God Did Not Reject Israel (Romans 11:10-12)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:05.400 Please remains standing, if you're able, and give your attention to Romans, 2 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:14.949 chapter eleven, Romans eleven versus one through twelve. This is God's word. 3 00:00:14.990 --> 00:00:21.149 Let's give our attention to it. I ask, then, has God rejected 4 00:00:21.350 --> 00:00:25.980 his people? By no means, for I myself am in Israelite, a 5 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:31.140 descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not 6 00:00:31.379 --> 00:00:36.289 rejected his people, whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scriptures 7 00:00:36.329 --> 00:00:41.530 say of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? Lord, they 8 00:00:41.609 --> 00:00:46.250 have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am 9 00:00:46.329 --> 00:00:51.200 left, and they seek my life. But what is God's reply to him? 10 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:57.759 I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee 11 00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:02.840 to bail. So too, at the present time, there is a remnant 12 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.750 chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer 13 00:01:07.989 --> 00:01:12.230 on the basis of works. Otherwise Grace would no longer be grace. What, 14 00:01:12.430 --> 00:01:18.469 then, Israel a faith? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. 15 00:01:19.459 --> 00:01:23.579 The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened. As it is 16 00:01:23.659 --> 00:01:26.819 written, God gave them a spirit of stupor eyes that would not see and 17 00:01:27.060 --> 00:01:32.859 ears that would not hear. Down to this very day, and David says, 18 00:01:32.890 --> 00:01:37.010 let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and 19 00:01:37.090 --> 00:01:41.969 a retribution for them. Let Their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see 20 00:01:42.409 --> 00:01:48.120 and bend their backs forever. So I ask, did they stumble in order 21 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:53.040 that they might fall? By no means. Rather, through their trespass, 22 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:59.640 salvation has come to the gentiles so as to make Israel Jealous. Now, 23 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:06.109 if their trespass means riches for the world and if their failure means riches for 24 00:02:06.230 --> 00:02:13.430 the gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean? This is God's 25 00:02:13.509 --> 00:02:17.539 word, may bless it to us. You may be seated. Paul begins 26 00:02:17.620 --> 00:02:27.020 this passage by asking a very important question. Has God rejected his people, 27 00:02:28.020 --> 00:02:34.810 his people being Israel there? Has God rejected his people? It's an important 28 00:02:34.849 --> 00:02:40.169 question because our faith in God depends on the answer. In other words, 29 00:02:40.650 --> 00:02:46.520 did God break his promise to Abraham and his children to be their God forever? 30 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:53.240 Did God break that promise, because if he did, if God lied 31 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:59.990 and we have trusted a liar, then we have a problem. We have 32 00:03:00.110 --> 00:03:05.909 been deceived. But if God did not reject his people. If God kept 33 00:03:05.990 --> 00:03:09.030 his promise, then we have every reason to believe you see why it's an 34 00:03:09.030 --> 00:03:15.580 important question. Did God reject his people? And you can understand why some 35 00:03:15.979 --> 00:03:21.219 one might ask this. Clearly, the children of Abraham have not done well 36 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:25.819 as it comes to the promise, or obtaining the promise. In large part, 37 00:03:25.939 --> 00:03:31.849 instead of finding salvation through God and all the blessings through the Long Expected 38 00:03:31.930 --> 00:03:39.650 Messiah, they crucified him, Israel's leaders being particularly guilty. and to make 39 00:03:39.689 --> 00:03:45.120 matters worse, they tried to deny the resurrection. They attacked the prophets and 40 00:03:45.240 --> 00:03:49.919 apostles as God sent them out into the world. And even today, as 41 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:53.240 as a whole, the Jews are not at peace with God through his son. 42 00:03:54.280 --> 00:04:00.469 They are, as Paul describes himself, insolent, rejecting God and the 43 00:04:00.590 --> 00:04:04.030 best gift that he has ever given them. What's more, that message of 44 00:04:04.110 --> 00:04:10.340 salvation has not only been rejected, but it has gone out to the gentiles. 45 00:04:11.300 --> 00:04:16.939 The gentiles not Abraham's children. And now God is telling these gentiles that 46 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:24.970 Abraham's that they can be Abraham's children through faith. He's giving them his Holy 47 00:04:25.050 --> 00:04:29.410 Spirit, it his prophets, his glory, his righteousness and much, much 48 00:04:29.449 --> 00:04:32.889 more so. As I say, you can understand why someone might come to 49 00:04:33.050 --> 00:04:40.199 this conclusion that God has rejected his people, and you might not blame him 50 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:45.199 for it, but you are still left wondering, but didn't he promise? 51 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:51.040 So in this passage, Paul addresses that question head on and he says no, 52 00:04:53.110 --> 00:04:56.670 no, God has not rejected his people. By no means has God 53 00:04:56.750 --> 00:05:00.550 rejected his people. But he does more than answer that question, that sort 54 00:05:00.589 --> 00:05:09.060 of simple yes or no question. He goes on to remove our doubts and 55 00:05:09.220 --> 00:05:15.459 to strengthen our faith by giving us both proof of God's faithfulness and also the 56 00:05:15.660 --> 00:05:23.329 true explanation of what he's doing. Proof of God's faithfulness and an explanation of 57 00:05:23.490 --> 00:05:28.370 God's plan. So let's look at each of those. First Proof of God's 58 00:05:28.410 --> 00:05:33.329 faithfulness. This is the the evidence that undermines the conclusion that God has rejected 59 00:05:33.410 --> 00:05:40.000 his people, and God gives three reasons or proofs that he hasn't rejected his 60 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:45.959 people, that he still loves those whom he foreknew. The first proof Paul 61 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:49.870 gives is himself. He says, how can it be true that God has 62 00:05:49.949 --> 00:05:56.709 rejected Israel when I am in Israelite Right. It's a it's a pretty straightforward 63 00:05:56.790 --> 00:06:00.990 point, and he even says I myself am and Israelite, a descendant of 64 00:06:01.029 --> 00:06:06.060 Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, Paul's and Israelite, and 65 00:06:06.100 --> 00:06:10.459 he's not ashamed to say it. He's proud of who he is as a 66 00:06:10.500 --> 00:06:15.019 Jew. He's happy and thankful for who he is. In another place, 67 00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:20.490 Philippians three five, Paul parades his credentials. He says, if anyone else 68 00:06:20.610 --> 00:06:28.089 thinks he has a reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more circumcised 69 00:06:28.170 --> 00:06:30.689 on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, 70 00:06:30.769 --> 00:06:34.920 a Hebrew of Hebrews, as old as to the law of Pharisee, 71 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:40.839 as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church, as to righteousness under the 72 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:45.199 law. blameless. Paul saying there is no one more Jewish than me, 73 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:48.790 and that's why he points to himself. In that passage. He goes on 74 00:06:48.910 --> 00:06:53.589 to point that he's willing to give it all up for the sake of knowing 75 00:06:53.629 --> 00:06:58.990 Jesus and being known by him. But here his point is that this is 76 00:06:59.110 --> 00:07:02.860 his story, this is his background, his heritage, and it proves his 77 00:07:03.060 --> 00:07:09.139 point. God has not rejected his people, God has not rejected Israel, 78 00:07:09.259 --> 00:07:17.170 because he has clearly accepted Paul. The Second Point Paul makes is to point 79 00:07:17.250 --> 00:07:21.329 to others. Paul's not the only one. In other words, he says 80 00:07:21.490 --> 00:07:27.250 in Verse Five, at the present time there are others. There are others 81 00:07:27.410 --> 00:07:31.800 like Paul who have been chosen by the grace of God, not rejected but 82 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:36.920 chosen. Well, who does he have in mind? Are there any other 83 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:42.879 Israelites that you can think of from the pages of scripture who have not rig 84 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:47.790 had been rejected, but have been chosen? You might think of the apostles, 85 00:07:48.670 --> 00:07:57.949 Jesus naming them, calling them particularly Peter and John, James and Andrew, 86 00:07:58.110 --> 00:08:03.620 Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew and all the rest. They're the women Mary 87 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:09.899 and Martha. There the unnamed people who are around and served Jesus. There's 88 00:08:09.939 --> 00:08:13.970 Joseph, who carried the cross, and there was there. There were others 89 00:08:15.970 --> 00:08:22.129 like Lazarus, the once dead Israelite who was born again, or rose again 90 00:08:22.170 --> 00:08:26.930 from the dead. There was Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, who at 91 00:08:26.009 --> 00:08:31.399 first doubted and had questions, but would later come to faith. There were 92 00:08:31.440 --> 00:08:35.960 the thousands of Jews at pentecost who came to faith and received the Holy Spirit. 93 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:41.830 And of course, even today there are Jews who put their faith in 94 00:08:41.950 --> 00:08:46.070 Jesus. One of them very much in the news this week the Nobel Prize 95 00:08:46.070 --> 00:08:52.429 winner for prize winner for literature, Robert Zim Merman, better known as Bob 96 00:08:52.470 --> 00:08:58.860 Dylan. So Paul gives these proofs. He says there is a remnant. 97 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:03.820 Look around, they are obviously here. You might put Paul's point this way. 98 00:09:03.860 --> 00:09:09.090 As he looks at himself and the thousands of Israelites who have believed in 99 00:09:09.210 --> 00:09:16.049 Jesus, he could say, look, these providences of God are the very 100 00:09:16.210 --> 00:09:22.809 proofs of his promises. Look around and you'll see that God is not rejected 101 00:09:22.250 --> 00:09:28.679 his people. The Third Point Paul makes is a historical one, and it's 102 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:35.399 in verse two. Paul points us to the scriptures and reminds us of Elijah's 103 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:41.230 lament. Elijah, you remember, was a prophet of God who was being 104 00:09:41.429 --> 00:09:50.950 pursued by a Jezebel and she wanted to kill him very much and she had 105 00:09:50.070 --> 00:09:56.139 pursued him even in to the Wilderness. This is right after his a big 106 00:09:56.259 --> 00:09:58.620 moment. That's a bad way to say it, but on Mount Carmel, 107 00:09:58.700 --> 00:10:05.620 where the fire of God came down and consumed the sacrifices and the prophets of 108 00:10:05.740 --> 00:10:11.649 bail were left embarrassed and then eventually were killed by Elijah. This queen was 109 00:10:11.889 --> 00:10:16.610 not happy for this and she runs him off into the Wilderness. And there's 110 00:10:16.610 --> 00:10:22.480 Elijah trying to do the right thing, trying to obey the Lord, speaking 111 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:26.679 the words of God to Israel. But now he's in a cave. He 112 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:31.120 finds himself alone and says to the Lord, Lord, they have killed your 113 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:37.789 prophets, they have demolished your altars and I alone am left and they seek 114 00:10:37.950 --> 00:10:43.710 my life. This is that moment that you see in all those movies that 115 00:10:43.750 --> 00:10:48.029 always have a good end, right where everything is about to just fall apart. 116 00:10:48.669 --> 00:10:52.980 It's as low as things could be, at least according to Elijah's perception 117 00:10:54.059 --> 00:10:58.779 of things. It cannot get any lower. There is only one person left. 118 00:11:00.539 --> 00:11:07.049 The remnant is down to one and only one, and they seek his 119 00:11:07.250 --> 00:11:13.370 life. The last light of the world about to be crushed and blot it 120 00:11:13.450 --> 00:11:18.480 out. Elijah's cries a clas a cry of loneliness. It is a cry 121 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:24.600 of desperation, maybe even anger and disappointment. But most of all, it's 122 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:28.840 a cry of doubt of a person who feels like they are at their end, 123 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:37.070 that they are isolated and the evil has prevailed. But God did not 124 00:11:37.350 --> 00:11:43.909 lose, and Elijah was wrong. As good as he was, as righteous 125 00:11:43.950 --> 00:11:48.139 as these he was, he was wrong. He was not alone, and 126 00:11:48.299 --> 00:11:54.259 God tells him so. I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have 127 00:11:54.419 --> 00:12:00.419 not bowed the knee to bail. Perhaps this is a good time for me 128 00:12:00.539 --> 00:12:07.809 to speak directly to you who feel like Elijah, who feel alone, alone 129 00:12:07.889 --> 00:12:13.809 in your struggles, alone against the enemy and darkness, maybe even alone away 130 00:12:13.850 --> 00:12:18.519 from God. There are, of course, times when we all feel like 131 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:24.000 this, and sometimes we truly are more alone than at other times. Paul 132 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:28.879 felt it at the end of his ministry, riding to Timothy from jail, 133 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:33.429 saying that everyone had deserted him. Elijah felt it in the cave. Jesus 134 00:12:33.549 --> 00:12:37.389 felt it when his disciples left him. I felt it. You've felt it 135 00:12:37.549 --> 00:12:43.950 too. We've all been through times where it seems that no one can understand, 136 00:12:43.659 --> 00:12:48.100 that no one is with us, that even God has abandoned us and 137 00:12:48.340 --> 00:12:54.899 his plans and his promises. But based on Elijah and based on Romans Eleven, 138 00:12:54.059 --> 00:13:01.090 I say to you, don't judge based on what you think things are. 139 00:13:01.370 --> 00:13:07.370 You cannot judge based on your limited perception. Seven Thousand People Elijah had 140 00:13:07.529 --> 00:13:13.559 no clue about, and yet they were there. or You could think of 141 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:18.279 Shadrach, Meshach and a Bendigo and then a fourth person walking in the fire 142 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:22.639 with them, and even Paul. When he was riding from prison, he 143 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:30.070 was writing to Timothy, his beloved spiritual son, who no doubt received his 144 00:13:30.190 --> 00:13:35.110 letter and responded. The point is is that, just as God never gives 145 00:13:35.149 --> 00:13:39.070 up on Israel, he the larger point is that he never gives up on 146 00:13:39.149 --> 00:13:43.700 any of his plans. We give up on God all the time, but 147 00:13:43.820 --> 00:13:50.659 he never gives up on us. We need not fear that God will ever 148 00:13:50.980 --> 00:13:56.730 reject his people or break his promises or leave those he has promised to love 149 00:13:58.409 --> 00:14:01.889 for dead. No, by no means, and this is true not only 150 00:14:01.929 --> 00:14:07.889 on an individual level, for the Israelites, particular persons chosen by grace, 151 00:14:09.490 --> 00:14:15.559 but it's true on a corporate level as well. God has chosen Israel and 152 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:22.080 will not leave her forever. A hardness has come on Israel, a hardness 153 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:26.269 that is brought on by God in their judgment and for his plans. But 154 00:14:26.389 --> 00:14:31.590 there is something coming, as Paul says in verse twelve and will go on 155 00:14:31.750 --> 00:14:35.190 to speak about more in this chapter. He speaks about a future, full 156 00:14:35.470 --> 00:14:41.860 inclusion, in incoming of this people, a softening of the hearts, not 157 00:14:43.100 --> 00:14:48.899 just an individuals but as a corporate whole. God is not rejected in them 158 00:14:48.980 --> 00:14:52.570 them. God is not rejected Israel in the past. He has not rejected 159 00:14:52.649 --> 00:14:58.370 them in Paul's Day or in our day, and God and will not reject 160 00:14:58.450 --> 00:15:03.769 them forever. Many may indeed turn away from him and from his gifts, 161 00:15:05.529 --> 00:15:11.639 but not all. There will be a full inclusion. These are the proofs 162 00:15:11.799 --> 00:15:16.440 that God gives, the things that he points to through his apostle to say 163 00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:24.909 no, I don't break my promises and I didn't break this promise. Now 164 00:15:24.990 --> 00:15:31.350 that we've heard Paul's Proofs for God's faithfulness, let's consider the second thing. 165 00:15:33.149 --> 00:15:37.460 What is the reason for his action? In other words, imagine two people 166 00:15:37.500 --> 00:15:41.940 having a discussion that are that sort of summarizes what's going on here. The 167 00:15:43.100 --> 00:15:46.700 logic of the passage. Person One says, has God rejected his plan? 168 00:15:48.179 --> 00:15:50.730 Person Too, says, which is Paul, by no means how do you 169 00:15:50.850 --> 00:15:54.809 know? Well, because he does. Hasn't done it in the past, 170 00:15:54.210 --> 00:15:58.929 he's not doing it now and he won't do it in the future. Well, 171 00:15:58.970 --> 00:16:00.970 if you can say that, if you then what is he doing? 172 00:16:02.730 --> 00:16:06.679 What is he doing with the Jews? Because clearly something is not right. 173 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:11.320 What's the alternate explanation? If God has not rejected his people, then what's 174 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:18.909 going on? And here God tells us what is really going on in these 175 00:16:18.029 --> 00:16:26.789 verses, particularly in verses seven through twelve. Now, before we look at 176 00:16:26.789 --> 00:16:32.429 them, would you just stop a moment and not take this for granted. 177 00:16:33.340 --> 00:16:38.940 Think about it this way. God is under no requirement to tell us anything 178 00:16:40.019 --> 00:16:45.700 about what he does or why he does it. Is He does God owe 179 00:16:45.899 --> 00:16:48.649 you an explanation for why he does the things he does? Of course not. 180 00:16:49.409 --> 00:16:53.409 He doesn't owe US anything. He doesn't. We can't demand that God 181 00:16:53.649 --> 00:17:04.160 tell us things, but he does. God is not a political representative who's 182 00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:10.319 accountable to us. He's not a friend that we are walking together with and 183 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:15.150 and have a sort of a back and forth relationship. He's God. He 184 00:17:15.309 --> 00:17:19.390 reveals to us the mysteries of his will when he wants to, and when 185 00:17:19.430 --> 00:17:25.829 he does, let us marvel at that let us give thanks and worship him. 186 00:17:26.190 --> 00:17:30.500 So what does he say? Well, these verses, God simply says 187 00:17:30.539 --> 00:17:37.380 this. Not all, Israel obtained what it was seeking because God took their 188 00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:42.380 already stubborn hearts and judged them. He hardened them for further. But it 189 00:17:42.539 --> 00:17:47.849 wasn't only judgments, and this is his main point. There was a gracious 190 00:17:48.049 --> 00:17:55.490 element in play. God hardened their hearts so that in their sin, salvation 191 00:17:55.769 --> 00:18:02.839 would come to others, and as salvation came to the world, the world 192 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:07.160 would in turn make Israel Jealous, who would in turn come back to him. 193 00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:17.710 You might think of it this way. Imagine Cinderella's sisters without Cinderella. 194 00:18:17.750 --> 00:18:22.750 So you've got these three terrible sisters, just terrible everything about them. They're 195 00:18:22.789 --> 00:18:26.299 mean, they're cruel, they're terrible to their father. Everything about them is 196 00:18:26.420 --> 00:18:32.140 bad. But out of his graciousness, when he should probably just reject them 197 00:18:32.180 --> 00:18:36.460 all and cast them out of his house, he takes one of them in 198 00:18:36.579 --> 00:18:40.940 the course of their lives and says to this one of these three daughters, 199 00:18:40.980 --> 00:18:45.369 and says I'm going to bless you, I'm going to love you, I'm 200 00:18:45.410 --> 00:18:51.529 going to take care of you, despite your rejection, despite your insolence. 201 00:18:51.609 --> 00:18:56.720 I'm going to bless you with all kinds of blessings. Then imagine that this 202 00:18:56.920 --> 00:19:03.720 sister then spurns the whole thing, takes the inheritance, takes the promises, 203 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:07.559 takes all the gifts that she's being given and just throws them out the window, 204 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:11.269 breaks them and throws them in the trash. Everything her father gives her 205 00:19:11.670 --> 00:19:18.950 she just throws away. So then God moves to the other two sisters and 206 00:19:19.190 --> 00:19:25.579 says, because this one has rejected, I now move outward. And what 207 00:19:25.819 --> 00:19:30.460 happens? Well, something new happens. They accept, they believe they receive. 208 00:19:32.539 --> 00:19:36.539 But in seeing that, the first sister then he becomes a little jealous. 209 00:19:36.579 --> 00:19:38.930 Says I missed the old gifts, I missed the favor, I missed 210 00:19:38.970 --> 00:19:45.849 the privileges, becoming jealous of her sisters, then turns to her father in 211 00:19:45.009 --> 00:19:52.769 repentance and says I'm sorry. And now we have not one sister being blessed, 212 00:19:52.599 --> 00:19:57.960 but three. God took what was evil, the whole lot of them. 213 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:03.200 God took what was evil, the rejection of the one whom he gave 214 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:07.509 these initial promises to, and made a whole lot of good out of the 215 00:20:07.589 --> 00:20:14.869 whole thing. This is what God does. He goes to Israel, he 216 00:20:14.990 --> 00:20:18.109 gives her promises, their blessings, he chooses her out of the nation, 217 00:20:18.910 --> 00:20:22.619 out of the nation's. She rejects him. God goes out into the nation's 218 00:20:23.019 --> 00:20:29.339 and they, in amazing way, begin to accept him and become a part 219 00:20:29.380 --> 00:20:34.420 of that original family. And in that God promises that Israel will become jealous 220 00:20:34.890 --> 00:20:45.089 and will turn again to him. God loves to take that which is evil 221 00:20:45.690 --> 00:20:51.559 and make it good, to take hard hearts and soften them for repentance, 222 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:59.559 sometimes even by hardening them further. These things are great mysteries and hardly understandable 223 00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:02.839 in a way that you might take a part a toaster or a bicycle. 224 00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:07.509 They are the mysteries of God, the the the ways in which he works. 225 00:21:08.549 --> 00:21:14.710 His ways are inscrutable and cannot be understood from every angle or have every 226 00:21:14.750 --> 00:21:19.180 question answered. But the basic point is clear, isn't it? God's point 227 00:21:19.259 --> 00:21:25.740 is clear. He has not rejected his people. Instead, what has he 228 00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:30.900 done? He has come to the world in love so that both Jew and 229 00:21:32.220 --> 00:21:41.089 gentile might believe in the risen savior and be saved. So let me ask 230 00:21:41.170 --> 00:21:45.730 you. Do you trust him? When you look at the course of history. 231 00:21:45.809 --> 00:21:49.920 At the course of your own life, do you come to the conclusion 232 00:21:51.079 --> 00:21:55.640 that God is good and God is trustworthy? Do you see his work in 233 00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:03.950 Jesus and say Aha, salvation from my sins? Do you humble yourself before 234 00:22:03.990 --> 00:22:10.950 his promises and before his Almighty providences and trust him? I hope that you 235 00:22:11.109 --> 00:22:15.470 do, because, as we have heard, salvation comes to all who believe 236 00:22:15.589 --> 00:22:19.140 in Christ. The Lord will put none to shame, and He bestows his 237 00:22:19.259 --> 00:22:26.299 riches on Jew and gentile alike. But of course, not all of you 238 00:22:26.339 --> 00:22:32.890 do trust. That is some of your waiting. Some of you have put 239 00:22:32.930 --> 00:22:37.569 God on trial and are waiting to see if he will pass your test. 240 00:22:37.890 --> 00:22:42.609 Others of you feel that God is doing just fine, but will you say 241 00:22:42.690 --> 00:22:48.480 that when things aren't going so well? In saying this, I realize I'm 242 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.240 asking you personal questions, but God wants us to hear his word in a 243 00:22:53.400 --> 00:22:59.829 personal way. He's opened up the mystery of his plan, not so that 244 00:22:59.910 --> 00:23:04.309 you can say that's interesting and turn the channel, but so that it can 245 00:23:04.630 --> 00:23:10.589 hit your heart. He tells you these things so that you would believe, 246 00:23:11.869 --> 00:23:15.700 so that you would trust in him, so that your doubts about God and 247 00:23:15.819 --> 00:23:19.380 your doubts about his plans would be laid to rest. He's open to you 248 00:23:19.660 --> 00:23:25.700 up his great providences and these ways in which he's working among the nations of 249 00:23:25.819 --> 00:23:30.890 the world, so that we would see and know him as good, so 250 00:23:32.009 --> 00:23:34.730 that we would see the freeness of His grace and turn to him in repentance. 251 00:23:37.730 --> 00:23:41.920 And so with that we turn to return to the beginning. Has God 252 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:48.519 rejected his people? The answers no. God has not rejected his people, 253 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:55.640 even though they have rejected him. Instead, he has preserved among the Jews 254 00:23:56.269 --> 00:24:00.470 people that are faithful to them. He continues to use the nation as a 255 00:24:00.589 --> 00:24:04.710 whole, even in their rebellion, for the salvation of the world, and 256 00:24:06.029 --> 00:24:08.910 when the full number of the gentiles has been reached, he will once again 257 00:24:10.099 --> 00:24:15.460 turn to his people and bring in their full number. If you are a 258 00:24:15.579 --> 00:24:18.940 Jew who is not yet put your faith in God, then here is your 259 00:24:19.019 --> 00:24:25.170 personal call to come to him. He loves Israel, always has, always 260 00:24:25.250 --> 00:24:29.650 will. He has put his faithfulness on display so that you might not be 261 00:24:30.049 --> 00:24:34.930 so that you might not have any excuse. He's put his faithfulness on display 262 00:24:36.289 --> 00:24:40.480 so that you would repent of your sins, of Your Self Righteousness and receive 263 00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:47.720 what he has offered to you and to your people for generations. At this 264 00:24:47.880 --> 00:24:52.599 particular moment in time, that means putting faith in Jesus Christ, the great 265 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:57.630 culmination of all these promises, the chosen offspring of Abraham, the Prophet that 266 00:24:57.789 --> 00:25:03.069 Moses promised would come and be greater than him, the son of David who 267 00:25:03.069 --> 00:25:07.740 would take his rightful place on the throne of the Kingdom of God. In 268 00:25:07.859 --> 00:25:11.779 Christ, God offers to you all the blessings that the prophets promised. He 269 00:25:12.140 --> 00:25:18.420 in Christ, you avoid all the judgment that was threatened for disobedience. Receiving 270 00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:23.609 him, you become not merely a child of Abraham by the flesh but by 271 00:25:23.650 --> 00:25:32.009 the spirit. And if you are not a Jew but a gentile, then 272 00:25:32.170 --> 00:25:36.599 marvel at the fact that God has spoken to you at all. And almy 273 00:25:36.680 --> 00:25:41.680 ask you, will you reject him who has spoken in this way? Will 274 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:47.640 you exchange the truth of God for lies? Will you exchange his glory for 275 00:25:47.720 --> 00:25:52.910 the Glamor of this world? I pray you will not. I pray you 276 00:25:52.990 --> 00:25:56.509 will hear God as he has spoken to us in his word, that you 277 00:25:56.549 --> 00:26:00.829 will hear his word as he has spoken to us in Christ, through whom 278 00:26:00.869 --> 00:26:04.660 he offers US forgiveness of sins, the riches of His grace and the right 279 00:26:04.900 --> 00:26:11.539 and and privilege to belong to him as his people, as his son, 280 00:26:11.099 --> 00:26:15.579 as his flock, as his bride, as his vine, to be the 281 00:26:15.660 --> 00:26:21.890 apple of his eye, to be loved by him forever. Despite all our 282 00:26:22.009 --> 00:26:26.130 sins, God did not reject the world, but he came to save it. 283 00:26:26.250 --> 00:26:32.529 Let us trust him for that and let us pray