Romans 11:28-35
God’s plan for
Welcome!
Would you open your Bibles to...
Rom. 11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
Pray
Intro
√ Finish our study of God’s plan for Israel
• The Love of God
• The Mercy of God
• The Glory of God
…as relates to His awesome plan of Salvation!
The Enduring Love of God (vs. 28-29)
Rom. 11:28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.
Rom. 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
√ What’s a Gentile to do!?
As Paul closes his discussion regarding the future plans that God has for Israel the natural question the Gentile Christian has is…
“So what are we to do with the Jews?”
After all, in Paul’s time the Jews were the main source of trouble to the Christian church.
Ex. Persecuting Jewish converts, dogging Paul around the Roman Empire, petitioning government officials to make judgements against Christianity, etc.
The Jew’s were a major thorn to the Christian.
So, how is the Christian (Jew or Gentile) to…
Think about the Jewish people who reject Jesus
Treat the Jewish people who mistreat the Christian
Very important question because in the history of the Church Christians have made a lot of “bone head” comments about the Jewish people and treated them poorly because they didn’t understand God’s thinking on this subject.
Note Paul’s instructions in vs. 28:
Concerning the gospel = enemies
Concerning the election = beloved
√ Concerning the gospel
Christians are to see the Jew who rejects Jesus in the same light as all other people who reject Christ.
An enemy.
In what sense? An enemy of the Truth. In the sense that they would preach a “different gospel” – a gospel of works vs. the gospel of Grace.
By their preaching they turn people away Jesus – thus from salvation!
The Christ-rejecting Jew should be viewed in the same light as the Hindu, the Muslim, the Mormon, etc.
How do we treat an enemy of the Gospel? With Gospel weapons – not fleshly weapons!
2Cor. 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
2Cor. 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
2Cor. 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
2Cor. 10:6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
The mistake of the Christian Church has often been to fight against the Christ-rejecting Jew (and others!) with the weapons of this world.
There’s simply no place for that in God’s kingdom.
Spiritual wars have never been won with swords, guns, persecutions, etc.
Spiritual wars are won with the spiritual weapons that God has given us!
Prayer, His Word and a demonstration of His Love!
Ex. Pastor Bradley and the outreach to Jewish immigrants in Israel
√ Concerning the election
Paul says that they are till loved by God – why?
“but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.” Vs. 28
Because of God’s love for, and His promises to the “fathers” – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Further proof that God isn’t finished with the people of Israel! That He has a plan in place to save Israel according to the promises which He made to the patriarchs.
Why?
Because God never takes back on His promises!
Look at vs. 29
Rom. 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Literally it reads….
“for not repented of are the grace-gifts and the calling of God”
Meaning – God does not revoke what He has given or whom He has chosen. Thus, He is still working with the Jewish people to bring about the promises He made to them.
Ex. Larry Shields and the Lake Sherwood TT
Ap. You and the calling He has on your life – you can run but you can’t hide!
Ex. Jonah – there may be a fish story in your future!
The Sweet Mercy of God (vs. 30-32)
Rom. 11:30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,
Rom. 11:31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.
Rom. 11:32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
√ Mercy me!
The Gentiles believers to whom Paul wrote were at one time disobedient to God.
But, in this Age of Grace (Time of the Gentiles – vs. 25) they have now received God’s mercy.
Mercy = not getting what we deserve – death!
“For the wages of sin is death” - Rom. 6:23
Instead we who believe get eternal life – Grace!
Grace = getting what we don’t deserve
“but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Note how it is that Gentile believers came to be recipients of God’s mercy - through the disobedience of the Jews!
But, God doesn’t stop there.
Where as we received mercy through the disobedience of the Jews, Paul tells us that God will use the mercy that He shows to the Gentiles to bring mercy on the Jews too!
Ex. Rom. 11:11 – making the Jews envious of what Gentiles have in Christ.
Ap. If a Jewish person was to observe your life and mine – would they be envious of what we have in Christ?
Are you living the Abundant life?
The Awesome Glory of God (vs. 33-36)
Rom. 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Rom. 11:34 “For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?”
Rom. 11:35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?”
Rom. 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
√ Praise the Lord!
Paul concludes his discussion (last 3 chapters) on God’s purpose and plans for Israel with an outburst of praise!
Why? Because even though Paul had a divinely inspired understanding of God’s plan of salvation…
How the Jews and the Gentiles were involved
…he freely admits that God’s wisdom and knowledge are way beyond his comprehension!
That is to say…
“God’s way to smart for me – so I’m gonna praise Him!”
How smart is God?
“His ways past finding out” – vs. 33 – literally is…
“incapable of being traced by footprints”
The human mind is not able to follow God’s thinking – His ways and His plans are mysteries we cannot know unless He reveals them to us.
The point – God is bigger than our brain can comprehend – therefore He ought to be worshiped.
Ex. A “god” that fits into your brain is too small to worship – because that god is smaller than you!
That’s okay with me. That is, that I don’t know everything about God, or why He does what He does, or why He doesn’t do what He doesn’t do!
I understand that I am not able with my sin-tainted brain to fully comprehend God.
With that in mind – note in vs. 34 that God doesn’t need any help making decisions…
Rom. 11:34 “For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?”
Ap. Have you ever thought that you needed to give God a “head’s up” because it seemed to you that He really wasn’t handling your life properly!?
He knows what He’s doing – it’s our job to find out what His plans are and get in line with them.
√ God is all powerful
Rom. 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
“of Him” = all things created by God
“through Him” = redeemed and sustained by God
“to Him” = all of creation complete in God
Paul’s point is that God alone is worthy of praise because He is the all-Sovereign – self-sustaining - One of the universe.
Close
√ God has a plan for Israel – we’re watching it played out on the evening news.
Ap. He also has a plan for you – do you know what it is? Are you walking in it?