3ABN On the Road

Who Is Israel?

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Nathan Renner

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Series Code: OTR

Program Code: OTR000784


01:00 Hello and welcome to On the Road,
01:01 I'm Pastor Nathan Renner the senior pastor
01:03 of the Troy Seventh-Day Adventist Church
01:04 in Troy, Michigan and, I want to welcome you
01:07 to today's presentation. we're really looking
01:10 forward to the topic that we have before us.
01:13 We're going to be studying who is Israel?
01:17 and of course this is an important topic
01:19 that has implications not only for our own
01:22 understanding of scripture,
01:23 but even it would impact some political positions
01:28 that people have taken
01:30 So let's jump into our study of God's word
01:33 but with course we always have to
01:35 enter into the study of God's word
01:37 prayerfully. So let's begin
01:39 with prayer. Our Father as we
01:42 endeavor to explore such an important
01:45 topic, we ask that your holy spirit
01:48 would be present with us we pray father
01:53 that you would be our teacher, that your word
01:57 would be our guide, that you would give us
02:01 understanding and that you would bless us.
02:04 Thank you, father for the privilege.
02:07 We have now to study your word
02:10 in Jesus name! Amen. All eyes are on Israel
02:18 our world is rife with strife.
02:21 We have the Israeli-Palestinian
02:25 conflict, we have the conflict
02:29 between Israel and Lebanon we have issues raising
02:34 now in Syria and to their other borders
02:39 we have problems in Iraq and difficulties around
02:44 all over the world and much of it surrounds
02:49 the role of Israel. Israel has claimed
02:54 a divine prerogative to the land on which
02:58 they currently possess and so today
03:03 we're going to explore who the Bible
03:06 classifies as Israel, who the Bible classifies as Israel.
03:14 If you have your Bible, I'd like to invite you to open
03:16 to Romans chapter 9 and Romans chapter 9
03:21 is a fascinating chapter that deals with the issue
03:26 of who is Israel from a Biblical perspective
03:30 additionally Romans 9 touches on some very
03:34 interesting issues when it comes
03:36 to the whole process of Salvation as well.
03:40 And Romans 9 has historically been used to support
03:44 the doctrine of predestination
03:47 that is that God has chosen some to be
03:49 saved and some to be lost and so since
03:51 we're in Romans 9 talking about who is Israel,
03:54 we will also deals with Romans 9 and
03:57 the issues there concerning who, how God saves?
04:02 And I think you will find this to be a very
04:04 helpful treatment of this chapter.
04:07 Romans chapter 9, verse 1, Paul says
04:12 I'm speaking the truth in Christ, I'm not lying
04:17 my conscious bears me witness in the
04:21 holy spirit, that I have great sorrow and
04:25 unceasing anguish in my heart
04:28 for I could wish that I myself were accursed
04:33 and cut off from Christ for the sake of my
04:36 brothers, my kinsman according to the flesh
04:41 Now here Paul is expressing the heart cry
04:47 of pain that he has. He is deeply concerned
04:52 for in his words, according to verse 3
04:55 my brothers, my kinsman
04:58 according to the flesh. Now he defines them
05:00 in verse 4, they are Israelites
05:05 and to them belong the adoption, the glory
05:08 the covenants, the giving of the law
05:11 the worship and the promises.
05:14 Now fascinating, fascinating
05:17 picture here Paul is saying listen
05:20 I want you to understand that I am full of sorrow,
05:24 I am full of anguish in heart for my people,
05:29 my people the Israelites, these people that God
05:34 adopted and the people to whom belong to the glory
05:38 the covenants, the giving of the law, the
05:41 temple worship and all of his promises.
05:44 Paul says, I'm burdened for the Jewish nation, I'm
05:47 burdened for the Israelites, my heart is full
05:51 of unceasing anguish, my heart is full of
05:54 unceasing pain for these people
05:56 I think so much of them, I love them so much
05:59 and my heart is burden for them
06:01 that's what the apostle Paul says.
06:03 He says in verse 5, again he is making
06:06 it clear who he is talking about
06:08 to them belong the patriarchs
06:11 and from their race according to the flesh
06:13 is the Christ who is God
06:16 over all blessed forever and ever! Amen.
06:20 Here Paul says, I am burdened for the
06:23 Israelites and then he makes it clear
06:25 who he is talking about, those people that were
06:27 adopted by God and God poured out his glory
06:30 the covenants, the giving of the law,
06:31 the worship and then the people from whom
06:35 the patriarchs are their descendants
06:38 and then it says and then the key one
06:41 in verse 5 is from them, from their race
06:45 according to the flesh is Christ who is God
06:49 overall blessed forever. Amen.
06:54 So now, it's fascinating here Paul has just expressed his
06:57 burden for the Israelites, for the Jewish people.
07:00 Now it's fascinating too and I just need to bring
07:03 this out that Paul tells us that Christ
07:08 is a Jew, that Christ is a descendant
07:10 of the nation of Israel and then he makes
07:13 it clear and I want you to listen what Paul
07:16 how Paul refers to Jesus. He says and from their race
07:19 according to the flesh is Christ
07:21 who is God, overall blessed forever.
07:26 It's very important that we understand this
07:28 in this text the apostle Paul refers to Jesus
07:32 Christ is God. Did you hear that?
07:35 We can't miss that, we cannot miss that
07:39 he says from their race according to their flesh
07:41 is the Christ, who is God.
07:44 Overall blessed forever. My friends I want you to
07:51 understand the glorious great news that Paul
07:54 was telling us, Paul says I'm burdened for the
07:57 Israelites, I'm burdened for the Jewish nation
07:59 Jesus Christ is one of their descendants
08:02 and Jesus Christ is God over everything
08:07 blessed forever! Amen. My friends we cannot
08:11 ever, ever, ever, ever forget that fact
08:12 that Jesus Christ is fully God.
08:17 This is the testimony of scripture throughout
08:21 whether you're reading in John
08:23 chapter 1, verse 1, where the word of God
08:26 says, in the beginning was the word,
08:27 the word was with God and the word
08:30 was God, whether you're looking in Second Peter
08:35 chapter 1, verse 2, where he says grace
08:40 and peace be multiplied to you in the
08:42 knowledge of God and of, pardon me,
08:45 in verse 1, that we have obtained
08:47 a faith of equal standing with ours
08:49 by the righteousness of our God and savior
08:51 Jesus Christ. Our God and savior
08:54 Jesus Christ. John, in John chapter 1
08:57 calls Jesus God, in the beginning was the word
09:00 the word was with God, the word was God.
09:02 Paul calls Jesus Christ God in Romans
09:05 chapter 9 saying that Jesus Christ, who is God
09:09 overall blessed forever and then Peter calls
09:13 Jesus Christ our Lord God in the plainest
09:18 language Second Peter
09:19 chapter 1, verse 2, my friends, Paul is burdened,
09:23 he is burdened for the Jewish nation,
09:25 he is burdened for the Israelites
09:27 that they would understand the great and glorious
09:29 trues of the Gospel, he is pained in his soul
09:34 that they would understand that Jesus
09:37 is God and not only that Jesus is God
09:42 but that Jesus gave his life for our sins.
09:45 Now verse 6, introduces an interesting
09:51 concept, we're looking in verse 6 of chapter 9,
09:58 but it's not as though the word of God
10:03 has failed, for not all who are descended
10:10 from Israel belong to Israel.
10:15 Now Paul here tells us something and really
10:19 what Paul is doing is his getting into the
10:21 mind of the Israelites. You see, all
10:24 throughout the book of Romans
10:25 Paul has laid his case okay, Paul has laid
10:28 his case that all humanity together is completely
10:34 lost and all humanity can be totally saved
10:39 by Jesus Christ. But that leaves
10:42 the Israelites, the Jewish nation to a difficult
10:46 problem and that is okay, if Jews are lost
10:50 just like Gentiles are lost
10:51 and Jews can be saved just like Gentiles
10:54 can be saved by Jesus Christ
10:56 what about all of God's promises to Israel?
11:03 What about everything God has promised
11:05 in the Old Testament God promised you would
11:07 inherit this land, God promised all Israel
11:10 would be saved, God promised lots
11:12 of things in the Old Testament
11:14 and Paul, if you're telling us that all Israel
11:17 is lost and that all Israel could be saved
11:20 by faith in Christ, then not just all Israel is
11:24 lost, but all of humanity is lost, Jews and
11:26 Gentiles and everybody can be saved, the Jews and
11:29 Gentiles, then Paul is asking the hypothetical
11:32 question then, if the Israelites are indeed lost
11:36 and they have to be saved by Jesus
11:38 what about all of God's promises fulfilling
11:40 the Old Testament to save them
11:44 and to give them the land, and what Paul is
11:47 addressing is a potential objection
11:51 to his theology that all people Jews and Gentiles
11:53 alike are lost and all people, Jews and Gentiles
11:56 alike can be saved by Christ.
11:57 Here is the potential objection, well Paul
12:00 if that's true what about all the God's
12:01 promises to the Jews? What about all the God's
12:04 promises to the Israelites? Have those promises
12:07 failed, and what's Paul's answer
12:14 it's not as though the word of God has failed
12:15 verse 6, I am reading verse 6,
12:17 for not all who are descended
12:20 from Israel belong to Israel.
12:25 Now did you hear the language the apostle
12:28 Paul has used, he said not everybody
12:31 that is a descended of Israel
12:33 is an Israelite. Now that's interesting
12:37 my last name is Renner, I am Nathan Renner.
12:41 Okay, now that means that my dad's name is
12:43 Renner and my grandfather's name
12:45 is Renner and my great grandfather's name is
12:47 Renner and my great, great, great,
12:49 grandfather's name is Renner and my
12:51 great, great, great, great, great
12:52 grandfather's name is Renner.
12:53 Now, what Paul is saying is essentially and it
12:58 would be a little bit like me saying not everybody
13:00 that's a Renner is really a Renner.
13:05 Well, what Paul is saying is just because
13:08 your great, great, great great, great, great,
13:11 great, great, great, great grandfather
13:12 was Israel, you remember
13:17 Abraham and Isaac, Isaac became,
13:20 Abraham and Isaac, Isaac had Jacob,
13:22 Jacob became Israel, just because your
13:26 great, great, great great, great, great
13:27 grandfather is Jacob, your great, great,
13:29 grandfather is Israel does not mean that
13:32 your really an Israelite. Now that would lead
13:37 people to ask what in the world are you talking about
13:41 Paul, how can somebody whose great, great,
13:43 great, great, great, great, great, great
13:44 great grandfather was Israel
13:47 how can somebody whose great, great grandfather
13:49 was name was Israel not be a descendant
13:52 of Israel, how can that be?
13:54 Notice what Paul says,
13:56 verse 7, not all are children
14:01 of Abraham, because they are his offspring,
14:05 but through Isaac your offspring shall be named.
14:11 Fascinating, fascinating scripture
14:14 not all are children of Abraham,
14:16 because they are his offspring, but through
14:19 Isaac shall your offspring be named.
14:21 Now Abraham has two famous children
14:23 okay, one's name was Isaac his other famous
14:28 son's name was Ishmael. Okay, those are the two
14:33 famous sons of Abraham. Now any self respecting
14:38 Jew would know that's God's promises
14:41 to Abraham were to Abraham and Isaac,
14:46 not to Abraham and Ishmael so Paul is basically saying
14:50 if all it takes to be an Israelite
14:52 is for you great, great, great, great,
14:54 great grandfather to be an Israelite
14:56 and all it takes to be a descendant
14:58 of Abraham is for your great, great, great,
15:00 great grandfather to be a descendant of Abraham
15:04 then Ishmael would equally be a Jew with the
15:12 Jews, you follow that argument, yes or no,
15:15 does that make sense? I mean Paul is basically
15:17 saying listen guys well, I'll read it again
15:20 and I'm sure you'll get it not are all children
15:24 and not are all children of Abraham
15:28 because they are his offspring,
15:29 but it's through Isaac your offspring shall
15:33 be named. Now again just to review
15:36 Paul's argument Abraham had two sons
15:40 two famous sons, he had more
15:42 he had Isaac and Ishmael.
15:46 Now the Jews were not too happy about Ishmael,
15:50 the Jews believe that there are Abraham's
15:53 descendant through Isaac and they believe that the
15:57 children through Ishmael are not descendants
15:59 of Abraham's properly and what Paul is saying
16:02 is if you think Jews, that when God's word
16:06 tells you that God is gonna to bless you,
16:08 because Abraham's your grandfather
16:10 then that applies to you on the basis of hereditary,
16:15 a heredity, you are mistaken.
16:18 If all it took to be an Israelite
16:22 or a child of Abraham was heredity
16:25 then Ishmael would also be an Israelite.
16:31 So then Paul tells us what the issue really is
16:35 in verse 8, this means it's not the children
16:40 of the flesh who are the children of God,
16:43 but the children of the promise
16:46 that are counted as offspring.
16:49 Now here Paul is telling us what the
16:52 distinction is between Ishmael and Isaac
16:56 distinction is between Ishmael and Isaac
16:59 you remember the story God comes to Abraham,
17:03 God comes to Sarah and God says to them
17:05 you'll have a child and then time ticks away
17:11 time ticks away, time ticks away
17:19 and there is no child coming.
17:27 No child coming, so what does Abraham do?
17:34 What does Sarah do? Well, Sarah comes up
17:38 with a "brilliant idea"
17:40 Abraham we're not having a baby
17:41 God said we're going to have a baby.
17:43 So, I've got this lady here, her name's Hagar,
17:46 she helps around the house
17:48 you know, she dust the tent for me,
17:51 and takes care of things why don't you lay with her?
17:54 and then the baby that she has
17:57 will be mine and that will be the fulfillment
18:01 of God's promise. And of course Abraham
18:05 takes her up on the idea he gets together with
18:08 Hagar, Hagar has the baby and that is supposedly
18:12 in Abraham's thinking the heir that God
18:14 had promised. Now I have some bad news
18:16 for Abraham and he figured this out
18:17 God eventually comes in and he says
18:20 Ishmael is not the one, Sarah is going to have
18:24 a child. Now Paul tells us that these two children
18:30 Isaac and Ishmael and the way that they were born, one
18:35 born through trusting in God's
18:37 remarkable promise and the other through taking
18:40 matters into you own hands, the flesh
18:42 these two children are illustrations
18:46 of two different ways of relating to God, okay.
18:51 Look in verse 8, let's look at it again
18:52 these means it's not the children of the flesh
18:56 who are the children of God,
18:57 but the children of the promise
18:59 that are counted as offspring.
19:01 So now, notice the key issue
19:03 here, the issue is very simple
19:05 Abraham had Isaac through simple faith and trust
19:10 in God to do what God promised he would do,
19:13 God had Ishmael by trust in himself and doing
19:19 what God had said that God would do.
19:22 You see the difference yes or no,
19:23 one is trusting to the flesh
19:25 what I can do, the other is trusting the
19:28 God's promise what he has said
19:30 he would do and what Paul is saying here
19:33 is simply this, if all it takes to be a
19:36 descendant of Abraham is to be a physical
19:40 descendant then Ishmael has as much claim
19:43 to it as Isaac, but that's not what it takes
19:48 the reason that God accepted
19:50 Isaac and didn't accept Ishmael
19:51 was because Isaac was born on the basis of promise
19:56 and Ishmael was born on the basis of flesh
19:59 are we all on the same page, yes or no?
20:01 We are on the same page. So, it's not the flesh
20:04 that matters to God it's God promise
20:07 that matters. Okay, now verse 9 Paul
20:12 illustrates this the same again
20:14 for this is what the promise said
20:16 about this time next year I will return and Sarah
20:19 shall have a son. Now Paul illustrates
20:23 the point again and not only so, but also
20:27 when Rebekah had conceived children
20:30 by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they
20:34 were not yet born and had done nothing
20:39 either good or bad in order that God's
20:42 purpose of election might continue, not because
20:46 of works, but because of his call she was told the
20:49 older will serve the younger,
20:53 the older will serve the younger,
20:56 as it is written Jacob I've loved
20:57 but Esau have I hated. Now, I want you to think
21:01 about this, all throughout the Bible, all throughout
21:04 history there is this special place
21:07 for the first born son, there is this special place
21:10 for the first born son. So here's a woman
21:15 Rebekah, she is going to have a child
21:18 and God tells her before the children
21:22 are born, before either one of them
21:25 has done anything good or bad
21:26 God tells her that the younger is actually
21:31 going to rule over the older,
21:32 that the older is going to serve the younger.
21:36 Now what is God trying to communicate here,
21:40 what is God trying to communicate here,
21:45 God is saying that he is not bound,
21:49 are you listening? God is saying that
21:51 he is not bound by the requirements of the flesh.
21:56 The flesh dictates that the older is incharge
22:03 right, the first born son is at the head
22:05 but what God is saying in making Jacob
22:12 the younger above the Esau the older
22:16 what is God saying? God is saying
22:18 that I God am not bound by your fleshy rules.
22:25 Does this make sense yes or no?
22:27 So God says listen not everybody
22:31 who is an Israelite, not everybody who
22:33 is a Jew is really a Jew, it's not just because
22:38 you are a physical descendant of Abraham
22:40 if all the physical descendants of Abraham
22:43 are equal as far as God's promises are concerned
22:47 that would put Ishmael and the Ishmalites
22:52 on the same footing as the Jews,
22:53 but Paul says no, no no, no, no, the reason it was Isaac
22:57 not Ishmael is because Isaac was a product of
23:00 faith and promise, where Ishmael was
23:03 a product of works and flesh.
23:07 The reason that it was Jacob not Esau
23:12 is because God was trying to demonstrate that God
23:14 isn't bound by fleshly order, generally it's the older
23:19 that's in charge of the younger, not the younger
23:21 incharge of the older, but God says
23:24 I am the boss, I can turn the flesh
23:28 upside down, because of my awesome grace.
23:31 Now what has God said essentially? God has said
23:40 in these simple verses here, we're asking the
23:42 Question, who is modern day Israel?
23:44 who is modern day Israel?
23:46 And what has God said so far,
23:49 God has said I, that being an Israelite
23:54 is not based on physical descendant, being an
23:58 Israelite is based on God's promise,
24:02 it's not based on God's promise, it's not based on
24:08 your flesh, your human descent, that's what God
24:10 has said, No. 1, that's what God has said, No. 1
24:12 and God has said No. 2 is that God is free
24:15 to turn things upside down
24:18 like in the example of Jacob and Esau.
24:22 Now, people find troubling that the
24:25 Bible says Jacob I've loved but Esau have I hated.
24:29 People find that very troubling
24:32 and I suppose that is troubling, because
24:34 we know the Bible also says for God so loved
24:36 the world. So how does the Bible say that God
24:39 love the world in one breath
24:41 and then it says that he hates Esau
24:45 and another before Esau ever did anything
24:46 right or wrong. How can the Bible say
24:49 that? Have you ever wondered that?
24:51 The answer is actually quite easy
24:53 the word hate in the Bible doesn't always
24:56 that kind of a mean spiritedness about it.
25:02 As it does in the English language.
25:05 Jesus one time in the Book of Matthew said
25:08 that if you love father, mother, sister, brother
25:11 more than me you cannot be his disciple.
25:14 Luke in recording the same incident says.
25:17 He who does not hate father, brother, sister,
25:19 mother cannot be my disciple.
25:22 So Luke says if you don't hate your parents and
25:24 your family, you can't be a disciple.
25:26 Matthew says, quoting Jesus, that if you
25:29 do not prefer Jesus more then them.
25:33 You understand, yes or no? So here you put those
25:36 two things together, the text from Matthew
25:38 and the text from Luke. And what do you come up with?
25:40 You come up with a better understanding of the word
25:43 hate as it's used in the Bible.
25:45 Hate does not mean 'I hate you,
25:49 you know I can't stand you.' No, hate comes across
25:52 in a biblical worldview as preferring
25:56 one above another. You follow that yes or no?
25:59 And here we see that God preferred is Jacob
26:03 over Esau not because one was good and one was bad,
26:07 but God preferred Jacob over Esau because it was
26:09 God's prerogative to do that.
26:12 You understand, yes or no? It's an expression of
26:14 God's freedom. And see the Jews
26:18 in Paul's day were trying to say God is bound to keep
26:22 his promise to us. And Paul is saying
26:25 God is free to do whatever he wants.
26:29 Number one and number two God hasn't made promises
26:33 to the physical descendants, he has made promises
26:36 on the basis of promise not on the basis of flesh.
26:40 Everybody tracking here yes or no?
26:42 So being an Israelite is not so much about God's,
26:46 it's not so much about who your grandfather is
26:49 or your great grandfather. It's about God's promise.
26:54 And it's not so much about whether God is obligated
26:58 to you, it's more what has God said.
27:02 Because he is free to do whatever he wants.
27:05 And whatever he wants he makes it clear.
27:08 Now verse 14, again and I will be perfectly
27:13 honest with you, as we look at these versus.
27:15 I want you to understand something.
27:17 These versus are not easy to understand.
27:20 Alright. So stick with me and we'll
27:23 get through it, I think it will make good sense.
27:27 Romans chapter 9, verse 14 What shall we say then?
27:33 Is there injustice on God's part.
27:37 Paul's answer, by no means or God forbid.
27:41 Okay, now when Paul says essentially that God choose
27:45 Jacob the younger over Esau the older
27:49 the question then is well that sure wasn't a
27:51 very nice thing to do, the oldest is entitled to it.
27:54 And is this an injustice on God's part and
27:56 Paul says get over it. Of course it's not an
28:00 injustice on God's part. Why is it not an injustice
28:03 on God's part, verse 15. For he says to Moses,
28:08 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
28:10 and I will have compassion on whom
28:12 I will have compassion. So then it does not,
28:17 depend on human will or exertion
28:20 but on God who has mercy. Now I have to stop
28:23 right here, what Paul is saying is this.
28:25 No, there is no injustice when God chooses the
28:27 younger to be ruler over the older.
28:30 There is no injustice there because God
28:31 can do whatever he wants. God can have mercy
28:34 on whoever he wants. God can have compassion
28:37 on whoever he wants. And right here is where
28:40 many people make a nose dive in their theology.
28:44 Many people make a tremendous
28:46 theological mistake right here and they have
28:49 invented a purely human theology and that
28:54 human theology says the God has chosen
28:57 some people to be save. And God has chosen
29:00 other people to be damned. And the reason they say is,
29:03 well the Bible says God can have mercy on whoever
29:05 he wants to have mercy. He can have compassion
29:08 on whoever he wants to have compassion.
29:10 So God says I will have compassion on you
29:12 and I won't have compassion on you.
29:13 I'll bring you to heaven and I'll send you to hell.
29:16 What a ghastly doctrine. And what a misinterpretation
29:20 of what Paul has said. What has Paul said?
29:25 Paul has simply said God can have mercy on
29:28 whoever he wants. He can have compassion
29:31 on whoever he wants. Paul has not yet
29:35 told us in chapter 9 who God wants
29:37 to have mercy on. He has not yet told us
29:42 who God wants to have compassion on.
29:45 Okay, follow, God can have mercy on whoever
29:49 he wants the Bible says. God can
29:51 have compassion on whomever he wants.
29:54 But Paul has not yet said in Romans 9 who that is?
29:58 Although throughout the rest of the Book of Romans
30:00 Paul has made it clear. God wants to have
30:01 mercy and compassion
30:03 on anybody and everybody
30:04 who has faith. Now, again we are driving
30:10 at the question, who is Israel?
30:14 Today, in our modern day who is Israel?
30:16 And Paul has made it very clear.
30:18 That you are not a Jew. You are not an Israelite.
30:21 Because of your physical descent.
30:24 You are an Israelite. A person is an Israelite
30:26 because of God's promise. It's not because of your
30:30 physical descent and then he makes the argument
30:34 pretty clear that God can do whatever he wants.
30:37 God is not bound by your physical descent.
30:40 God isn't going to save you. God isn't gonna treat you
30:43 kindly just because of your parentage.
30:45 Because of your heritage. God can do
30:48 whatever he wants. Now, before we go
30:52 any further I would like to introduce you to
30:54 an important word, it's called Non-Sequitur.
30:56 Okay, a Non-Sequitur is Latin for
31:01 it does not follow. It does not follow, Okay.
31:04 And what is that mean? Well, it means just this,
31:07 if I say 2+2 is 5 that's a Non-Sequitur, okay.
31:12 Because that doesn't follow, 5 does not
31:14 follow 2+2, 2+2 is 4. So if I say 2+2 equals 5
31:21 the conclusion is inconsistent with
31:25 the line of argumentation. You follow that, yes or no?
31:28 The conclusion is inconsistent with
31:30 a line of argumentation. So, what is Paul's
31:34 conclusion? Okay, we have seen the beginning
31:36 of his argument. The beginning of his
31:37 argument is this. You are not a Jew,
31:40 just because you're a physical descent.
31:41 Descendant of Abraham. You are not a Jew,
31:44 just because Jacob is your great, great, great grandad.
31:49 You are a Jew, if you are a Jew on the basis of
31:52 God's promise. If you are a Jew
31:55 because God has chosen to have
31:57 compassion on you. Now notice the end of
31:59 the chapter gives us the conclusion who it is
32:03 that God wants to have compassion on?
32:05 Look in verse 30, look in verse 30.
32:09 What shall we say then the Gentiles,
32:11 who did not pursue righteousness have
32:14 attained it, that is the righteousness
32:18 that is by faith; Israel, who pursued a law
32:21 that would lead the righteousness,
32:23 did not succeed at reaching the law
32:25 why because they did not pursue it by faith,
32:28 but as it were based on works.
32:31 They have stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
32:34 Notice the conclusion of Paul's argument.
32:36 You know it's the conclusion in verse 30,
32:38 because he says what shall we say then?
32:41 Those are concluding words. When I say what shall we
32:43 say then, you know I am summing up my argument.
32:47 So Paul he goes through Romans 9 and his
32:49 conclusion is, well he says what shall we say then.
32:53 In conclusion lets look at the facts.
32:55 And what does Paul say? Paul says, that Gentiles
33:00 who are not trying to be righteous,
33:03 got to be righteous because of faith.
33:06 But Jews who were trying to be righteous
33:09 because of the law did not get righteousness.
33:14 We follow Paul's conclusion, Paul's conclusion is
33:16 very simple, Paul's conclusion is is this.
33:20 Jews who try to be righteous aren't righteous,
33:27 but Gentiles who trust in God by faith
33:31 are righteous. In fact, if you look in
33:35 Romans chapter 10. The Romans chapter 10
33:37 makes it clear that all who call on the
33:40 name of the Lord will be saved.
33:44 Romans chapter 10, verse 13 everyone who calls
33:47 on the name of the Lord will be saved.
33:50 That's what Romans 10:13 says and the key point
33:52 then is then simply this, the question is not
33:56 when Paul says in Romans 9 that he will mercy
34:01 on whom he will have mercy. He will have compassion
34:03 on whom he will have compassion.
34:05 He can do, God is saying I can have mercy
34:07 on whoever I wanna have mercy, but Paul
34:10 didn't tell us who he wants to have mercy on till
34:13 the end of the chapter. And at the end of the chapter
34:15 he tells us that God wants to have mercy on
34:19 anybody that has faith.
34:22 You follow the argument, yes or no?
34:24 So, now the question then goes back to who's an Israelite?
34:29 If you're not an Israelite just because your grandfather
34:31 was Israel, if you not an Israelite just because
34:35 your grandfather was Abraham, if you are in Israelite
34:38 because you have part taken of God's promise
34:40 then who is the true Israel?
34:44 And who is it that God says is true Israel
34:47 those he wants to have mercy on, it is those
34:50 who have faith. In fact if you look,
34:55 this is the Testimony of the New Testament.
34:57 Look in Romans chapter 2, look in Romans chapter 2,
35:02 we'll look in verse 26, so if a man who is
35:10 uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law
35:13 will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
35:18 Then he who is physically uncircumcised, but keeps
35:22 the law will condemn you who have the written code
35:27 and circumcision, but break the law.
35:30 Notice verse 28, now listen very carefully,
35:33 for no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly.
35:39 No is circumcision outward and physical,
35:43 but a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a
35:48 matter of the heart by the Spirit, not the letter
35:53 his praise is not for man, but from God.
35:58 Did you hear what Paul said there,
35:59 again let me read it, it's for no one.
36:04 Now, notice Paul's words. No one is a Jew who is
36:08 merely one outwardly. You're not a Jew if you're
36:11 just a Jew by physical descent.
36:14 You're not a Jew just because you've been circumcised?
36:16 That's what Paul says. He says a Jew is someone
36:22 that's a Jew inwardly. He says circumcision
36:31 it's not just a matter of what you
36:33 do with some skin. Circumcision is a matter
36:37 of the heart. And that circumcision
36:40 takes place by the Spirit. It's not by the letter.
36:45 And then it's interesting it says his praise is not
36:48 for man, but from God. The word praise,
36:50 the word Jew, Judah is the Hebrew word for praise.
36:57 It's very interesting, so, so, so, Judah, Jew is the
37:03 Hebrew word for praise and here the text says
37:06 That a Jew is not one outwardly,
37:09 a Jew is not, circumcision is not a matter of the
37:13 outside it's a matter of the heart.
37:15 And then he says his praise, his Jewishness is not
37:21 for man, but from God. Did you get that,
37:24 his Jewishness is not for man, but from God.
37:28 You see my friends if you are, if a person is a
37:32 physical descendant from Abraham,
37:35 he is a Jew outwardly. His Jewishness comes
37:39 from man, his praise, his Jewishness comes from man.
37:44 But if a person is a believer, who has been
37:48 circumcised by faith, by the Spirit.
37:51 His praise, his Jewishness doesn't come from man.
37:55 It doesn't come from who his grandfather is.
37:58 It comes from God. So who's a Jew?
38:04 Well, Paul says it right here, Paul says it in the clearest,
38:07 plainest language. You are a Jew,
38:10 if you are a Jew inwardly if God's spirit has come
38:15 into your life and circumcised your heart,
38:17 it's change the person that you are.
38:24 That's who the true Jew. If your Jewishness
38:25 comes from man that's, that's one thing,
38:27 that's just a physical Jew, but for Paul
38:29 a true Jew, his Jewishness, his praise comes from God.
38:35 In fact, if we look in Galatians chapter 3.
38:38 Galatians chapter 3, verse 26, notice what
38:43 Paul says, for in Christ Jesus
38:47 you are all sons of God through faith.
38:52 Now you remember in the Book of Ezekiel
38:55 the Bible refer, pardon me the Book of Exodus
38:58 the Bible refers to Israel as God's first born son
39:01 and here Paul says then if you're in Christ,
39:03 you are God's son. You have the same
39:07 designation as ancient Israel and then he says.
39:11 He says for as many of you were baptized into
39:15 Christ to put on Christ, verse 28 there is neither
39:18 Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
39:20 there is neither male nor female,
39:22 you are all one in Christ. Verse 29 and if you are
39:26 Christ's then you are Abraham's children.
39:31 Heirs according to the promise.
39:33 Notice what Galatians chapter 3 says, that if
39:36 are Christ then you are a descendant from Abraham.
39:40 Did you catch that? Remember it is not the
39:43 physical descendants of Abraham that matter.
39:46 It's the spiritual descendants of Abraham
39:48 based on God's promise and if you are Christ's,
39:52 Paul's says then you are Abraham's descendant
39:55 you are true Jew, you are an Israelite indeed.
40:00 There is neither Jew nor Greek,
40:02 Paul says, there is neither slave nor free,
40:05 there is neither male nor female,
40:07 you are all one, you are all one in
40:11 Christ Jesus. If you are Christ's
40:15 then you are Abraham's children, heirs according
40:20 to the promise. Who is a Jew,
40:22 who is Israel, who are the true Israelites in this
40:25 day and age. The true Israelites
40:27 are every single true believer in the Lord
40:31 Jesus Christ, you are the true Jew if you are a
40:35 follower Jesus Christ. There is neither
40:37 male nor female, there is neither
40:39 slave nor free, you are all sons of God through faith
40:43 and if you are in Christ, you are one in him and
40:47 you are Abraham's children, in fact Paul says it
40:51 slightly different in Galatians chapter 6
40:56 verse 16, it says in verse 15 and 16, for neither
41:01 circumcision counts for anything or uncircumcision
41:08 but a new creation, Paul says it doesn't
41:09 matter if you are a physical Jew,
41:10 or a physical Gentile, if you are circumcised
41:13 or uncircumcised. What matters is if
41:15 you are a new creation and then he says as for
41:18 all who walk by this rule, in another words everybody
41:21 who understands that being physically circumcised
41:24 doesn't make you a Jew, being, physically uncircumcised
41:27 doesn't make you far from God. Everybody that
41:29 understands the new creation is what
41:31 really matters, he says as for all who walk by
41:35 this rule, peace and mercy be on them and then the word
41:40 is and there and upon the Israel of God.
41:43 And interestingly enough, I don't want to get
41:45 too far in to the Greek here, but the word
41:47 Kai there, Kai is the word that's translated end,
41:50 it's used epexegetically and really the translation
41:53 should be namely, okay so everybody who
41:56 understands that it's a new creation that
41:58 matters, okay. The Bible says
42:01 peace and mercy upon them. That is upon the
42:04 Israel of God. The Israel of God is every
42:08 single person who believes that what matters
42:12 is being a new creation in Christ.
42:14 The Israel of God is every person that is in
42:17 Christ, every person that is a believer
42:21 in Christ, is in Christ and is a descendant
42:24 of Abraham. That's what Paul says
42:26 in Romans 9, lets go back there to Romans 9.
42:30 Paul has made it clear, in Romans 9 in verse 6
42:36 It is not as though God's word had failed.
42:39 Not all who are descended from Israel
42:41 belong to Israel. Not everybody that's a
42:43 physical descendant of Israel's is an Israelite.
42:46 Not all the children of Abraham, not are all children
42:49 of Abraham because they are his offspring. It's through
42:52 Isaac that your children are named. Again,
42:55 Abraham had two children Isaac and Ishmael.
42:58 It's not just through, it's just through
43:00 Isaac, Ishmael doesn't count, so we know it's not
43:03 just the physical descendants and the difference between
43:06 Isaac and Ishmael was that according to verse 8
43:09 this means it is not the children of the
43:10 flesh that are children of God.
43:12 But it's the children of the promise.
43:14 So, my friends, you can be an Israelite today,
43:18 I can be an Israelite today.
43:19 How? By tracing my genealogy back to
43:23 Abraham, absolutely not. I can be an Israelite
43:26 today, by tracing my genealogy back to
43:29 faith in Jesus Christ. When I put my faith in Jesus,
43:33 the Bible says according to Galatians 3
43:35 that I am in Christ and then I am a descendant
43:38 of Abraham. I am an heir according
43:40 to the promise, you see Romans chapter 9,
43:45 verse 9 again this is what the promise said,
43:47 about this time next year I will return and Sarah
43:49 will have a son. And not only so, but
43:52 also when Rebekah conceived children by
43:54 one man, our father Isaac. Through though they were
43:58 not yet born. And had done nothing
44:00 either good or bad. In order that God's
44:02 purpose of election might continue.
44:04 Not because of works but because of his call.
44:06 She was told, "The older will serve the younger."
44:08 As it is written Jacob I have loved and Esau
44:11 have I hated. Again, it's about on the basis
44:13 of God's promise. God promised that
44:15 Isaac would come not on the basis of the flesh.
44:18 What Abraham did to make an heir
44:22 with Hagar and it's on the basis of God's call
44:26 that is God can flip the flesh upside down.
44:31 The flesh is the older will be incharge
44:32 to the younger and God says the younger will be
44:33 incharge of the older. So then again back to
44:38 Romans 9 and lets unpack the rest of these
44:40 difficult text, what shall we say then, is there
44:43 injustice on God's part. Will you say God unjust
44:46 if he says it's by the promise,
44:48 not by the flesh, is God unjust if he says
44:51 that it's gonna, he is gonna flip the flesh upside down and
44:54 that the youngest is going to be incharge of the older.
44:56 Is God unjust? No, God isn't unjust
45:00 because God can do whatever he wants to do.
45:02 And what does God want to do. He wants to have mercy
45:04 on who he wants to have mercy, he wants to have
45:06 compassion on whom he wants to have compassion.
45:09 Verse 16, so that it depends not on
45:12 human will or exertion. But on God, who has mercy
45:16 and again my friends we learn who is it that
45:19 God wants to have mercy on. God wants to have mercy
45:21 on all who have faith. Jesus says that he will
45:27 not cast out any that come to him.
45:30 Notice, then we have verse 17, for the scripture
45:35 says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose
45:38 I have raised you up, that I might show
45:40 my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed
45:43 in all the earth. So, he has mercy on whomever
45:46 he wills and he hardens whomever he wills.
45:52 Now that has always puzzled people.
45:54 That has always puzzled people.
45:56 When the Bible says that he has mercy on whomever
45:58 he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
46:01 Now, let me give a very classic illustration
46:04 of this, if you're a
46:12 non-believer and it's Saturday morning and somebody knocks
46:14 on your door and there there, cheery offering you
46:21 Jesus Christ, offering you Bible studies, offering you
46:23 the way of salvation and you of a sudden
46:27 respond negativity and you, now get out of here.
46:30 I don't want you round here, okay.
46:33 And the next day, the next week, next Saturday
46:37 morning the same cheery guy knocks on
46:39 your door, and he is there with a Bible study.
46:46 Ready to talk to you and you say get out of here
46:48 I don't want to talk to you and you come back
46:51 the next week, do you think the guy is getting
46:56 generally softer or harder, generally getting harder.
47:03 Now, what you to understand something my friends.
47:05 God has mercy on whoever has faith, but whoever
47:10 refuses his mercy, okay God extends mercy,
47:14 God tells people and he sends the message of
47:16 salvation to people and if they hear it and they
47:19 don't believe, every time God sends that message
47:22 they are getting harder and harder and harder, it's
47:26 just like if you put out clay in the sun and you put a
47:28 candle in the sun. The candle will melt
47:31 and the clay will harden. So, when God sends
47:34 his message of love and mercy to this world.
47:37 On some people it will melt them and some people
47:40 it will harden them, but it is up to the individual
47:44 how they will respond to the message of God.
47:49 My friends God's message is very simple,
47:53 God's message here is very simple, who is Israel?
47:56 Who is Israel? Israel is not necessarily
48:01 the physical descendants of Abraham.
48:04 Israel is everyone who is God's people on the
48:08 basis of God's promise. You are not a Jew
48:13 because you one outwardly. You are not a Jew because
48:16 you have been circumcised. You are a Jew because
48:18 the Spirit of God has circumcised your heart.
48:21 You are a Jew because you get your Jewishness,
48:23 your praise from God not from man.
48:26 You are a Jew because you put your faith in
48:27 Jesus Christ. You are a descendant
48:30 and child of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ.
48:34 You are on the basis of God's promise, not on
48:37 the basis of the flesh and that's why
48:39 Paul says that the Gentiles, the Gentiles
48:44 who were not, well I'll read it to you; it says that the
48:47 Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have
48:51 attained it, that is the righteousness
48:53 that is by faith. You see you got the
48:55 Gentiles, they are not seeking to be
48:58 righteous by the law. They are not seeking
49:00 to be righteous by the law, but they find faith
49:03 in Christ and the Bible says that they find it.
49:09 In Israel they pursued the law that would
49:12 lead to righteousness, but they did not succeed
49:15 at reaching the law, because God's plan is not to show
49:18 mercy on people by law. God's plan is to show
49:20 mercy on people by faith. God's plan is not to make
49:24 you a Jew by the flesh. God's plan is to make you
49:26 a Jew by his promise through faith.
49:28 God's plan is not to show mercy on you, on the basis
49:31 of what you have done, but on the basis of what
49:33 Christ has done. The Israel who pursued
49:36 a law that would lead to righteousness did not
49:38 succeed in reaching that law, verse 32,
49:41 why, because they did not pursued it not faith
49:44 but as it were based on works.
49:47 They have stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
49:49 As it is written, behold I'm laying in Zion
49:52 a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense and
49:55 whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.
49:57 That's Paul's conclusion my friend, that how you relate
50:00 to Jesus determines whether you get mercy. How you
50:03 relate to Jesus by faith or rejection determines,
50:07 whether or not you will receive God's mercy,
50:09 whether you're an Israelite and whether
50:11 God's promises apply to you. What is this here in the
50:16 end of the chapter were it says that
50:18 Israel pursued by works, not by faith and then
50:22 they stumbled at the stumbling stone.
50:24 And the stumbling stone is Jesus.
50:31 Imagine my friends, there is the young man.
50:35 He gets hired on by a company
50:36 as a mail boy and he faithfully delivers mail
50:41 faithfully delivers mail and then he begins
50:44 to work his way up the company.
50:46 No college, no anything, he is just a
50:48 mail boy and he is working his way, working his way
50:51 working his way up the company and all of a
50:54 sudden after many years of hard work and
50:56 labor, 20 years. He is the Executive
51:00 Vice President. And the President is
51:07 about to retire and place him at the helm.
51:14 And he is thinking back of all his life of
51:17 hard work and hard toil and his faithfulness
51:20 there on the job that has got him to the pinnacle
51:23 of success. Well, about the time
51:28 the President is gonna retire.
51:30 The President's daughter has graduated from college.
51:36 And she has married a young fellow,
51:41 that just graduated from Harvard with his
51:44 M.B.A. Masters in Business Administration.
51:52 And the President of the company decides
51:57 to pass over this man that has worked and toiled
51:59 his way to get to the top. The man has always
52:04 thought he is gonna to be the President someday.
52:06 He is gonna to be the President someday,
52:07 the President told him that he was gonna make
52:09 him President someday and all of a sudden the time
52:12 comes for him to become President and the
52:14 President the actual President takes this
52:17 young whipper snapper that married his daughter
52:20 and makes him the President of the company.
52:26 Can you imagine? Can you imagine the consternation?
52:31 Can you imagine how that would have just
52:34 plunged that hard working Vice President
52:39 into despair? I worked all my life
52:43 and then this young whipper snapper, this
52:45 young punk just walks right into that position
52:48 I was supposed to have. How is it that this happened?
52:55 My friends that is a little bit about what
52:58 happened with the Jews. The Jews think they are
53:01 the people of the God and they are working,
53:03 working, working, working to be accepted by God
53:07 working, working, working, to receive God's promises.
53:10 Working, working, working, to be at the pinnacle
53:13 where they will be acceptable by God and then
53:16 God sends Jesus in. And God says that there is
53:21 no salvation in any other name, give it among men
53:24 where about we must be saved, except for Jesus.
53:28 And they're saying wait a minute,
53:29 wait a minute, wait a minute,
53:30 we've toiled, we worked, we've labored.
53:32 We are trying to do it. And God says no,
53:35 there is only way to do it and that is faith in Jesus
53:37 God says I have mercy on whoever I want to have
53:40 mercy, I harden whoever I want to harden.
53:42 God says, I can do whatever I want.
53:44 I want to have mercy on people on the basis of
53:48 faith in Jesus Christ. I want to make people
53:51 Israelites on the basis of my promise to have mercy
53:54 on whoever believes. Not on the basis of who
53:57 your grandfather was? Not on the basis of
54:00 how you did in life, but on the basis of my
54:02 mercy and my promise of the coming Christ.
54:08 And so Paul says that those Gentiles who worked
54:12 their whole life's doing there own thing,
54:16 but came to faith in Christ, they are Israelites.
54:20 They are sons of God. They have taken the spot.
54:26 That physical Israel, natural Israel was in.
54:31 My friends this is the great, glorious
54:32 promise to all of us. If you are a Jew
54:35 God's promise is that you can become a true Jew.
54:38 And if you are a Gentile God's promise to you
54:40 is that you can become a Jew.
54:42 Because the Bible says in Romans 10 as a conclusion
54:45 to Romans 9 that if you confess with your mouth,
54:48 that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart
54:50 that God raised him from the dead,
54:51 you will be saved. With the heart one
54:56 believes that he is justified, with the mouth
54:57 when confess and saved. For the Scripture says,
55:00 everyone who believe in him, will not be
55:02 put to shame for there is no distension
55:04 between the Jew and Greek, the same Lord is Lord
55:07 of all bestowing his riches on all who call on him,
55:11 for everyone who calls on the name of the
55:13 Lord will be saved. Awesome, glorious truth
55:19 God isn't, God does not have one club here,
55:21 one club there. God says all who put their
55:23 faith in me, they are true Jews, all who put their
55:26 faith in me they will be saved.
55:28 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
55:31 you believe in your heart that God raised him
55:33 from the dead. You will be saved.
55:36 My friends, you put your faith in Christ,
55:39 you put your faith in Christ and as Paul
55:41 says in Galatians, chapter 3 if you are Christ's.
55:46 Then you are Abraham's descendant.
55:49 Heirs according to the promise.
55:50 If you are Christ, you are Abraham's child
55:53 a true Jew, a true Israelite.
55:56 If you are Christ and if you're a new creation,
55:59 then you are the Israel of God. Galatians 5:16
56:03 I was quoting Galatians 3:29 a moment ago
56:06 my friend today, what are you?
56:11 Have you accepted God's promise of righteousness
56:13 by faith? Have you trusted in God's promise,
56:16 that if you believe in Christ,
56:18 He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
56:22 Have you received Jesus? Have you confessed
56:25 with your mouth that Jesus is Lord?
56:27 Have you believed in your heart that God
56:29 raised him from the dead? If so good, if not
56:34 pray with me just now. Father in heaven,
56:37 right now I confess with my mouth that Jesus is
56:40 Lord and I believe with my heart that you
56:42 raised him from the dead. And Lord I know they
56:44 are others listening right now, about doing the same.
56:46 You promise that if we do this, we will be saved
56:49 that we wont be put to shame.
56:51 And that all who're calling your name will be safe.
56:53 Keep your promise Lord and we thank you
56:56 in Jesus name. Amen! My friends if you have
57:01 heard this message, if you have heard this message
57:04 then if you are a true believer in Jesus.
57:07 You will be saved. You will be a
57:09 true Israelite. I am pleading with you
57:12 to believe it, trust it and then live it.


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Revised 2014-12-17