God's Plan for Israel (Part 1) - Romans 11:1-10 (6.9.19) - Dr. Jordan N. Rogers

[Music] so so God has in his sovereignty chosen some and God by His same sovereignty has sent us to them this morning we are in Romans chapter 11 verse 1 through 10 so Romans chapter 11 verses 1 through 10 this is the first of a three-part sermon so the first of a three-part sermon concerning God's plan for Israel that's what I'm gonna talk to you about this morning is God's plan for Israel now be very careful be very careful that that when you hear that when you hear the purpose of the message God's plan for Israel understand that be careful that you don't just immediately turn this off and say well this has nothing to do with me because I'll tell you this this has everything to do with you this is very profitable in fact saying it's very profitable as an understatement this is infinitely profitable for you and I to understand what does it say second timothy 3:15 and 16 it says all Scripture is god-breathed and profitable for doctrine reproof correction and instruction and righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work so how much of Scripture is god-breathed all of it how much of it is profitable all of it and you know what that says says that the man of God that the person of God may be complete in other words without this passage of Scripture you cannot be all that God has called you to be so don't turn it off and don't dismiss it God has a plan for the people of Israel and it just so happens that in God's sovereign plan God has included Gentile peoples that is non ethnic Jews those who are not Israelite by birth God has a plan for us and that plan is intricately woven in fact inseparably woven in to God's plan for the people of Israel in fact later on in Romans chapter 11 Paul is not going to say he's not going to use a metaphor of weaving like I just did he is going to use a metaphor of grafting of grafting he's going to use this metaphor about an olive tree he's going to talk about how the people of Israel are like an olive tree in the unfruitful branches the branches that did not believe in Jesus God pruned those branches off of that olive tree the olive tree that God planted the Israelite people he pruned off the unbelieving branches and he took wild olive shoes those who were not the people of God by birth those who are not Jewish by birth and he took wild olive shoots and he took you off of where you were growing and he cut in a slice into that olive tree that he planted and he grafted you in to that native olive tree and thereby you're a part of God's people not a part of the natural but grafted in aren't thankful God has a plan for the people of Israel without God's plan for the people of Israel Jesus would not have been born in Bethlehem of Judea Jesus would not have been a Jew and all of God's promises to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob would have fallen to the floor would have been unkept and a God who can't keep his promises also cannot keep you so you better hope God has a plan for Israel and they got sticks to that plan and that God is faithful to that plan and indeed we know that he is God intends for us as his people to understand passages scripture like this God intends for all of his people to grow up in mature understanding you and I we've been together for some time now long enough to know that that we're not going to just sit there and play in a puddle we're not just going to tiptoe around in the shallows God expects for his people to be mature and to be able to swim in the deep end God intends on us to move beyond just the fundamental basics of what it means to follow Jesus I didn't say move beyond those but to grow in maturity in our understanding we always keep the foundations but where we're supposed to be building on those foundations we're supposed to be growing in our maturity and part of our growth in maturity is understanding the eternal plan of the sovereign God and it has to do with Israel and it has to do with the Gentile people so what we're going to talk about this morning is God's plan for Israel it's the first of three parts chapter 11 and in the book of Romans is all about God's plan for Israel and it does have three parts it does have three parts they're in chapter 11 so this is the first of that if I could summarize the entirety of this passage in one sentence that you could write down I would say this it'll be on the board if you want to mark that down some people take a picture there with their phone you're more than welcome to do any of those and all the above you could write down this sentence to summarize everything God has not rejected his chosen people but not all people are chosen God has not rejected his chosen people but not all people are chosen immediately when I recite that sentence we have alarm bells going off in our mind right we have alarm bells going off we have red flags shooting up saying you better explain this because that's that's quite the statement God has not rejected his chosen people the second part that's what's startling but not all people are chosen and that is the truth of God's Word not all people are chosen Paul is going to answer a question here there's gonna be three parts to so the way that this passage is seemingly divided up in verse 1 through 4 Paul answers the question and verse 5 through 6 Paul declares of truth he answers a question he declares the truth and then in verse 7 through 10 Paul gives an explanation so a question a truth and an explanation this morning I'm just going to simply show you two points two very simple poignant points about God's plan for the people of Israel look at verse 1 through 4 with me and notice what Paul says there in the first few words he says I asked them has God rejected his people I asked as God rejected his people you remember what Paul has been talking about there at the end of Romans chapter 10 in Romans chapter 10 verse 18 through 21 God is talking about how the people of Israel had rejected him Paul was reciting numerous Old Testament passages that talked about the people of Israel rejecting God and Paul even recites that if if God had not just left some of Israel behind that they would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah completely destroyed off of the map you recall what Paul said there at the last verse of Romans chapter 10 he's talked about how God has opened up the Gospel message to the Gentile people but he says this so tragically about the Israelites in verse 21 of Romans 10 it says but of Israel he says all the day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people that is God's commentary through the prophet Isaiah about the people of Israel all the day long God says I've held my hands out to the people of Israel God Himself has been the preacher for the Jewish people and God has extended the invitation and said come and only a few and he continually extends his hands out and he says to a contrary and disobedient people a people who stick their heels in the ground and say not a chance God not a chance we receive Jesus not a chance we believe in Jesus in Paul's day most of Israel was apostate what that means is this in Paul's day most of Israel had turned away from serving God because they rejected Jesus I tell you what in our day most of ethnic Israel is apostate most of ethnic Israel so tragically has rejected Jesus as their Messiah it's hard to accept Yahweh as father when you reject Jesus his son in fact it's more than hard it's impossible to do so the prophet Isaiah speaks the word of the Lord and says all the day long I've held my hands out to you to a contrary and disobedient people listen to the lament that Jesus poured out over Israel Luke chapter 13 verse 34 Jesus looks over the city of Jerusalem and says o Jerusalem Jerusalem the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it how often I would have gathered your children together as a in gathers her brood under her wings and you were not willing that's a lament a dirge coming from the Lord Jesus himself o Jerusalem Jerusalem sounds a lot like when David lost his son Absalom when Absalom was put to death and died and David hears word that Absalom has died and everybody expects for David to rejoice because Absalom had stood obstinate stood contrary to his father and everyone expected for David to rejoice that his enemy Absalom is dead but when they go in and they tell David of Absalom death out David cries out and he says Absalom o Absalom my son my son you see it didn't matter how much Absalom rebelled against his father he was still his son some of you have known that very heartache children who have rebelled against their parents children who have walked away from a faith that they seemingly had once professed in Jesus all the while showing that they probably never possessed Jesus though they professed him and what's the lament Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem Oh Absalom Absalom you weep and you mourn Paul is even weeping and mourning for his own kinsmen you remember what he said there in Romans chapter 10 he said I I would wish that I myself could be anathema that I myself could go to hell for the sake of my kinsmen my brothers according to the flesh he says they have a zeal for God they have a passion for God but it's not according to knowledge they refuse to believe that the righteous standing you get before God is a gift of grace they think that it's something that you gain that you earn through works of the law so they refuse Jesus because Jesus is a gospel of grace and so the foundational stone they're supposed to build their life upon the grace of the Lord Jesus is the very stumbling block that they fall over and Paul laments over them Jesus laments over them God the Father laments over the people of Israel they have rejected their Lord and Savior the Christ they have rejected the father so then the question is posed Paul assumes the question of a critic and he says I asked then has God rejected his people see the Israelites by and large the majority of them they have rejected God so then has God rejected his people so we can understand that people would be unfaithful that makes sense people are sinful but for God to reject his people that would mean that God is unfaithful and then we have a serious problem once we begin impugning the character of God listen to what is said about the people of Israel the prophet Samuel that's what this is a quote of First Samuel chapter 12 verse 20 and 22 it's also a quote from Psalm 94 verse 14 the people of Israel have demanded in those days in the days of the prophet Samuel they demanded to have a king in those days there was no king over Israel samuel was the prophet and God was the king but the people of Israel wanted to be like everybody else in the world they wanted to be like Egypt and they wanted to be like the Canaanites and the Philistines and they wanted a king and so they went to Samuel and said make us like the nation's give us a king make us like everybody else in the world and Samuel begins to tell them of how they have sinned abominably against the Lord and so the question will become okay so we rejected God as our king has God rejected us and so they go to Samuel and say would you pray for us would you pray for us and listen to what Samuel says here first samuel chapter 12 verse 20 through 22 and samuel said to the people do not be afraid you have done all this evil yet do not have turn aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart and do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver for they are empty for the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself that's the promise of God God will not forsake the people of Israel that is a promise that's recited multiple times in the scriptures in the Old Testament so the question becomes all the people of Israel the majority of them have rejected Jesus they've rejected God has God then rejected the people of Israel listen to what Paul does here in the remainder in chat in verse 2 Paul gives himself as a proof that God has not rejected all of Israel and then in verse 3 through 4 Paul uses a response from God to prove that God has not rejected all of Israel and actually show us give us insight into what God's plan for Israel is so look at this with me here all of verse 1 and 2 he says I asked then has God rejected his people by no means an emphatic rejection of that idea no God has not rejected his people but listen to what he says he says for I myself AM an Israelite a descendant of Abraham literally a seed of Abraham he's talking about his physical descent a descendant of Abraham a member of the tribe of Benjamin Paul presents himself as a proof God has not rejected all of the ethnic Jews because if God had rejected all of the ethnic Jews Paul himself wouldn't have been a Christian and so Paul is saying he said I'm a physical Cendant of abraham and yet I am regenerate I recognize that Jesus is the Lord and Savior he is the son of God so I am living breathing proof that God has not rejected all of Israel Paul presents himself as a proof but then he goes on and presents another proof he says this in verse 2 he says God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew say I'm interested in understanding what that phrase is what that phrase means what it refers to his people whom he foreknew it's the verb Pro Agno chooses a noun here Pro Agno those whom he foreknew and you know as well as I do we've been walking through Romans for some time every single word up to this point you know as well as I do what the foreknowledge of God refers to the foreknowledge of God in the context of the letter to the Romans does not refer to just God's knowledge of the future that word Pro egg no foreknowledge or four no refers to the effective salvific knowledge of a person unto salvation thereby this is what I'm meaning if god foreknows somebody he will save them those whom he does not for no it doesn't mean that he doesn't know about them it means that he has not chosen them that's the way that Paul uses this in fact the greatest promise that you and I bank on probably every day of our life is rooted in this very fact we could all probably recite Romans chapter 8 verse 28 for God works together all things for the good of those who love him those who are called according to his purpose when Paul says those who are called according to his purpose he is using a theological term he's not just tall looking about an invitation where God says come all come everybody he is talking about the effectual call of God unto salvation such that every person that God calls to salvation does indeed become saved and they become saved because God called them so let's read Romans 8:28 through 30 and you'll see it right there it's very easy to understand Romans 8:28 through 30 you'll even be on the board here he says and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good but tell me how that works Paul I want to know how everything works together for good he says for those who are called according to his purpose for those who need for new pro-league know he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom he predestined notice how there's no break here there's nobody that god foreknows that slips through the cracks listen to this he says and those whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified that means he saved them and those whom he justified he also glorified that is an unbreakable golden chain of redemption is what that is in other words what Paul is saying is this before God ever created this world before God ever made you God knew you by name and determined according to his sovereign decree to call you to salvation before he ever made the world before he ever made you and then when you came into the world God already had you destined for grace destined for glory and then there came a day where God called you and those whom he called he did was those whom he called he justified meaning he called you that day and he declared you righteous before God the day he ooh what did you do the day he called you you put your faith in Jesus that's where you started to become aware of what God was doing God God put that faith in your heart and you believed in Jesus he called you he justified you there in that moment declared you righteous before God not by your deeds but because of his gracious purpose in election and what does it say those whom he predestined he also called those he called he justified and those he justified he also glorified the glorification process is what will happen in the kingdom of God when Jesus returns and you get a new body and you will never more sin you will never more have corruption that is glorification so before time began God had you chosen not just in mind God knew you God knew you before you were able to know him and God determined to call you justify you and God will see you in glory that's how you know all things work together for good for those who love him those who are called according to his purpose because those who are called will be glorified so that's how you know that's that is the the assurance of the greatest promise you have in the Lord Jesus it has to do with God for knowing you listen to how else well we'll get there here in just a moment Paul says this he says God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew his people whom he foreknew so my question and the question that Paul's gonna answer is this so then has God sovereignly foreknown every single ethnic Jew that has ever or will ever be born the answer to that is no so when Paul's answering the question has God rejected his people Paul's answer to that is this no God has not rejected the people foreknew God determined before they were ever created to save them God will never leave them God will never forsake them but God has also never promised to save all of ethnic Israel he's already made that point Paul has Romans chapter 9 verse 6 through 8 let me read that for you Paul says but it is not as though the Word of God has failed for not all who are descended from Israel belonged to Israel and not all are children of Abraham because they are his seed because they are his offspring but through Isaac shall your offspring be named this means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God but the children of the promise are counted as offspring see what he's saying there he's saying not everybody who is ethnically descendant from Abraham is actually part of the kingdom of God the people who are part of the kingdom of God no God has not and will not ever reject them nope okay so listen to this Paul's used himself as a proof that God has not rejected all of ethnic Israel now he's going to use a response from God you remember Elijah the prophet Elijah the Prophet was the one who confronted a hab and Jezebel Elijah the Prophet was the one who confronted the the four hundred prophets of bale there on Mount Carmel and on Mount Carmel the prophets of bale they had their altar and they had their sacrifice and they they they circled around their altar and they were chanting and cutting themselves and yelling and they were flogging themselves crying out for bail to consume their sacrifice with fire and they cried out all day long and you remember Elijah he's sitting there making fun of them he's saying wait wait wait maybe bail is taking a nap and then Elijah actually says this maybe bail if y'all just give it a minute maybe your false God has gone off into the woods to relieve himself he'll be back in a minute don't worry and then Elijah against the 400 prophets of bail he goes up to the altar he had constructed and he doused it with water in the middle of a drought and Elijah gets on his knees and he prays out loud because the God who consumes the sacrifice with fire is the one true God and as Elijah prays out loud to the one true God to Yahweh what happens god consumes the sacrifice both sacrifices and he consumes he licks up all the water on the ground you remember what Elijah does you talk about a man Elijah takes a sword and he slaughters all four hundred prophets of bale kills them all and then you know what happens what happens is Elijah the things that he's done are reported to Jezebel don't name your daughter Jezebel they're reported to evil wicked Jezebel and when Jezebel hears what Elijah has done you know what she says she says let the same thing happen to me if I don't kill Elijah before the days over and you know what here here's Elijah he's just slaughtered 400 prophets of Bale he has seen the fire of God consume these sacrifices and he runs for his life and when he finally gets to a stopping place he cries out to God he says god I'm the only one left everybody in Israel is apostate everybody's left you I am the only person who believes in Yahweh on the earth he's going a little far he's being a little bit dramatic there he noticed how he runs from one woman but he would stand and kill four hundred men he's praying to God saying God my life is no use to me anymore just kill me God you talk about literally coming off of a mountain and going down into a valley that's where Elijah is now listen to this I use this as an illustration he says in verse three verse two rather he says do you not know what the scripture says what the scripture says of Elijah how he appeals to God not for Israel he appeals to God against Israel it was the Israelites who were worshipping bale not the pagan nations it says verse three Lord this is a quote from first Kings 19 10 and 14 he says Lord they that is the Israelites they have killed your prophets they have demolished your altars and I alone am left and they seek my life but what does God's reply to him again from first Kings 19 what does God's reply to him God says I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to bail God says Elisha you're not the only one sure almost all of God's people have gone apostate they've all gone astray they've all gone their own way but he says there's a small number of them that I have kept for my sub member I told you two points about God's plan for Israel here's the first point that you need to write down god never promised or intended on saving all Israel but he did determine to save some no where in God's word will you read that God intended to save or promised to save all of the ethnic Jews all of the descendants of Abraham but you will read that God intended God determined to save some now that is a point concerning Israel it's a point that you and I need to understand now let me back out of that just a minute and give you an overarching principle here and call into question a problem that's rampant in this world the principle we need to understand is this God never promised to save all people it's not just that this applies to the people of Israel God has never promised to save all people but he has in his grace determined to save some God has never promised to save all people so if you know somebody or maybe you've been under the false impression that God just loves the whole world unto salvation that all people are going to end up in heaven you are believing something that is not true God has never promised to save all people there was a prominent I'm not going to call him a preacher or a pastor there was a prominent public speaker who wrote a book a number of years ago and the book was called Love Wins Love Wins and the premise of his book is that because of what Jesus did for us on the cross that in the end nobody is really going to end up in hell eventually everybody's going to end up in heaven that's even somewhat of a heresy that the Catholic Church teaches Catholic Church teaches that when a person dies if their faith was not in Jesus or rather than are concerned about faith but if their salvation was not found through the church that they'll spend their time in purgatory and that while they're in purgatory the people who are left can give offerings to the church and purchase them out of purgatory and purchased them back into heaven but that's not the truth of God's Word God has never promised to save all people God has never intended on saving all people but he has in his sovereign grace determined to save some we don't need to be under the impression that because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that everybody goes to heaven we need to finish the verse for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life and the Bible tells us that they're going to be few people who believe that there are going to be many people who are called by that invitation but there are few people who were chosen by God these are not my words these are the words of Scripture listen to this parable that Jesus taught at the end of his earthly ministry Matthew chapter 22 verse 8 through 14 in this parable the master of the house is hosting a wedding feast and he goes to invite all the people and the people don't show up nobody responds to the invitation and so he continually sins his servants out and goes and says invite them invite them and this is a metaphor for the gospel being proclaimed in the world go invite them invite them invite them and finally he gets fed up and he says go out into the highways and byways and just grab people just grab them good and bad bring them into the house and when they come into the house when they come into God's house they sit down to feast and there's a man sitting there and he does not have the appropriate attire on he's not wearing the Lord Jesus Christ and so when the caning comes and the master of the house comes he gets this man up says you're gone there are many people who were invited there are only a few who are chosen listen to this he says then he said to his servants the wedding feast is ready but those invited were not worthy go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find and those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found both bad and good so the wedding hall was filled with guests but when the king came in to look at the guests he saw there a man who had no wedding garment and he said to him friend how did you get in here without a wedding garment he was speechless then the king said to the attendants bind him hand and foot and cast him out into the outer darkness in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth that is referring to hell listen to this verse for many are called but few are chosen many are called but few are chosen God has never promised to save all people but he has determined to save a few by grace according to a sovereign purpose of election so Paul has answered a question he said no God has not rejected his people not all of Israel is actually part of God's people and the people whom God has for known he would never reject him he would never set them aside Paul is an example of that God's response to Elijah as an example of that listen to what God said to him again in verse 4 but what does God's reply to him I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to bail so Paul has answered that question now listen to Paul declare truth he gives somewhat of a summary statement the conclusory statement verse 5 through 6 he says so - so just as in Elijah's day so also in Paul's day and even in ours so - verse 5 at the present time there is a remnant a small remaining amount is what that word means there is a remnant chosen by grace a clay gone there is a small remnant chosen elect how are they elect how did God choose God chose according to grace see when God chooses to save a person God does not choose to save a person because they come from a wealthy family work we're used to the world choosing people that way choosing people who are influential choosing people who are wise choosing people who have lots of money choosing people who are beautiful the popular people we're used to the choosing process in the world being that way Paul affirmed the Corinthians he says not many of you were wise not many of you were of noble birth but God chose the unwise to confound the wise God chose to call what is not something that is so that the wisdom of the world would become foolishness so he says here so - at the present time there is a rim there's a small all remaining amount of ethnic Israel who are chosen by grace so this is the truth that Paul declares point number two to understand about God's plan for Israel the first point was this God never promised or intended on saving all Israel but he did determine to save some point number two goes along with it the only reason a remnant of Jews believe in Jesus is because of the sovereign grace of God to choose them the only reason a remnant of Jews believe in Jesus it's not because those Jews were especially well taught it's not because those Jews were especially well bred it's because God and His sovereign grace chose to choose them so that's a point concerning Israel let me back out like I did in the last point and make a very broad and general principle for you here the only reason anyone believes in Jesus is because of God's sovereign grace to choose them the only reason anyone believes in Jesus not just the Jews but the only reason anyone believes in Jesus is because of God's sovereign grace to choose them they Paul goes on in his other letters and his other epistles to tell us what the purpose of this is this is so that when you boast you boast in the Lord so that all of the boasting that you have in your salvation is not in the fact that you figured it out it's not in the fact that some preacher preached a great sermon and tickle the strings of your heart and called you down-home know what God did was he chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world that's the only reason anybody has a relationship with God the startling fact as I've said multiple times is not that God doesn't choose sum' it's that God chose me in the first place because what does it say in Romans chapter 3 says for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God none of us deserve God's grace otherwise what does Paul say a grace wouldn't be grace look at what he says here he answers that he says but if it is by grace it's no longer on the basis of works otherwise grace would no longer be grace so God's sovereign choice in election has never been about people who work the hardest or people who are more religious than other people it's always been about grace it will never cease to be about grace if it ever cease to be about grace and began to be about works grace would have no place he says no there they're chosen by grace listen to how Paul uses that word chosen elect how Paul uses that word in other portions of scripture that he's written Romans chapter 9 verse 10 through 14 because there are some people the reason I make this point there are some people who in in when they're talking about election and predestination they will say things like this which are absolutely unfounded you'll find it nowhere in scripture they say that the foreknowledge of God is this that God looked into the future and he saw people who would choose him and so God says okay I'll choose that person but that's not what the word means that's not the way the word is ever used God doesn't choose us because we're gonna choose him we choose him because he did choose us that's the point that's made and and that points easy to understand Romans chapter 9 verse 10 through 14 he says and not only so but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man our forefather Isaac though they were not yet born and had done nothing either bad or good in order that God's purpose of election that's the same word at cloning according to in order that God's purpose of election might continue not because of works but because of him who calls she was told the older will serve the younger as it is written Jacob I have loved Esau I've hated Paul's gonna point out when did God say that to Rebekah he said that to Rebekah while Jacob and Esau were still in the womb they hadn't done anything God's sovereign choice of of Jacob was not based on his goodness because when you start reading the book of Genesis you read that Jacob was a trickster Jacob didn't have a lot of goodness about him then neither did Esau neither one of the brothers deserved grace but God chose listen to how Paul uses this he defines it very well for us 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 and in this listen to how Paul says I know that you were the chosen of God he's gonna tell him I know that you're the chosen of God because you received the Word of God he doesn't say you are the chosen of God because you received he says I know you are chosen because of how you responded listen to this 1st thessalonians 1:45 he says for we know brothers loved by God that he has chosen you because our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction you know what kind of men we prove to be among you for your sake Paul says we know that you are the elect of God because when we came and preached the truth you received it that's how you prove that God had chosen you listen Oh Paul says in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3 through 6 he says blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to his or the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved so when Paul says what what is the reason for which Paul says he's telling us this stuff he's saying God chose us before the foundation of the world to the praise of his glorious grace okay past get to the point here get to the point here why why are you belaboring this point I'm belaboring the point because Paul Beliebers the point Paul's been talking about it for three chapters now and he wants to make sure that we understand this that none of us are in right relationship with God because we deserve it and yet one of the primary issues you face with born-again Christians is pride people say things like this I've been a pastor for so many years I've been a deacon for so many years I've walked with the Lord for so many years I've been a member of the church for so many years and mounting these things up as though respect should be gained for tenure or that God respects you more because you give in the offering plate or you attend more no those are things that we should do because we're saved those are not feathers in our cap those are works that God called us to live out but the only reason we are in right relationship with God is not because we deserve it we have nothing to boast in but the Lord Himself he chose us to the praise of his glorious grace now I'm all for long tenured pastor ships I believe me I am I'm all for long tenured members I'm all for giving in the offering plate but those things are not what makes us pleasing to God God's work through Jesus makes us pleasing to God we do all those over other things out of the overflow of obedience to the lord who called us by grace you gave everything for me i brought nothing to the table so the least i can do is give you everything that you've given to me the least I can do is serve you with the life you've given to me so I'm breathing in your grace breathing out your praise we sing that song god never promised or intended to save all of Israel but he did determined to save some God never intended to save all people but he has determined to save son and the only reason that a small number that a remnant of Jewish people or that a small number of any people believe in Jesus is because of God's sovereign grace so Paul has answered a question as God rejected his people no God has made a point for us that God has chosen some by grace a remnant now Paul is going to give us a bit of an explanation what about the rest what about those whom God did not choose unto salvation Paul doesn't leave us wondering he answers the question listen to verse 7 through 10 he says what then Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking what was Israel seeking Paul already answered that for us in Romans chapter 10 they were seeking a righteousness through the law they were seeking a righteousness by their works and so they failed to get what they were after they tried to win God's approval by good behavior he says they they failed to get what they were seeking after but he says this the elect a clog a the elect the chosen obtained it and this is what happened to the rest and the rest or but the rest were hardened that is a passive verb a passive verb means the people who receive the action are acted upon so the rest those who didn't receive Jesus those who were not chosen what did God do he hardened their heart he made them callous he literally translated he literally made them obtuse he made them obstinate made them stand against God the rest were hardened as it is written oh well that's powerful as it is written Paul is going to use two passages here really a conglomeration of three different passages he's going to appeal to a passage that Moses recited and dude 29 that isaiah declared in isaiah 29 and then a psalm that david wrote in Psalm 69 Paul's gonna use three Old Testament passages to prove its point you know what Paul does this when you when you have a discussion with somebody about the sovereignty of God and about election and predestination about what God did in eternity past and how he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world you know how people normally respond to this they say things like this well I just feel like God wouldn't do that I just I just think that that's not how God is I just I just can't wrap my mind around how God could save some and then harden others and I just feel there's a problem Paul doesn't say I feel about anything Paul says as the scripture says of Elijah he says as it is written he says add and David says what is Paul's appeal to Authority Paul's appeal to authority of Scripture Paul's not saying well I just feel like this in my enlightened state I feel like that's not really fair I feel like I feel like God should give everybody a chance Paul doesn't appeal to his feelings he just says as it is written the sad thing is when preachers and pastors and Bible study teachers start talking about these things and they appeal to their feelings and they appeal to their thoughts rather than conforming their thoughts to the truth of Scripture what we are called to do as the people of God is to listen and to subjugate ourselves to the authority of God's Word you believe the Bible is true for people you believe I was true is the Bible authoritative are we authoritative No so when the Bible says it that settles it so Paul appeals to scripture he says what then Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking they didn't get righteousness by works the elect obtained righteousness why they obtained it by grace but the rest were hardened God made them obtuse he made them blind he made them to not see as it is written this was written by Moses and Deuteronomy 29 so said in Isaiah in Isaiah 29 God gave them a spirit of stupor eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear down to this very day so who did that God did it God hardened their heart God made them to stupor and to stumble God made them blind friends God is the one who made the heart God hardens the heart and God softens the heart I've heard it said like this the same Sun that melts the wax hardens the clay God does both it says in Acts chapter 16 that when Paul went to Philippi and they preached the word that there was a woman there woman who sold purple dyed Linens her name was Lydia and as she's listening to Paul preach the word there in Philip I you know what it says that God did for Lydia it says he opened her heart to believe I tell you what that's normative meaning this that's what God did for you and I - we heard the word God opened our heart to believe but for the rest was to say God gave them a spirit of stupor eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear down to this very day and david says verse 9 this comes from Psalm 69 he says let their table a table is a place where somebody assumes they have security you sit down at the table for comfort you sit down to the table for sustenance and David says let their table the place they find security let it become a snare in a trap let the place they find security become a stumbling block and a retribution for them let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see and bend their backs forever Oh David that's harsh David you must be praying about the Canaanites David you must be praying about the Philistines those cousins of Goliath that's not who David's praying about in Psalm 69 David is praying about Israelite people and he is praying that the place that they find security they've all turned their back on him they've run him out of the city and he says let the place that they find security they find security in the law let that become a stumbling block for them and so what does God do God answers the prayer of David David was praying according to the will of God God has not rejected his chosen people but not all people are chosen that's a hard truth friends that's a truth nonetheless and that is a vital truth for us to understand don't get sucked into this idea of universalism where everybody goes to heaven because that's not the truth of God's Word and also don't get sucked in to the idea of thinking that well because God chose them they'll be saved and I don't have to do anything when Paul just told us in Romans chapter 10 how will they believe in him who knew they'd not heard and how will they hear about him without a preacher and how would they preach if they're not sent so so God has in his sovereignty chosen some and God by His same sovereignty has sent us to them so you know what we got to do we got to go knock on doors and find them we got to go tell them about Jesus and there will be people whom Jesus is received as Savior and Lord and there will be other people that say don't talk to me about him and you know exactly what's going on the same God who sovereignly saves some is the same God who has sovereignly sent his church if we believe these truths we will go not so ironically Psalm chapter 69 and speak of the gospel here Psalm chapter 69 is a passage that Jesus refers to when he's there in his passion it's a passage that Matthew the Levite refers to while Jesus is hanging on the cross Matthew actually gives commentary as to what's happening to Jesus as he hangs on the cross you remember that after they had crucified him and Jesus's is hanging there and he is about to die and they see his suffering and they get a spear and what do they do with that sponge they take that sponge and they dip it into a bucket of gall and vinegar sour wine it's an anesthetic to numb the pain and they took that sphere and they put it up there to Jesus's mouth and they gave it to him to drink to numb the pain you remember Jesus refused to drink it Jesus would not numb the pain and of his suffering Jesus endured all of the suffering of a sinner all of the wrath of God on our behalf and who was it that was crucifying Jesus this is the people of Israel it was the people of Israel it says in Psalm chapter 69 David as a prophet hundreds of years before Jesus was born it says and they gave me sour wine to drink Psalm 69 is somewhat of a rehearsal of The Passion of Jesus before it ever happened so why did God do this God did this because he does love the world the price for God too too some was infinitely costly the price for God to choose some unto salvation the price for you to be made right with God the price for anybody to be made right with God was not just some willy-nilly decision on God's part God invested the blood of Jesus in this and it's by the blood of Jesus that a person is declared righteous that's why Jesus pushed away the sour wine is so that he wouldn't endure all the suffering that's due for a sinner friend I truly believe that God is calling people who are in here if there are many people have already come to faith there are many people who are part of God's family who are here you are here today to worship your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but there are other people who have yet to make that profession of faith in Jesus but that offer of grace is there and Jesus is calling would you respond to him to respond to Jesus in faith is to say this from this point on I give my life to follow Jesus I'm gonna strive to learn his words that I can obey him and I'm gonna strive with all my heart mind soul and strength to love God and to serve him with my life that's what it means to respond to the call of God in this church the way we do this the way we make a public profession of faith is the pastor I stand down front and we have somebody standing on my left and my right and what happens is when that music starts playing and everybody stands you come forward if God is calling you and you are putting your faith in Jesus you come forward in front of God's people and you say today I begin to follow Jesus God is calling me to follow His Son Jesus and I believe right here and right now and I want to tell all these people so in a moment when we have that invitation I'm gonna ask you would you come let's pray [Music]

Channel: Dr. Jordan Neal Rogers

Views: 756

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: preaching, teaching, expository, exposition, expository preaching, exegesis, exegetical, exposit, how, how to, salvation, grace, sovereign, sovereignty, Romans 11, Israel, plan, Jews, Jew, Jewish, covenant, Christians, Christian, Messiah, Messianic, hope, help, Gospel, mercy, Paul, Apostle, Apostolic, Romans, epistle, Bible, Scripture, study, teacher, preacher, Jesus, Christ, Holy Spirit, Hillcrest, Baptist, Church, Nederland, Texas, Dr. Jordan Rogers, Jordan, Neal, Rogers, Jordan Rogers

Id: dWHjMFMLUu0

Length: 59min 39sec (3579 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 16 2019