Growing Closer to God Pt 23
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I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
Romans
Now if you have a small theologian inside of you-you may very well be screaming. Chapter 11 in the book of Romans has to do with Israel and their ability to know God and God’s desire to be known by Him. Paul was reminding everyone that Israel can still come to know Christ. That God did not turn his back on them, but there are truths I believe to be relevant to us personally as well as prophesying to our church body as a whole. We will be taking this scripture more topically than theologically because there are gold nuggets that will increase our faith and still adhere to what the scripture itself is talking about.
God Did Not Reject You
God Did Not Reject You
For some reason Christians need to be reminded of this often. Just because things didn’t turn out as you may have expected God is not casting you aside. You may still have struggles, God has not forgotten you. You may be struggling at your job, God has not forgotten you. You may be going through a rocky time in your life where everything seems to be up in the air, God has not forgotten you.
I find it best to remind myself of biblical principles when I hit times that seem to mimic the tribulation. I have two verses that are very basic that I have been holding onto in tough times in my life and I want to share them with you.
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
At this point Israel was being judged for their walking away from God and his commands. Usually I have found that I am most conflicted and uncomfortable when I know I am outside or resisting the will of God. Israel just had a prophet tell them they are going to be scattered and enslaved. They were worried, scared, and ready to run. They felt abandoned.; defeated. They probably had many questions: Like why is God forsaking me? But our discomfort doesn’t come from God forsaking us, but rather us forsaking him. My kids will sometimes need comforting just because life happens, but I find that my kids usually need the most comforting after a stern correction. ,Yes, the need corrected, but they also need two things.
To be loved and reassured
To know that there is something they can do to end their suffering.
First Understand:
In order to be comforted you must be in an uncomfortable situation.
In order to be comforted you must be in an uncomfortable situation.
The is little more awkward than someone trying to comfort someone who is in a joyous time in their life. They are hugging! telling you it’s ok to cry. playing with your hair. Feeding you chocolate. and your like. I just got a raise why are we sad.
We know God is our comforter.
2 Corinthians 1:3-
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
God is the best comforter. Beth used to tell me she loved hugging me because I could engulf her into my arms. She felt safe and secure. and she felt loved. God is bigger and stronger and can engulf you into more love than any person on this world, but you need to allow him. No one, not even God likes to beat up while trying to hug someone.
God desires obedience. Because he desires obedience there has to be correction. I have known few parents who aren’t immediately troubled after correcting their children. It isn’t fun, but it’s necessary; otherwise you create brats. God doesn’t like correcting, but he knows that it is for our good.
He provides a way out
He provides a way out
Even if you don’t know the address most people can quote if they have spent any time around the church. But what comes before
And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you.
Deutronomy
God is telling Israel. you will be free from this discomfort. Your captures will be handed over to you,
BUT
BUT
You must follow my whole commandment.
You must follow my whole commandment.
There are times when I correct my kids and they go to bed uncomforted because their attitude hasn’t changed. We must enter submission to God’s authority in order to receive comfort from God. You cannot comfort a rebellious child. you comfort a submissive child. One that has recognized their wrongs and seeking to correct them.
I have seen Christians cry out that God is not with them while they are still mid temper tantrum. The best thing I can do for my kids when they get in a full blown tantrum is walk away. Every parent knows a temper tantrum spawn for two reasons.
They are trying to break your will
They are demanding attention
By removing yourself from the tantrum they lose the ability to wear you down and they lose the attention you are seeking. It doesn’t usually take more than a few minutes of an absent parent for the child to calm down. No I know there are children with special needs and emotional issues. I don’t recommend this type of parenting for everyone, but with my kids it works for the most part.
Once my child calms down and forms a submissive attitude ready to listen and follow my commands I comfort them. God does the same thing.
In fact that this what we talked about last week. God used the gentiles to make the Jews jellouse so that in their anger they would desire to draw closer to God.
After this His letter to Romans Paul continues. He shows the pattern of Israel’s rebellious past and How God used it to correct them and comfort them to turn them back to himself.
This is where I believe God is talking to this church
Romans 5:
So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Paul was saying that even though it seems that all Israel has turned away from God there is a remnant that are seeking his face, however it has nothing to do with this small group being special, but rather because God is graceful and didn’t want to demolish the entire nation. This grace had nothing to do with what those Israelites were doing. They couldn’t work for that grace, but it was given to them out of God’s love for his people.
This is what I believe God is saying to us. Look around, there is a small portion of the whole that this church used to be, but the small portion remains in faith. This doesn’t mean we are special on the contrary it burdens our yoke more than those who left. why?
Let me draw your attention to something you have probably read 1000’s of times before and gave no mind to.
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
For I myself am an Israelite
For I myself am an Israelite
Has God rejected this church? No I myself am a member, but it isn’t what Paul says that its important its what Paul means. Paul is part of the remnant left by God and saved through grace. Paul is in the lifeboat of salvation surrounded by people still in the water that need to pulled to safety.
Paul is stating I was saved to save others. To have a remnant means there is a desire in God’s heart to reconstruct or rebuild that which was cast out. Our job is to call the people back to the homeland. That’s what Israel did when they were dispersed. They were eventually called back to gather and rebuild.
As Israel was rebuilding after a time of being disbursed Ezra began to rebuild the temple. About 80 years after rebuilding the temple a remnant returns to Israel and starts seeking God. Ezra passes and and then a wave of Israelites return under Nehemiah. Nehemiah rebuilds it’s defenses and calls God’s people back to Him.
After they rebuilt the walls and some houses, they began to put back into place the festivals and feasts. They started crying out and remembering God once again. Then in chapter 10 the Jews renew their covenant.
The point of the remnant is to bring God’s people back to God. The remnant weathers the hard times so that all can comeback and be reunited in the saving grace of Christ.
This what Paul was talking about.
Be comforted
Be comforted
Comfort Others
Comfort Others
Call back his people
Call back his people