GOD's Attitude toward Israel.
GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD ISRAEL.
1-20-08---SPM
ROMANS 9-11
TBC
INTRO: I hope that you have been blessed by this quick tour of Romans. We have tonight and next week left. It is difficult to study, preach, and teach on large sections of scriptures, however, it is also a blessing to cover this fertile ground this fast. We can get a favor of what it was like for the Romans as they heard the letter read. There is a flow to reading large sections. Verse by Verse preaching is a good for our hearts, but at times we can get bogged down, and not catch the rhythm of Paul’s writing.
Tonight, we come to some difficult chapters in Paul’s epistle. There have been more debates on the various theological stances presented in these chapters, than we can probably record.
My aim tonight is not to try to answer all your questions, or to present every single argument. I want to give you a broad outline of Romans 9-11 so that you can grasp the point of Paul’s argument for us. I am not going to waste a lot of time giving a defense of my position simply because it would take to long. I am just going to preach what I think these chapters mean.
The theme of Romans 9-11 is to give a record of Israel’s spiritual history. Just keep that in mind, and that will help you grasped much of what Paul is talking about. The major story line here is Israel.
Chapter 9 will focus on the past.
Chapter 10 will focus on the present.
Chapter 11 will focus on the future.
Paul is going to show how God could set aside His chosen people and save the Gentiles and how He will restore the nation at some future date.
Friends, if you keep that in mind---you will have a good understanding of what Paul’s is writing about.
-I. ISRAEL’S PAST. (9)
-A. Chapter 9 can be divided into two major headings.
-1. Israel’s Election Manifested. (9:1-13)
-2. Israel’s Election Defended. (9:14-33)
-B. Let’s look at how Paul’s describes Israel’s election
-1. Paul’s burden for the Israel. (1-3) Pray to God that we would have that burden for the lost.
-2. Lets discover the blessings of their election in verses 1-5
-a. Do I believe in election? That’s the wrong question. Is election taught in the Bible? If so what does the Bible teach about election?
-b. God’s work of election does not do away with the will of man.
-1) we are not robots.
-2) we are not keyboards.
-c. the blessings.
-1) The adoption chosen by God because of his love.
-2) The glory—speaks of the glory of God.
-3) The covenants
-a) Abraham.
-b) Moses.
-c) David
-d) God gave unchanging covenants to his people.
-4) The Giving of the Law was a blessing.
-5) The Service to God via the priestly service in the tabernacle.
-6) The Promises from God.
-a) Many promises already fulfilled from OT.
-b) More to come for the Jews.
-7) The Fathers of the Faith.
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
-8) The Messiah.
-d. No other nation enjoy these blessings. None had it so good. Now if we didn’t know better what would we expect from such blessed people.
-1) Obedience.
-2) Disobedience.
-3) Comment on the blessings we have in Christ NOW!
-3. The Basis for God’s election of Israel. (6-13)
-a. In election God exercises His Sovereign will to accomplish His perfect plan.
-b. One thing you must know about this chapter is God is speaking of nations, not individuals.
-B. Israel’s election defended. (9:14-33)
-II. ISRAEL’S PRESENT. (Romans 10)
-A. They are lost. They are not saved! They rejected the Messiah, and they need a savior at this point in God’s redemptive history.
-1. The important word in this chapter is righteousness.
-2. We can applaud the Jews for knowing that righteousness is needed, but we should pity them and pray for them that they are deceived about the means of obtaining righteousness.
-3. Read Romans 10:1-13.
-a. We have two types of righteousness described here.
-b. God’s
-c. Man’s
-d. This is history of the Jews, and really of all mankind.
-e. For the Jew they had the law of God, but they never accepted the end of the law which is Jesus Christ.
-f. Notice Paul’s heavy quotation of the O.T.
-1) Friends Paul was saying to the Jews the Scripture you cherish tell you the same message that of the New Testament.
-2. Salvation is by Faith alone.
-4. Talk about many today will not trust in Jesus. They want to come to Christ on their terms.
-B. Paul points out not only the problem, but the solution to their unbelief. (Romans 10:14-17)
-1. Notice the flow of these verses.
-a. Messengers sent.
-b. They declare the word.
-c. sinners hear the word.
-d. they call upon Christ.
-e. They are saved.
-2. The Solution is for the Gospel to be preached, and for the soul to turn and trust. There is no other way. Friends, no matter how many new methods we try, we ought to no we are obligated to present the Gospel.
-3. What is Israel’s attitude today?
-a. as a nation unbelief.
-b. Is 53:1 Who has believed?
-C. The result of this rejection by Israel (10:18-21)
-1. God has now turned to the Gentiles and is making a people for himself out of those people.
-2. Now in verse 21 let’s look there again.
Israel is now set aside in blindness and unbelief.
God yearns after them.
-D. Now friends, I know that we have barely even put out toes in this theological river, but that is all we can do now.
-III. ISRAEL’S FUTURE. (Romans 11) Is God done with them? NO!!
-A. The personal proof found in verse 1.
-1. Paul offers himself.
-2. Jews are saved, and will be saved.
-B. The historical proof (Romans 11:2-10)
-1. The example of Elijah.
-a. Much unbelief.
-b. God had a remant.
-2. Isaiah 1:9---9If the Lord of Hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would be like Sodom, we would resemble Gomorrah. (HCSB)
-3. Look at verse 5. There are Jews in the church today.
-4. now friends, if God saves Jews in this age, but will be the harvest in the age to come. God has never abanadoned his people.
-5. In the church age God is not dealing with the Jews as nation.
-C. The Dispensational Proof. (Romans 11:11-24)
-1. Paul is talking about nations now in these verses.
-2. There is a purpose in the fall of Israel.
-3. it is the rise of the church.
-4. Now if we are blessed by Israel’s fall, what will be the blessed when God raises them up.
-5. Dear friend we are not Israel, we are the bride of Christ. We are the church.
-6. Again remember this is about nations, Individual never ever lose their salvation.
-D. The Scripture proof. (Romans 11:25-36)
-1. Paul has used OT lot, but now uses three sets of verses.
-a. Is 59:20-21
-b. Is. 27:9
-c. Ps. 14:7
-d. These show that God has promised a coming deliverer who would cleanse and restore Israel.
-2. The mystery is stated in v25 has now been revealed in the NT. That the Gentiles will be saved during what we now call the church age.
-3. The church will be rapture, and then we will have Jacob’s trouble. Jeremiah 30:7
-4. Then in this great tribulation. The Messiah will come. V26-27