Where We Have Been? Series 1 - The Wrath of God Revealed (Romans 1:1-3:20) Sermon 1: Introduction to the Book of Romans: No Excuses Sermon 2: God s Wrath against Unrighteousness: Worship and Sex Exchanges Sermon 3: God s Wrath against Self Righteousness: Hypocrisy Sermon 4: God s Wrath against Everybody: Descriptions of Hell Series 2- The Righteousness of God Revealed (Romans 3:21-5:21) Sermon 1: Justified The Great God Exchange! Sermon 2: Justified Cha-Ching! Your Account is Full! Sermon 3: Justified You re in Right Standing! Sermon 4: Justified God s Gift to You! Series 3 Pathway to Freedom (Romans 6:1 8:39) Sermon 1: Dead to Sin Sermon 2: Not a Slave to Sin Sermon 3: Not Married to Rules Sermon 4: Determined to be Spirit Led Sermon 5: Spirit Led Living (Adoption) Sermon 6: Believing God is For You! Series 4 Israel & You! (Romans 9:1-12:2) Sermon 1: Feel the Tension: Did you Choose God or did God Choose you? Sermon 2: - Tonight 1
Review: A. In starting off this new series, we talked about Paul s heart towards his people Israel. Paul eagerly wants them to be saved. In doing so, Paul shares that no all who are of Israel (by lineage) are actually Israel (by faith in receiving the promise of God) (9:1-7). B. Paul argues that it seems like God chose Abraham, and although he responded in faith, his son Isaac and later Jacob would be elected to be carriers of the promise no matter what. This is because they were born into the promise without choice (9:8-13). C. Further, it appears that Pharaoh had no choice but to be used by God. Paul illustrates that God has the power to do what he wishes for his own glory. For example, He hardened Pharaoh s heart and then judged the nation of Egypt due to the hardened heart of Pharaoh. Even though Pharaoh was being used as an instrument of judgment in his resistance of God, he still glorified God. This is because through Pharaoh s hardened heart, God displayed the power of His deliverance (9:17). D. What about free will? Nowhere in the Bible does it say we have free will. Paul argues, is this unfair? Who are we to tell God what he can or cannot do is Paul s argument (9:19-21). E. It seems like Paul is saying that there are vessels of wrath that have been prepared for destruction. His argument is that what if God has now resisted Israel in order to display mercy to us Gentiles in order that we may respond to Him in faith through believing in Him as did Abraham. This would display free will in that we can respond to God as he chooses us. So did you choose God or did He choose you? Ultimately, He chose us, but yet we still respond in faith (free will). 2
I. Paul s Heart Rom 10:1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. A. Paul is connecting desire together with prayer. Our desires literally means those things in which we really wish for with all of our hearts. Godly desires, should stir our hearts to pray and this is what Paul is doing. B. Paul is bringing the desires of his heart to God in prayer asking for Israel to see the truth of the gospel of Jesus. Paul desires Israel to be saved. Rom 10:2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. C. Prov 19:2 It is not good to have zeal without knowledge. Zeal indicatives an intensity in your heart Knowledge here indicates an acknowledgment of all the facts. 1. It is not good to zealously move in a direction without having a full acknowledgement of all the facts. It is not smart to give yourself wholly for a cause without understanding the facts. We should know what it we are getting into before fully giving our hearts to the cause. 2. Paul is saying that the Jewish people are aggressively living for God without acknowledging the facts. As a result, they are missing the truth in which they are wanting to live for. 3. The Jews, his family, are living for God without acknowledging the truth about God as revealed in Jesus. So many people are living for god without having a knowledge of what they are doing. This is why we teach the Word and emphasize the truth of Jesus. 3
D. In what way are the Jews not getting their facts? Rom 10:3-4 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. 1. They are not acknowledging that faith in Jesus is the means to true righteousness! Because they are missing this main essential truth, they are zealously living for God by trying to earn their own righteousness before Him by following to the Law of Moses. 2. They are not acknowledging that Christ is the end of the law! That righteousness is for everyone who believes just like Abram who was a Gentile modeled in Gen. 15 before the law was ever given. 4
II. The Way to Get Right with God Rom 10:5-11 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. A. Jesus is the fullness of the knowledge of God manifested in human flesh. The way of salvation is not difficult. You do not get right with God by following a bunch of rules to try to get His approval like the Jews are trying to zealously do. B. It s not about what you can righteously do for Jesus, it s about what Jesus has done for you in that he died and was raised back to life. He died for your unrighteousness in order to give you the gift of righteousness. C. As you truly believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, you are saved. That s it. His righteousness belongs to you. As a result, you can zealously live for God with the knowledge of Jesus in which Israel fails to acknowledge. D. Anyone who trusts in Jesus will never be ashamed, put to shame or humiliated. 5
Rom 10:11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 1. We know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). 2. However, there is also no shame for those who are in Christ Jesus. 3. It is assuring to know that all of our shameful deeds from our past will never count against us in Christ. In the same manner, you never have to be ashamed of your confidence in Christ. E. God is not a racist. He wants all races to receive salvation. Rom 10:12-13 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 1. This good news of righteousness is all encompassing for every people group on the face of the earth. 2. Everyone or whoever (not just Israel) calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. In one who simply calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. What an act of grace (unearned favor) III. Sharing the Gospel 6
Rom 10:14-16 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" A. God wants Israel to be saved, but the underlining principle is who will share with them. 1. Remember God wanted Israel to be a light in the Old Testament to the Gentile Nations. 2. Now the tables have turned. God wants us to be a light to Israel in sharing with them the truth of their God in that righteousness is found in Jesus. B. Please do not be intimidated in sharing the gospel with Jews. Practicing Jews will be living out the Law of Moses the best way they can, but you can point to Abram who was credited righteous on the act of believing before the Law was ever instituted and explain how Jesus perfectly lived out the Law of righteousness and was a substitute for us in being sacrificed on the cross. C. The means of Saving Faith Rom 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." 1. When we hear the Word of God, faith is stirred. This is why we believe in the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. In doing so it strengthens our faith. 2. For those who do not know God, their faith is directed towards the need of a Savior as we lead them to saving faith. Yet, despite hearing IV. God is Provoking Israel to Jealousy 7
Rom 10:19-21 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding." A. God is making Israel envious/provoking them by causing all of the Gentiles to serve their God. The term provoke means to cause someone to feel strong jealousy or resentment against someone. B. They are resenting us Gentiles who have very limited understanding on their Scriptures. Most gentiles do not have a deep understanding of our Old Testament. Yet, we have the capacity to whole heartedly love God their God. C. We are a nation, but not just a nation a holy nation! Believers collectively are a holy nation. Our citizenship is in heaven. 1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. D. Most Gentiles before saving grace were not seeking out God like the Jews, yet we found Him even though we were not necessarily asking for Him. Rom10:20 And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." E. The fact that many believing Gentiles are totally loving the God of Israel without an understanding of Israel should drive Israel absolutely nuts. Yet, this does not mean that God is not seeking out Israel. He is. He wants the nation to experience a Jesus revival. However, they are stubborn just like they did not listen to the prophets of the Old 8
Testament, many of them refuse to listen to the Christian witness as given in the New Testament. Rom 10:21 But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." 9