God is Faithful
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Rejection
Rejection
How does rejection make you feel? What does this feeling of rejection keep you from doing?
Rejection is tough and something we all fear. I don’t want to be picked last.
I don’t want to be labeled a failure. I don’t want to be rejected.
Rejection can keep us from being romantic. (even in married life)What if I put all my cards out there on the line and they reject me? They think my ideas are straight up whack or lame!
Dating life if I ask them out and they reject me!
I also thought about on a lighter note many of us don’t try to dance because we will look stupid. Sometimes when kids are around we will start to move or dance because children can be more accepting and so there for we don’t fear rejection as much
The thought of rejection has the ability to stop us from doing things and clouds our thinking to believe something that may not be true.
Today’s text the Israelites are facing this thought that God has rejected them.
How many of you would say at times you feel like God has rejected you?
1 I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
In Greek the question is asked to get a negative reply: “God did not reject His people, did He?”
This question sets up the whole of the text for us this morning. Has God rejected His people?
In Romans 10:21 scripture says to Israel (God’s chosen people, the do gooders) I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people.
21 But to Israel he says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people.
1 I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
Absolutely not! Paul says
Paul shares a short version of his own personal testimony.
Romans 10 say How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news of Jesus. Here is an example of Paul sharing the Good news of Jesus.
Look how simple this is
He says I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin
Paul’s Jewish name was Saul before His name of was changed to Paul.
It is no surprise that his parents who traced their descent from the tribe of Benjamin and had high ambitions for their son that they would give him name Saul. This name was after Israel’s first king who came from the tribe of Benjamin.
Paul Immediately relates to His readers by saying I too am an Israelite.
In sharing our story, we might relate to Paul when we share where we are from. I am from Rockaway Beach and God has transformed and changed my heart.
My heart was set out for destruction but God rescued me.
Paul says God has not forgotten His people for I too am one of them and God has saved me.
2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel?
22 The Lord will not abandon His people, because of His great name and because He has determined to make you His own people.
23 “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way.
24 Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you.
25 However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life!
This is fun! 1 Kings 18 is what of Elijah’s biggest victories. 1 Kings 18 is the chapter where he challenges the 400 prophets of Baal. He tells them to bring a sacrifice and you call on your God and we will call on my God and the God who answers is God.
So the prophets of Baal said BET! Remember this was in the middle of a famine because there was not rain for 3 years of course Baal was thought to be the God of rain and water so they were dependent on him for making their crops grow.
Elijah dumps water on the alter and fills up the trench he then calls on God and God rains down fire to consume the alter and licks up all the water in the surrounding trench.
After this amazing victory, Jezebel says she is going to kill Elijah. Elijah is over come by rejection and goes into depression.
He even says, I have had enough Lord take my life!
1 Kings 19 He says (Verse 3 of Romans)
4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
I have kept (box God’s action)
men who have not bowed the knee to Baal (man’s action)
5 In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.
God is faithful. There is still a remnant(small remaining quantity or people who have survived catastrophe). There are still believing Jews.
Paul is one of them!
God has chosen them. God has remained faithful. God has not rejected them. God has accepted them. Chapter 10 he has spread out His hands.
He has loved them. He has cared for them. He has shown them His goodness and His grace to them.
God has remained faithful to His promise
6 Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.
This remnant is left is by grace and not by works. Continuing in the truth of the Gospel that you are not saved by works. For the Jews especially, their religious zeal is not saving them. Those of the remnant are not the ones that are the best do gooders.
It is not by works
If it is by works then grace ceases to be grace.
Works means you earned it and you deserved it.
grace n. — goodwill freely disseminated (by God); especially to the benefit of the recipient regardless of the benefit accrued to the disseminator. (Kindness, gift, favor)
7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
8 as 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.”
Israel Failed to obtain what it was seeking
(Baal who made the crops grow)
The elect obtained it
(Does this mean that all of Israel failed to obtain it? NO. If we read this verse in context some of Israel has followed the Lord. Even Paul himself is in that category)
The rest were hardened
Hardening involves spiritual drowsiness
N.T. Wright draws from Romans 2:2–5. God’s kindness is meant to lead people toward repentance. But when people just take advantage of His kindness and don’t repent and follow Him by faith… they experience this “hardening.”
Those who bowed their knee to Baal were hardened. God is jealous and in his grace he over and over says I choose you. As many over and over reject the Lord, then he gives them over to
A spirit of stupor
Deuteronomy 29:3-4 and Isaiah 29:10.
Stupor “a numbness resulting from a sting”
Eyes that don’t see
Ears that don’t hear
9 And David says: Let their feasting become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent continually.
Psalm 69:22-23.
Predicts the very thing which should have been the source of nourishment and blessing to Israel (Table means their blessings from the hand of God, which should have led them to Christ)
This becomes the occasion for their rejection of God (Jesus a snare, a trap and a stumbling block)
God’s judgement
Eyes darkened so they cannot see
Backs bent under the weight of guilt and punishment forever.
God has not rejected you. God has over and over and over continued to show his loving kindness. What is my response to his loving kindness?
Is His loving kindness leading you to him or is it causing you to walk further from Him?
Do you see your family as a result of God’s loving kindness? Do you see your home? The money he has provided you this week? Is it his loving kindness or is the thing that is feeding you driving you away from him?