38:52the case.
- 38:53Faith in
- 38:53Jesus Christ,
- 38:54that's what
- 38:54brings to
- 38:55us the
- 38:55salvation of
- 38:56God.
- 38:57So contextually
- 38:59what is he
- 38:59saying?
- 39:00What is he
- 39:01saying?
- 39:02We've all
- 39:03been consigned
- 39:03to disobedience
- 39:04so that he
- 39:05can have
- 39:05mercy on
- 39:05all kinds
- 39:07of people,
- 39:09Jews,
- 39:09and
- 39:10Gentiles.
- 39:13So why?
- 39:16Why?
- 39:17Why does
- 39:18he tell us
- 39:18all this?
- 39:19What is
- 39:19the point?
- 39:20And how
- 39:20does this
- 39:20mean anything
- 39:21for our
- 39:21lives today?
- 39:24Practically.
- 39:25Verse 25,
- 39:27he says,
- 39:28lest you
- 39:28be wise
- 39:29in your
- 39:29own sight.
- 39:31And in
- 39:32this case,
- 39:32he is
- 39:33referring to
- 39:34the Gentiles.
- 39:35He has
- 39:35turned and
- 39:36began speaking
- 39:37to them in
- 39:37verse 13.
- 39:38He says,
- 39:38now I'm
- 39:39speaking to
- 39:39you Gentiles.
- 39:41And he
- 39:42actually has
- 39:43already brought
- 39:44some correction
- 39:45that the
- 39:47Gentiles might
- 39:47understand who
- 39:48they are,
- 39:49wild olive
- 39:50trees being
- 39:50branched,
- 39:51being grafted
- 39:52in to the
- 39:54holy root,
- 39:55the root
- 39:56that is
- 39:57the nation,
- 39:59the peoples
- 39:59of Israel.
- 40:01Lest you
- 40:02be wise
- 40:03in your own
- 40:03sight,
- 40:04there is a
- 40:04history in
- 40:06the Christian
- 40:06church of
- 40:07anti-Semitism,
- 40:09a history
- 40:10of it,
- 40:11of Christian
- 40:12Gentiles looking
- 40:13down their
- 40:13noses at
- 40:15Jews because
- 40:15they were
- 40:17the people
- 40:17that killed
- 40:18the Messiah.
- 40:21It's prevalent
- 40:22still today,
- 40:23it certainly
- 40:24existed in
- 40:25the first
- 40:25century church,
- 40:26judging those
- 40:27who had
- 40:28originally
- 40:28received these
- 40:29benefits and
- 40:31had rejected
- 40:31Christ,
- 40:32looking down
- 40:33their noses
- 40:33at them.
- 40:35I don't
- 40:35really think
- 40:36that's a
- 40:37problem for
- 40:37any of us
- 40:38in this
- 40:38room.
- 40:39I don't
- 40:39think any
- 40:40of us
- 40:40really have
- 40:41a disdain
- 40:41for anybody
- 40:42who said,
- 40:42yeah,
- 40:42I'm of
- 40:42Jewish descent,
- 40:43we've in
- 40:43any way in
- 40:44our minds
- 40:44think,
- 40:45you killed
- 40:45the Messiah.
- 40:46I don't
- 40:46think any
- 40:47of us
- 40:47have that
- 40:48issue in
- 40:49our lives,
- 40:50but we
- 40:51just may
- 40:52have a
- 40:53superiority
- 40:54complex.
- 40:55We just
- 40:55may still
- 40:56think that
- 40:58we're better
- 40:58because somehow
- 41:00we figured
- 41:01it out.
- 41:02See,
- 41:02crazy Jews,
- 41:03you guys
- 41:04know the
- 41:05Old Testament
- 41:05and it
- 41:06points to
- 41:06Christ.
- 41:07You had
- 41:07all these
- 41:08benefits,
- 41:09all these
- 41:09blessings,
- 41:10you have
- 41:10all these
- 41:10national
- 41:11holidays
- 41:12that are
- 41:12supposed to
- 41:13show you
- 41:13Jesus and
- 41:14you miss
- 41:14the point.
- 41:16But I
- 41:16got it
- 41:17because I
- 41:18am pretty
- 41:19darn smart.
- 41:23Lest we
- 41:24become wise
- 41:25in our own
- 41:26sight,
- 41:28that's what
- 41:28he's saying
- 41:28to us.
- 41:30Recognize,
- 41:31church,
- 41:32that God
- 41:32has consigned
- 41:33all the
- 41:33disobedience
- 41:34that he
- 41:34might have
- 41:34mercy on
- 41:35all.
- 41:36That our
- 41:37understanding,
- 41:38our realization,
- 41:40even though we
- 41:40didn't have
- 41:41all these
- 41:42benefits,
- 41:43is all
- 41:44the work
- 41:45of grace.
- 41:46It's all
- 41:47mercy.
- 41:47It's all
- 41:48the display
- 41:48of his
- 41:48loving kindness
- 41:49toward us.
- 41:51And we
- 41:51have no
- 41:52reason to
- 41:52boast in
- 41:53anything but
- 41:54the cross
- 41:55of Christ,
- 41:55in anything
- 41:56but our
- 41:56God who
- 41:57has saved
- 41:57us.
- 41:58we
- 41:59ought to
- 42:00be humble
- 42:00and present
- 42:01ourselves
- 42:02as such
- 42:03to the
- 42:04world.
- 42:06This
- 42:07truth that
- 42:08Paul has
- 42:08presented to
- 42:08us,
- 42:10whether he's
- 42:11speaking about
- 42:12final things
- 42:13in all
- 42:14Israel or
- 42:14the case
- 42:15that I've
- 42:15made to
- 42:16you today,
- 42:16speaks of
- 42:17the nature
- 42:17of God.
- 42:19We ought to
- 42:19turn our
- 42:20hearts to
- 42:20praise him
- 42:21because we
- 42:21see another
- 42:22example,
- 42:23just one
- 42:24other example,
- 42:25of God's
- 42:25goodness and
- 42:26loving kindness
- 42:27to people
- 42:27who do
- 42:28not deserve
- 42:28it,
- 42:29who have
- 42:29rejected him
- 42:30at every
- 42:31turn,
- 42:31who have
- 42:31willfully
- 42:32sinned
- 42:32against him,
- 42:33who have
- 42:33said to
- 42:33God,
- 42:34you are
- 42:34my enemy
- 42:34and I
- 42:35hate you.
- 42:36It's another
- 42:37picture of
- 42:38God's
- 42:38goodness to
- 42:40his people,
- 42:40including the
- 42:41peoples of
- 42:42Israel,
- 42:43the nation.
- 42:44God continues
- 42:45to love
- 42:46and to love
- 42:47and to love,
- 42:48beckon people
- 42:49to himself.
- 42:50It's the
- 42:51picture in
- 42:51Hosea of
- 42:52when Gomer
- 42:53gets kind of
- 42:54cast out of
- 42:55the city and
- 42:56God talks
- 42:57about alluring
- 42:57his wife
- 42:59back to
- 43:00himself,
- 43:01this constant
- 43:02picture of
- 43:02God's goodness
- 43:03and loving
- 43:04kindness.
- 43:05It ought to
- 43:05cause us to
- 43:06praise him.
- 43:08And those two
- 43:08things should tie
- 43:09together,
- 43:09our humility,
- 43:11our understanding,
- 43:11our right
- 43:12understanding that
- 43:12the gospel of
- 43:13grace is still
- 43:14being extended to
- 43:15the people of
- 43:15Israel as well
- 43:17as the nations
- 43:17and this immense
- 43:20view of God's
- 43:21love for the
- 43:22world that should
- 43:23move us to
- 43:24evangelism.
- 43:24God's
- 43:29love for the
- 43:29people of
- 43:30God's
- 43:31love for the
- 43:32people of
- 43:32the world,
- 43:33including
- 43:33Jewish peoples.
- 43:36The church of
- 43:37Christ should be
- 43:37actively pursuing
- 43:38Jewish people,
- 43:40Israel.
- 43:41We should be
- 43:41going after
- 43:42them.
- 43:43Why?
- 43:43Because they'll
- 43:45be made
- 43:45jealous.
- 43:46God's working
- 43:46in their hearts
- 43:47to see that
- 43:49by his grace,
- 43:50we know why.
- 43:53Why the
- 43:54temple?
- 43:54Why the
- 43:55sacrifice?
- 43:55Why the
- 43:56patriarchs?
- 43:56We understand
- 43:57the prophets.
- 43:58What were they
- 43:58talking about?
- 43:59We get all
- 44:00that because we
- 44:00know the
- 44:01Messiah of
- 44:02whom they all
- 44:03spoke and we
- 44:04ought to be
- 44:04active and
- 44:05seeking to
- 44:06bring the
- 44:06gospel to
- 44:07the nation
- 44:08of Israel.
- 44:10And so that's
- 44:10what it means
- 44:11to us in
- 44:12this large
- 44:13academic pursuit
- 44:14of patterns of
- 44:15words.
- 44:16That's how it
- 44:16comes down and
- 44:17it comes home
- 44:18for us.
- 44:19We should
- 44:20have no
- 44:20disdain,
- 44:21no superiority
- 44:21complex over
- 44:23the Jews
- 44:23because they
- 44:24are people
- 44:24like us
- 44:25separated from
- 44:26the grace of
- 44:27God by their
- 44:27sin and they
- 44:29need him and
- 44:30they need
- 44:30messengers to
- 44:31carry the
- 44:32gospel to
- 44:33them.
- 44:33And if we
- 44:33rightly understand
- 44:34who we are
- 44:35and we rightly
- 44:35understand who
- 44:36God is,
- 44:37this will
- 44:37happen.
- 44:38This will
- 44:38flow out of
- 44:40us.
- 44:40So as we
- 44:41pump academics
- 44:42into our
- 44:43heads, it's
- 44:44my prayer that
- 44:44it works its
- 44:45way into our
- 44:46hearts.
- 44:48That we walk
- 44:49out of here
- 44:49both gladdened
- 44:50and abased.
- 44:51Glad in who
- 44:52our God is,
- 44:53his great
- 44:53loving kindness
- 44:53to us,
- 44:54and abased
- 44:55because we
- 44:55know that we
- 44:56were wretched.
- 44:57We did not
- 44:58deserve the
- 44:58love that he's
- 44:59lavished on us
- 45:00and that ought
- 45:00to be such a
- 45:01motivating factor
- 45:02to share that
- 45:03with the world.
- 45:05Let's pray.
- 45:05Amen.
- 45:06Let's pray.