Participants: Nathan Renner
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000784
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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. |
Revised 2014-12-17