Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
live from Plantation, Florida.
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God Never Gives Up,
with Alex Schlussler.
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Well welcome, we
are with you live.
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And we have a beautiful
congregation here today.
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- Don't we, C.A. - Indeed we do.
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I'm C.A. Murray,
this is Jim Gilley.
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We are in the Plantation
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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And this is a beautiful church.
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And the building
ain't bad either.
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No, it really isn't.
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What a congregation.
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And they've been
singing and praising God here.
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This is the second service.
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The first service was
full, second service is full.
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And we know that God
is doing a great work
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right here in
Plantation, Florida.
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The pastor told me that the
church has grown exponentially,
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dare I say, in the
past several years.
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And this is a good looking
group of Seventh-day Adventists,
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and guests, and friends.
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And we've had a wonderful
time these past several evenings
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in our Anchors Of Truth.
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We have, we've
been so warmly received.
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And the messages
have been so clear.
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We're getting a lot of
response from around the world
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with people saying,
"Wow, I never looked at it
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that way before."
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And they're finding out a
whole different way to look
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at how God, through His
people, transferred to a remnant
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of His people, who
were those at Pentecost.
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They were still His
Jewish, His chosen people.
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They didn't go off and
grab somebody somewhere else.
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These were all Jewish people.
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The remnant; that
which was left over.
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Not the
official, but the remnant.
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And they went
forward and covered
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the whole world
with the message.
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You know, Jim, I think we found
during these past several days
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that God didn't
cut the tree down.
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He grafted in others.
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And that has been
made so very, very plain.
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When we put this
Anchors together, you remember,
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at ASI back in
October, we knew God was
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doing something special.
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But these messages
have been fabulous.
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They've given us a
new perspective on the
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Christian work, the
Jewish work, and how the two are
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inextricably
intertwined, dare I say,
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and you can't separate the two.
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One grows out of the other.
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And when we see
Seventh-day Adventists, we see
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that completed Messiah.
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We see the Messiah completed.
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We see Sabbath
keeping Christians who
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believe in the second coming
and who follow God's Bible
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from Genesis to Revelation.
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And we feel that Seventh-day
Adventists, we are the
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completed Jew.
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Because we have the Messiah;
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Jesus Christ our Lord,
our God, and our Savior.
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Amen to that?
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Amen, alright.
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And we need to
tell the church today,
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we like your pastor.
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- Yes we do. - We really do.
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And we hope you
like your pastor.
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But we really do.
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He's been so gracious
to invite us to his church.
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He's been warm,
he's a good preacher,
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he's a singer; what a show off.
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He preaches, he
sings, he does it all.
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And we like your pastor's wife.
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She is a wonderful
person, and a real Christian.
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And we've enjoyed, she's
made us feel very welcome here.
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Amen, amen, amen.
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Well listen, we are
going to have some good music
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in a moment, and then
Pastor Alex is going to preach
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his message; God Never Gives Up.
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And we're
looking forward to that.
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Why don't you lead
us in pray, would you.
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Shall we bow
our heads in prayer.
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Gracious Father, we just bask
in the sunshine of Your love.
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We thank You, Lord, for
the call that brought us
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from darkness to
light, from error to truth,
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from the broad
way to the narrow way
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that leads us safely home.
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We ask again that you
will be the honored Guest,
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that You will bless
the speaker of the morning.
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He who has been used
in times past, use him
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again this day, Lord.
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Not just to preach a
word, but to preach the Word;
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to give us the
truth, the whole truth,
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and nothing but the
truth, as it is in Christ Jesus.
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And we promise You,
Lord, we will listen,
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we will hear, we will
obey, and we will follow
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if You will just lead.
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So bless Pastor Alex, bless
the Praise Team that shall sing.
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Be our honored Guest
and give us Your blessing.
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We thank You,
Lord, and we praise You.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Our Plantation Praise
Team is going to sing for us,
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Wonderful, Merciful Savior.
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And then after that, the
next voice that you will hear
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will be the voice of
Pastor Alex Schlussler.
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And he will be speaking on
the subject, God Never Gives Up.
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Wonderful, merciful Savior;
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precious Redeemer and Friend.
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Who would have
thought that a Lamb could
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rescue the souls of men.
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Oh, You rescue the souls of men.
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Counselor, Comforter, Keeper;
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Spirit we long to embrace.
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You offer hope
when our hearts have
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hopelessly lost our way.
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Oh, we hopelessly lost our way.
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You are the One that we praise;
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You are the One we adore.
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You give the
healing and grace our
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hearts always hunger for.
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Oh, our hearts
always hunger for.
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Almighty, infinite Father;
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faithfully loving Your own.
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Here in our weakness You find us
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falling before Your throne.
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Oh, we're falling
before Your throne.
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You are the One that we praise;
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You are the One we adore.
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You give the
healing and grace our
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hearts always hunger for.
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Oh, our hearts
always hunger for.
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You are the One that we praise;
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You are the One we adore.
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You give the
healing and grace our
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hearts always hunger for.
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Oh, our hearts
always hunger for.
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Thank you, worship team.
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Happy Sabbath, church.
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You look marvelous today.
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Once again, I want to say
just a heartfelt "thank you" to
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Jim, C.A., and
the whole 3ABN staff.
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You have just
been a joy to work with
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over these last several days.
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I'm going to hate to
see when you guys leave.
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I think this is
something we could get use to,
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reaching out to the
whole world every Sabbath.
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Amen?
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We're going to get
right into it this morning.
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So if you have your
Bibles, which I hope you do,
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please open them up
to Romans chapter 11
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and verse 11.
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Romans chapter 11 verse 11.
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You know, if you have your
iPad, your Smartphone, whatever,
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that works too, that
you can follow along.
00:10:00.52\00:10:05.43
You know, as you're
finding your place, Romans 11
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beginning at verse 11:1,
I had an interesting thought
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hit me this week.
00:10:10.81\00:10:11.99
You know, most of you
that come to the church on any
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regular basis, you know that
I'm a real fan of technology.
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I preach from
my iPad, and so on.
00:10:17.86\00:10:19.94
But this week, God
really started touching my heart
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about putting down my
iPad sometimes and just
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picking up a Bible.
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You know what I'm talking about?
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The actual book.
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Do you remember
what that looks like?
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God started
speaking to me about that.
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You know, I have a beautiful
reading chair in my office,
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and just to take time
in the morning and to not
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read the Bible on my iPad.
00:10:41.75\00:10:43.18
Not that there's
something wrong with that,
00:10:43.21\00:10:44.47
but something about
holding the Word of God
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in your hand in a book.
00:10:47.90\00:10:49.36
And you know, by the
way, should the Lord come back
00:10:49.39\00:10:53.50
in our time, you
know, there may be a time
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when it's kind of hard
to come by electricity.
00:10:55.66\00:10:57.88
And you know what
happens to these things
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when there's no electricity?
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They become a paper weight.
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Right? Amen.
00:11:03.71\00:11:05.22
Romans 11 beginning at verse 11.
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It's Paul speaking.
00:11:09.43\00:11:10.81
"So I ask, did they stumble
in order that they might fall?
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By no means.
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Rather through their
trespass salvation has come
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to the Gentiles, so as
to make Israel jealous.
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Now if their trespass
means riches for the world,
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and if their failure
means riches for the Gentiles,
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how much more will
their full inclusion mean."
00:11:33.85\00:11:39.05
Amen?
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He goes on in
verse 13, and he says,
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"Now I am
speaking to you Gentiles.
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Inasmuch then as I am
an apostle to the Gentiles,
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I magnify my ministry
in order somehow to make my
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fellow Jews jealous,
and thus save some of them.
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For if their rejection means
the reconciliation of the world,
00:12:02.22\00:12:07.01
what will their acceptance
mean but life from the dead?
00:12:07.21\00:12:13.02
If the dough offered
as firstfruits is holy,
00:12:13.12\00:12:16.56
so is the whole lump.
00:12:16.59\00:12:17.96
And if the root is
holy, so are the branches."
00:12:17.99\00:12:21.60
Verse 17, "But if some of
the branches were broken off,
00:12:21.63\00:12:26.02
and you, although a wild
olive shoot, were grafted in
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among the others and now
share in the nourishing root
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of the olive tree, do not be
arrogant toward the branches.
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If you are, remember it is
not you who support the root,
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but the root who supports you.
00:12:43.76\00:12:46.97
Then you will say,
'Branches were broken off
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so that I might be grafted in.'
00:12:51.14\00:12:53.63
That is true.
00:12:53.66\00:12:55.47
They were broken off
because of their unbelief,
00:12:55.50\00:12:58.19
but you stand
fast through faith.
00:12:58.22\00:13:00.73
So do not
become proud, but fear.
00:13:01.09\00:13:04.74
For if God did not
spare the natural branches,
00:13:04.77\00:13:07.92
neither will He spare you.
00:13:07.95\00:13:11.69
Note the kindness
and the severity of God:
00:13:12.22\00:13:14.89
severity toward
those who have fallen,
00:13:14.92\00:13:17.01
but God's kindness
to you, provided you
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continue in His kindness.
00:13:19.76\00:13:22.66
Otherwise you
too will be cut off."
00:13:22.69\00:13:26.73
Wow.
00:13:27.41\00:13:28.73
You know, Paul is writing to the
Romans here in this chapter 11.
00:13:28.98\00:13:33.92
And he's writing to a
congregation that consists
00:13:33.95\00:13:37.27
primarily of Gentile Christians.
00:13:37.30\00:13:40.50
There are Jewish Christians,
I'm sure, that are part
00:13:40.92\00:13:43.91
of this congregation.
00:13:43.94\00:13:45.08
But Paul is writing to a
church where Gentile Christians
00:13:45.11\00:13:48.74
happen to be the majority.
00:13:48.77\00:13:50.99
And he is teaching
them a correct understanding
00:13:51.22\00:13:54.70
of how God deals with
both Jews and Gentiles
00:13:54.73\00:13:59.76
in terms of their salvation.
00:13:59.79\00:14:02.25
So I want to look at
this passage now and bring up
00:14:03.47\00:14:07.39
several points that I
think help us to, not just
00:14:07.42\00:14:10.67
understand what Paul is
saying, but how do we take what
00:14:10.70\00:14:13.15
Paul is saying and apply it to
our life in these times as well.
00:14:13.18\00:14:17.14
Amen?
00:14:17.17\00:14:18.20
And by the way,
you can say amen.
00:14:18.23\00:14:20.26
Okay?
00:14:20.77\00:14:21.86
First, Paul teaches us
that God's plan of salvation
00:14:22.24\00:14:26.14
is gracious.
00:14:26.17\00:14:27.66
You should have got a
big amen about that, right?
00:14:28.26\00:14:31.07
Look what Paul does.
00:14:31.16\00:14:32.34
He begins by asking a
question here in verse 11
00:14:32.37\00:14:35.25
right at the beginning.
00:14:35.28\00:14:36.44
"So I ask, did they..."
00:14:36.47\00:14:38.37
The "they" is
Israel, the Jewish people.
00:14:38.40\00:14:40.53
"...did they stumble in
order that they might fall?"
00:14:40.56\00:14:43.73
And he answers, "By no means."
00:14:44.55\00:14:47.89
Now you may be expecting him
to say, "Well yes, of course.
00:14:48.46\00:14:53.01
Israel stumbled
over the stumbling stone.
00:14:53.04\00:14:56.02
They fell.
00:14:56.05\00:14:57.23
Yes, they did finally fall.
00:14:57.79\00:15:00.42
God is done with them."
00:15:00.64\00:15:02.37
Paul, his answer is
exactly the opposite
00:15:04.08\00:15:08.39
of what you may expect.
00:15:08.42\00:15:10.02
He says, "No, God
did it for that purpose.
00:15:10.05\00:15:15.07
And he isn't
finished with His people."
00:15:15.41\00:15:18.38
On the contrary, he continues,
Paul said that God's purpose
00:15:19.78\00:15:23.27
in sending His Son into
the world and being rejected
00:15:23.30\00:15:27.02
by His people, as well
as sending the apostles
00:15:27.05\00:15:29.80
into the world, was that
the gospel, though it was being
00:15:29.83\00:15:33.84
largely rejected
by the Jewish people,
00:15:33.87\00:15:36.21
would be able to bring
salvation to the nations.
00:15:36.24\00:15:40.24
To the Gentiles.
00:15:40.66\00:15:42.31
Amen?
00:15:42.89\00:15:43.92
But listen, church,
that's not where Paul stops.
00:15:44.12\00:15:48.31
Salvation has not
only come to the Gentiles,
00:15:48.51\00:15:52.24
it has also made Israel jealous.
00:15:52.27\00:15:55.85
See, Paul's point is this;
the conversion of the Gentiles
00:15:56.21\00:16:00.06
itself has a view to
the evangelism of the Jews.
00:16:00.09\00:16:05.50
Now you say, or at
least someone is going to say,
00:16:05.95\00:16:09.28
"You know,
that's all good, pastor.
00:16:09.69\00:16:11.65
And it's interesting.
00:16:12.13\00:16:13.70
But what in the
world does that have to do
00:16:14.15\00:16:16.64
with my day by
day walk with Jesus?"
00:16:16.67\00:16:20.33
Well the answer is this.
00:16:21.60\00:16:23.86
See, God uses the
severest of judgments
00:16:25.33\00:16:28.25
for the purpose of His grace.
00:16:28.45\00:16:31.12
When we see, for
instance, Christians martyred
00:16:31.37\00:16:34.16
in other lands, we
need to remember that God
00:16:34.19\00:16:37.00
uses the blood of the martyrs
for His own gracious purposes.
00:16:37.03\00:16:42.50
When we experience
hard times in our lives...
00:16:42.70\00:16:45.80
And we will. Amen?
00:16:45.83\00:16:47.52
...we need to remember
that God's gracious purposes
00:16:48.05\00:16:51.63
are always at work.
00:16:51.66\00:16:53.41
Even in the
hardest of circumstances.
00:16:53.83\00:16:57.35
You know, I know
that I have learned this,
00:16:59.70\00:17:02.98
because so many
times in my own life
00:17:03.18\00:17:06.05
God has brought me out of a
situation that seemed hopeless.
00:17:06.41\00:17:10.40
That I seemed utterly
lost in the midst of it.
00:17:10.94\00:17:13.87
And somehow, by His
grace and grace alone,
00:17:14.08\00:17:16.93
I was able to walk
through that situation.
00:17:17.23\00:17:20.07
Amen?
00:17:20.10\00:17:21.14
Next, Paul speaks that
the salvation of the Jews
00:17:21.51\00:17:26.01
is a blessing for
the Gentile believers.
00:17:26.04\00:17:29.38
Wow, did you
really say that, Paul?
00:17:29.41\00:17:31.95
See, Paul repeats
himself so as to be understood.
00:17:32.35\00:17:35.52
He says, both in
verse 12 and verse 15,
00:17:35.55\00:17:39.21
"Now if their trespass
means riches for the world,
00:17:39.24\00:17:42.67
and if their failure
means riches for the Gentiles,
00:17:42.70\00:17:46.57
how much more will
their full inclusion mean."
00:17:46.60\00:17:51.21
"For if their rejection means
the reconciliation of the world,
00:17:51.80\00:17:55.55
what will their
acceptance mean..."
00:17:55.58\00:17:57.91
And he puts it this way,
"...but life from death?"
00:17:57.94\00:18:02.02
See, Paul's argument is
that if it was a blessing
00:18:03.88\00:18:07.46
to the Gentiles that
Israel, by and large...
00:18:07.76\00:18:10.87
Now remember, we know that not
all of Israel, not all the Jews,
00:18:10.90\00:18:15.21
rejected Jesus.
00:18:15.24\00:18:16.40
Amen?
00:18:16.43\00:18:17.46
In fact, tens of thousands
of them came to know Jesus.
00:18:17.49\00:18:22.08
In fact, the early church as
we know it was nothing but Jews
00:18:22.11\00:18:26.97
in the beginning.
00:18:27.00\00:18:28.13
So when someone comes
along to you and says,
00:18:28.33\00:18:30.01
"Oh, the Jews rejected Jesus."
00:18:30.04\00:18:31.62
No, no, no, no, no.
00:18:31.65\00:18:32.68
Some did.
00:18:32.92\00:18:33.98
Just as some people of
all tribe, tongue, and nation
00:18:34.18\00:18:37.35
have rejected Jesus.
00:18:37.38\00:18:39.44
Paul is saying that
God, His works of grace
00:18:41.61\00:18:44.44
in the presence and
future are going to be greater
00:18:44.47\00:18:47.77
than His works of
grace in the past.
00:18:47.80\00:18:49.97
And I just want to
say hallelujah to that.
00:18:50.00\00:18:52.64
I want to see God's
grace greater every moment.
00:18:53.98\00:18:57.06
Amen?
00:18:57.09\00:18:58.12
You know, this is an important
lesson for you and I to learn.
00:18:59.10\00:19:02.01
We often have the
idea, or people will have the
00:19:02.04\00:19:04.80
tendency to say
that the greatest things
00:19:04.83\00:19:06.93
were done in the past.
00:19:06.96\00:19:08.56
"Those were the good ole days."
00:19:08.90\00:19:10.75
No, no, no, no.
00:19:10.78\00:19:11.81
These are the good days.
00:19:11.84\00:19:14.03
God's grace is
new every morning.
00:19:14.28\00:19:16.62
We don't have to look
back to what was and go,
00:19:16.65\00:19:19.05
"Wow, that was so good."
00:19:19.08\00:19:20.55
Amen?
00:19:21.45\00:19:22.48
We often have the idea that the
greatest things that were done,
00:19:23.75\00:19:27.23
they were done in the past.
00:19:27.26\00:19:28.61
And God's grace is going to
eclipse even the future glory
00:19:28.64\00:19:34.45
as it gets better and better and
better till the return of Jesus.
00:19:34.65\00:19:40.05
Especially for those who
trust and believe in Jesus.
00:19:40.39\00:19:43.15
His grace is just going to
continue to pour out upon us.
00:19:43.18\00:19:47.42
Amen?
00:19:47.52\00:19:48.55
The apostle
Paul, he's saying this;
00:19:49.06\00:19:50.95
God's work of grace in
the future is going to eclipse
00:19:50.98\00:19:54.82
what he has done in the past.
00:19:54.85\00:19:58.06
I like that.
00:19:58.36\00:19:59.46
Thank you for that, Paul.
00:19:59.49\00:20:01.14
Now, there's many practical
applications to this passage.
00:20:02.28\00:20:05.74
But one of them is clearly
that this passage ought to move
00:20:05.77\00:20:09.67
you and I,
Christians, to a practical love
00:20:09.70\00:20:13.51
for Jewish people.
00:20:13.54\00:20:14.84
Come on now.
00:20:16.83\00:20:17.97
Even as we ought to love
all people for their salvation.
00:20:19.16\00:20:22.92
This passage doesn't
teach us that we have to take,
00:20:24.35\00:20:27.28
now listen, it doesn't
teach us that we have to take a
00:20:27.31\00:20:29.86
particular stance
with regard to the modern
00:20:29.89\00:20:32.94
nation state of Israel.
00:20:32.97\00:20:34.59
I'm not talking about politics.
00:20:35.15\00:20:37.02
I'm talking about people.
00:20:37.05\00:20:38.50
It certainly says that
we must have in our heart
00:20:38.53\00:20:41.91
a longing to see the salvation
of God come to the Jews.
00:20:41.94\00:20:47.57
And other people groups as well.
00:20:49.11\00:20:50.98
Of course.
00:20:51.01\00:20:52.48
Second, I want to
say, by way of I guess
00:20:52.51\00:20:56.28
practical application
here, that God has designed the
00:20:56.31\00:21:00.61
salvation of His people in
such a way that the salvation
00:21:00.64\00:21:04.51
of each serves the
interest of others.
00:21:04.54\00:21:07.55
So what do I mean by that?
00:21:07.58\00:21:08.88
The Jewish people,
they rejected Messiah.
00:21:09.19\00:21:11.42
Some Jewish
people rejected Messiah.
00:21:11.45\00:21:13.78
But you know, the sad
thing is that as time moved away
00:21:13.81\00:21:16.51
from the first century,
more and more Jews began
00:21:16.54\00:21:19.52
to reject Messiah.
00:21:19.55\00:21:20.98
Not those that were
there at ground zero,
00:21:21.01\00:21:24.01
because there were
many Jews that believed.
00:21:24.04\00:21:26.15
But as time went
on, more and more Jews
00:21:26.51\00:21:29.41
rejected all
the way up to today.
00:21:29.44\00:21:31.66
And listen, don't
take this personal,
00:21:31.91\00:21:34.53
but the body of
Christ, the church, has had
00:21:34.81\00:21:37.44
more to do with
that than anything.
00:21:37.47\00:21:39.41
Okay?
00:21:39.75\00:21:40.78
And it's how the relationship
with God and the Jews
00:21:40.81\00:21:44.18
has been
perceived, and anti-Semitism.
00:21:44.21\00:21:46.86
And on and on it has gone.
00:21:46.89\00:21:48.67
And the thing is, is
that in turning against that
00:21:48.70\00:21:52.19
people group in the name
of Jesus, that has turned them
00:21:52.22\00:21:55.61
away from Jesus.
00:21:55.64\00:21:57.88
This is what I'm talking about.
00:21:58.28\00:21:59.87
The Jewish people,
they rejected Messiah.
00:22:00.18\00:22:02.40
And that resulted in
conversion of the Gentiles.
00:22:02.43\00:22:05.65
That's the good news.
00:22:05.68\00:22:06.95
That's what Paul is saying.
00:22:06.98\00:22:08.39
Which in turn resulted in what?
00:22:08.73\00:22:11.12
A blessing to Israel.
00:22:11.15\00:22:13.19
That's what is
suppose to happen.
00:22:13.22\00:22:14.91
You know, it's kind of
like imagining that if you
00:22:15.47\00:22:18.17
stood in front of a pond
of clear smooth flat water,
00:22:18.20\00:22:23.42
and you threw a pebble
into the middle of the pond,
00:22:23.45\00:22:26.10
what would happen?
00:22:26.13\00:22:27.16
You would watch
the ripples go out.
00:22:27.19\00:22:29.71
We have to imagine that pebble
hitting the water was like
00:22:29.74\00:22:32.60
Jesus in the first century.
00:22:32.63\00:22:34.19
And the ripples began to
go out away from Jerusalem,
00:22:34.22\00:22:37.43
away from the Jewish people.
00:22:37.46\00:22:38.89
But what happens
when those ripples hit
00:22:38.92\00:22:41.09
the edge of the pond?
00:22:41.12\00:22:42.36
What happens?
00:22:42.96\00:22:44.10
Don't they bounce
and start coming back?
00:22:44.35\00:22:46.66
And that's what
we're seeing now.
00:22:47.27\00:22:49.04
That the ripples of
the gospel is now beginning
00:22:49.46\00:22:52.54
to come back to
the center of the pond.
00:22:52.57\00:22:55.69
You know, I find it amazing
that the blessing for one
00:22:56.53\00:22:59.27
rebounds to the
benefit of the other.
00:22:59.30\00:23:01.94
When you are
being moved on by Jesus,
00:23:02.51\00:23:06.08
when you are blessed,
then others around you
00:23:06.11\00:23:09.77
will in turn be blessed.
00:23:09.80\00:23:11.76
When we testify at how
God has worked in our life,
00:23:11.79\00:23:15.67
it affects other people's faith.
00:23:15.91\00:23:18.32
And in turn, they're blessed.
00:23:18.35\00:23:20.71
Amen?
00:23:20.91\00:23:21.94
See, that's the
way it should be.
00:23:22.38\00:23:24.27
Your salvation blesses me.
00:23:26.26\00:23:28.13
Your salvation encourages me.
00:23:28.89\00:23:30.98
It strengthens me.
00:23:31.01\00:23:32.25
I benefit from
your walk with Jesus.
00:23:32.28\00:23:35.35
My salvation, in turn,
means blessing and encouragement
00:23:35.38\00:23:38.79
not just to you, but others.
00:23:38.82\00:23:40.79
That's the way
it's suppose to work.
00:23:40.82\00:23:43.31
Third, Paul now talks
about a proper attitude
00:23:44.90\00:23:48.71
to the Jewish people.
00:23:48.95\00:23:50.21
And what is it?
00:23:50.30\00:23:51.33
It should be that
they would come to know
00:23:51.36\00:23:53.80
the Jewish Messiah.
00:23:53.83\00:23:55.29
That's a proper attitude.
00:23:55.78\00:23:57.38
It's the attitude that we should
have for every people group.
00:23:57.68\00:24:00.22
But I have to say, how
much more so, as Paul spoke,
00:24:01.05\00:24:04.47
for the Jewish people.
00:24:04.50\00:24:05.96
Paul says in verse
13 and 14, follow along,
00:24:06.52\00:24:09.71
"Now I am
speaking to you Gentiles.
00:24:10.08\00:24:12.57
Inasmuch then as I am
an apostle to the Gentiles,
00:24:13.11\00:24:16.73
I magnify my ministry
in order somehow to make my
00:24:16.76\00:24:21.07
fellow Jews jealous,
and thus save some of them."
00:24:21.10\00:24:25.09
So what is Paul saying here?
00:24:25.12\00:24:27.45
Listen, Paul is saying, "I
work with everything that I have
00:24:27.48\00:24:32.15
for the
salvation of the Gentiles.
00:24:32.18\00:24:34.20
Why? Because I know that
as the Gentiles get saved
00:24:34.23\00:24:37.74
and they walk as Jesus walked,
the Jews are going to, in turn,
00:24:37.77\00:24:42.13
become jealous that here
are the Gentiles, the nations,
00:24:42.33\00:24:46.61
walking in right status
with the living God of Israel.
00:24:46.64\00:24:49.60
And they want what they have."
00:24:49.63\00:24:52.12
That's what Paul is saying.
00:24:53.13\00:24:54.39
The more Gentiles come to know
Jesus, the more opportunities
00:24:54.91\00:24:58.76
for the Jews, in
turn, to come to know Jesus.
00:24:58.79\00:25:03.06
Paul identifies himself
as apostle to the Gentiles.
00:25:04.22\00:25:08.26
But then he says, listen,
"I want you to understand
00:25:08.29\00:25:12.12
that I have an empathetically
pro-Jewish ministry."
00:25:12.52\00:25:16.90
In other words, when
someone talks that Paul turned
00:25:17.80\00:25:20.81
against the Jews,
they don't know Paul.
00:25:20.84\00:25:23.32
Okay?
00:25:24.26\00:25:25.31
That's just so
convoluted as far as a message.
00:25:25.34\00:25:29.11
Paul never turned
away from who he was.
00:25:29.14\00:25:32.11
Paul taught that he was
a Pharisee of Pharisees.
00:25:32.61\00:25:35.95
He was a Jew to
the tenth degree.
00:25:35.98\00:25:39.20
But he was a Jew
that found the Messiah,
00:25:40.44\00:25:43.28
and understood that
the message of the Messiah
00:25:43.31\00:25:46.16
was for all people's.
00:25:46.19\00:25:48.07
And look, make no mistake,
Paul always found himself
00:25:49.45\00:25:52.80
in the synagogue
preaching to the Jews.
00:25:52.83\00:25:55.54
And when he was done there,
he moved on to the Gentiles.
00:25:55.57\00:26:00.07
Always.
00:26:00.54\00:26:01.85
You know, I think that
when Paul talks in terms of
00:26:03.84\00:26:07.94
being pro-Jewish in
his ministry, you know,
00:26:07.97\00:26:11.56
I think there would have been
many, in fact I know there are
00:26:11.59\00:26:14.49
many, that see Paul as a trader.
00:26:14.52\00:26:17.11
A trader to his
people as a turncoat.
00:26:17.60\00:26:20.57
I want to share with you a
testimony of a Jewish believer.
00:26:22.64\00:26:26.79
This isn't mine, by the way.
00:26:27.22\00:26:29.48
Let me read this to you.
00:26:30.41\00:26:31.77
It's very powerful.
00:26:31.80\00:26:33.02
And this is quote,
"When I became a Christian,
00:26:34.55\00:26:37.61
my parents rejected me.
00:26:38.04\00:26:40.03
They refused to
acknowledge that I existed.
00:26:40.33\00:26:42.91
They don't correspond with me.
00:26:43.48\00:26:45.44
They don't speak with me.
00:26:45.60\00:26:47.13
But my
grandmother, she still loves me.
00:26:47.16\00:26:49.75
And she'll speak to me.
00:26:50.05\00:26:51.42
So I said to my grandmother,
00:26:51.96\00:26:53.76
'Grandma, I
don't understand this.
00:26:53.79\00:26:56.80
Dad, he doesn't
even believe in God.
00:26:57.18\00:26:59.85
He's an atheist.
00:27:00.31\00:27:01.90
He's Jewish, ethnically,
yeah, but he is an atheist.
00:27:02.28\00:27:06.74
He doesn't believe in the Torah.
00:27:07.32\00:27:09.49
He doesn't
believe in the writings,
00:27:09.72\00:27:11.42
he doesn't
believe in the prophets.
00:27:11.45\00:27:13.33
But I believe in
all of those things.
00:27:13.54\00:27:16.35
I believe in God.
00:27:16.38\00:27:17.89
I believe in the Torah.
00:27:17.92\00:27:19.26
I believe in the writings.
00:27:19.29\00:27:20.50
I believe in the prophets.
00:27:20.53\00:27:22.72
It's just an addition
that I believe that Jesus
00:27:23.85\00:27:28.72
is the Jewish Messiah.
00:27:28.75\00:27:30.38
It's the natural
progression of it all.
00:27:30.70\00:27:33.43
I believe that He
fulfills all of those things
00:27:33.74\00:27:36.61
that the Torah and the prophets
and the writings spoke about.
00:27:36.64\00:27:40.38
So which one of
us is a better Jew?
00:27:41.73\00:27:44.75
Me or dad?'
00:27:46.26\00:27:48.37
She immediately responded and
said, 'Of course, your father.
00:27:50.13\00:27:54.86
Because he doesn't
believe in Jesus Christ.'"
00:27:55.13\00:27:57.54
Now, you know, I
heard some chuckles, but
00:27:58.77\00:28:01.88
you have to wrap your
head around the impact of
00:28:01.91\00:28:04.75
what was said
here in this testimony.
00:28:04.78\00:28:07.11
That the first place that
a Jewish person should turn
00:28:08.24\00:28:11.95
is the last place
that they ever look.
00:28:11.98\00:28:14.24
Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.
00:28:15.43\00:28:17.28
Yet you heard me share,
some of you, you've heard me
00:28:17.31\00:28:19.99
in the past that growing
up, I didn't even know that
00:28:20.02\00:28:22.45
Jesus was a Jew.
00:28:22.48\00:28:23.86
Now who's fault was that?
00:28:24.06\00:28:25.81
Was that my fault or was that
the fault of the Christians that
00:28:25.84\00:28:28.83
knew me that never
even bothered to share
00:28:28.86\00:28:31.74
the love of the
Jewish Messiah with me?
00:28:31.77\00:28:33.86
And again, I'm not saying
this to make you feel bad.
00:28:33.89\00:28:37.01
What was is what was.
00:28:37.04\00:28:38.79
Now it's, what are we going to
do from here as we move forward?
00:28:38.82\00:28:41.62
How are we going to see
this scenario differently?
00:28:41.94\00:28:44.86
Just the fact that he believed
in Jesus, in the eyes of the
00:28:46.30\00:28:51.55
Jewish community,
negated him from being Jewish.
00:28:51.58\00:28:55.20
That's how it is for me.
00:28:56.13\00:28:57.44
That's how it is for most
Jews who become a believer.
00:28:57.47\00:29:00.21
Once you accept Jesus,
in the eyes of your family
00:29:00.24\00:29:02.89
and your community,
you are no longer Jewish.
00:29:02.92\00:29:05.22
You know the irony
is, you can believe in
00:29:05.25\00:29:07.11
Buddha or Confucius, you can
even be a practicing Satanist,
00:29:07.14\00:29:11.39
and still be
accepted in the community.
00:29:11.63\00:29:13.89
But as soon as you
profess Jesus, you're out.
00:29:14.68\00:29:19.59
And you have to
understand why that is.
00:29:19.87\00:29:22.81
And it's all based on
the history of the Christians
00:29:23.04\00:29:26.37
against the Jews.
00:29:26.40\00:29:28.02
Is it your fault? No.
00:29:29.54\00:29:31.38
But can you do
something about it?
00:29:31.41\00:29:32.99
Yes.
00:29:33.02\00:29:34.28
And that's what
this has been all about.
00:29:34.71\00:29:36.91
See Paul's goal was to
make his fellow Jews jealous.
00:29:37.11\00:29:42.24
How did he make them jealous?
00:29:42.27\00:29:43.96
He didn't spout off Scriptures.
00:29:45.33\00:29:48.02
He didn't go and run
up into their face and
00:29:48.05\00:29:51.78
"You've got to do
this and you've got to..."
00:29:51.81\00:29:53.25
No, no. He believed
that as Gentiles lived like
00:29:53.28\00:29:59.39
the Jewish Messiah, as
they practiced Christianity
00:29:59.42\00:30:02.87
as it was suppose to
be, that Jews would say,
00:30:02.90\00:30:05.06
"Wait a minute.
00:30:05.09\00:30:06.12
How do you do that?
00:30:06.53\00:30:08.45
How can you live that way?"
00:30:08.68\00:30:11.09
You see, that's what
we're called to do, church.
00:30:12.69\00:30:15.33
We're not called to
evangelize the Jews.
00:30:15.79\00:30:20.44
Understand that. That's
not what Paul is saying.
00:30:20.81\00:30:23.19
Because we think in terms
of evangelism as handing out
00:30:23.22\00:30:25.97
tracts or preaching a
gospel sermon to them.
00:30:26.00\00:30:29.60
There's no context for them
to even begin to receive that.
00:30:29.96\00:30:32.97
You know how you affect?
00:30:33.26\00:30:34.87
Is that you live the
gospel in front of them.
00:30:35.30\00:30:39.29
That's what Paul is saying,
"Provoking them to jealousy."
00:30:39.32\00:30:43.41
Paul's goal was to
make his fellow Jews jealous
00:30:43.85\00:30:47.37
and to save some of them.
00:30:47.40\00:30:49.71
He knew that not
every Jew would come.
00:30:49.74\00:30:51.98
Just like not
every other person.
00:30:52.01\00:30:53.88
Not every Jamaican or
Haitian or Norwegian or German
00:30:53.91\00:30:58.14
or Italian is going
to come to know Jesus.
00:30:58.17\00:31:00.75
Look, when we get down to it,
there's going to be a very small
00:31:01.34\00:31:04.18
few of people at the end
in comparison to the numbers
00:31:04.21\00:31:07.33
that have lived that
surrendered their heart
00:31:07.36\00:31:09.93
and walked with Jesus.
00:31:09.96\00:31:11.71
I mean, it's pretty harsh
when you think how Jesus says
00:31:13.96\00:31:16.37
that there will be people
that profess that they did
00:31:16.40\00:31:18.68
all these things in His
name, and He's going to say,
00:31:18.71\00:31:20.75
"Depart from Me.
I never knew you."
00:31:20.78\00:31:22.78
That's a hard thing to hear.
00:31:23.70\00:31:25.49
Paul is saying that we
ought to have a longing for the
00:31:26.95\00:31:30.10
salvation of the Jewish people.
00:31:30.13\00:31:32.26
Listen, jealousy is not
the instrument of grace.
00:31:33.15\00:31:37.20
Faith is the
instrument of grace.
00:31:37.23\00:31:40.30
Paul is saying that
our experience of the grace
00:31:40.33\00:31:43.19
and the promises of
God ought to be in display.
00:31:43.22\00:31:47.79
They ought to be
evidence to the Jewish people
00:31:47.82\00:31:52.02
so that they desire
to have the same thing.
00:31:52.51\00:31:56.65
When people see the grace
of God and the love of Jesus
00:31:57.38\00:32:01.22
flowing out in somebody's
life, they want that same thing.
00:32:01.25\00:32:05.34
Listen, I am so fully
convinced that not only Jews,
00:32:05.57\00:32:09.02
but even the hardened atheist,
desires to know that the message
00:32:09.05\00:32:13.24
of Christ is real and
not just some rantings
00:32:13.27\00:32:16.32
of religious fanatics.
00:32:16.35\00:32:18.21
That the truth of the gospel
is something that changes lives
00:32:19.02\00:32:23.19
and touches hearts in a
way that nothing else can.
00:32:23.22\00:32:26.82
Fourth, Paul now wants to talk
about a proper view of grace.
00:32:27.95\00:32:33.66
It's important for us.
00:32:33.99\00:32:35.54
See, in view of the fact
that the spiritual root of the
00:32:37.04\00:32:39.80
Gentiles is found... Where?
00:32:39.83\00:32:41.67
In Israel, right?
00:32:41.70\00:32:43.31
...it should produce
humility and not arrogance.
00:32:43.49\00:32:47.43
Paul puts it this
way in verses 17 and 18.
00:32:48.09\00:32:50.98
Follow with me.
00:32:51.01\00:32:52.12
He says, "But if some of
the branches were broken off,
00:32:52.54\00:32:55.38
and you, although a wild
olive shoot, were grafted in
00:32:55.41\00:32:58.54
among the others and now
share in the nourishing root of
00:32:58.57\00:33:01.66
the olive tree, do not be
arrogant toward the branches.
00:33:01.69\00:33:06.53
If you are, remember it is
not you who support the root,
00:33:06.56\00:33:11.59
but the root who supports you."
00:33:11.97\00:33:15.82
Wow, Paul.
00:33:17.51\00:33:18.82
Now I want you to
think about this some.
00:33:19.37\00:33:20.87
Because maybe some of you
don't understand horticulture.
00:33:20.90\00:33:23.60
Right? Fancy thing
about how plants grow,
00:33:23.70\00:33:26.99
and what you do
and what you don't do.
00:33:27.02\00:33:28.99
See, first of all, Paul
using this illustration,
00:33:29.65\00:33:33.51
he knows that all of the
people who are hearing it,
00:33:33.89\00:33:36.94
they know, first of
all, that the olive tree
00:33:37.15\00:33:40.47
is an illustration, a metaphor,
that is use throughout the Bible
00:33:40.50\00:33:44.12
to represent God's
people; the Jewish people.
00:33:44.15\00:33:47.40
Okay?
00:33:47.43\00:33:48.46
The prophet Haggai
uses it, Habakkuk uses it,
00:33:48.49\00:33:51.40
other prophets use it.
00:33:51.43\00:33:52.94
Israel is the olive
tree and God is the gardener.
00:33:52.97\00:33:56.33
Over and over in the Bible.
00:33:56.36\00:33:58.10
Okay? That's a fact.
00:33:58.13\00:34:00.10
Paul knows also that this
illustration that he's giving,
00:34:00.13\00:34:04.06
from the standpoint of
horticulture, is wrong.
00:34:04.09\00:34:07.86
It doesn't make sense,
if you don't know that.
00:34:08.16\00:34:10.63
Paul knows that it is not
common practice, first of all,
00:34:10.66\00:34:14.03
to take a wild olive branch and
graft it into an old cultivated
00:34:14.06\00:34:19.16
standing olive tree.
00:34:19.19\00:34:21.14
That's not what they did.
00:34:21.17\00:34:22.67
He knows that it's
normally exactly the opposite.
00:34:22.70\00:34:25.64
Right?
00:34:25.67\00:34:26.70
Olive farmers, even
today, would take a branch
00:34:26.73\00:34:31.27
from an older cultivated
olive tree that's becoming
00:34:31.30\00:34:34.71
less strong, that's becoming
less fruitful, that is beginning
00:34:34.74\00:34:38.22
to die off, and they would
graft it into a wild olive tree
00:34:38.25\00:34:44.35
that was young and strong.
00:34:44.38\00:34:46.11
And thereby, from that
branch of the older olive tree,
00:34:46.14\00:34:49.78
they would get good fruit.
00:34:49.81\00:34:51.47
Just the opposite
of what Paul is saying.
00:34:52.29\00:34:55.18
Right?
00:34:55.59\00:34:56.62
Paul knew it was the opposite.
00:34:56.65\00:34:58.89
But he designs this illustration
for a specific purpose.
00:34:59.09\00:35:03.50
And it's designed to show
us even today what a surprising
00:35:03.53\00:35:07.82
thing God has done
by bringing the Gentiles
00:35:07.85\00:35:11.77
into His people.
00:35:11.80\00:35:13.05
It was a shock to the Jews.
00:35:14.18\00:35:16.24
You know, really, you
have to kind of imagine
00:35:16.84\00:35:19.57
Jews sitting around
back then and going,
00:35:19.60\00:35:21.80
"Oy vey, what
are we going to do?
00:35:21.83\00:35:23.09
Gentiles coming to
faith in the Jewish Messiah."
00:35:23.12\00:35:26.28
Right?
00:35:27.74\00:35:28.77
And now it's
exactly the opposite.
00:35:28.80\00:35:31.34
People in the church sit
around and they go, "Oy vey."
00:35:31.44\00:35:33.46
No, they don't say, "Oy vey."
00:35:33.49\00:35:34.57
But they say,
"What are we going to do?
00:35:34.60\00:35:36.22
Jews coming to faith in Jesus."
00:35:36.25\00:35:38.69
You know if you, in
fact, if you let your eyes
00:35:41.85\00:35:44.52
run down to verse
24, jump ahead, you see,
00:35:44.55\00:35:47.38
Paul explicitly says that he
knows that this is not natural
00:35:47.41\00:35:50.73
to take a wild olive branch
and graft it into the root
00:35:50.76\00:35:53.52
of an old cultivated olive tree.
00:35:53.55\00:35:55.16
He says this is, in
fact, contrary to nature.
00:35:55.19\00:35:58.73
You see, church,
that is exactly the point.
00:35:59.44\00:36:03.91
God showing His
grace to the Gentiles
00:36:04.45\00:36:08.75
was, as we say today,
mind blowing to the Jews.
00:36:08.98\00:36:13.49
How can this be?
00:36:14.17\00:36:15.50
To the heathen nations,
God is pouring out His grace.
00:36:16.14\00:36:20.46
And they're coming to know Him.
00:36:20.49\00:36:22.26
We think of it
as the plan of God.
00:36:23.72\00:36:25.68
And it is.
00:36:25.71\00:36:27.06
You know, we have
grown accustomed to this.
00:36:27.09\00:36:31.66
And it has become
just a normal thing.
00:36:31.69\00:36:34.02
And perhaps we've
taken it for granted.
00:36:34.05\00:36:36.53
Paul is reminding us again what
a surprising thing God has done,
00:36:37.63\00:36:41.67
in fact, to bring
Gentiles into the fold.
00:36:41.70\00:36:46.25
And you have to remember that.
00:36:47.40\00:36:48.95
Because there was a time when
that was not the norm at all.
00:36:49.34\00:36:53.63
And why? Why does
Paul bring this up?
00:36:55.86\00:36:58.24
It's as important
then as it is today.
00:36:58.72\00:37:01.03
Because it
should produce humility.
00:37:01.06\00:37:04.23
You know, too many Christians
just take it for granted
00:37:05.17\00:37:08.51
that that's the way it is.
00:37:08.94\00:37:10.63
And just as I, growing
up, had no idea that Jesus
00:37:10.66\00:37:14.28
is the Jewish Messiah;
listen church, there's so many
00:37:14.69\00:37:17.78
Christians that have no
idea that Jesus was Jewish,
00:37:17.81\00:37:21.05
or there's anything
Jewish about the gospel.
00:37:21.08\00:37:23.44
As soon as you start talking
about that, the first thing
00:37:23.48\00:37:25.75
they're going to say is,
"No, no, no, wait a minute.
00:37:25.78\00:37:27.11
The Jews killed Christ."
00:37:27.14\00:37:28.89
Thank you, sister Angela.
00:37:31.64\00:37:33.14
I know that voice.
00:37:34.41\00:37:35.68
All of us killed Jesus.
00:37:37.56\00:37:40.18
Now listen to me, church.
00:37:40.21\00:37:41.58
If you did not
participate in His death,
00:37:41.68\00:37:46.18
then you cannot
participate in the resurrection
00:37:46.21\00:37:48.47
that He brought life from.
00:37:48.50\00:37:49.94
Our sin, my sin, your
sin, put Him on the cross.
00:37:51.96\00:37:57.31
Plain and simple.
00:37:57.61\00:37:58.80
And if it's only the Jews
that are getting blamed for it,
00:37:59.00\00:38:01.86
then everyone else is lost.
00:38:01.89\00:38:04.07
How do you like them apples?
00:38:05.54\00:38:07.28
Listen, our spiritual root
is and always will be Israel.
00:38:13.49\00:38:18.95
There's no getting around that.
00:38:20.08\00:38:21.56
Whether you like it or not.
00:38:21.59\00:38:22.83
Now, let me give you a
couple of applications.
00:38:23.11\00:38:26.95
I know all these voices.
00:38:26.98\00:38:28.09
I hear them and I think,
"Oh, that's sister so and so."
00:38:28.12\00:38:30.56
First, the church
is one with Israel.
00:38:31.97\00:38:33.93
Can you say amen?
00:38:33.96\00:38:35.02
Not separate entities. One.
00:38:35.81\00:38:37.36
The church, as the new
covenant people of God;
00:38:37.64\00:38:40.43
that includes
both Jews and Gentiles.
00:38:40.46\00:38:44.08
Jews and non-Jews.
00:38:44.43\00:38:45.53
You know, in the first century,
there was no other peoples.
00:38:45.56\00:38:48.60
Right?
00:38:48.66\00:38:49.69
There were the
Jews and the non-Jews.
00:38:49.72\00:38:51.72
The Hebrew term is, "goyem."
00:38:52.33\00:38:54.25
It's not derogatory.
00:38:54.28\00:38:55.66
It means, the nations.
00:38:55.69\00:38:57.62
There were Jews and
there were the nations.
00:38:57.65\00:38:59.66
There was nobody else.
00:38:59.69\00:39:01.12
And you know what?
00:39:01.15\00:39:02.18
Today, it's exactly the same.
00:39:02.21\00:39:04.20
There's Jews, and the nations.
00:39:05.52\00:39:07.88
From a biblical perspective.
00:39:08.46\00:39:10.28
It's the only thing that
we read God talking about.
00:39:10.82\00:39:13.86
The church as the
new covenant people,
00:39:16.68\00:39:19.27
that we would want to say.
00:39:19.30\00:39:20.33
Now I'm talking about
all of the body of believers.
00:39:20.36\00:39:22.89
That includes
both Jew and Gentile.
00:39:22.92\00:39:25.19
You know, Sasha made a
great illustration last night,
00:39:25.36\00:39:29.15
if you heard his sermon.
00:39:29.18\00:39:30.21
If you didn't,
you've got to go back.
00:39:30.24\00:39:31.34
How he talked about what
really is the two covenants.
00:39:31.54\00:39:34.58
You know, one, the first
was located in one place.
00:39:34.68\00:39:38.81
God was there.
00:39:38.84\00:39:40.11
Now it's us, we're the new
covenant; the moving tabernacle.
00:39:40.31\00:39:44.78
Amen? That's beautiful.
00:39:46.08\00:39:47.75
Paul doesn't say that
there is an olive tree of Israel
00:39:53.38\00:39:57.85
and then there is an olive
tree that we call, the church.
00:39:58.06\00:40:01.48
He doesn't say that.
00:40:02.26\00:40:03.32
He makes the
point that we are one,
00:40:04.03\00:40:07.91
just one,
represented by God's people.
00:40:08.77\00:40:12.43
You know, it's the
title of this whole series;
00:40:12.69\00:40:16.43
One In Messiah.
00:40:16.46\00:40:18.45
That's what we are.
00:40:18.68\00:40:19.93
Isn't it interesting
how the Scriptures says
00:40:20.86\00:40:22.60
there is neither,
you know, Jew nor Greek,
00:40:22.63\00:40:25.51
nor bond nor free,
nor male nor female.
00:40:25.77\00:40:28.00
Now of course, is
there male and female?
00:40:28.03\00:40:30.72
Come on.
00:40:31.40\00:40:32.65
Of course there is.
00:40:33.30\00:40:34.89
So what was the idea?
00:40:35.35\00:40:36.98
That we are all one in Him.
00:40:37.01\00:40:40.09
The labels that we
carry no longer exist.
00:40:40.19\00:40:43.42
One in Him.
00:40:43.79\00:40:45.12
It doesn't matter
whether you're a man or a woman,
00:40:45.15\00:40:47.34
whether you're black or white,
whether you're Jew or non-Jew.
00:40:47.88\00:40:51.23
We are all one
when we receive Jesus;
00:40:51.36\00:40:54.81
one in Him.
00:40:54.84\00:40:55.99
That's what
Paul's trying to get.
00:40:56.02\00:40:57.81
That's what he's trying
to get this church in Rome
00:40:58.19\00:41:00.74
to understand.
00:41:00.77\00:41:02.30
Everybody who heard
Paul's illustration,
00:41:04.26\00:41:06.88
they would have
grabbed on and understood that.
00:41:07.16\00:41:10.04
However, there are some...
00:41:10.49\00:41:13.21
Now listen to me.
00:41:13.24\00:41:14.38
...some very godly
Christians who believe that the
00:41:14.41\00:41:18.21
church today has absolutely
nothing to do with Israel,
00:41:18.24\00:41:21.80
God's people.
00:41:21.83\00:41:22.94
They believe that the church
was the result of the Jews
00:41:23.37\00:41:26.12
surprising God...
00:41:26.32\00:41:28.00
I love this.
00:41:28.07\00:41:29.10
...surprising God by rejecting
the Messiah, and then God
00:41:29.13\00:41:33.63
had to drop back to plan B.
00:41:33.66\00:41:36.19
Please.
00:41:36.34\00:41:37.70
Do you think our
God ever had a plan B?
00:41:37.73\00:41:41.99
I don't see a
plan B in the Bible.
00:41:42.76\00:41:44.98
There is no plan B.
00:41:45.97\00:41:47.86
It wasn't like, pop, all
of a sudden God was surprised
00:41:47.89\00:41:52.39
because, "Wow, I never
expected the church to be born."
00:41:52.42\00:41:55.61
It wasn't like, then
one day all of a sudden
00:41:59.72\00:42:02.81
it happened.
00:42:03.25\00:42:04.64
Understand, church, from
the beginning of the foundation
00:42:05.04\00:42:07.72
of the earth, God knew,
and God's plan was unfolding.
00:42:07.75\00:42:11.62
You can go all the way to
the beginning of the book,
00:42:11.65\00:42:13.90
in Genesis, and
God's plan is laid out.
00:42:13.93\00:42:16.64
And everything all the
way through, all the prophets,
00:42:16.67\00:42:19.27
and the writings, and the Torah,
it all leads to the moment
00:42:19.30\00:42:23.04
when Jesus walked on the earth.
00:42:23.07\00:42:24.94
It leads to the moment
when Jesus died on the cross
00:42:24.97\00:42:27.26
for you and for me.
00:42:27.29\00:42:28.50
No surprises for God.
00:42:28.53\00:42:30.47
God knew that there would be
those of the nation of Israel
00:42:31.65\00:42:34.96
that would reject the Messiah.
00:42:34.99\00:42:36.99
And He knew that because
of it, it would open the door
00:42:37.64\00:42:40.30
for the nations to
be able to receive.
00:42:40.33\00:42:43.61
And He also knows and expects
that as the nations receive
00:42:46.13\00:42:52.66
and know, that they
would be able to impart it back
00:42:52.84\00:42:56.77
to the Jews that they
might come to believe.
00:42:57.78\00:43:01.33
Not in religion, but in Messiah.
00:43:01.36\00:43:05.11
In the Messiah of the Bible.
00:43:06.33\00:43:08.50
You know, I find
it interesting...
00:43:10.40\00:43:14.52
You know, there's
different ways of interpreting
00:43:14.55\00:43:16.37
how Scripture plays out.
00:43:16.40\00:43:17.73
And there's something
called, dispensationalism.
00:43:17.76\00:43:21.15
And I'm sure some of
you may be familiar, but
00:43:21.18\00:43:23.93
get past the fancy word
and it essentially says this,
00:43:23.96\00:43:26.49
that one day God is going
to finish His work with the
00:43:26.52\00:43:29.66
Gentiles, and all of a sudden
all of the believers in Jesus
00:43:29.69\00:43:33.01
are going to disappear.
00:43:33.04\00:43:34.41
Right? Planes are
going to drop from the sky.
00:43:34.60\00:43:36.91
Cars are going to crash.
00:43:36.94\00:43:38.40
You know, the world is just
going to come to a standstill.
00:43:38.43\00:43:40.95
And the ones left are
going to be the non-believers
00:43:40.98\00:43:43.00
and the Jews.
00:43:43.03\00:43:44.51
Okay, those who
rejected Jesus, and the Jews.
00:43:45.29\00:43:47.61
And then God is going to
turn all His energy on the Jews.
00:43:47.64\00:43:50.56
Please.
00:43:50.70\00:43:51.76
Please.
00:43:52.27\00:43:53.38
Okay?
00:43:53.75\00:43:54.78
God's desire is that all
men would be saved even now.
00:43:54.81\00:43:57.86
And God doesn't have to
remove His church in secret.
00:43:57.89\00:44:01.09
Okay?
00:44:01.80\00:44:02.83
When Jesus comes, make
no mistake, the whole world
00:44:02.86\00:44:05.82
is going to know
what's happening.
00:44:05.85\00:44:07.52
It's not going to be
some kind of surprise.
00:44:07.55\00:44:10.32
And it won't be, all of a sudden
the poor Jews standing around
00:44:12.00\00:44:14.60
going, "Oh, now what?"
00:44:14.63\00:44:16.79
No, God expects you and I to
be working for His people now.
00:44:19.03\00:44:23.65
Because, listen, when
Jesus comes back, it's done.
00:44:25.10\00:44:28.07
Alright? That's it.
00:44:28.90\00:44:30.53
Finished.
00:44:30.87\00:44:31.90
Game over.
00:44:32.16\00:44:33.69
Those who believe
are those who believe.
00:44:34.23\00:44:37.41
Just that in itself should
stir something in your belly
00:44:40.67\00:44:44.49
to go, "Wow, I've got
to start living for Jesus."
00:44:44.52\00:44:47.45
Because that time could come...
00:44:49.85\00:44:52.25
Look, how does
Jesus describe it?
00:44:52.36\00:44:53.81
...like a thief in the night.
00:44:53.84\00:44:55.38
A thief doesn't announce, with
planes falling from the sky,
00:44:55.77\00:44:59.69
"Oh, you better repent."
00:44:59.94\00:45:01.38
No, it's either you've
done it or you haven't.
00:45:03.53\00:45:05.76
And if you
haven't, it's too late.
00:45:06.76\00:45:08.82
And woe to those who had the
opportunity to share the gospel
00:45:09.31\00:45:12.82
through their life to
other people and didn't.
00:45:12.85\00:45:15.32
Because I think we'll be
held accountable for that.
00:45:15.35\00:45:17.60
I don't want to stand in
front of Jesus and have tears
00:45:19.69\00:45:21.86
in His eyes as He looks at
me and says, "Yeah, you know,
00:45:21.89\00:45:24.43
that's great,
you did what you did.
00:45:24.46\00:45:25.90
But what about all those
people I placed around you?
00:45:25.93\00:45:28.51
What have you
done? What did you do?"
00:45:29.48\00:45:31.80
You know, Gentile Christians
are to view themselves
00:45:36.14\00:45:38.75
as united with
the Jewish people.
00:45:38.78\00:45:41.36
Not separate.
00:45:41.39\00:45:42.53
Paul is talking about that
we should be sharers of grace
00:45:42.92\00:45:46.24
in the same inheritance.
00:45:46.27\00:45:47.65
It's not that the Jews
were promised to Abraham
00:45:47.98\00:45:50.84
at covenant and we were
promised something else.
00:45:50.87\00:45:53.88
That's not the mentality.
00:45:53.91\00:45:55.53
The promises are the
promises for God's people.
00:45:56.16\00:46:00.14
God spoke to Abraham, and
I have a feeling that when
00:46:02.14\00:46:05.81
Abraham looked in
the sky, you know,
00:46:05.84\00:46:08.01
shoot me if I'm wrong,
but I think that those stars
00:46:08.04\00:46:11.72
that he saw had your
faces on them as well.
00:46:11.75\00:46:14.31
That this is what God
was trying to get to Abraham,
00:46:15.34\00:46:17.66
that, "Look, there's
going to be so many people
00:46:17.69\00:46:19.64
that are going to follow
Me because of what's going to
00:46:19.67\00:46:21.40
happen as I start this
thing in motion with you."
00:46:21.43\00:46:24.81
It can't be just the
Jews, because in comparison
00:46:26.01\00:46:28.51
to the world, the Jews
are a little sliver of people.
00:46:28.54\00:46:31.47
It's the whole
world Abraham was seeing.
00:46:32.64\00:46:35.09
All of those that would believe.
00:46:35.12\00:46:37.37
Amen?
00:46:37.40\00:46:38.65
Whether Jew or
Gentile, whether male or female,
00:46:38.68\00:46:43.41
we all share in those blessings
that God desires to roll out
00:46:44.41\00:46:49.32
lavishly upon us.
00:46:49.35\00:46:52.14
So Paul is
pointing to the legacy
00:46:52.17\00:46:54.56
that we need to acknowledge.
00:46:54.59\00:46:56.83
Fifth, Paul says
that grace produces faith.
00:46:57.64\00:47:01.56
Amen to that.
00:47:02.27\00:47:03.61
He says in verses 19
through 21, follow along,
00:47:03.91\00:47:06.93
"Then you will say, 'Branches
were broken off so that I
00:47:06.96\00:47:10.37
might be grafted in.'
00:47:10.40\00:47:12.06
That is true.
00:47:12.09\00:47:13.50
They were broken off
because of their unbelief,
00:47:13.60\00:47:16.19
but you stand
fast through faith.
00:47:16.22\00:47:19.16
So do not
become proud, but fear.
00:47:19.41\00:47:22.62
For if God did not
spare the natural branches,
00:47:22.65\00:47:25.15
neither will He spare you."
00:47:25.18\00:47:28.09
So it seems like maybe Paul
has somebody in the audience,
00:47:28.58\00:47:32.33
someone there at that church in
Rome, that's arguing with him.
00:47:32.36\00:47:36.06
Maybe someone who
thinks Paul is wrong.
00:47:36.09\00:47:38.39
And maybe the
argument is basically this,
00:47:39.01\00:47:41.19
"Well Paul, you
know, I understand that
00:47:41.22\00:47:43.03
God used the people of old,
you know, Israel, back then.
00:47:43.06\00:47:46.25
But Israel today,
they've rejected Him.
00:47:46.28\00:47:48.56
In fact, by your own theology,
Israel has been cut off
00:47:48.74\00:47:53.13
so that I can be grafted in.
00:47:53.16\00:47:55.79
So, Paul, why should I
worry about my salvation?
00:47:56.21\00:48:01.97
God grafted me in."
00:48:02.53\00:48:04.24
And I think Paul responds
in one of his typical Paul ways
00:48:04.79\00:48:10.70
something like
this, "Well, you know,
00:48:11.03\00:48:14.06
you have a point here.
00:48:15.38\00:48:17.09
But do you know how
Israel got cut off, my friend?
00:48:17.48\00:48:20.96
They got cut off
because of not believing.
00:48:21.52\00:48:24.56
Do you know how you'll
get cut off, my friend?
00:48:24.84\00:48:27.71
You'll get cut
off by not believing.
00:48:27.99\00:48:30.83
Instead of sitting over there
and gloating about the fact
00:48:31.92\00:48:35.37
that Israel in this time
has by and large turned its back
00:48:35.40\00:48:39.04
on Messiah, you
better be careful to believe,
00:48:39.07\00:48:43.60
lest you fall.
00:48:43.63\00:48:45.16
For we all are saved by
grace alone through faith
00:48:45.94\00:48:50.16
in Jesus alone, period.
00:48:50.19\00:48:53.61
And should you reject
the Messiah, guess what.
00:48:54.78\00:48:57.28
You're going to find out
you were rejected as well."
00:48:57.49\00:49:00.62
I mean, what a
tremendous warning
00:49:01.22\00:49:03.10
to the nominal Christian.
00:49:03.13\00:49:05.20
You can't go to church
and go through the motions and
00:49:05.51\00:49:08.24
never trust in Christ.
00:49:08.27\00:49:09.83
You can't
memorize the Bible, okay?
00:49:09.86\00:49:13.80
You can't have an aunt who
has prayed for you for years,
00:49:13.83\00:49:16.66
a father who is an elder;
they can't believe for you.
00:49:16.69\00:49:20.33
You can't know Jesus
without knowing Jesus.
00:49:20.36\00:49:23.29
I've said it a
thousand times before,
00:49:23.92\00:49:26.25
there are no grandchildren
in the kingdom of heaven.
00:49:26.28\00:49:30.00
It's first generation only.
00:49:30.87\00:49:33.16
You don't get in because grandma
was a righteous old lady.
00:49:33.19\00:49:36.44
Right? Period.
00:49:38.21\00:49:39.64
It's all on you.
00:49:39.74\00:49:41.24
The apostle Paul is
saying to the Gentiles,
00:49:43.41\00:49:45.50
"Instead of looking over there
at those who have been cut off,
00:49:45.53\00:49:49.89
you need to do a little
self-examination, my friend,
00:49:49.92\00:49:53.67
and ask yourself, 'Am
I trusting in Jesus?'"
00:49:53.70\00:49:57.23
Finally, we've got to
have a right view of God.
00:49:59.09\00:50:03.38
And listen, to even have a right
view of God, in and of itself,
00:50:03.58\00:50:07.54
that is a gift of grace.
00:50:07.97\00:50:09.69
Because without God's grace,
we can't even begin to see Him
00:50:10.13\00:50:12.94
in a right way.
00:50:12.97\00:50:14.08
Paul says in verse 22,
"Note then the kindness
00:50:14.31\00:50:17.72
and the severity of God.
00:50:17.75\00:50:19.20
Severity toward those
who have fallen, but God's
00:50:19.23\00:50:21.64
kindness to you, provided
you continue in His kindness.
00:50:21.67\00:50:27.55
Otherwise you
too will be cut off."
00:50:27.96\00:50:31.13
See, Paul is saying that in
the salvation of God and in the
00:50:32.07\00:50:35.28
judgment of God, you have seen
two aspects of His character.
00:50:35.31\00:50:39.14
Two attributes,
so to speak, of God.
00:50:39.17\00:50:41.79
You've seen His love,
you've seen His justice.
00:50:41.82\00:50:44.42
And both have been
served to the full.
00:50:44.45\00:50:46.71
Amen?
00:50:46.74\00:50:47.77
Seeing His love and His
justice ought to make you and me
00:50:47.80\00:50:51.14
tremble right where we are.
00:50:51.17\00:50:52.98
Because we serve
an awesome living God,
00:50:53.01\00:50:55.76
a consuming fire.
00:50:55.79\00:50:57.50
Paul's God is so completely
politically incorrect.
00:50:58.33\00:51:03.58
I'm telling you, the God you've
been hearing about on CNN,
00:51:04.03\00:51:07.89
and MSNBC, and Fox News,
that's the God that's the
00:51:07.92\00:51:12.36
same for everybody.
00:51:12.39\00:51:13.84
The God who is the God of
the Muslims, and the Christians,
00:51:13.87\00:51:16.88
and the atheists,
a God who just loves.
00:51:16.91\00:51:19.24
Doesn't matter what
you do, God is love.
00:51:19.27\00:51:22.35
Can I tell you that
this God has no relation
00:51:22.95\00:51:25.40
to the God that
Paul's talking about.
00:51:25.43\00:51:27.42
The God of Paul is a God of
kindness, but a God of severity
00:51:28.98\00:51:34.32
at the same time.
00:51:34.35\00:51:35.73
And I can hear the
people saying today,
00:51:37.21\00:51:39.92
"How out of step are you, Paul?"
00:51:39.95\00:51:42.12
And I think that's how people
look at those who truly believe
00:51:42.74\00:51:47.11
in the God of the Bible.
00:51:47.49\00:51:49.24
You believe in a God who
judges, then you believe in a
00:51:50.18\00:51:52.55
narrow minded, mean spirited,
small hearted, shriveled up God.
00:51:52.58\00:51:57.18
But can I tell you?
00:51:57.87\00:51:58.96
It is exactly the opposite.
00:51:59.41\00:52:01.49
See, a God who is loving,
a God who is nothing else,
00:52:03.36\00:52:08.61
cannot deal with the injustices
that exist in the world.
00:52:09.07\00:52:12.64
If God is just love, well...
00:52:13.13\00:52:14.66
...how does that work?
00:52:16.13\00:52:17.53
That it doesn't
matter what you do?
00:52:17.73\00:52:19.35
Please, if that's
the God that we serve,
00:52:20.97\00:52:24.26
I don't want to serve Him.
00:52:24.76\00:52:26.04
It's like somebody
comes alongside of you
00:52:27.86\00:52:30.06
and your world is falling apart,
and all they have to offer is,
00:52:30.09\00:52:34.03
"I really feel for you.
00:52:34.06\00:52:35.67
This must be really a
tough situation that you're
00:52:35.70\00:52:37.94
going through, but there is
really nothing I can do for you.
00:52:37.97\00:52:40.76
Sorry."
00:52:40.79\00:52:41.98
That's a shriveled up God.
00:52:43.27\00:52:45.10
You see, a God who is
nothing but benevolent,
00:52:46.55\00:52:49.77
and is not holy, and is
not just, and does not judge,
00:52:51.25\00:52:55.84
listen to me, it does
not cost Him anything to
00:52:56.65\00:52:59.87
come into a
relationship with sinners.
00:52:59.90\00:53:02.62
But a God who is
holy, a God who is just,
00:53:02.90\00:53:05.57
a God who is awesome,
and who is loving beyond
00:53:05.60\00:53:08.57
our capacity to
conceive, it cost Him everything
00:53:08.60\00:53:13.71
to come into
fellowship with you.
00:53:13.74\00:53:15.51
It cost Him the outrageousness,
the injustice suffered
00:53:15.54\00:53:19.95
by His own Son coming to
experience the outrageousness
00:53:19.98\00:53:25.04
of His love for you.
00:53:25.07\00:53:27.18
And that's the God
that Paul speaks about.
00:53:28.20\00:53:31.74
And that's the
God that we serve.
00:53:31.77\00:53:34.54
Not a sterile old
man sitting in a chair,
00:53:35.24\00:53:39.09
a figure in the sky,
distant from our injustice and
00:53:39.75\00:53:44.65
indifferent toward sin,
but a God who loved us enough
00:53:44.68\00:53:48.74
to become involved in our
condition and to shed His blood,
00:53:49.19\00:53:53.39
His own blood, His Son's
blood, that we could taste
00:53:53.76\00:53:57.56
the lavishness of His mercy.
00:53:57.59\00:54:00.01
I'm going to tell you, that in
the eyes of most of the world,
00:54:01.85\00:54:05.09
that is not a
politically correct God.
00:54:05.12\00:54:07.76
But I'll serve that
God anywhere anytime.
00:54:08.15\00:54:11.87
I think Paul is telling
these Gentile Christians
00:54:13.95\00:54:16.53
to look at their God.
00:54:16.56\00:54:18.05
He's telling us, "Look at
what He's done to bring you into
00:54:18.41\00:54:22.08
fellowship with Him."
00:54:22.11\00:54:23.43
Don't you have a heart of
longing that everyone out there,
00:54:24.08\00:54:27.75
Israel included, would
know the greatness of that love?
00:54:27.78\00:54:31.89
Don't you desire to share
the blessings that God has
00:54:35.26\00:54:40.05
poured out on you with everyone?
00:54:40.08\00:54:42.76
You know, I've heard
people talk about how, you know,
00:54:43.56\00:54:45.94
the big problem with
Christianity is, the thing that
00:54:45.97\00:54:48.77
motivates them is, they've
just got to make everyone
00:54:48.80\00:54:50.64
believe what they believe.
00:54:50.67\00:54:51.85
How narrow minded.
00:54:52.68\00:54:54.30
See, the idea is not to
make anyone believe anything.
00:54:54.72\00:54:58.39
The idea is to live
out Jesus in front of them
00:54:58.81\00:55:02.48
so that they see, "This is
the way we're suppose to live."
00:55:02.51\00:55:06.53
It's not about belief.
00:55:06.86\00:55:08.55
Because if the only thing you
do is believe, what good is it?
00:55:08.58\00:55:12.05
Scripture even says, "Look,
even the demons and Satan,
00:55:12.08\00:55:15.67
they believe in God."
00:55:15.70\00:55:17.43
But do they follow Him?
00:55:18.25\00:55:19.76
Do they walk with Him?
00:55:20.17\00:55:21.47
We know where
they end up at the end.
00:55:21.90\00:55:24.00
You see, for us to touch
a lost and hurting world,
00:55:26.86\00:55:30.71
it is all about how we live.
00:55:30.99\00:55:34.79
Not what we say.
00:55:35.22\00:55:36.91
Because, listen, people
hear it all, have heard it all.
00:55:37.93\00:55:42.16
And they don't want
to hear it any more.
00:55:43.41\00:55:45.11
You know, as great as it
is when someone holds up a
00:55:46.15\00:55:48.29
John 3:16 sign, how many
people that see that John 3:16
00:55:48.32\00:55:53.76
are going to actually,
if they don't have a Bible,
00:55:53.79\00:55:55.92
"Oh, I need to
see what that says.
00:55:55.95\00:55:58.03
I'm going to go down to
the bookstore and by a Bible
00:55:58.06\00:56:00.20
so I can look up John 3:16."
00:56:00.23\00:56:02.24
You know, the heart is in
the right place, but it doesn't
00:56:03.73\00:56:06.29
get the job done.
00:56:06.32\00:56:07.75
God is asking us,
just as Paul is asking us,
00:56:08.74\00:56:11.69
to live in a way that Jews
come to know Him by our life.
00:56:11.72\00:56:18.00
It is our life that
changes those around us.
00:56:18.57\00:56:22.34
To remember that
can change everything.
00:56:23.60\00:56:26.99
Amen?
00:56:27.67\00:56:28.70
I want to close with
a beautiful blessing.
00:56:29.47\00:56:32.27
I believe that as Jesus
lifted His arms and ascended
00:56:33.07\00:56:36.90
into the heavens, He quoted from
the book of Numbers chapter 6.
00:56:36.93\00:56:40.27
This is known as the priestly,
or the Aaronic, blessing.
00:56:40.30\00:56:42.93
"May the Lord
bless you and keep you.
00:56:42.96\00:56:44.96
May the Lord make His
face to shine upon you
00:56:44.99\00:56:47.45
and be gracious to you.
00:56:47.48\00:56:49.39
May the Lord lift
His countenance upon you
00:56:49.74\00:56:52.61
and bring you this peace."
00:56:53.06\00:56:54.36
And I believe that as
Jesus ascended into the heavens
00:56:54.39\00:56:57.95
at the end of His earthly
ministry, He looked down,
00:56:57.98\00:57:01.22
not just over His disciples,
but over the whole world,
00:57:01.25\00:57:04.28
His children, and
He said these words;
00:57:04.85\00:57:07.85
"Yevarechcha
Adonai, veyishmerecho.
00:57:08.05\00:57:14.59
Ya'er Adonai panav
'eleicha, vichunneko.
00:57:14.62\00:57:19.77
Yissa Adonai panav 'eleicha,
00:57:19.80\00:57:23.80
veyasem shalom."
00:57:23.83\00:57:30.52